Veteran actor Mushtaq Khan, who appeared in hundreds of Hindi films over five decades, died on Thursday, September 24, at Nanavati Hospital in Mumbai after a battle with cancer.
Khan had been diagnosed with cancer around five years ago and had recovered after treatment, but the disease returned about eight days before his death, according to his business partner, Shivam Yadav. His son, Mohsin, confirmed the death, saying his father had been shooting for a film shortly before he was hospitalised. His funeral was held on Friday.
Born in Baihar, a town in Madhya Pradesh’s Balaghat district, Khan began his career in theatre before moving into Hindi cinema. He made his film debut in 1980 with Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyoon Aata Hai and went on to appear in more than 250 films, according to some estimates, while other reports put the number above 500 once his television and stage work is included.
Khan rarely played the lead, but his supporting and comic roles made him one of Hindi cinema’s most recognisable character actors. He built an early association with filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, appearing in Aashiqui (1990) as tailor Rafu Master, and later in Sadak and Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke (1993), where his portrayal of Bhagwat Prasad Mishra won him wide recognition.
He went on to work across genres — crime dramas such as Krantiveer (1994) and Raja (1995), family entertainers such as Jodi No.1 (2001), and comedy blockbusters including Hera Pheri. He became especially popular for his role as a disabled hockey player in Welcome (2007), alongside Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif.
Khan also had a notable presence in the Gadar franchise, playing Gul Khan, a friend to Sunny Deol’s character Tara Singh, in Gadar: Ek Prem Katha (2001) and its 2023 sequel, Gadar 2.
His television work spanned decades, including Wagle Ki Duniya (1988), Bharat Ek Khoj (1988) and Chacha Chaudhary, and he continued working into recent years, appearing in the Netflix series The Railway Men, Kuch Rang Pyar Ke Aise Bhi, and films including Stree 2, Jaat and Udaipur Files.
Colleagues including director Anees Bazmee and actors Sanjay Mishra, Rajpal Yadav and Raza Murad paid tribute following his death, along with Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
Khan is survived by his wife, Salma, and two children.