Prem Nath Malhotra, also known as Prem Nath (1926-1992), was a famous Indian actor and director, known for his contributions to Hindi cinema. He made his debut in the film industry in 1948 with the film “Ajit” and went on to star in more than 100 films during his career.
Wiki/Biography
Prem Nath was born on Sunday, November 21, 1926 in Karimpura area near Ghanta Ghar, Peshawar (age 65 at the time of death). According to his date of birth, he falls under the zodiac sign of Scorpio. After Partition, his family moved to Jubbulpore, now Jabalpur. Later, he moved to Mumbai where he was discovered as an actor.
appearance
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Black
family
Parents and siblings
Prem Nath’s father Kartarnath Malhotra is a senior police officer and Prithviraj Kapoor’s uncle. Unfortunately, Prem Nath lost his mother when he was five years old. His other sister Uma is married to Hindi film guru Prem Chopra, while his sister Krishna is married to Raj Kapoor. His two brothers Rajendra Nath and Narendra Nath are also actors, mainly playing supporting and comedic roles.
Rajendra Nath, brother of Prem Nath
Prem Nath’s brother Narendra Nath
Prem Nath’s sister Krishna Kapoor
Prem Nath’s sister Uma Chopra
wife and children
During the filming of the film “Aurat”, he developed a strong affection for actress Bina Rai and they were eventually married on September 2, 1952. Together they formed a production company called PN Films, producing several films. They are blessed with two children, actors Prem Krishnan and Kailash Nas (also known as Monty). Additionally, they are the grandparents of Prem Krishen’s child actors, Akanksha Malhotra and Siddharth Malhotra. The sons of Kailash Nath are Adiraj and Arjun Malhotra.
Prem Nath with his wife and family
Relationships/Affairs
Prem Nath dated actress Madhubala for a while before meeting his wife Bina Rai.
religion
He believes in Hinduism and is a follower of Lord Shiva.
Profession
Film and Television
After moving to Bombay (now Bombay), Prem Nath joined Prithviraj Kapoor’s Prithvi Theater and became one of its early members. From then on, his journey began and he was discovered as an actor and made his debut in the first color film “Ajit” (1948).
Movie poster – Ajit
Early in his career, he played important roles in Raj Kapoor’s debut film Aag (1948) and Barsaat (1949), both of which were considered critical successes. A few years later, in 1951, Ness starred opposite Madhubara in Badar, a hit at the box office. In 1952, he starred alongside Dilip Kumar in the action-packed Technicolor film Aan, which at the time held the record as India’s highest-grossing film.
Movie Poster – Ann
Prem Nath has starred in several films, often alongside their spouse Bina Rai. Sadly, the films didn’t do well at the box office. They then formed a production company called PN Films and directed a film called Samundar in 1957, which was a commercial failure and remains their only directorial effort. Their starring careers waned over time, and by the early 1960s they were no longer needed for such roles. One of their last leading roles was in the 1963 film Rustom Sohrab.
While his career as a lead character failed, he became more and more famous for his roles as villains or supporting characters. During his career, he starred in several famous films. These include Teesri Manzil (1966), Johny Mera Naam (1970), Tere Mere Sapne (1971), Shor (1972), Bobby (1973), Roti Kapda Aur Makaan (1974), Dharmatma (1975), Kalicharan (1976), Crody (1981) and Desh Premi (1982).
Prem Nath as Rai Sahab in stills from the movie Johny Mera Naam
Also, he acted in the Punjabi religious film Sat Sri Akal (1977).
Movie Poster – Sat Sri Akal
He received a Filmfare nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his performances in Shor (1972), Bobby (1973), Amir Garib (1974) and Roti Kapda Aur Makaan (1974) .
In addition to acting in Hindi films, he appeared in an episode of the 1967 American television series Maya and starred in the 1969 American film Kenna alongside former American football player and actor Jim Brown. He made his final film appearance in Hum Dono (1985) before retiring from acting.
Movie Poster – Hum Dono
other works
After retiring from show business, he embarked on a spiritual journey and authored books in Hindi and English such as Tears of the Heart, Himalayan Kiag and Shradhanjali. He also ventured to Tibet’s Mount Kailas in the 1950s and created a travel documentary titled Kailas Darshan (1957).
die
In 1992, just 18 days before his birthday, Prem Nath died of a heart attack at the age of 65.
Facts / Trivia
- In the movie “Kalicharan,” there’s a meta moment when Prem Nath and Ajit’s characters play chess with a portrait of a policeman hanging in the background. The figure in the painting is Prem Nat’s father, a senior police officer.
- In an interview, Om Prakash highlighted Prem Nath’s generous nature. He recounts how Prem Nath provided financial assistance to actress Cuckoo during the difficult times of the 1940s.
- In a past interview, late actor Amrish Puri narrated an incident when a play he was performing in was canceled due to heavy rain. However, actor Prem Nath managed to make it to the scene and generously compensated Amrish for the lost box office revenue.
- A little known fact is that Prem Nath is the uncle of Randhir Kapoor, Rajiv Kapoor and Rishi Kapoor.
- During the filming of Kaz, Maharashtra Chief Minister Sharad Pawar and his family visited the set upon request. They spent an hour with stars like Rishi Kapoor, Tina Munim, Simi and Premnath and asked for photos with the cast. However, Premnath refused to take pictures unless Pawar promised to install air conditioning for one of the floors of the film city. This embarrassed the chief minister, but he immediately committed. Today, if you visit the air-conditioned floors of Film City, it’s all thanks to Premnath’s bold move.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education