On the occasion of Kader Khan’s 84th birthday, we look back at the actor’s early career as a dialogue writer and how he did some of his greatest work with Prakash Mehra and Manmohan Desai.
Kids from the 1990s know Kader Khan from his numerous appearances with David Dhawan and Govinda. Long before his name became synonymous with capers, Kader Khan was the man who created witty lines for films such as Amar Akbar Anthony, Muqaddar Ka Sikander, Yaarana, Roti, Khel Khel Mein, Rafoo Chakkar, Lawaaris, Parvarish, Namak Halal, Coolie, and many others. His collaborations with filmmakers such as Prakash Mehra and Manmohan Desai helped to revitalize the era when dialogue baazi was tolerated and promoted in films.
When we think of mainstream Hindi film from the 1970s, there is a specific type of language that comes to mind. Consider this line from Muqaddar Ka Sikander: ‘Zindagi mein log mohabbat ke sahare jeete hai, main aapki nafrat ke sahare jeeyunga,’ or this one from Rajesh Khanna’s Roti: ‘Kasoor mera nahi roti ki kasam, bhook ki duniya mein You are suddenly transported to a universe where heroes pause to enunciate these phrases and the audience can’t help but gasp at these exchanges. Much of this kind of Hindi film speech may be attributed to Kader Khan, who was the man for the job for the majority of this time period.
In addition to penning heavy-duty yet classic speech, Kader Khan would frequently appear on screen, albeit only in evil parts. However, after appearing in Himmatwala, a comedy starring Jeetendra and Sridevi, the audience began to associate him with comedic parts. Kader Khan, the writer, was suddenly receiving the same attention as an actor.
