: Celebrated for villainy, Pran took acting in Hindi films to new highs #IndiaNEWS #Cinema/Showbiz,,Bollywood,Opinion/Commentary By Vikas DattaWhen he passed away in 2013, the centenary year of Indian

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Celebrated for villainy, Pran took acting in Hindi films to new highs #IndiaNEWS #Cinema /Showbiz,,Bollywood,Opinion/Commentary
By Vikas DattaWhen he passed away in 2013, the centenary year of Indian cinema, Pran had been acting for well over two-thirds of his 93 years, beginning as hero and ending up as a supporting actor but making his mark in a long stint as such a convincing and consummate villain that Indian parents did not use his name for their children for at least a quarter of a century!
He did not need any appurtenances to portray his evil nature onscreen just a glare from his remarkable eyes, along with his steely voice, and a sneer where enough.
Pran, however, sought to imbue each performance whether as villain or supporting actor with something different, be it mannerisms, make-up, and proper accents. Remember his outings as a Pathan, a Nepali, a Bhopali, and a Goan, or the ones in which he modelled his appearance on Sheikh Mujibur Rehman, Abraham Lincoln, or Sam Pitroda?
Born on this day (February 12) in Delhi in 1920, Pran may not have been a method actor but he had natural talent and acute powers of observation of different types of people that he artfully incorporated into his performances.
In the process, he transformed the Hindi film villain from a stereotype to a well-delineated character, who did not even require the willing suspension of disbelief needed for most cinematic performances.
In his case, his fame was balanced by public abuse, children hiding from him, suspicion of most of his female co-workers (initially at least!), and the avoidance of the use of his name as his Allahabad University fans researched and informed him.
Son of a prosperous government civil contractor Kewal Krishan Sikand, Pran Krishan Sikand did not seem destined for a film career.
With a mobile childhood, studying in schools from Lahore to Unnao as his father moved to various places for his work, he was average in studies. So when his father asked him about his career choice, Pran, who was rather interested in photography, asked him to arrange his apprenticeship with a leading Delhi photo studio whose proprietor was his fathers friend. Pran proved good at his work so much that when the business expanded to Lahore, he was posted there.
And this paved for his most filmi entry into films. Once in Shimla, he had acted as Sita in Ram Leela, with Madan Puri as Ram, but that was it and neither was he interested in acting. However, a fortuitous encounter at a Lahore shop changed all that.
A man, who was sizing him up, approaching then 19-year-old, said he was film writer Wali Mohammad Wali and the way Pran had eaten the pan had impressed him. He asked him to come to famous producer Dalsukh Pancholis office the next day to test for a role.
Pran thought the offer had been made to him when Wali was inebriated, so he did not keep the appointment.

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