Alwar: The image of the dreaded Bollywood villain 'Gabbar Singh' played by Amjad Khan flashes in our mind at once whenever the film Sholay is discussed. But long before Amjad entered into films, his father Zakaria Khan had made his mark in the industry. Before entering the film world, Zakaria was posted as a police officer in Alwar.
The people of the district where he lived still remember him. Zakaria Khan also known in the film world as 'Jayant' was born on 15 October 1915 in Nodeh Payan (Nawa Kali), Peshawar, North-West Frontier Province in British India. Zakaria completed his early education and came to Alwar with his family where he did his higher studies.
His father was friends with Maharaja Jai Singh of Alwar and shared a cordial relationship with the royal family. Maharaja Jaisingh had given Khan the post of officer in the police and lived in front of the church in the Katla area of Alwar, Kanti Jain, a member of the Alwar based IPTA told ETV Bharat. However, after his departure, the house was sold, locals recalled. Locals said the memories of Khan are still fresh in their memories.
Producer-director Vijay Bhatt had given the name 'Jayant' to Khan. Jayant was tall and his voice was also heavy. He has acted in many Indian films. He worked in Vijay Bhatt's first Gujarati film Sansar Leela (1933). He played lead roles in several films such as Bombay Mail (1935), Challenge (1936), His Highness (1937), and State Express (1938).
Jayant was married and had children Amjad Khan (Gabbar Singh) and Imtiaz Khan. As per IPTA Working President Jagdish Sharma, the family was forced to migrate from Alwar to Delhi when riots broke out across the country in 1947. Jayant died of throat cancer in Mumbai at the age of 60 on 2 June 1975, two months before the release of his son Amjad Khan's most successful film Sholay. He was buried at Naupada Cemetery in Bandra West in Mumbai.
