The veteran actor Pran, who turns 92 today (February 12), got an unexpected gift from his long-standing co-star Asha Parekh. Last week the veteran, who has been ailing and been in and out of the hospital, had a surprise visitor — the much-loved spiritual guru Morari Bapu whom the actress escorted to meet Pran saab. Apparently Pran saab is a regular follower of Morari Bapu’s spiritual recitals and has been desirous of meeting the holy-man for a while now. On hearing of Pran saab’s failing health Morari Bapu expressed a keenness for a meeting.

Asha, who is a major devotee of the spiritual guru, said, “Yes, I did take Morari Bapu to visit Pran saab. He wanted to meet Pran saab whom I’ve worked closely with for many years. We did a number of films together.It was good to make him happy by taking Morari Bapu to meet him. He is a wonderful human being, quite the opposite of the villainish characters he played.” Apparently Pran saab is now backhome after another spell in the hospital. While his son Sunil and daughter Pinky are a phone call away they have their own families and homes to run.

Says a family friend, “Pinky especially is very concerned about Pran saab’s health and she spends as much time with her father as possible. But she has an ailing mother-in-law to attend to in her own home. So there’s only that much time she can give to looking after Pran saab. At home it’s just him and his wife who is also quite old and not keeping well. Of course they have nurses and house-helpers. But it’s tough for Pran saab to be fighting off illness and old age with just his wife for company.”