'I am very impressed and in awe of only one man and that is Prem Chopra'

Prem Chopra, 77, has completed 50 years in Bollywood and 45 years of his marriage with his wife Uma, whom he loves the most in the world. In an industry where most people love to ridicule others, he is a man with not just a great sense of humour, but also one of the few men who laugh at themselves. He gets along with people and is extremely disciplined.Above all, he is one of Indian cinema’s most iconic villains and a man who in his private life is a family man, completely opposite of his mean reel image. His eldest daughter Rakita Nanda has written a book titled Prem Naam Hai Mera — Prem Chopra that will soon hit the stands. Over an hour-long conversation over coffee and dhoklas, he spoke to us about dealing with the mean man image in his real life, what he learnt from Dev Anand and why he still feels betrayed by his father. Excerpts:
You are synonymous with your line ‘Prem naam hai mera’. How did that happen?
It was 1973. I was a star already but had not worked with Raj Kapoorji, so was excited to be even offered a guest appearance in Bobby. I reached the set and asked for the dialogues and Rajji said, ‘The heroine is a new girl called Dimple Kapadia. The moment she enters, you will hold her hand tightly and say, Prem naam hai mera…Prem Chopra.’ I looked at him blankly and was not happy, as this would set a wrong precedent for my other films, but Rajji had said, ‘I will compensate you with a full-fledged role later.’ I shared my feelings with Prem Nath who was on the set with me that day and he said, ‘This film will be a hit and you will get publicity worth millions. Your dialogue will be a hit.’ Soon after the release of Bobby, I was on a train back to Delhi. As soon as I got off the platform, there was a huge gathering of people and all they requested me was to repeat my Bobby dialogue as they had loved it and they still do.
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How did you come into films?
When I came to Mumbai from Shimla, my father said, ‘I don’t want to be an obstruction, but I want you to know that this acting is not a secure profession, so you must find employment in case you want to go to Mumbai.’ I landed at VT station and found a job in the circulation department of the Times of India. I looked after Bengal, Orissa and Bihar and was required to tour 20 days a month. I managed to cut my touring time by calling my agents to come and meet me at the station itself so that I could quickly return. A tour that would normally take 20 days would get completed in 12 and I would spend the rest of the time going from one studio to the other. My boss supported me, as he knew my dream of becoming an actor. It was during one such train journey that I got offered my first Punjabi film as lead actor. Meanwhile, my mother was detected with mouth cancer and she died leaving my nine-year-old sister Anju to be looked after by my father and my four other brothers. All of us (me and my four brothers) have told our wives on our wedding nights that our main concern is our sister and, in a sense, gave them a warning that only if she is happy would they be happy. She is a pure soul and they all took to her. Till date, she remains a first daughter to all of us. I then got a job in some of the Hindi pictures as the leading man, but they didn’t do well. In the meantime, I got some great character roles like playing Sukhdev along with Manoj Kumar playing Bhagat Singh and films like Woh Kaun Thi, where I was the suspense in the thriller and I got lapped up as a villain. I used to have regrets in the beginning when people used to coax me to be the leading man. But today, when I look back, I have no regrets. I see a lot of co-actors of mine who were superstars who stopped getting work, but I even today after 50 years, continue to get work.
What are your learnings of being in the industry for over five decades?
My experience in this line is that everybody from top to bottom is insecure. Here the competition is so much that they always have the fear that they have done a good job, but not good enough to stay where they are. Our success depends on our audience and while for them, their own fates are decided when the lights are on, our fate is decided when the lights are off. And when the lights come on, their verdict is already there. I too felt insecure a lot of times initially, fearing that I would not get work if the films did not work well. But I always believed in honesty and hard work. Dev Anand told me, ‘In this profession you should mind your own business. Don’t listen to bad things about anybody and don’t talk badly about anybody.’ He was right and I follow that.
What was the effect of your mean reel image on your real life?
Once I was walking with my paaji (father) in the gardens of Panchkula. When people saw me, they started shouting, ‘Hide your wives, Prem Chopra is here!’ My father was aghast, as he thought I had become a star. I requested my father to call them and convinced them that I was in reality a nice guy. My eldest daughter Rakita was eight when she went to see one of my films, where I had been really mean. During interval people were complimenting me, but my eyes were on her. She looked at me so curiously and I could see that she was thinking that this man is such a comedian at home, but he is such a dangerous guy. I got very disturbed and sat her down and explained to her that an actor has to do his job and our luxuries are a result of his professional efficiency. She understood. My wife’s niece’s son Nikhil Nanda came to our house as a child when his eyes fell on my shoes and he yelled, ‘Prem Chopra ke joote.’ He ran out of the house and didn’t even want to wait for the lift and ran down fourteen floors to his car. Despite my family trying hard to convince him that I was away for a shoot, he refused to come back. That remains a family joke to date.
In an industry where actors are known to have multiple affairs and marriages, you have been loyal and married for 45 years.
Uma and I have a lot in common and are also very different in many ways. We too have our bad days as a couple, but she has been a source of great strength for me. She has freed me from all financial problems. An actor needs a very trustworthy person to look after money. She did wrong things in the beginning, but she learnt. People are scared when they see me on the streets, but I am scared of my daughters. They are extremely lovable and my wife has brought them up like normal children. They are emotionally attached to me and so am I. We are a close-knit family.
Talk about your father?
My father passed away in the 80s and I believe he was made to sign a will favouring one of my brothers, taking away my rights in the bargain. It was a bungalow I had built with my money in Delhi, which was jointly owned by me and my father. I had got my brother a job in Delhi and put him up in a house. We were not a rich family as my father was a government employee and was honest to the core. I feel very proud that I have a hand in settling all my brothers, directly or indirectly. Otherwise, we would have all been in Shimla or Delhi or somewhere in ordinary jobs. My aim was to secure my brothers and give them a respectable status. My father had even put our names ‘Prem and Uma Chopra’ outside the bungalow. If he wanted to give away something that was rightfully mine, I wished he had just asked me, I would have given it to him. He spoke to me in the evening and called me to Delhi saying that he wanted to talk to me. May be he wanted to share his guilt with me. I was supposed to go to Delhi the next morning, but that night itself he died. I was extremely attached to him and was inconsolable when he died. I then came to know that he had willed my house to my brother. While I believe that my father was not at fault, it hurts me till today as I felt betrayed at that time and till today, I feel betrayed. There was an income tax raid in that house a few years later, where they asked my brother, ‘How come you live here as it is in your brother’s name?’ But his wife said, ‘It was gifted to us.’ People told me that had I fought legally, it would come to me, but I said, ‘I will be the last person to do that. If he has a conscience, he will realise.’ I was so much involved in work that I did not know what was happening. I had two houses in Mumbai also, which were sold off cheaply by my other brothers without telling me as they needed the money. I couldn’t manage those things at that time. I have been a trusting man and was emotional about my family. I wanted them to have a certain amount of status and dignity. My own wife and daughters felt that I was misused in some way. But I can tell you that I am very positive and content in life.
Jeetendra, Rakesh Roshan, Rishi Kapoor and you are a gang of friends. What binds your friendship?
All of us value our families a lot and are very committed and passionate towards our profession.
Do you have a favourite actor?
I am very impressed and in awe of one name and if you want me to say that name, it is Prem Chopra.
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