Prayag Raj, the name is synonymous with being multi-talented. From script writing to acting to direction, the veteran star, who has shown his talent in every generation, took his last breath at the age of 88 yesterday on September 23 at 4 pm in the evening in Mumbai.
The versatile wordsmith began his career as a dialogue writer with ‘Phool Bane Angaare’ (1963). After getting much recognition for the film, he went on to write dialogues for other well-known films like ‘Jhuk Gaya Aasman’ (1968), ‘Bhai Ho To Aisa’ (1972), ‘Roti’ (1974) and ‘Dharam Karam’ (1975).
Prayag Raj was behind the word “Yahoo” from Shammi Kapoor-starred ‘Junglee’ (1961), which became popular abruptly internationally in the ’60s.
Apart from dialogue writing, ‘Dharam Karam’ also helped him to mark his debut as screenplay as well. His career reached a breakthrough as a screenplay with ‘Amar Akbar Anthony’ (1977), where Amitabh Bachchan, Rishi Kapoor and Vinod Khanna worked together. The film was a commercial hit.
A career spanning for over three decades, Prayag Raj had worked as a script writer in numerous remarkable films like ‘Dharam Karam’ (1975), ‘Suhaag’ (1979), ‘Naseeb’ (1981), ‘Coolie’ (1983), ‘Mard’ (1985), ‘Ganga Jamunaa Saraswathi’ (1988), ‘Ajooba ‘(1991), etc.
Not only as a writer and screenplay, Prayag Raj had also made his name big as a director as well. His first directed film was Shashi Kapoor-starred ‘Paap Aur Punya’ (1974). Later he directed several other blockbusters like ‘Insaaniyat’ (1974), ‘Ponga Pandit’ (1975), ‘Chor Sipahee’ (1977), ‘Geraftaar’ (1985), ‘Hifazat (1987) and more.
Prayag Raj will always be remembered as the first multi-skilled individual from the Indian film industry.
