The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar True Story: Who was 'real-life' Imdad Khan played by Ben Kingsley?

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar is not a true story, however, the character of Imdad Khan played by Ben Kingsley is inspired by real-life Pakistani magician Kuda Bux

Updated
The-Wonderful-Story-of-Henry-Sugar The-Wonderful-Story-of-Henry-Sugar-True-Story The-Wonderful-Story-of-Henry-Sugar-real-Story

The much-awaited The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar was released on Netflix on September 28, 2023. Ever since its release, The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar has come into the trending section of Netflix around the world including in India. Directed by Wes Anderson, The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar is a one-of-a-kind short film with a run-time of 39 minutes available on streaming the streaming giant. Courtesy of its unique concept and stellar starcast, The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar is buzzing among fans on social media. Talking about starcast, The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar features Ralph Fiennes as Roald Dahl / Police Officer, Ben Kingsley As Imdad Khan / Croupier, Dev Patel As Dr. Z.Z. Chatterjee / John Winston, and last but not least Benedict Cumberbatch. Although the movie is totally fictional, there is a slight reality in The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar. Since you have landed on this page, True Scoop News assumes that you have questions regarding The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar True Story or The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar's 'real-life' Imdad Khan played by Hollywood actor Ben Kingsley.

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar True Story

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar is not a true story, however, the character of Imdad Khan played by Ben Kingsley is inspired by real-life Pakistani magician Kuda Bux. Kuda Bux or Khudah Bukhsh was also known as 'Man with the X-ray eyes'. Talking about the movie, The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar is an adaptation of a 1977 short story written by Roald Dahl. The story of the Netflix film revolves around a rich man known as Henry Sugar (played by Benedict Cumberbatch) who finds a mysterious journal and learns about a guru who can see without using his eyes. The mysterious guru's name is Imdad Khan who is played by Ben Kingsley. Now, for those wondering about 'real-life' Imdad Khan, below is everything you need to know about him-

Who is real-life Imdad Khan i.e. Kuda Bux?

As per the information available, Kuda Bux was born as Khudah Bukhsh in 1905 in Kashmir. He became famous for being able to see without using his eyes, a skill he mastered for years under the tutelage of a yogi. One of Kuda Bux's famous tricks was one in which he would cover his eyes with soft dough, blindfold himself, swath his entire head in strips of cloth, and yet still be able to see. He was also a fire-walker. Ironically, in his later life, he lost his eyesight to glaucoma.

talking about Kuda Bux'a tricks, when everybody was sure he couldn't see a thing, he proceeded to prove his powers by reading words written on a blackboard or duplicating drawings. He also ventured into more dangerous acts, like walking along a ledge or firing a gun at a target chosen by a member of the audience.

Due to his tricks, Kuda Bux used to promote himself as "The Man With X-Ray Eyes". Notably, before turning into a mystic or magician, Kuda was billed as Professor K. B. Duke. It is pertinent to mention here that Kuda Bux was as Indian before the partition. In his later life, Kuda Bux used to spend his evenings in Hollywood, playing cards nightly at the Magic Castle with Dai Vernon. Kudae died of a heart attack in Hollywood on Feb 5th, 1981, just a few days short of his 76th birthday and just a few days after performing at the Magic Castle.

What did fans say on The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar real story

A user wrote, "The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar is out on Netflix today. This story was inspired by the real life Pakistani mystic Kuda Bux, who claimed to be able to see without his eyes."

Another user wrote, "Kuda Bux (Khuda Baksh) “The Man with the X-Ray Eyes”

Also Read: The Vaccine War True Story: Who is 'real-life' journalist Rohini Singh Dhulia played by Raima Sen?

One more user wrote, "Kuda Bux is a Pakistani magician which this novel and film is based on. Personally I think Wes Anderson style I enjoy the most is through his love of Roald Dahl novels. Or perhaps I love Roald Dahl and enjoy Wes Anderson adapting it? Truly delightful cannot wait for the rest!"

Trending