#GoldenFrames: Pradeep Kumar, the legendary actor of Indian Cinema

Pradeep Kumar was recognised for his work in Hindi and Bengali movies. He started his career on stage and eventually moved to movies. His good looks played an important part in being cast as a prince or king. He enjoyed a prolific career as a lead actor, followed by character roles later in life.

In This Pic : pradeep kumar, goldenframes

Pic Courtesy : FILMFARE.COM

Born as Sital Batabyal on January 4, 1925, to an orthodox Brahmin family in West Bengal, he had a disciplined childhood. When Batabyal was 17, he showed interest in acting, to which his father disapproved. But he didn't give up and began acting on stage. During one of his plays, a well-known filmmaker Debaki Bose was impressed by Batabyal's performance. He got his screen name Pradeep Kumar from Debaki Bose.

In This Pic : pradeep kumar, goldenframes

The actor made his debut in the Bengali movie 'Alaknanda', followed by 'Biyalish' (1951). Kumar's dreams got bigger and he soon made his base in Mumbai. He landed a job with Filmistan Studio. The actor brushed up his language skills in Hindi and Urdu.

In This Pic : pradeep kumar, goldenframes

Eventually, Kumar debuted in the Hindi movie 'Anand Math' (1952) alongside Prithviraj Kapoor and Geeta Bali. The movie's story was based on the 18th century with nationalist attributes. The song "Vande Mataram" from the movie was a hit.

(Photo: Still from the movie 'Anand Math')

In This Pic : pradeep kumar, goldenframes, geeta bali

Soon, Kumar's career escalated to the top. The actor worked with Bina Rai in 'Anarkali' (1953) and impressed the audience with his prolific acting. In the movie, he played the role of Mughal prince Salim, whereas Bina played the role of Anarkali. Their doomed romance on-screen touched many hearts.

(Photo: Still from the movie 'Anarkali')

In This Pic : pradeep kumar, goldenframes, Bina Rai