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WHEN Pran Mehta, an assistant engineer with the Municipal Corporation Jalandhar got the news that he had won the Hunt for Pran award, he could barely contain his excitement. The Pran family and the publishers of a biography on him, had invited people named Pran to take part in a unique competition. "I read about the competition in The Tribune’s Sunday magazine. On being urged by family members and friends, I thought of giving it a shot." And what a shot in the dark it turned out to be, for soon he found himself and his wife on a plane to Mumbai to meet the most famous Pran of all. "I used to often dream about meeting my illustrious namesake one day. But never in my wildest dreams I ever thought I would not only meet him but also be honoured for sharing his name," says Mehta, who still has not got over the excitement. "I was a bit nervous about going to Mumbai and meeting such giants as Pran sahib and Bachchan sahib. As my wife and I landed in Mumbai, Pranji’s daughter Pinky Bhalla and her husband came to receive us, and they put us at ease at once. Meeting Pran and his family was an experience that we shall never forget. In a short while we began to feel that we were members of the family. Even Bachchanji was extremely kind and approachable." When asked about living with the ‘infamous’ name, Mehta said, "I was named Pran because my grandfather and my father Shri Satpal Mehta were great fans of Pran sahib. I have never once had any problem with my name. If I introduce myself as Mr Mehta, it does not create much of an impact, but if I say I am Pran Mehta, people instantly take notice of me, hold my hand tight and don’t let it go for a while," he says. |
