Shatrughan Sinha on Pran winning the Dadasaheb Phalke Award

Shatrughan Sinha shares his feelings on Pran winning the Dadasaheb Phalke Award. “I'd say the honour is too late too little too delayed but thoroughly deserving for an incomparable actor who is also a kind and helpful human being. Der aaye par durust aaye. Better late than never and I’d like to add better never than ‘late’. What is the point of honouring the dead? We’re fortunate to have Pran Saab with us and that he got the Dadasaheb Phalke award during his lifetime.“ Shatrughan continues, “He is an actor par excellence and a great humanbeing. I recommended him very strongly for the Dadaseheb Phalke award on two different occasions. But the award was given to two other actors. Even Lata Mangeshkarji had tried to get Pran Saab the Dadasaheb Phalke. But like I said, the whole industry is happy it has finally happened. I’ve worked with Pran Saab in some really lovely films including a film called Buniyaad and Subhash Ghai’s Vishwanath. Subhash always used to say Pran Saab was the epitome of punctuality while I was just the opposite. If people adjusted their watches according to Pran Saab’s schedules they simply stopped consulting their watches because of me. Subhash would plead with me to be on time for the morning shift because the first shot was mine. Needless to say I was never on time whereas Pran Saab who was not needed for the first shot would be there. I’d say the Dadasaheb Phalke award has honoured Pran Saab as much as he has honoured the award.”