Pran (actor)

Pran Krishan Sikand (12 February 1920 – 12 July 2013), better known by his mononym, Pran, was an Indian actor, known as a movie villain and character actor in Hindi cinema from the 1940s to the 1990s.[1] He played hero roles from 1940–47, a villain from 1942–1991, and played supporting and character roles from 1948–2007.

In a long and prolific career Pran appeared in over 350 films. He played the leading man in works such as Khandaan (1942), Pilpili Saheb (1954) and Halaku (1956). His roles in Madhumati (1958), Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai (1960), Upkar (1967), Shaheed (1965), Purab Aur Paschim (1970), Ram Aur Shyam (1967), Aansoo Ban Gaye Phool (1969), Johny Mera Naam (1970), Victoria No. 203 (1972), Be-Imaan (1972), Zanjeer (1973), Don (1978), Amar Akbar Anthony (1977) and Duniya (1984) are considered to be among his best performances. His some character plays were unforgettable.

Pran has received many awards and honours in his career. He won the Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award in 1967, 1969 and 1972 and was awarded the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997. He was awarded as the "Villain of the Millennium" by Stardust in 2000.[2] The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Bhushan in 2001[3] for his contributions to the arts. He was honoured in 2013 with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the highest national award for cinema artistes, by the Government of India. In 2010, he was named on the list of CNN's Top 25 Asian actors of all time.[4][5]

Pran died on 12 July 2013 at the age of 93 of old age after suffering from a prolonged illness in Mumbai's Lilavati Hospital