Pran

Since veteran actor Pran will not be able to travel to New Delhi to receive the Dadasaheb Phalke Award on conditions of ill health, the Directorate of Film Festivals (DFF) has decided that the award will be given to him in absentia. The special delegation of the DFF will fly down to Mumbai and present Pran with the award. "They (DFF) have told the family that they will play an audio-visual clip at the award ceremony and then come and give him the award at his home,” said his daughter Pinky.

<strong>Amitabh Bachchan: </strong> “I am delighted. A most deserving recognition.” <strong>Saroj Khan: </strong> “Thank God they gave him the honour while he is breathing. Pran Saheb should have got this award long back. I congratulate him from the bottom of my heart. Long live Pran Saheb.”

Shatrughan Sinha shares his feelings on Pran winning the Dadasaheb Phalke Award. “I'd say the honour is too late too little too delayed but thoroughly deserving for an incomparable actor who is also a kind and helpful human being. <em>Der aaye par durust aaye</em>. Better late than never and I’d like to add better never than ‘late’. What is the point of honouring the dead? We’re fortunate to have Pran Saab with us and that he got the Dadasaheb Phalke award during his lifetime.“

The iconic Pran who was hospitalized is back home and doing very well. So well that one hears the Zanjeer producer Amit Mehra and director Apoorva Lakhia have actually resolved to create a very special cameo for Pran Saab,the “original Sher Khan” , in the new Zanjeer.

There was a pall of gloom and a feeling of dread in Bollywood when news of the 92-year old veteran actor Pran’s hospitalization filtered in. But we can breathe a sigh of relief, at least for now. According to actor Raza Murad who visited Pran Saab on Monday afternoon, the ailing actor is well on the way to recovery and should be discharged from hospital very soon.

On August 28, 2012 this writer had reported in Mumbai Mirror that Sanjay Dutt would be playing the iconic Pathan Sher Khan in Apoorva Lakhia’s remake of Prakash Mehra’s <em>Zanjeer</em>. At that time Dutt and his faithful team stoutly denied the reports and even accused the remakers of cashing in on his name prematurely. Dutt, we hear, was influenced by some of his friends and well-wishers against doing the film. Uncertain about the star’s intentions , the makers of the neo-<em>Zanjeer</em> went and negotiated with Sonu Sood to play Sher Khan.

After Arjun Rampal’s denial, Amit Mehra, the producer of the remake of the Amitabh Bachchan-starrer Zanjeer, Sonu Sood has been approached once again for playing the iconic role of Sher Khan in the film. Confirming that he has been approached for the role, Sonu said, "Yes I have been approached for the role of Sher Khan. But nothing has been finalised yet. I have not confirmed the project on paper yet," Sonu told us. It may be remembered that Pran had given a memorable performance as Sher Khan in Prakash Mehra's 1973 hit <em>Zanjeer</em>.