Mumbai, Oct 27 (IANS) Bollywood star Jackie Shroff remembered legendary actor Pradeep Kumar on his 25th death anniversary.
He paid a tribute to the star who was known for his regal screen presence and memorable performances that made him one of the recognisable faces of Hindi cinema’s golden era.
Jackie took to his social media account to share a black-and-white portrait of Pradeep Kumar, accompanied by the words, “Pradeep Kumar Ji. Always in our hearts”, along with the actor’s birth and death dates — January 4, 1925, and October 27, 2001.
The tribute featured the song “Jo Wada Kiya” from the 1963 period musical ‘Taj Mahal’, featuring Pradeep Kumar and Bina Rai. Sung by Lata Mangeshkar and Mohammed Rafi, the romantic duet went on to become an evergreen hit.
For the uninitiated, Pradeep Kumar enjoyed a humongous popularity during the 1950s, especially with his portrayals of princes, kings and romantic leads. Born Sital Batabyal in Calcutta, he began his acting journey in Bengali films before moving to Bombay and making his mark in Hindi cinema with ‘Anand Math’ in 1952.
His breakthrough came with ‘Anarkali’ in 1953, in which he played Prince Salim opposite Bina Rai, followed by ‘Nagin’ 1954 in which he starred opposite Vyjayanthimala. He went on to feature in films such as ‘Raj Hath’, ‘Shirin Farhad’, ‘Gateway of India’, ‘Aarti’, ‘Chitralekha’, ‘Bheegi Raat’ and ‘Bahu Begum’.
One of the defining films of his career was ‘Taj Mahal’ in 1963, in which he portrayed Mughal emperor Shah Jahan opposite Bina Rai as Mumtaz Mahal. The film’s music, composed by Roshan, gave audiences many memorable songs, including “Jo Wada Kiya”, “Paaon Chhoo Lene Do” and “Jo Baat Tujh Mein Hai”.
Among his other popular songs were “Zindagi Pyar Ki Do Chaar Ghadi” from ‘Anarkali’, “Tere Dwar Khada Ek Jogi” from ‘Nagin’, “Ab Kya Misaal Doon” from ‘Aarti’, “Dil Jo Na Keh Saka” from ‘Bheegi Raat’ and “Hum Intezaar Karenge” from ‘Bahu Begum’.
Pradeep Kumar died on October 27, 2001, at the age of 76.
–IANS
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