Jump to content

Om Prakash

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Gowtham.venkat (talk | contribs) at 23:18, 12 May 2012 (→Om Prakash: new section). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

This article is about the Bollywood actor. For the economic historian, see Om Prakash (historian).
Om Prakash
Born
Om Prakash Chibber

19 December 1919
Jammu
Died21 February 1998 (age 78)
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
OccupationActor
Years active1942-1990

Om Prakash (19 December 1919 – 21 February 1998) was an Indian character actor. He was born in Jammu as Om Prakash Chibber. He used to play the role of Kamla in the stage play by the famous Dewan Mandir Natak Samaj Koliwada. Starting his career in 1942, he was a popular supporting actor from the 1950s until the 1980s. He was one of the elite of the film industry. Some of his performances were so memorable thatthe lead actor in the film attributed the success of the film to him.

Om Prakash played the leading man in films like Dus Lakh, Annadata and Charandas'Sadhu aur Shaitan'. His pivotal roles in the films Dil Daulat Duniya, Chupke Chupke, Julie, Joroo Ka Ghulam, Aa Gale Lag Jaa, Pyar Kiye Jaa and Buddha Mil Gaya are considered to be among his best along with Daddu in Namak Halaal and De Silva in Zanjeer. His roles in 'Sharabi', 'Bharosa', 'Tere Ghar Ke Samne', 'Mere Humdum Mere Dost', 'Loafar', 'Dil Tera Diwana' were also appreciated.

He is known for his roles in comedy films. One of his best performances in his later years were Naukar Biwi Ka, Sharaabi (1984) and Chameli Ki Shaadi, where he played a role that was pivotal for the movie.

Early life and education

Om Prakash Chibber was born in Jammu on 19 December 1919? He was fascinated by theatre, music and films. He started taking lessons in classical music when he was just twelve and was recognised as a master in no time.

Career

He joined All India Radio in 1937 on a monthly salary of Rs 25. He was known as “Fateh Din”, a radio personality and his programmes made him popular all over Lahore and Punjab.

He was regaling people at a wedding one day when the well-known film-maker Dalsukh Pancholi spotted him and asked to see him in his Lahore office. Pancholi gave Prakash his first break as an actor in a film called Daasi. He was paid only Rs 80 but the film earned him the kind of recognition that would give him a means of livelihood for a lifetime. It was his first major role; he had played a bit role in Sharif Badmash, a silent film. He followed his good work in Daasi with Pancholi’s Dhamki and Aayee Bahar and became a force to reckon with.

Soon after the Partition he came to Delhi and then to Bombay (now Mumbai). Baldev Raj Chopra noticed his talent when he was a film journalist and critic; he urged Prakash to carry on with his acting career. He was sure Om Prakash had the talent to prove himself as a versatile actor. The actor had to face some struggle initially. He got his first big break in Bombay as a villain in a film called Lakhpati. It won him acclaim and got him more “meaty” roles in films like Lahore, Char Din and Raat Ki Rani. It was during this phase in his career that he did Azaad with Dilip Kumar, Sargam with Raj Kapoor and Miss Mary, Bahar, Pehli Jhalak, Asha and Manmauji with Kishore Kumar followed by Howrah Bridge with Ashok Kumar and then Tere Ghar Ke Samne with Dev Anand. He was marked out for his performance in both films in spite of the presence of powerful star personas like Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor, Ashok Kumar, Kishore Kumar and Dev Anand. He had developed a style of his own, a style which was going to take him places, make him a big name in the world of film entertainment for the next forty years.

Om Prakash soon became a household name. He was good in almost every character he played. He was the comedian, the family man burdened with problems, the munshi, the alcoholic fallen on bad days because of the evil designs of the villain, the nagged husband, the old man in love, the wily politician and the big brother with a heart of gold. He played an assortment of characters with the same ease and had some of the best directors opting for him every time they had a role which they felt only he could play.

Om Prakash was versatile actor with 307 films to his credit. One can never forget his comic performances in Howrah Bridge, Dus Lakh (he won his first major award for this performance), Pyar Kiye Jaa, Padosan, Sadhu Aur Shaitaan, Dil Daulat Duniya, Chupke Chupke, Namak Halaal, Gol Maal and Chameli Ki Shaadi. His performance as Dilip Kumar’s elder brother in Gopi gave his career a new impetus. He proved that he could play mature roles with the same ease, the same depth: Films like Chacha Zindabad, Khandan, Haryali Aur Raasta, Dil Apna Aur Preet Paraayi, Pati Patni, Neend Hamari Khwab Tumhare, Mere Hamdam Mere Dost, Annadata, Ek Shriman Ek Shrimati, Doli, Chirag, Amar Prem, Aankh Micholi, Ek Hasina Do Diwane, Anuraag, Zanjeer, Sagina, Aa Gale Lag Jaa, Loafer, Roti, Julie, Khushboo, Laawaris, Bandish, Sharaabi and Chameli Ki Shaadi.

Om Prakash was one of the most loved and respected father figures in the industry. His ready wit, his earthy humour, his lack of airs, his disdain for hypocrites and hypocrisy, his benevolent nature in helping others to make the best of life and his eternal optimism and romantic nature made him a man in a class by himself, a cut above the rest.

Later years

He lived in Union Park, Chembur, a suburb of Mumbai. The actor who was always so full of life was still full of life till just two days before his death. He knew he was not well. He knew he was suffering from complications but he never gave up his zest for life till his heart betrayed him. He kept calling friends to play a game of rummy or just chat. He had an office at the Roop Tara Studios which was only used for “rummy sessions” and “chat sessions”. Then, some years ago, he shifted his office to the suburbs to make it more convenient for his friends.

Family

His wife Prabha predeceased him. He had no biological children. He lived with his younger brother Bakshi Ram Prakash Chibber who had five children, and he treated them as his children.

Illness and death

He attended this office regularly till his health started failing him. He was confined to his bungalow (next to Ashok Kumar’s bungalow). He suffered his first heart attack in his own bedroom. He was rushed to the Lilavati Hospital where he suffered a second heart attack and went into a coma from which he never came out. He was declared dead at 1.30 pm on February 21. He died at age 78 in Mumbai, India of a heart attack. The news spread fast and the industry was shocked and stunned because he was the kind of man who could not be easily associated with something so sombre and solemn like death.

Filmography

Hindi cinema
1920s
1920 1921 1922 1923 1924
1925 1926 1927 1928 1929
1930s
1930 1931 1932 1933 1934
1935 1936 1937 1938 1939
1940s
1940 1941 1942 1943 1944
1945 1946 1947 1948 1949
1950s
1950 1951 1952 1953 1954
1955 1956 1957 1958 1959
1960s
1960 1961 1962 1963 1964
1965 1966 1967 1968 1969
1970s
1970 1971 1972 1973 1974
1975 1976 1977 1978 1979
1980s
1980 1981 1982 1983 1984
1985 1986 1987 1988 1989
1990s
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999
2000s
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
2010s
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
2020s
2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
2025 2026

Template:Persondata

Om Prakash

Om Prakash is an indian cinematographer, primarily working in Tamil cinema.

Om Prakash
Om Prakash (Cinematographer)
Born(1978-01-26)January 26, 1978
Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
OccupationCinematographer
SpouseLatha Prakash
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Om_Prakash&oldid=492279099"