When a villain was India's highest-paid actor, richer than Amitabh, was so feared kids weren't named after him for years

In the 70s, when Amitabh Bachchan was climbing the ladder of superstardom, a villain managed to charge more than him.

Traditionally, heroes have always been the USPs of films. From posters to billboards, the protagonists have dominated films' marketing. That ensures that they are the highest-paid on a film set, more often than not. But in the 70s, at the height of Amitabh Bachchan's popularity, there was a villain who was India's highest-paid actor. And he remained so even after rejecting lead roles countless times. (

The villain who was India's highest paid actor

When a villain was India's highest-paid actor

Born in 1920, Pran Kishan Sikand came to be known as Pran in Hindi cinema. One of the most iconic villains in Bollywood, Pran began as a hero in Punjabi and Hindi films in 1940 before moving to negative characters in the late 1940s. From then to the 1980s, Pran was the numero uno villain in Hindi cinema, showing his mettle in Ram Aur Shyam, Madhumati, Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai, and Kashmir Ki Kali, among others.

Pran with Dilip Kumar in Ram Aur Shyam (1967)

By the late 60s, Pran was featured prominently on posters. His inclusion in films was advertised. This led to the actor hiking his fees as well. As per Sakal Times, from 1968-82, he charged several lakhs per film, even more than the established heroes of the time, including Manoj Kumar, Jeetendra, Dharmendra, Sunil Dutt, Vinod Khanna, and even Amitabh Bachchan. For a while, Rajesh Khanna was the highest-paid actor in India. But after his superstardom ended abruptly in the mid-70s, Pran took over the mantle. Until Amitabh Bachchan hiked his fees past ₹12 lakh in the early 80s, Pran stayed on top.

Starting in the 1960s, Pran did more positive, supporting roles alongside big superstars

Pran's move to character roles

Even when he was doing negative roles, every once in a while, Pran experimented with positive or grey characters, even doing lead roles in Halaku, among others. He began moving to character roles in the 60s, with Manoj Kumar films like Shaheed, Upkar, and Purab Aur Pashchim. In the 70s, his positive roles overshadowed the villainous acts as he appeared in Zanjeer, Victoria No 203, Amar Akbar Anthony, and Sharaabi, among others.

When the name 'Pran' was feared

During the peak of his villainy in the 1950s and 60s, Pran's name became synonymous with the 'bad guy' in much of Hindi-speaking India. Reports suggest that many parents refused to name their kids Pran during that time, resulting in a sharp drop in the number of people named Pran in India.

Pran in Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai, one of his most iconic roles

Pran continued to act in supporting roles through the 1980s and 90s before retiring from acting after he suffered a heart attack in 1998. After 2000, he only appeared in a handful of guest appearances. He passed away in 2013 at the age of 93.