Bollywood
actor
Dev
Anand,
who
entertained
generations
of
cinema
lovers
over
five
decades,
died
of
a
heart
attack
in
London
on
Saturday
night,
3rd
December,
2011.
According
to
the
88-year-old
star's
family,
he
suffered
of
a
massive
cardiac
arrest
in
a
hotel
in
London,
where
he
had
recently
gone
for
a
medical
checkup.
Dev
Anand
was
born
to
a
Punjab
lawyer
on
September
26,
1923
and
he
studied
English
literature
and
law.
In
his
20s,
he
moved
to
India's
film
capital,
Mumbai,
where
he
fell
in
love
with
acting.
He
made
his
screen
debut
in
the
Hindi
films
through
Hum
Ek
Hain
in
1946.
With
his
good
looks,
melodious
voice
and
success
in
romantic
leads,
Anand
became
a
Bollywood
superstar
within
just
a
few
years.
During
the
shooting
for
the
film
Hum
Ek
Hain
in
Pune,
Dev
Anand
struck
a
friendship
with
actor
Guru
Dutt.
They
had
a
mutual
understanding
between
them
that
is
when
Dev
Anand
produced
a
film,
Guru
Dutt
would
direct
it
and
when
Guru
Dutt
directed
a
film,
Dev
Anand
would
act
in
it.
Dev
Anand
got
an
offer
to
star
opposite
singer-actress
Suraiya,
who
was
a
bigger
star
than
him
at
that
moment.
He
paired
with
her
in
seven
films
like
Vidya
(1948),
Jeet
(1949),
Shair
(1949),
Afsar
(1950),
Nili
(1950),
Do
Sitare
(1951)
and
Sanam
(1951),
which
were
all
successful
at
the
box
office.
Supriya
fell
in
love
with
Dev
Anand
after
he
saved
her
from
drowning
in
a
boat
accident
during
the
shooting
of
the
song
'Kinare
Kinare
Chale
Jayen
Ge'
in
the
movie
Vidya.
Later,
Dev
Anand
proposed
to
Suraiya
and
gave
her
a
diamond
ring
worth
Rs
3,000
on
the
sets
of
the
film
Jeet.
Her
maternal
grandmother
opposed
the
relationship
as
they
were
Muslim
and
Dev
Anand,
Hindu.
So
Suraiya
remained
unmarried
all
her
life.
In
the
sixties,
Dev
Anand
acquired
a
romantic
image
with
films
like
Manzil
and
Tere
Ghar
Ke
Samne
with
Nutan,
Kinaare
Kinaare
with
Meena
Kumari,
Maya
with
Mala
Sinha,
Asli-Naqli
with
Sadhana
Shivdasani,
Jab
Pyar
Kisise
Hota
Hai
and
Mahal
with
Asha
Parekh
and
Teen
Deviyaan
opposite
three
heroines
Kalpana,
Simi
Garewal
and
Nanda.
The
veteran
actor
acted
in
several
hit
movies
like
Ziddi,
Baazi,
Aandhiyan,
House
No.
44
and
Nau
Do
Gyarah,
Taxi
Driver,
Pocket
Maar,
Munimji,
Funtoosh,
CID,
Paying
Guest,
Solva
Saal,
Kala
Pani,
Kala
Bazar,
Baat
Ek
Raat
Ki,
Bombai
Ka
Baboo
and
Sharabi,
Jaal.
The
Jewel
Thief
star
also
began
producing
in
1949
and
made
his
directorial
debut
in
1971
with
the
popular
hippie
cult
film
Hare
Rama
Hare
Krishna.
Dev
Anand
never
gave
up
his
career
and
he
had
released
his
latest
film
Chargesheet
just
a
month
ago.
He
was
even
working
on
another
script
when
he
died.
His
nephew
and
renowned
film
director
Shekhar
Kapur
tweeted,
"He
was
working
one
minute.
Sat
down
and
smiled.
And
was
gone
the
next.
So
much
to
learn."
However,
Dev
Anand
was
also
known
for
his
political
activism
during
the
Emergency
in
the
late
70s.
He
led
a
group
of
film
personalities,
who
stood
up
against
the
Internal
Emergency
imposed
by
the
then
Prime
Minister
of
India,
Indira
Gandhi.
He
actively
campaigned
against
her
with
his
supporters
in
Indian
parliamentary
elections
in
1977.
He
also
formed
a
party
called
the
National
Party
of
India,
which
he
later
disbanded.
Dev
Anand
was
often
compared
to
the
famous
actor
Gregory
Peck,
but
he
did
not
feel
ecstatic
bearing
the
tag
line.
Once
he
said,
"When
you
are
at
an
impressionable
age
you
make
idols.
But
when
you
grow
out
of
the
phase,
you
develop
your
own
persona.
I
don't
want
to
be
known
as
Indias
Gregory
Peck,
I
am
Dev
Anand."
However,
Dev
Anand
was
a
great
artist,
who
entertained
movie
goers
over
five
decades.
He
was
an
embodiment
of
long
passion
for
acting
and
filmmaking.
He
was
honoured
with
several
national
international
awards.
With
the
sudden
death
of
Deva
Anand
created
a
void,
which
can
never
be
filled
again.
We,
at
OneIndia,
express
our
heartfelt
condolence
to
Dev
Anand's
family.
May
his
departed
soul
rest
in
peace.