Pran's 104th Birth Anniversary: Unknown Facts About The Legendary Actor
Pran's 104th Birth Anniversary: Unknown Facts About The Legendary Actor
In 2001, Pran was honoured with the Padma Bhushan and in 2013, with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for his contribution to Hindi cinema.

In his six-decade career, actor Pran essayed a variety of characters, from romantic heroes to supporting characters. The actor also glorified the role of a villain in Indian films and went on to become one of the leading villains of the era. February 12, 2024, marks the 104th birth anniversary of the late actor. On this special occasion, let’s take a look at some unknown facts about the legendary actor.

Pran was born on February 12, 1920, in Lahore into a wealthy Punjabi Hindu family. But he was raised in Ballimaran, Old Delhi. Kewal Krishan Sikand Ahluwalia, his father, worked as a government civil contractor and civil engineer. On the other hand, his mother was Rameshwari Ahluwalia. Since childhood, Pran had exceptional academic ability, particularly in maths.

His father had a transferable job, and so he studied in various places, including Dehradun, Lahore, Kapurthala, Meerut and Unnao (Uttar Pradesh), finally completing his matriculation from Hamid School in Rampur (UP). After that, he joined A. Das & Co., Delhi, as an apprentice to become a professional photographer.

His acting career began in 1940 with the Punjabi film Yamla Jat, directed by Dalsukh M Pancholi. It all began with an encounter with writer Wali Mohammad Wali in a Lahore shop. Before Partition, Pran played negative roles in 22 films. His name was being discussed as that of a famous villain. After independence, he decided to leave Lahore and settle in Mumbai. Due to India’s partition in 1947, his career suffered a brief break.

Reports suggest that for a few months, Pran looked for acting opportunities while doing other jobs. He worked at the Delmar Hotel on Marine Drive for eight months, after which he got a chance to act in 1948. With the help of writer Saadat Hasan Manto and actor Shyam, he got a role in the Bombay Talkies’ film, Ziddi, which starred Dev Anand and Kamini Kaushal and was directed by Shaheed Latif. The movie launched Pran’s career in Bombay.

By 1950, he had been gradually established as a premier villain in Hindi cinema and had never looked back. Pran also bagged the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor three times. He was also honoured with the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997. In 2001, he was honoured with the Padma Bhushan and in 2013, with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for his contribution to Hindi cinema. Pran acted in more than 350 films in his career.

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