Yakub

Comedian and villain of the silent and talkie years (1903-1958)

Yakub Khan was born in Jabalpur in 1903 and worked from 1924 until his death in 1958 - thirteen silent films and something between a hundred and a hundred and thirty-seven talkies, depending whose count you take. He started at the Sharda Film Company, the house Nanubhai Desai co-founded, and his first talking picture was Meri Jaan (1931), in which he played the Prince. He was that rare thing, a comedian who was also a convincing villain, and Briju in this film is usually named as his best work. He produced and directed Aaiye in 1949.