Meet Ajay Devgn's co-star, a villain, who quit acting to become maulana, he looks unrecognisable now
Fame, fortune, and the glamour of Bollywood once surrounded Arif Khan—an actor who made his big-screen debut alongside Ajay Devgn in the 1991 superhit Phool Aur Kaante . He played 'Rocky', a memorable antagonist in a film that launched Devgn's stardom and became one of the year's biggest box office successes.
But while many in the industry chased the arc lights, Arif chose a very different direction. What made him quit acting?
Arif Khan stepped away from the entertainment world after appearing in 14–15 films and several TV serials. In a video shared on Instagram, he opened up and said, 'You must have seen my 1991 film Phool Aur Kaante . It was mine and Ajay Devgn's first film. I was 23 then, full of youth. I worked in many films, earned respect, money, and fame. But later, Allah showed me the path of guidance. My life changed. There was a transformation, and here I am today.'
This wasn't a burnout—it was a calling. For Arif, the glitz of stardom was no match for the clarity of purpose he found in faith. Where is Arif Khan now?
For those of you who don't know, Arif now lives in Bengaluru, far from the Mumbai film sets he once frequented. He is quite active on social media, as he keeps sharing motivational posts and videos on Instagram. His bio also reveals he's the founder of Pani Kam Chai , a brand or initiative that remains symbolic of his grounded persona. Take a look at his Instagram post View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Arif Khan (@arifkhanofficial_)
Apart from that, he runs a travel and tourism company, indicating that his entrepreneurial spirit remains active while he left showbiz. Arif's career was a brief but memorable one!
Though the actor's film career was quite short, he left a mark with the roles he portrayed, especially his villainous turn in Phool Aur Kaante , which grossed over Rs 11.5 crore worldwide on a modest budget of Rs 2.5 crore. Co-starring Madhoo and Amrish Puri, the movie remains iconic, and so does Arif's unexpected detour from stardom to spirituality.
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