Pran the most lovable villain of the Hindi screen has been bestowed with the prestigeous Dadasaheb Phalke Award by the government of India. This recognition has come very late, for Pran is now 93 years old. However better late than never. Millions of his fans will be delighted that he has been recognized and his considerable acting skills have been brought to the fore once again. The present generation may come to know and get to see some of his finest acting moments.
Born into a rich Delhi family in February 1920, Pran acted in his first film Yamla Jat in 1940 in Lahore. His very first role was as a villain. He went on to act in 22 more films before he had to leave Lahore for Mumbai following the partition of India. Although he had made a name as a versatile lead actor in various roles, to his surprise he found no roles coming his way from the Mumbai film industry. He had moved into Taj Hotel with his family and gradually found himself almost penniless with no work. However in 1948 he was offered a role in the film Ziddi starring Dev Anand and Kamini Kaushal.. The movie was a hit and Pran never again had to look for work.
He is reported to have worked in 350 to 400 films although most seem to be agreed on 350 films. A phenomenal body of work by any account. His screen career lasted nearly sixty years. It is said that in the fifties only the trio of Dilip, Dev and Raj Kapoor was paid more than him. In the sixties he was paid more than all actors excepitng Rajesh Khanna. In fact the high rates charged by both was a reason producers found it difficult to pair them together , though later on a few successful films were made. By seventies he had moved on to playing character roles.
His portrayal of the villain on the screen was so powerful and effective that it is said no baby was named Pran from 1950 on wards. The name Pran was synonymous with wickedness. He would bring unique mannerisms into his various roles and the audiences would simply love him for it. His flicking of cigarettes or blowing smoke rings or flicking his head up wards or brushing his hair by the palm of his right hand or moving his eyebrows are all now part of acting history. He was gifted with a good and clear voice which he modulated appropriately to suit the type of villain he was playing. His style of walking with both hands inside his jacket pockets has not been surpassed till date.
If Yamla Jat brought him on the screen, Ziddi launched his Bollywood career, Zanjeer immortalised him as Sher Khan and Upkar transformed him from playing negative roles to positive roles. From the fifties to early nineties it was rare to make an A grade movie and not have Pran in it . He added a comical touch to the villain in Kashmir ki Kali in 1964 which expanded his acting skills further. He sung a few songs also and almost all are famous to this day. Most famous being 'Yaari Hai Iman Mera---' from Zanjer and 'Kasme Vade Pyar Wafa---' from Upkar.
All the top actors from fifties like Dilip, Dev, Raj ,Rajendra Kumar, Dharmendra,Vinod Khana, Rajesh Khanna, Shammi Kapoor, Shashi Kapoor etc, came and faded away but such was the range and adaptability of Pran that he continued being in demand actively till 1998 and infrequently thereafter till a few years more. It was he who had recommended Amitabh for Zanjeer. He could match all these top actors scene on scene and often would steal the show. The only other actor who can be compared in range and screen longevity to him was Ashok Kumar.
He and Ashok Kumar acted in 27 films. Pran and Amitabh acted together in 14 films. With Shashi Kapoor and Rajesh khanna he acted in 7 films each. Prakash Mehra cast and directed him in his 9 films.
Some of Pran's famous films are Aah, Jab Pyar kissi Se Hota Hai, Ram Aur Shyam, Amar Akbar Anthony, Don, Bobbby, Madhumati, 1942:A Love Story, Sanam Bewafa, Sharaabi, Andhaa Kanoon, Kaalia, Naseeb, Krodhi, Karz, De Pardes, Vishwanath, Dharam Veer, Sanyasi, Joshila, Victoria No 203, Roop Tera Mastana, Johny Mera Naam, Humjoli, Aansoo Ban Gaye Phool, Tum Se Acha Kaun Hai, Aadmi, Sadhu Aur Shaitan, An evening in Paris, Pathar Ke Sanam, Upkar, Dil Diya Dard Liya, Love in Tokyo, Gumnam, Khandan, Mere Sanam,Shaheed, Kashmir ki Kali, Bluff Master, Mere Mehboob, Dil Tera Diwana, Chalia, Jis Desh Main Ganga Behti Hai, Tumsa Nahin Dekha, Chori chori, Halaku, Jagte Raho, Azaad, Devdas and Munimji.
He was awarded the Padma Bhushan and was named in the top 25 all time great actors of Asia by CNN amongs a hostof awards and honoures he has recieved.
For someone who had trained himself to be a photographer and hid the fact that he had switched over to acting from his father, the journey has been truly a memorable one. It has given millions of his fans countless moments of joy watching him perform on the screen. Rarely has an actor acted so effectively that audiences hated his portrayals but loved him for his performances. The more vicious he was on the screen the more they loved him.
Our congratuations to him for the award and may God continue blessing him with a healthy and long life. May he hit a century.
Image are from Google Images.
Akshay Kumar is one of the most talented actors in India. He is versatile, bold, humorous, but apart from these qualities there is something that makes him stand apart from the rest of his bollywood counterparts. Most of us watch bollywood movies but how many of you can tell which movie has the most sequels? Movies like Dhoom, Race, Raaz, Dabanng, Housefull etc has 2 or a maximum of 3 sequels. It is because either the director or the actor is not willing to try his luck at the box office with the same character.
Unlike other actors Akshay Kumar had full faith in his abilities and as a result of this 8 movies in the Khiladi series were made till now. This movie holds the record in bollywood for the most number of series made for a movie. There is no need to tell that each of the series were super duper hit in the box office. Twenty years have passed since the release of the first Khiladi movie but still a lot of directors are in queue to make the 9th installment in the series. Lets take a look at the journey of this movie and what makes it so special.
The Beginning Of New Era
The Khiladi Begins
The first movie Khiladi was released in the year 1992. This movie was directed by Abbas-Mastan Burmawalla brothers. Akshay Kumar shared screen space with Deepak Tijori in this movie. Ayesha Jhulka played the lead against Akshay Kumar.
It tells the story of two friends who like to put bets for fun and money. The rest of the story revolves around the biggest bet they had ever made. Bold action scenes, natural humor and hit songs made this movie a sensation among people. It was among the top ten highest grossing movies of that year.This movie gave Akashy Kumar the Khiladi tag. After that there was no looking back and Khiladi became an integral part of bollywood.
The Skilled Khiladi
The second movie in the Khiladi series was Main Khiladi Tu Anari which was released in the year 1994. This was directed by Sameer Malkan. Saif Ali Khan also played an important role in this movie. The main attraction of the film was the superb chemistry between Akshay Kumar and Shilpa Shetty. This movie gave a new outlook to Khiladi by introducing some rib cracking comedy.
The Biggest Khiladi
The third movie Sabse Bada Khiladi was released in 1995 which was directed by Umesh Mehra. Mamta Kulkarni was the lead actress. This movie had some evergreen songs by Kumar Sanu and Alka Yagnik. This movie lived up to the expectations created by its previous two installments and cemented its place in the top seven highest grossing films of that year.
The Action Khiladi
The fourth movie in the installment was Khiladiyon Ka Khildadi which was released in 1996. This movie was also directed by Umesh Mehra. While Raveena Tandon played the love interest of Akshay, Rekha donned the cap of a sexy villian for the very first time in her career. The movie was a pure action thriller which pulled the crowds to theatres.
The Khiladi Couple
The fifth movie in the series was Mr. and Mrs. Khiladi which was released in 1997. It was directed by one of the best comedy movie director in India, David Dhawan. For the very first time Juhi Chawla was paired opposite Akshay. This was the first and the only movie in the Khiladi series which was totally based on comedy.
Khiladi Goes International
The sixth movie was titled International Khiladi which was released in 1999. It was again directed by Umesh Mehra. Twinkle Khanna who is also Akshay's wife was the female lead. No need to tell that the credit behind the success of this movie goes to the sizzling chemistry between them.
The Trickster Khiladi
The seventh installment in the Khiladi series was Khiladi 420 which was released in 2000. It was directed by Niraj Vora. Mahima Chaudhry was the lead actress. Akshay performed some of the most dangerous breathtaking stunts of his career in this movie.
The Immortal Khiladi
After a gap of 12 years the eighth installment in the series, Khiladi 786 was released. It was directed by Ashish R Mohan. Asin played the love interest of Akshay. Even after a gap of 12 years people accepted Khiladi with both hands and the movie turned into a blockbuster hit.
With eight installments so far and counting many more to come, Khiladi has been immortalized in bollywood.
The late 1960's and early 1970's witnessed a subtle profile change in both the audience tastes and the personality of the new and incoming heroines. Anger was building up in the country's youth at the failure of the political masters to equitably deliver the fruits of progress. In such scenario the Hindi screen was captured by a galaxy of trained actresses and in particular very talented actresses hailing from South India.This period also saw the rise of 'new wave' cinema or 'parallel cinema' which brought realistic plots of daily life on to the silver screen. Acting especially by talented actresses was to touch new heights.
One of the actresses who dominated this era was Shabana Azmi whose range of acting varied from a new wave film like Ankur to an out and out commercil films opposite super star Rajesh Khanna with whom she did seven successful films. Her first film was Parinay in 1974 bit it was Ankur in the same year that brought her into limelight as an actress of great talent and skill. She went on to act in a number of highly successful and acclaimed films like Swami (1977), Shatranj ke Khilari (1977), Amar Akbar Anthony (1977), Junoon (1979), Sparsh (1980), Umrao Jaan (2006), Godmother and the recently released Matru Ki Bijlee ka Mandola. She is married to Javed Akhtar and is involved in social activities.
The other new wave actor was the late Smita Patil who became one of the youngest recipients of the National Award for her sensitive portrayal in Bhumika at the age of 21 years.She entered the Hindi movies in 1974 and in 1976 established herself Manthan, the story of rise of Amul. She went on to act in Bhumika (1977), Bhavni Bhavai (1980), Chakra (1981), Namak Halaal (1982), Mirch Masala (1987) amongst others. A very talented actress she had a very impressive screen presence. She passed away at the young age of 31 during delivery of her only child.
Down South a four year girl child made her entry into the world of Tamil cinema. She grew up to become the fine actress Sridevi. She made her entry into Hindi films in the hugely successful 'Julie" in 1975 as the younger sister of the heroine. However she got adult roles from 1979 onwards. In a career span ranging from 1967 to 2007 she has acted in 63 Hindi movies, 62 in Telegu ,58 in Tamil and 21 in Malayalam films. Some of her noteworthy Hindi films were Himmatwala (1983), Jani Dost (1983), Nagina (1986), Mr India (1987), Chandni (1989), Chal Baaz (1989), Lamhe (1991), Juddai (1997), and the recently highly acclaimed English Vinglish. She is married to Boney Kapoor and settled in Mumbai with her two daughters .
But the most impressive was the dream girl Hema Malini hailing from Tamil Nadu. She had a dream debut opposite Raj Kapoor in Sapnoon Ka Saudagar in 1968 and went on to dominate the commercial Hindi cinema for the next more than two decades. Like other heroines from South she was also a very fine dancer. Her beauty captivated the audiences who flocked to see all her movies especially one's with the suoper star Rajesh Khanna. Her pairing with Dharmendra, Dev Anand and Shashi Kapoor were very popular. Later on her pairing with Amitabh Bachchan alos became very popular. She is best known for her role of Basanti in the 1975 iconic film Sholay. Some of her notable films are Sharafat (1970), Johny Mera Naam (1970), Amir Garib (1974), Prem Nagar (1974), Dharmatma (1975), Charas (1976), Meera (1979), Kudrat (1981) and, Bhagban (2003). She is now a memberof BJP and has also had a stint in the Rajya Sabha. She has two daughters and is now settled in Mumbai.
Yet another star from South to dominate the Hindi screen was Rekha. Born in 1954 into a film family it was a matter of time before she too would seek a career in films. She debuted opposite Navin Nischol in Sawan Bhadon in 1970. She went on to deliver hit films like Nagin (1976),the hugely successful Muqaddar ka Sikandar opposite Amitabh in 1978. Her other notable and successful films were Rampur Ka Lakshman (1972), Kahani Kismat Ki (1973), Namak Haraam (1973), Mr Natwarlal (1979), Khubsurat (1980), Umrao Jaan (1981), Silsila (1981), Khoon Bari Maang (1988), Koyi Mil Gaya (2003) and Krrish (2006). She is supposed to be also acting a role in Krrish 3. She is now almost retired from films and is settled in Mumbai. She is unmarried and is usually seen looking as glamourous as ever at the many Award ceremonies.
There are other actresses like Zeenat Aman, Parveen Babi, Jayaparadha etc. who also made their mark in the late seventies and eighties and we shall cover them in another follow up article.
In the Indian film industry it is the heroes who get paid higher than the heroines but it is the latter who win the hearts and minds of the audience. Throughout its hundred years history the Hindi cinema has had a range of wonderful heroines who left a mark on its historical pages. In a male dominated industry and prevailing social taboos it was not easy for women to make a name for themselves as leading ladies during the thirties and forties of the last century. Yet the bold ones did it and are remembered with respect and honour today.
After the advent of sound in the first Hindi film Alam Ara in 1931, its first heroine was named Zubeida. However it was Devika Rani who emerged as the greatest star in the forties. Married to Himanshu Rai she starred with him in the picture 'Karma' in 1933 and their kiss on the screen is supposed to be the first on screen kiss in Indian movies. The beautiful Devika Rani is acknowledged as the First Lady of the Indian Cinema and was often paired with Ashok Kumar. Some of their successful movies were Achut Kanya,Anjaan and Janma Bhoomi. She is credited with the discovery of Dilip Kumar when she was producing movies. She was honoured with the first Dada Sahib Phalke Award in 1970.She passed away in 1994.
Another famous star of that era was Naseem Banu, mother of Saira Banu,who is reputed to be one of the most beautiful faces in Hindi movies ever.She became a hit with her acting in the Sohrab Modi directed movie Pukar in 1939 and went on to act till her retirement in early fifties. Another great actress of that era was Durga Khote who started her acting career in 1925 in the film Ayodhecha Raja in 1925. She acted in over 200 films in a acting span of nearly 50 years. Shanta Apte who acted in V Shantaram's movies and Shobhana Samarath (mother of Nutan) were also hit actresses in this era.
The singing heroines made their mark with Khursheed setting the trend in 1931 itself. She remained as the only singing superstar till Noorjehan made her entry in 1939 in the film Gul-Bakavalli. Both captivated the audiences and went on to achieve tremendous success. Khursheed went on to pair with another singing sensation of the time K.L.Saigal and gave many hit songs. Noorjehan also has sung many legendary songs which are remembered today also. Both migrated to Pakistan in 1947. However it was the singing superstar Suraiya who was the favourite of the masses. Her songs went on to make her movies super successes at the box office. She also was romantically involved with Dev Anand. Her somg "Tu Mera Chand Mein Teri Chandni" is popular today also. She however chose to retire at her peak in mid fifties.
The fifties and sixties saw the emergence of a large numer of talented heroines.One of the first was undoubtedly Madhubala,the most beautiful face to grace the Hindi cinema screen. She gained super stardom in the 1949 film Mahal a suspence thriller opposite the evergreen hero Ashok Kumar. She was a brilliant actor and was at ease in both comic and tragic roles. Her acting in Mughal-e- Azam is remembered today also. She died young. Another one who went on to make her mark was Nargis who tasted success with Raj Kapoor in Barsaat. After starring in a number of hit movies with Dilip Kumar she chose to act only with Raj Kapoor from 'Awara" onwards in 1951 till some time. However it was 'Mother India ' which brought her global fame. She also found in Sunil Dutt her co star in the movie her future husband. The tragedy queen Meena Kumari was another great actress of this period. She could make the viewer weep with her emotion packed acting. However she was equally adept in light comedy roles. Her last movie was the super hit Pakeeza.
Vyjantimala was the first of the South Indian actresses to make a name for herself in Hindi movies. She was an excellent dancer and ever since any actress from South especially is expected to be an accomplished dancer. She started in 1951 in the film Bahar which went on to become a super hit and the audiences appreciated her dance numbers immensely. Her role in Devdas got her first Filmfare Award in 1955. Her roles in Naya Daur, Madhumati, Ganga Jamuna, and Sangam were very well received and she formed a very popular pair with Dilip Kumar.She quit in 1967 after giving another hit Jewel Thief.
Nutan and Waheeda Rehman were the other two great actresses who captivated the viewers with their acting prowress. Nutan was a sublime beauty and entered films in 1950, but it was her role in Seema which gave her a breakthrough in Hindi films.Winner of a record five Filmfare Awards for Best Actress she gave sterling performance in Bimal Roy directed Bandhini. Waheeda Rehman was brought into Hindi films by Guru Dutt in C.I.D in 1956. It was her role in Pyasa in 1957 which brought her recognition. She went on to act in a large number of films most famous being Guide in 1965. She too was an accomplished dancer and gave beautiful classical dances in many movies.
Another actress of the era was Mala Sinha who went on to act in a number of films whose music were very strong. Her roles with Shammi Kapoor are especiall famous. Some the other famous actresses were the coy Geeta Bali who went on to marry Shammi Kapoor, ravishing Nimmi, Nalini Jawant, the beautiful Sadhana famous for her Sadhana cut hair sytle, vivacious Asha Parekh and beauty queen Saira Banu.
The actresses of seventies and beyond will be covered in a follow up article.
The hundred years of Indian films especially the Hindi films has seen a galaxy of male actors capture the hearts of the audiences. Beginning from the silent era through advent of sound till today all types heroes have adorned the filmy screen. Looking back, the first sound film made was Alam Ara released in 1931. It starred Prithvi Raj Kapoor,W.M.Khan,Yakub, Master Vithal and the heroine was Zubeida. All its male actors went on to act in a number of films during the thirties and the forties.The movies of the thirties were mostly based on social protest. The other hero to gain fame was V Shantaram in films like Aadmi and Padosi. But the find of the decade was the legendary actor Ashok Kumar who went on to dominate the Hindi movies for decades.
The forties saw besides social protest the making of period films. Shorabh Modi made and acted as a powerful actor in movies like Sikander,Pukar and Prihvi Vallabh.Towards the end of the decade Indian cinema got Raj Kapoor in movies like Barsaat and Aag. Dilip Kumar and Dev Anand also made their entry into the Hindi films.This trio of Dilip, Dev and Raj Kapoor was to dominate Hindi films for the next more than three decades.
However it was the fifties which not only saw a rich haul of a variety of movies being produced but also equally saw a rich haul of male actors join the Hindi filmdom. Actors like Rajendra Kumar, Shammi Kapoor, Guru Dutt, Sunil Dutt, Balraj Sahni, Raj Kumar, Shashi Kapoor, Jhonny Walker, Mehmood made their mark during this decade. Actors like Mahipal, Bharat Bhushan, Pran, Jayant, Om Prakash, Kanhaiyalal, Ajit were also the actors of repute to start their acting careers during this highly productive decade.
Almost all the actors of the forties and fifties continued in the sixties. Manoj Kumar was one actor who blossomed in this decade with patriotic movies. The creativity of the fifties was giving way to emphasis on the box office returns. Dharmendra,Jeetendra and Sanjeev Kumar amongst others made their entry and mark in the sixties.
The seventies saw the era of new wave films being produced. Actors like Utapl Dutt came to the lime light. Amitabh Bachchan was the find of the decade and was to go on to become an industry by himself. However it was the first Super Star of the Hindi filmindustry Rajesh Khanna to whom the decade rightly belonged. Amongst others the decade saw new actors like Rishi Kapoor, Mithun Chakraborty, Shatrugan Sinha, Vinod Khanna, Feroz Khan enter the Hindi filmdom .However it was the entry of a special class of trained actors like Nasseerudin Shah, Om Puri, Amrish Puri that caught the eye of the discerning audiences of the seventies.The movies of this decade were action packed and revenge was a popular theme.
The eighties and nineties saw musical films being made and love stories made a come back. Romantic heroes were in demand. Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan Salman Khan made their debutes and the 'Khans' are still dominating the Hindi film scene .Another hero to make his mark was Anil Kapoor especially in Mr India. Sunny Deol also made his entry during the early part of this period.The much in news Sanjay Dutt also established himself during this period.The other notable actors who went on to make both name and fame were Govinda, Jackie Shroff, Akshay Kumar, Saif Ali Khan, Ajay Devgan,and Suneil Shetty. Vastly talented actors like Anupam Kher, Nana Patekar and Paresh Rawal also made their entry during this period.
The early 2000's saw emergence of heroes like Hrithik Roshan, Abhishek Bachchan, Vivek Oberoi, Emraan Hashma, Shahid kapoor and later on Ranbir Kapoor and Imran Khan.
Actors will come and go but who can match the tragedy king Dilip Kumar or the socialistic prankster Raj Kapoor or the romantic Dev Anand or the 'junglee' Shammi Kapoor or the sauve Ashok Kumar or the meloncholy Guru Dutt or the funster Mehmood amongst others from the golden era of the forties and fifties of the Hindi films. It seems today the hero is gradually begining to give way to strong stories and where acting talents rather than star image is needed. But we can thank these and all other heroes who have given us hours of joy in the dingy theaters of the past to the posh multiplexes of today.
More Articles …
Page 76 of 141