Sanjay Khan’s Tryst With Destiny On Sets Of ‘The Sword Of Tipu Sultan’

New Delhi: Much before the three Khans – Shah Rukh, Aamir and Salman, came to dominate Bollywood, there was another set of Khans that ruled the roost in the 1970s. This was the brother duo of Sanjay and Feroz Khan, both known for their drop-dead good looks. Out of the two, Sanjay was the quintessential romantic Bollywood hero of the times with soft looks, sharp features and a twinkle in his eyes.

The actor, producer, and director turns 82 today. Among the many hits that he delivered and the many memorable songs filmed on him, he is also remembered for two things – his torrid affair with Zeenat Aman and the fire that nearly took his life on the sets of his magnum opus, The Sword of Tipu Sultan.

Years later, In his memoir The Best Mistakes of My Life, Khan wrote in detail about the accident. He said, “Shooting started in the evening and after a couple of shots, at around 8.30 p.m., as the lighting was going on, I went out to chat with my writer, Nawa Lucknowi. About half an hour later, I heard a huge commotion from inside. I ditched the cup of tea I was holding and charged through the small wicker gate as the big barn doors of the studio were closed. What I saw shook me to the core. The left half of the studio was on fire. Above, on the catwalk, I could see a lighting man trying to put out the flames with a piece of cloth. I shouted to him and ordered him to jump down immediately. At the same time, I told somebody to open the barn doors and another person to call for the fire brigade.”

Recalling how he got injured, he wrote, “Just then something hit me on the back of my head like a cannonball and I fell to the ground. I later learnt it was a tin of paint. Undaunted, I carried on with the gash it left in my head and focused on the job at hand: saving my crew. In retrospect, I obviously didn’t realize the severity of that crater, one that would bullishly remain with me for an excruciatingly painful nine months.”

Sanjay Khan made his debut in Chetan Anand’s 1964 film Haquuqat, followed by the Rajshir film Dosti, which won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi for that year. Khan starred in hit movies like Dus Lakh (1966), Ek Phool Do Mali (1969), Intaquam  (1969), Dhund (1973),  Mela (1971) etc.

He turned producer and director with Chandi Sona (1977) and Abdullah (1980).