Page 15 - Seniors Today - Oct 2019
P. 15
People
My Father,
FEROZ KHAN
The Qurbani star was charismatic, path-breaking and ahead of the times, writes his
daughter Laila Khan Furniturewalla
They say your parents never die. They live stop him to live his life in his terms. At the age of
through you and they leave things through you 14 on one hand he was a Quran Hafiz – he could
and that’s the law of the cycle of life. – Laila recite Quran and on the other hand he would
Khan Furniturewalla strut among orthodox Muslims with his cowboy
My father was a man larger than life. “Be hat, his toy gun and boots in the lanes of an old
unapologetic for who you are, do what you town in Bangalore, where they lived. While his
want. You want to fall in love at 65? Fall in love, father wanted him to become a barrister just
if you want to marry get married. Don’t hide or like him, my father had stars in his eyes. He
be apologetic about your life rather be bold and loved Hollywood and the films made there. He
make your choices, be upfront about it.” That’s admired Italian Film directors. His passion for
the way he would look at life – and age didn’t cinema got him to Bombay. He arrived with no
matter, for him age was all about how you feel. money, contacts, or a godfather; all he had was
Even in his sixties sometimes he would wear an the passion of becoming an actor and that was
earring, his bracelet and he would carry it off. his destiny. He struggled, worked hard and rest
According to him every age has to be lived. He is history.
was a modern man – the way he sat, smoked his On set he was a stickler for professionalism.
cigarette, the kind of clothes he wore that was He didn’t like people coming late. He was a
just him. no-nonsense person when it came to work. He
Coming from an orthodox Muslim family didn’t expected professionalism that is how he would
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