Actor Kader Khan dies at 81

Veteran Bollywood actor-director-writer-comedian and a Quran scholar, Kader Khan died after a prolonged illness at a hospital in Toronto in Canada, a family member said on Tuesday.

Kader, 81, is survived by his wife Hajra, son Sarfaraz, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren.

According to Ahmed Khan, a close relative, he passed away around 4:00am (IST).

He said the last rites will be held in a Toronto cemetery later in the day.

Born in Kabul, Kader Khan made his acting debut in 1973 with Rajesh Khanna's 'Daag' and featured in more than 300 films.

While he played both villain and comedian, his many roles were as comic villain. His comic timing was also highly acclaimed.

Before becoming an actor, he had written dialogues for Randhir Kapoor-Jaya Bachchan’s 'Jawani Diwani'.

As a screenwriter, Khan frequently collaborated with Manmohan Desai and Prakash Mehra. His films with Desai include Dharam Veer, Ganga Jamuna Saraswati, Coolie, Desh Premee, Suhaag, Parvarish and Amar Akbar Anthony and films with Mehra include Jwalamukhi, Sharaabi, Lawaaris and Muqaddar Ka Sikandar.