Fardeen Khan Says Dad Feroz Khan's Death 'Deeply Affected' Him: 'Those 2 Years Were The Toughest...'

Fardeen Khan is the son of the iconic Bollywood actor and director Feroz Khan. Fardeen made his acting debut in 1998 with Prem Aggan, for which he won the Filmfare Best Debut Award. Despite initial success, Fardeen took a long hiatus from acting. He made his return to films after a 14-year break with a supporting role in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Heeramandi. The actor opened up about his decision to stop acting in a recent chat.

Speaking to the Times of India, Fardeen said that he was greatly affected by his father’s death and it was one of the reasons why he stayed away from acting. Feroz Khan passed away after battling lung cancer. Fardeen said, “Those two years when dad was suffering from cancer were the toughest. I needed time for closure. His death affected me deeply.”

Fardeen also shared that his break from acting was a “conscious decision” to prioritize family life. During this time away, he focused on building a family with his wife, Natasha Madhvani. The couple, rumoured to be separated, had relocated to London as they faced “challenges” in conceiving.

Originally, Fardeen had planned to take just a two-year break after his daughter’s birth to “enjoy parenthood.” However, the break extended as he found fulfilment in spending time with his children. “I wish I hadn’t taken such a long break from work. The only brownie point is that I have two beautiful children with whom I could spend so much time,” he added.

Fardeen expressed that he was sceptical about making a comeback. “I had a lot of questions, like, will filmmakers be able to slot me into a role? Do people even want to see me?” he shared. The actor added, “I came back with the mentality of literally starting off a new career.”

This year, Fardeen has had three film releases, including Heeramandi, Sanjay Gupta’s Visfot, and the Akshay Kumar-led comedy Khel Khel Mein. He admitted that returning to the industry after such a long hiatus was a “struggle,” especially as he was re-entering at the age of 50.