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Image source: StarsUnfolded

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Kader Khan Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 5, 2026 • 3 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth22 October 1937

Age81 Years (at time of death)

BirthplaceKabul, Afghanistan

ProfessionActor, Writer, Director

NationalityCanadian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseHajra Khan

FamilySons - Abdul Quddus, Sarfaraz Khan, Shahnawaz Khan

Kader Khan Biography

Kader Khan was an Afghan-born Canadian actor, screenwriter and director whose career in Hindi cinema and television spanned roughly five decades. Known for

Early life and background
Kader Khan was born on 22 October 1937 in Kabul, Afghanistan, into a Pashtun family belonging to the Kakar tribe. As a child his family relocated to Mumbai, where he attended a municipal school and later completed college at Ismail Yusuf College. He earned a graduate degree and a Master’s diploma in engineering. Raised in a religious household—his father served as a moulvi—Khan also memorized the Quran and was known as a Hafiz-e-Quran.

Career
Kader Khan’s professional life combined teaching, writing and acting. Early on he taught mathematics at M. H. Saboo Siddik Engineering College in Mumbai while participating in the college theatre circuit. His stage work brought him to the attention of established film figures and opened the door to the film industry.

He began receiving screen credits in the early 1970s as a writer, with Jawani Diwani (1972) listed as one of his early screenwriting assignments. His acting debut is recorded as Daag (1973). Over the following decades he worked prolifically: he wrote dialogue and screenplays for major Hindi films and also performed in front of the camera. His filmography grew to include over 300 films across a range of genres, and he proved versatile at playing both comic and villainous roles.

Khan collaborated with many leading filmmakers and actors of his era. He wrote popular dialogues for several high-profile films in which Amitabh Bachchan starred, including titles credited to the same period as Naseeb, Agneepath, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, Mr. Natwarlal, Amar Akbar Anthony and Laawaris. Filmmakers also paid significant fees for his writing: Manmohan Desai paid him for dialogue work on Roti (1974). He expanded his industry roles to include producing—Shama (1981) is listed as a production credit—and directing credits are also associated with his professional description.

Khan’s work on television included appearances in serials such as Hasna Mat (2001), Mr. Dhansukh and Hi! Padosi…Kaun Hai Doshi?, extending his reach beyond cinema into popular TV programming.

Awards and recognition
Across his career he received industry recognition: he won Filmfare Awards for Best Dialogue (Meri Awaaz Suno, 1982) and again for Best Dialogue (Angaar, 1993), and he received a Filmfare Award for Best Comedian (Baap Numbri Beta Dus Numbri, 1991). Later in his life he was honored with the Sahitya Shiromani Award in 2013. He was also recognized by the American Federation of Muslims from India for his acting and community service.

Public profile
Kader Khan’s personal life remained connected to Mumbai even as he acquired Canadian nationality later in life. He married Hajra Khan in the mid-1970s and was the father of three sons: Abdul Quddus, Sarfaraz Khan and Shahnawaz Khan; two of his sons pursued careers in acting and direction. His parents were Abdul Rehman Khan and Iqbal Begum. During his career he cultivated friendships with prominent industry figures; one such relationship with Amitabh Bachchan is noted in public accounts.

Physical and personal details
Kader Khan’s height is listed at approximately 173 cm (about 5 feet 8 inches) and his weight around 90 kg. He followed a non-vegetarian diet. His favorite actors and directors included Amitabh Bachchan, Manmohan Desai and Prakash Mehra, and among authors he admired were Maxim Gorky, Anton Chekhov, Fyodor Dostoevsky and Saadat Hasan Manto. Writing and reading were cited as hobbies.

Later years and death
Kader Khan’s long career continued into television and film over five decades. He passed away on 31 December 2018 in a hospital in Toronto, Canada, at the age of 81 following a prolonged illness.

Latest updates
Posthumously, Khan’s legacy is remembered through the films he wrote and the many performances he left behind. His body of work includes both prolific writing credits and memorable acting roles that remain part of Hindi cinema’s commercial and popular history.

Editorial Review and Sources

This F4U profile is written from publicly available career and profile information, then reviewed for clarity before publication. If you spot an outdated detail about Kader Khan, send the page URL and a reliable correction source to f4udotin@gmail.com.

Reference context: StarsUnfolded
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Recent Work

Hasna Mat

Television series appearance

2001
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Career Highlights

  1. Acted in over 300 films across a five-decade career
  2. Wrote dialogues for major Hindi films including Naseeb, Agneepath, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, Mr. Natwarlal, Amar Akbar Anthony and Laawaris
  3. Won multiple Filmfare Awards including Best Dialogue and Best Comedian
  4. Honored with the Sahitya Shiromani Award (2013) and recognition from the American Federation of Muslims from India
Reviewed by F4U Editorial Desk

F4U profile pages are prepared from public career information, checked for readability, and updated when reliable correction sources are shared with the editorial team.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Kader Khan born?

Kader Khan was born on 22 October 1937.

What is Kader Khan known for?

Kader Khan is known for actor, Writer, Director.

What is Kader Khan’s marital status?

Kader Khan's marital status is listed as Married.

Who is Kader Khan married to?

Kader Khan is publicly listed as married to Hajra Khan.