'Zanjeer,' 'Kaalia': Revisiting Pran's noteworthy films with Amitabh Bachchan
Have you noticed how late legendary actor Pran's name was often mentioned separately in films' end credits? Such was his stature and the reverence he commanded in the industry. His effortless ability to personify evil onscreen made him filmmakers' first choice to lend weight to negative roles. One of his most iconic collaborations was with superstar Amitabh Bachchan. On Pran's birth anniversary, revisit some.
'Don' (1978)
If reports are anything to go by, Pran took home more than leading man Bachchan for the genre-defining Don! In this 1978 release, Pran played the character of Jasjit, a poor widower. The Chandra Barot directorial also starred Zeenat Aman, Iftekhar, Om Shivpuri, Helen, Yusuf Khan, and Mac Mohan, among others. Written by Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar, it is now streaming on ZEE5.
'Zanjeer' (1973)
It's tough not to be enamored by Pran's character as Pathan Sher Khan in the uber-successful action drama film Zanjeer (1973). It is even said that he had recommended Bachchan's name to director Prakash Mehra for Zanjeer, and the rest, of course, is history. Pran also memorably shook a leg on its immortal song Yaari Hai Imaan Mera. Catch the evergreen classic on YouTube.
'Kaalia' (1981)
Pran again rubbed shoulders with Big B for Kaalia, a Tinnu Anand directorial known for its star-studded ensemble: Parveen Babi, Asha Parekh, Kader Khan, Amjad Khan, and Jagdeep. IMDb describes its story as, "Jailed for robbing his brother's unscrupulous employer, a simpleton has a transformation while in prison, emerging with a violent mission for revenge." While Bachchan essayed a prisoner, Pran played a jailor.
'Amar Akbar Anthony' (1977)
A masterclass on how to weave a compelling story while not compromising on entertainment, Amar Akbar Anthony is a testament to the good old Hindi cinema that thrived on dialogue-baazi, music, and dance. The Manmohan Desai directorial also featured Rishi Kapoor, Vinod Khanna, and Neetu Singh and is the story of three brothers separated at birth. You can watch it on Amazon Prime Video.
This is how Big B had described Pran
While remembering Pran on his 100th birth anniversary in 2020, Bachchan shared photos with him on X and wrote, "The sophisticated elegance of dignified presence. A demeanor of a quiet un pronounced, unmistakable marked discipline (sic)." "The tenderness of a considerate colleague. Soft-spoken, reserved, Urdu verse literate, and all other justifiable similar sentiments, for the gentleman called Pran." "This is a distinction beyond par!"
