Veteran Bollywood actor-director-writer-comedian and a Quran scholar, Kader Khan died after a prolonged illness at a hospital in Toronto in Canada, a family member said here on Tuesday.
Kader, 81, is survived by his wife Hajra, son Sarfaraz, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren.
According to Ahmed Khan, a close relative, he passed away around 4 a.m. (IST).
He said the last rites will be held in a Toronto cemetery later in the day.
Earlier on Monday, Khan’s son Sarfaraz had dismissed media reports of his demise.
The 81-year-old actor had developed breathing issues and the doctors had reportedly transferred him from regular ventilator to BiPAP ventilator. Reportedly, Khan was suffering from Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, a degenerative disease that causes loss of balance, difficulty in walking and dementia.
Born in Kabul, Khan made his acting debut in 1973 with Rajesh Khanna’s “Daag” and has featured in over 300 films.
Also, he has written dialogues for over 250 movies. Before becoming an actor, he had written dialogues for Randhir Kapoor-Jaya Bachchan’s “Jawani Diwani”.
As a screenwriter, Khan frequently collaborated with Manmohan Desai and Prakash Mehra. His films with Desai include Dharam Veer, Ganga Jamuna Saraswati, Coolie, Desh Premee, Suhaag, Parvarish and Amar Akbar Anthony and films with Mehra include Jwalamukhi, Sharaabi, Lawaaris, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar.
Condolences poured in on Twitter over the actor’s demise.
“If you were a late 80s-90s kid who watched Hindi films, chances are you encountered the magic of Kader Khan. Never had the privilege of meeting him but if I ever had I would say ‘ thank you for the laughter, thank you for your craft’ #RIPKaderKhan,” former actress and current Union Minister of Textiles Smriti Irani tweeted.
Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi too took to his Twitter handle to offer respects to the departed soul.
Deeply saddened to hear demise of legendary actor Kader Khan Ji. My condolences with his family and well-wishers.
— Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi (@naqvimukhtar) 1 January 2019
Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala also expressed grief over the demise of the legendary icon.
My deepest condolences on the passing away of legendary icon, Kader Khan ji.
A prolific actor, widely admired writer and director, he provided a cathartic impact on his audiences.
I join his family, friends and fans in praying for the departed soul. pic.twitter.com/iTJm16NshP
— Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) 1 January 2019