New Delhi: Pran Krishan Sikand, popularly known as Pran, was a difficult actor to mimic. He had a voice that could fill an entire theatre, something which very few actors such as Amitabh or Dharmendra could achieve, also his style of dialogue delivery made it difficult for voice-over artists to copy exactly. The killer pauses and the chewed words were a kind of exercise in voice modulation and acting. Even if he said, 'barkhurdaar' or 'koi chance nahin', people imagined the twisted lips behind the menacing attitude.
Sher Khan (Zanjeer) dwelled on a separate island than Gajendra (Ram Aur Shyam). Similarly, Raka (Jis Desh Men Ganga Behti Hai) had a different agenda than Malang Chacha (Upkar), but one thing that always grabbed the viewer's attention is the ocean of mild emotions that lurked behind those piercing eyes.
Pran's act in Majboor sometimes confused the audience about his actual identity and it is here where he excelled as an actor. This was his strength, the way he dodged the imagination of the audience was in itself mesmerising. Pran could be loathed, could be hated for his atrocities made on countless heroines, and sometimes heroes, that too of the calibre of Dilip Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan, but he always hinted towards the possibility of a simple man's presence beneath the cunning exterior of the character.
He could dance with Helen (Gumnaam) in the most audacious way, yet he remained the channel of suspicion open about a villain's sudden change of heart. Pran was unlike many of his contemporaries who were hell bent on promoting their characters as an out-and-out bad guy. He probably understood the nuances of playing a grey character before the era of grey characters started in the Hindi film industry.
A man of humble origin, who started his career as a positive lead, became successful as a villain. Such a career graph demonstrates how Pran understood the need of the hour and changed himself accordingly. He was familiar with the pre-independence era and thus knew the changing social patterns. It was visible on his selection of roles as well. Bahar, Azaad, Kab, Kyon, Kahan, Shaheed, Don, Majboor, Bobby, Naseeb, Sanam Bewafa and Mrityudata, Pran used the medium like a chameleon, who blended the volatile attitude of a baddie with the conviction of a working class hero.
Had he not been there, probably Vijay Khanna couldn't have evolved. He pushed the heroes to act like a hero, his presence was a constant threat to the lead because one mistake and the scene could tilt in favour of the antagonist.
His origin and the humility made him the people's actor. Even when playing the most dreaded villain, the viewer's heart always wished to see a change of heart. Nobody wanted a flawed yet amiable man to be defeated.
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