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Vinod Khanna had roots in Peshawar

Vinod Khanna had roots in Peshawar

During a function in Dubai in the '90s, Khanna announced on the stage with pride that he was a ‘Peshawari’
Updated 28 Apr, 2017

Legendary Bollywood film actor, Vinod Khanna, who died on Thursday at the age of 70 in Mumbai after protracted illness, had roots in Peshawar.

“Vinod Khanna was the son of Mehr Chand Khanna, a prominent businessman and former minister from Congress Party. He was born in Peshawar on Oct 6, 1946 at Sardar area in the Cantonment’s jurisdiction,” Mohammad Ibrahim Zia, a known film historian from Peshawar, said.

Mr Zia said that he had met Vinod Khanna in 2014 during a visit to India being a member of the delegation which went to enquire after the top Indian film industry legend, Dilip Kumar, who also belonged to Peshawar.

“During the visit, we had a meeting with Vinod Khanna in New Delhi, who was very happy over reunion with people of his birthplace (Peshawar),” he recalled.

He said that Mehr Chand Khanna was a well-off person of Peshawar and had migrated to India in 1947. At the time of migration, Vinod Khanna was an infant, but he had love for the city of his birth.

Mr Zia recalled that in late 1990s during a function held in Dubai Vinod Khanna had announced on the stage with pride that he was a ‘Peshawari’.

He said that the ancestral home of Vinod Khanna was intact and presently in use of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter of All Pakistan Women’s Association.

During the meeting with Vinod Khanna, Zia recalled, the delegation presented him gifts, including ‘Peshawari Chappal’ (sandals) and traditional dress, which he accepted very happily. Mr Zia added that he also presented a copy of his book, Peshawar Kay Funkar (The Artists of Peshawar), to the legend star.


Originally published in Dawn, April 28th, 2017

Comments

Majid Apr 28, 2017 12:03pm
Can anyone tell me how can I get this book "peshawar kay funkar" in Peshawar or Isb/pindi?
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D.K. PAMNANI Apr 28, 2017 12:10pm
Great Indian Actor. RIP
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CRICKET LOVER Apr 28, 2017 12:26pm
He was a great actor. In his career, he did many hit films. with Amitab Bacchan. RIP. Karanti, Halchal, daulat, Sewak, Zameer, Do Yaar, Preetam, Rakhwala, Qurbani, Zalim, Insaaf, Faisla, Chandni, Batwara. etc.
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Thoroughthinker Apr 28, 2017 12:33pm
Almost all the top Bollywood actors of yesteryears originated from Peshawar. Rajkapoor family, Dilip Kumar, Premnath, Surinder Kapoor and Amjadkhan, to name a few.
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Ashwin Apr 28, 2017 12:50pm
Seems like all connections from Pakistan are being lost. Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand and now Vinod Khanna. After Dilip ji, no one will be left who was born in Pakistan. In the coming 30 years there will be no one left in India who would say 'I was born in Pakistan'.
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ARYAN Apr 28, 2017 01:02pm
RIP
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M. Saeed Awan Apr 28, 2017 01:09pm
Artists have no boundary so the Bollywood stars who often has had soft corner to Pakistan. Vinod Khanna will be remembered due as an excellent actor as well as human being.
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whoami Apr 28, 2017 01:12pm
Even Leonardo Decaprio was a Peshawari...all hail the land of film geniuses...but see what hard times has fallen on us..now not a single movie is screened here..
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davindeer Apr 28, 2017 01:45pm
'#tragic loss.what a handsome man and great charisma .always idolised him. '@
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DW Apr 28, 2017 01:49pm
Decent looking.must be a Pakistani
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shailesh Apr 28, 2017 01:53pm
Great Actor and blessed with good looks. You will be missed sir. RIP
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SSS Apr 28, 2017 02:38pm
Even DeCaprio has peshawari roots..all hail the land of cinema geniuses..it is sad that this land has fallen down on sone dark times..otherwise we rule the roost from Hollywood to Bollywood
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kalpash Apr 28, 2017 03:04pm
His father or ancestors must have settled in Peshawar to do some shop or other business. Their real home-place must have been somewhere else, like a village somewhere in Punjab or some small town,
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Srinath Apr 28, 2017 03:13pm
Definitely a legend and an actor par excellence has silently left us that created a vacuum that cannot be filled in another 100 yrs .Rip Vinod k Khanna sir .
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true rajput Apr 28, 2017 03:17pm
I always wonder - why does everyone with good looks in India have origins from West Punjab or NWFP ! Is everyone over there so good-looking ?
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Sridhar Apr 28, 2017 03:23pm
A veteran actor capable of handling any role with ease. His death is a great loss to the cinema fraternity.
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khanman Apr 28, 2017 04:08pm
very few men infact very very few in indian film industry had gorgeous personality, and Vinod Khanna is certainly one of those few.
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Imran AB Apr 28, 2017 04:28pm
NO wonder I was in awe of this actor as a young man , he has turned out be originally a Pakistani after all .....RIP Vinod Khanna ..... copied your fashions when I was young , you were an inspiration ......
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davinder Apr 28, 2017 05:15pm
his screen presence was so overwhelming that no other actor who had to share the screen with him could stand upto him.be it dharam rajesh or amitabh.such was his magnetic personaliyy and charm .you will be missed Vinod sir.R.I.P.
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Vish1 Apr 28, 2017 05:55pm
@DW ! Very successful... Must be an Indian :-)
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Yasir Apr 28, 2017 07:13pm
@Thoroughthinker Dont' forget Anil Kapoor & Shahrukh Khan's family were also from Peshawar
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Gautam Apr 28, 2017 10:57pm
My grandfather was from peshawar:)
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Moin Khan Apr 29, 2017 12:42am
No one can forget his place of birth. The attachment will always be there.
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jamshed Apr 29, 2017 01:32am
@true rajput Beauty is only skin deep and and cannot bring humans to their true potentials. Talent does not come with beauty it is only coincidental and if good looks only was the criteria Nasiruddin Shah and Kulhushan Karbanda with their average looks would not be top class actors. Vinod Khenna had extraordinary acting talents and his good looks became secondary in his success.
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United Apr 29, 2017 01:38am
@Gautam my grandfather and father were from Delhi
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tariqandalus Apr 29, 2017 05:08am
Artificial borders created by foreigners has divided the people of the Indian subcontinent into separate hostile nations. Maybe some time in the future common sense will prevail and people will be able move freely across these barriers and visit their estranged friends and relatives and their ancestral homes and places of origin without fear. Would be a much better for everyone in my opinion.
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wellwisher Apr 29, 2017 09:39am
@true rajput --when Alexander,s army retreated, a lot of Greek soldiers settled back in India, mostly in NWFP and nearby areas.They married local girls, and fathered generations of handsome/beautiful persons with green and blue eyes
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Amin saigol Apr 29, 2017 10:16am
All great Indian actors have roots in present day Pakistan. Raj Kapoor and brothers,Rajesh Khanna,Balraaj Sahni,Prem Chopra,Dev Anand and Vinod Khanna.
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mady Apr 29, 2017 10:24am
@true rajput Since you have concluded you survey of Bollywood, please release it.
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mady Apr 29, 2017 10:27am
@Thoroughthinker If indeed what a great loss. Need to think why all these great personalities irrespective of their religions moved to India.
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Sangeet Jha Apr 29, 2017 10:30am
@Imran AB Vinod Khanna was not borne in Pakistan, Pakistan was created after his birth.
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Pune-India Apr 29, 2017 11:14am
@Thoroughthinker: Amzad Khan is not from Peshawar he is from Afghanistan and Kadar Khan is from Pischin, Baluchistan
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Pune-India Apr 29, 2017 11:17am
Raj Kapoor, Meena Kumari, Madhubala, Dilip Kumar and Vinod Khanna all were Peshawari
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Anji Apr 29, 2017 03:51pm
@Majid its in Book Shaop in PEshawar on University Main Road it have all indian actors born in Peshawar.
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Anji Apr 29, 2017 03:53pm
@Ashwin you for got Madhu Bala all beauties are from Peshawar even if they didnt mention. Peshawar is ful, of beauty land beauty and people beauty.............. u like or u dont like
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Pakistan Apr 29, 2017 04:43pm
I can say that we had one root but we have become strangers now. It would have been great if we shared common goals and lived in peace....we would have the closest of friends but its the other way round. Vinod Khanna has been a legend and will be missed badly....
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schali Apr 29, 2017 10:06pm
@DW Thank God, he got out of there in time!!
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Kharar Apr 30, 2017 07:35am
Millions of us in India have roots in Pakistan and vice versa.
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mullahdopiazza Apr 30, 2017 10:31pm
@Kharar : Yes except a small minority who are descendants of Arabs, Persians and Mongols, hahahahahahahahahah
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NARENDRA KULKARNI May 01, 2017 09:51am
@Ashwin Shri LK Advani has roots in Karachi
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Sid May 01, 2017 02:07pm
@Sangeet Jha LOL interesting
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haldenraza May 01, 2017 09:46pm
People from Peshawar are so good looking, no doubt! A land of great people!!
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Bupi May 01, 2017 10:46pm
@true rajput dear all those areas were part of United India or say Subcontinent .
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