Bollywood Actor Dev Anand 1923

Dharam Dev Anand Hindi: धर्मदेव आनन्द (born 26 September 1923), better known as Dev Anand Hindi: देव आनन्द, is an Indian Hindi Cinema actor, director and film producer. Dev is the second of three brothers who were active in Hindi Cinema. His elder brother Chetan Anand was a film director, as was his younger brother, Vijay Anand. Their sister, Sheel Kanta Kapur, is the mother of renowned Hindi and English film director Shekhar Kapur. The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Bhushan in 2001 and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2002 for his contributions towards Indian cinema.

Early life

Dev was born Dharam Dev Anand in Shakargarh Tehsil of Gurdaspur district (now in Narowal District, Pakistan) in undivided Punjab, British India to advocate Kishorimal Anand. He graduated in English literature from the Government College, Lahore,(now in Pakistan).

Career

Dev Anand left his hometown for Mumbai. He began his career in the military censor office at Churchgate, Mumbai, for a salary of Rs.160.

He was soon offered a debut as an actor by Prabhat Talkies to star in their film Hum Ek Hain(1946). While shooting for the film in Pune, Dev struck a friendship with another fellow legendary actor Guru Dutt.

Dev was offered his first big break by Ashok Kumar. He spotted Dev hanging around in the studios and picked him as the hero for the Bombay Talkies production, Ziddi, costarring Kamini Kaushal (1948) which became a success. In 1949, Dev turned producer and launched his own company Navketan, which continues to produce movies even today.

Dev chose Guru Dutt as director for the crime thriller, Baazi (1951). The collaboration was a success at the box office. Dev also played a few characters with a negative shade, like in Jaal(1952). His films Rahee and Aandhiyan, were screened along with Raj Kapoor's Awaara. In the same year, Taxi Driver was declared a hit. Dev's heroine was Kalpana Kartik aka Mona Singha again, and the two decided to marry in a quiet ceremony. The couple had a son, Suneil Anand in 1956.

A rapid-fire style of dialogue delivery and a penchant for nodding while speaking became Dev's style in films like Munimji, C.I.D. and Paying Guest. His style was lapped up by the audience and was widely imitated. He starred in a string of box office successes for the remainder of the 1950s. In 1955 he also co-starred with Dilip Kumar in Insaniyat. With his acting in Kala Pani (1958), as the son who is willing to go to any lengths to clear his framed father's name, he won the Best Actor Award for the film.

He was romantically involved with singer-actress Suraiya and the two of them paired in six films together. She fell in love with him during the shooting of a song sequence in the film — a boat capsized and Dev Anand saved Suraiya from drowning. Her grandmother opposed the relationship as they were Muslims and so, Suraiya remained unmarried all her life.

His first color film, Guide with Waheeda Rehman was based on the novel of the same name by R. K. Narayan. Dev Anand himself was the impetus for making the film version of the book. He met and persuaded Narayan to give his assent to the project. Dev Anand tapped his friends in Hollywood to launch an Indo-US co-production that was shot in Hindi and English simultaneously and was released in 1965. Guide, directed by younger brother Vijay Anand, was an acclaimed movie. Dev played Raju, a voluble guide, who supports Rosy (Waheeda) in her bid for freedom. He is not above thoughtlessly exploiting her for personal gains. Combining style with substance, he gave an affecting performance as a man grappling with his emotions in his passage through love, shame and salvation.

He reunited with Vijay Anand for the movie Jewel Thief which featured Vyjayanthimala, Tanuja, Anju Mahendru, Faryal and Helen. Their next collaboration, Johny Mera Naam (1970) was a big hit.

His direction debut, the espionage drama Prem Pujari, was a flop, but he tasted success with his 1971 directorial effort, Hare Rama Hare Krishna which talked about the prevalent hippie culture. His find Zeenat Aman, who played the mini-skirt sporting, pot-smoking Janice, became an overnight sensation. Dev also became known as a filmmaker of trenchantly topical themes. This same year, he starred with Mumtaz in Tere Mere Sapne, an adaptation of A. J. Cronin's novel, The Citadel. The film was directed by Dev's brother, Vijay.

The presence of his 'discoveries' — the Zeenat and later, the Tina Munim (heroine of Dev's last recognized hit Des Pardes in 1978) — boosted Dev's image as the evergreen star even though he was well into his fifties.

Dev Anand has also been politically active. 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.

Since his 1978 hit Des Pardes, his subsequent films in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s failed to do well at the box office. His most recent film appearance was in Mr Prime Minister in 2005.

Dev Anand's films are well known for their hit songs. His association with music composers Shankar-Jaikishen, O. P. Nayyar, Kalyanji-Anandji, Sachin Dev Burman and his son Rahul Dev Burman, lyricists Hasrat Jaipuri, Majrooh Sultanpuri, Neeraj, Shailendra, Anand Bakshi, and playback singers Mohammad Rafi, Mahendra Kapoor, Mukesh and Kishore Kumar produced some very popular songs.

In September 2007, Dev's own autobiography "Romancing with Life" was released at a birthday party with the Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh.

Awards, honours and recognitions:

Filmfare Awards

• 1955 - Nominated Best Actor for Munimji
• 1958 - Winner Best Actor for Kalapani
• 1959 - Nominated Best Actor for Love Marriage
• 1960 - Nominated Best Actor for Kala Bazar
• 1961 - Nominated Best Actor for Hum Dono
• 1966 - Winner Best Film for Guide
• 1991 - Winner Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award

National honours and recognitions

• 1996 - Star Screen Lifetime Achievement Award
• 1997 - "Mumbai Academy of Moving Images Award" for his Outstanding Services to the Indian Film Industry.
• 1998 - "Lifetime Achievement Award" by the Ujala Anandlok Film Awards Committee in Calcutta.
• 1999 - Sansui "Lifetime Achievement Award" for his 'Immense Contribution to Indian Cinema' in New Delhi.
• 2000 - Film Goers' "Mega Movie Maestro of the Millennium" Award in Mumbai.
• 2001 - Padma Bhushan Award (India's third highest civilian award from the Government of India).
• 2001 - "Special Screen Award" for his contribution to Indian cinema.
• 2001 - "Evergreen Star of the Millennium" Award at the Zee Gold Bollywood Awards
• 2002 - Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India's highest award for cinematic excellence
• 2003 - "Lifetime Achievement Award" for ‘Outstanding Achievement in Indian Cinema’ at IIFA Award in Johannesburg, South Africa.
• 2004 - "Legend of Indian Cinema" Award at Atlantic City (United States).
• 2004 - "Living Legend Award" by the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in recognition of his contribution to the Indian entertainment industry.
• 2005 - "Sony Golden Glory Award"
• 2006 - "ANR Award" by the Akkineni International Foundation.
• 2006 - "Glory of India Award" by IIAF, London.
• 2007 - "Punjab Ratan" (Jewel of Punjab) Award by the World Punjabi Organisation (European Division) for his outstanding contribution in the field of art and entertainment.
• 2008 - "Lifetime Achievement Award" by Ramya Cultural Academy in association with Vinmusiclub
• 2008 - "Lifetime Achievement Award" by Rotary Club of Bombay
• 2008 - Awarded at the IIJS Solitaire Awards
• 2009 - Outstanding contribution to Indian cinema at the Max Stardust Awards
• 2010 - "Phalke Ratna Award" by Dadasaheb Phalke Academy.
• He is also a recipient of the Rashtriya Gaurav Award

International honors and recognitions

• In July 2000, in New York City, he was honoured by an Award at the hands of the then First Lady of the United States of America - Mrs. Hillary Rodham Clinton - for his 'Outstanding Contribution to Indian Cinema'.
• In 2000, he was awarded the Indo-American Association "Star of the Millennium" Award in the Silicon Valley, California.
• Donna Ferrar, Member New York State Assembly, honoured him with a "New York State Assembly Citation" for his 'Outstanding Contribution to the Cinematic Arts Worthy of the Esteem and Gratitude of the Great State of New York' on 1 May 2001.
• In 2005, he was honoured with a "Special National Film Award" by the Government of Nepal at Nepal’s first NationIndian film festival in Stockholm.
• In 2008 he was guest of honour at a dinner hosted by the Provost of Highland Council in Inverness, Scotland to celebrate 10 years since he first worked in the Scottish Highlands. He spent several days in the area, en route to Cannes, as a guest of the Highlands and Islands Film Commission.