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92 Facts You Didn't Know About Pran
Last updated on: April 16, 2012 17:56 IST
In the first part of our Nostalgia series, we saw the legend Pran, through the eyes of his daughter Pinky Bhalla.
In the second part, we look at the lesser known details of the 92-year-old actor's life.
So here are 92 fun facts of Pran. Check out the first part of this three-part series.
1. Pran's full name is Pran Krishan Sikand.
2. Pran wanted to be a photographer and even took up a job as an apprentice in A Das & Co, Delhi.
3. Pran's first ever acting role was Sita to Madan Puri's Ram in Shimla, at a local Ramlila.
92 Facts You Didn't Know About Pran
Last updated on: April 16, 2012 17:56 IST
4. Since Pran's father was a civil contractor with the government, Pran studied at various schools in Kapurthala (Punjab), Unnao, Meerat and Rampur (Uttar Pradesh) and Dehradun (Uttarakhand).
5. Pran's first film was in Punjabi called Yamla Jat (1940), where he played a villain. It was a huge hit.
6. Pran did not tell his father that he was shooting for a movie, as he thought his father would not permit him to have an acting career. When his first interview appeared in a newspaper, Pran asked his sisters to hide the papers. When his father finally learnt of his career, he was not upset as Pran had expected.
92 Facts You Didn't Know About Pran
Last updated on: April 16, 2012 17:56 IST
7. In one of his early films, Pran played hero to Noor Jehan in Khandaan (1942).
8. Pran came to Mumbai from Lahore on August 14, 1947, just a day before India's Independence, with his wife and one-year-old son Arvind.
9. According to Pran, one of the most precious things he lost in the Partition was his dog. When Pran became popular, he would name his dogs Bullet, Whisky and Soda.
92 Facts You Didn't Know About Pran
Last updated on: April 16, 2012 17:56 IST
10. Before Pran came to Mumbai, he had already acted in 22 films as a villain. Due to the Partition, his career had a brief pause.
11. When Pran came to Mumbai, he stayed at the Taj Mahal hotel. As he had no work, money started running out, and the family had to shift to smaller and smaller hotels. Finally, they had to stay in a guest house.
12. After eight months of arriving in Mumbai, Pran -- with the help of writer Saadat Hasan Manto and actor Shyam -- got a role in Shaheed Latif's Ziddi (1948), starring Dev Anand and Kamini Kaushal.
92 Facts You Didn't Know About Pran
Last updated on: April 16, 2012 17:56 IST
13. Ziddi was a hit. Within a week of its release, Pran signed three more films: S M Yusuf's Grihasti, Prabhat Films's Apradhi and Wali Mohammad Wali's Putli.
14. BR Chopra's Afsana (1951) was Pran's first biggest hit after he shifted to Mumbai.
15. Pran has three children -- Arvind, Sunil and Pinky -- and five grandchildren.
92 Facts You Didn't Know About Pran
Last updated on: April 16, 2012 17:56 IST
16. Ashok Kumar and Pran were the best of friends and have acted in more than 25 films together, including Afsana, Victoria No 203, Chori Mera Kaam, Chor Ke Ghar Chor, Apna Khoon, Aap Ke Deewane, Raja Aur Rana, Inspector, Lakeeren, Mr X, Pooja Ke Phool, Purab Aur Pachhim, Adhikar, Naya Zamana and Aansoo Ban Gaye Phool.
17. After doing negative roles for a long time, it was Manoj Kumar who gave him the positive role of a handicapped person in Upkaar (1967).
18. Pran even played Valmiki in a mythological film called Luv-Kush.
92 Facts You Didn't Know About Pran
Last updated on: April 16, 2012 17:56 IST
19. When Pran was signed up for Halaku, Meena Kumari was quite upset but when she saw him in costume, and a few rushes from the film, she was very happy.
20. Pran would work on his make-up well. He would have an artist at home, who would sketch the kind of look he wanted. Then, his make-up man and wig-maker would work on it.
21. Pran acted in several Bengali films as well, including Joy Mukherjee's Sonai Dighe, directed by Ashim Banerjee.
92 Facts You Didn't Know About Pran
Last updated on: April 16, 2012 17:56 IST
22. It was Pran who recommended Amitabh Bachchan to Prakash Mehra for Zanjeer, which had been offered to Dev Anand, Raaj Kumar and Dharmendra earlier.
23. Pran acted with Amitabh in 15 films like Zanjeer, Kasauti, Don, Amar Akbar Anthony, Majboor, Dostana, Naseeb, Kaalia and Sharaabi.
24. Not many know that Pran was paid more than Amitabh Bachchan. In the 1970s, only Rajesh Khannna was paid more than Pran. In the 1950s and 1960s, only Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand, Raj Kapoor and Rajendra Kumar were paid more than Pran.
92 Facts You Didn't Know About Pran
Last updated on: April 16, 2012 17:56 IST
25. Pran started rejecting film offers in the 1990s citing age-related problems. But when Amitabh was going through a rough patch in his career, he requested Pran to act in his film Mrityudaata and Tere Mere Sapne. Pran readily agreed.
26. During the filming of both Mrituyudata and Tere Mere Sapne, Pran's legs used to tremble. So he shot most of the scenes in a seated position. After 2000, he made very few guest appearances in films.
27. Pran is a member of various social organisations, and even had his own football team called the Bombay Dynamos Football Club.
92 Facts You Didn't Know About Pran
Last updated on: April 16, 2012 17:56 IST
28. Pran's favourite word 'Barkhurdaar' became immensely popular over the years.
29. In 2001, Pran got a Padma Bhushan, India's third highest civilian award from the government of India.
30. Pran's biography is titled ...And Pran because in most of his movies, his name in the credits would appear last and read as ...and Pran. Sometimes, it would be ...above all Pran.
Watch out for the second part of this special series right here later this week!