Overview
Dev Anand (born Dharamdev Pishorimal Anand; 26 September 1923 – 3 December 2011) was an Indian actor, film producer, director, and screenwriter who worked in Hindi cinema. Active for over six decades, he was among the most popular leading men of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, known for his stylised mannerisms, distinctive speech, and romantic-hero persona. He co-founded the production company Navketan Films in 1949 with his elder brother Chetan Anand, an enterprise that produced several landmarks of Indian cinema.
Key facts
| Birth name | Dharamdev Pishorimal Anand |
|---|---|
| Born | 26 September 1923, Shakargarh, Punjab, British India (now in Pakistan) |
| Died | 3 December 2011, London, United Kingdom |
| Cause of death | Cardiac arrest |
| Education | Government College, Lahore (B.A. in English Literature) |
| Occupation | Actor, producer, director, screenwriter |
| Years active | 1946–2011 |
| Spouse | Kalpana Kartik (m. 1954) |
| Children | Suneil Anand, Devina Anand |
| Siblings | Chetan Anand, Vijay Anand, Sheel Kanta Kapur (sister; mother of Shekhar Kapur) |
| Production house | Navketan Films (founded 1949) |
| Major awards | Padma Bhushan (2001), Dadasaheb Phalke Award (2002), Filmfare Lifetime Achievement (1993) |
Background
Dev Anand was born into a Punjabi Khatri family in Shakargarh tehsil of the Gurdaspur district (now in Narowal District, Pakistan). His father, Pishori Lal Anand, was a lawyer. He completed his schooling at Sacred Heart School, Dalhousie, and graduated in English Literature from Government College, Lahore. After moving to Bombay in the early 1940s, he initially worked as a clerk at a military censor office before pursuing acting.
Career
Early years (1946–1950)
Dev Anand made his screen debut with Prabhat Films' Hum Ek Hain (1946), directed by P. L. Santoshi. During the production he formed a lasting friendship with Guru Dutt. His breakthrough came with Ziddi (1948), produced by Bombay Talkies. In 1949, he founded Navketan Films with Chetan Anand; the banner's early productions included Afsar (1950) and Baazi (1951), the latter directed by Guru Dutt and a key film in the development of the noir-influenced Hindi crime drama.
Rise to stardom (1951–1960)
Through the 1950s Dev Anand became one of the leading stars of Hindi cinema, often paired with Suraiya, Madhubala, Nutan, Geeta Bali, Waheeda Rehman, and Kalpana Kartik. Notable films of the period include Jaal (1952), Taxi Driver (1954), House No. 44 (1955), Munimji (1955), Funtoosh (1956), Paying Guest (1957), Nau Do Gyarah (1957), Kala Pani (1958), and Kala Bazar (1960). He won the Filmfare Award for Best Actor for Kala Pani.
Peak period (1961–1975)
The 1960s saw a creative partnership with his younger brother, director Vijay Anand ("Goldie"), producing some of his most acclaimed work: Hum Dono (1961), Tere Ghar Ke Samne (1963), Guide (1965), Jewel Thief (1967), and Johny Mera Naam (1970). Guide, based on the novel by R. K. Narayan, was produced in both Hindi and English versions and is regarded as a milestone of Indian cinema. He won his second Filmfare Best Actor award for Guide. Other commercial successes included Hare Rama Hare Krishna (1971), which he also directed and produced, introducing Zeenat Aman, and Heera Panna (1973), Banarasi Babu (1973), and Warrant (1975).
Direction and later career (1976–2011)
From the late 1970s, Dev Anand increasingly took up directorial duties. His directed films included Des Pardes (1978), Lootmaar (1980), Swami Dada (1982), Anand Aur Anand (1984), Sachche Ka Bol Bala (1989), Awwal Number (1990), Pyaar Ka Tarana (1993), Gangster (1995), Censor (2001), Love at Times Square (2003), and Chargesheet (2011), released in the year of his death. While these later directorial ventures did not match his earlier commercial success, he continued to act and produce until the end of his life.
Political activity
During the Emergency (1975–1977), Dev Anand publicly opposed the curbs imposed by the Indira Gandhi government. In 1977 he campaigned for the Janata Party. He briefly formed a political party, the National Party of India, though it did not contest elections in any sustained manner.
Autobiography
His autobiography, Romancing with Life, was published by Penguin India in 2007 and was released by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Awards and honours
- Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Kala Pani (1958), Guide (1965)
- Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award – 1993
- Padma Bhushan – 2001, by the Government of India
- Dadasaheb Phalke Award – 2002, India's highest cinematic honour
- IIFA Lifetime Achievement Award – 2003
Death
Dev Anand died of a cardiac arrest on 3 December 2011 at The Washington Mayfair Hotel in London, where he was on a personal visit. He was cremated at Putney Vale Cemetery, London.
Significance
Dev Anand is regarded, along with Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar, as one of the three defining male stars of Hindi cinema's classical era. His urban, cosmopolitan screen persona, characteristic head-tilt, rapid speech and sartorial style influenced multiple generations of actors. Through Navketan Films he was central to a creative cluster that included Guru Dutt, Vijay Anand, music director S. D. Burman, lyricist Sahir Ludhianvi, and singer Kishore Kumar, whose voice became closely identified with him on screen. Films like Guide, Jewel Thief, Hum Dono, and Hare Rama Hare Krishna remain reference points in Indian popular cinema.
Related topics
- Navketan Films
- Chetan Anand
- Vijay Anand
- Guru Dutt
- Guide (1965 film)
- Hare Rama Hare Krishna
- Hindi Cinema
- Dadasaheb Phalke Award
- Kalpana Kartik
- S. D. Burman
References
- Anand, Dev. Romancing with Life: An Autobiography. Penguin India, 2007.
- Government of India, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting – Dadasaheb Phalke Award citations.
- National Film Archive of India – filmographies and production records of Navketan Films.
- Filmfare Awards official archives.