New Delhi, April 12: The arch villain of Bollywood, Pran Krishan Sikand - or Pran as he is popularly known - was Friday named for the Dadasaheb Phalke award.

The actor turned 93 in February this year.

Confirming the news, a source from the Information & Broadcasting Ministry told IANS: "Yes, he (Pran) is getting Dadasaheb Phalke award."

Pran acted in over 400 movies in a career spanning over six decades and played a vast range of roles -- from a hero to a villain to a character artist.

He became a symbol of hatred after his portrayals of a bad guy in a series of films including hits like "Madhumati", "Ziddi" and "Ram Aur Shyam".

If he played a villain to the hilt, he was equally good when he stepped into character roles and won many hearts as loveable Mangal Chacha in "Upkar", thoroughly entertained as street-smart fraud in "Victoria No.203", and epitomised on-screen friendship in the role of a rough but kind Pathan in "Zanjeer".

The Dadasaheb Phalke honour for veteran actor Pran, "a large pillar of the Indian film industry", is most deserving, believes Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan.

"A glorious tribute to a great human and a large pillar of the Indian film industry... Pran... the Dadasaheb Phalke award by the state," the 70-year-old tweeted.

Together, Big B and Pran have worked in films like "Sharaabi", "Amar Akbar Anthony", "Zanjeer" and "Don".

Pran acted in over 400 movies in a career spanning over six decades and played a vast range of roles -- from a hero to a villain to a character artist. He became popular with his roles in "Madhumati", "Ziddi" , "Ram Aur Shyam" and "Zanjeer".

The Dadasaheb Phalke honour for veteran actor Pran, "a large pillar of the Indian film industry", is most deserving, believes Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan.

(IANS)