indian cinema heritage foundation

Murad

Artists
  • Born: 1910 (Rampur, UP)
  • Died: 24 April, 1997 (Bombay)
  • Primary Cinema: Hindi
  • Children: Raza Murad , Sabiha Kabir, Talat Khan
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Actor Murad had a long and successful innings as a character actor in films starting from the 1940s right up until 1995. Born in 1910, he went on to feature in more than 100 films in the course of his career, such as Anmol Ghadi (1946), Do Bigha Zamin (1953) in which he played a cruel landowner, Sangam (1954), Devdas (1955) in which he essayed the role of Devdas’ father, Mughal-E-Azam (1960), Taj Mahal (1963), Begunah (1970), Yaadon Ki Baarat (1973), and Jhumka (1995). He also featured in the Hollywood film Tarzan Goes to India (1962), playing a maharaja. 

Murad was born in 1910 in Rampur, Uttar Pradesh. He studied at Minto Circle (STS High School), Aligarh Muslim University. He made his acting debut in the 40s, with Najma (1943) directed by Mehboob Khan. Incidentally, in the film he played the father of Ashok Kumar despite being only a year older than Kumar. Becoming a regular with director Mehboob Khan, he featured in the filmmaker’s directorials such as Anmol Ghadi (1946), Andaz (1949), Aan (1952) and Amar (1954). 

Murad’s early films include Najma (1943), Anmol Ghadi (1946), Anokhi Ada (1948), Paras (1949), Dastan (1950), Deedar (1951), Shrimati Ji (1952), Do Bigha Zamin (1953), Sangam (1954), Yahudi (1958), and Zara Bachke (1959). The 60s saw him feature in films such as Taj Mahal (1963), Ziddi (1964), Pyar Bana Afsana (1968), and Kismat (1969). In the 70s, he acted in films like Begunah (1970), Anurag (1972), Apradhi (1974), Hum Kissise Kum Naheen (1977), and Sunayana (1979). Khanjar (1980), Kaalia (1981), Nishaan (1983), Andar Baahar (1984), Dilwaala (1986), Aulad (1987), Anjaane Rishte (1989) were among the films he featured in, in the 80s. 

Murad played a range of characters in films over the decades, including that of an emperor, police officer, judge, and father. Some of these include Neena’s father Badriprasad in Andaz (1949), Thakur Harnam Singh in Do Bigha Zamin, Devdas’ father in Devdas (1955), Rai Bahadur Kailashnath Mehra in Hum Panchhi Ek Daal Ke (1957), Shahenshah Julius Caesar in Yahudi, Thakur Ranbir Singh in Adalat (1958), Raja Mann Singh in Mughal-E-Azam (1960), Mahabat Khan in Taj Mahal, Moulvi Mohammad Salauddin in Johar-Mehmood in Goa (1965), Todarmal in Noorjehan (1967), Advocate Gangadhar in Ek Masoom (1969), the jailor in Tumse Achha Kaun Hai (1969), Seth Devi Dayal in Yaadon Ki Baarat (1973), Rajasaab in Ganga Ki Saugand (1978), Peer O Murshid in Love and God (1986), and the priest in Waqt Ka Badshah (1992).

Murad’s son Raza Murad is also an actor in the Hindi film industry, known for mostly essaying villain roles. His niece is actress Zeenat Aman and his granddaughters are actresses Sonam and Sanober Kabir.

Murad passed away on 24 April, 1997.
 

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