Mumbai, December 18 (IANS). There have been many such actors in Hindi cinema who have left an indelible mark in cinema even without becoming heroes. One of those names is Om Prakash. Whenever he appeared on screen, a smile automatically appeared on the faces of the audience. His comic timing was so perfect that even big stars would pale before him. Om Prakash has worked in hundreds of films. The makers are said to have paid him the asking price earlier, but if we talk about the fee for his first film, it was less than a tee compared to today’s times. Om Prakash was born on December 19, 1919 in Lahore (now Pakistan), before partition. His full name was Om Prakash Chhibber. His father was a farmer. From childhood, Om Prakash was attracted to the world of acting, music and stage. He started participating in Ramlila at a very young age. Surprisingly, her first stage role was that of Mata Sita in Ramleela. It was from here that the foundation of his acting was laid. Not only acting, Om Prakash also had a deep love for music. He started learning classical music at the age of 12. In the year 1937, he joined All India Radio, where he got only Rs 25 per month. He was known as ‘Fatehdin’ on radio and his program became very popular in Lahore and Punjab. Radio gave him recognition, but his dream was to work in films. Om Prakash’s entry in Bollywood was nothing less than a cinematic story. Once he entertained people at a wedding. At the same time, famous filmmaker Dalsukh Pancholi’s attention fell on him. Pancholi gave him a chance to work in the film ‘Dasi’. Om Prakash got only Rs 80 as fee for this film. He did not get much recognition in the initial days, but in 1949, the character of a villain played in the film ‘Lakhpati’ brought him into limelight. After this, Om Prakash made such a strong identity in the supporting role that his character was remembered in every film. Between 1950 and 1980, he worked continuously and produced brilliant films like ‘Aashiq Hoon Baharo Ka’, ‘Howrah Bridge’, ‘Sohni Mahiwal’, ‘Ek Jhalak’, ‘Bhai-Bhai’, ‘Patrani’, ‘Mem Sahib’, ‘Dhowpatty’ Aur Kaab, ‘Chowpatty’ and ‘Chowpatty’. He became the most trusted artist of Hindi theatre. He acted in more than 300 films in his career. His famous films include many films like ‘Padosan’, ‘Chupke-Chupke’, ‘Dus Lakh’, ‘Gopi’, ‘Dil Daulat Duniya’, ‘Joru Ka Ghulam’, ‘Namak Halal’, ‘Sharabi’, ‘Zanjeer’, ‘Howrah Bridge’, ‘Tere Ghar Ke Samne’, ‘Amarerm’. Her pairing with Amitabh Bachchan was especially loved by the audience. People still remember Daddu from ‘Namak Halal’ and Munshi Lal from ‘Sharabi’. Along with acting, Om Prakash has also tried his hand at film production. He produced films like ‘Sanjog’, ‘Jahan Ara’ and ‘Gateway of India’. He has also received many awards and honors for his brilliant acting. Big actors used to praise him. Even Dilip Kumar said that Om Prakash’s acting in the film ‘Gopi’ surprised him. Om Prakash started falling ill in the last days of his life. After suffering a heart attack, he was taken to Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai, where he went into a coma. He died on 21 February 1998. –IANS PK/ABM