Prem Nazir (born Abdul Khader; 7 April 1926 – 16 January 1989) was an Indian film actor known as one of Malayalam

cinema's definitive leading men of his generation. He is considered one of the most successful actors of Indian cinema.
[1]
 Nazir is often referred to as Nithyaharitha Nayakan ("Evergreen Hero"). Nazir began his career as a stage actor and made
his film debut with the 1952 film Marumakal. He took on the stage name Prem Nazir on the sets of his second
film, Visappinte Vili (1952). Nazir rose to stardom during the 1950s to become one of the biggest superstars from the 1950s
to his death in 1989. He is most famous for being a romantic actor. After 1985, he intentionally moved from main hero roles
to character roles as he wanted to do all kinds of characters, as other artists do.
Nazir is noted for his critically acclaimed performances in films such as Murappennu (1965), Iruttinte
Athmavu (1967), Kallichellamma (1969), Nadhi (1969), Anubhavangal Paalichakal (1971), Azhakulla Saleena (1973), Vida
Parayum Munpe (1981), Padayottam (1982), and Dhwani (1988).[2] Nazir won the Kerala State Film Award (Special Jury
Award) for his role as Madhavan Kutty in Vida Parayum Munpe. The Government of India honoured him with the Padma
Bhushan and Padma Shri, the third and fourth highest civilian honours respectively, for his contribution towards the arts.[3] He
died due to measles on 16 January 1989 at the age of 62.
Nazir holds two Guinness World Records: for playing the lead role in a record 520 films and for playing opposite the same
heroine in 130 films (with Sheela).[4][5] He also holds two other acting records; for acting opposite eighty heroines and for
acting in lead roles in 30 films which were released in a single year (1973,77).

Contents

 1Early life
 2Career
o 2.1Entry into cinema
o 2.21950s: Rise to stardom
o 2.31960s, 1980s: Golden years
o 2.41980s: Late career
o 2.5Popular film genres
 3Personal life
o 3.1Family
o 3.2Philanthropic work
o 3.3Death
 4Awards
 5Legacy and influence
 6Filmography
 7Important roles
o 7.1Films in which Nazir played dual roles
o 7.2Films in which Nazir played triple roles
o 7.3Other important films and characters
 8References
 9External links

Early life[edit]
Nazir was born in Chirayinkeezhu in the princely state of Travancore (now part of Kerala), to Akkode Shahul Hamid and
Asuma Beevi on 7 April 1926. He has two brothers Prem Nawas, Ashraf and six sisters, Sulekha, Arifa, Aneesa, Umaiba,
Sunaisa and Suhara.[6] His mother died when he was very young, and his father remarried a woman of the same name. He
completed his formal education from Kadinamkulam Lower Primary School, Sri Chithiravilasam School, Trivandrum, SD
College, Alappuzha, and St. Berchmans College, Changanassery. By the time he completed his education, he had become
an experienced drama artist.

Career[edit]
Entry into cinema[edit]
Prem Nazir with friends in Perumbavoor.

Prem Nazir had his acting debut as Shylock in the play The Merchant of Venice (1951), when he was a student at SB
College, Changanacherry. He won the best actor award for this role in the play directed by Sheppard. His first film
was Marumakal (1952), directed by S. K. Chari and produced by Paul Kallungal. He was credited as Abdul Khader in this
film. He got his career break with Visappinte Vili (1952), his second film, made for K&K Combines (Udaya Studio) by Telugu
director Mohan Rao. It was on the set of this movie he was renamed to Prem Nazir by Thikkurussi Sukumaran Nair. Prem
Nazir started his career when drama was the most popular visual medium and film making at its infancy. He began acting for
the Excel Productions (Udaya Studio) and most of his films were for the Udaya and Merryland Studios.

1950s: Rise to stardom[edit]

With the arrival of Nazir, there was a new screen personality, a new debonair actor who could be a youth heart throb. Prem
Nazir acquired the halo of a romantic hero and a loyal following. His tear-jerkers were very popular with female audiences
and soon made him a darling of the masses. He became the first real star of Malayalam cinema. Another factor that assisted
Prem Nazir's rise – as it had the rise of his contemporaries in other regional film industries – was the continuing reign of
mythologicals and devotionals. Costumed musicals, filmed start-to-finish within the confines of a studio, contributed their
own. All such films for a long period kept him before his fans, nourished his romantic image and provided him unlimited
scope for rehearsing and refining his talent in playing diverse roles. Since the bulk of South Indian cinema was theatrical
visually and aurally, Prem Nazir's stage background and his extraordinary command of Malayalam helped him win the
hearts of his audience.

1960s, 1980s: Golden years[edit]

In the late 1950s, Nazir drew attention by playing movies with themes based on social and religious injustices in the society.
From 1956 to 1976, Prem Nazir rode high at the crest of a tidal wave of popularity and also gave his best to Malayalam
cinema. Nazir catapulted to the row of the finest actors of India with the film Iruttinte Athmavu (1967). Playing a demented
youth – Velayadhan, Prem Nazir discovered his prowess as a dramatic actor of great intensity. Many critics have evaluated
this role as his masterpiece, and as one of the finest onscreen performances ever. Written by M. T. Vasudevan Nair, the film
provided Malayalam cinema with a new direction; that of the low-budget film. One could see a lot of the pre-occupations of
the scenarist, who carried the touches of human relationships through all of his subsequent films whether as screenplay
writer or director. In spite of its large number of studio shots and overall theatricality, the film was so culturally rich that many
of the episodes would become archetypes for future Malayalam film makers dealing with family drama. It depicted the story
of an imbecile (finely portrayed by Prem Nazir) in a joint family with remarkable sensitivity and seriousness of purpose.
During his peak time, Nazir gave life to many characters and enjoyed a wide popularity among all sects of the society. He
has played historical characters based on Vadakkan Pattukal. Aromalunni, Kannappanunni, Thacholi
Ambu and Padayottam are some major films in this genre. Although the actor faced criticism for playing such roles as his
physique was least suited for it, he still enjoyed a huge fan following among the audiences. He was well known for his roles
as Hindu deities like Rama, Krishna and Ayyappa. In his movies, Nazir was well known for playing the eternal romantic hero
and the good guy who would bash up the villains without remorse.
Even though Nazir could not regenerate after the mid-1970s, he maintained his superstardom till the beginning of the 1980s.
In 1979, 39 of his films got released; a record. He also holds the record for having acted in the most leading roles – about
700 films (with 85 heroines; another record). Another record is for the most enduring screen team along with actress Sheela.
They played opposite each other in 130 movies by 1975. Although Sheela is known as the lucky mascot of Prem Nazir, his
movies with other heroines like Jayabharathi and Sharada were also big successes at box office. Prem Nazir pairing with
comedian Adoor Bhasi was a sure-fire laugh riot. The void left by this duo is yet to be occupied. Nazir's association with
playback singer K. J. Yesudas was perfect for the audience. Even today many consider the Nazir – Yesudas combination of
song sequences remain the best ever on screen. He is quite popularly described as Nithyaharithanayakan (The Evergreen
Hero), which does justice to the fact that he was acting as the hero in his elder years as well. Senior Malayalam cine
actress Kaviyoor Ponnamma has revealed that Prem Nazir was a very good singer, and had training in Carnatic music.

1980s: Late career[edit]

By the beginning of the 1980s, Nazir himself moved into supporting roles. He mostly played supporting roles with the then
super stars Jayan, Sukumaran, Shankar and Soman. In 1981, he played a major supporting role in Mohan's Vida Parayum
Munpe that earned him the Kerala State Special Jury Award. This shift, from a super romantic hero to character roles, gave
him many powerful characters during the mid-1980s. His last completed film was A. T. Abu's Dhwani (1989), in which he co-
starred with Jayaram. His last release was Priyadarshan's Kadathanadan Ambadi (1990), in which he co-starred
with Mohanlal. In one of his last interviews, he had expressed a desire to direct a film with Mammootty and Mohanlal in the
lead.

Popular film genres[edit]

Two popular film genres initiated by Prem Nazir are the C.I.D series and the Vadakkanpattu series. The former is a group of
investigative films in which Nazir played James Bond like protagonists. In most of these movies Nazir teamed with Adoor
Bhasi, a famed comedy actor who would accompany Nazir characters in investigations. These hit mainstream popularity
with the trendsetter Lanka Dahanam and are perhaps the single most popular movie series in Malayalam film history. The
waves created by this movie series continue in Malayalam cinema, arguably to this day. It has inspired numerous
adaptations and similar series like for example popular CBI series with Mammootty in the lead and a satirical CID series of
Mohanlal-Sreenivasan team. Other inspired films are C.I.D Unnikrishnan starring Jayaram and C.I.D Moosa with Dileep in
the lead.
Another popular film series starring Nazir was a series of movies based on Vadakanpaattu which are part of the traditional
folklore of Kerala. These are tales of martial warriors spread over generations through folk songs. Although the series may
have been initiated by Sathyan's title role in Thacholi Othenan, the trend was continued long after his demise with Nazir in
the lead, playing various other characters from Vadakkanpattu.[7] Nazir later teamed with other actors
like Jayan, Shankar, Mammootty, Jayaram and Mohanlal in later films of this category.

Personal life[edit]
Family[edit]
Prem Nazir was married to Habeeba Beevi and they have one son and three daughters. Laila (married to Engineer Rashid
of Trivandrum & settled at Calicut), Rasiya (married to Mr. Hashim, Businessman from Kannur & settled at Chennai) – both
elder to Shanavas. The youngest daughter is Rita (married to Doctor Sharafuddin of Punalur & settled at
Muscat). Shanavas's wife Ayisha Beevi is the daughter of the eldest sister of Prem Nazir, Suleikha Beevi. Prem Nazir's
son Shanavas acted in few films as well but could not succeed like his father. Third generation of Prem Nazir, Shanavas's
son Shameer Khan, acted in a Malayalam film, Uppukandam Brothers Back in Action.
Prem Nazir's younger brother Prem Nawas (Abdul Wahab) also acted in a few films. Although he was the first in the family
to begin acting in movies, he later began producing films – Agniputhri, Thulaavarsham, Poojakku Edukatha Pookkal,
Neethi and Keni to name a few. Prem Nawas's only son, Prem Kishore has also had a stint with the industry by acting in two
Malayalam films – Vacation and Thaskaraputran. Prem Nawas has the distinction of acting in the first ever colour film made
in Malayalam – Kandam Vechu Kottu. [8]

Philanthropic work[edit]
Nazir was a true humanitarian and its still an ongoing debate as to whether he was greater as an actor or as a humanitarian
though majority are of the opinion that he was a greater person as a humanitarian.This fact can be established by the
phrase many of the old film veterans exclaimed that there will never be another prem nazir.He was perhaps the only actor
who treated his colleagues,well wishers and family with the same manner. Nazir had helped thousands of people in his life
time.He never cared about the gratitude or ingratitude factor but just was happy that he could help some one.In fact after his
death only did his relatives,friends and well wishers came to know more of his humanitarian part when they met the persons
whom nazir had helped in his lifetime.He maintained a close relationship with his costars like jayan,adoor bhasi,muthayya to
name a few.He was one of the very few who tried his best to make his close friend a superstar.When Jayan succumbed to
his injuries from his famed helicopter flight in Kolilakkam, it was Nazir who singlehandedly financed a flight from chennai to
bring his mortal remains back to trivandrum.He also was responsible for recommending and giving chances to his film
colleagues.Its reputed that he had a sharp memory and could immedeatly recognize someone instantly.He along with
veteran director Sasikumar had helped many bankrupt producers who had pledged their assets to make films, regain their
limelight .If any film he had acted failed to perform well he would immedeatly ask the producer to start the next film and that
he would give his dates.Such was the generosity of perm nazir that his age had been truly termed as the golden age of
malayalam film where he elevated the film industry to another level by helping not only himself but everyone else in film
industry attain growth. He donated an elephant in the Sarkara Devi Temple, Chirayinkil. Nazir also wrote a book on the film
characters he played, Enne Thediyethiya Kathapatrangal. And his autobiographical book is Anubhangal Oarmakal.Famous
director and lyrist Sreekumarn Thambi wrote a book about his soulmate in the title Prem Nazir Enna Prema Ganam.

Death[edit]
It was during the lates 80s that Nazir, despite being a person with no political affiliations campaigned rigorously for a running
candidate in politics who happened to be a close friend of his.Due to his sincerity ,dedication and tireless nature to help
people in need ,Nazir who was a diabetic failed to have proper food at times as he placed his mission much above his
health.However all this took a toll on this and he became admitted to hospital due to peptic ulcer which does happen due to
irregularity of having food. He got admitted in a hospital at Chennai following this.During that stint many of his fans had
come to see him and since it was impossible in those days to contain a large following people just poured in to check the
well being of their favorite actor.In that crowd its said that there was a person who had measles and had freshly bathed
which would increase the germs to spread. Nazir in his weak physique contracted it and this led his feeble condition to
deteriorate further.Even though valiant attempts were made like trying to bring medicines from abroad to treat him it all
ended up in fiasco and the nithya haritha nayagan breathed his last on 16 January 1989 at a hospital in Madras.

Awards[edit]
Prem Nazir won his only Kerala State Film Award in 1981; He won Filmfare Special Award - South[9] for numerous films in
1976 and he won a Special Jury Award for the supporting role he played in the film Vida Parayum Munbe. He was awarded
the Padma Bhushan in 1983 by the President of India in recognition of distinguished services of a high order to the nation in
his field (acting). The Prem Nazir Award was initiated in his memory, in 1992, for excellence in contributions to
the Malayalam cinema Industry. He has also held the position of National Film Award jury in 1985.

Legacy and influence[edit]

Prem Nazir is known to be the most influential and trendsetting lead actor in Malayalam. He is known for his amazing
longevity in that he was active during the peak years of other iconic Malayalam superstars like Sathyan and Jayan acting
alongside them in 1960s and 1970s respectively. Nazir who began his movie career in the early 1950s, later acted alongside
popular future stars like Shankar, Mammootty & Mohanlal by the 1980s. He was a mainstream superstar in Malayalam
cinema for over 30 years from the late 1950s to late 1980s. He also has an unofficial recognition of playing a campus
character while in his late fifties. Prem Nazir has the distinction of acting with the same heroine; Sheela, in over 100 films.
Nazir is generally considered the ultimate romantic hero in Malayalam cinema due to his handsomeness and ease of acting
in romantic roles particularly in romantic song sequences.[10] His song sequences combined with the lyrics of Vayalar, tunes
of Devarajan and voice of K.J. Yesudas produced what is called the golden era of Malayalam film songs.[11] Prem Nazir has
also appeared in the highest number of dual roles (more than 33) in Malayalam films, and perhaps in world cinema.