The best-looking villain on the Indian Silver screen was Pran. He will always be remembered as a nicely dressed, ever-smiling, and gentle but cruel villain. His signature style of throwing smoke rings remains inimitable to date. His off-screen personality was truly depicted in the Bollywood movie Guddi wherein he played his real self.
On his 103rd birthday anniversary, let's recall Pran’s contribution to Indian Cinema.
History
Veteran actor Pran was born on 12th February 1920 as Pran Krishan Sikand in Ballimaran, Old Delhi. He belonged to a wealthy Punjabi family. His mother was Rameshwari, and his father was Kewal Krishan Sikand, a government civil contractor. Pran had three brothers and three sisters.
Since his father had a transferable job, Pran studied in various schools in different cities. He completed his matriculation from Hamid School in Rampur, Uttar Pradesh. Pran was a brilliant student and was especially very good in mathematics.
Acting Career
Bollywood legend Pran had a huge acting career in films spanning for six decades. His contribution to Indian Cinema was made in versatile roles, from playing the hero to the villain and supporting roles.
Before Bollywood, Pran worked in several Punjabi films. His first film ever was Yamla Jat in 1940. He got the role in this film after an accidental meeting with the film's director.
His Hindi debut film Ziddi in 1948 with Dev Anand set his career in the Bollywood industry. With the success of this movie, Pran had established himself as a premier villain of Indian Cinema. He then signed for more films where he played negative roles.
He became known for his appearance as a villain with kohl eyes and his own style of smoking a cigarette. By the 1950s and 1960s, Pran was chosen by directors to play a villain opposite big star casts such as Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand, and Raj Kapoor. Some of his notable work as a villain or a negative role includes films such as Devdas (1955), Jab Pyar Kisi Se Hota Hai, Chori Chori, and Jis Desh Men Ganga Behti Hai.
In Kashmir Ki Kali and Pooja Ke Phool, Pran played negative roles with some comic elements to his character.
Pran was also known for playing supporting roles in films and winning three Filmfare awards in this category. When he started playing character roles, he touched far greater heights in those roles. His remarkable roles are Michael in Majboor, Sherkhan in Zanjeer, Malang Chacha in Upkar, Rai Sahab in Parichay, and many more.
After suffering a heart attack in 1998, Pran decided to retire from films. But, Pran did make an exception by acting in Tere Mere Sapne and Mrityudata, at the request of Amitabh Bachchan, as these were his home production films.
Awards and Accolades
Listed below are some of the awards Pran has won for his work in films:
| Year | Film | Award | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | Jis Desh Men Ganga Behti Hai | Bengal Film Journalists' Association | Best Actor in a Supporting Role |
| 1966 | Shaheed | Bengal Film Journalists' Association | Best Actor in a Supporting Role |
| 1967 | Upkar | Filmfare | Best Supporting Actor |
| 1969 | Aansoo Ban Gaye Phool | Filmfare | Best Supporting Actor |
| 1972 | Be-Imaan | Filmfare | Best Supporting Actor |
| 1973 | Zanjeer | Bengal Film Journalists' Association | Best Actor in a Supporting Role |
•1984 –He was given the Bombay Film Award for "Extra Ordinary Special Award as Wizard of Acting."
•1987 – Conferred with the Outstanding Performance of the Decade by North Bombay Jaycees.
•1992 – Indian Motion Pictures Producers' Association honored him for outstanding contribution to Indian Film Industry.
•2001 – The third highest civilian honor in the country, Padma Bhushan, awarded by the government of India.
•2013 – India's biggest award for cinema artists, Dadasaheb Phalke Award for lifetime achievement.
•1975-76 and 1977-78 – Conferred with the Bombay Film Award for Most Versatile Actor
•2000 – Stardust awarded him the title of Villain of the Millennium for his notable negative roles in several movies.
This is the journey of a milestone villain of the Indian film industry. His name always appeared at the end of credits as – And Pran, thus highlighting his larger-than-life image. His biography is titled 'And Pran' due to this. Giftalove pays homage to this fine artist on his birthday.
