Today marks the 68th anniversary of Mehboob Khan’s death, who gave Indian cinema classics like Mother India starring Nargis, Sunil Dutt, Rajendra Kumar, Raaj Kumar, etc. Mehboob Khan was uneducated, but his desire to learn and do something beforehand gave him a unique identity.
Mehboob Khan had a childhood dream of becoming a hero, but if his family members were opposed, the dream had to be abandoned. A chance encounter with a man while repairing a horseshoe in the stables led him to Bombay. Today, Mehboob is regarded as India’s most successful director. His films became a model for others, and the Mehboob studio he built in 1954 is still in use.
Mehboob Khan was born on September 9, 1907, in Bilimora, Gujarat, to a police constable. Mehboob had always wanted to be an actor, but his father was adamantly opposed. His love of movies was so strong that he frequently travelled by train to watch movies.
Mehboob Khan ran away from home at 16 to become a hero, but he couldn’t find work in Bombay. When his father found out about him, he brought him back to the village from Bombay. Mehboob could not flee the house again, so his father had him married at a young age to a young girl. Mehboob gave up his dream of becoming a hero and settled down, but fate had other plans.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Mehboob Khan Ramzan Khan |
| Screen Name | Mehboob Khan |
| Date of Birth | September 9, 1907 |
| Place of Birth | Bilimora, Baroda State, British India (now Gujarat, India) |
| Date of Death | May 28, 1964 |
| Place of Death | Bombay (now Mumbai), Maharashtra, India |
| Cause of Death | Heart attack |
| Age at Death | 56 years |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Ethnicity | Muslim (Gujarati Pathan ancestry) |
| Family | Father: Ramzan Khan (police constable); Mother: Unknown |
| Marital Status | Married twice |
| First Wife | Ameena (divorced; childhood sweetheart from Bilimora) |
| Second Wife | Sardar Akhtar (married 1942; actress in his films, e.g., Roti) |
| Children | Started as an extra at Imperial Film Company (1920s); assistant to directors like Ardeshir Irani |
| Education | Limited formal education; left school at age 10 |
| Height | Approximately 5’8″ (1.73 m, estimated from visual references) |
| Profession | Film Director, Producer, Screenwriter, Actor (early career) |
| Debut Film (Acting) | Al Hilal (1925, as extra, directed by Bhagwati Mishra) |
| Debut Film (Directing) | Al Hilal (1935, credited as co-director; also known as Judgement of Allah) |
| Breakthrough Film | Aurat (1940, directed and produced, precursor to Mother India) |
| Total Films (Directed) | 23 (Hindi cinema; exact count varies slightly by source due to early credits) |
| Total Films (Produced) | 15+ (under Mehboob Productions; some overlap with directed films) |
| Notable Films (Directed) | Aurat (1940), Roti (1942), Anmol Ghadi (1946), Andaz (1949), Aan (1952), Mother India (1957) |
| Notable Films (Acted) | Al Hilal (1925), Shirin Farhad (1928), Watan (1930) |
| Studio | Founded Mehboob Productions (1940); logo inspired by Communist hammer and sickle |
| Awards | Filmfare Best Director (Mother India, 1957); National Film Award (Mother India, 1957); Padma Shri (1962) |
| Early Career | Fluent in Gujarati, Urdu, and Hindi; films primarily in Hindi |
| Languages | Mumbai, Maharashtra, India (moved from Bilimora in the 1920s) |
| Last Film | Son of India (1962, directed and produced) |
| Net Worth (Estimated) | ₹50 lakh – 1 crore at death (speculative, based on studio and film earnings; no official figures) |
| Residence | “Father of Indian Cinema” (per some critics); Mehboob Studios remains a Mumbai landmark. |
| Hobbies | Filmmaking, storytelling, socializing (known for lavish parties at Mehboob Studios) |
| Health Issues | Suffered first heart attack (1953) during Amar shoot; second fatal attack in 1964 |
| Legacy | Died during pre-production of Taj Mahal (unreleased); heart attack at home after meeting with peers. |
| Death Circumstances | Died during pre-production of Taj Mahal (unreleased); heart attack at home after meeting with peers |
Mehboob Khan travelled to Bombay with three rupees
Mehboob Khan returned to Mumbai after meeting Noor Mohammad, a Hindi film producer and supplier of horses in films. Mehboob set out on a journey with only three rupees in his pocket after Noor assigned him to put horseshoes in his stables.
How did he get his first film job?
Mehboob Khan, who repaired the horseshoe, visited the set of the film South one day. Chandrashekhar directed this film. After seeing the filming, Mehboob’s dream of becoming an actor was rekindled. When he told Chandrashekhar about it, he was impressed by his curiosity and experience. Chandrashekhar immediately obtained permission from the stable’s owner, Noor Mohammad, to take Mehboob with him.
He used to be an assistant in silent films.
Chandrashekhar gave Mehboob a small job at Bombay Film Studio. After doing a few minor jobs, Mehboob got a chance to assist films during the silent era. When no films were available, Mehboob worked as an extra for the Imperial Film Company. When Ardeshir Irani was about to make the first talkie film, Alam Ara, he made Mehboob Khan a hero, but due to the delusions of his colleagues, he changed his mind, and Vitthal got the film.
Mehboob realised that getting a lead role in a film was nearly impossible, so he began writing films. Mehboob used to take his scripts around to studios and producers. Mehboob finally got the chance to direct his first film, Al Hilal – 1935, after a long struggle (Judgment of Allah). Following this, Mehboob was hired by Sagar Film Company, where he worked on films such as Deccan Queen (1936), Ek Hi Rasta (1939), Alibaba (1940), and Aurat (1941).
Mehboob Khan married the actress from his film.
Mehboob Khan directed Aurat for Sagar Films in 1940. Two years later, he divorced his first wife and married the film actress Sardar Akhtar. Mehboob had three sons before his first wife, but when he remarried, he adopted the son instead of having his children. His son’s name was Sajid Khan.
By remaking his film, he made history.
The film Aurat was a success. Regardless, when Mehboob founded his own production company, Mehboob Productions, in 1945, he remade this film under the title Mother India. This film is regarded as the best in Indian cinema history and Mehboob’s career.
Mother India is the first Indian film nominated for an Academy Award (Oscar). The film also received a lot of praise, but it narrowly missed out on the Oscar by one vote. The film did not receive this vote because Radha (Nargis) did not marry Lala Sukhiram (Kanhaiyalal).
Mehboob Studio, founded in 1954 by Mehboob Khan, is India’s most popular studio. Many films have been shot here, including Mother India to Black, Chennai Express, and Housefull 2.
These actors have received industry recognition.
Mehboob Khan directed films and introduced many artists to the industry who became stars. Surendra, Arun Kumar Ahuja, Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor, Sunil Dutt, Rajendra Kumar, Raj Kumar, Nargis, Nimmi, and Nadira are among them.
Last film that failed miserably
After Mother India’s enormous success, Mehboob Khan made Son of India in 1962. The film, which was a huge failure and, regrettably, Mehboob’s last, starred his sons Sajid Khan, Kamaljeet, and Simi Garewal in the lead parts.
Love for Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru, the Prime Minister of India at the time, passed away on May 27, 1964. Mehboob died of a heart attack the next day because he was so stunned to hear the news. Mehboob was working on his next movie.