Kabir Khan (director)

Early life and background

Khan was born to political scientist Rasheeduddin Khan, a Pashtun Muslim, and Hindu Telugu-speaking mother, Leela Narayan Rao. Rasheeduddin, who was a Pathan hailing from Kaimganj in Farrukhabad district, Uttar Pradesh, was a nephew of Dr. Zakir Hussain (President of India – 1967 to 1969) and a communist politician favored by Indira Gandhi as a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha at a relatively young age, in the early 1970s. His sister, Anusheh, is married to film-maker Vijay Krishna Acharya, director of films like Tashan and Dhoom 3.

Khan studied at Kirori Mal College of Delhi University, as well as Jamia Millia Islamia in Delhi. He is married to television host & actress Mini Mathur, with whom he has 2 children, Vivaan and Sairah.

In initial days, he worked with prominent journalist Saeed Naqvi. Before becoming a full-time filmmaker he worked with Saeed Naqvi as a cameraman and director and travelled around the world covering international issues. He travelled to about 60 countries with Saeed Naqvi and shot interviews and documentaries for him. During his work as a cinematographer, he had the opportunity to meet world leaders such as Nelson Mandela and Fidel Castro.

Film career

Initial work and directorial breakthrough (1996-2012)

Khan started his career at age 25 as a cinematographer for the Discovery Channel documentary film Beyond the Himalayas (1996) directed by Gautam Ghosh. He then made his own directorial debut with the documentary The Forgotten Army (1999) based on Subhas Chandra Bose's Indian National Army. He then directed two more documentaries before shifting his focus to mainstream cinema.

Khan made his mainstream directorial debut with the Yash Raj Films-backed adventure thriller Kabul Express (2006). Starring John Abraham and Arshad Warsi in lead roles, the film received mixed-to-positive reviews upon release, but emerged as a commercial failure at the box-office. It, however, earned Khan the Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of a Director. He then worked on the movie New York, which was successful.

His next directorial venture, the action thriller Ek Tha Tiger (2012), again starring Kaif alongside Salman Khan, marked the end of his 3-film deal with Yash Raj Films. The first instalment in the YRF Spy Universe, the film received positive reviews from critics upon release, and emerged as the highest-grossing Hindi film of the year.

Film production and screenwriting (2015-present)

After his 3-film deal with Yash Raj Films ended, Khan set up his own production company, and ventured into mainstream screenwriting with the adventure comedy-drama Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015), starring Salman Khan and Kareena Kapoor in lead roles. The film received widespread critical acclaim upon release, and emerged as a major commercial success at the box-office, as well as the highest-grossing Indian film at the time, and currently ranks as the third highest-grossing Hindi film of all time and the seventh highest-grossing Indian film of all time. It also won him the National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment, in addition to earning him his first nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Director. Asked about the films use of the phrase Jai Shri Ram, he said that when he grew up, Jai Shri Ram was a benevolent expression, "rooted in our culture", but that the words have become aggressive, and that "it bothers me to see how we are becoming increasingly intolerant."

After the widespread critical and commercial success of Bajrangi Bhaijaan, he collaborated with Kaif for the third time, alongside Saif Ali Khan in the action thriller Phantom (2015). The film was based on Hussain Zaidi's book Mumbai Avengers which revolved around the aftermath of 26/11 Mumbai attacks. It received mixed reviews from critics upon release, and emerged as a below-average grosser at the box-office.

Khan again collaborated with Salman for the third time on the war drama Tubelight (2017), an official remake of the 2015 American film Little Boy, which was based in the backdrop of the 1962 Sino-Indian war and marked the Hindi film debut of Chinese actress Zhu Zhu, with a worldwide release in June 2017. The film, just like the original, met with negative reviews, but was slightly better received for its direction and Salman's performance. It also emerged as a commercial failure at the box-office.

In 2021, he directed the biographical sports drama 83, based on India's historic victory at the 1983 Cricket World Cup, with Ranveer Singh plays the role of Kapil Dev, the Captain of the Indian Cricket Team. The film received widespread critical acclaim upon release, and earned Khan his second nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Director. Made on a budget of , the film only managed a worldwide gross collection of crore and was deemed a box-office bomb.

His next film was the Kartik Aaryan starrer sports biopic Chandu Champion which released on 14 June 2024. The film is based on the life and achievements of the boxer turned Paralympic gold medalist, Murlikant Petkar, including his historic triumph at the 1972 Summer Paralympics in Heidelberg, Germany. The received positive reviews and emerged as a modest success at the box office

He is also set to direct The Zookeeper, a Sino-Indian production. It is a travel-related drama film which is being shot in the Chinese city of Chengdu its the surrounding regions. The film has an estimated budget of (), and it will star a leading Indian actor and a leading Chinese actress.

Filmography

Frequent collaborations

Awards and nominations

References

References

1. (16 July 2015). "Kabir Khan: Salman has no complexity and no complex". The Times of India.
2. "Mumbai Academy of Moving Image - Trustees Site".
3. "MFF 17, by Jio-MAMI, Festival Diary, III {{!}} Filmfestivals.com".
4. "Kabir Khan filmography".
5. "How did Kabir Khan marry Mini Mathur?". [[The Times of India]].
6. [https://web.archive.org/web/20090712212534/http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?sectionName=HomePage&id=c6209277-a464-4b09-80db-96faf40e36c3&Headline=Post+EMNew+York%2FEM+Kabir+Khan+busy+babysitting+ Post New York Kabir Khan busy babysitting] ''[[Hindustan Times]]'', 7 July 2009
7. "'I've not met a more charismatic man than Mandela'".
8. "'Ek Tha Tiger is my most political film'".
9. (3 July 2006). "Kabul Express is based on my experiences". Rediff.com.
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11. "Ek Tha Tiger - Movie - Box Office India".
12. (28 March 2016). "63rd National Film Awards". [[Directorate of Film Festivals]].
13. (18 July 2014). "Salman and Kareena come together for Bajrangi Bhaijaan". The Indian Express.
14. (24 July 2015). "'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' director Kabir Khan: I needed Salman Khan's superstardom to discuss the Hindu-Muslim issue". [[The Indian Express]].
15. "Phantom - Movie - Box Office India".
16. "Tubelight - Movie - Box Office India".
17. (23 December 2021). "83 Movie Review: FIVE reasons why you should not miss Kabir Khan's sports drama starring Ranveer Singh". The Times of India.
18. Subhash K Jha. (4 January 2022). "Why 83 underperformed at the box office: More docudrama than masala, high ticket prices, no youth connect, third wave". [[Firstpost]].
19. PTI. (2023-07-04). "Kartik Aaryan-Kabir Khan's film titled 'Chandu Champion', to release in June 2024". The Hindu.
20. (23 June 2024). "Chandu Champion Box Office". [[Bollywood Hungama]].
21. Soni, Narendra. (14 June 2024). "जानें कितना है चंदू चैंपियन का बजट, कितनी ली कार्तिक आर्यन ने फीस और ब्लॉकबस्टर बनने के लिए फिल्म को कमाने होंगे कितने करोड़". NDTV.
22. (23 May 2018). "Eros International Announces Indian Subsidiary Results". [[Business Wire]].
23. Hungama, Bollywood. (2019-05-20). "Contrary to reports in Chinese media, Kabir Khan's Indo-China film The Zookeeper won't release in January 2020 :Latest Bollywood News – Bollywood Hungama".
24. (23 May 2017). "After Tubelight, Kabir Khan to shoot his next film Zookeeper in China". [[The Indian Express]].
25. Wang, Yue. (5 February 2018). "Chinese Moviegoers Are Developing Diversified Tastes, Which Doesn't Bode Well For Hollywood". [[Forbes]].
26. (15 July 2016). "Eros International's Trinity Pictures Announces Two Indo-Chinese Co-Productions with Leading Chinese Film Companies, Peacock Mountain Culture & Media Ltd and Huaxia Film Distribution Co. Ltd". [[Business Wire]].
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31. (11 January 2016). "Nominations for the 61st Britannia Filmfare Awards". [[Filmfare]].
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34. (15 December 2015). "Winners of the Big Star Entertainment Awards 2015".
35. (4 December 2015). "Big Star Entertainment Awards 2015 Nominations List". filmibeat.
36. (27 May 2016). "Deepika, Ranveer starrer 'Bajirao Mastani' leads IIFA 2016 nominations". The Indian Express.
37. (23 December 2015). "Winners of 11th Renault Sony Guild Awards".
38. Sharma, Smrity. (1 January 2017). "22nd Screen Awards: When Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan tried to do an Aamir Khan but failed miserably!". India.com.
39. "Complete List of Winners of Bollywood Hungama Style Icon Awards".