Dev Anand
Indian actor, writer, director and producer in Hindi cinema.
Dev Anand (born Dharamdev Pishorimal Anand; 26 September 1923 – 3 December 2011) was an Indian actor, writer, director, and producer in Hindi cinema. Over a career that lasted more than sixty years, he appeared in over one hundred films. He won four Filmfare Awards, two of them for Best Actor. In 2001, the Indian government gave him the Padma Bhushan, the country’s third-highest civilian honor, and in 2002 he received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award.
Anand made his debut in 1946 as the lead in *Hum Ek Hain*, a Prabhat Films production about Hindu-Muslim unity. His first box-office hit came with *Ziddi* in 1948. He became widely known for the 1951 crime thriller *Baazi*, often seen as the precursor to the “Bombay Noir” films of the 1950s. From the early 1950s through the 1970s, he regularly starred in top-grossing movies such as *Jaal*, *Taxi Driver*, *C.I.D.*, *Paying Guest*, *Kala Pani*, *Kala Bazar*, *Jab Pyar Kisi Se Hota Hai*, *Hum Dono*, *Asli-Naqli*, *Tere Ghar Ke Samne*, *Guide*, *Jewel Thief*, *Johny Mera Naam*, and *Haré Rama Haré Krishna*. Even as new stars emerged in the late 1970s and 1980s, Anand continued to appear in successful films like *Amir Garib*, *Warrant*, *Jaaneman*, *Des Pardes*, and *Lashkar*. Among his most praised performances are those in *Munimji*, *Funtoosh*, *Baarish*, *Nau Do Gyarah*, *Solva Saal*, *Manzil*, *Jaali Note*, *Baat Ek Raat Ki*, *Sharabi*, *Teen Devian*, *Duniya*, *Prem Pujari*, *Tere Mere Sapne*, *Heera Panna*, and *Lootmaar*. His final film, *Chargesheet* (2011), was also directed by him.
Anand was born in the Shakargarh Tehsil of Gurdaspur district, Punjab, British India (now in Narowal District, Punjab, Pakistan). His father, Pishori Lal Anand, was a prominent lawyer in the Gurdaspur District Court, a freedom fighter, and a scholar associated with the Arya Samaj; he studied the Bhagavad-Gita in Sanskrit, the Bible in Hebrew, and the Qur’an in Arabic, and also knew Persian. His mother was Indravati. Dev was the third of four sons. One of his younger sisters, Sheel Kanta Kapur, is the mother of film director Shekhar Kapur. His older brothers were Manmohan Anand, an advocate in the Gurdaspur District Court, and Chetan Anand; his younger brother was Vijay Anand.
- Born
- 26 September 1923, Shakargarh Tehsil, Gurdaspur district, Punjab, British India (now Narowal District, Punjab, Pakistan)
- Died
- 3 December 2011
- Field
- Actor, writer, director, producer
- Nationality
- Indian
- Known for
- Work in Hindi cinema; co-founder of Navketan Films; starring in films such as Baazi, Taxi Driver, Guide, Jewel Thief, and Haré Rama Haré Krishna
Lore & Background
Dev Anand was born the third of four sons to Pishori Lal Anand, a prominent lawyer and freedom fighter, and Indravati. He completed a B.A. in English Literature from Government College, Lahore, then moved to Bombay in the early 1940s. He began working in a military censor's office and later as a clerk before joining the Indian People's Theatre Association. He debuted with a lead role in Prabhat Films' Hum Ek Hain (1946), a film about Hindu-Muslim unity. His first commercial success was Ziddi (1948), and he gained widespread recognition with the crime thriller Baazi (1951), regarded as a forerunner of Bombay Noir films. In 1949, he co-founded Navketan Films with his elder brother Chetan Anand.
Reader's Guide
Dev Anand's career spanned over six decades, during which he consistently starred in top-grossing Indian films from the early 1950s to the 1970s, including Jaal, Taxi Driver, C.I.D., Guide, and Jewel Thief. He continued to star in successful films into the 1980s, such as Amir Garib and Des Pardes. His final film was Chargesheet (2011), which he also directed. Anand is remembered for his long-standing collaborations with playback singers Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar, and for his role in launching Navketan Films, which produced 35 films. His personal life included a notable romance with actress Suraiya and a marriage to Kalpana Kartik, his co-star in several films. The Government of India recognized his contributions with the Padma Bhushan and Dadasaheb Phalke Award.
Did You Know?
- Dev Anand was born Dharamdev Pishorimal Anand on 26 September 1923 in Shakargarh Tehsil, Gurdaspur district, Punjab, British India.
- He co-founded Navketan Films in 1949 with his elder brother Chetan Anand.
- He received the Padma Bhushan in 2001 and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2002.
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