Pran Krishan Sikand dies in Mumbai at the age of 93

Veteran Bollywood actor Pran Krishan Sikand, popularly known as Pran, has died in Mumbai at the age of 93.

Pran was famous for playing the part of the villain in Hindi films, in a career that stretched more than six decades.

Between the 1960s and 1980s, he appeared in nearly every major Bollywood film, elevating the role of the villain to cult status.

The actor won many honors throughout his career, including the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award.

Pran Krishan Sikand, was born in Lahore, in what is now Pakistan. A chance encounter with a screenwriter is said to have led him to his first role in a Punjabi film, Yamla Jat, in 1940.

Moving to India after partition, he started out as the main protagonist. But after excelling as a villain, he was almost invariably cast in such roles.

Pran played in more than 350 films, including the blockbusters of their day.

Most famously, he played opposite Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan in the 1973 film Zanjeer, in which Pran underwent a dramatic transformation into a good man.