Prem Nazir

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Prem Nazir (1926-1989)

Prem Nazir(Malayalam :) (April 7, 1926 - January 16, 1989) born Chirayinkeezhu Abdul Kader in Chirayinkeezhu, Trivandrum, Kerala, India) was a hero in Malayalam films and achieved a Guinness record for acting in the largest number of films (around one hundred and ten films) with the same heroine, Sheela^[1]. He has acted in over 700 films^[2]. Also called the "Evergreen Star", he acted well into his old age.His devotion for acting was unmatched by the fact that he opted to be a teetollar throughout his life. His last film was Dhwani. His practices and ideologies later became a bible for many noted malayalm stars of the century.

In the film Iruttinte Atmavu, with a detailed screenplay by M. T. Vasudevan Nair, P. Bhaskaran could make one of the best films of his career and also provide 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.

Prem Nazir's brother Prem Nawaz also acted in a few films. His son Shanawaz tried his luck at the box office, but could not become a big star like his father and works now on television.

A record 39 films with Prem Nazir as hero were released in a single year - 1979. His association with playback signer K. J. Yesudas was just perfect. As of today, the Nazir - Yesudas combination of song sequences remains the best ever on screen.

There is an award given annually by Prem Nazir Foundation in his memory.

He tried his hand in politics and had joined the Congress Party but could not succeed in the elections.