The first anti-hero

Anti-hero

In fiction, an antihero is generally considered to be a protagonist whose character is at least in some regards conspicuously contrary to that of the archetypal hero, and is in some instances its antithesis in which the character is generally useless at being a hero or heroine when they're...

 of Hindi cinema

Bollywood

Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...

 was Sheikh Mukhtar. He was a Muslim

Muslim

A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...

, but he was the first actor to portray an atheist on-screen. A tall and manly figure, Sheikh Mukhtar played a variety of roles like "dada (Contemporary Bhai)." He produced Noor Jehan in which he played Sher Afghan Quli Khan

Sher Afghan Quli Khan

Ali Quli Istajlu, 'Sher Afgan Khan, also mentioned as Ali Quli Khan Istaju 'Sher Afgan Khan was a Mughal courtier, earlier serving in Persia, who became the jagirdar of Burdwan in West Bengal...

, the first husband of Queen Nur Jahan. Later he migrated to Pakistan and died. Some of his movies are Ustaadoon Ke Ustaad, Hum Sab Ustaad Hain, Halaku, Chenghis Khan, Birju Ustaad, and Noor Jehan.