Word Famous

Devesh Sharma profiles writer-actor Kader Khan, who passed away recently.

One of the best anecdotes that we get to hear about the late Kader Khan is that he used to recite his dialogue in a deserted cemetery at night. His reasoning was that no one would disturb him there and he could sound out his written word in peace.

His life indeed was as strange and as larger-than-life like his film writings. He had written the play, Taash Ke Patte, in which he used to act as well. The play became hugely popular, so much so that even the great Dilip Kumar came to see it. It’s said the thespian was so moved that he came on the stage afterwards to praise the playwright. It’s said it was Dilip Kumar, who advised Khan to enter films and even gave him a small role in his film Sagina (1974) and later in Bairaag (1976). His first stint as a dialogue writer was Manmohan Desai’s Roti, which came out the same year. Desai became his mentor and friend for life.