Veteran actor Raza Murad has criticised the absence of Bollywood’s leading stars from the funeral of actor Mushtaq Khan, who died on September 24.
Khan’s last rites were conducted on September 25 in the presence of several colleagues and members of the film fraternity.
What’s Happening
In a video message, Raza expressed disappointment that none of the major stars came to pay their final respects to Khan, who spent nearly five decades working in the Hindi film industry.
“Dukh ki baat yeh hai ki aise mauke par koi bhi star, jise hum star kehte hain, unhe apna aakhiri salaam pesh karne nahi aaya. Jabki unke bahut saare colleagues, actors, sab aaye.”
Raza then questioned the priorities of celebrities, contrasting their participation in high-profile social events with their absence from Khan’s funeral.
“Haan, agar kisi industrialist ke bete ki shaadi hoti, toh ye stars na sirf wahan shaamil hote, balki wahan mehmaanon ki seva waiter ki tarah bhi karte.”
He continued, “Ya jab koi political party apni laathi dikhaati hai, toh ye bheegi billi ki tarah wahan pahunch jaate hain. Lekin us shakhs ki funeral mein shaamil nahi hue, jisne is film industry ko apne 50 saal diye, apni poori zindagi de di. Aur aap uske liye 50 minute bhi nahi nikaal sake.“
The actor also spoke about the fleeting nature of fame and urged people in the industry to remember that their actions and conduct are ultimately what remain.
“Yeh mat bhooliye ki aaj aapka yeh roshan chehra hai, kal yeh bhi marne wala hai. Kal yeh andhere mein doob jayega. Agar koi cheez aapke kaam aayegi, toh aapka achha bartav, aapke karm kaam aayenge. Aur kuch nahi aayega.“
Praising Khan’s professional journey, Raza said the late actor had established himself through his work and did not depend on personal favours to build his career.
“Mushtaq Khan ne apna bahut bada naam banaya. Unhone kabhi kisi ko gumrah nahi kiya, na kabhi kisi ki khushamad ki. Woh sirf apne kaam ke dum par yahan tak pahunche.”
Raza added that Khan had never depended on the industry’s approval and would not need it after his death either.
“Unhe apni zindagi mein kabhi aapki zaroorat nahi padi, na unhe apni zindagi ke baad aapki zaroorat padegi.”
He further pointed out that Khan had worked with numerous prominent actors during his long career, making the absence of major stars at his funeral particularly disappointing for him.
“Haan, yeh zaroor hum sabke liye afsos ki baat hai ki aisa koi star nahi hai jiske saath Mushtaq Khan ne kaam na kiya ho, aur woh unhe kuch pal ke liye salaam karne bhi nahi aaya.“
Raza ended his message with a reminder about the temporary nature of fame, wealth and social standing.
“Yaad rakhiye ek baat, yeh shohrat, yeh daulat, yeh izzat hamesha nahi rehti. Shohrat ki bulandi bhi ek lamhe ka tamasha hai. Jis shaakh par aap baithe hain, woh bhi toot sakti hai. Yaad rakhiye.“
Background
Mushtaq Khan was a familiar face in Hindi cinema, having appeared in films including Welcome, Aashiqui, Gadar: Ek Prem Katha, Hum Hain Rahi Pyaar Ke and Jodi No. 1.
Over a career spanning several decades, he worked with several leading actors, including Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Akshay Kumar and Anil Kapoor.
