Mushtaq Khan, the actor whose face was familiar to decades of Hindi movie audiences, died on September 24 after a battle with cancer. His last rites were held in Mumbai the next day. While several colleagues came to say goodbye, veteran actor Raza Murad noticed one thing: the industry’s biggest stars were not there.
For fans, Khan was one of those performers who held a scene together even when the spotlight was elsewhere. His passing is a loss to a particular kind of screen presence, and the conversation around his funeral has now become a conversation about respect.
What Raza Murad said
In a video posted on Instagram on Saturday, Murad mourned Khan and then pointedly asked why no major star had shown up. He said, “Afsoos baat yeh hai koi bhi star unhe apna aakhiri salaam pesh karne nahin aaya.” His sharper line was simpler: “Koi bada chehra nahin aaya.”
Murad did not name anyone. His complaint was directed at the gap between the actors who become famous and the colleagues who make their films work.
A career built on merit
Khan was known for supporting and comic roles in films that remain part of the Hindi movie canon. His credits include:
- Welcome and Hera Pheri, where his comic timing fitted an ensemble
- Aashiqui and Gadar, in more dramatic turns
- Jodi No. 1, among the many mainstream films he quietly anchored
Murad rejected the idea that Khan was a minor presence. “Na unhone kisi ki chamchagiri ki, woh bas apne kaam ke balboote pe yahan tak pohoche hai,” he said—roughly, Khan reached this point on the strength of his work, not through flattering the powerful.
Who did attend
The funeral was not empty. Rajat Bedi, Rajpal Yadav, Sanjay Mishra, Manish Wadhwa and Sulabha Arya were among those present, and filmmaker Anees Bazmee was among those who paid tribute. Murad’s criticism is therefore specific: it is about the absence of a certain tier of star, not of the fraternity as a whole.
Khan’s health struggles had been private. According to his business partner, as reported by Hindustan Times, he had been diagnosed with lung cancer earlier, recovered after treatment, and then saw the illness return in September. His condition worsened and he was hospitalised before his death.
The part goodbyes play
Murad ended his video by reflecting on how temporary fame and wealth are, and argued that success should come with humility. The message lands as both a tribute and a challenge: the actors who give a film its texture deserve to be remembered as fully as the stars who lead it.
Source: bollywoodHungama.com
