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{{Short description|Indian film actor (1922 - 1998)}}
{{For|the Pakistani singer of the same birth name|Hamid Ali Khan}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=February 2016}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Ajit Khan
| image = Ajit (Hamid Ali Khan).jpg
| image_size =
| caption =
| birth_name = Hamid Ali Khan
| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1922|1|27}}
| birth_place = [[Golconda]], [[Hyderabad State]], [[British India]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1998|10|22|1922|1|27}}
| death_place = [[Hyderabad]], [[Andhra Pradesh]], [[India]]
| occupation = [[Actor]]
| years_active = 1945-1995
| children = [[Shehzad Khan]]<br/>Arbaaz Ali Khan
}}
'''Hamid Ali Khan''' (27 January 1922 – 22 October 1998), better known by his [[stage name]] '''Ajit''', was an Indian actor active in [[Hindi]] films. He acted in over two hundred movies over a period of almost four decades.<ref name=rediff/><ref name=TheIndependent>{{cite news |title=Obituary: Ajit |author=Kuldip Singh |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/obituary-ajit-1183238.html |newspaper=The Independent newspaper|date=7 November 1998 |access-date=19 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131216212329/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/obituary-ajit-1183238.html |archive-date=16 December 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Ajit is also credited for starring as a lead actor in popular Bollywood movies such as ''[[Beqasoor]]'',<ref name=BOI/> {{Lang|hi-latn|[[Nastik (1954 film)|Nastik]]}}, ''Bada Bhai'', ''Milan'', ''Bara Dari'', and later as a second lead in ''[[Mughal-e-Azam]]'' and {{Lang|hi-latn|[[Naya Daur (1957 film)|Naya Daur]]}}.<ref name=rediff/>

==Early life==
Ajit was born as Hamid Ali Khan into a [[Muslim]] family of [[Shahjahanpur]] and was brought up in [[Hyderabad, India|Hyderabad city]]. The family belonged to the [[Barozai]] clan of [[Pashtuns]], Ajit's ancestors having moved from [[Kandahar]] in [[Afghanistan]] to [[Shahjahanpur]] in [[Uttar Pradesh]] before settling down in Hyderabad.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Rizvi |first=Iqbal |title=Ajit the Lion: Biography of Ajit Khan - A Legend of Indian Cinema |publisher=Blue Rose Publishers |year=2022 |pages=3–4}}</ref> His father was a personal driver of [[Nizam of Hyderabad]] [[Mir Osman Ali Khan]].<ref name=rediff/><ref name=TheIndependent/>

==Career==
According to Ajit's son Shehzad when Ajit first arrived in Mumbai from Hyderabad, he had so little money that he lived in cement pipes on Mohammad Ali Road. Local gangsters controlled these makeshift shelters and demanded protection money, but Ajit refused to pay, fought back, and soon became so respected that no one dared trouble him. In fact, people began offering him free tea, snacks, and meals out of respect<ref>{{Cite web |title=अजीत खान हीरो बनने आए थे मुंबई, कुछ फिल्मों के बाद कैसे बने मशहूर विलेन, दिलचस्प है किस्सा |url=https://navbharattimes.indiatimes.com/entertainment/news-from-bollywood/bollywood-famous-villain-ajit-khan-biography-unknown-facts/articleshow/105047252.cms |access-date=2025-04-24 |website=Navbharat Times |language=hi}}</ref>. Initially in his career, he struggled to meet people and be accepted in any film project, and in order to feed himself, he worked as an "extra" in several films. Finally, he managed to land a leading role, and in the first couple of films, he is credited by his real name, Hamid Khan. He did not meet with much success, and on the advice of [[Nanabhai Bhatt|Nana Bhai Bhat]], he took the name "Ajit" meaning "indomitable" as his screen-name, but his luck did not greatly improve. Although he did several films as a protagonist and became known to the public, and although his distinctive baritone voice and impressive personality brought him a fan following, his luck at the box office was not good at all. Film director [[K. Amarnath]], who directed him in ''[[Beqasoor]]'', suggested that the actor change his long name of Hamid Ali Khan to something shorter, and Hamid zeroed in on "Ajit". ''[[Beqasoor]]'' (1950), in which he acted with [[Madhubala]], was one of the biggest hits of 1950.<ref name=BOI>{{cite web|url=http://boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=155&catName=MTk1MA==|archive-date=22 September 2012|title=Top Earners in India in 1950 - Box Office India|website=BoxOfficeIndia.com website|access-date=19 October 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120922022011/http://boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=155&catName=MTk1MA== |url-status=dead}}</ref> Ajit's films as hero include {{Lang|hi-latn|Nastik}} (1953), ''Bada Bhai'', ''Milan'', ''Baradari'' (1955) and ''Dholak'' (1951) and in all of them, he did credible work as actor. In {{Lang|hi-latn|Nastik}} (1953), the song ''"Dekh tere sansar ki haalat kya ho gayi Bhagwan"'' is picturised on him. He moved soon afterwards to second-lead roles, which he accepted because he had no other source of income. These movies include {{Lang|hi-latn|[[Naya Daur (1957 film)|Naya Daur]]}} and ''[[Mughal-e-Azam]]''.<ref name=BFI/><ref name=rediff/>

Ajit, who ran away from home to Mumbai after selling his college books, started his career in films in the 1940s. Luck did not favor him in the beginning. He began with the 1946 movie ''Shahe Misra'', acting opposite Geeta Bose, and also did films such as ''Sikander'' (with Van Mala), ''Hatimtai'' (1947), ''Aap Beeti'' (with Khursheed), ''Sone Ki Chidiya'' (with Leela Kumari), ''Dholak'' (1951) (with Meena Shori) and ''Chanda Ki Chandni'' (with Monica Desai) as her leading hero, but flopped. He did the most films (15) with [[Nalini Jaywant]]. Ajit switched over to playing the villain. His first movie as a villain was ''[[Suraj (1966 film)|Suraj]]'', followed by films such as ''[[Zanjeer (1973 film)|Zanjeer]]'' and ''[[Yaadon Ki Baaraat]]'' (1973).<ref name=rediff/><ref name=BFI/>

His famous dialogues included the "Mona darling" bit in ''Yaadon Ki Baraat'', "Lily don't be silly" in ''Zanjeer''<ref name=rediff/> and the one about a "Lion" in Kallicharan. Ajit's other well known films were {{Lang|hi-latn|Naya Daur}}, {{Lang|hi-latn|Nastik}} and ''Shikari'' to name only a few. In his four decades of film career, Ajit had acted along with the legendary [[Prithviraj Kapoor]], [[Sohrab Modi]], [[Amitabh Bachchan]], [[I. S. Johar]], [[Dilip Kumar]], [[Dev Anand]], [[Shammi Kapoor]], [[Dharmendra]] and many actresses, both young and old.<ref name=rediff>{{Cite web |url=http://www.rediff.com/news/1998/oct/22ajit.htm |title= Villain Ajit, source of a zillion jokes, is dead |website=Rediff On The Net website|access-date=19 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140812105427/http://www.rediff.com/news/1998/oct/22ajit.htm |archive-date=12 August 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

In the mid-seventies, he had acted in over 57 films, mostly as a villain. His dialogue delivery remains popular even to this date.<ref name=rediff/>

===Acting style===
Ajit almost always portrayed the sophisticated, educated, well groomed evil mastermind, albeit heartless villain. Ajit was presented in striking western attire, the "bold" checked suits, matching overcoats, white leather shoes, wide sunglasses, jewellery accessories. Given his stature as a senior artist, Ajit was usually the gang leader to second tier villains (such as [[Jeevan (Hindi actor)|Jeevan]], [[Prem Chopra]], [[Ranjeet (Indian actor)|Ranjeet]], [[Kader Khan]] and [[Sujit Kumar]]). He was rarely portrayed (in movie roles) doing any "dirty work" himself, rather relying on his army of henchmen for the task, with zero tolerance for any failures. He always had a savvy female accomplice, usually named "Mona." Acting in over 200 films, he specialized in playing suave villains with memorable catchphrases delivered in now iconic Ajit-style nasal drawls such as "Mona, darling". Ajit also brought to fame the [[Smuggling|smuggler]] as the villain. In his movies, he is generally seen smuggling ''gold biscuits'' in or out of the country. It has also been noted that most of his gang members had Christian names like Robert, Michael and Peter. He pronounced "Robert" as "Rabbert." This also has been used for comic purposes in [[parody|parodies]].<ref name=TheIndependent/><ref name=rediff/>

It was the menacing voice he was most famous for. He is still remembered for bringing the most famous villains in the history of Indian cinema to life. His contemporaries include veteran actors like [[Amrish Puri]], [[Amjad Khan (actor)|Amjad Khan]], [[Pran (actor)|Pran]] and [[Prem Chopra]]. Some of his popularity in the present time is due to the innumerable jokes and parodies made on his famous lines by comedians.

==Personal life==
Ajit married three times. His first wife, whom he married after a brief love affair, was an [[Anglo-Indian]] and a Christian. The marriage was very short-lived and fell apart due to huge cultural differences and there were no children. Ajit married Shahida, a young lady of his own community and similar social background, in a match arranged by their parents in the usual Indian way. The marriage, which lasted till her death, was entirely harmonious and resulted in three sons, namely Shahid Ali Khan, Zahid Ali Khan and Abid Ali Khan.<ref name=TheIndependent/> Ajit then married a third time, and the name of his third wife was Sara/Sarah. The actor [[Jayant (actor)|Jayant]] (better known as the father of actor [[Amjad Khan (actor)|Amjad Khan]]) took the initiative to facilitate this marriage. Ajit has a further two sons by his third wife, named [[Shehzad Khan|Shezad Khan]] and Arbaaz Khan.

Ajit had a strong friendship with actor [[Rajendra Kumar]]. Apart from friendship, Ajit also credited Rajendra Kumar with advising and helping him to become a "leading villain" rather than a second-lead hero. Rajendra Kumar was instrumental in getting Ajit his first role as the villain in the film ''[[Suraj (1966 film)|Suraj]]''.

==Death and survivors==
Ajit died of a massive heart attack on 22 October 1998 in Hyderabad, India at the age of 76.<ref name=rediff/> His colleagues in the film industry — leading personalities who have acted with him, grew up seeing him in Mumbai — expressed deep sorrow over his death. Earlier in 1981, Ajit went into retirement after he underwent a heart by-pass surgery in the United States.<ref name=rediff/><ref name=TheIndependent/>

Well-known Indian writer [[Javed Akhtar]], who scripted ''[[Zanjeer (1973 film)|Zanjeer]]'', said: "Like Bachchan, Ajit found a new image as villain after Zanjeer. He started a new innings in his career though he was an established hero in the fifties. His villainy started a new trend. Here was a new villain who was soft-spoken yet forceful. We wanted to give a different image to villainy which matched the hero".

==Filmography==
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Acting Filmography
|-
! Year !! Film !! Role
|-
|1995
| ''[[Criminal (1994 film)|Criminal]]''<ref name=BFI/> || Jagdish Prasad
|-
|1994
| ''[[Gangster (1994 film)|Gangster]]''<ref name=TheIndependent/><ref name=BFI>{{cite web|url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2ba1185ad2|url-status=dead|title=Ajit filmography (click on TAB 'Show more' to expand)|website=British Film Institute (BFI) website|archive-date=24 April 2022|access-date=20 October 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220424072940/https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2ba1185ad2}}</ref> || Chandulal Seth
|-
| 1994
| ''[[Aa Gale Lag Jaa (1994 film)|Aa Gale Lag Jaa]]''|| Kalka Singh
|-
|1994
| ''[[Betaaj Badshah]]'' || Khan Chacha
|-
|1994
| ''[[Aatish: Feel the Fire|Aatish]]'' || Uncle (Underworld Don)
|-
|1993
| ''[[Shaktiman (1993 film)|Shaktiman]]'' || Shamsher Singh / Tiger
|-
|1993
| ''[[Aadmi (1993 film)|Aadmi]]''<ref name=BFI/> || Trikaal
|-
|1992
| ''[[Jigar]]''|| Baba Thakur (Karate Instructor)
|-
|1992
| ''[[Police Officer (film)|Police Officer]]'' || Dindayal "D. D."
|-
|1985
| ''[[Phaansi Ke Baad]]'' || D.I.G. Surendranath
|-
|1984
| ''[[Raaj Tilak (1984 film)|Raaj Tilak]]''|| Bhavani Singh
|-
|1984
| ''Raja Aur Rana''|| Teja / Heeralal
|-
|1983
| ''[[Daulat Ke Dushman]]'' || Jagga Thakur
|-
|1983
| ''[[Razia Sultan (film)|Razia Sultan]]'' || Amil Balban
|-
|1983
| ''[[Mangal Pandey (1983 film)|Mangal Pandey]]'' || Lal Singh / Jaganlal
|-
|1982
| ''[[Chorni]]''|| Shambhu Dada
|-
|1981
| ''[[Khoon Aur Paani]]''<ref name=BFI/> || Thakur Vikram Singh
|-
|1981
| ''[[Aakhri Mujra]]'' ||
|-
|1981
| {{Lang|hi-latn|[[Jyoti (1981 film)|Jyoti]]}} || Amirchand
|-
|1981
| ''[[Khuda Kasam (1981 film)|Khuda Kasam]]''<ref name=BFI/> || Raizada Hukamchand
|-
|1980
| ''[[Choron Ki Baaraat]]''<ref name=BFI/> || Dhanraj
|-
|1980
| ''[[Ram Balram]]''<ref name=TheIndependent/><ref name=BFI/>|| Jaggu / Chowdhary Jagatpal
|-
|1979
| ''[[Heera-Moti]]''|| Pratap Singh
|-
|1979
| ''[[Mr. Natwarlal]]''|| Inspector Girdharilal
|-
|1978
| ''[[Aahuti (1978 film)|Aahuti]]''|| C.B.I. Officer Harnam Prasad
|-
|1978
| ''[[Azaad (1978 film)|Azaad]]''|| Seema's Uncle
|-
|1978
| ''[[Des Pardes (1978 film)|Des Pardes]]''<ref name=BFI/>|| Gurnam
|-
|1978
| ''[[Heeralaal Pannalaal (1978 film)|Heeralaal Pannalaal]]''|| Kalicharan
|-
|1978
| ''[[Karmayogi (1978 film)|Karmayogi]]''<ref name=BFI/>|| Keshavlal
|-
|1978
| ''[[Ram Kasam]]''|| Inspector Ajit Singh
|-
|1977
| ''[[Aakhri Goli]]''<ref name=BFI/>||
|-
|1977
| ''[[Chalta Purza]]''||Captain Rajendra Behl
|-
|1977
| ''[[Ankh Ka Tara]]''|| Ramlal
|-
|1977
| ''[[Hum Kisise Kum Naheen]]''<ref name=rediff/>|| Sunita's Father (Guest Appearance)
|-
|1976
| ''[[Jaaneman (1976 film)|Jaaneman]]''<ref name=BFI/>|| Raja Sahib / Gulbahar Singh
|-
|1976
| ''[[Charas (1976 film)|Charas]]''<ref name=BFI/>|| Kalicharan
|-
|1976
| ''[[Kalicharan]]''<ref name=rediff/><ref name=TheIndependent/>|| Dindayal / Lion
|-
|1976
| ''Sangram''|| Durjan
|-
|-
|1976
| ''[[Rangila Ratan|Rangilla Ratan]]''|| Laxman Dada
|-
|1975
| ''[[Do Jhoot]]''|| Nathulal
|-
|1975
| ''[[Pratigya (1975 film)|Pratiggya]]''|| Bharat Daku
|-
|1975
| ''[[Warrant (1975 film)|Warrant]]'' || Master
|-
|1974
| ''Badla'' || Pratap / Randhir
|-
|1974
| ''[[Khote Sikkay]]''<ref name=BFI/>|| Jangha
|-
|1974
| ''[[Paap Aur Punya]]''|| Balvir Singh
|-
|1974
| ''[[Patthar Aur Payal]]''|| Ajit Singh
|-
|1973
| ''[[Bandhe Haath|Bandhe Hath]]'' || Inspector Kumar / Pakkad Singh
|-
|1973
| ''[[Chhupa Rustam]]'' || Vikram Singh
|-
|1973
| ''[[Dharma (1973 film)|Dharma]]''<ref name=BFI/> || IG Ajit Singh
|-
|1973
| ''[[Jugnu (1973 film)|Jugnu]]''<ref name=TheIndependent/> || Boss
|-
|1973
| ''[[Kahani Kismat Ki]]''|| Premchand
|-
|1973
| ''[[Shareef Budmaash]]''|| Ranjit
|-
|1973
| ''[[Yaadon Ki Baaraat]]''<ref name=rediff/>|| Shakeel
|-
|1973
| ''[[Zanjeer (1973 film)|Zanjeer]]''<ref name=BFI/><ref name=rediff/><ref name=TheIndependent/>|| Dharam Dayal Teja
|-
|1972
| ''[[Dil Ka Raja|Dil Ka Raaja]]''|| Thakur Gajendra Singh
|-
|1972
| ''[[Sultana Daku (1972 film)|Sultana Daku]]'' ||
|-
|1971
| {{Lang|hi-latn|[[Andaz (1971 film)|Andaz]]}} || Raju's Father
|-
|1971
| ''[[Lal Patthar]]''|| Raja Raghav Shankar Rai
|-
|1971
| ''[[Paraya Dhan]]''|| Heeralal Daku
|-
|1971
| ''[[Patanga (1971 film)|Patanga]]''|| Kunwar Amar Singh
|-
|1970
| ''[[Heer Raanjha]]''|| Heer's husband
|-
|1970
| ''[[Dharti (1970 film)|Dharti]]''<ref name=BFI/>|| Diwan
|-
|1970
| ''[[Jeevan Mrityu]]''|| Harishchandra "Harish"
|-
|1969
| ''[[Aadmi Aur Insaan]]''|| Kundanlal / Sher Singh
|-
|1969
| ''[[Prince (1969 film)|Prince]]''|| Shamsher's Mamaji
|-
|1968
| ''[[Raja Aur Runk]]''|| Hariya
|-
|1967
| ''Baghdad Ki Raatein''||
|-
|1966
| ''[[Suraj (1966 film)|Suraj]]''<ref name=rediff/><ref name=TheIndependent/> || Rajkumar Pratap Singh
|-
|1965
| ''Main Hoon Aladdin'' || Aladdin
|-
|1965
| ''Namaste Ji''||
|-
|1963
| ''[[Shikari (1963 film)|Shikari]]'' ||
|-
|1963
| ''Kabli Khan''|| Kabli Khan
|-
|1962
| ''Burmah Road''||
|-
|1962
| ''[[Tower House]]''<ref name=BFI/>|| Suresh Kumar
|-
|1962
| ''[[Girls' Hostel]]'' ||
|-
|1961
| ''[[Opera House (1961 film)|Opera House]]''<ref name=BFI/>|| Ajit Rai
|-
|1960
| ''[[Mughal-e-Azam]]''<ref name=BFI/><ref name=rediff/><ref name=TheIndependent/>|| Durjan Singh
|-
|1960
| ''[[Baraat]]''<ref name=BFI/>|| Shyamu
|-
|1959
| ''[[Char Dil Char Rahen (1959)|Char Dil Char Rahen]]'' || Dilawar
|-
|1959
| ''Guest House''<ref name=BFI/> || Amar
|-
|1958
| ''[[Mehndi (1958 film)|Mehndi]]''||
|-
|1957
| ''Miss Bombay''||
|-
|1957
| ''Bada Bhai'' ||
|-
|1957
| ''Kitna Badal Gaya Insaan''||
|-
|1957
| {{Lang|hi-latn|[[Naya Daur (1957 film)|Naya Daur]]<ref name=BFI/><ref name=rediff/>}}|| Krishna
|-
|1956
| ''26 January''||
|-
|1956
| ''Aan Baan''||
|-
|1956
| ''Durgesh Nandini'' ||
|-
|1956
| ''[[Halaku (film)|Halaku]]''|| Parvez
|-
|1955
| {{Lang|hi-latn|[[Aaj Ki Baat]]}}||
|-
|1955
| ''Bara Dari''|| Ajit Singh
|-
|1955
| ''[[Marine Drive (film)|Marine Drive]]''<ref name=BFI/> || Ajit
|-
|1955
| ''[[Naqab (1955 film)|Naqab]]''||
|-
|1955
| ''Shahzada''<ref name=BFI/>||
|-
|1955
| ''[[Teerandaz (1955 film)|Teerandaz]]'' ||
|-
|1954
| ''Maan'' ||
|-
|1954
| {{Lang|hi-latn|[[Nastik (1954 film)|Nastik]]}}<ref name=rediff/>|| Anil Kapoor / Babaji
|-
|1954
| ''[[Samrat (1954 film)|Samrat]]''||
|-
|1952
| ''[[Anand Math]]''||
|-
|1952
| ''Moti Mahal''||
|-
|1952
| ''Tarang''||
|-
|1952
| ''Vasna'' ||
|-
|1951
| ''Daman''||
|-
|1951
| ''Dholak'' ||
|-
|1951
| ''[[Saiyan (film)|Saiyan]]''|| Vijay
|-
|1951
| ''Sarkar''||
|-
|1950
| ''[[Beqasoor]]''<ref name=BOI/>|| Brij
|-
|1949
| ''Jeevan Saathi''||
|-
|1949
| ''[[Patanga (1949 film)|Patanga]]''||
|-
|1945
| ''[[Kurukshetra (1945 film)|Kurukshetra]]''||
|-
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb name|0015000}}

{{authority control}}
{{Subject bar
|commons = yes
|d = yes
|portal1 = Biography
|portal2 = Bollywood
|portal3 = Films
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ajit}}
[[Category:1922 births]]
[[Category:1998 deaths]]
[[Category:Male actors from Telangana]]
[[Category:Indian male film actors]]
[[Category:Male actors in Hindi cinema]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian male actors]]
[[Category:Indian people of Afghan descent]]

Ajit (Hindi film actor) - Revision history

Nhungexim at 15:19, 15 April 2026