Pradeep Kumar-Biography

Pradeep Kumar was born in early 1925 in West Bengal He was an Bengali and Hindi film actor. When Pradeep Kumar was 17 years old, he decided to take up acting. Pradeep started his film career in Bengali films. His notable roles Bengali films were in Alaknanda(1947) directed by renowned filmmaker Debaki Bose and in '42 (1951).




Kumar then shifted to Bombay and Filmistan studios, and had an important role in the film Anand Math (1952). Kumar played the lead role with Bina Rai in Anarkali (1953) and with Vyjayanthimala in Nagin (1954).

Both films were very popular and had songs that added to the movies success. Pradeep Kumar had a spate of releases in the second half of the 1950s. He did not enjoy as much success in the 1960s, though Ghunghat (1960) , Taj Mahal (1963) and Aarti were successful.

Pradeep Kumar also worked with Meena Kumari in seven films that were Adal-E-Jahangir, Bandhan, Chitralekha, Bahu Begum, Bheegi Raat, Aarti and Noor Jahan and with Mala Sinha in eight films - Naya Zamana, Hemlet, Badshah, Detective, Faishon, Ek Shola, Duniya Na Maane, Mitti Mein Sona.

Kumar did not get to act in lead roles with the newer heroines of the 1960s like Sadhana, Saira Banu, Babita or Sharmila Tagore, though he did work with Asha Parekh in Ghunghat and Meri Surat Teri Aankhen and with Waheeda Rehman in Raakhi(1963).

In 1969, he moved to character roles with Sambandh, but did not have many visible roles till Razia Sultan in 1983. Pradeep also won the Kalakar Award-Lifetime Achievement Award in the year 1999. This royal actor died in Calcutta on October 28, 2001, at the age of 76.