Villian who once earned more than Amitabh Bachchan, Vinod Khanna, Dharmendra; A name that vanished from birth certificates - Pran

In an industry built on heroes, one man dared to play the villain—and still walked away with more fame, respect, and money than most leading men. Pran Krishan Sikand, known to generations of moviegoers simply as Pran, didn’t just act in films—he owned the screen, often casting a longer shadow than the heroes themselves.

Such was his impact that audiences feared him off-screen too. In an interview with Dr. Rajiv Vijayakar, Pran once shared, "As a villain, I was so effective that people were scared of me in real life. When I went to someone's house in Delhi for tea, his young sister was whisked out of my sight. My friend later phoned me and said his sister had fought with him for bringing a bad man into the house."

More Expensive Than the HeroesIn a DNA report, between the late 1960s and early 1980s, Pran wasn’t just a powerful screen presence—he was Bollywood’s financial powerhouse. At the peak of his career, he commanded a fee higher than some of the most celebrated stars of the time, including Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, Vinod Khanna, Sunil Dutt, and Jeetendra.

That wasn't by accident. Producers knew that a film with Pran added gravitas and guaranteed ticket sales. Whether he played a conniving relative, a ruthless dacoit, or a menacing underworld boss, audiences loved to hate him—and couldn’t look away.

Refused to Be a HeroIronically, offers for lead roles came knocking, but Pran was never tempted. He wasn’t interested in prancing around trees or mouthing romantic dialogues. He preferred roles with grit, substance, and moral ambiguity.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t be a hero—he just didn’t want to be one. For him, the villain had more meat. More depth. More challenge. And it showed in every performance he delivered.

A Name That Disappeared from Birth CertificatesPran’s portrayal of evil was so convincing, so chilling, that the name “Pran” itself took a hit in the real world. In the 1960s and '70s, parents stopped naming their sons after him. It became too closely associated with fear, deceit, and wickedness—proof of just how seriously audiences took his work.But over time, his image softened. As he transitioned into character roles later in his career.
Pran gradually stepped away from prominent supporting roles in films during the late 1980s and 1990s. After suffering a heart attack in 1998, he became increasingly selective about his projects. The iconic actor passed away in 2013 at the age of 93, leaving behind a cinematic legacy that remains unmatched.