Sultan Rahi


Muhammad Sultan Khan, known as Sultan Rahi, was a Pakistani actor, producer and screenwriter.
During a career spanning 40 years, he acted in some 703 Punjabi films and 100 Urdu films, winning around 160 awards.
Some of his films include Maula Jatt, Sher Khan, Chan Veryam, Kaley Chore, and The Godfather, Basheeraa and Wehshi Gujjar. He established himself as one of the leading and most successful actors of Pakistani and Punjabi cinema, and received a reputation as Pakistan's "Clint Eastwood".

Life and career

Rahi was born in Rawalpindi, Punjab, in 1938 to an Arain tribe during the British Raj. His father, Subedar Major Abdul Majeed, was a retired officer from the British Indian Army.
He began his film career in 1959 as a guest actor in the film Baghi. Maula Jatt was released on 11 February 1979 which became his most successful Pakistani film. His other works include Behram Daku, Sher Khan, Sala Sahib and Ghulami.
Sultan Rahi appeared in key roles in over 535 films, and was the highest paid Pakistani actor of his time.
On January 9, 1996 he was shot and killed on the main highway in Pakistan known as Grand Trunk Road, near Samanabad Chungi close to Gujranwala. Rahi was on the way from Islamabad to his hometown Lahore with a friend Ahsan — a film director, when late at night his car’s tyre deflated near Samanabad Chungi. They were compelled to stop to change the wheel of the car. Taking advantage of the darkness and deserted surroundings, some bandits approached the vehicle and tried to rob them. When Rahi began resisting, they opened fire, killing him on the spot and injuring his friend.

Family

He had five children, of which one, Haider Sultan, is also an actor.

Awards