Prem Nath

He was born in 1926 in the Karimpura locality near Ghanta Ghar in Peshawar. His father Kartarnath Malhotra was a high-ranking police officer and the maternal uncle of Prithviraj Kapoor, known as the patriarch of the Kapoor film clan.{{Cite web |date=19 November 2017 |title=Actor, producer, novelist and raconteur: Archival documentary reveals Prem Nath’s many roles |url=https://scroll.in/reel/858393/actor-producer-novelist-and-raconteur-archival-documentary-reveals-prem-naths-many-roles |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250413082831/https://scroll.in/reel/858393/actor-producer-novelist-and-raconteur-archival-documentary-reveals-prem-naths-many-roles |archive-date=13 April 2025 |website=Scroll.in}}{{Cite web |last=Gupta |first=Rachit |date=18 March 2016 |title=Meet the Kapoor family of Bollywood |url=https://www.filmfare.com/features/meet-the-kapoor-family-of-bollywood-12645.html |website=Filmfare |quote=Krishnaji was Prithviraj’s cousin, so she was also Raj’s aunt in addition to being his wife.}} His family moved to Jubbulpore (present-day Jabalpur) after partition and he moved to Bombay where he was discovered as an actor.

He fell in love with actress Bina Rai during the filming of Aurat. They married and formed a production company together called P.N. films.{{Cite web |url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2001/20011028/spectrum/main8.htm |title=The Sunday Tribune - Spectrum - Article |access-date=3 January 2008 |archive-date=20 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160520004716/http://www.tribuneindia.com/2001/20011028/spectrum/main8.htm |url-status=live }} Their children are actor Prem Krishen and Kailash Nath (Monty). Premnath dated the famous actress Madhubala but ended it when she became interested in actor Dilip Kumar.{{cite book |last1=Bajpai |first1=Mr Trinetra, Ms. Anshula |title=Dilip Kumar: Peerless icon inspiring generations |date=2019 |publisher=Bloomsbury India |location=New Delhi |isbn=978-9388630559}}

They are the grandparents of actress Akanksha Malhotra and director Siddharth Malhotra who are Prem Krishen's children. Adiraj Malhotra and Arjun Malhotra are the sons of Kailash Nath. His sister Krishna married Raj Kapoor while his other sister Uma was married to veteran Hindi Film actor Prem Chopra. His brothers Rajendra Nath and Narendra Nath were also actors who mostly appeared in comedic and supporting roles. He was also a close friend of the actress Asha Parekh.

He was religious, and when his career began to decline in the mid-1950s he went to the Kailash mountain range in Tibet a spiritual retreat, producing a documentary about his pilgrimage in 1957, Kailas Darshan.

He died of a heart attack in 1992 at the age of 65.

Prem Nath (right) with actor [[Prem Chopra (left), who was his sister's husband.|220px|thumb]]

Premnath made his film debut in Ajit (1948), opposite Monica Desai, which was one of the first colour films.[http://www.screenindia.com/old/20020208/fcover2.html Bina Rai: The good old days] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091227030830/http://www.screenindia.com/old/20020208/fcover2.html |date=27 December 2009 }} Screen. He got major roles in Raj Kapoor's first directorial film Aag (1948) and Barsaat (1949) which was his first major success. In 1951, Nath starred opposite Madhubala in Badal which was a big box office success. In 1952, he co starred with Dilip Kumar in the swashbuckling technicolour film Aan which was the highest grossing film at the time.

He went on to appear in many films in leading roles often opposite his wife Bina Rai which failed to do well. He set up a production company named P.N films and directed the film Samundar (1957), which was a box office disaster and remained his only directorial effort. His career as a leading man declined in the late 1950s and early 1960s with the 1963 film Rustom Sohrab being one of his last films in the leading role.

He started receiving recognition with playing the central villain or supporting role in some of the biggest blockbusters in Indian film history throughout the 1970s. Some of his notable films included Teesri Manzil (1966), {{Lang|hi-latn|Johny Mera Naam}} (1970), Tere Mere Sapne (1971), Shor (1972), Bobby (1973), Roti Kapda Aur Makaan (1974), Dharmatma (1975), Kalicharan (1976), Krodhi (1981) and Desh Premee (1982). He also starred in the religious Punjabi film Sat Sri Akal (1977). He earned Filmfare nominations as Best Supporting Actor for: Shor (1972), Bobby (1973), Amir Garib (1974) and Roti Kapda Aur Makaan (1974).{{Cite web |url=http://deep750.googlepages.com/FilmfareAwards.pdf |title=1st Filmfare Awards 1953 |access-date=3 January 2008 |archive-date=12 June 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090612065210/http://deep750.googlepages.com/FilmfareAwards.pdf |url-status=dead }}

His last film appearance was in Hum Dono (1985) after which he retired from acting.

Apart from Hindi films, he also appeared in an episode of the American television series Maya in 1967 and a 1969 American film titled Kenner opposite former American football player turned actor Jim Brown.

He produced four films and three documentaries.

He wrote books, including novels, in both English and Hindi.

;Directed films

• Samundar (1957), only film for P. N. Films, home production.

• Maya TV series (1 episode, 1967)

Nominations

• 1973 – Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor for Shor
• 1974 – Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor for Bobby
• 1975 – Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor for Amir Garib
• 1975 – Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor for Roti Kapda Aur Makaan

{{Reflist}}

• {{IMDb name|0622193}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20041110022612/http://www.screenindia.com/fullstory.php?content_id=10 Monty Nath on father Premnath]
• {{usurped|[https://web.archive.org/web/20031207081450/http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mp/2003/08/12/stories/2003081200010400.htm Poise and pearly smiles]}}
• [http://www.tribuneindia.com/2001/20011028/spectrum/main8.htm Article in The Sunday Tribune - Spectrum]

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Category:1926 births

Category:1992 deaths

Category:Male actors in Hindi cinema

Category:Indian male film actors

Category:Hindkowan people

Category:People from Peshawar

Category:20th-century Indian male actors

Category:Filmfare Awards winners