images credits(abplive.com)
Hindi cinema actor Pradeep Kumar won millions of hearts with his acting. On the big screen, he was always seen as a king, emperor and royal prince, but in real life his journey was equally struggling and difficult. Know the career story of the actor on the occasion of his death anniversary.
Took the biggest decision of life at the age of 17
Since childhood, films and acting were very close to Pradeep Kumar’s heart. This was the reason why he entered the world of acting at the early age of 17. This decision of his proved to change the direction of his life.
Pradeep Kumar was born on 19 January 1925 in Kolkata. Since childhood, he was more inclined towards acting. Participating in plays and dramas in school and neighborhood became a special hobby for him.
At an early age, he realized that the film world was his dream and he would pursue this dream for the rest of his life. This decision taken at the age of 17 was the first and most important step in his life.
Made his mark in Hindi cinema after starting his journey from Bengali films.
His film journey started from Bengali cinema. Bengali film director Devaki Bose saw his acting in a play and was impressed and gave him the lead role in his film ‘Alaknanda’ (1947). The film was not a big hit at the box office, but Pradeep Kumar’s acting and his screen presence were successful in attracting the attention of the audience and filmmakers. After this he worked in many Bengali films, which included films like ‘Bhooli Naay’ and ‘Swami’.
After Bengali films, he turned towards Hindi cinema. In the year 1952, Pradeep Kumar played an important role in the film ‘Anand Math’. After this, he played the lead role in the film ‘Anarkali’ with Bina Rai in 1953 and in ‘Nagin’ with Vyjayanthimala in 1954. These films gave him recognition on the big screen. The audience immediately liked him because of his royal and attractive image.
His pairing with Madhubala and Meena Kumari was a hit.
Pradeep Kumar also did many successful films with big actresses like Madhubala and Meena Kumari. He worked with Madhubala in eight films, which include ‘Raj Hath’, ‘Shirin-Farhad’, and ‘Yehudi Ki Ladki’. At the same time, he did seven films with Meena Kumari, the prominent ones being ‘Chitralekha’, ‘Bahu-Begum’, and ‘Bheegi Raat’. As he grew older, he had to play supporting roles instead of leading roles. Despite this, he also worked with big actors like Amitabh Bachchan, Sunny Deol and Manoj Kumar.
Awards won for significant contribution to Hindi cinema
Pradeep Kumar’s art and hard work not only brought him box office success but also gave him a special place in the hearts of the audience. Pradeep Kumar was honored many times for his contribution. He won a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999. Despite his success on screen, his personal life was full of sorrows. He often went through loneliness. After a long illness, Pradeep Kumar died on 27 October 2001 in Kolkata. He breathed his last at the age of 76.
