Fardeen Khan's father threatened him after his flop debut
What's the story
Fardeen Khan, who successfully returned to the screen with Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, recently opened up about the initial struggles of his acting career. While appearing on Cyrus Says podcast, he revealed that his father, late actor Feroz Khan, had given him an ultimatum after his debut film Prem Aggan (1998) flopped.
Tough love
'You're on your own,' Khan's father told him
Khan recalled, "He said, 'We tried, we failed.' I'm putting a roof over your head. I'll pay you an X amount of money every month. After that, you're on your own." "It was a beautiful call. He said I've sent you to one of the best universities in the world. I hope you're prepared to deal with life."
Life lessons
'Let's see what you're made of'
Khan further shared that his father told him about his struggles. "He said, 'I had a vision, I did it. Now, let's see what you're made of.' It was as simple as that." "It was really what I had to hear at that time. His love was tough! That just speaks to the kind of guy he was," Khan added.
Career choice
Khan was more interested in filmmaking than acting
Khan also revealed that he was always more interested in filmmaking than acting. However, after he returned from film school abroad, his dad decided to launch him as an actor in Prem Aggan. "You bury the pressure and put it away...especially in cases like mine, whose father is so iconic in so many ways," Khan said about dealing with the pressure of being Feroz Khan's son. His father, Feroz (69), passed away in 2009 after battling lung cancer.
Career progression
Fardeen's successful return to Bollywood
After his debut, Khan starred in Ram Gopal Varma's survival thriller Jungle (2000). He continued to appear in a few films throughout the 2000s but then disappeared from the limelight after 2009. He recently made a comeback to Bollywood with Bhansali's Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar and Mudassar Aziz's Khel Khel Mein. Most recently, he starred in Housefull 5, which is still available in theaters.