Prem Narayan Arora

Prem Narayan Arora
Arora in 1942
Born(1912-06-12)12 June 1912
Quetta, Balochistan, British India
Died3 December 1985(1985-12-03) (aged 73)
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Other nameP. N. Arora
Occupations
  • Film producer
  • director
Years active1930s–1972
OrganizationAll India Pictures
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1957; div. 1974)​

Prem Narayan Arora (12 June 1912 – 3 December 1985), also referred to as P. N. Arora, was an Indian film producer and director. His notable works include Pugree (1948), Pardes (1950), Rail Ka Dibba (1953), Khazanchi (1958) and Dil Daulat Duniya (1972). Film journalist Baburao Patel described Arora as a producer who brought "almost the speed of auto-mobile manufacture" to motion picture production.

Arora was married to actress and dancer Helen from 1957 to 1974. He died in 1985.

Biography

Arora was born on 12 June 1912, in Quetta, Balochistan, British India. He made his debut as an independent sound recordist with Mehboob Khan's Jagirdar (1937). He later found his own production company, All India Pictures, and made his debut as a producer with the film Doli (1947), directed by S. K. Ojha. He gained prominence with Pugree (1948), which proved to be a critical and commercial success. Writing for filmindia, Baburao Patel called it "one of the best entertainers we have had recently" and added that Arora "deserves praise for giving us a different picture".

Arora went on to produce Paras (1949), Pardes (1950), and Nazneen (1951), all three starring Madhubala. Pardes was also co-produced by her. He was also involved with other early production ventures of Madhubala and Ataullah Khan (her father). In 1953, Arora made his directorial debut with Madhubala's second production Rail Ka Dibba, which also starred the newcomer Shammi Kapoor. The film was poorly received by the critic Ranjit Singh of The Sunday Standard, who dismissed Arora's direction as "unimaginative".

Arora met Anglo-Indian dancer Helen during the filming of Rail Ka Dibba. They married in 1957. She regularly featured in his subsequent films, which include Hoor-E-Arab (1955), Neelofar (1958), Khazanchi (1958) and Sindbad Alibaba and Aladdin (1965); none of these were particularly successful. In 1972, Arora remade Pugree into Dil Daulat Duniya, starring Rajesh Khanna and Sadhana Shivdasani.

Helen divorced Arora in 1974. He died in Mumbai on 3 December 1985.

Filmography

References

  1. ↑ Filmindia. Filmindia Publications. 1956. p. 40.
    "P. N. Arora, the man who has gained reputation for bringing to motion picture production almost the speed of auto-mobile manufacture..."
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Narwekar 1994, p. 16.
  3. ↑ Patel, Baburao (1 April 1949). ""Pugree" Becomes A Popular Entertainer!". filmindia. p. 49. Retrieved 19 May 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 Thought. Siddhartha Publications. 1951.
  5. ↑ "Film review: Naata". Swatantra. 10 (52): 48. 1956 – via Google Books.
    "While Madhubala and her father have been associated with some of Arora's productions, Naata is their first independent venture."
  6. 1 2 3 Indian Cinema. Directorate of Film Festivals, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. 1986. p. 30.
  7. 1 2 Singh, Ranjit (29 November 1953). "GOOD STARS DON'T MAKE A GOOD FILM". The Sunday Standard. p. 13. Retrieved 19 May 2026.
  8. 1 2 Pinto 2006, p. 19.
  9. ↑ "When 'penniless' Helen divorced her first husband PN Arora at 35". News 18. 9 October 2024. Retrieved 19 May 2026.
  10. 1 2 Democratic World. Gulab Singh & Sons. 1981. p. 17.
    "Many films have also been re-made by the same director/producer, like BR Chopra's Afsana into Dastaan or PN Arora's Pugree into Dil Daulat Duniya."
  11. ↑ "This is the reason dancing diva Helen fell in love with Salim Khan". Hindustan Times. 21 November 2020. Retrieved 19 May 2026.
  12. ↑ Patel, Baburao (1951). "Producer Arora Bluffs The Public!". filmindia. p. 57. Retrieved 19 May 2026.
  13. ↑ Filmindia. Filmindia Publications. 1952.
    " "Poonam" produced by P N Arora in partnership with Kamini Kaushal and directed by M. Sadiq, is reported to become an unusual picture."
  14. 1 2 Ranjan Sain, Raaj Kumar Bothra (31 January 2022). Ghulam Mohammed: The Unsung Melodist. Notion Press. ISBN 979-8-88546-805-3.
  15. ↑ Pillai, R. G. (21 January 1955). "Chor Bazar is Good". Singapore Standard. p. 10. Retrieved 19 May 2026.
  16. ↑ The Journal of the Film Industry. Ram L. Gogtay. 1956. p. 31.
  17. ↑ "ANOTHER ARABIAN NIGHTS FANTASY". Indian Daily Mail. 8 April 1956. p. 3. Retrieved 19 May 2026.

Sources