Veteran actor and dialogue writer Kader Khan passed away today (31 December 2018 in Canada) after a prolonged illness. He was 81.
Kader Khan was suffering from progressive supranuclear palsy, a degenerative disease which leads to deterioration of the brain cells. He was in an hospital in Canada, where he lived since retiring from the movies almost two decades ago, for the past four months. His condition worsened last week when he complained of breathlessness. Following this, he was put on a BiPAP ventilator.
Speaking about his father, son Sarfaraz Khan told the news agency PTI (Press Trust of India), “My dad has left us. He passed away on 31 December at 6 pm Canada time after a prolonged illness. He slipped into a coma in the afternoon. He was in the hospital for 16-17 weeks.”
The funeral will take place in Canada itself. “The last rites will be performed here,” Sarfaraz Khan said. “We have our entire family here and we live here so we are doing it here. We are thankful to everyone for their blessings and prayers.”
Kader Khan was born on 12 November 1937 in Balochistan in what was then undivided British India. He came rather late in life to the movies, starting out as a dialogue writer and then moving to acting in the 1970s.
He wrote dialogues for a number of successful films like Roti (1971), Khel Khel Mein (1975), Amar Akbar Anthony (1977), Muqaddar Ka Sikandar (1978), Laawaris (1981), Satte Pe Satta (1982), Coolie (1983), Karma (1986), Coolie No 1 (1995) and Saajan Chale Sasural (1996).
Kader Khan also showed his versatility on the big screen by playing emotional, comical as well as negative roles. Some of his notable performances came in films like Himmatwala (1983), Coolie, Ghar Ek Mandir (1984), Biwi Ho To Aisi (1988), Bol Radha Bol (1992), Coolie No 1, Saajan Chale Sasural, Judwaa (1997), Dulhe Raja (1998), Aa Ab Laut Chalen (1999) and Haseena Maan Jayegi (1999).