A Gentle Villain

For a long and illustrious innings in cinema — spanning over five decades — actor Pran Kishan Sikand,popular known as Pran,had to reinvent himself multiple times. After an impressive start as a lead actor,he earned kudos for being Hindi cinema’s sleek villain in well-tailored suits and with a menacing look. After ruling as a baddie for decades in movies such as Madhumati (1958),Ram Aur

Shyam (1967),Milan (1967) and Brahmachari (1968),he effortlessly switched to character roles. With this,started yet another remarkable run — as the wealthy patriarch with a soft heart in Parichay (1972),a goon-turned-friend in Zanjeer (1973) or the father looking for his children in Don (1978). TALK lists some of his memorable screen appearances for which he not only experimented with his character,but also with his looks.