Kamaal Khan
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Who is Kamaal Khan?
Kamaal Khan is a Hindi-Urdu pop singer and a citizen of the UK. Till April 2015 he was best known for his melodious superhit song O O Jaane Janaa.
However, since May 2015 the spotlight has been on him because he was a prime witness in the Salman Khan: hit-and-run case, 2002.
Famous statement regarding the 2002 accident
For the full text (in English) of Kamaal Khan’s famous statement of 2002, please go to Salman Khan: hit-and-run case, 2002.
His statement, three of four days after the incident in 2002, was recorded in Marathi in which he revealed that it was Salman Khan who was driving on the fateful night.
London or Zurich?
At the time of the May 2015 verdict against Salman, Kamaal Khan was said to have been living in London (The Times of India)
Indian Express wrote the next day: He currently resides in Zurich, Switzerland. (Express was probably citing Wikipedia, which, in turn, claimed to cite 'The Times of India rich list 2009.')
Net worth: Rs.145 crore?
However, the link, The Richest, leads not to any Times of India site but to the ‘Richest People In India 2012 – Top 10 List.’ Kamaal Khan is not mentioned on that page: not as one of the Top 10 or even as among the Top 1,000 Indians. Therefore, his ‘estimated net worth of $23 million’ [Rs144.9 crore] will need further citation before it is accepted. The said link does not verify his residence in Zurich either.
While $23 million [Rs144.9 crore] is a huge amount of money for a Hindi-Urdu pop singer/ musician with one mega-hit song, three solo albums, one flop film (in which he had a supporting role) and about 25 film songs (including remixes), it will not earn him a place in Rich List: India, the last person on which list (Mr.89 on Hurun and Mr. 100 on Forbes) is worth $ 1 billion.
(284 Indians are worth $100 million or more. 175,000 Indian households are dollar millionaires. So, if Kamaal Khan is indeed worth $23 million, he would probably be among India’s 50,000 wealthiest. No rich list has space for that many names. Hence the credibility of this link is in doubt.)
Continued to sing for Salman
Kamaal Khan's statement to the Mumbai police did not sour things between Salman Khan and him. Kamaal continued to sing for his patron, superstar Salman Khan, not only after the statement of 2002 but also after 2007, when Kamaal is said to have 'disappeared' from Mumbai and India, as will be seen from the Discography below.
Kamaal seems to have sung for only four films in which Salman did not star.
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Personal details
Born 12 March, 1969 in Highgate, North London (Wikipedia says he was born in 1972; however, in his 2002 statement to the Mumbai police he said he was 33, meaning he was born in 1969)
Full name: Kamaal Khan Mohammed Abdul Khan
Height 5' 10½" (1.79 m)
Relationships
i) Kamaal Khan may have kept a low-profile, but when the singer was pursuing his career in Bollywood, he also made headlines for his love life. Kamaal was apparently dating Malaika Arora Khan's younger sister Amrita Arora who is now married to Shakeel Ladak. The singer and the actress were apparently quite open about their relationship then. According to reports, they were frequently spotted together at parties. (The Times of India)
ii) (At the time of disappearing from Mumbai/ Inda) Kamaal was engaged to actress Shilpi Sharma imdb, who played FBI Agent Satinder "Suzanne" Kaur in Jo Bole So Nihaal [1]
Bollywood Hungama wrote on September 15, 2006, “Remember Kamaal Khan the singer turned actor who made his acting debut as the main antagonist in Rahul Rawail's Jo Bole So Nihaal? Remember the leading lady in the film Shilpi Sharma [aka Shilpi Mudgal] who also starred in the same film Well, tough one was a cop and one a terrorist in the film their off screen chemistry seemed to have hit off big time considering that they are getting married. Yes, that is true! The two plan to tie the knot in a few months time and both of them are quite elated. Wishing this soon to be husband and wife all the best for the future!”
Meena Iyer of Filmfare/ TOI adds that Kamaal 'allegedly lived in with an actress (who was also a part of his debut film) at Duplex Heights in Lokhandwala.'
Lesser known facts
Kamaal Khan: Lesser known facts about the singer
The Salman Khan: hit-and-run case, 2002 was full of twists and turns.
In an interesting turn of events, Salman's close friend and singer Kamaal Khan has become the talking point of the case. The singer-turned-actor is the same person who was present in Toyota Land Cruiser that night with Salman Khan back in 2002, when the accident happened. Salman's lawyer Amit Desai and Abha Singh raised a question on Kamaal Khan's whereabouts. His absence has been termed as the major loophole in the case, from the prosecution's side.
In 1995, Kamaal wrote and produced his debut single ‘O O Jaane Jaana’ in London. The song released in 1996 and became a hit in UK, achieving platinum status.
Salman Khan and singer Kamaal Khan's friendship goes way back in 1998 when Salman gave the latter a break in his film Pyaar Kiya Toh Darna Kya starring Kajol and himself. Kamaal sang one of the most popular songs of the film album O O Jaane Jaana.
The song was released worldwide in 1998 and simultaneously featured in the Bollywood blockbuster Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya,. The soundtrack went on to sell over 10 million copies and the huge success of the movie has widely been attributed by film pundits to the popularity of Kamaal's Filmistan-debut song.
In the 2002 case, Kamaal Khan is said have to fled the spot with Salman Khan after the accident took place. Ever since then, the singer has apparently been missing. According to reports, Kamaal is said to be in England, and advocate Abha Singh has been demanding to either bring him back or do an audio or video conference.
After the success of his debut song from Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya, there was no looking back for Kamaal Khan. According to reports, thanks to the success of his debut song, Kamaal was immediately signed by record label HMV in December 1997. He then went ahead to sing few more songs for Salman Khan for movies like Hello Brother, Tere Naam, Maine Pyar Kyun Kiya, and Wanted. He didn't limit himself to singing, and also tried his hands at acting. He worked as the main antagonist in 2005 Sunny Deol-starrer Jo Bole So Nihaal. However, he couldn't impress the audience and critics with his acting talent. The film bombed at the box-office.
Musical career in India
Indian Express wrote: In 1999, Kamaal Khan was honoured with the ‘R.D.Burman’ Filmfare Award for the ‘Most Promising Upcoming Talent’, becoming the first UK born winner of a Filmfare Award.[True, but Pakistani citizens, including the UK-based Nazia Hassan, have won the award.] He has also won and been nominated for MTV, Filmfare, ZEE and Channel [V] awards for both singing and acting.
Kamaal Khan later went on to successfully release solo albums – ‘O Oh Jaane Jana’, ‘Suno To Deewana Dil’ and ‘Kal Raat’. He then, shot a music video with director Shivraj Santhakumar for ‘Kal Raat’ in Rome, which landed him his debut acting role in director Rahul Rawail’s ‘Jo Bole So Nihaal’. The singer has also collaborated with ace music composer and Oscar winner A.R. Rahman.
His other onscreen appearance includes NDTV’s Imagine’s reality show, ‘Dhoom Macha De’, where he appeared as a contestant.
Friendship with Salman Khan
Deepened after 1999
Digital Bollywood wrote in October, 1999 2itb.com “Guess whose shoulder Salman Khan is leaning on now that [former beau Aishwarya Rai is all but a closed chapter in his life? Nope, it ain't no pretty young thing, in fact it is singer Kamaal Khan, his buddy since Oo Jaane Jana...(from Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya) days. Apparently Sallu recently asked Kamaal to move in bag and baggage in his house when he discovered that the singer was desperately hunting for a house. What's more, the crooner's magic seems to be working for his actor-friend in real-life too. According to sources, ever since Kamaal shifted to the Khan's bungalow, Sallu's eyes are twinkling once again! Family sources claim that Salman, who was earlier going through a desperate phase of loneliness, is back to being his jolly old self. Hmm... perhaps it's Kamaal's soothing lullabys that seem to have lifted the spirits of the lost-in-love Sallu.”
Salman’s cousin?
Several publications, including the highly respected The Guardian of UK, have fleetingy mentioned that Constable Patil’s statement described Kamaal as Salman’s cousin.
In a 2003 report, attributed to Somashukla Sinha Walunjkar [Hindustan Times, Mar 2003] and archived in 2006 by TFM Page he was described as ‘Pop singer and brother of Bollywood star Salman Khan’
Despite a common surname, and enormous patronage by Salman, they are not related.
In his 2002 statement to the Mumbai police Kamaal had said, 'I want to state that actor Salman Khan is known to me since 1998. He is a resident of Galaxy Apartments, BJ Road, Bandra (West). I also personally know Salman's father Salim and his other family members.'
Had they been related they would have known each other from their childhoods and not merely from the year when they first worked together. Also, had they been related this would have been mentioned in the statement to the police.
2007: Decamps from Mumbai
Kamaal ka Khan who vanished into the blue
Meena Iyer, The Times of India
The Times of India/ Filmfare’s Meena Iyer met the then twentysomething UK-based pop singer, writer, composer Kamaal Khan when he arrived in India in the 1990s. He had already tasted fame back home in London because of his vocals. One of his songs Oh Oh Jaane Janaa made Kamaal become a part of Salman's khandaan. For a while, he dated Amrita Arora (sister of Malaika Arora Khan). Looking to make an acting foray in Bollywood, opportunity knocked when he bagged the role of the main villain in N R Pachisia's Jo Bole So Nihaal. The film was a dud and its fate put paid to Kamaal's acting career.
An insider recalled that though he was reportedly in the car with Salman on that fateful night, Kamaal managed to keep a very low profile on that particular count. “He barely spoke about the incident,“ said Iyer’s informant.
Though he made frequent trips to London and back, he never showed any signs of stress.
Like other actors, Kamaal also secured a work permit for the foreign shoot, and allegedly lived in with an actress (who was also a part of his debut film) at Duplex Heights in Lokhandwala. Though he made frequent trips to London and back, he never showed any signs of stress.
Kamaal, the recipient of the 1999 R D Burman Award for fresh music talent, never showed talent, writes Iyer.
One unit hand told Iyer, “Sometime around 2007 , Kamaal hurriedly got in touch with a realty broker; sold off his suburban flat, took all his belongings and never came back. It is assumed that he has an address in the UK or Switzerland because he was born there. In fact, Kamaal left India on such a secret note that he didn't even inform his live-in girlfriend or her mother. They found out from the broker that the flat had been sold! Over night they found themselves without a roof...and without a benefactor.
[Iyer quipped:] Kamaal hai na?
Filmography
As an actor
2005 Jo Bole So Nihaal
Discography
Solo albums
1996: O Oh Jane Jana (his debut album, recorded in London; achieved platinum status)
2000: Suno To Deewana
2003: Kal Raat (HMV-Sa Re Ga Ma/ music: Kamaal Khan; lyrics: Raju Singh; recorded in New York and London; the music video, his first, was shot in Rome, shot in and around the Colosseum, with Italian models)
His film songs (list)
(Sources include gaana.com and [http://www.gomolo.com/kamaal-khan-songs-list/6676 GoMoLo.com)
1998 Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya: Music Jatin-Lalit (starring Salman Khan)/ O O Jaane Jaana
1999 Hello Brother: Music Sajid- Wajid (starring Salman Khan)/ Hello Brother (Remix) (with Jaspinder Narula, Sonu Nigam)
1999 Jaanam Samjha Karo: Music Anu Malik (starring Salman Khan)/ I Was Made For Loving You (with Anu Malik, Ila Arun)
2000 Kahin Pyaar Na Ho Jaaye: Music Himesh Reshamiyya (starring Salman Khan)
i) Aa Meri Life Bana De (with Sunita Rao)
ii) Sanvariya Re O Sanvariya (with Alka Yagnik)
iii) O Priya O Priya (with Kumar Sanu, Alka Yagnik, Nitin Mukesh)
2001 Moksha: Music Salim-Sulaiman/ Humko Pyaar Hai (with Sneha Pant)
2002 Koi Mere Dil Se Poochhe: Music Rajesh Roshan/ Lapak Jhapak
2002 Tumko Na Bhool Paayenge: Music Sajid-Wajid (two songs) (starring Salman Khan)/
i) Kyon Khanke Teri Choodi - Club Mix (with Alka Yagnik)
ii) Kyon Khanke Teri Choodi (with Alka Yagnik)
2002 Na Tum Jaano Na Hum: Music Rajesh Roshan (two songs) (starring Hrithik Roshan, Saif Ali Khan)
i) Jaa Sanam (with Sneha Pant)
ii) Tumse Mujhe
2003 Tere Naam: Music Himesh Reshamiyya (starring Salman Khan)/ O Jaanaa O Jaanaa (with K. K., Shaan, Udit Narayan)
2004: Dil Ne Jise Apna Kahaa: Music A. R. Rahman (two songs) (starring Salman Khan)
i) Dil Ne Jise Apna Kahaa (with Sujata Trivedi)
ii) Jaané Bahara (with Sadhana Sargam)
2005 Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya: Music Himesh Reshamiyya (two songs, each with a remix) (starring Salman Khan)
i) Laga Laga Laga Re - Remix (with Alka Yagnik)
ii) Laga Laga Laga Re (with Alka Yagnik)
iii) Yeh Ladki - Remix (with Sunidhi Chauhan)
iv) Yeh Ladki (with Sunidhi Chauhan)
2005 Jo Bole So Nihaal: Music Anand Raj Anand/
i) Rab Jane (with Alka Yagnik)
ii) Rab Jane 2 (with Sukhwinder Singh, Alka Yagnik)
2009 Wanted: Music Sajid- Wajid (starring Salman Khan) /
i) Ishq Vishq (with Sunidhi Chauhan, Suzanne D'Mello)
ii) Ishq Vishq - Remix (with Sunidhi Chauhan)
Some of his famous songs
Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya O O Jaane Jaana (Salman Khan starrer)
Disco Nights Suno To Diwana Dil
Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya Laga Prem Rog, with Alka Yagnik (Salman Khan starrer)
Tere Naam O Jaana, with Udit Narayan, Kamaal Khan, K.K., Alka Yagnik (Salman Khan starrer)
Suno To Diwana Dil Dil Hai Diwana
Dabangg--Salman Khan O O Jaane Jaana
Wanted Ishq Vishq, with Sunidhi Chauhan, Suzanne D'mello, Kamaal Khan (Salman Khan starrer)
Loveria Compilation O Oh Jaane Jana Club Mix Album O Oh Jaane Jana 98
Na Tum Jaano Na Hum Tum
Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya Laga Prem Rog - remix, with Alka Yagnik (Salman Khan starrer)
