‘Baddie’ Pran leaves behind fond memories

We don’t make the likes of Pran anymore: Amitabh Bachchan

Born Pran Kishan Sikand on February 12,1920,into a Punjabi family in Delhi,he grew up wanting to become a photographer until he moved to Lahore at the age of 17 following a chance meeting with screenwriter Wali Mohammed Wali who convinced him to become an actor.

Pran made his debut in Yamla Jat in 1940 opposite Durga Khote.

The actor,who went on to become famous for his villainous roles,played the leading man in several films during the early part of his career. It was in Bombay,where he moved during partition,where Pran would established himself as a baddie.

The opportunity came when noted author and his friend Saadat Hassan Manto recommended him for Shaheed Latif’s Ziddi.

The film,released in 1948,was a superhit and Pran went on to enjoy an unparalleled run as Hindi cinema’s most dreaded villain for the next two decades.

“It was his eyes,that intense gaze and menacing look was so impactful that people stopped naming their children Pran. No other actor has had such an influence over such a large population,” said actor Shatrughan Sinha.

But his eyes alone did not make him one of the most popular actors of Hindi cinema. A committed professional,Pran was known as much for his style as for his dialogue delivery.

“Never mind the film was big or small,he would take pains to understand the character and introduce his own nuances to it. He would even bring in his personal hair and make-up staff to work on the look for each character,” recounts veteran screenwriter Salim Khan,who co-wrote Zanjeer where Pran played the memorable Sher Khan. “This is the reason Pran-sahab looked different in every film.”

During the 1950s and ‘60s,Pran’s career was at its peak. He would often get paid more than the heroes of that time. His performances in films such as Azaad (1955),Madhumati (1958) and Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai (1960) were especially acclaimed.

Yet,by the late 1960s,Pran’s career was on a decline due to the arrival of younger villains such as Prem Chopra. It was Manoj Kumar’s directorial project Upkar (1967),that revived his career,this time as a character actor.

“All my well-wishers were opposed to the idea of casting him in a positive role. Kalyanji-Anandji didn’t want the song Kasme Vaade Pyaar wafa picturised on him,” Kumar had told The Indian Express in an earlier interview.

Upkar was a blockbuster and Pran was back in demand soon,this time as a character actor and went on to do memorable roles such as Rana in Victoria No 203 and Jasjit in Don,among others. He continued to act until the late 1990s when his health started to fail and had since maintained a low profile.

In fact,the actor could not travel to Delhi to receive the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award this May and instead received the honour at his residence.

People who knew Pran well remember him most as a gentleman with an impeccable hold over Urdu. “He was hospitable and warm and helped other,younger actors on the sets,” recounts actor Danny Denzongpa. “He had a large repertoire of Urdu poetry and quoted from it often,” Amitabh Bachchan had told The Indian Express recently.

News of his death sent Bollywood into mourning with several prominent members of the industry tweeting their memories of the veteran actor. “Truly the end of a magnificent and glorious era. He was a gentleman superstar,” Karan Johar tweeted.