ISLAMABAD: Prem Chopra, one of Bollywood’s most enduring actors, was born on September 23, 1935, in Lahore’s Krishna Gali near Railway Road in Gawalmandi. He often recalled his childhood home in “Gali Number 5” and the small-town charm of Lahore before Partition. His father, a government employee, moved the family to Shimla just days before the upheaval of 1947. “I would hear of riots everywhere, but I was too young to understand and lived in my own little world,” he once said.
Years later, Pakistan’s former president, General Zia-ul-Haq, invited him back to Lahore. Chopra admitted he was tempted, but like many Partition survivors, returning to his birthplace risked reopening old wounds. “I was ready to travel with Shatrughan Sinha and Yash Johar,” he recalled, “but fever struck me that very day and the journey never happened.”
Though his father wished him to become a doctor, Chopra’s heart was set on films. In Bombay, he balanced his ambitions with a job in the Times of India’s circulation department, managing assignments across Bengal, Odisha, and Bihar. His efficient work cut travel from 20 days to 12, leaving him time to haunt film studios. Fate intervened on a train journey when he was offered the lead in the Punjabi film Chaudhary Karnail Singh (1960). The film won a National Award and opened the doors of Hindi cinema.
Initially cast in positive roles, Chopra soon discovered his true calling in villainy. After films like Shaheed (1965), Upkaar (1967), and Teesri Manzil (1966), his menacing screen presence made him Bollywood’s most recognizable antagonist. With Bobby (1973), a single line — “Prem naam hai mera, Prem Chopra” — immortalized him in Indian pop culture. Audiences were so captivated by his villainous aura that fans once halted trains during his journeys, demanding he recite the dialogue before the train could move.
In 1969, he married Uma, the sister of Krishna Raj Kapoor, making him Raj Kapoor’s brother-in-law. He was known among friends and family as soft-spoken, generous, and witty — a stark contrast to his on-screen persona.
Across six decades, Chopra appeared in more than 380 films, including classics like Do Raaste (1969), Kati Patang (1970), and Bobby. He shared an especially successful pairing with superstar Rajesh Khanna, appearing together in 19 films, most of which became box office hits. His enduring career stretched into the 21st century, with a recent appearance in Ranbir Kapoor’s Animal (2023).
Despite being typecast, Chopra never resented his fate. “I wanted to be a hero, but perhaps destiny had bigger plans. Villainy gave me endless possibilities,” he once reflected. For his contributions, he received numerous awards and accolades, securing his legacy as one of Indian cinema’s greatest villains.
Off-screen, Prem Chopra remained the opposite of the fearsome roles he played — warm, dignified, and deeply professional. Yet, it was his ability to embody evil so convincingly that made him unforgettable, a legend who turned menace into art.
