Jayant

Jayant (born Zakaria Khan on 15 October 1915 in Nodeh Payan/Nawan Kalli, Peshawar, North-West Frontier Province, British India; died 2 June 1975 in Mumbai, India) was a prominent Indian actor known for his versatile performances across comedy, villainy, and sympathetic roles during the golden age of Indian cinema.

He received only elementary education and was given his stage name "Jayant" by film director and producer Vijay Bhatt.

Jayant began his film career in 1935 with Bambai Ke Sethani, and his first leading-man role came in Bombay Mail.

Over a 43-year career spanning approximately 150 films, he played a wide variety of roles, demonstrating exceptional range as a comedian in early films like Doli, Dawat, and Poonji, as an unmatched villain in Mala, Amar, Son of India, and Sunghursh, and as a compassionate "Good Samaritan" in Mem Didi and Do Raste.

He notably worked alongside legendary actors including Dilip Kumar, Madhubala, and Kishore Kumar in many movies.

Some of his most notable films include Amar, Memdidi (also spelled Mem Didi), and Nazneen. He was also known for earlier films such as State Express (1938), Sardar-e-Awwal (1939), and His Highness (1937). Jayant died of cancer in Bombay on June 2, 1975, at the age of 59.

Jayant was the father of actors Amjad Khan and Imtiaz Khan, as well as Inayat Khan, making him the grandfather of Shadaab Khan, Ahlam Khan, Seemaab Khan, and Ayesha Khan.

His wife was Quamran Sultan, and his brother Jahangir Khan (also spelled Jehangir) was a former superintendent of police who worked as an assistant director in Jayant's 1930s films before dying in a road accident shortly after arriving in Mumbai.

His son Amjad Khan became a highly popular film actor in his own right.