The inimitable Dev Anand

Maj Gen Raj Mehta (retd)

DEV Anand, whose birth centenary fell on September 26, had ‘competition’ from iconic Hollywood actor Gregory Peck, whom fans felt he resembled. Dev had an irresistible charm, an elastic 5-ft, 8-inch frame, a loping gait and of course, his mannerisms. Peck, towering at 6 ft, 3 inch, was classically, sartorially winsome; his baritone and an honest persona enhanced his charm. He was a best actor Oscar winner (To Kill a Mocking Bird). Suave Dev would laugh and say: ‘We’re actor friends, but he’s Peck, I’m Dev! I’m me!’

There were parallels. Peck had his favourite co-actor Audrey Hepburn (Oscar winner for Roman Holiday) present him with Hollywood’s lifetime achievement award. Dev, two-time winner of Filmfare’s best actor award winner (Kala Pani and Guide) is fondly remembered by his leading ladies for his unfailing deportment, high energy level, staccato dialogue delivery and people-first empathy. Befittingly, on September 26, Waheeda Rehman was honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke award. She worked with Dev in several films (including Guide, for which she also received the Filmfare award). ‘He was my favourite co-star right from my first film, C.I.D. — so thoughtful and sensitive,’ she recalled.

Born to an affluent lawyer at Gharota Kalan village near Gurdaspur, Dev was ‘sandwiched’ between brothers Chetan and Vijay (Goldie). He studied at Gurdaspur, Dharamsala and Dalhousie, and later graduated in English honours from Government College, Lahore. When the family faced bad times, young Dev boarded the Frontier Mail to Bombay with just Rs 30 and an infectious self-assurance. He never looked back.

Dev and his peers Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar were path-breakers, heralding Hindi cinema’s golden age. They remained friends for life while competing for marquee honours. The variety and quality of their work were the bedrock of Hindi cinema. Dilip (laale for Dev) developed as a refined introvert, excelling in serious roles. Raj started off as the innocent, gauche common man battling adversity in a Chaplinesque way. Dev portrayed the city slicker — the urban, hopelessly romantic guy. He played the hero and the anti-hero with aplomb, backed by memorable songs and delighted, at-ease female co-stars.

Dilip carved a niche for himself in acting, but Dev and Raj were multi-faceted. They grew as actors, directors and producers, founding their own production houses. Both had exceptional musical sensibilities and headed teams of creative people, with Dev employing a wide range of singers, lyricists and music directors. En famille, he had Vijay Anand, rated among the industry’s top directors and scriptwriters. Dev’s best films, such as Kala Bazar, Guide and Jewel Thief, carried Vijay’s uncompromising stamp. Elder brother Chetan (Haqeeqat) was Dev’s go-to critic/mentor. Throughout his rollercoaster journey, Dev remained true to himself: Har fikr ko dhuyen mein udata chala gaya…

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