Actor Mushtaq Khan Passes Away at 56 After Cancer Battle

Actor Mushtaq Khan, famous for his role as the henchman Ballu in the 2007 comedy Welcome, has died of cancer on Thursday. In the film directed by Anees Bazmee, he played the aide to gangster Uday Shetty, played by Nana Patekar, and delivered the iconic line about having a fake leg and once being a great hockey player.

Behind The Scenes

Despite shooting for extra days beyond his initial agreement, Khan revealed last year that producer Firoz Nadiadwala paid him only Rs 1 lakh. He had signed on for a 20 to 25-day shoot, but the production demanded 10 additional days followed by another 15 days without increasing his pay. He noted that his total earnings for the project ended up being less than the daily wages earned by lead actor Akshay Kumar's personal staff. Even with the low compensation, he returned for the 2015 sequel, Welcome Back.

Career Journey

Khan made his movie debut in Saeed Akhtar Mirza's 1980 film Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyoon Aata Hai? He also worked closely with filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt on several projects, including Kabzaa, Aashiqui, Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin, Sadak, Junoon, Gunaah, Sir, and Hum Hain Rahi Pyaar Ke. His long career featured roles in hit films like Hera Pheri, Gadar: Ek Prem Katha, Gadar 2, Mujhse Shaadi Karogi, Wanted, Rowdy Rathore, and Stree 2. He made his final screen appearance earlier this year in the thriller Hum Angrezon Ke Zamane Ke Jailor Hai.