Razak Khan, 'comic villain' who played small-time bhai, dies

Razak Khan, whose trademark comic villainy produced guffaws galore in films such as 'Baadshah' and 'Hello Brother' passed away following a heart attack in Mumbai on Wednesday. The actor was rushed to suburban Bandra's Holy Cross hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival. He was 65. Not every Hindi film lover knew him by name. But for most, Khan was an easily recognisable face. The actor will be remembered as much for his distinctive dialogue delivery as for playing some of the most colourfully-named characters in popular Bollywood - Lucky Chikna, Ninja Chacha, Babu Bisleri, Usman Khujli, Faiyyaz Takkar, Dilphenk Hyderabadi, Munna Mobile and more. In a career spanning two and a half decades, Khan acted in over 150 films. He also worked in several TV serials, notably the Farooq Sheikh-starrer 'Chamatkar'. According to IMDb, a cinema-information website, he had an astounding 47 releases between 2000 and 02. In 2001 alone, he had 17 films to his credit. Most roles were cameos - Khan relished playing the small-time bhai - but he generally left a strong impression. His exchange with Govinda as Faiyyaz Takkar, a goon who breaks everything with his head, in 'Ankhiyon Se Goli Maare' is rip-roaring in hilarity. Actor Rakesh Bedi said, "Quite unlike his screen persona, Razak bhai was a very refined and cultured person. He was well-versed with Urdu literature and poetry." Bedi had worked with him in films such as 'Beti No 1'. Fellow actor Viju Khote, who was with him in Shah Rukh Khan's 'Baadshah', said he was stunned by his sudden demise. "I met him about five days back. He seemed perfectly ok," he told TOI on phone. Khan's death was mourned by fans and fellow actors on Twitter, with #RazakKhan trending on the site.