Author: Bunny Reuben
Publisher: HarperCollins
Year: 2005
Language: English
Pages: 446
ISBN/UPC (if available): 9789350290576
Description
The riveting life story of Indian cinema’s most memorable villain.
For the better part of the twentieth century, he was recognized as the eponymous bad man of Indian cinema. Whether a sadistic despot or a malicious village bully, a dissolute city animal or a wicked anti-national, Pran portrayed the infinite shades of evil with consummate ease. Such was the impact that, if for centuries, not a single person has been named Ravan, then for over three decades after Independence; almost no male child was named Pran, because he was branded as the personification of evil.
While Pran perfected the art of portraying evil in all its dimensions, he also immortalized the good image in some of the most memorable characterizations ever seen on the Indian screen. Whatever the role, each performance was suffused with originality and imagination. By his use of highly stylized mannerisms, unusual get-ups, realistic make-up and different accents, Pran succeeded in rising above the ordinary, in turning stereotypes into unforgettable characters.
This biography unveils the life and time of one of India’s most important actors. Not only does it bring to light a career that spans more than six decades and 350 films, but it also presents an intimate portrait of the man behind the image.
The villain image of Pran was so deeply engraved in the hearts of mid-twentieth century womankind that, for over three decades, mothers resolutely avoided naming their newborn sons Pran, as like Ravan, he was branded as the personification of evil!
Contents
FOREWORD
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
PROLOGUE
PART ONE
Destiny Lingers at the Paan Shop
The Beginning
Lahore: A Star Career Begins
Marriage, and a New Chapter of Life
Destination: Bombay
Pran’s Tryst with Destiny
PART TWO
The Fabulous Fifties
The Family Grows
Bollywood and the South
Pran and The Big Three
The Actor Prepares
The Preparation Continues
The Sports Lover
PART THREE
The Splendid Sixties: Riding a Tidal Wave of Success
Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai: Understanding Raaka
Shaheed: A Landmark Film
The Tuning Point: Upkar
The Family and Friends in the 1960s
The Splendid Sixties Draw to a Close
PART FOUR
The 1970s: Scaling New Heights
Raja and Rana Ride in Victoria No: 203
The Be-imaan Controversy: A Matter of Principle
Zanjeer: Setting a New Trend
The Wheel of Life Turns
The Successful Seventies Continue
PART FIVE
Pran in the 1980s: Five Decades in Showbiz
Pran: The Gentleman Villain
The Opposite Sex, and Pran
The Real Man versus the Reel Image
In the Coolness of the Shadows
EPILOGUE
APPENDIX1: Filmography
APPENDIX 2: Awards Won by Pran
Index