If Balraj Sahni’s Kabuliwala (1961) was a precursor of things to come, foreign invasion by Pathans took over Bollywood followed by Pakistani-origin Kapoors. Afghanis and Punjabis rule the roost in Bollywood. Their ancestors were all from Afghanistan and they migrated to different states of India but strangely or by quirk of fate, they all finally landed in Mumbai. Somehow, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Indian Kashmir joins them.
MEHBOOB KHAN (producer-director; born 1907): He was born Mehboob Khan Ramzan Khan in Bilimora, Gujarat in Gandevi Taluka of Navsari District, Gujarat.
YUSUF KHAN (DILIP KUMAR, 88) – He was born in Mohallah Khudadad, Peshawar British India (now Pakistan). His ancestors were from Afghanistan.
MADHUBALA (MUMTAZ JAHAN BEGUM DEHLAVI, 78) - Madhubala was born in New Delhi, India on 14 February 1933. She was the fifth child among eleven children of a conservative Muslim couple. Her family was a Nawabi family from Kabul, Afghanistan, and a branch of the royal dynasty of Mohammadzai (also called Barakzay). Her grandparents were exiled by Afghanistan's army to India. After Madhubala's father, Ataullah Khan, lost his job at the Imperial Tobacco Company in Peshawar, he relocated his family to Mumbai. Young Mumtaz entered the movie industry at the age of nine.
KADAR KHAN (75) - He was born in Pishin, Balochistan British India now Pakistan and was raised in Bombay. His ancestors were from Afghanistan.
FEROZ KHAN (72)/SANJAY KHAN (70) – Their father was Sadiq Ali Khan Tanoli, an Afghan hailing from the Ghazni province of Afghanistan, and their mother was of Persian ancestry. They settled in Bangalore, where the Khan brothers were born.
AMJAD KHAN (71) – Born in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, his parents were from Ghazni, Afghanistan. Amjad’s father actor Jayant was born in Peshawar, Northwest Frontier Province (present-day Pakistan). He was originally an Afghan. They later migrated to Mumbai.
MAK PATAUDI (70) – In early 16th century, an Afghan mercenary came to Delhi to offer his services to the Lodhis. In December 2002, the most famous descendant of that warrior Pataudi said, "We are basically Afghans with a bit of Turkish blood who came down a few hundred years ago as glorified mercenaries, rushed around on our horses and made space for ourselves. Over the years, we have become a little more sophisticated." His ancestors were from Afghanistan who settled in Bhopal and later in Pataudi. Saif Ali Khan's great-uncle was Pakistani general Nawabzada Sher Ali Khan Pataudi, also related to great Urdu poet Mirza Ghalib as well as later day Pakistan PM Liaqat Ali Khan. Both Shehryar and Pataudi belong to ruling house of Bhopal.
MUMTAZ MADHVANI (64) – Mumtaz was born to Abdul Saleem Askari and Shadi Habib Agha in Bombay on 31 July 1947. She started acting from the age of twelve. She is of Afghan descent.
IRFAN KHAN (48) - Khan was born in Jaipur Rajasthan to a Muslim Pathan Nawab family. His mother, Sayeeda Begum, was from the Tonk Hakim family, and his father, the late Jagirdar, was from the Khajuriya village near the Tonk district, and ran a tyre business. His ancestors too were from Afghanistan.
AAMIR KHAN (46) – His family hails from Heart, Afghanistan and settled in Mumbai. Aamir is related to Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan (Badshah Khan/Bacha Khan). He is also related to Ali Zafar (Pakistani singer-actor).
SHAHRUKH KHAN (46) – His paternal grandfather was from Afghanistan and settled in Delhi.
SALMAN KHAN (46) – His granddad (Salim Khan’s father) came from Afghanistan and settled in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. Later they migrated to Mumbai.
SAHIL KHAN (35) – He was born in Kolkata and was brought up in Delhi. He moved up to Mumbai to act in movies. His wife Negar Khan is a Norwegian-Iranian Bollywood-actress.
ZARINE KHAN (23) - She was born to a Pashtun family in Mumbai on 14 May 1988.
FARAH KHAN (46) – Her father Kamran was of Afghani origin and a successful stunt film-maker. Her mother Menaka is of Zoroastrian origin and is the sister of screenwriter Honey Irani and former child actor Daisy Irani. Farah's brother is comedian, actor and film director Sajid Khan. When their parents' marriage broke up, Farah and Sajid were shuttled between different homes. Farhan Akhtar and Zoya Akhtar (Javed Akhtar’s children) are her cousins.
SHABINA KHAN (45, Dress Designer) - is a fashion designer, mainly working for Bollywood. She has designed costumes for over thirty films and has been working since 1988.
KABIR KHAN (Director, 40) – He is of Pathan ethnicity. He made Kabul Express (2006) based on his experiences.
EIJAZ KHAN (TV Actor, 36) – He was born in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh. He lost his mother early, now living in Mumbai with his father and a younger brother Imran and a sister who lives in Hyderabad. Before acting, he used to handle the family business which deals with shock absorbers. Now his father and brother handle the business.
MOHAMMED IQBAL KHAN (TV Actor, 31) – He was born in Srinagar, Jammu Kashmir.
HASHMAT RAHIMI KHAN (45): He was born in Afghanistan and moved with his family to Mumbai. He acted in Pahuchey Hue Log (1986), Sach (1989), Bandh Darwaza (1990) and Krishan Avatar (1993). He has directed Spring Of Hope (2004).
BOBBY KHAN (31) – He is a choreographer earlier married to singer Sunidhi Chauhan.
RAJU KHAN (30) – Choreographer.
Movies Shot In Afghanistan:
1975 Dharmatma
1992 Khuda Gawah
2003 Janasheen
2003 Escape From Taliban
2004 Spring Of Hope
2005 Dus
2006 Kabul Express
