Suniel Anand planned to remake his father's 'Guide'…. living under the shadow of Dev Anand
Coincidentally, he passed away at the same London hospital where his father, Dev Anand, died in 2011
Suniel Anand, the only son of the legendary Hindi cinema icon Dev Anand and veteran actress Kalpana Kartik, passed away at the age of 70 on July 26, 2026. He suffered a heart attack in London while on a stopover en route to India from the US.
Coincidentally, he passed away at the same London hospital where his father, Dev Anand, died in 2011. Suniel belonged to the prominent Anand film family. Acclaimed filmmakers Chetan Anand and Vijay Anand were his uncles, and director Shekhar Kapur is his cousin.
Born in Zurich, Switzerland, in 1956, he later earned a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the American University in Washington D.C.
Suneil spent over 40 years closely assisting his father, managing his hectic schedules, and running their iconic family production banner, Navketan Films. He was launched by his father in the 1984 film Anand Aur Anand. He starred in a handful of other Bollywood movies, including Car Thief (1986) and Main Tere Liye (1988). The latter was directed by Suneil’s illustrious uncle Vijay Anand.
In a conversation with this writer Dev Anand had admitted he was worried about his son’s career. “I made Anand Aur Anand to launch my son. Then I got my brother (Vijay Anand) to direct my son in Main Tere Liye. That didn’t work either. Like any father I want to do my best for Suniel. But beyond a point he is on his own.”
Suniel Anand trained extensively in Wing Tsun martial arts in Hong Kong to direct and star in the action film Master (2001). In his later years, he focused on international filmmaking and was developing a Hollywood project titled Vagator Mixer.
At one point Suniel was all set to revive his father's most well-known film Guide which was directed by Dev's brother Vijay Anand.
Suniel had excitedly told this writer, "Yes, we are looking at reviving Guide in a technically enhanced format with high-quality picture and Dolby sound. Guide is my dad's most beloved film. It's also the film closest to his fans' heart. The film's theme is timeless. So, we do feel it would be the right thing to do."
Suniel was also planning an international thriller.
“Audiences will definitely see glimpses of my father and his films in my film. But it isn’t Jewel Thief. I’ve done a number of films as an actor. Besides I’ve been training and practising all through. I look into the mirror and I see an actor.”
In the directorial venture Vagator Mixer that Suniel Anand announced on his father Dev Anand’s birthday in 2014, the actor-director seemed to be donning his father’s multiple hats. Suniel didn’t only produce and direct the film, but also composed the music
Revealed Suniel before launching the film, “My film won’t have any lip-sync songs. It’s an international thriller in the English language. So there would be no running around trees. I am very much into world music. I used to be a drummer in my high-school band. Since then I’ve kept abreast of all that’s happening in world music. I’ve an impressive collection of music, and I know what the audiences today is like to hear and enjoy. My film would have a strong background score and a couple of songs in the background. The screenplay would have to go through 3-4 rewritings before I am satisfied. I want to make a film that my father would be proud of.”
Speaking on his father, Suniel had once told this writer, “My father, the legendary Dev Anand, was truly amazing in every sense of the word. Besides being a good father, he was also my good friend, mentor, confidante, inspiration and role model. I can never hope to equal his stature. I am not even trying. I just hope I don’t do anything that would embarrass him.”
