This article is written by Arunkumar Deshmukh, a fellow enthusiast of Hindi movie music and a regular contributor to this blog. This article is meant to be posted in atulsongaday.me. If this article appears in sites like lyricstrans.com and ibollywoodsongs.com etc then it is piracy of the copyright content of atulsongaday.me and is a punishable offence under the existing laws.
Today is the Death Anniversary of DEV ANAND.
He was one of those who can never be forgotten. He was the most handsome of the three great heroes of India, Raj, Dilip and Dev. Raj and Dilip grew old, did grandpa’s roles and we digested them. But even the thought of seeing Dev Anand as an old Grandfather was highly disturbing. He forever, remained the evergreen chocolate Hero for people of his generation.
The 50s were the Golden period for Dev Anand films. Nirala, Neeli, Afsar, Sazaa, Sanam, Baazi, Aaraam, Tamasha, Jaal, Patita, Taxi Driver, Munimji, Insaniyat, House Number 44, Pocketmaar, Funtoosh, C I D , Paying Guest, Nau do gyarah, Baarish, Kaala paani, Kaala Baazaar, Love marriage and many many more. These films made a permanant mark in our hearts for the handsome Dev Anand.
So much has been already written about and on Dev Anand by almost everybody,that I will have to be different now. First let us read what Dev himself said about his entry into films-
Dev Anand came to Mumbai (then Bombay) in the early 40s and was inspired to act in films after seeing Ashok Kumar in Achchut Kanya and Kismat. He was given his first break by Babu Rao Pai of Prabhat Film Studios after he gatecrashed into his office in search of work.
Reminiscing about this incident, Dev Anand had said in an interview: “I remember when I gatecrashed into the office of the man who gave me the first break, he kept looking at me – Babu Rao Pai of Prabhat Film Studios. At that time he made up his mind that this boy deserves a break and later mentioned to his people that ‘this boy struck me because of his smile and beautiful eyes and his tremendous confidence.”
After debuting with Hum Ek Hain opposite Kamala Kotnis in 1946, there was no looking back for Dev Sahab.
Next was another landmark in his life-his marriage. Here is what his wife said about it-
Mona Anand remembers her life and time with the legendary showman. I was just out of St. Bedes College, Simla, in the early 50s when Chetan Anand’s X-ray eyes spotted the talent in me. I made my debut as a leading lady, Kalpana Kartik (my screen name) in Navketan’s Baazi, (1951) opposite the debonaire Dev Anand.
In Baazi my character was that of a doctor with a noble mission who falls in love with Dev. Initially shy, Dev took time to open up, but we slowly built a good rapport. Never did I feel like a stranger on the sets. Baazi was a rip-roaring success. My second film with Dev was Aandhiyan. It bombed at the box office, but I have very fond memories with him.
However, it was Taxi Driver (1954) which actually changed the course of my life. In one scene of Taxi Driver I had to dress as a male. Dev actually cut my long hairs with a car repairing tool and I cried, “Mera Baal.!” The shot was canned in one take by Chetan Anand. We got married during the shooting of Taxi Driver. Ours was a midnight marriage on the sets and it was a homely affair.
Taxi Driver was a super hit and Dev and I formed the first ever husband-wife pair of the Indian screen. We later acted in two other hits, House No 44 and Nau Do Gyarah which was the debut of Vijay Anand as a director. Countless memories flock my mind about Dev. His joy at Suneil and Devina being born, our photo session together with Alfred Hitchcock and our umpteen foreign tours. Dev is always there in my heart and mind, just as only he can.
Now, here are some details and Trivia,which are not known to many-
Do you know that Dev Anand was the only Indian Hero who acted in a Hollywood film as a Hero ?
In 1970, Hollywood giant 20th Century fox produced a film- ” The evil within”- a spy thriller. The male lead was Dev Anand and the heroine was a Korean girl Kieu Chinnh. The film was produced by Roff Bayer and was directed by Lamberto V Avellana. The alternate title of the film was ‘ Passport to Danger’. The English language film was dubbed and released in Phillipines. Cinematographer was our own Fali Mistry. The film flopped everywhere and so Dev did not allow its release in India. Zeenat Aman also acted in a small role in this film.
We all know that Chetan Anand, Dev Anand and Vijay Anand were 3 brothers, but few people know that there was a 4th brother. The eldest brother, Man Mohan Anand was an advocate in Gurudaspur District Court.
Dev Anand’s role model was Chetan Anand, who had studied in London and was a man of intellect and refined tastes.
Dev Anand personally knew Gregory Peck, Charlie Chaplin, Pearl S Buck, Shirley Maclaine, Directors Frank Capra and Vittorio de Sica.
While shooting for ‘Jaal’, Dev and Geeta Bali met with an accident while returning from Malwan(in Konkan area) to Bombay. They were admitted in Sassoon Hospital,Poona, where a young doctor Dr. Shri Ram Lagoo had treated them. Geeta Bali had a wound on her forehead and Dev had multiple minor fractures.
Dev Anand, after Insaniyat-55, decided never to work with any other Hero in his life ever.
For Hare Rama Hare Krishna, no Indian actress was ready to do Dev’s sister’s role. Finally Zeenat Aman got the role of Jasbir.
Dev Anand’s driver Prem Narayan Dubey worked for him for 33 years till Dev’s death.
Dev Anand’s friend, Amarjeet,a publicist at Navketan, actually never directed any film, but his name was credited as the Director of ‘Teen Deviyan’ and ‘Hum Dono’. Teen Deviyan was ghost directed by Dev himself and Hum Done was ghost directed by Vijay Anand !
Dev Anand had a large ward obe and had 800 jackets. His favourite colours were Yellow, brown and Blue.
His son Suneil never married, as he wanted to look after his father always.
Dev Anand also had a sister- Sheela kanta, who was married to Dr.Kulbhushan Kapoor. They had a son- Shekhar Kapoor and 2 daughters- Neelam who married Navin Nischol and Aruna who married Parikshit Sahani.
When Dev first came to Bombay to become an actor, he stayed in a chawl in Goregaon, sharing a room with 3 others and sharing a bathroom with 20 others from the same floor.
His first job in Bombay was in Postal departmen of Armed forces to check and censor incoming letters for soldiers. His salary was Rs. 165 p.m.
In 1946, Dev got Rs. 400 p.m. as salary while doing ‘Hum Ek Hain’. With this money, he bought a small house in Bombay.
Film ‘Zanjeer’ (Break through film for Amitabh Bachhan) was first offered to Dev, but he refused it. Reason- there was no duet with the Heroine in the film !
Dev Anand never attended any funeral nor did he weep for any death, except for his mother and Vijay Anand.
Except in the film ‘Guide’, Dev never did a death scene in any of his films.
(Thanks to Rediff movies and Hindustan Times for some of the information contained here)
Here is my tribute to this Evergreen hero with this song from ‘Baarish’-1957. The song is sung by C Ramchandra and Asha Bhonsle. It is picturised as a light hearted dance song on Dev Anand, Gope, Kumkum and others.
Audio
Video
Song-Ham to jaani pyaar karega (Baarish)(1957) Singer-C Ramchandra, Asha Bhonsle, Lyrics-Rajinder Krishan, MD-C Ramchandra
Lyrics
jo seene mein na dil hota
to phir ham tum pe kyun marte
haan
bolo na
arre jo seene mein na dil hota
to phir ham tum pe kyun marte
aaa aaa
mohabbat jaisa ghatiya kaam
karte bhi to kyun karte
haay re
haay re
Dodge gaadi ke engine ki kasam
ham toh jaani pyaar karega,
pyaar karega
pyaar
arre arre arre arre
arre deewaane
abe marega
nahin darega,
nahin darega
ham toh jaani pyaar karega
pyaar karega
pyaar karega
hum to jaani
abhi hai jawaan
duniya kaa kuchh nahin hai mazaa chakkha
Pyaar nahi toh duniya me phir bolo kya hai rakkha
Abhi hai jawaan
duniya kaa kuchh nahin hai maja chakkha
pyaar nahi toh duniya me phir bolo kya hai rakkha
rok sako toh roko hamko
rok sako toh roko hamko
ham toh naina chaar karega
nahin darega
nahin darega
ham toh jani pyar karega
Pyaar karega,
pyaar karega
ham toh jaani
ham toh jaani pyaar karega
pyaar karega,
pyaar karega
ham toh jaani
dil se dil kaa sauda karne yeh hai aaya banda
maan bhi jaao
pyaar se achchha nahin hai koyi dhandha
haah waah beta kya hai dhandha ye
dil se dil kaa sauda karne yeh hai aaya banda
maan bhi jaao
pyaar se achchha nahin hai koyi dhandha
jaan ki teree khair nahin hai
abe bhaag jaldi
jaan ki teree khair nahin hai agar too takraar karega
nahin darega,
nahin darega
ham toh jani pyaar karega
pyaar karega,
pyaar karega
ham toh jaani
ham toh jaani pyaar karega
pyaar karega,
pyaar karega
ham toh jaani
pehle toh dilphenk kabhi naa dekha aisa waisa
kabhi huwa hai aur naa hoga dekho mere jaisa
pehle toh dil phenk kabhi naa dekha aisa waisa
kabhi huwa hai aur naa hoga dekho mere jaisa
maano ya naa maano ham toh
maano ya naa mano ham toh tumhe gale kaa har karega
Nahin darega
nahin darega
ham toh jani pyaar karega
pyaar karega,
pyaar karega
ham toh jani
ham toh jaani pyaar karega
pyaar karega,
pyaar karega
ham toh jaani
haay haay haay haay re
