B’wood loses its ‘Pran’
Bollywood bade a tearful adieu to legendary actor Pran who passed away on July 12 in a Mumbai hospital after a prolonged illness. He was 93. Pran acted in over 350 films in a career spanning 67 years. Although he first broke on the scene as a hero in 1940 with the Punjabi film Yamla Jat, he went on to establish himself as one of the industry’s most iconic antagonists, feared and loved by audiences in equal measure, his baritone and good looks adding to his villainous charm.
He was equally good in character roles. Who can forget the cynical Mangal Chacha of Upkar or the magnanimous Sher Khan of Zanjeer? In real life, Pran was exactly the opposite of the villain he portrayed on screen and was loved for his humility.
He was conferred India’s highest cinematic honor—the Dada Saheb Phalke award—in 2012 for his contributions to the industry.
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