Mehboob Khan

Mehboob Khan Biography

Mehboob Khan was a famous film maker of Bollywood, most known for directing the movie, Mother India, which received a nomination at academy awards and lost it by just one vote! This movie is always regarded as one among the best movies ever made on Indian screen and often regarded as a milestone. Apart from nomination for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, it received Filmfare Awards for Best Film and Best Director, for the year 1957. The movie was a remake of his own 1940 film Aurat. Actor Kanhaiyalal appeared in both these versions and did the same role as Sukhilala. Andaz (1949), Aan (1951) and Amar (1954) are other noted works. Yet it was Mother India which placed his name in golden letters in the film history of India. Since late 1930’s, he has directed only 21 movies and it include a few Urdu movies (earliest works) as well.

Mehmood Khan was born in 1907 in Bilimora, Baroda, Gujarat. His full name is Mehboob Khan Ramzan Khan. He ran away from home to reach Mumbai and did odd jobs at studios. He started as an assistant in the silent era and often did an ‘extra’s’ work. His first film was Judgement of Allah (1935) of Sagar Film Company. In 1945, Khan set up his own production house, Mehboob Productions. Later he set up a film studio, the Mehboob Studios in Bandra in 1954.

He introduced Nargis through Anmol Ghadi and Taqdeer. His last film as a director was the 1962 film Son of India. He died in 1964, one day after the death of Jawaharlal Nehru at the age of 57. He is known for introducing lavish sets in Indian cinema who got inspired from Hollywood.

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Updated: April 02, 2014