An actor’s legacy is defined by the kind of effect they have on the audience and famed actor Pran had a similar one. Known as one of the greatest villains in the history of Indian cinema, people used to refrain from naming their children Pran, due to his villainy on screen. Children would shudder in their parents’ lap when Pran came on screen. And that became Pran’s legacy because it defined the conviction with which he played his characters. In an interview before the movie UPkaar, Pran revealed that people would call out to him saying ‘Lafanga’ and ‘Badmaash’ when they saw him on the street.
Born as Pran Krishan Sikand on February 12, 1920, the actor used only his first name when he debuted in films. He did not limit himself to villainous roles though. He even played the leading man and in his later years, played many positive supporting roles, one of the most unique of which is Sher Khan in Zanjeer alongside Amitabh Bachchan.
Interestingly, Pran had no intention of being an actor and instead wanted to be a photographer. He used to work in a Delhi picture studio to pursue this passion. Pran reportedly had a tobacco addiction. A writer from the Punjabi film business named Mohammad Wali once saw him when he was blowing cigarette rings while standing at a paan shop in Shimla.
His style impressed Mohammad Wali and offered Pran his first film, a Punjabi movie named Yamla Jatt. After this, Pran started getting offers for many Punjabi and Hindi films. Pran got his first break in Hindi cinema in the year 1942 with the film ‘Khandan’. Noorjehan was the lead actress in this film.
After partition, Pran, his wife, and their infant son travelled from Lahore to Mumbai in 1947 after appearing in roughly 20–22 Hindi and Punjabi films. He and his family reportedly resided in the Taj Hotel, but due to a financial hardship brought on by a lack of work, they moved to a lesser hotel. He also spent around eight months working in a hotel on Marine Drive when money was scarce. Afterwards, he was signed for the Dev Anand-starring movie Ziddi. The actor did not look back after this.
Pran’s name used to appear in the opening credits of the film in the last with the words ‘And Pran’ or ‘And above all Pran’. Hence when a biography of the actor was written by film journalist Bunny Rueben in 2000, it was aptly named ‘ And Pran’.Pran was one of the highest-paid actors of his time, with only Rajesh Khanna and Shashi Kapoor receiving more than him.
Pran passed away on July 12, 2013, from age-related illness at the age of 93.
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