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Pran, Bollywood’s beloved bad man, dies at 93 in Mumbai
"He died after a spell of prolonged illness," said his daughter Pinky. He was admitted to the hospital a month ago after his health started deteriorating, she said. The funeral will be held tomorrow noon at Shivaji Park in Dadar. The actor, who had a six-decade-long career that saw him performing in over 400 films, was conferred the country's highest cinema honour — Dada Saheb Phalke award — in April. Pran left his imprint as a villain with powerful roles in films like ‘Kashmir ki Kali’, ‘Khandaan’, ‘Aurat’, ‘Bari Behen’, ‘Jis Desh Men Ganga Behti Hai’, ‘Half Ticket’, ‘Upkar’, ‘Purab Aur Paschim’, ‘Don’ 'Karz' and 'Naseeb'. Born on February 12 in 1920 in old Delhi, Pran Krishan Sikand was educated at places like Kapurthala, Unnao, Meerut, Dehradun and Rampur as his father Lala Kewal Krishnan Sikand was in government service. Initially, Pran wanted to become a photographer but destiny had different plans for him. A chance meeting with a film producer got him his first break in Punjabi film 'Yamla Jat' in 1940. There was no looking back for the actor after that as he went on to star in films like 'Chaudhary' (1941), 'Khandan' (1942), 'Kaise Kahun' (1945) and 'Badnami (1946). After the Partition, Pran came to Mumbai with his wife Shukla and sons Arvind and Sunil but found it difficult to get work as an actor in the city of dreams. Pran had almost given hope when writer Saadat Hasan Manto helped him get a role in Dev Anand starrer 'Ziddi' in 1948 which revived his career. He will be forever remembered for bringing villains on par with the heroes, ruling the industry from 1969 to 1982. He commanded equal money and respect for his negative characters in 'Madhumati', 'Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai', 'Ram Aur Shyam' and 'Devdas'. The actor's baritone and good looks helped him bring charm to his villainy which was very unique to Pran. Such was the magic of his onscreen roles that parents stopped naming their children 'Pran' at the height of his fame. 6 decades, 400 films
— PTI
Mumbai, July 12 The veteran actor died at a hospital here this evening at the age of 93. Such was the magic of his onscreen villainy that people stopped naming their children 'Pran' at the height of his fame. Ironically, while he was feared as a villain on screen, he was a gentleman in real life. Pran Kishan Sikand was born on February 12, 1920, to a civil engineer in Delhi. He wanted to be a photographer but a chance meeting with writer Wali Mohammad Wali, who was writing Punjabi film ‘Yamala Jat’, brought him to the world of cinema. After Partition, he started trying his luck in Mumbai without much success. With the help of Saadat Hasan Manto and actor Shyam, Pran landed a role in Dev Anand-Kamini Kaushal starrer ‘Ziddi’. With the success of the film, Pran never looked back, playing negative roles in ‘Madhumati’, ‘Ram Aur Shyam’, 'Munimji' and 'Kashmir Ki Kali'. With a string of powerful performances, Pran had at one stage commanded almost the same prize and sometimes more than onscreen hero and his name would appear alongside the name of the lead actor. Recalling the magic of Pran, Amitabh Bachchan in a foreword to Pran’s biography ‘And Pran’, wrote, "Onscreen villainy is a thankless job which Pran Saab accepted and carried out with such a degree of perfection that he became the actor the entire nation loved to hate. "That indeed was the measure of his extraordinary success. Parents did not want their children to meet him. “Occasionally, he would even be feared and dreaded at public gatherings. Evidently, he came to terms with that, bemused with the power of cinema to influence the audience in a way that sketches only a thin line between the real and the reel." Pran will be forever remembered for bringing villains on par with the heroes, ruling the industry from 1969 to 1982. He commanded equal money and respect for his negative characters in 'Madhumati', 'Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai', 'Ram Aur Shyam' and 'Devdas'. The actor's baritone and good looks helped him bring charm to his villainy which was very unique to Pran. His chameleon-like ability helped Pran transform himself from one of the most hated onscreen villains to one of the most beloved character actors — be it the 'Mangal chacha' in 'Upkar', Sher Khan opposite Amitabh Bachchan in 'Zanjeer' or the discipline-loving but soft-hearted grandfather in Gulzar's
'Parichay'. Sterling achievements The legendary actor won the Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award in 1967, 1969 and 1972. He was awarded the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997. Honoured with the 'Villain of the Millennium' by Stardust in 2000. The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Bhushan in 2001 and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2013 for his contributions towards Indian cinema. In 2010, he was named on the list of CNN's Top 25 Asian actors of all time. Bollywood tweets "Final curtain call for one of the most-loved actors of Indian cinema...an actor and a gentleman," — anupam kher, actor "Can't get over the iconic Pransaab's demise, Malang chacha of ‘Upkar’, Sher Khan of ‘Zanjeer’. Simply unforgettable memories...part of life now.” — madhur bhandarkar, filmmaker “Extremely saddened by the demise of the legendary Pransaab, who revolutionised villainy on Indian celluloid. Sher Khan, you will live forever...RIP Pran Saab,” — riteish deshmukh, actor "RIP Pran Saheb! Did not know him personally but heard he was a perfect gentleman with a heart of gold! May your soul rest in peace," — priety zinta, actress "Farewell Pran sahib, Godfather of Indian villains, your legendary characters illuminated the annals of Indian cinema. Deepest respects." — kabir bedi, actor — PTI
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Mumbai, July 12
He played the hero in the film opposite Noorjehan. The film became a hit and the pair starred together in their first Hindi film 'Khandaan'.