Prayag Raj (1935-2003) was an Indian writer, director and actor. He worked in several hit Bollywood films, including “Gair Kaanooni” (1989), “Coolie” (1983) and “Ponga Pandit” (1975). In addition to acting, he also directs, sings, and writes songs. He passed away at his residence in Bandra on September 23, 2023 due to age-related illnesses.
Wiki/Biography
Prayag Raj Sharma was born in 1935 in Allahabad, United Provinces of British India (now Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India) (age 88; time of death). Prayag’s father died when he was very young, after which he moved to Mumbai. He went to school locally in Mumbai. While in school, he started working as a theater actor in Prithvi Theatre. He was nine years old at the time and took the job to support his family. He worked in the theater for sixteen years, writing and directing many plays.
family
Parents and siblings
Prayag’s father’s name is Ram Das Azad. He is a popular poet. Prayag died at a very young age.
wife and children
Prayag’s husband Pushpa Raaj, a writer, died in 2008. His wife’s real name is Rabiya Khatoon. He has two sons, Aditya Raaj as an assistant director and Rahul Raaj as a dubbing artist.
Profession
writer
Prayag made his debut as a screenwriter in 1963 by writing dialogues for the film Phool Bane Angaare.
He has worked as a screenwriter on more than 100 films. He co-wrote the screenplay for the film Juaari (1968). In the same year, he wrote additional dialogues for the film Jhuk Gaya Aasman. He began playing backup for producer duo Ismail Merchant and James Ivory. His first film with them was 1963’s “The Head of the House.” He wrote the dialogues for the Hindi version of the film. In 1965, he wrote with them the screenplay for the film “Shakespeare-Walla”.
He had a long-running collaboration with the duo on such films as “In Custody” (1994) and “Cotton Mary” (1999). Other film scripts he wrote include “Bhai Ho To Aisa” (1972), “Roti” (1974), “Parvarish” (1977), “Desh Premee” (1982) and “Allah-Rakha” (1986). 
Director and Assistant Director
In 1965, he worked as an assistant director in the film Jab Jab Phool Khile. In 1972, he made his directorial debut with the film Kundan. The film didn’t get much recognition, but Prayag said in an interview that the film made three times the amount of money invested.
He is best known for directing the 1983 film Coolie.
Prayag Raj (centre) and Amitabh Bachchan during the filming of the film Coolie
Other films he directed include “Paap Aur Punya” (1974), “Ponga Pandit” (1975), “Chor Sipahee” (1977), “Hifazat” (1987), “Gair Kaanooni” (1989) and “Oonch Neech Beech” 》 (1989).
He was the second unit director on the film Cotton Mary (1999).
actor
In 1948, Prayag made his acting debut as a child artist in the film Aag.
In 1951, he starred in the movie “Avalla”. He had small roles in many films, including The Professor (1962), The Master (1969), Sacha Jutta (1970), My Love (1970), Bombay Talkies (1970) ) and Prateeksha (1993).
singer
In the film “Shakespeare-Wallah” (1965), he composed and composed the song “Dil Dhadke”. He received special credit on the album for this song. He sang choruses on songs like “Yahoo!” Composed songs for the film Junglee (1961), Affu Khuda composed the songs Affo Khudaa Hum Ko Tum Pe Pyar Aya for the film Jab Jab Phool Khile (1965), and composed Accident Ho Gaya (Alla Rakha) for the film Coolie (1983).
He composed the tunes used in Prithvi Theater plays in the 1940s and recorded them on CD. He re-created the notation and interludes of the music. The CD is titled “Unforgettable Songs from Prithvi Theater Plays”.
die
Prayag, who had been battling heart disease and age-related issues for a long time, passed away on September 23, 2023, at his residence in Bandra. His last rites were performed at Shivaji Park Crematorium, Dadar. After news of his death broke, actors Amitabh Bachchan, Anil Kapoor and Shabana Azmi took to social media to express their condolences. Anil Kapoor shared a photo with Prayag from the sets of the film Hifazat on the X website and wrote:
I am very saddened by the death of late Prayag Raj. It was an honor to work with him on Hifazat. May his soul rest in peace. ”
I am very saddened by the death of late Prayag Raj. It was an honor to work with him on “Hifazat”. May his soul rest in peace. 🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/Al4RP7poFb
— Anil Kapoor (@AnilKapoor) September 24, 2023
Facts/Trivia
- While he was working in Prithvi Theatre, he became close friends with actor Shashi Kapoor, who was the same age as Prayag.
- Prayag used to play important roles in different dramas on the silver screen. He was also an understudy for Raj Kapoor, Shammi Kapoor and Shashi Kapoor, who also worked in the same theatre. After practicing drama during the day, he often received additional training in the evenings from film producers M.Sadiq and Lekh Tandon.
- After appearing in many films, he decided to write films because he was more interested in writing and filmmaking. He first got the chance to work as a screenwriter on a project with Lekh Tandon and Shammi Kapoor, but the film never saw release.
- In an interview, while talking about his love for singing, he mentioned that he initially wanted to pursue a career in playback singing, but decided to quit when he realized that he would have to face a lot of difficulties in the industry.
- His last film as an additional writer was the 1997 film Deewana Mastana.
- Prayag created the film Zamaanat: And Justice for All, which was released in 2021. The film was created in 1996; however, due to financial problems faced by the production, the film was not released until ten years later.
- His name is also spelled as Prayag Raaj Sharma.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education