He was the father of TV and radio actor Khayyam Sarhadi and grandfather of actress Zhalay Sarhadi.[1] As a director, he was probably best known for his films Humlog (1951), Baiju Bawara (1952) and Footpath (1953).[2]
He was involved in writing the script as a consultant for the film Mother India (1957), considered one of the greatest Indian films of all time, but is rarely credited for his contribution.[3] Described as an"unaffiliated Marxist", his films were known for dealing with social issues of the period.[2] His film Footpath, for instance, dealt with issues of moral guilt in the 1950s India.[4]