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1 | Son Sunil Sikand has son named Siddharth. He was born January 6, 1974. Pran's eldest son Arvind Sikand had a daughter named Sunaina on August 7, 1976. Arvind then had a son named Arjun on March 5, 1980. |
2 | Pran's daughter Pinky married Vivek Bhalla. Vivek Bhalla father Satish Bhalla and Pran were best friends. Satish Bhalla's father had a film finance and distribution office in Bombay. They use to finance many of Pran's movies. |
3 | Niece Suman Sikand debuted as a actress in the film Hanste Zakhm. She later is the daughter of brother Kripal. She later quit films moved to Delhi and married Keshav Mahajan. He has a son named Viraj Mahajan. |
4 | Niece Dimple Walia ( daughter of brother Prem Sikand) has a son named Arjun. He married model Femina Miss India Universe Manpreet Brar. |
5 | Pran's siblings are two eldest sisters named Pramila and Karuna.Then a brother named Prem Krishen. Then a sister named Rajinder who they called Jindo. Then a brother named Raj Krishen. Then Pran. The youngest was a brother named Kripal Krishen. |
6 | Daughter in law name is Chitra Sikand (Married to son Arvind). |
7 | Grandson Siddharth Sikand is a director for Ads, music videos and short movies. |
8 | In 2010, Pran was named among Asia's 25 Greatest Actors of All Time by CNN International. The other Indian actors in the list were Guru Dutt , Amitabh Bachchan , Nargis and Meena Kumari. |
9 | In 2013, Pran was honoured with Dadasaheb Phalke Award by Government of India for lifetime achievement in contribution to cinema. This is the highest honour for cinema in India. |
10 | Daughter Pinky Sikand also uses the name Pinky Bhalla. She was thanked for her contribution for the 2007 film " Honeymoon Travels LTD.". |
11 | Pran played villain in Telugu films Tandra Paparayudu (1986) and Kodama Simham(1990) with Chiranjeevi and in a Kannada film Hosa Raaga in 1991. |
12 | Pran and Amitabh Bachchan shared great working relationship and years later Amitabh Bachchan wrote the foreword for Pran's biography "And Pran...". Pran also made an appearance in Tere Mere Sapne (1996) which was produced by Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Limited (ABCL). |
13 | In early 1990's, he starred with Salman Khan and Danny Denzogpa in the film Sanam Bewafa and other younger new generation actors of 1990's like Vivek Mushran,Arman Kohli, Akshay Kumar, Sunil Shetty and Aamir Khan. |
14 | Songs sung by Kishore Kumar and pictured on Pran in the 1970s like Hum Bolega To Bologe Ke from Kasauti, Micheal Daru Pita Hai from Majboor, Meri Nazar Se Bachana Koi from Chori Mera Kaam and Meri Janam Kundali Mein from Vishwanath were huge hits and continue to be popular.The title song of Maan Gaye Ustaad - Mera Ek Sawaal Hai sung by Rafi and Do Bichare Bina Sahare sung by [[Mahendra Kapoor]] for Pran are also popular.The title song of Maan Gaye Ustaad - Mera Ek Sawaal Hai sung by Rafi and the Asha-Rafi duet Raaz Ki Baat Keh Doon from Dharma and Do Bichare Bina Sahare sung by [[Mahendra Kapoor]] for Pran are also popular.Manna Dey has done playback for Pran in many films from 1967-1985 and famous songs of them are Yaari Hai from Zanjeer and Kasme Vaade Pyar Wafaa from Upkar. Prem Nath and Pran have acted together in films like Dhan Dhaulat, Rahu Ketu. The song Main Hoon Prem Tu Hai Mera Pran sung by Manna Dey and Rafi and pictured on Pran and Prem Nath is also famous. The youngest playback voice he had was Suresh Wadkar in "Khushnaseeb" (1982). |
15 | His roles in the films like Bari Behen(1949), Bahar (1951), Jashan(1955), Azaad(1955), Jis Desh Men Ganga Behti Hai (1960), Half Ticket (1962), Kab? Kyoon? Aur Kahan?',Johny Mera Naam, Duniya (1984) as well as his character roles in Upkar (1967), Shaheed (1965), Aansoo Ban Gaye Phool (1969), Victoria No. 203 (1972), Be-Imaan(1972), Zanjeer (1973), Majboor (1974), Chori Mera Kaam (1975), Hatyara, Chor Ke Ghar Chor, Don (1978), ''[[Maan Gaye Ustaad]]'', ''Ladies Tailor'' (1981) and Duniya (1984) are considered to be among his best performances. |
16 | During Upkar (1967), composers Kalyanji-Anandji were horrified that their composition Kasme Vaade Pyar Wafa would be pictured on Pran. They tried to reason with Manoj Kumar but he was adamant. When they finally saw the song on screen, they were the first to apologize to Pran for doubting him. |
17 | When Pran moved to Mumbai inn 1947, he found no work for six months. He arrived in Mumbai with wife Shukla (whom he married in 1945) in 1947 and checked in at the best hotel - Taj Mahal Hotel. In order to settle the hotel bills, he had to sell his wife's jewelry and work in another hotel for a while after. |
18 | Pran is considered among the most versatile actors of Hindi cinema. |
19 | Pran regarded Balraj Sahni, Ashok Kumar, Dilip Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjeev Kumar, Sunil Dutt, Shashi Kapoor and Rajesh Khanna among versatile actors. |
20 | In 1970's new younger directors and producers cast Pran in their films while B.R.Chopra, Shakti Samanta, Nasir Hussain,Bhappie Sonie and others who directed Pran in 1950's or 1960's , all shied away from casting him as they could not afford Pran in the decade of 1970's and 80's. |
21 | Pran got rave reviews for his performances in Dil Diya Dard liya and Afsana despite presence of Dilip Kumar as hero. |
22 | The films Pran did from 1944-47 were all made in undivided India and films like But Taraash (1951), Khanabadosh (1952) were released in Pakistan after Partition but Pran had shot for his portions in 1947. |
23 | When the 1978 film Apna Khoon flopped Pran said to Shibu Mitra that another film with the same cast of Shashi, Hema, Ashok Kumar, Pran, Amjad Khan must be made with Ajith and Om Prakash also acting in it.Shashi attributed the failure of Apna Khoon to the film not being planned well.Producer AS.K.Kapur accepted and made Maan Gaye Ustaad which was a blockbuster in 1982. |
24 | Knew to read in Urdu and loved it so much that requested his dialogs be written in Urdu in 1950's.But then accepted scripts and dialogs in English and Hindi from 60's to 90's. |
25 | Pran would prepare for his roles at home. If he was doing a new role he would go through books and look up pictures to get the look right.He would consult the make-up man and director and suggest that for particular character he is doing in the film, he be given the look in a particular way as concluded from the research he has made by reading books and watching images. |
26 | Granduncle to actor Vishal Malhotra's wife Rashi. |
27 | He did several real dual roles and "pseudo" ones (where one man pretended to be another). His last dual roles were in "Jungal Mein Mangal" (1973), "Insaf" (1974) and "Khoon Ka Rishta" (1981). |
28 | Though Mohammed Rafi, Manna Dey and Kishore Kumar were his primary singers during this phase, the youngest playback voice he had was Suresh Wadkar in "Khushnaseeb" (1982). |
29 | When Pran moved to Mumbai in 1947, he found no work for six months. He arrived in Mumbai with wife Shukla (whom he married in 1945) on Aug. 14, 1947, a day before India achieved Independence, and checked in at the best hotel - Taj Mahal Hotel. In order to settle the hotel bills, he had to sell his wife's jewelry and work in another hotel for a while after. |
30 | The films Pran did from 1944-47 were all made in undivided India and films like But Taraash (1951), Khanabadosh (1952) were released in Pakistan after Partition, but Pran had shot for his portions in 1947. |
31 | Pran's films as a character artiste in Amitabh Bachchan starrers - Amar Akbar Anthony (1977), Naseeb (1981) and Andha Kanoon (1983) are among the only 13 films in 1970s till 1984 that were classified as "All Time Earners" by trade. |
32 | Pran considered his best dialogues came in films like Badi Behen (1949), Sheesh Mahal (1950), Halaku(1956), Adalat(1958), Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai (1961), Shaheed(1965), Dus Lakh(1965), Upkar (1967), Paththar Ke Sanam (1967), Kab Kyun Aur Kahan (1970), Adhikar(1971), Buniyaad(1972), Dharma(1973),Zanjeer (1973), Majboor (1974), Kasauti(1974), Chor Ke Ghar Chor (1978). |
33 | Pran introduced comedy into his villainous characters only from 1964 beginning with Kashmire Ki Kali and Pooja Ke Phool. Till then Pran only inculcated fear from various characters and changed gestures in every character. |
34 | From the 1950's directors like M.V.Raman, Nanabhai Bhatt, Kalidas, Ravindra Dave, I.S. Johar, Bimal Roy repeatedly cast Pran in different roles in their many films from 1950-1969.Similarly in sixties Pran was frequent in directorial ventures of directors like A.Bhim Singh, Shakti Samanta, Bhappi Sonie, K. Amarnath,Nasir Hussain. But these same above mentioned directors could not cast Pran in their films after 1970 as they could not afford him.In 1970's new younger directors and producers cast Pran in their films even though Pran's price was highest among supporting actors from 1968-1982. |
35 | In the 1960s, Pran was frequently in the directorial ventures of directors A. Bhim Singh, Shakti Samanta, Bhappi Sonie, K. Amarnath,Nasir Hussain. But since the early 1970's, when Pran had reached the peak of his career, most of these directors did not cast Pran as they could not afford his price. |
36 | Pran regards his best films , other than those in which he played main lead, in the films such as Bari Behen (1949), Bahar (1951), Arif Laila(1953), Jashan (1955), Azaad(1955), Jis Desh Men Ganga Behti Hai (1960), Half Ticket (1962), Upkar(1967) and Purab Aur Paschim, Aurat(1967), Ansoo Ban Gaye Phool', Kab? Kyoon? Aur Kahan?, Johny Mera Naam(1970), Victoria No. 203, Zanjeer (1973), Majboor (1974), Chori Mera Kaam(1975), Hatyara(1977), Chor Ke Ghar Chor(1978), Don (1978), Maan Gaye Ustaad, Ladies Tailor(1981) and Duniya (1984). |
37 | Pram played the leading man in films like Khandaan(1942), Pilpili Saheb(1954), Halaku (1956), Aurat (1967 film), Dharma(1973), Jangal Mein Mangal, Gaddar, Ek Kunwari Ek Kunwara(1973), Rahu Ketu (1978). All of them were successful. Halaku was his favorite of all performances as told to Rediff.com in an interview. |
38 | Pran played villain in only 16 Hindi films from 1971 which were in Maryada, Naya Zamana, Jawan Muhabat Aan Baan, Roop Tera Mastana, Yeh Gulistan Hamara, Gaddar, Rahu Ketu, Andha Kanoon, Duniya, Insaaf Kaun Karega, Durgaa, Bewafai, Hoshiyar, Dharm Adhikari and Azaad Desh Ke Ghulam. |
39 | Director Prakash Mehra cast Pran in 9 of his directorial ventures in his career - Ek Kunwari Ek Kunwara, Zanjeer, Aan Baan, Khalifa, Jwalamukhi, Sharaabi, Muqaddar Ka Faisla, Mohabbat Ke Dushman, Jaadugar. |
40 | His demand as an actor grew bigger from late 1950's and reached its peak from 1965-1982. He did 62 movies in decade of 1950's and 60 in 1960's. |
41 | Pran was a hot favorite with Manmohan Desai, having directed Pran in 5 directorial ventures like Chhalia, Bluff Master, Dharam Veer, Naseeb, Amar Akbar Anthony. |
42 | When Pran and Joy Mukherjee was shooting for Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon, a huge crowd gathered making it difficult to shoot. Nasir Hussaain asked Pran to give a look to people and speak to them asking them to remain silent. When Pran did this the crowd obeyed and that was kind of fearful image people had in their minds about Pran. |
43 | Waheeda Rahman in early 60's was attending a party with Pran in Madras. After a few drinks, some of the revelers got tipsy and tried to get misbehave with her, and it was Pran who came to her rescue. |
44 | In the film Badi Behen in 1949, Pran adopted the action of blowing perfect smoke rings while smoking his cigarettes for first time. Later Pran was asked by various directors from the 1950's until the 1990's to do this act in many films. This act became his trademark action. |
45 | S.K.Kapur directed Pran in 6 films and had only 2 flops. |
46 | Pran worked with director Shibu Mitra in 8 films and, except for Raja Aur Rana, all were successful. |
47 | Pran started his own distribution office in Delhi in 1970. |
48 | Pran outlasted several heroes such as Raj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, Rajendra Kumar owing to his growing popularity as a character artiste. |
49 | Pran was often reportedly paid more than heroes in early 1970s due to his seniority in industry. |
50 | Pran has worked in 2 hit Telugu films called Tandra Paparayudu in 1986 and Kodama Simham with Cheeranjvi in 1990 and in a Kannada film Hosa Raaga in 1991. |
51 | He worked with B R Chopra only once in Afsana, which was Chopra's directorial debut. As Pran's fee was very high in 1969-1982 and for a supporting actor he was not ready to shell out and thought of investing more in hero and rest of cast.For same reason Shakti Samanta and many small budget film-makers did no work with Pran from 1969-82. Yash Chopra gave him small role in Joshila for marketing reason and so that Pran would not charge him his official market rate as length of role was less. |
52 | Pran was not greatly interested in studies. He studied till the tenth standard and did not feel the need to study further. |
53 | Pran was very fond of watching cricket and was close friends with former West Indies captain Sir Frank Worrell. |
54 | During the casting of Bobby, Raj Kapoor couldn't afford Pran's fee which was in range of 5-10 lakhs in 1970-75 period. Pran agreed to do the film with a signing amount of Re 1. |
55 | While shooting for a sequence in Bobby, Pran almost drowned in a river. Fortunately, he managed to get hold of a rock and saved himself. |
56 | In 1972, Pran refused to accept his Filmfare award for the Best Supporting Actor in Be-Imaan because he felt music composer Ghulam Mohammed deserved a Filmfare award for his songs in Pakeezah. |
57 | Stopped working in movies when he had a heart problem in 1998. That was the first time he was ever admitted in hospital in his life for health reasons.Earlier Pran met with an accident while shooting for Dus Numbri when he was 56 years old then as he insisted on jumping 15 feet and broke his ankle. |
58 | Though he was already very popular in 1940-1945 , he had to establish himself again after partition. So he struggled from 1948-1950. |
59 | Pran had insisted his wife leave Lahore because of the unrest in early 1947 so she stayed with her sister in Indore. |
60 | In the film Shaheed in 1965, two famous villains of the time Pran and Prem Chopra played positive roles. Pran did the role for a pittance, as he was a close friend of actor Manoj Kumar. |
61 | After coming to Mumbai, Pran's first film was Ziddi, where the leading lady was Kamini Kaushal. When Kamini Kaushal became a character actress in Shaheed, Pran also shifted to positive roles for the first time. |
62 | Pran played his first double role in Jangal Mein Mangal. |
63 | In his first job as photographer, Pran earned a monthly salary of Rs 200. He gave up the job to act in films for Rs 50 a month in Yamla Jat. |
64 | The first film Dilip Kumar and Pran did together was Azaad. They became very close friends then, as they shot for three months in Coimbatore. |
65 | Pran started his career in 1939 even before Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand and Dilip Kumar entered the film industry. |
66 | Khandaan in 1942 was Pakistani singer Noorjehan's first film as a heroine and Pran's first film as hero. Though the film was a super-hit, Pran shied away from lead roles. |
67 | 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. And then rented houses till 1954. Pran rented a two bedroom flat in Pali Hill and for some years he lived in Mazagaon, central Mumbai. When Pran's youngest daughter was three, he bought a bungalow in Union Park, Bandra. |
68 | Before Pran came to Mumbai, he had already acted in 22 films as a hero between 1942-46. Due to the Partition, his career had a brief pause. |
69 | 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. |
70 | After partition, He got a break in Ziddi (1948). Pran was offered a mere sum of Rs 500 as his first remuneration for Zidd. Within a week of its release, he signed three more movies. S M Yusuf's Grihasti, Prabhat Films's Apradhi and Wali Mohammad Wali's Putli. |
71 | 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. |
72 | 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 learned of his career, he was not upset as Pran had expected. |
73 | Pran wanted to be a photographer and was working in a shop in Shimla where he learned photography from 1936-39. Then he went to Lahore, and that's where he got his first break. |
74 | Pran has acted in a television series called Baap Se Bada Rupaiya, on Doordarshan. Pran also acted as a detective in the television serial "They Call Me Dangerous" in the late '90s. He was "Mr. Dangerous" in that serial. |
75 | Pran was an avid collector of smoke pipes. He also had a fascination of collecting walking sticks, some of which had hidden swords. |
76 | Ashok Kumar, Shammi Kapoor, Manoj Kumar, Prakash Mehra, Shashi Kapoor, Kishore Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan and Dilip Kumar were very close friends of Pran. |
77 | Pran's first ever acting role was Sita to Madan Puri's Ram in Shimla, at a local Ramlila in 1938. |
78 | Pran had three brothers and three sisters. |
79 | Pran's first car in India was a Hillman. |
80 | Pran successfully complemented every leading actor from Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand, Rajendra Kumar to Rajesh Khanna, Amitabh Bachchan, Vinod Khanna, Salman Khan as a character actor. |
81 | His children were sent to boarding school in their fifth standard. |
82 | Shammi Kapoor, Rajendra Kumar's career began in late 50's and ended in early 1970's but Pran continued to get pivotal roles. |
83 | Prakash Mehra cast Pran in memorable supporting roles in 9 directorial ventures of his. |
84 | Pran had done Aurat (1967) where Rajesh Khanna was supporting actor and Pran was the main male lead and in 1971 Maryada which was a 2 hero film with Pran as villain. Pran did 6 more films with Rajesh Khanna from 1983-1987 and of them only Souten was successful - Jaanwar(1983), Bewafai, Durgaa, Gora were flops and 1 film Bayen Haath Ka Khel remains unreleased. |
85 | Pran did 9 films with Shashi Kapoor as the lead hero and 7 of them were hits.In 1952 in film Sanskaar, Shashi had worked as a child artist with Pran. |
86 | His first film as a hero was Punjabi film Khandaan in 1942 opposite Noor-Jehan and first film as a villain was Punjabi film Yamla Jat in 1940. He acted in 22 Hindi movies from 1940-1946 and 18 got released by 1947 and remaining 4 got released in Pakistan after Partition. |
87 | In the decade of 60's from 1960-69 he appeared in 60 Hindi movies and 1 Bengali movie Sonai Dighe- which is a record in Hindi films for an actor not playing heroes role but either character actor or a villain's role.His demand as an actor grew bigger from late 1950's and reached its peak from 1965-1982.He did 62 movies in decade of 1950's and 60 in 1960's. |
88 | Pran and Amitabh Bachchan worked together in several super hit films - Zanjeer (1973), Majboor (1974), Kasauti (1974), Amar Akbar Anthony (1977), Ganga Ki Saugandh (1978), Don (1978), Dostana (1980), Naseeb (1981), Kaalia (1981), Nastik (1983), Andha Kanoon (1983), Sharaabi (1984) that are among the top grossing films of 1970s and 1980s. Shahenshah (1988) and Toofan (1989) are other films in which they starred together, both the films had record opening week but eventually became only average grossers. Jaadugar (1989) and Mrityudaata (1997) are the only Pran - Amitabh Bachchan starrers that are flops. |
89 | Pran was among the highest paid supporting actors of his time. |
90 | Ashok Kumar and Pran were best friends and have acted in 27 films together from 1951-1987 and had 20 super-hit films together. |