On January 3, veteran actor Sanjay Khan turned 86, and his former son-in-law, Hrithik Roshan, made sure the celebration went beyond balloons and cake. The actor shared an emotional Instagram post.
Sharing previously unseen pictures with Sanjay Khan, Hrithik Roshan wrote, “Today, on your birthday, Dad, I want to thank you for always being this giant, loving and guiding presence in my life. Thank you for always making me feel more special than I think I am. Of every place I’ve ever known, the one corner where I was guaranteed unconditional love was when I was around you and Mom.”
The post also revealed an important piece of advice Sanjay had given Hrithik early in his career, a mantra the actor still uses today.
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Hrithik recalled, “During my early years as an actor, I was nervous about a shoot, and you looked at me and said, ‘Before each shot, that moment when the clap covers your face, collect yourself, smile and whisper “magic time”, and then just let it all go!’ That stayed with me, Dad, and I use it to this day. It works like magic. Every time.”
Honouring a television pioneer
Hrithik didn’t stop at personal anecdotes. He also paid tribute to Sanjay’s legendary contributions to Indian television.
“You have been a pioneer for the Indian television industry,” he wrote. “Making a well-researched historical like ‘Tipu Sultan’ way before the internet made research easy, you raised the bar for Indian television long before OTT platforms existed. The show continues to be a favourite for so many of us all these years later.”
He added a note of admiration for Sanjay’s resilience: “Truly nothing stops you, Dad. You even cheated death and kept building. May you be our guiding light for another 100! We love you. Happy birthday Dad ❤️ Love you and miss you Mom.”
Sanjay Khan: From silver screen to small screen legend
Sanjay Khan’s career spans decades of Indian cinema and television. He began his acting journey in 1964 with supporting roles in films like ‘Haqeeqat’ and ‘Dosti’.
By 1966, he was featuring in hits ‘Dus Lakh’, ‘Ek Phool Do Mali’, ‘Intaquam’, ‘Dhund’. He also shared screen with his elder brother Feroz Khan in films such as ‘Upaasna’, ‘Mela’, ‘Nagin’.
Eventually, Sanjay moved behind the camera producing and directing films like ‘Chandi Sona’ and ‘Abdullah’. In 1990, he created and starred in the iconic historical TV series ‘The Sword of Tipu Sultan’, which became a cultural phenomenon and remains beloved to this day.
Hrithik and Sussanne: A family story that continues
Hrithik Roshan and Sussanne Khan married in 2000 and have two sons Hrehaan and Hridhaan. The couple separated in 2013 and finalised their divorce in 2014. Now they remain close co-parenting their children and sharing mutual respect.
Currently, Hrithik is in a relationship with actor Saba Azad, while Sussanne is dating Arslan Goni.