Shatrughan Sinha: “Upkar, where Pran Saab stole the show from the hero-director-producer Manoj Kumar. For a villain to transform so effortlessly into the epitome of human kindness, Malang Chacha. Hats off! I also loved him in Raj Kapoor’s Bobby. He was a disciplinarian father but never cruel.”
Amitabh Bachchan: “Madhumati, Johnny Mera Naam, Zanjeer….so many!”
Sudhir Mishra: “Johnny Mera Naam and Zanjeer. He played almost parallel parts to the hero.”
Aanand Rai: “Where do I begin? Do I single out Pran Saab in Upkar? Or do I talk about Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai, Parichay or Madhumati? Pran Saab was never anything but brilliant. To single out any one performance would be doing an injustice to the greatness of this actor. So I’d say the best film performance of Pran Saab is the one that he did not give in a forthcoming film.”
Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra: “Upkar. His character was very inspiring, and he played it with élan.”
Prasoon Joshi: “For me, it would be Upkar, thanks to Manoj Kumar, it widened Pran Saab’s range. The film revolved around his physically disabled character. It echoes to this day.”
Rahul Dholakia: “Kaalia…Pran Saab’s character Raghuveer Singh was a very interesting jailor.”
Shoojit Sircar: “In Madhumati, I was scared of him. I hated him. He looked royal yet terrifying. That sequence when he was riding the horse through the market was frightening.”
Ketan Mehta: “Shaheed…He changed his image completely and gave ghazab ka performance.”
Arjun Rampal: “Sher Khan in Zanjeer. He was the only actor who could stand tall with Mr Bachchan.”
Sujoy Ghosh: “I loved so many of his films. Half Ticket, Victoria 203, Nanha Farishta, Don and Kasauti.
Gulshan Grover: “Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai. The nuances made the performance remarkably subtle. Actually, I am a mega-fan of Pran Saab’s work, and it’s difficult for me to pick one. I’ve had the rare honour of watching his films not only in the theatre but also on 30 VHS tapes of Pran Saab’s work and scenes. An overseas fan of Pran Saab had made these tapes for him and he gave me the rare honour of watching them.”
Bejoy Nambiar: “The obvious choice would be Sher Khan in Zanjeer. But I really liked him Naseeb, Amar Akbar Anthony, Johnny Mera Naam and the cameo as himself in Guddi. He was a legend who could stand up to any superstar.”
Raza Murad: “Kehar Singh of Shaheed. He appears on screen as a ruthless, illiterate, short-tempered condemned prisoner who is unconcerned about the freedom struggle of fellow prisoners. Then, watching the plight of freedom fighters, he undergoes a change of heart. Before going to the gallows, he expresses a desire to shake hands with a shareef aadmi like Bhagat Singh. Pran Saab performed this scene without a tear. Yet the audience could feel his emotions. Pran Saab was a giant of an actor. Spine-chilling in his evil on screen, he could create terror with his piercing gaze and booming voice. He dominated the screen for almost 60 years. No one could rival him. His contribution is unparalleled. His presence was an asset to every film. He didn’t belong to any camp. He didn’t go out of his way to please any producer. He was a loving, humorous, generous sports lover. He was punctual, dedicated, committed, highly emotional, a true friend and a bankable actor.”
