‘I was seconds late with the injection’: Amjad Khan’s son recalls the day ‘Gabbar Singh’ died

‘I was a few seconds late with the injection’

Recalling the day his father passed away, Shadaab said he was only 18 years old.

“I wasn’t home. I came back around 8 pm and was told, ‘Dad isn’t waking up, go wake him up.’ He had a meeting the previous day, so he was tired and resting. He woke up once and then slept again in the afternoon. My mother asked me to check on him because he wasn’t getting up. When I went to him, he was cold.”

He said the family immediately called a doctor, who informed them that Amjad Khan had suffered a massive heart attack.

“The doctor said a particular injection was required. I got it, but I was told I was a few seconds late.”

The loss shattered him emotionally.

“When the doctor told me I was late with the injection, I hit the doctor. I broke every piece of crockery in the house, smashed my fist into the wall, and even manhandled one of my father’s closest friends.”

Shadaab added that he was extremely angry and aggressive during that period and described it as one of the most difficult phases of his life.

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How Salim Khan quietly helped the family

Shadaab also revealed how Salim Khan stood firmly by the family after Amjad Khan’s death.

“After his death, I remember there was complete chaos at home. People were constantly coming and going, rituals were being performed, and my mother was in no condition to handle anything. I was only 18, and my siblings were very young,” he said.

“At that time, we needed many things for the rituals and customs. One thing I clearly remember is that the one person who was quietly paying for everything from his own pocket was Salim sahab. Whatever was required for the rituals, he paid for it silently, without telling anyone or drawing attention to himself. I saw that with my own eyes.”

‘The industry owed my father Rs 1.27 crore’

Shadaab also spoke about the financial difficulties the family discovered after Amjad Khan’s passing. According to him, several producers still owed the actor money for films he had worked on.

He explained that in those days, actors received what were known as “lab letters” — written assurances from producers mentioning the payment that was due to them for completed films.

“The industry owed my father Rs 1.27 crore,” he said. “We never got that money. And it was back in the day when it was a huge amount.”

Shadaab added that while a few filmmakers had openly told his father they were going through financial struggles and would pay later, many others who were financially stable still never cleared their dues after his death.