Dharam Dev Pishorimal Anand (Hindi: धरम देव आनन्द, Punjabi: ਧਰਮਦੇਵ ਆਨੰਦ; 26 September 1923 – 3 December 2011), better known as Dev Anand, was an Indian film actor, writer, director and producer known for his work in Hindi cinema. The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Bhushan in 2001 and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2002 for his contribution to Indian cinema. His career spanned more than 65 years and acted in 114 Hindi films of which 110 have him play the main lead actor.
Filmmaker Shekhar Kapur has blogged on his uncle Dev Anand, "the man no one knew". He writes about giving up a successful career as a chartered accountant in London to work in Bollywood and being cast in a minor role in Anand's Ishq Ishq Ishq.
He says, "Tiny role, but hey, I got to romance Zeenat Aman, who had changed the very perceptions of what it meant to be a modern Indian girl to all of us."
The film was shot in Nepal for over two months, trekking all over the mountains. He blogs, "We hardly saw Dev Uncle (every one called him Dev Sahib but me). Even Zeenat! Although she had this special way of purring " Devvv Sahiiib" with a flash of her incredible eyes that told their story immedietly. And his sing song 'Zeenieee' would just confirm the story. But her 'Devvv Sahiiib' would be up at 4 am every morning ready with make up and announce we were going to be on the move again to another location. He would rally his reluctant troops and before you knew it he was off climbing the mountains to a spot he wanted to shoot from 10 kms climb away. The crew would groan and moan, but follow the leader. He was always the first one there, and would already be in his pitched tent writing the scenes for the next day by the time we got there. He must have been about 55 at that time."
However, the film didn't do well, despite Anand having put almost all his money into it. Kapur writes, "Money had no value to him, except to make films. Nothing else interested him really. On this evening he was talking calls from the press and the distributors. As always they started with excited congratulations and jubilations. His face sparked with excitement and joy. But over the next two hours, the tone changed. I could not hear what was being said, but I saw it on his face. His voice going softer. That spark that was Dev Anand dimming. In a couple of hours and a hundred calls later the reality overcame the dream. The film was a disaster on the box office."
"Then the calls stopped. No one called and the loneliness of failure hung in the room. Dev Anand has just lost everything. All his money and everything he sold to make his most ambitious project ever. There are few more intimate moments you could share with a courageous man than his coming to terms with complete defeat. He was sad. Reflective. For all of five minutes. He then looked at me and smiled."
Anand then told him, "I'll just be back 'Shekharonios' (thats what he called me) and went into the bedroom of the suite. I should have felt sorry for my first foray out as a (minor) actor flopping, but was too caught up in the incredible drama unfolding in front of me."
Kapur adds, "Ten minutes Dev Anand emerged. His his eyes were vibrant. His face excited. He was unable to sit down for his excitement. Looked me in the eyes. 'Shekharonios, I just thought of a great plot for my next film!!' He picked up his register. Took out a pen and started to write. How does a man who just lost of everything come to terms with it so easily? I was left gaping. But knew it was time for me to leave him alone. To write and plan his next film. He never talked about Ishq Ishq again."
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