'Villain' Ashish Vidyarthi euphoric at Phalke for 'bad guy' Pran

Actor Ashish Vidyarthi, who is famous for his negative roles, is happy that Bollywood's most famous villain Pran will be honoured with the prestigious Dada Saheb Phalke award.

"Yes, it's a huge thing. His impact on the Indian society cannot be understated. For many years no kid was named 'Pran'. Just imagine he had such a big impact," said Ashish on the sidelines of a programme here on Tuesday.

Pran, who acted in over 350 films, became an object of hatred after his portrayals of a bad guy in a series of films, including hits like Madhumati, Ziddi and Ram Aur Shyam.

But he also did character roles in films like Upkaar and Zanjeer and it helped in changing viewers' perceptions of him.

"...it's been amazing and the fact that he has worked in such amazing films again not just as a villain," said Ashish.

The 93-year-old was named for the Dada Saheb Phalke award - the highest honour in Indian cinema - earlier this month.

"He is a very inspiring person. I have worked with him once so that is something I hold very dear to me," said Ashish recollecting old memories.

Ashish, famous for his portrayal of negative characters in movies like Vaastav, Daud and Soldier, and other Bengali and south Indian films, launched an audio CD "Blue Strings" at the event.