Mumbai, July 14: It was drizzling and the police had set up barricades along the path leading to Mumbai's Shivaji Park crematorium. That did little to discourage fans who had gathered by the road over an hour ahead of actor Pran Kishan Sikand's funeral, scheduled to take place at noon, to pay their respects.

For Jagvinder Maan, 42, the actor had been "one of our own". "My father used to work in the film industry in the lights department and worked on several films where Pran sahab was part of the cast, including Tumsa Nahin Dekha. My father would always speak of his kindness and encouragement. Pran sahab insisted that my father provide his children good education as it would help us rise above our circumstances," said Maan, a technician

in a power company.

Pran passed away late Friday evening, and his body was brought to the crematorium by family members around 11 AM. Much like the discipline he maintained throughout his career — arriving on the sets before other actors — the family reached before all the visitors. His sons Sunil and Arvind Sikand along with sister Pinky received visitors. Pran's grieving wife Shukla was present too.

Of the members of the film industry, veteran screenwriter-lyricist Gulzar, who directed him in Parichay, was the first to arrive and stayed till the end. Amitabh Bachchan, who owes his first role as the leading man in Zanjeer to Pran, was present too. Shatrughan Sinha, one of the few villains who later turned heroes, paid tribute to the actor. "His dedication was inspiring and there is much to be learned from the way Pran sahab conducted himself," said the actor-turned-politician.

Of the industry's younger lot, only Karan Johar attended the funeral. Several on-screen baddies, including Danny Denzongpa, Raza Murad, Shakti Kapoor, Tinu Anand, Anupam Kher and Kiran Kumar, also came to bid farewell to Hindi cinema's beloved villain. "I have had the privilege of working with Pran sahab in several films," said Denzongpa, who met him a few months ago, adding, "It was always an enriching experience, especially since he was a master of his craft and I, from the North-East, had to work hard on the dialogues. He will truly be missed."