Fardeen Khan stayed away from limelight as father Feroz Khan’s death deeply affected him: ‘I needed closure’

After a 14-year hiatus and facing criticism for his weight gain, Bollywood actor Fardeen Khan made a comeback to the silver screen with Khel Khel Mein. In a recent interaction, Fardeen shared his initial doubts about returning to the screen, questioning whether audiences would still want to see him after such a long absence. The actor admitted that he approached his comeback as if he were a newcomer, eager to restart his career.

In a conversation with ETimes, Fardeen reflected on the challenges of returning to showbiz, noting that his break was not just a few years but more than a decade. “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. He further expressed that the films made now are very different from the films made in 2000 when he was a more prominent star. The actor added, “I came back with the mentality of literally starting off a new career.”

Fardeen also opened up about his decision to step away from the limelight, explaining that he had consciously chosen to move to London to focus on his family, as he and his wife, Natasha Madhvani, faced challenges in having children. After welcoming their daughter and then a son, Fardeen extended his break to spend more time with them.

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Beyond fatherhood, another factor contributing to Fardeen Khan’s time away from films was his father Feroz Khan’s illness. Feroz was diagnosed with lung cancer and eventually passed away. The loss of his father affected Fardeen profoundly, as he explained, “Those two years when Dad was suffering from cancer were the toughest. I needed time for closure. His death affected me deeply.”

In addition to Khel Khel Mein, Fardeen also appeared in the Sanjay Leela Bhansali show Heeramandi. He has upcoming projects, including Visfot and Devil: The Hero.