Dadasaheb Phalke award for Pran

The arch villain of Bollywood, Pran Krishan Sikand - or Pran as he is popularly known - was Friday named for the Dadasaheb Phalke award.

The actor turned 93 in February this year.

Confirming the news, a source from the Information & Broadcasting Ministry told IANS: "Yes, he (Pran) is getting Dadasaheb Phalke award."

Pran acted in over 400 movies in a career spanning over six decades and played a vast range of roles -- from a hero to a villain to a character artist.

He became a symbol of hatred after his portrayals of a bad guy in a series of films including hits like "Madhumati", "Ziddi" and "Ram Aur Shyam".

If he played a villain to the hilt, he was equally good when he stepped into character roles and won many hearts as loveable Mangal Chacha in "Upkar", thoroughly entertained as street-smart fraud in "Victoria No. 203", and epitomised on-screen friendship in the role of a rough but kind Pathan in "Zanjeer".