Veteran Bollywood actor Mushtaq Khan, a familiar face in Hindi cinema for over three decades, has died. He passed away on Thursday evening, September 24, at Mumbai’s Nanavati Hospital, where he had been admitted for the past 15 days. His business partner has confirmed that he had been battling cancer.
Mushtaq Khan passes away at Nanavati Hospital
According to an AajTak report, the ‘Welcome’ actor was taken to the hospital after his health worsened and was kept in the ICU. The report said he had been fighting cancer, which was first diagnosed five years ago and became serious again recently.His business partner, Shivam, confirmed the news to HT City. He said, “He (Mushtaq Khan) passed away around 7pm on Thursday. He had been detected with lung cancer earlier and had got well. However, it relapsed eight days back and had to be admitted to the hospital. It was last-stage cancer.”Soon, actor-comedian Sunil Pal took to his Instagram Stories to mourn the demise of the veteran actor. Sharing a picture of Mushtaq Khan, Sunil Pal wrote, “RIP Mushtaq Khan saab.”
Television, theatre and comedyApart from cinema, Khan also worked in television and theatre. His comic timing and ease in supporting and character roles made him a well-known name among Hindi film viewers.
Mushtaq Khan in ‘Welcome’
Mushtaq Khan’s portrayal of Ballu, Uday Shetty’s loyal sidekick in Akshay Kumar-starrer ‘Welcome’ (2007), remains one of the film’s most memorable comic characters. His deadpan delivery and hilarious backstory turned Ballu into an instant fan favourite. His iconic dialogue, “Meri ek taang nakli hai, main hockey ka bahut bada khiladi tha,” became hugely popular and continues to be quoted and shared by fans.
His association with Mahesh Bhatt
In an interview published in August 2026, Khan spoke about his early struggles. He said Salim Khan’s recommendation helped him secure a meeting with filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, which led to his role in ‘Kabzaa’ (1988). He went on to work with Bhatt in several films, including ‘Aashiqui’, ‘Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin’, ‘Saathi’, ‘Sadak’, ‘Junoon’, ‘Gunaah’, ‘Sir’ and ‘Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke’.
A career spanning several decades
Khan began acting in films in the 1980s and appeared in many popular movies across genres. He was best known as Gul Khan, also called Gullu, in the ‘Gadar’ franchise. He shared the screen with Sunny Deol in ‘Gadar: Ek Prem Katha’ (2001) and returned to the role more than two decades later in ‘Gadar 2’ (2023).His other notable films include ‘Aashiqui’ (1990), ‘Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin’ (1991), ‘Sadak’ (1991), ‘Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke’ (1993), ‘Krantiveer’ (1994), ‘Raja’ (1995), ‘Jodi No. 1’ (2001), ‘Mujhse Shaadi Karogi’ (2004), ‘Welcome’ (2007), ‘Wanted’ (2009), ‘Oh My God!’ (2012), ‘Stree’ (2018) and ‘Stree 2’ (2024).
Family
Khan is survived by his family. He was married to Salma Khan, and the couple have children, including sons Mohammed Arshad Khan and Mohshin Khan. Arshad is married to Saba Khan, a teacher, while Mohshin has worked as a model.
Film industry in shock
The news has shocked the film industry, especially as the actor had remained active in recent years. With roles spanning comedy, drama and character-driven parts, Mushtaq Khan was among the best-known supporting actors of his generation. His work in ‘Aashiqui’, ‘Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke’, ‘Welcome’ and the ‘Gadar’ films remains among his most remembered.