Pran, the dynamic actor known for his iconic villain roles, left an indelible mark on Indian cinema with his versatile performances and lasting legacy.
Pran, known for his unforgettable villain roles, revolutionized Hindi cinema with his dynamic acting skills, leaving behind a legacy that continues to inspire.
The title itself portrays the higher order of contentment for one’s own life. It gives a positive message to the world. The person happens to be the most loved villain of Hindi film industry Pran. Pran was the possessor of dynamic acting skills.
Born on 12 Feb 1920 in an affluent family his real name was Pran Krishan Sikand Ahluwalia. He became famous wearing his mononym Pran.
His father’s civil contractor profession made his family go places and thus he completed studies at various schools. He was a meritorious student with academic proficiency in mathematics.
After matriculation( which had large value those days) he began his internship for still photography.
Though destiny had other plans for he was spotted by a writer called Wali Mohammed Wali in a betel shop chewing betel leaf with a different kind of attitude.
Hugely impressed, he gave him a break in a Punjabi film Yamla Jat (1940). In 1942, he got his first Hindi film Khandan. From 1942 -1946 he acted in twenty-two films.
From 1944-1947 his films were made in undivided India and he stayed in Lahore. During the independence time Sikh genocide made him leave Lahore and he shifted to Bombay. This period brought a brief break in his career. He worked in a hotel for a living.
In 1948 he again got a chance to act. He began his career as a romantic hero but he hated running around trees with the female leads.
This time he showcased his talent as a villain. The films of that era had clear demarcations of good and evil characters.
He portrayed the negative roles with such an elan that it gave him a peculiar notoriety.
The common people began to abstain from naming their male child Pran. In real life he was considered to be a gem of a person.
The example is the film Guddi where his real personality was brought in front of the audience by the acclaimed director Hrishikesh Mukherjee. He was fondly called Pran Sahab.
By 1950 he had earned his name and fame as a villain. His dialogue delivery and the one-liners like Barkhurdaar became a rage. His on-screen timing with one of the most talented vamps Kuldip Kaur impressed every cinema-lover.
He kept changing his acting style. In the late 1960s he became the highest paid character actor which continued till 1982.
His trademark smoke-rings were regarded as a cult phenomenon. He performed negative roles against the top heroes of the 1950s and 1960s. In the 1970s in spite of being in the threshold of middle-age, he kept doing young-age character roles.
He experimented with his roles by affixing comical angles to his roles in films like Pooja Ke Phool and Kashmir Ki Kali. Even after the famous lead actors like Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor, Rajendra Kumar, Raj Kapoor halted their acting careers, Pran continued his stench in acting.
He had begun to mold his villain roles to character actor roles. His role in 1960s film Upkaar was both sympathetic and unforgettable. It brought him his first Filmfare Award.
From 1967 he began to act in Bengali films too. It was Pran who suggested Amitabh Bachchan’s name to the director Prakash Mehra for Zanjeer. The rest as they say is history.
He received several awards in his lifetime including the third highest civilian honor Padma Bhushan in 2001. In April 2013 before his demise in 12th July 2013 he was conferred DadaSaheb Phalke Award.
He was awarded by several organizations for his contribution to Indian cinema. He was a family man who got married in 1945. He left behind two sons and a daughter and their individual families.
In 2000, Bunny Rouben, a film journalist, dedicated a biography called “… and Pran”.
He had such a stature in the Hindi film industry, after the casting of all the actors of a respective film got completed, his name flashed on the screen sometimes as “… and Pran ” and other times as “… above all, Pran”.
The book name was just an extension of the reel world to the book world.
His handprint is still in Bandra at a waterfront promenade, which he gave for “Legend Walk ” in 2012.
He has left behind himself the legacy of his films. For his fans he is “…and forever Pran ”.
