- Mushtaq Khan, known for his role as Ballu in Welcome, died of cancer at 56
- He revealed earning less than Akshay Kumar's staff during the Welcome shoot
- Mushtaq acted in films like Hera Pheri, Stree, Badhaai Do, and Gadar 2
Senior actor Mushtaq Khan, known for his role as Ballu in Akshay Kumar's Welcome, died after his battle with cancer at the age of 62 yesterday. Mushtaq Khan, who had played memorable characters in films over the years, is mosly remembered for his role as Ballu.
Speaking to Digital Commentary two years ago, Mushtaq Khan shared the 'sad' reality of the industry. Despite being a senior actor, he said he had received less salary than Akshay Kumar's staff for Welcome.
"Akshay Kumar ke staff jis hotel mein the Dubai mein, waha pe mein rehta tha during the shoot. Aur salary toh Akshay Kumar ke staff se bhi kam mila tha," he had said on the podcast.
Talking about Bollywood's obsession with Hockey Sticks, Mushtaq Khan said, "Jab jhogra hote hain do gang ke beech, log hockey sticks use karte hain. Aur film me bhi ek dialogue tha na, ke mere mooh se kabhi koi galat shabd nikal jaye Uday bhai ke khilaf, toh Uday bhai ko mere hi hockey stick se mere taang ke do tukre karne hain. Taang toot ke liye hockey stick the," said the actor.
Poopular Films
Some of his other popular movies include Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke (1993), Aashiqui (1990), Hera Pheri (2000), Jodi No. 1 (2001), Mujhse Shaadi Karogi (2004), Khiladi 786 (2012), Stree (2018), Badhaai Do (2022), Gadar 2 (2023), Stree 2 (2024), and Baby John (2024).
His Kidnapping Case
In November 2024, Mushtaq made headlines after he was reportedly kidnapped while travelling on the Delhi-Meerut highway. According to PTI, he had been invited to Meerut on the pretext of attending an award function but was allegedly taken to a remote location near Bijnor after arriving in Delhi. His business partner Shivam Yadav said at the time that the actor was held captive and tortured for several hours, with the kidnappers allegedly demanding a ransom of Rs 1 crore.
Mushtaq eventually managed to get away after hearing the morning Azaan. He then sought help from local residents.
The actor is survived by his wife, son and daughter.