Dev Anand :: A Never Ending Enthusiasm, A never fading star !
First, Many Many congratulations to Dev Saab on his 84/85th Birthday. In his case it really does not matter which Birthday he is celebrating, he has risen somewhere to the image of a mythological figure. We often see him in media but we all different people are familiar with some different part of a huge image of Dev Saab. He has inscribed his name in the minds of cine lovers as eternally youthful actor, an evergreen star, a stylish person, a never tiring creative person etc etc.
He is oldest active film maker in the country and at the same time he is the youngest film maker also. Its said that old people again become like a child. Don’t know if that’s true or not but Dev Saab certainly lives the enthusiastic curious nature found only in children. A new idea should strike his mind and he is ready with an entire screen play within a few days and if idea is so strong that he cant put this on hold then he starts making film on his chosen story.
Bhagwat Gita says that “Do your work and don’t worry about results”. Dev Saab has become a true living example of what Gita prophesies. Man Mohan Desai had said that if he had even 10% energy of Dev Saab’s kind of energy then he could have won the world.
Many may ridicule the man and his passion to make films but he is going ahead continuously without being affected by all the criticisms, ridiculing etc. One cant find even a slight bitterness in Dev Saab and that suggests about his self confidence.
We are the people who live with images and media and people have made this image and we make crowd of rumour believers and if it has been repeated that he makes bogus films then nobody will apply his own mind and will follow this crowd based mentality only. Does he make bogus films than B and C grade films made in present era and which do good business? Just because an image has been created around Dev Saab and his films, so we don’t bother to even watch his films and his films are declared bad without even watching or even before watching them. But Dev Saab does not take this negligence on his heart and he has reached beyond this status of success and failure. He is one man Industry without any support from anyone from the Industry. He belongs to no camp. He does not know marketing and history of Hindi cinema suggests that Anand family never believed in marketing gimmicks.
Dev Anand has been one of the most successful film maker of this country and till 1984 he remained so big name that if he was launching a new actress then she used to become talk of the town.
Its often said that he gave last hit so many years ago. Des Pardes was his last big hit. 25-26 years before he had touched the subject of Illegal Human trafficking and illegal migrations. We find no other film made on this subject in last 25 years. And though today this problem has touched lives of thousands of people in India and one particular state is facing severe problems because of this trade.
When Dev Saab made Love at Time Square then also he was around 80 years old and watch the young energy in the song picturised at Times Square. One can see the kind of energy oozing out in those 10 minutes when song is before his eyes. That young touch says a lot about his youthful soul, his young ideas, his full of energy heart.
If one can collect data of sold posters of film stars then one may know how many posters of having black and white photos of Dev Anand have been sold over the years. He remains eternally youthful romantic hero ever happened in the entire history of Hindi cinema. He occupies more than 50 years in the entire segment of history of Hindi cinema. People may not watch his latest films but he is never away from their memory. No other person, perhaps other than Khushwant Singh, (but) who is 94 years old but he regularly (weekly) writes in newspapers, of that age can boast of so much mentioning among the people.
He never gives a dull treatment to his films. See the colours and lightening of scenes in his films.
Its often said that he was not a good actor but was it true? He seldom played entirely fiction based character. He played a character woven around his own personality. If we watch minutely the initial years of trio of Raj-Dev-Dilip then in comparison to Raj Kapoor who created a comical character matching somewhere with the mannerisms of Charles Chaplin and Dilip Kumar portrayed difficult literature or stories based characters , Dev Anand played characters which represented real lives of urban, educated and often unemployed youth. In such circumstances he did not need to act on deeper level and he did exactly that and remained mostly being himself and played his character in natural ways without being too melodramatic.
But he did act differently in get up based roles also and watch Munim Ji where he is quite comfortable in doing comedy after hiding face in dense beard and a peculiar dress. Somewhere Vinod Khanna’s parsi act in Muqadar ka Sikandar has original routes in Dev Anand’s act of Munim Ji. Even when he wears disguise of an old man in Paying Guest, he becomes free from bondages of Dev Anand’s persona which he required to play young character/s.
When he needed he went deeper in to his character as well and watch him in Hum Dono where he played a double role first time. In the role of Junior officer he is same Dev Anand, youth romantic person but in the role of bit older Major, he owns different mannerisms. Watch him in Kala Pani and above all, Guide is that one film, which completely represents acting talent of Dev Saab. He exhibits multiple talent there and treads over almost all possible territories of acting area. When he tries to allure his customers in different regional languages then he shocks the audience as we see a different carefree, full of life, enthusiastic Dev Anand. He is so vulnerable when he finds Wahida Rehman is going away from him and he literaly pleads before her to get her love back. He is a perfect wounded lover immediately in the night when he sings, “Din Dhal jaye haye sham na jaye”. He is wounded and yet recovered from his set back, and determined person in the following morning. He is ready to start his life afresh and hence he is determined to leave Wahida Rehman and all her success and wealth. When he calmly taps the door of the car and says to Wahida Rehman,” Samay ho chukka show ho chuka” and says to driver with a pitiful smile on his face, driver memsaab ko studio le jao, then he shows his full potential as an actor. Guide has got very apt dialogues and Dev Anand has not shown any weakness anywhere in saying those dialogues. In Guide Dev Anand is at his full bloom. This is his success in the film that he has become Raju Guide. His portrayal makes him perfect Raju Guide. When he leaves his house in morning after Wahida Rehman’s dance practise is stopped by neighbours ogling and someone casts aspersions on him from the roof of a house and Dev saab climbs there to fight with him then he is not a typical filmi hero. He looks so ordinary and vulnerable and hence perfectly in the shape of his character Raju Guide.
One has to watch his confrontation with his on screen maternal uncle Ulhas to know how deep he has got in to the skin of his character.
His on screen relationship with Leela Chitnis was so real that they looked like real life mother and son.
If only one film, Guide, is saved from hundreds of films he has done so far, then his performance in the film has the capability to keep him alive in the history of Hindi cinema.
A book having more pages than the book “The Guide” written by RK Narayan, can be written on the hindi version of film “Guide”.
One has to watch “Manpasand“, the hindi remake of Oscar winner “My Fair Lady” to know how he was better and more convincing in the role in the remake than Rex Harrison in the original. Rex Harrison looked far older for that role of a personaility maker while for Dev Anand it was a cake walk role.
Anecdotes about Dev Anand and Guru Dutt and Dev Anand and Suraiya are famous.
Dev Anand is a name of tales. Myths are part of Dev Saab’s image and there used to be rumour in past years that there has been a ban on Dev Anand on wearing a black suit because he looked so handsome in black suit. Then there was this laughable rumour in 1980s that he was preparing a film where he would play younger brother of Amitabh Bachchan.
There have always been tales about him . In 1950s his image was created of a westernized person after all he was the only graduate member of the super star trio of Raj-Dev-Dilip. He was the younger brother of Intellectual Chetan Anand.
Actress Nanda has mentioned that when she was signed for “Hum Dono” then she also had preoccupied notion that Dev Saab was a completely westernized person and very stylish and she was bit sceptical because of his image. But to her surprise when unit was going to shooting location, perhaps Pune, then they stopped at a road side Dhaba and whole Unit took lunch there and She was surprised to see Dev Saab enjoying purely Desi food sitting on cot in a very ordinary way.
He is a man of women and actresses who have worked with him have described him as a perfect Gentleman. New generation of people working in hindi cinema may keep any kind of opinion about him and his films but he has earned a reputation which very few can boast of.
On Karan Johar’s, TV show, KWK, guests of an episode, Hema Malini and Zeenat Aman and Zeenat Aman praised Dev Saab a lot as gem of a person. Zeenat Aman became The Zeenat Aman because of Dev Saab’s second directorial venture “Hare Krishna Hare Rama”.
Simi Grewal can be found quoting that she met Dev Saab after so many years and after talking to him, she felt that she has lost so many years of her life without interacting with him and now she would not lose this opportunity.
One can find Rakhi Gulzar crying along with Dev Saab when he got Dada Saheb Phalke award.
Not only actresses or actors but Dev Anand introduced several new talents in the every field of film making. Rather his Navketan can boast of introducing maximum number of new talents in Hindi cinema.
Media has created an image of Dev Anand and as journalists never do any homework and they have to ask same questions again and again so everybody has to mention hats, colourful scarf, shirts, his own designed trousers, jackets, coats etc and his flamboyancy but watch Dev Saab on Simi Grewal’s TV show Rendezvous and see how this so called Flamboyant star can blush. Once he finished the singing of the song,” Sukh aur dukh ke raste bane hain sabke vaste….. kaun hai jise gham kabhi mila nahin….” And like a mirror camera also never lies and it captured the shyness of Dev Anand. Like a child who blushes after finishing his performance, he blushed after the song.
Romance is not more authentic than in theDev Anand’s films. He is at his best in romantic scenes. One can feel the warmness with which he embraces his actresses on the screen. Watch him with Mumtaz in “ Tere Mere Sapne” and with “Rakhi” in “Heera Panna”. In the relationships of husband and wife or lovers, he brings warmness on screen simply by his body language. He is a natural lover, a born romantic person and its proved on screen time and again.
He has jumped in to the roles as Dev Anand. This is a truth that he could not be as intense Devdas as Dilip Saab because as Dev Anand also this does not appeal him. He is never suicidal and he knows how to channelize his energies and this same message he has been trying to spread through his characters. He is not a doomed lover and his real life provides this message clear and loud. He did not ruin his life when he could not marry his lover Suraiya, rather he collected his energies and indulged in to using his sadness in to the creating something.
If one thinks he is not a good director, just watch Heera Panna and see the timing and picturisation of the song,”Bhaut dur hamein chale jana hai”.
Following scenes reveal the pain in the song and how one can feel absence of the character of Rakhi is clearly visible in the following parts of the film.
Like his brothers Chetan Anand and Vijay Anand, Dev Anand too has an impressive command over music and he also uses songs at most appropriate places in his films. It can be said that Anand borthers have been the most natural users of songs in the hindi films. Songs never produce any obstacles in a Dev Anand film, whether its made by him or he has acted in it.
Contrary to common belief, its not Dharmendra, a main stream lead actor, who had removed his shirt on screen first time, years before in Jaal, debonaire Dev Anand had removed his shirt while taking bath in a drum filled with water. He could be said as first topless super star of Hindi cinema.
Many years before Ravi Chopra’s Amitabh Bachchan starrer Zameer, Dev Anand had acted in “Bombai ka Babu” and his pair with Suchitra Sen was more effective in such a story than pair of Amitabh Bachchan and Saira Bano.
Dev Anand’s orginal film was far supirior than Amitabh’s remake. Subject was uncommon and till secrets are revealed, taboo topic of incest was there. Dev Saab was brave to work in BR Ishara’s Prem Shastra, where again story had incestuous touches.
He has always tried to touch new boundaries. He opened his production company Navketan in 1949 only so that his brother Chetan Anand could make films he liked. After making Guide in English with Hollywood director Tad Danielewski, he had appeared in another English film, The Evil Within.
He got inspired by idea to make a film on Indo-pak war of 1965 and became director with Prem Pujari.
In 1970s Raj Kapoor had almost stopped acting and Dilip Kumar’s films were also not doing good and he was also on semi retirement after the box office failure of Bairag but Dev Anand had successfully reinvented him in different kind of films and was giving a range of hit films.
Dev Anand can be credited as hero of Hindi cinema’s best mystery thriller “Jewel Thief”.
His black and white films can be picked up any time and they may be all time favourites for countless people.
Nobody could match him as far as appearing in the songs is concerned. Watch the man in one of the most fascinating song of Hindi cinema, “Tu Kahan ye bata is nasheeli raat mein” (Tere Ghar ke saamne). This natural born charmer does not look like belonging to this planet earth, in this song. Word, Adonis might have roots somewhere else but this word could be originated easily from the existence of the young Dev Anand.
When former PM Atal Bihari Vajpai took him to Pakistan and when all people got down from the Sadbhavna Bus then Dev Saab was the most popular traveller got out of the bus. He mentions that when he visited his old college in Lahore and a student started playing tune of “Shokhiyon mein ghola jaye”on Guitar “ then partitioned disappeared for me then and there”.
He is a very determined and confident person. He believed in his profession and he made friends with big players of world cinema. His credibility is amazing among people.
He lives life to fullest. Its not simply coincidence that one of the best songs of Mohd. Rafi has been filmed on Dev Saab. “Mein jindagi ka saath nibhata chala gaya”.
If BBC’s hindi service asked him to become editor for three months then he did the job with full devotion. He did not shy away from his social responsibility if his heart supported it.
During Emergency he felt angry when Minister of Broadcasting VC Shukla tried to over power Film personalities. He became furious when Kishor Kumar was punished by banning his songs on govt. controlled radio service. Attack on fundamental rights and freedom of man, provoked him to don role of a political person in real life and once he was convinced that he could not bear attack on basic freedom of a person he did not keep his concerns limited to deliver speeches only rather he actually launched a political party,
National Party of India, and later Pran also joined him and many other filmi people joined his party and many political people made alliance with his party. But film stars were not interested in contesting direct election and many were interested in taking indirect route to join upper house and soon he realised that he cant handle both films and politics together as both need full time involvement and he felt he was a fimi person first and his passion was film making so he dissolved his political party.
He has never shown any misery in praising his contemporaries. He clearly said that while Raj Kapoor touched heights in direction, Yusuf (Dilip Kumar) attained heights in acting. It’s a truth that Raj Kapoor might have attained more heights in direction than Dev Anand and Dilip Kumar’s acting is far more intense than Raj Kapoor and Dev Anand but when we see a complete film as a final product then Dev Anand’s films are no where less than films of his colleagues. As a collective product they leave effect of same degree.
He openly criticised Attack of Hindu fanatics on Dilip Kumar. He had said, its sad that people are attacking him. “He is Dilip Kumar, and Yusuf has a voice……” He called this tendency harmful for society.
He launched his son Sunil Anand in “Anand aur Anand” and film did not work, but he did not make films continuously to promote his son. He has said that I launched him and now its his fate, talent and hard work to get success.
He has always followed high level ethics, manners and morals in real life. His old friends, Singhania brothers wanted him to do advertisement for their brand of readymade men’s clothes and he had declined the offer many times but after their persistent requests he had become ready but he had said,” as I don’t wear clothes of your brand so I will wear my own clothes in the ad.” He opened his wardrobe before them and said,” Please select any kind of clothes for me from my own clothes”. He did advertisement as director Dev Anand while shooting “Sache ka bol bala”. He did the advertisement for free. He has said often that he is basically a film actor and not a model.
He does not earn profit from his films but he has been investing his money in making new and new films.
His is a never ending story. Because of myths around him we the people have stopped to watch his films, we have learned to ignore the work of most active creative person of India but he is walking ahead. Perhaps he sings the song inside “Ekla chalo re”.
Perhaps one day people will be recalling him as a man who made films on variety of subjects.
We live in a fortunate era that we are able to see two living legends Dev Anand and Dilip Kumar. Their personalities have contained the history of progress of Hindi cinema.
Actors have been copying them, though they don’t acknowledge the fact.
It can be a pity that the man who should be saluted for his untiring efforts is often ridiculed for his cinematic efforts and that too without watching his films.
His romance with life remains a continuous process and its so perfectly right when his recently released autobiography has been aptly titled as “Romancing with life”.
One can write endlessly about him and perhaps we may know him better through his autobiography.
[PS: If any one has access to him, please convince him to release atleast on DVD the english version of Guide and if he can make it possible to release last film of late Vijay Anand, Jana na dil se dur, where Dev Saab has acted]
Anurag Kashyap
Abhay Deol
Dibakar Banerjee
Hansal Mehta
Khalid Mohamed
Kundan Shah
Anish Kuruvilla
Jaideep Verma
Manish Gupta
Navdeep Singh
Bhavani Iyer
D. Santosh
Onir
Ashvin Kumar
Ramu Ramanathan
Sudhir Mishra
Pankaj Advani
Revathy
Saurabh Shukla
Shilpa Shukla
Sujoy Ghosh
Suparn Verma
Santosh Sivan
Shashank Ghosh
Shivajee
Pavan Kaul
Partho Sen-Gupta
Prroshant Naryannan
Sam Langoria
Satish Kasetty
RK bhai…
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Where do you get all this info… were you on a flight or something criss-crossing some Scandinavian country… saw rediff news and images and thought… Dyamm, DEV SAAB ke upar kuch likhte hain ( lets caually write on Mr. DEV ANAND) and before the 40min flight path is covered, you are done with this master-piece….
Bhai, young AB was before my-time – I don’t think i ever saw a film of his except for that one song in Guide… UR GOD!!!
@ravptor,
You have not seen any Dev Anand film? watch few of them or atleast one of them. If you like comedy then get Tere Ghar ke saamne or Paying Guest or Munim Ji. If like matured love story then there is hardly any other betterly made film in hindi cinema than Tere mere sapne on such topic.
Jewel Thief will stump you and you will be surrounded with images of Dev Anand all the time and you will search how Vijay Anand looked?
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Jaal, CID, Tere Ghar ke samne, Munim Ji, Kala Bazar, Kala Paani, Hum Dono, funtoosh, paying guest, bombai ka babu, baat Ek raat ki, Asli nakli, Teen Devian, Guide, Jewel Thief, Johny Mera Naam, Gambler, Tere Mere Sapne, Hare Rama Hare Krihsna, Heera Panna, Des Pardes, will reveal on screen magic of Dev Saab.
Ishq Ishq Ishq, Lootmar, Lashkar, Manpasand, Swami Dada, warant, bullet, janeman, sahib bahadur, banarasi babu, Nau Do Gyarah, house no 44,Afsar, Bazi, Ziddi,Amir Gharib etc will tell how he has acted in variety of films.
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One hero 3 heroines – watch Teen Devian, its full potential entertainment. Watch Dev Saab romancing with three different women and appearing in so good songs.
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I should have written it yesterday as his bday falls on 26th sept. but had lost Internet link in the evening. But better late than never.
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RK you gave us a brief history lesson on Dev saab, I saw his film CID and was blown away by songs and his charisma….
Dev Saab is a true phenomenon…..
would like to know more of Dev Saab and Guru Dutt era….
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RK sir.. you are the legend of PFC, and nobody can deny that.. thank you for such a lovely post. though you’ve been missing for a while, this post completely made up for it. simply amazing how you perform your research.. just like him, you too have a never-ending enthusiasm in your posts.. very befitting.
i never knew about “the enemy within” and the english version of guide, so thanks for that bit of info.. i’m surely going to try and track it down. everytime i’ve been asked to sing at an event, i have always chosen “mana janab ne pukara nahin” from paying guest.. has always been one of my favorites.. thanks to your post now, i think i’m going to watch his movies this weekend just to revisit the magic of dev anand. so charismatic is the man, that even today my mother jokes with my father saying that she’d leave him if she were to ever meet dev saab.. he still rules in the heart of women around the world, and am sure will continue to do so forever.
thank you again ^:)^ ^:)^
Varun: You too Brutus? Only one film:o
Perhaps this is the harm of cable TV, DD used to show old films quite frequently but these cable TVs have ruined that trend because they cant generate much revenue by showing old films. They recycle bogus films again and again.
This seems to be the reason that Media’s reiteration that Dev Saab’s films have been bogus, have worked successfully and when you passionatic people have not seen any of Dev Saab’s film then its quite possible that there will be many thousand people especially youngesters of less than 25 years, who have never seen any of his old film and they just dont see any reason to watch his films.
Dev Anand is the PRINCE CHARMING of black and white era.
But I am sure because of archies posters, girls of even 18 years old will be knowing him better than the boys of that age.
Watch Varun, watch his films, without watching his films with Vijay Anand one cant know the magic of songs and appropriate use of songs in the film.
Even a person whose eyesight has been sitting at the threshold limit of losing power, may get full joy by watching, Acha ji mein hari piya man jayo na, watch Dev saab teasing Madhubala.
You guys have been losing something precious.
;)
Will do Rk saab….Will do, Yahan pe purani Pic’s rent karna thoda GMD hai….but will definetly watch….
BTW i love songs in all of Devsaab Pictures,
Dev Saab + Rafi = classic….
varun, become an italkies member.. highly recommend them, as i’ve been with them for almost 3yrs now.. awesome collection of tamil, telugu and hindi (among other) films and they operate like netflix.. delivered right to your door
RK bhai… thanks for the tutorial. Will def try. Second varun on renting old hindi films being a GMD in this land, will try though.
Just saw a clip of Love at Times Sq song… was with NishiKanth a couple of weeks back on some shoot in NYC in precisely the same spots as in the songs and I was amazed at how he got the permits and how he shot without going crazy. And that too in 2001/2002 when the tension in that area was at its peak. It tired us out, 22-32yr olds and he was 80 then. Some energy.
Searching for tere mere sapne online… will let u know if i have some luck…
Thanks, godji!!!
Striker:
Thank you for your kind words. Life’s ups and downs decide presence and absence of a person anywhere.
as some poet has said it very aptly.
“manuj bali nahin hot hai, samay hot balwan,
bheelan lutein gopiyan, wahi arjun wahi baan ”
[ This is not man who is strong, this is time,
Triabls robed milk girls, while same brave Arjuna watched helplessly inspite of having possession of his arrows in his hands]
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There is no research, as I have mentioned before also, when you watch someone from childhood then its but natural that things related to him catch your attention and they remain in your mind. and this is a fact that Dev Anand, Dilip Kumar and few old stars remain very very special and Dev saab still astonishes a lot with his doings.
He has more active brain than people half his age.
How one can deny his presence.
“Shalimar” famed Krsihna Shah had made a docu film “Cinema Cinema” on the history of Hindi cinema and in that film an audience shouts when he sees Dev saab on screen,” Dev tum jab jab film banaoge hum dekhne ayenge” [ Dev whenever you will make a film, we will come to watch] perhaps such die hard audiences are no more. Audiences belonging to our fathers age dont go to cinema hall and TV channels dont telecast old films. Only resort remains CD and DVD.
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The tale you told about sweet teasing between your father and mother has been Ghar Ghar ki kahani.
we should not wonder if your wife teases you with same dialogue and tomorrow your daughter to her husband, if she comes across the films of Dev Anand.
anybody can personally see young girls sighing after watching famous posters of young Dev Anand.
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and the Guy is thoroughly thoughtful and intellectual and his thoughts have come from encounter with life. He has got everything but he is not forced and thus violent exhibitionist like few of toadys super stars.
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Dev saab has taught whole generation to wear and to present themselves. His contribution is not limited to films only.
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Dharmendra, invites Dev Anand and Dilip Kumar when makes his come back in Apne , because he cant forget how supportive and encouraging these two gentlemen were with him when he was new.
any new super star can be found encouraging new actors? They seem to be so insecure.
One has to learn security from Dev saab.
I’m member of Italkies for past 7-8 months I have few dev saab’s movies waiting in quee…
Guys, just watch Aja Aja song from Love at Times Square. It shd be available freely on sites like smashits. and see the picturisation. Dont go whether other actors look like Salman Khan or not.
see how Salman is enjoying the song and use of Flute and how whole crowd is disciplined and yet enjoying the music. and he halted shooting of his another film to make this film. He stayed in New York for 15-20 more days just to write this film because idea to capture Tiems Seqaure at the Millenium came to his mind.
Such efforts are unseen, unheard anywhereelse.
RK bhai… wow! halted another film :o
Getting permits in rush hr is tough… bloody tough!
Striker bhai: Just signed up on italkies… thankx!
Ravoptor: Guy has many amazing stories to share.
Guide was supposed to be premered at WHITE HOUSE in USA but as time decides the thing, JFK was killed two days before the screening.
He used to have two websites, one belongs to him and one belongs to his productionm house Navketan and there one could have seen some rare photos of Dev saab with world famous personalities.
He is oldest but he had come up with his websites before any other younger super stars.
@Striker,
sorry I forgot to correct title of His english film for you, its “The Evil Within” (and not enemy within). If you get hold of English version of Guide and this film there, then please let us know.
@RK…what coincidence. just back from devsaab’s autobiography launch and i c this post. havent read d post but after reading the headline thought should post a comment. will read later on.
@RK, once again a thorough job..congrats and thnx..yes if anyone passionate about Hindi cinema overlooks Dev Anand its almost a blasphemy..Nothing can surpass his performance in Guide and what songs,lyrics and compositions and what picturisation..To me Guide has one of the most meaningful and brilliant song picturisation ensemble!
Oh yes, his comic timing in Paying Guest where he is impersonating as an old man to get an accomodation to stay as a PG is simply superb..Even his comic touches in Nau Do Gyarah while staying at Lalita Pawar’s mansion are amazing..
His own favorite song of course is Main zindagi ka saath nibhata chala gaya..and he lives the spirit of this song in his personal life also..
I think he could be the perfect model for Nike ad : Just do it.(if he really milked the ad-mad-bad world)
One of the most secure and confident personality in Hindi Film industry..Dev Anand is cool dude of B&W era..An urbane and stylish star whom Suraiya called Gregory Peck of Indian cinema..
And RK how can one forget Tina Munim another of his muse..
The other day he was talking to Vinod Dua on NDTV and he mentioned about his autobiography..He told the publishers that no one else can do justice to Dev Anand except Dev Anand himself..So he wrote the whole autobiography literally..in long hand..And i am all geared up to romance the life with him for next couple of days!Hats off to Dev Saab who really knew how to don and doff a hat or a cap.
Once again, a quality post from RK sir. Informative to me. Thanks. ^:)^
RK sir excellent post. I had watched Bambai Ka Babu on DD. My heart was in my mouth during the song CHAL RI SAJNI AB KYA SOCHE KAJRA NA BAH JAYE ROTE ROTE.
fuckin brilliant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’ve heard and read about many great film makers but I had an opurtunity to meet this living legend. How successful you are now is another thing but the “zest” you have …that’s what matters when you are a real artist. That’s what Dev Sahib is all about.
Thanks RK for just making everyone remember this genius on his birthday.
Cheers
It was Vijay Anand who after intial few years made Dev a success. Fact is Vijay Anand started taking himself seriously as actor and Dev Anand started taking himself seriously as director and thus disaster struck. Vijay Anand last directed Jewel Thief for Navketan in 1967 and after that Hare Rama Hare krishna was the only good product. One good film in 40 years by Dev Anand and Navketan. If only he had been less jealous and realized how great a director Vijay was, Navketan and Indian cinema would have been the biggest beneficiary.
Having said that it is unbelievable that he is still directing at 85. Hats off to him.
Krysh: Thats right that nobody can do justice to Dev Saab’s autobiography than him. And he has written his autobiography in his own handwritting, he has not typed it or he has not dictated it and he has finished it in record time. Have yet to read the book but he is a fully developed personality and no wonder if he has written beautiful passages and who knows there we find some poetry written by Dev Saab. It wont be simply memmoirs, it will be encounter with his creative writing also.
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and Vijay Anand was just 11 years old when he wrote story of Nau Do Gyarah.
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Suraiya said that he looked like Gregory Pack as she was a fan of Hollywood star. Its so funny that Gregory Pack knew that a big Indian female actor of Hindi films was his big fan and when he was visiting Sri Lanka for some of his film, he visited Bombay also and reached at Suraiya’s home to meet this ardent fan.
Nature has stopped making such people? Any star of any film industry all over the world will do that now?
Phoenixnu: have you got a signed copy of Dev Saab’s autobiography also? How was the function. How people are reacting to the book?
Thilak: thanks for kind comment.
Ridermghost: SD Burman has given one of his best music scores in Bombai ka Babu. we seldom find such pleasant chorus as we find in
“Dekhne mein bhola hai babu salona
bombai se aye hai babu chhinanna.
……….
dil urha le jayega chhoro bachpanna …”
and in “Pavan chale to uthe dil mein lehar see”
and “deewana mastana hua dil jane kahan hoke bahar ayee” is perhaps Hindi cinema’s first song with stereophonic effect, listen this song in some hi-hy system. [(other one was again with Rafi's voice in Pakizah (chalo dildar chalo)]
and Rafis one of the saddest song
sathi na koi manjil…..
…
pathar ke insan mile, pathar ke devata mile
sheeshe ka dil leke jaun kahan.
and Asha’s rare song
“aise mein kachu kaha nahin jaye”
Majruh Sultanpuri’s few best lyrics are for this film. Deeply rooted in Indian soil.
Dev Anand + SD Burman = Evergreen and almost Best music of Hindi cinema
sanjay: you are fortunate that you met Dev Saab.
as discussed in previous comments, we are living in marketing era, and every day it has been reiterating on PFC also that marketing is the basis of success in present time. Its not true that all successful films of recent times were good films also.
when lot of new generation has not seen any of the Dev Anand’s films then he simply does not exist for them and those for whom he has been a legend, majority of them dont go to watch a film in cinema halls.
Its all about perception. If he also colloborate with some big distributor company and use all tactics like successful and powerful banners like Rajshri, yash raj, PNC, UTV etc then his films can get that curiosity level in audience which is must in present time.
It has been proved time and again that in present times, its not always good which sells and so many times lesser good product takes advantage over far better product because of aggressive marketing tactics.
Temporary success is coming through marketing skills and really majority cares for this kind of success only.
People dont feel any hitch in promoting their less quality product because its success which matters. Once success is at the door, one have dictating terms and all are interested in this only.
Its race of blue line buses of Delhi. where profit shd come at any cost.
Jwalant: would that such simplification and generalization were working in real life as magic!
Dev Anand had started Navketan Banner for helping his elder brother Chetan Anand. Chetan Anand made some films under that banner and later started his own production house. Dev Anand made few films with younger brother Vijay Anand also. Dev Anand was never simply a silent producer who only arranges things. he was one of the most popular actor of his time and he was deeply involved in all the films made under the banner of NavKetan banner. Surely its always a team effort which brings high quality product but in real life matters work differently with people having high calibre mind like Anand Brothers. One has to grow individually in the life. One has to learn new and new things and this quest to learn new things, to create new things has been the basis of energy pool of Dev Anand. Success comes one’s way or not is different issue but one has to try at the moment when he is feeling to do so.
Din Dhal Jaye Haye Rat na jaye.. song of Guide in the present form as we listen now came in to existence after Dev Anand showed his dissatisfaction on the previously composed song by SD Burman. With Oscar winner Hollywood director and Nobel prize winner author, Dev Anand made Guide in English, and film was not recieved well and he made again Guide in Hindi with Vijay Anand as director and film worked. Same Dev Anand was actor in both the versions. One never know what will bring success. One tries with all his capacities.
Its very individual, one can work all his life as an actor only and many are happy playing same kind of role all through their life but some need a change after every few years and they have to explore different and new things continuously.
If due to their scattered efforts solid success does not come in their way then few cant compromise with their inner desire to follow new trends and Dev Anand is one such researcher. His researches are not up to the present standard or not or whether he is able to create films what world famous directors are doing, everything becomes immaterial before the sheer desire to follow his inner desire.
Or as Vishal Bhardwaj made Nand Kishor Khatri (Pankaj Kapur) saying “Atma ki shanti mein nafa nuskan nahin dekha jata (Profit and loss is not counted before the satisfaction of one’s soul).
Sunil Gawaskar played Cricket years for winning the game but he played regularly Badminton because this was his favourite game and he wanted to keep fit his body through this game and he enjoyed playing badminton but he was unable to defeat let alone Prakash Padukon, even local players of his area.
RK ji great write up.
I have to confess that Dev Anand was the first oldie star whose movies I truly enjoyed. As, I grew older and Dev Anand grew into
I CONGRATULATE MR. DEV ANAND, WE IN AFRICA IN GENERAL AND NIGERIA IN PARTICULAR SEES A GREAT INDIA HERO FOR CENTURY, HE IS REALLY AMAZING. HAPPY BIRTHDAY.
MUSTAPHA M.T.
@Vinayak,
Not Only Tabu but Jacky Shroff was also given first chance in a Navketan film(Swami Dada) by Dev Anand. and then apart from actors, NavKetan has given many directors, producers, writers, technicians etc to hindi cinema.
There can be many reasons for lack of Interest in his films. One can be his own Beauty of younger days. Audiences have image of a Handsome Dev Anand generated from his old and especially B/W films and now they dont get same Dev Anand on screen.
Dev Anand’s present cinematic efforts defy a MYTH that new concepts work in Hindi cinema. No, rather films based on recycled ideas are doing far more business than his films based on original ideas.
But Dev Anand’s films can teach new makers a lot. As he takes an idea and develop everything around his idea. His films may not appeal to audience because there is no curiosity level is left because he bears a tag of, ” has not given a successful film since last 25 years”.
Film making has become playing a game for him, or like a mental puzzle or say going on long walking. Its his hobby which he is fulfilling without caring too much about market.
And then his films teaches lesson on economics. Though entirely new actors, may be other reason, that audiences dont get any curiosity about his films. But he is using his means in well manners and hardly he stops his films in between. He is finishing them.
New Subject and good music are still two big factors associated with his films.
He has never made any film simply as a director without keeping him also in the film, so we dont know what kind of film will he make if he concentrate solely on direction. and we really dont know if he has distribution system like Rajshri Films have then what would be the fate of his films. He was passionate to own a studio where he has complete facility for post production work but he never had business acumen of Raj Shri walla people else he could also might have owned many cinema halls all over the country.
Perhaps he has lost his great team of 50s and 60s.
If sucess is the only parameter to judge a person then he should show the world atleast ones by taking resort of aggressive marketing and he and others should see if his films can be hit.
But he wont do it. He has no competition with anyone. He is simply HAPPENING in present time of hindi cinema and its difficult to define him and his efforts.Only we can learn from him, his life and through lackings in his films.
Yes, Jackie is also a self-admitting big fan of Dev Anand.
I have even seen a lot of his later year movies too. They didn
vinayak…when RK did aa ab laut chalein with aishwarya she was just 1 movie old which was a flop….so i guess she was new too…
and yeah devsaab truly rocks…
maybe he’s made of steel
long live devsaab
Amazing concept by PFC…
PFC 0ne is an innovative event which encourages talented people who cud nt afford to bring out their talent,…this concept is beyond imaginations..keep it up..
@Vinayak,
This is the condition where fate plays an important role. It will be interesting to see Mahesh Bhatt’s 80s and 90s hit films like Ashiqi, which was a super hit film. Today it will be found as a super crap film in every department except may be popular music.
Dev Anand made Sache ka bol bala and Awwal Number and Sau Karor in those years of Mahesh Bhatt’s so called supereme days as far as box office success is concerned. Today one may find Awal number more interesting than Ashiqi because of the complex subject and Dev Anand did not bend his chsoen story for the sake of the fact that he had taken a rising popular star Aamir Khan in the film as usually happen in the Hindi Cinema and subjects of the films are often changed at the 11th hour if someone young become very popular to exploit his popularity. This shows Dev Anand was conecrned about making film on his subject and not on promoting Aamir’s role. Like a coin this act has two sides. many may see it as failure of a film maker that he did exploit well, the presence of a popular actor like Aamir Khan.
Same can be said about his film censor where he had gathered so many stars. Whatever standard of his films are , he is devoted to his chosen subject and is less keen on promoting the stars.
You quoted right example. Aishwarya might have been new in film industry as she had done only Iruvar with Mani Ratnam but she was a famous model and Miss world winner and Aa Ab Laut Chalein was advertised more as her film than first directorial venture of Rishi Kapoor.
Devsaab, many many happy returns of d day.
RK, u alwaus rock.
thanks for such a balanced and informative article on Dev saab.
I liked his heera panna. Guide is my all time favourite. Asli naqli- a rare hrishida+dev saab combination.
i will try to catch more devsaab films which i have not seen and mentioned in your comment 2.
Shailesh:
), their fate on Box office etc etc provide material to analyse.
Apart from wonderful films he did in his supereme days its always interesting to consider films Dev Saab has made himself.
their content, standard (whatever it is), Music there, use of music, use of absoluetely unknown new stars (other than him ofcourse
He has made good or bad films, this is different matter and he should be analysed as anybodyelse. This attitude of avoidance towards him and his work is not healthy.
Ashwin(31):
Dev Saab is made of flesh bones and blood and he has a soft romantic heart,
Read Romancing with Life?:)
RK,
The reviewer at HT was just a little mean in her review of the book. I think people get put off by Dev Anand
@Vinayak,
Journalists have to write SOMETHING on ANYTHING as that brings livelyhood but when a learned and reputed person like Lord Meghnad Desai writes stupid things then it becomes painful to bear. He is author himself and has written a book on Dilip Kumar and he did not/ could not meet with Dilip saab even once and finished the book.
He also suffer from this syndorm of knowing everything about other writer wheoever is writing autobiography.
Autobiography has never got any standard format and its very personal thing, what to say and what not to say. Autobiography means about self and not about others.
If Lord Desai wished to know what Mrs Dev Anand Mona Singh Anand felt or thought then he should ask her or should wait if she publishes her memmoirs or writes autobiography.
If Dev Anand writes that he guess what she might have thought or felt then its a Guess and what if she does not wish to say to others what she thinks and what she has been thinking all her life?
Its an era of revelations and its all done to create sensation else somewhere those can be called cheaters who later reveals names of counterparts whenever describe a soured relation or a private relation, if minute details about relation were not known to others at that time. when private life/relation was not known to people at the time of happening then its not ethical to name other persons without their consent. Everybody progresses in life. Will Lord Desai reveal in his autobiography exactly how he married lady editor/proof reader of his book? He will hide whatever he thinks has nothing to do with others.
Its stupid to compare autobiographies. One cant compare Gandhi’s autobiographies with Chalres Chaplins’s or Einsteien’s. They were different person and lived different lives, followed different kind of principles in their respective lives. Their way of writing, their books should be as different as they were.
and how people know if anything went wrong in their marriage. One has to read between the lines and when Dev Saab says that which successful person can have ideally successful married life, then he says a fact.
Behind a highly successful person, so many compromises are always hidden. Oustide two may show but nothing is ideally successful as its not possible. Either one becomes entirely a shadow or a passive person and eat, sleep, walks, talks as a robot else whenever personal desires, no matter how ordinary are they and how much they are related to daily life, differences are bound to happen. One may call it bad marriage, if one wishes. How it affects to Private person like Dev saab what others are thinking.
Just on 2nd of October a 50+ person was telling two Europeans: You know Gandhi was not a good father. Perhaps he recently saw “Gandhi My Father”.
It was not good to ask, bad in comparison to whom, you? so could not ask.
Anybody can draw any conclusion when analytical power is not present or if present then not used and everything is taken and said so casually no matter about whom.:-w
naseeruddin shah on Dev sahab
http://www.tehelka.com/story_main34.asp?filename=hub131007DIE_HAR8D.asp
Manish,
Thanks for that great link.
Hey can somebody tell me what Devanand means?
please and thank you.
Hello dear RK (Pls give ur full name)
It was so so great and wonder full way of writing. I never felt I was reading . It was as if you were standing before me and expressing whole thing with full emotions and zeal.
It is such a different view from other articles on acting and directing abilities of Mr. Dev Anand. I myself admire him to the core. He is epitome of life, inspiration, grandeur and of course ecstatic.
I congratulate you on writing in such a passionate way.
Way to go
Great
Ashish Chaudhay
09981762314
@Ashish,
Thanks for your kind comment.
listening through the reading and/or seeing through the reading – that is the secret to get joy.
Barring Box Office success kind of things, imposed by media on Dev Saab, He truely is an amazing person.
Hi all!!!
I have the great fortune of being close to Dev Sahab for the past 2.5 years. He ia a real GEM of a person. Dev Anand, the man is much bigger than Dev Anand, the Super star. If anyone of You wants to meet him, or know the very latest about him, please contact me at naveensh [at] yahoo.com
@Naveen,
Thanks for your comments. Please pay our regards and best wishes to Dev Saab.
which production house started by devanand. pls send me correct answer.
@rakhi,
“NAVKETAN” is the name and its one of the oldest production houses which is still producing the films.