Prem Chopra facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Prem Chopra
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Prem Chopra in 2013
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| Born | 23 September 1935 |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1960–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Uma Malhotra
(m. 1969) |
| Children | 3 |
| Parent(s) |
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| Relatives | Sharman Joshi (son-in-law) Vikas Bhalla (son-in-law) Prem Nath (brother-in-law) Rajendra Nath (brother-in-law) Narendra Nath (brother-in-law) Raj Kapoor (co-brother-in-law) |
Prem Chopra (born September 23, 1935) is a famous Indian actor. He has appeared in over 380 Hindi films during his career, which has lasted more than 60 years. He is especially known for playing villain roles. Prem Chopra has three daughters named Rakita, Prerna, and Punita, and seven grandchildren.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Prem Chopra was born in Lahore on September 23, 1935. He was the third of six children in a Punjabi Hindu family. His parents were Ranveerlal and Rooprani Chopra. After the partition of India, his family moved to Shimla, where he grew up.
He went to S.D. Senior Secondary School in Shimla. His father wanted him to become a doctor or an Indian Administrative Services Officer. But Prem Chopra loved acting. He took part in many plays while in college at Panjab University.
After finishing college, he moved to Bombay (now Mumbai). He wanted to become an actor. He married Uma Malhotra in 1969. Uma is the younger sister of famous film personalities like Krishna Kapoor (who was married to Raj Kapoor), Prem Nath, and Rajendranath. Prem Chopra and Uma have three daughters: Rakita, Punita, and Prerna. Rakita is married to Rahul Nanda, Punita is married to actor Vikas Bhalla, and Prerna is married to Bollywood actor Sharman Joshi. Prem Chopra lives in Mumbai.
Journey to Acting Success
When Prem Chopra first came to Mumbai, it was tough to find acting jobs. He visited many film studios, but the response was not good. To support himself, he took a job with The Times of India newspaper. He worked in newspaper circulation, which meant he had to travel a lot.
Even with his job, he kept trying to get into films. One day, a stranger on a train asked him if he wanted to act. This led him to his first film, Chaudhary Karnail Singh, a Punjabi movie. It was a love story about the India-Pakistan partition and became a big hit. He was paid Rs 2500 for this first role.
While still working at The Times of India, he acted in other films. These included Punjabi movies like Sapani and Hindi films such as Woh Kaun Thi? and Shaheed. In Shaheed, he played a rare positive role. After starring in hits like Teesri Manzil and Upkaar, he started getting many offers to play villains. In 1967, after Upkaar, he left his job to focus only on acting.
Becoming a Famous Villain
From 1967 to 1995, Prem Chopra was one of the top villains in Hindi films. He often worked with other famous villains like Sujit Kumar and Ranjeet. Sometimes, he played a secondary villain to actors like Ajit, Pran, and later Amrish Puri and Amjad Khan.
He also played the main hero in a few films. For example, he was the lead in the comedy film Hulchul (1971) and the hit comedy Samaj Ko Badal Dalo (1970). Some of his famous dialogues are still remembered today. One very popular line is "Prem naam hai mera, Prem Chopra" (My name is Prem, Prem Chopra) from the film Bobby. Another well-known dialogue is "Main wo bala hoon jo sheshay se pathar ko todte hai" from Souten.
Prem Chopra often worked with superstar Rajesh Khanna. They acted in 19 films together, and 15 of them were big hits. They were also close friends in real life. Prem Chopra once said that distributors would tell Rajesh Khanna, "we don't care who your heroine is, all we want to know is whether Prem Chopra is in the film." This shows how popular their pairing was.
He was also the main villain in all films starring Manoj Kumar from Upkar (1967) to Santosh (1989). Unlike some other villains, Prem Chopra's characters didn't need fancy gadgets or many helpers. His evil roles were often based on his acting skills and dialogues.
Later Career and Achievements
After 1996, Prem Chopra started appearing in fewer villain roles. He began taking on more positive character roles, especially after 2007. Even though his screen time was less in later films, he continued to act.
Prem Chopra believes some of his best roles were in Shaheed (1965), Upkaar (1967), Do Raaste (1969), Kati Patang (1970), and Dostana (1980). He also cherishes his films with Rajesh Khanna. He once said that his films as a hero didn't do well, which was actually good because it opened up many more villain roles for him.
He has received several awards for his acting. In 1976, he won the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Do Anjaane. He also received the Legend of Indian Cinema Award in 2004. In 2023, he was honored with the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award at the 68th Filmfare Awards. His daughter, Rakita Nanda, wrote a biography about him called Prem Naam Hai Mera, Prem Chopra, which was released in 2014.
Selected Filmography
Prem Chopra has acted in many films. Here are some of his notable works:
- Chaudhary Karnail Singh (1960)
- Woh Kaun Thi? (1964)
- Shaheed (1965)
- Teesri Manzil (1966)
- Upkar (1967)
- Do Raaste (1969)
- Kati Patang (1970)
- Hulchul (1971)
- Bobby (1973)
- Do Anjaane (1976)
- Dostana (1980)
- Kranti (1981)
- Souten (1983)
- Mard (1985)
- Nagina (1986)
- Shahenshah (1988)
- Aag Ka Gola (1990)
- Khiladi (1992)
- Raja Babu (1994)
- Gupt: The Hidden Truth (1997)
- Dulhe Raja (1998)
- Chori Chori Chupke Chupke (2001)
- Koi... Mil Gaya (2003)
- Bunty Aur Babli (2005)
- Dhamaal (2007)
- Golmaal 3 (2010)
- Patiala House (2011)
- Agent Vinod (2012)
- Animal (2023)
Awards and Recognition
- 1971 – Nominated - Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor for Himmat
- 1976 – Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor for Do Anjaane
- 1976 – Nominated - Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor for Mehbooba
- 2004 – Legend of Indian Cinema Award at Atlantic City
- He received a "Lifetime Achievement Award" from the Giants.
- He has also been honored with a Lions Club Award, Ashoka Award, Ashirwad Award, and the "Punjabi Kala Sangam Award."
- 2023: Lifetime Achievement Award at 68th Filmfare Awards.
