PRADEEP KUMAR- The Royal Hero of Bollywood

 

When you think of the actor Pradeep Kumar, immediately the image of a Mughal Emperor or a prince emerges in our mind. He was the first choice to play prince/king in numerous Hindi films. He was a hero of many period films. Even though he acted in films of other genres, he is famous for his portrayals of kings and princes. His splendid performance as Prince Salim in Nandlal Jaswantlal’s tragic love story Anarkali, and as Shah Jahan in M. Sadiq’s Taj Mahal, demonstrated his ability to slip into royal roles with ease.

Pradeep Kumar (born Sital Batabyal; 4 January 1925 – 27 October 2001) made his debut from a period film Anandmath(1952), he became a sensation with the Bina Rai-starrer Anarkali (1953) and the Vyjayanthimala-starrer Nagin (1954). He had to face a tough competition with the trio of Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand and Raj Kapoor films. He had limited success in the 5os and 60s. in the 1960s, though Ghoonghat (1960), Aarti (1962) & Taj Mahal (1963) were successful many of his films flopped though he worked with Madhubala and Meena Kumari.

He did not get to act with the newer heroines of the 1960s such as Sadhana, Saira Banu, Babita or Sharmila Tagore, though he did work with Asha Parekh in Ghoonghat and Meri Surat Teri Aankhen and with Waheeda Rehman in Raakhi (1963). In 1969, he moved to character roles with Sambandh and Mehboob Ki Mehndi, but did not have many visible roles till Jaanwar and Razia Sultan in 1983.

In 1969, Pradeep saw a glimpse of success once again withSambandh, albeit in a character role. 
He lived a life removed from the spotlight for the next 18 years and died a quiet death on October 27, 2001, at the age of 76.

Pradeep Kumar's famous songs

Song of Anarkali 1953

Song of Nagin 1954

Song of Adaalat 1958

Song of Ghunghat 1960

Song of Aarti 1961

Song of Tajmahal 1963

Song of Chitralekha 1964

Song of Bheegi Raat 1965

Song of Bahu Begum 1967

Remembering PRADEEP KUMAR on his Death Anniversary

Born to orthodox brahmin parents on  4th January 1925 in West Bengal, Pradeep bided his time till he was 17 years old before he announced his decision to pursue an acting career. Despite his father's disapproval, Pradeep began acting on stage.He made his debut from  a Bengali film, Alaknanda (1947).
 Pradeep Kumr moved to Mumbai and found a job in the bustling Filmistan Studio. He brushed up on his Hindi and learnt Urdu in a bid to make an impression in his first Hindi film, Anand Math(1952). 

His career escalated to the top with two hugely successful musical hits -- the Bina Rai-starrer Anarkali (1953) and the Vyjayanthimala-starrer Nagin (1954).
Pradeep Kumar's regal demeanour won him legions of fans. He went on a signing spree (in 1956, he had 10 releases) and inked deals with V Shantaram (Subah Ka Tara) and Raj Kapoor (Jagte Raho).

He worked with all the heroines of that Era like  Nimmi (Jayshree), Nargis (Adalat), Nutan (Heer), Meena Kumari (Bandhan) but his pairing with Bina rai  seemed to have stilled the wings of time. This teaming salvaged Pradeep's career from the late-1950s dip, first with Ghunghat (1960) and more decisively with Taj Mahal (1963). Even a decade afterAnarkali, Pradeep could evoke a regal aura while playing love-struck Mughal royalty. Roshan's dulcet duet, Paon chhu lene do toh and Jo vaada kiya from Taj Mahal, like an unforgettable promise, continue to haunt radio listeners even today.
In 1962 his film Aarti with Meena Kumari was a super hit. Aarti's success ensured that Pradeep and Meena worked unceasingly in a series of films. Pradeep once said, "Meena and I made a fine pair and worked very well together, but her husband did not like our friendship."
Two of them worked together in some of the memorable films, Chitralekha (1964),Bheegi Raat(1965),Bahu Begum(1966) and Noorjehan(1967).
In 1969, Pradeep saw a glimpse of success once again withSambandh, albeit in a character role. 
He lived a life removed from the spotlight for the next 18 years and died a quiet death on October 27, 2001, at the age of 76.

Pradeep Kumar's famous songs

Zindagi pyar ki do char from Anarkali

Tere dwar khada ek jogi from Naagin 1954

Yeh vaada karo chaand from Raajhath

Zameen se hume aasman from Adaalat 1958

Yeh kissne geet chheda from Meri Surat Teri Aankhen

Ab kya misaal doon from Aarti 1965

Jo vaada kiya from Tajmahal 1963

Dil jo na keh saka from Bheegi Raat 1965

Jis dil mein basa tha from Saheli 1965

Hum intezaar karenge from Bahu Begum 1967