Patcy N in Mumbai

In this Nostalgia series, we salute some of our greatest movie stars, legends like Pran, who worked in over 400 films in a career spanning 60 years.

Pran Krishan Sikand made every part he protrayed -- whether it was sinister sophisticated villains or positive characters like the Pathan in Zanjeer -- his very own, giving each role a stamp of unbelievable class.

In the first part of this month-long series saluting Pransaab's most memorable career, his daughter Pinky Bhalla -- speaking exclusively to Rediff.com's Patcy Nreveals a fascinating part of her father few people know about:

When we were young, we did not know our father was such a big name in the film industry. My father never discussed films at home.

We got all the film magazines at home and read the gossip in them. He would read them too, we thought he would talk about it, but he never did. We were really quite cut off from the film industry.

Image: Pran in Adalat

There would be parties after the premieres of films he acted in, but we attended very few of them.

We would usually attend parties hosted by those really close to the family like Raj Kapoor, Shammi Kapoor, Manoj uncle (Kumar), Dilip Kumar.

Raj Kapoor, Shammi Kapoor, Manoj Kumar and Dilip Kumar were very close friends of my dad's. Dilip uncle, my father and my father-in-law were good friends. All these people would meet at least once or twice a week just to party.

We were sent to boarding school in the fifth standard. My classmates knew I was Pran's daughter, but no one treated me differently.

I have never been on shoots in Mumbai with him, but I did go a few times for outdoor shoots -- to Shimla for Purab Aur Paschim, Kulu-Manali for a Rishi Kapoor movie, to Madras for Dus Lakh and to Mahableshwar for Sawan Ki Ghata. Very rarely did our whole family go with him.

Image: Pran with his wife (seated), daughter Pinky Bhalla (on his left) and his family on his 92nd birthday

My dad playing negative roles didn't really affect us; we knew it was part of his profession.

My father wanted to be a photographer and was working in a shop in Shimla where he learnt photography. Then he went to Lahore, and that's where he got his first break.

When my father signed his first film, Yamla Jat (1940), he did not tell his father he was acting in a film because his father would not approve. My grandfather was a civil engineer.

When an article appeared in the newspaper about the upcoming film and mentioned my father's name, he told his sisters to hide the paper from their father!

By the time the movie was released, my grandfather was okay with him acting in films.

He played his first positive role in Khandana with Noor Jehan in 1942.

Image: Pran and Helen in Gumnaam

My grandparents passed away before Partition. My father had three brothers and three sisters. My brother Arvind was one year old when my father came to Mumbai on the night of August 14, 1947, just one day before Partition.

My father had insisted my mother leave Lahore because of the unrest, so she was staying with her sister in Indore. Dad came to Indore for my brother's first birthday on August 11, and intended to go back to Lahore, but couldn't.

He never wanted to live in Mumbai, but couldn't go back to Lahore. He had to start all over again, and it was quite a struggle. We knew very little about it because our parents never told us about it.

I know a few things like money was running out for them. When they came to Mumbai they stayed at the Taj Mahal hotel, but gradually had to move to smaller hotels and then into paying guest accommodation.

Image: Pran and Mumtaz in Brahmachari

My father got a break in Ziddi (1948). Within a week of its release, he signed three more movies.

I was born six years after Independence. By then he was established, but we still lived in a rented place. We bought a house when I was three years old.

He became very popular and by the 1960s he was very busy, but he took time off for his kids. He taught me cycling and roller skating. He would play chess with my brothers.

Whatever he could do, time permitting, he did. He is good at mathematics and card tricks. He was good at drawing and I remember his helping me with some school projects.

He has a photographic memory; he is good at shayari and recites poems.

My father was always concerned about us if we were travelling and would keep calling to see if we had reached safely.

I remember being mobbed by his fans when we went out. If my father went out on the streets, someone or the other would come to touch his feet.

Once we went to Punjab for my father's brother's wedding, and the fans went crazy there. They stopped the car and wouldn't let him move. This happens more in places outside Mumbai where the source of entertainment is just movies, but he doesn't get flustered about it.

My father is very generous. He has helped lots of people that we know of only now when they write to us about it.

Image: Pran in Dharamveer

I can't say which is my favourite movie of my father's, I like them all. I like Ram Aur Shyam because he really looks menacing. Upkaar was a turning point in his career because he shifted to playing positive characters.

His older films like Halaku are amazing, his get-up in that film is superb, he has a change of voice and he has done it brilliantly.

He 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.

If he had seen somebody walk in a particular way he would try to copy that, he would sometimes rehearse his dialogues at home if he got them in advance because in those days there were no bound scripts.

My father reads in Urdu so he needed his dialogues in Urdu only.

My father stopped working in movies when he had a heart problem 15 years ago. My parents still stay in Bandra (a Mumbai suburb). My brother goes there every day for lunch and I visit them three or four times a week and we all have lunch together. They always have somebody visiting them.

Image: Pran in Don

More

On his 90th birthday, we had a big party. We called all our friends and relatives and his friends from the industry.

Initially, he did not want a party, but when he entered the hall, he was very happy to see so many people around him.

He told my brother, 'Now I will be 100 and then out.'

I just want to tell my dad, 'You can never be out, you will always be in our hearts and our souls, you will always be "not out" for us.'

Image: Pran with his great grandson Ryan

92 Facts You Didn't Know About Pran

In the first part of our Nostalgia series, we saw the legend Pran, through the eyes of his daughter Pinky Bhalla.

In the second part, we look at the lesser known details of the 92-year-old actor's life.

So here are 92 fun facts of Pran. Check out the first part of this three-part series.

1. Pran's full name is Pran Krishan Sikand.

2. Pran wanted to be a photographer and even took up a job as an apprentice in A Das & Co, Delhi.

3. Pran's first ever acting role was Sita to Madan Puri's Ram in Shimla, at a localRamlila.

Image: Pran in Don

4. Since Pran's father was a civil contractor with the government, Pran studied at various schools in Kapurthala (Punjab), Unnao, Meerat and Rampur (Uttar Pradesh) and Dehradun (Uttarakhand).

5. Pran's first film was in Punjabi called Yamla Jat (1940), where he played a villain. It was a huge hit.

6. 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 learnt of his career, he was not upset as Pran had expected.

Image: Pran in Yamla Jat

7. In one of his early films, Pran played hero to Noor Jehan in Khandaan(1942).

8. Pran came to Mumbai from Lahore on August 14, 1947, just a day before India's Independence, with his wife and one-year-old son Arvind.

9. 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.

Image: Pran in Khandaan

10. Before Pran came to Mumbai, he had already acted in 22 films as a villain. Due to the Partition, his career had a brief pause.

11. 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.

12. 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.

Image: The Ziddi poster

13. Ziddi was a hit. Within a week of its release, Pran signed three more films: S M Yusuf's Grihasti, Prabhat Films's Apradhi and Wali Mohammad Wali's Putli.

14. BR Chopra's Afsana (1951) was Pran's first biggest hit after he shifted to Mumbai.

15. Pran has three children -- Arvind, Sunil and Pinky -- and five grandchildren.

Image: Pran in Ziddi

16. Ashok Kumar and Pran were the best of friends and have acted in more than 25 films together, including Afsana, Victoria No 203, Chori Mera Kaam, Chor Ke Ghar Chor, Apna Khoon, Aap Ke Deewane, Raja Aur Rana, Inspector, Lakeeren, Mr X, Pooja Ke Phool, Purab Aur Pachhim, Adhikar, Naya Zamanaand Aansoo Ban Gaye Phool.

17. After doing negative roles for a long time, it was Manoj Kumar who gave him the positive role of a handicapped person in Upkaar (1967).

18. Pran even played Valmiki in a mythological film called Luv-Kush.

Image: Pran in Upkaar

19. When Pran was signed up for Halaku, Meena Kumari was quite upset but when she saw him in costume, and a few rushes from the film, she was very happy.

20. Pran would work on his make-up well. He would have an artist at home, who would sketch the kind of look he wanted. Then, his make-up man and wig-maker would work on it.

21. Pran acted in several Bengali films as well, including Joy Mukherjee's Sonai Dighe, directed by Ashim Banerjee.

Image: Pran in Halaku

22. It was Pran who recommended Amitabh Bachchan to Prakash Mehra forZanjeer, which had been offered to Dev Anand, Raaj Kumar and Dharmendra earlier.

23. Pran acted with Amitabh in 15 films like Zanjeer, Kasauti, Don, Amar Akbar Anthony, Majboor, Dostana, Naseeb, Kaalia and Sharaabi.

24. Not many know that Pran was paid more than Amitabh Bachchan. In the 1970s, only Rajesh Khannna was paid more than Pran. In the 1950s and 1960s, only Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand, Raj Kapoor and Rajendra Kumar were paid more than Pran.

Image: Amitabh Bachchan and Pran in Zanjeer

25. Pran started rejecting film offers in the 1990s citing age-related problems. But when Amitabh was going through a rough patch in his career, he requested Pran to act in his film Mrityudaata and Tere Mere Sapne. Pran readily agreed.

26. During the filming of both Mrituyudata and Tere Mere Sapne, Pran's legs used to tremble. So he shot most of the scenes in a seated position. After 2000, he made very few guest appearances in films.

27. Pran is a member of various social organisations, and even had his own football team called the Bombay Dynamos Football Club.

Image: Pran in Tere Mere Sapne

More

28. Pran's favourite word 'Barkhurdaar' became immensely popular over the years.

29. In 2001, Pran got a Padma Bhushan, India's third highest civilian award from the government of India.

30. Pran's biography is titled ...And Pran because in most of his movies, his name in the credits would appear last and read as ...and Pran. Sometimes, it would be ...above all Pran.

Watch out for the second part of this special series right here later this week!

Image: The ...And Pran cover

Continuing our special Nostalgia series on veteran actor Pran, we highlight some more interesting facts from the legend's life.

Click here to read 92 Facts You Didn't Know About Pran: Part 1.

Do read Pran, through his daughter Pinky Bhalla's eyes.

31. Pran received his first Filmfare award as the Best Supporting Actor for Upkarin 1967.

32. 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.

33. Pran's established himself as a villain in D D Kashyap's Badi Bahen (1950).

Image: Pran in Upkar

34. So effective was his acting that it said that people stopped naming their children Pran because of his villain roles.

35. Pran's first film after arriving in Mumbai was Ziddi (1948), which had Dev Anand and Kamini Kaushal as leads.

36. In 2010, Pran was named as the CNN's Top 25 Asian Actors of all time.

Image: Movie poster of Ziddi

37. In Raj Kapoor's Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai, Pran added a specific trait to his body language as Daku Raka, repeatedly running his index finger inside his collar.

38. Pran's first car in India was a Hillman.

39. Apart from cars, Pran was an avid collector of smoke pipes. He also had a fascination of collecting walking sticks, some of which had hidden swords.

Image: The Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai poster

40. At the age of 78, Pran suffered a heart attack in 1998. That was the first time he was admitted in hospital.

41. Sanjeev Kumar was first approached to play the jailor's role in Kaalia. He rejected it because a full-page advertisement had appeared in a newspaper announcing Amitabh Bachchan in the lead. Later, the jailor's role was offered to Pran.

42. Pran had difficulty in reading Hindi, so he would ask his writers to write the dialogues in Urdu.

Image: Movie poster of Kaalia

43. 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.

44. Pran was offered a mere sum of Rs 500 as his first remuneration for Zidd, his first Bollywood film.

45. Pran's son Sunil Sikand insisted on getting married on Pran's birthday, on February 12, 1972.

Image: Pran in Bobby

46. During the shoot of Bobby, Raj Kapoor couldn't afford Pran's fee. Pran agreed to do the film with a signing amount of Re 1.

47. Pran has done as many as 14 movies with Amitabh Bachchan but except forAndha Kanoon, he did not play a negative role in the films.

48. In a career spanning six decades, Pran has produced just one film calledLakshman Rekha in 1992.

Image: Pran with his great grandson Ryan

49. Pran has worked with four generations of the Kapoors -- Prithviraj Kapoor, Raj Kapoor, Shammi Kapoor, Shashi Kapoor, Randhir Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor, Rajiv Kapoor, and Karisma Kapoor.

50. Khandaan was legendary Pakistani singer Noorjehan's first film as a heroine and Pran's only film as hero. Though the film was a superhit, Pran shied away from lead roles, as he didn't want to sing and dance in films.

51. Pran was very fond of watching cricket and was close friends with former West Indies captain Sir Frank Worrell.

Image: Pran in Khandaan

52. Pran has acted in a television series called Baap Se Bada Rupaiya, on Doordarshan.

53. Pran has worked in a Telugu film called Thandrapapa Raidu.

54. Pran had developed a taste for wearing white clothes. At the height of his career, his standard clothing was a white shirt and white trousers.

Image: Pran

55. Pran was not greatly interested in studies. He studied till the tenth standard and did not feel the need to study further.

56. Pran never worked in any film under the B R Chopra banner. He worked with B R Chopra only once in Afsana, which was Chopra's directorial debut.

57. During Upkar (1967), composers Kalyanji-Anandji were horrified that their composition Kasme Vaade Pyar Wafa would be picturised 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 apologise to Pran for doubting him.

Image: Pran

More

58. It is said that in an initial meeting with Raj Kapoor for Aah (1953), Pran felt offended that Raj Kapoor drank a large peg of alcohol while he made a small one for Pran. As a result, Pran turned it down, claiming Raj Kapoor was a miser. Raj Kapoor learnt about it later, and apologized. It was then that Pran agreed to doAah.

59. Ashok Kumar and Pran had done 16 films before Victoria No 203, in which the former was the hero and the latter was the villain. In this film, both were shown as friends.

60. Once Pran bought a monkey as a pet. The monkey created so much havoc in the neighborhood that Pran had to return it.

Watch out for the third and final segment of these fun facts later this week!

Image: Ashok Kumar and Pran in Victoria No 203

Continuing our special Nostalgia series on veteran actor Pran, we highlight the concluding list of interesting facts from the legend's life.

Do read Pran, through his daughter Pinky Bhalla's eyes.

Also read Part 1 and Part 2 of 92 Facts You Didn't Know About Pran.

61. Pran played lead role in Pilpili Saheb and Halaku (both in 1956), which were big hits.

62. Pran had a significant role in comedy films starring Kishore Kumar and Mehmood like Naya Andaz, Aasha Bewaqoof, Ek Raaz, Jaal Saz, Sadhu Aur Shaitaan and Lakhon Me Ek.

63. The most memorable films of Kishore Kumar and Pran together remains Half Ticket and Man-Mauji.

Image: Pran in Halaku

64. Pran won the Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award in 1967 for Upkar, 1969 for Aanso Ban Gaya Phool, and 1972 for Be-imaan. He was awarded the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997.

65. In the 1960s and early 1970s, Pran was in his 40s. Since he was slim and fit, his demand in the industry never went down and he was given important roles as a character aging between 25 to 30 in films starring Shammi Kapoor, Joy Mukherjee, Rajendra Kumar and Dharmendra.

66. During the shooting of Tumsa Nahi Dekha, Shammi Kapoor punched Pran in the nose and it started bleeding. Since Pran was a very senior actor, Shammi Kapoor followed him everywhere, apologising. But Pran shrugged it off and asked filmmaker Nasir Hussain to carry on with the next shot.

Image: Pran in Be-imaan

67. Pran met with an accident while shooting for Dus Numbri. He was 55 years old then but he insisted on jumping 15 feet and broke his ankle. He had to be rushed to the hospital.

68. When Pran and Joy Mukherjee was shooting for Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon, a huge crowd gathered and it was difficult to shoot. Nasir Hussaain asked Pran to speak to the people and ask them to remain silent. Pran did, and the crowd readily agreed.

69. In the film Shaheed, 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. When Manoj Kumar made his directorial debut with Upkarnext, he gave Pran a positive role that changed the course of his career.

Image: Pran in Shaheed

70. After coming to Mumbai, Pran's first film was Ziddi, where the leading lady was Kamini Kaushal. When Kamini Kaushal became a character actress inShaheed, Pran also shifted to positive roles for the first time.

71. For the original Don, Amitabh Bachchan was apparently paid Rs 2.5 lakh while Pran was apparently paid Rs 5 lakh.

72. In 2001, Pran was honoured with the Padma Bhushan for his contribution to Indian cinema.

Image: Pran in Ziddi

73. Waheeda Rahman has the highest regard for Pran. Once, in her younger years, she was attending a party with Pran in Madras. After a few drinks, some of the revelers got tipsy, and it was Pran who came to her rescue.

74. Aruna Irani also holds the actor in the highest regard. Once, Pran was required to escort a young Aruna Irani from Hong Kong to Calcutta to Bombay. But the Bombay flight got delayed, and they had to spend the night in Calcutta. Aruna Irani was very terrified of Pran's onscreen persona but she was very touched when Pran dropped her to her room and said asked her to lock the door from inside and not open the door for anybody.

75. Pran and Ashok Kumar were such close friends that if Pran's film was playing on television and Ashok Kumar was in the bathroom, he would recognise his voice from there.

Image: Pran in Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai

76. Pran would have regular parties at home. The regular guests were Raj Kapoor, Shammi Kapoor, Balraj Kohli, Satish Bhalla and Dilip Kumar.

77. Pran would have lavish Holi celebrations at his residence in Bandra, a western suburb of Mumbai, from 1959. Film personalities would first attend Raj Kapoor's Holi bash, and then head to Pran's residence.

78. Pran played his first double role in Jangal Mein Mangal.

Image: A scene from Jangal Mein Mangal

79. Pran was so pleased with his films in the 1970s that he started his own distribution office in Delhi.

80. Amitabh Bachchan and Pran's older son were very close friends.

81. The most punctual man of the industry, Amitabh Bachchan, once said it was difficult to keeping pace with Pran's punctuality.

Image: Pran in Amar Akbar Anthony

82. 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.

83. Pran married Shukla in 1945. He was 21 then and had already acted in six films.

84. In the film Badi Behen, Pran adopted the trademark action of blowing perfect smoke rings while smoking his cigarettes.

Image: A scene from Yamla Jat

85. There is proof that Pran acted in 30 films in between 1940 and 1949. But in reality, Pran has acted in more than 30 films but the records for those were lost in Partition.

86. Before Pran shifted to Bandra and rented a two bedroom flat in Pali Hill, he lived in Mazagaon, central Mumbai. When Pran's youngest daughter was three, he bought a bungalow in Union Park, Bandra.

87. Pran used to carry a rampuri knife for protection before Partition. Later, he gave up that habit.

Image: Pran in Aan Baan

More

88. Pran was a huge follower of a Fakir Kammo Baba, whom he would visit frequently till he died 20 years back.

89. Pran started his career in 1939 even before Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand and Dilip Kumar entered the film industry.

90. 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.

91. Pran and Dilip Kumar worked in many memorable films together like Devdas, Madhumati, Dil Diya Dard Liya, Ram Aur Shyam and Aadmi.

92. It was Pran who convinced Manoj Kumar to take up Aadmi. Manoj Kumar did not want to work in Aadmi because he thought he would be overshadowed by the thespian.

Image: Pran and Dilip Kumar in Ram Aur Shyam

Pran with his Family

standing left to right - Vivek bhalla (son-in-law), Sunil sikand(son), Sunaina sikand(granddaughter), Jyoti sikand(daughter-in-law),mrs.s.bhalla(daughter's mother-in-law), Chitra sikand(daughter-in-law), Pinky bhalla(daughter), swati bhalla(granddaughter) andarvind sikand(son) sitting left to right - arjun sikand(grandson), mr.& mrs.Pran, Siddharth sikand(grandson) kneeling - Yuvraj bhalla(grandson)



Dinshaw Mehta - An Ardent Fan	Dinshaw Mehta 2007	Pran Playing With His Grand Children	Sikands at a FamilyFunction


Greetings from Waheeda Rehman 2009	Greetings from Vidya Balan 2009	With Asha Parekh 2009	At Home On His 80th birthday 2000


Remembering Old Times with Aruna Irani 2009	With Prem Chopra 2009	With Farah Khan 2009	With Shammi, the Birthday Girl-May 20009


Pran with great grandson Amar Pran -2006	Pran with children-12 Feb 2006	Pran'S birthday with Shammi Kapoor -12 Feb 2006	Pran & Shukla-60th Anniversary


Cheers	Pran & Shukla-60th Anniversary-18 April 2005	Pran & Jackie Shroff-12 feb 2006	Pran & grandchildren -12 Feb.2006


Pran 1941	Dharmendra,Dara Singh, Shammi Kapoor, Pran & Dilip Kumar 2008	At Pran's Birthday Party 12th February, 2008	Family at Pran's Birthday Party 12th February, 2008


Pran,Shukla with grand children and great grand children,Amar Pran & Lina Malti 2009	Great grand children-Amar Pran & Lina Malti 2009	The Love Birds 2006	Pran's Birthday 2008


Shammi kapoor and Pran 2009	Happy Birthday Pran 2009	Cake cutting 2009	Feeding his wife, Shukla 2009


The Family at Pran AND Shukla's Golden Anniversary	Collection of pipes	Pran	Silver Wedding Anniversary

With Noorjehan	With Manmohan Desai	Jairaj and Pran	Pran and Shukla

Football Charity Match	Cheers	With Good Friend Rana	With Family

With Wife Shukla	With F.C.Mehra	With Prakash Mehra	Pran and Shukla

With Rishi Kapoor and Nana Patekar	With Mr. and Mrs. Vijay Anand	With Rishi and Randhir Kapoor	With Waheeda, Shashi, Gulshan Rai and Rajeev Rai

With Dilip Kumar	With Suresh Oberoi	With Meenakshi Sheshadri	With Shammi Kapoor and Raaj Kumar

With Nutan	With Yash Chpra	With Sunil Dutt And Dilip Kumar	With Amithabh Bachchan

With Dharmendra	The Family	With Dilip Kumar	With Prem Chopra And Wife

With G.P Sippy

Pran-HIS LIFE AND ACHIEVEMENTS
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pran

Awards and honours

[edit]Filmfare Awards

1967 - Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for Upkaar
1969 - Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for Aanso Ban Gaye Phool
1972 - Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for Be-Imaan (Pran refused to accept this award stating that the Filmfare Award for Best Music Director should have gone to Ghulam Mohammed for Pakeezah and not to Shankar Jaikishan for Be-imaan) ^[19]
1997 - Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award

[edit]Bengal Film Journalists' Association Awards

1961 - BFJA Awards: Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Jis Desh Men Ganga Behti Hai ^[20]
1966 - BFJA Awards: Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Shaheed ^[21]
1973 - BFJA Awards: Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Zanjeer ^[22]

[edit]Other awards and recognitions

1973 - Chitrlok Cine Circle Ahmedabad: "Best Character Award".^[23]
1976 - Bombay Film Award: Most Versatile Actor.
1978 - Bombay Film Award: Most Versatile Actor.
1978 - North Bombay Jaycees: Best Character Actor.
1983 - Kala Bhushan Award presented by Punjabi Kala Sangam.
1984 - "Extra Ordinary Special Award as Wizard of Acting" by Bombay Film Award.
1984 - "Viyayshree Award" presented for enriching Human Life and Outstanding Attainments India Int. Friendship Society).
1984 - "Ars Gratia Artis" for excellence in emotive Art.
1984 - Filmgoers Award: Reigning "Abhinay Samrat".
1987 - North Bombay Jaycees: Outstanding Performance of Decade.
1990 - Kala Rattan Award presented by Punjabi Kal Sangam for 50 glorious Years.
1990 - Punjab Association: an Award for 50 years in the Industry.
1990 - Southall Lion's Club London: "In recognition of Invaluable Services to Charity at the Celebration of Golden Jubilee of his services tot Film Industry.
1991 - Cinegoers Award: "Abhinay Samrat Golden Jubilee Award".
1992 - Outstanding contribution to Indian Film Industry, Indian Motion Pictures Producers' Association.^[23]
2000 - Star Screen Lifetime Achievement Award
2000 - Zee Cine Award for Lifetime Achievement ^[11]
2000 - "Villain of the Millennium" by Stardust Award.^[8]
2001 - Padma Bhushan, India's third highest civilian award from the Government of India.^[24]
2004 - Lifetime Achievement Award instituted by the Maharashtra Government.^[8]
2010 - Phalke Icon and Legendary Cine Versatile Cine Star Award by Dadasaheb Phalke Academy. [1] [2]