Pran's 10 Best Roles

The most-loved villain of Hindi cinema passed away on Friday. Pran infused life in every character he played onscreen, be it the hated jijaji in Ram aur Shyam or affable Sher Khan in Zanjeer or the loving Malang chacha in Upkar... In his almost five decades of career, from negative to character roles, every film had the quinessential Pran stamp. Here we list ten most popular Pran roles...

Upkar (1967): Pran was legendary as the villain when Raj Kapoor tried to turn Pran into a good guy in Aah. The film and the effort to change Indian cinema’s biggest baddie into a good guy, failed. The credit for expanding Pran’s moral width on screen must go to Manoj Kumar. In Upkar Manoj Kumar dared to cast Pran in the powerful pivotal and positive part of the physically disabled Malang Chacha. The film gave the legendary villain a new image and a new direction. Interestingly Pran played the meanie to the hilt during the same year as Upkar, in the blockbusters Ram Aur Shyam, Patthar Ke Sanam, Milan and An Evening In Paris.This was at a time when an actor’s image was like his shadow.
Inescapable.

Sadhu Aur Shaitan (1968): A little-known Mehmood-Kishore Kumar comedy where Pran played the triple role of  Sardar Junail Singh, Dilawar Singh and Sher Khan. Pran later played a double role with equal relish in Johnny Mera Naam.

Zanjeer (1973): The Pathan Sher Khan in Zanjeer wouldn’t have been the powerful drama that it is, if it wasn’t for Pran’s presence.

Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai (1960): Raj Kapoor couldn’t turn Pran into a good guy successfully in Aah. Never mind! In this imperishable dacoit drama Pran made an everlasting impact as the dacoit Raka who lusts after Padmini, and fears death by hanging so much,  that he constantly keeps touching his neck nervously. The gesture was devised by Pran and happily incorporated by Raj Kapoor. Pran was a ceaseless innovator. He constantly kept adding accessories and quirks to his characters.

Adhikaar (1971): One of Pran’s most celebrated good-guy roles. As Banne Khan Bhopali, Pran lorded over this little-known melodrama where Deb Mukherjee plays a jerk who impregnates Nazima and marries Nanda. Pran’s character fights for the unwed mother’s rights. The applause was deafening.

Parichay (1972): Playing the stern grandfather Rai Saheb to a brood of uncontrollable orphans Pran brought  a steely but not-evil demeanour to his difficult role. This is the only film that Gulzar did with Pran. The director says no one else could play that role.

Be-imaan (1972): Pran was incredibly touching as an honest police constable willing to give up his life for his principles. When the actor won a popular award for his performance he turned down the award because he felt the music of Pakeezah had been shortchanged by the awards jury. Did we mention ‘principles’ a while back? Pran had to decline his good friend Manoj Kumar’s offer to play a Pathan in Shor as the actor was playing another Pathan in Zanjeer. In 1972 Pran gave another superlative as a decadent zamindar in Aan Baan.

Victoria 203 (1973): Together with Ashok Kumar, Pran created a kind of comic kinship on screen that re-defined the filmy dosti and also showed us how heroes could be above the age 60 even if they were not blessed with the Bachchan name. The film had a young romantic hero Navin Nishchol. But everyone remembers only Pran and Ashok Kumar.

Majboor (1974): Many Pranophiles believe the actor’s companionship with the Bachchan in this underrated Salim-Javed thriller was superior to Zanjeer. Pran played the the ebullient aggressive Michael d’Souza who loved the hit the bottle as vigorously as the baddies, and with a relish that scoffed at his advancing years. Pran was again in splendid form with the Big B in Kasauti released the same year.

Farishta (1984): Pran delivered a walloping performance in this film directed by his son Sunil Sikand. The film bombed. But Pran was parentally proud of this little-known film.