“Meri ek taang nakli hai, main hockey ka bahut bada player hoon.” For close to two decades, that one line from Welcome was enough to bring the house down, and it belonged to Mushtaq Khan, an actor who spent more than four decades turning small supporting parts into moments audiences never forgot. On September 24, 2026, that voice went silent. Khan died in Mumbai at the age of 56, following a prolonged battle with cancer, bringing an end to one of Hindi cinema’s most familiar character-actor careers.
His death was confirmed by Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) president BN Tiwari and All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA) president Suresh Shyamlal Gupt, along with Khan’s business partner, Shivam. Tributes followed quickly from across the industry, including from fellow comedian Sunil Pal, who shared a photograph of Khan on his Instagram Story with the words, “RIP Mushtaq Khan sahab.”
Quick Facts
| Full Name | Mushtaq Khan |
| Occupation | Actor, comedian |
| Born | Baihar, Balaghat district, Madhya Pradesh, India |
| Died | September 24, 2026, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Age at death | 56 (widely reported; one outlet cited a different figure, see note below) |
| Cause of death | Cancer, reported by different outlets as either lung cancer or liver cancer |
| Years active | 1980 to 2026 |
| Known for | Welcome, Hera Pheri, Gadar: Ek Prem Katha, Aashiqui, Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke |
| Spouse | Salma Khan |
| Children | Two sons, Mohammed Arshad Khan and Mohsin Khan |
| Nationality | Indian |
Who Is Mushtaq Khan?
Mushtaq Khan was an Indian film and television actor known for his comic timing and his gift for making the smallest role memorable. Across a career that ran from the early 1980s into 2026, he built a reputation as one of Hindi cinema’s most dependable supporting actors, someone directors could drop into a scene knowing he would make it land. He never carried a film as its lead, and he did not need to. Audiences knew his face from Aashiqui, Hera Pheri, Gadar: Ek Prem Katha and, above all, Welcome, where his line about being a one-legged hockey player became one of Bollywood comedy’s most quoted moments.
Early Life and Background
Mushtaq Khan was born in Baihar, a town in the Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh, to a Muslim family. Before he found regular work in Hindi cinema, he performed in theatre, where the writer Salim Khan noticed him and recommended him to filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt. According to an interview the actor gave later in his career, he did not even own a telephone at home at the time, and he paid a neighbourhood grocer a rupee for every message left for him. The wait paid off when Bhatt eventually reached out, a connection that led to his casting in Kabzaa (1988) and the start of a long working relationship with Bhatt’s productions through the late 1980s and 1990s.
Career
Khan made his screen debut in 1980 with a small role in Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyoon Aata Hai, and spent the rest of that decade picking up character parts in films such as Thodisi Bewafaii and Kaalia. It was the 1990s that turned him into a familiar face, largely through his association with Mahesh Bhatt’s productions. He appeared in Aashiqui, Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin, Sadak, Junoon, Sir, Gumrah, Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke, Naaraaz and Chaahat, taking on everything from police inspectors and hotel managers to conductors and shopkeepers.
His comic instincts became his calling card. He played Devi Prasad’s servant in Hera Pheri (2000), one of Bollywood’s most rewatched comedies, and appeared as Gul Khan in Gadar: Ek Prem Katha (2001), a role popular enough that he returned to it more than two decades later in Gadar 2 (2023). On television, he was a recurring presence too, playing Baldev Tripathi in Kuch Rang Pyar Ke Aise Bhi across multiple seasons between 2016 and 2021, and appearing in Adaalat in the early 2010s.
Major Work and Notable Projects
No role defined Mushtaq Khan quite like Welcome (2007), the Akshay Kumar, Nana Patekar and Anil Kapoor comedy in which he played Ballu, a supporting character introduced as a disabled hockey player. The line that came with it, delivered with a completely straight face, turned into one of the most repeated bits of dialogue from 2000s Bollywood comedy, and it followed Khan for the rest of his career. He reprised the role in Welcome Back (2015).
Beyond Welcome, his filmography included Krantiveer, Raja, Gopi Kishan, Mujhse Shaadi Karogi, Jodi No. 1 and Rowdy Rathore, along with dozens of other films where he was rarely billed high but consistently noticed. His career also survived a frightening episode in November 2024, when he was lured to Uttar Pradesh under the pretext of an award ceremony and abducted on the Delhi-Meerut highway. According to his business partner, Khan was held for around 12 hours near Bijnor and mistreated before escaping after hearing the morning azaan and seeking help from locals. He later filed a police complaint, and investigators eventually connected his case to a similar kidnapping involving comedian Sunil Pal.
Current Projects and Latest Updates
Khan continued working right up to his final years. His recent credits included Stree 2 (2024), Gadar 2 (2023), Jaat (2025), and 2026 releases including Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain! Fun On The Run and Hum Angrezo Ke Zamane Ke Jailer Hain, alongside earlier appearances in Baby John and Dhoom Dhaam. He was, by most accounts, still an active, in-demand character actor rather than someone winding down his career.
According to people close to him, Khan had first been diagnosed with cancer around five years before his death and had recovered. The illness reportedly returned in the weeks before he died, and he was admitted to Nanavati Hospital in Mumbai, where he spent around 15 days before his condition became critical. Reports differ on whether the cancer was in his lungs or his liver, and his family had not issued an official statement on the exact circumstances at the time of publication. He passed away in Mumbai on the evening of September 24, 2026. His funeral was expected to take place on September 25 at the Yari Road Kabristan in Mumbai.
Social Media Stats
| X (Twitter) | IMDb | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Profile | Not publicly verified | Not publicly verified | IMDb |
| Around 197K followers, as of September 2026 | Not publicly verified | Not publicly verified | IMDb profile |
Social media figures are approximate and may change.
Personal Life
Mushtaq Khan was married to Salma Khan, who stayed away from public life while he built his career, and was reportedly by his side during his final hours. The couple had two sons together, Mohammed Arshad Khan, who is married to Saba Khan, and Mohsin Khan, who has reportedly worked as a model. Khan generally kept his family life private, rarely discussing it in interviews even as his screen work made him a recognisable face for decades.
Net Worth
Public estimates vary, and there is no independently verified figure for Mushtaq Khan’s net worth. Various online sources have placed it somewhere between Rs 5 crore and Rs 10 crore, largely based on his decades of film and television work, but no official figure has ever been confirmed by the actor or his family.
Frequently Asked Questions
How did Mushtaq Khan die?
He died on September 24, 2026, after a prolonged battle with cancer. He had reportedly been in remission for around five years before the illness returned shortly before his death. Reports vary on whether it was lung cancer or liver cancer.
How old was Mushtaq Khan when he died?
Most reports, including confirmations from FWICE and AICWA, put his age at 56. At least one report cited a different age, but it has not been corroborated elsewhere.
What was Mushtaq Khan best known for?
He was best known for playing Ballu, a supporting character introduced as a disabled hockey player, in Welcome (2007), along with roles in Hera Pheri, Gadar: Ek Prem Katha and Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke.
Who are Mushtaq Khan’s wife and children?
He was married to Salma Khan and had two sons, Mohammed Arshad Khan and Mohsin Khan.
What was Mushtaq Khan’s net worth?
There is no officially confirmed figure. Online estimates place it between Rs 5 crore and Rs 10 crore.
When and where is Mushtaq Khan’s funeral?
His funeral was expected to take place on September 25, 2026, at the Yari Road Kabristan in Mumbai.
Related Belloria Stories
- Welcome (2007): Cast, Story and Legacy of Bollywood’s Comedy Hit (future link opportunity)
- Hera Pheri Franchise: Cast, Story and Where the Comedy Started (future link opportunity)
- Gadar 2: Cast, Story and Box Office (future link opportunity)
- Stree 2: Cast, Story and Ending Explained (future link opportunity)