Pran saheb was a ‘villain’ with a heart of gold
The steely voice, dripping menace, that spelt trouble for the hero and sent the audience cowering in their seats, has stilled. No more will the silver screen reverberate with the roar of Sher Khan, as Pran Krishan Sikand, Hindi cinema's most famous villain, hated and loved in equal measure by moviegoers, passed into history on Friday. A winner of numerous awards, he was recently conferred the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for lifetime Achievement, an honour, which unfortunately, was way too late in coming, given his contribution to the industry. But the Government's neglect was compensated in no small measure with the warmth and adulation his vast army of fans had for him.
The veteran actor was truly the stuff legends are made of — natural talent, versatility, a thorough professional and above all a great human being. If there was one actor from the golden era of Indian cinema, who had played a significant role in the milestones of Indian cinema across the ages, it was undoubtedly Pran. He took ‘villainy' to hitherto unknown heights, imbuing it with a certain elan that was almost mesmeric in its cruelty! His rich repertoire of 400 films, 22 of which saw him at his villainous best, placed him in an enviable position. At the peak of his career, he was one of the highest paid actors, making more than the leading men of the 1950s-70s. Pran was a perfect foil to Hindi cinema's biggest names including the trinity of ‘black and white Bollywood' — Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor and Dev Anand. It is a testament to his acting prowess that he could switch roles with ease and transform himself from one of the most hated onscreen villains to one of the most beloved character actors — be it Mangal chacha in Upkar, Jailer Raghubir Singh in Kaalia, the loyal friend Sher Khan in Zanjeer or the discipline-loving but soft-hearted grandfather in Gulzar's Parichay.
Interestingly, the evil onscreen persona notwithstanding, the real life Pran saheb as he was affectionately called, was a fine gentleman. A man of refined tastes, with a fondness for fine Scotch and classic Urdu poetry, Pran saheb's love for sports was well-known. And long before it became fashionable for celebrities to show their support for certain ‘causes’, Pran saheb worked assiduously for underprivileged and disabled children. He even conducted several charity shows for Bangladeshi refugees in the aftermath of the 1971 war. Equally importantly, the actor was as politically conscious as he was morally upright. He had the courage of conviction to go public in his protest against the Emergency just as he staunchly refused a Filmfare award to show his support for Ghulam Mohammed who was denied best music director award in 1973 for Pakeezah. Incidentally, that award went to the music director of Beimaan, a film in which he himself had acted. In a league of his own, Pran's demise at the hoary age of 93, may have brought the curtains down on an inning spanning six decades but, he will continue to live in our midst.