Actor Sajid Khan, known for playing the character of young Sunil Dutt in the cult classic Mother India, breathed his last on December 22. He was in his early 70s and had been suffering from cancer. Confirming the news, his son Sameer told a news agency, "He had been battling cancer for a while. He passed away on Friday."
He also revealed that the actor was adopted by Pitamber Rana and Sunita Pitamber and fostered by director Mehboob Khan. Sajid had not acted in films for a while and was busy with philanthropy. His last rites were performed at the Kayamkulam Town Juma Masjid in Kerala's Alappuzha district.
For the uninitiated, Sajid Khan also appeared in the Mehboob Khan directorial Son of India, a sequel to Mother India, which later won the Oscars. Sajid also rose to prominence in the Philippines with films such as The Singing Filipina, The Prince and I, and My Funny Girl. He also played the role of a dacoit chief in the Merchant-Ivory production Heat and Dust and guest-starred in the American TV show The Big Valley.