No one to receive Pran's Phalke award

Legendary actor Pran could not make it to the 60th National Film Awards ceremony Friday here to receive Dadasaheb Phalke honour for health reasons. However, no one from his family was present either to receive the award on behalf of the 93-year-old.

The actor, who 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, was named for the highest civilian award in the field of cinema.

Pran became a symbol of villainy 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 Malang 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".