indian cinema heritage foundation

M H Douglas

Action Director
  • Real Name: Muhammad Hussain Khan
  • Born: 2 October 1910 (Hyderabad)
  • Died: Heera Sawant (Bombay)
  • Primary Cinema: Hindi
  • First film: Sher-E-Bengal (1947)
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M H Douglas was an actor and action director in Hindi cinema for several decades. He was born as Muhammad Hussain Khan on 2 October 1910 in Hyderabad in a respected family. His grandfather Nawab Kale Khan was an aristocrat from the Princely state of Hyderabad. When he was quite young, his father moved to Bombay. From a young age, Douglas was interested in an array of combative arts such as fencing, swordsmanship, martial arts and even aerobics. These skills aided him in composing fight scenes in films later on in his professional life.

He adopted the pseudonym Douglas when he joined the film industry. It is believed that he made his debut as an actor in Sher-e-Bengal (1947), starring alongside Rajkumari, and Dalpat. Some other noteworthy films where he acted in are Diler Detective (1948), Qismet (1956) and Daughter of Sindbad (1958). 

However, he was more prominently known for choreographing intrinsic and detailed fight scenes in Hindi films. His first film as an action director was in Mehboob Khan’s Aan (1952) where he composed the fencing fight. After that, he was credited as the stunt coordinator or action director in several films such as Bara Dari (1955), Kohinoor (1960), Teen Ustad (1961), Samson (1964), Ek Sapera Ek Lutera (1964), Badshah (1964), Ayee Milan Ki Bela (1964), and Phool Aur Patthar (1966). In this time, he directed stars such as Dharmendra, Manoj Kumar, Rajendra Kumar, Dara Singh, Feroz Khan, and Dilip Kumar in their masterful action-packed scenes. In 1961, he codirected Aflatoon with Basu, starring Krishna Kumari and Heera Sawant

M H Douglas is also a founding member of the Fight and Cine Artist Association. On 30 March, 1964 he passed away after suffering from a cardiac arrest. 

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