'Fardeen has taken his dad's death badly'

May 1, 2009 Subhash K Jha

Mumbai, May 1 (IANS) A few days after Feroz Khan's death, the family seems to be outwardly calm but his two children - son Fardeen and daughter Laila - haven't come to terms with his death.

"It's a tough time for the family. The two children have taken his death very badly. Laila is inconsolable. But Fardeen is distraught. The family is worried for him. Fardeen keeps breaking down every half an hour. It's a heart-wrenching sight," a source close to the family told IANS.

Now the Khans, who include his brothers Sanjay, Akbar and Sameer, have arranged a massive prayer meeting for Feroz Khan at the Marriott in Mumbai May 3.

"They've chosen a hotel and not a place of worship because of the large crowds that are expected to gather to pay their last respects to Feroz Khan," said the source.

Feroz Khan passed away late Sunday at his farmhouse in Bangalore after a prolonged battle with cancer. He was 69. At his funeral Monday there were some surprises - his long-estranged wife Sundari showed up.

"Feroz and Sundari had not spoken to each other for 25 years. She not only stayed for the funeral, she also stayed the night for the wake where the entire Khan family and close friends spoke their heart out about the man they loved," said the source.

Sanjay Gupta, who was planning to do the "Qurbani" remake for Feroz Khan with Fardeen in one of the lead roles, is now planning a biography on the late actor.

"But I wouldn't like it to be a routine biography. I want to style it on the lines of Hunter Thompson's 'Gonzo'. I want to re-construct the great man's life through the people he knew through various stages in his life from childhood to adolescence to adulthood to his later years.

"There are two things one can never forget. The first time one has sex and the first time one meets Mr. Feroz Khan. He was awesome," said Gupta.

Gupta's homage to Feroz Khan is in his next film "Acid Factory" where Fardeen has been projected exactly like his father.

"We never intended it. But when we saw the rushes we were stunned by how much like his father Fardeen walks, talks and acts in 'Acid Factory'. It's uncanny."

Gupta wanted very badly to show "Acid Factory" to Feroz Khan.

"In fact, we were planning to fly the print to him. It never happened. We instead sent him the posters. They occupied a pride of place in his den in Bangalore."