Tag: Dev Anand

Waheeda And Dev Anand – A Reunion of Sorts

By Mahendra Ved

If time can be measured in terms of the past merging with the present, it occurred with the honouring of two ‘timeless’ personalities last week. Whether anyone in the government planned it or not, the coincidence was too delicious to be missed.

The announcement of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award to Waheeda Rehman on Dev Anand’s birth centenary is a fitting tribute to two of the Indian cinema’s most enduring personalities. She was before the camera, yet again, to express her happiness at this.

It is also significant for both. Waheeda began her Hindi cinema career with C.I.D. one of Dev Anand’s landmark, albeit under-rated films. Of their six other films together, Kala Bazar had a perfect mix of romance and social commentary, a recurring theme in their cinematic journey. Arguably though, Waheeda is the most significant of Dev’s co-stars from among the numerous heroines, from Suraiya to Tina Munim.

Like Guru Dutt whose find she was, Waheeda also inspired confidence in Dev. She almost didn’t do Guide as director Vijay Anand felt she was unsuitable. Only Dev’s perseverance made her part of the film that all three were proud of. “Guide is not just my most iconic film. It is also Dev’s most celebrated work,” Waheeda has aptly said.

Mostly S D Burman-composed, songs linked Dev and Waheeda and are sung even today. Both set fashion trends till a globalised India emerged at the turn of the century.

Guide remains a landmark for Indian cinema. Dev transformed from a swashbuckling tourist guide to a ‘feminist’ who stands by a married woman in trouble before actually falling in love. He is her promoter who becomes insecure as she takes charge of her life. And finally, he is an accidental philosopher who personifies the Bhagwad Geeta’s message.

Given his self-created Westernised image, none among his fans and critics expected Dev to pull off the last part the way he did. It was as much brother Vijay’s triumph considering he bounced back to directing Shammi Kapoor, a role that Dev almost bagged, in Teesri Manzil the next year.

No matter what novelist R K Narayan, thought of his literary creation on celluloid (he called it “Misguided Guide”), the theme and its treatment by the Anand brothers were well ahead of their time. Waheeda performs with grace the difficult role of a married woman fulfilling her life’s ambition using another man’s support but does not stand by him when he falters. That ‘Rosie/Nalini’ got the Filmfare Award that year over ‘Debjani’ in Mamata played by another stalwart, Suchitra Sen, is also significant.

As it happens, be it in personal life or professional, the two lost touch in Dev’s last years. But she kept track of Dev’s compulsive latter-day film-making, most of which flopped being an exercise in self-indulgence. When he died in 2011, Waheeda said: “Without meaning any disrespect to him, I’d like to say that as the years went by Dev’s script sense went more and more haywire. I think he got too involved with himself. Dev was a very good producer. But he needed to look out for better scripts.”

ALSO READ: Sahir – The Poet of The Underdog

If personal asides be forgiven, I began my writing career by converting ‘points’ furnished by Waheeda’s PR man into a readable piece. She telephoned and I earned my editor’s first pat on the back. The present is her moment at the Phalke Award. When Dev received it, although reporting on a ‘routine’ event, unusually earned me a by-line at the Times of India.

The most appropriate film clip to go with the award ceremony was of Mein Zindagi Ka Saath Nibhata Chala Gaya. It was thought of by then Information Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. These hope-as-heaven-and-hell lines written by Sahir Ludhianvi and composed by Jaidev remain relevant for all times to come.

To touch upon the trivia that matters, Dev not only acted and behaved young – remarkably, he looked young for long years when camera techniques and de-ageing processes did not exist. An American journalist meeting him on the sets called him “what Indians call fair complexioned”. Given the Indian fetish for fair complexion, Waheeda required a different layer of make-up than her north Indian counterparts. It was the same as Raj Kapoor with Vyjayanthimala or Padmini. Today, not that Indians have changed their preferences, but these techniques have largely ended this apartheid.

Waheeda was conscious that she had acting and dancing skills, but not the glamour to sustain her in films. She switched to purposeful roles quite early in her career. For Satyajit Ray’s Abhijaan, she waived her fees and committed to an uninterrupted shooting schedule.

She partnered with top men of her time impacting their careers as well as hers. She was the underdog, a fallen woman, to a well-heeled Mala Sinha in Pyasa. Saheb Bibi Aur Ghulam was as much her film as it was Meena Kumari’s. For all the thematic and technical wizardry and their brilliant performances, Kagaz Ke Phool, a landmark in Guru Dutt’s career, flopped. She contributed to recovery with Chaudahvin Ka Chand. She was definitely his muse and leaving behind the talk of her role in his family life, it is not difficult to guess how her career would have evolved had Guru Dutt lived longer.

Besides Dev, she was the perfect foil to Dilip Kumar in Dil Diya Dard Liya, Ram aur Shyam and Aadmi. With Raj Kapoor she shone in a multi-layered role in Teesri Kasam and Sunil Dutt in Reshma Aur Shera and Mujhe Jeene Do. With Raaj Kumar, it was Neelkamal and she outshone Rajesh Khanna in Khamoshi. No matter the age these roles placed her in, she was the compassionate figure that Indian audiences adored.

As young India grows older, nostalgia is gripping the minds of young and old. To borrow a paragraph from what celebrated writer Santosh Desai observed when Dev Anand passed away in 2011: “Old legends can carry the past gracefully, or become its embarrassment; Dev Anand’s unique ability was to speak of the past as if it were present and to act in the present as if it were the past. He spoke of his latest film Chargesheet with the same enthusiasm as he did of a film like Guide; to him, they were both accounts of a present — separated by a few decades.”

When Zeenat Aman, 71, is busy giving interviews, it is nice to see Waheeda, 85 and Vyjayanthimala, 90, amidst us.

The writer may be contacted at mahendraved07@gmail.com

Dev Anand

Zeenat To Big B, Celebs Celebrate 100 Years Of Dev Anand

By LokMarg

Several celebrities remembered legendary actor Dev Anand on the occasion of his 100th birth anniversary. They celebrated 100 years of Dev Saab.

From Zeenat Aman to Amitabh Bachchan shared special posts on their respective social media handles.

Veteran actor Zeenat Aman shared stills from the film ‘Hare Rama Hare Krishna’ on her Instagram handle and penned a lengthy note, “Celebrating 100 years of Dev saab. Stylish, suave and prolific, he was a dynamo beyond compare. And what generosity of talent! He sparked careers (mine included), brought together creative heads, and made films that resonated across generations.’

She continued, “It gladdens my heart to see his legacy honoured an entire century since his birth. In recent days, I’ve been overwhelmed with requests for comments about him but there is little to add to what I’ve already said. Though, I posted a three-part series about him just a few weeks ago, I can’t resist the nostalgia of these two frames from our earliest films together. They will be instantly recognisable to my older followers, but I’m not so sure about you younger lot!”

Kajol took to Instagram story and shared a portrait of Dev Saab.

She captioned the post, “Style beyond compare onscreen and off screen. Remembering Dev Sahab on his 100th anniversary.”

Sharing the still of her mother Sharmila Tagore and Dev Saab from their film, Saba Pataudi wrote, “Happy 100th Birthday Anniversary #devanand ji.”

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan also remembered the legendary actor and posted a note on his X.

The note read, “After seeing the success of Film Heritage Foundation’s retrospective “Dilip Kumar – Hero of Heroes” on the occasion of his birth centenary last year, I am delighted that four iconic Dev Anand films will be opening in cinemas across the country today in a manner that befits a legend of Indian cinema. He signified something that was endless, a continuity which we all took as a given. The fact that we can watch these films almost 70 years after the first one was released, is because they have been preserved and restored. This only reaffirms the importance of saving our films for future generations to enjoy. Don’t miss the opportunity to watch Dev Anand back on the big screen this weekend. “

Filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar dropped a throwback picture with Dev Anand.

Sharing the picture, he wrote, “Happy birthday anniversary to Dev saab, an evergreen icon, who mesmerizes us even today with his charisma and timeless songs. His immeasurable contributions to Indian cinema and lasting legacy inspire generations. We miss you Dev saab..”

Dev Anand was born on September 26, 1923, and is considered one of the most successful actors in the Bollywood film industry.

In a career spanning almost six decades, the actor created a mark with his roles in films like ‘Guide,’ ‘Taxi Driver,’ ‘Jewel Thief’ and ‘CID’.

He broke new grounds, playing a smuggler in ‘Jaal,’ absconding gang member in ‘Dushman,’ black marketeer in ‘Kalabazaar’ and a murderer in ‘Bombay Ka Babu.

Besides being an actor, he was also a writer, director, and producer known for his work in Hindi cinema.

The late actor who received India’s third-highest civilian award, Padma Bhushan took his last breath in his room at The Washington Mayfair Hotel in London at the age of 88 on December 3, 2011 (4 December 2011 I.S.T.). (ANI)

Read More: https://lokmarg.com/

Zeenat on dev saab guidance

Was Delighted To Have Dev Saab’s Guidance: Zeenat

By LokMarg

Zeenat Aman’s Instagram posts are no less than chroniclers of the history of cinema. The ‘Don’ actor started her appreciation post about Dev Anand on Tuesday and she continued the series with a new post on Wednesday. In the new post, Zeenat talked about how ‘Dev Saab’ (Dev Anand) mentored her alongside a few details of casting.

Zeenat talked about the age gap between Dev Saab and her. She began the post saying, “The age gap between Dev saab and myself was nearly 30 years. I had played his sister in HRHK, and he did not yet see me as a romantic lead. Instead, he cast me in the titular role of (Raakhee’s sister) Panna in Heera Panna, which released in 1973. I had a blast shooting that film, and its sound track remains a favourite to this day.”
Complimenting Dev Anand’s mentoring qualities, Zeenat said, “Dev saab was a dynamic mentor. Our association continued, and next on the cards was Ishk Ishk Ishk. I once again found myself in Nepal, but this time we were shooting in the picturesque lake town of Pokhara!”

She added, “Those of you who have seen the film know that it features a bevy of lovely women as my sisters and friends. They were literally so, because prior to the shoot Dev saab asked if I had any “model friends” who could join the project. I put the word out, several friends answered my call, and so it was quite the party in Pokhara. With a good-looking and young cast and crew, it should be no surprise that there were plenty of dalliances and heartbreaks unfolding behind the scenes. But please don’t expect the gossipy details from me! Would you like the world to know about your every crush, humiliation or affair?”

Zeenat has lot more to say. “Anyway, Dev saab was on a roll. Working with him was seamless and joyful. He was a fount of creative energy, and I was delighted to have his guidance. It would have been easy for him to tie me down to a contract, but he had the grace to never even suggest it. Thus allowing me a chance to spread my wings. We also starred together in several films made by other directors such as Darling, Darling and Kalabaaz. My career was booming, fresh offers were pouring in, but alas, one of these, led to the first and only misunderstanding between Dev Saab and myself…”

Like a series, Zeenat’s post ended on a cliffhanger. She wrote in the postscript, “( I will try to complete this story tomorrow or day after. Meanwhile, this picture is from the set of Ishk Ishk Ishk, and if I may say so myself, it is incredibly stylish!)”

Fans showered love on her post. One wrote, “Feeling Nostalgia after reading your stories”. Another one wrote, “Reading your post makes my day, they are well articulated.” (ANI)

Read More: http://13.232.95.176/

Sahir – The Poet Of The Underdog

By Mahendra Ved

“Zulm phir zulm hai, badhta hai toh mitt jaata hai” (Atrocities are what they are, when they increase, they get obliterated)

When farmers engaged in the ongoing agitation around Delhi and their supporters passionately recite Sahir Ludhianvi, one realises that the man who modestly called himself pal-do pal ka shayar lives on. He remains relevant, a century after his birth (March 8, 1921) and four decades after his death.

For a landlord’s son who shunned riches to stay with his mother, Sahir felt close to the farmer crushed by debt. He lives on because his heart ached for the commoner, like the soldier gone to fight someone else’s war, the woman forced to sell her body, the youth frustrated by unemployment or the family living on the street.

He was different from his contemporaries in that he did not praise Khuda (God), Husn (beauty) or Jaam (wine). Instead, he wrote bitter, sensitive lyrics about the declining values of society; the senselessness of war and politics. His sorrow-filled love songs conveyed that there were starker realities. He was the “bard for the underdog”.

This tribute, by one who knows neither Urdu nor poetry, is but a selection of Sahir’s lyrics in films, his times when people also applauded Majrooh Sultanpuri, Kaifi Azmi and many others. A certain commonality of ideas they espoused through lyrics marked the Indian cinema’s “golden age”. It was also the golden age of its content, even if the films were slow-moving, simplistic in characterisation and repetitive.

Sahir’s poetry was influenced by Faiz Ahmed Faiz and like Faiz, Sahir gave Urdu poetry an intellectual element that caught the imagination of the youth of the last century. They felt he reflected their feelings.

He was controversial. He insisted on charging a rupee more than Lata Mangeshkar, the reigning singing star. An internationalist, he was critical of the Indian approach. According to Gautam Kaul, writer/researcher on cinema, Sahir is the only poet who got the goat of those who profess to remove poverty. During the Emergency (1975-77), his songs included in the film Phir Subhah Hogi (1958) were given a fresh review and one song was banned: “Cheen-O Arab hamara, Hindustan hamara, Rehne ko ghar nahi hai, Sara jahan hamara.”

ALSO READ: Forever Fragrance Of ‘Kaagaz Ke Phool’

The relevance of Sahir’s contribution lies in his vision of universal brotherhood, of a syncretic India, where people of all faiths live in harmony as depicted in mandiron mein shankh bajey, masjidon mein ho azaan (Mujhe Jeene Do) and Tu Hindu banega na Muslamaan banega, insan ki aulad hai, insan banega (Dhool Ka Phool). 

To be sure, these thoughts were always difficult to visualise and practice in reality, even as they inspired when disseminated through the most popular medium of mass entertainment. In the new century, it promises to be more difficult for a number of reasons.

For one, there is less of that sensitivity needed to understand and appreciate Sahir’s words and his message. Urdu or Hindustani is enmeshed between shudh Hindi and the urbanised Anglicization. There is less of that tehzeeb that inculcated love of the language and of poetry. Frankly, there was time at hand to relax and to brood. It is lacking in the technology-driven lives we live.

Then, change in the public discourse has resolutely pushed “us versus them” political culture. It has permeated to the social plane as well. Bollywood, for all its flaws, has been a secular oasis with its unique ethos. It has been targeted, precisely for this reason, in the recent years. This has seriously damaged the content and philosophy of an inclusive society that has shaped “the idea of India.”

In the new century, the Hindi cinema is arguably less romantic. The protagonist is more worried about his livelihood (rozi-roti). Good guy is passe. The one looking to make a quick buck through means fair and foul is the hero. He/she has become city-oriented chasing, not romantic ideas or angst against the tormentor, hurtling towards material gains, always in the fast-forward mode.

The present times have ended the socialist ideals espoused by Sahir and other ‘progressives’. One who controls and multiplies money (Yeh mehlon mein baithe huwe qatil, yeh lootere) is now the job-giver and benefactor, even if he torments and exploits. Once distrusted, even maligned in literature and cinema, and at the best, seen as a necessarily evil, he now calls all the shots – political, social and of course, economic. That change came with the 1990s. Remember, Dil Chahta Hai’s ‘Hum hain naye, andaaz kyun ho purana’ that came 20 years after Sahir was gone?

This change in the way the society looks at the capitalist was inevitable. The agitator for equality in the society, and certainly the poet who spun ideas to inspire the agitator, have lost their clout with global changes. One wonders if Sahir and others like him would have continued writing at all.

ALSO READ: Unparalleled Reign Of ‘Mughal-e-Azam’

Post-Sahir, some like Gulzar and Javed Akhtar are very much into good poetry, but have had to lead the change in content and philosophy. Fact remains that in this era of fast music created by electronic instruments, with cinematic pursuit extended to television and the digital platforms, the demand-and-supply is so huge that quality suffers. Lyric is not every viewer’s cup of tea and occasionally if not often, it takes the absurd form of ‘jab tak rahega samosa mein aaloo’.

Old lyrics, and the yearning for old and meaningful has made nostalgia a big business. Music is on the internet and with songs digitized, heard more smoothly and widely than ever before. This has prompted books and music albums on Sahir and poets of his era. The generations that grew up on his lyrics have time and money to spend on re-living their youth. Sections of the young also appreciate good verse and melody.

Biopics of the famous were Bollywood’s flavour till the lockdown caused by Covid-19 was imposed. That pursuit has resumed. One reads sketchy reports of more than one film being made on Sahir that, it is claimed, are based on books written after research. One of them, by Akshay Manwani, discusses his songs and poems through the context of his life and the legacy that he has left behind. It is written with perspectives from luminaries, including Dev Anand, Yash Chopra, and Javed Akhtar.

Sahir’s relationship with poet Amrita Pritam is also part of the popular lore. Sanjay Leela Bhansali is supposed to be working on it. Names of top Bollywood actors like Abhishek Bachchan and Farhan Akhtar to play Sahir and to portray Amrita, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Deepika Padukone and Taapsi Pannu have been bandied about. An October 2020 report indicated that the project had been shelved. But biopics are an attractive proposition. It is a matter of time before it could revive.

Through all his angst, we return to Sahir’s self-evasive pal-do-pal sentiment: “Tomorrow there will be more who will narrate love poems. May be someone narrating better than me. May be someone listening better than you. Will anyone remember me? Why should anyone remember me? Why should the busy age waste its time for me?”

What would keep Sahir relevant today, tomorrow and for ever? His immortal lines, “Main zindagi ka saath nibhata chala gaya, har fiqr ko dhuen mein udata chala gaya.” Taking life in its strides. Can anything be closer to an individual?

The writer can be reached at mahendraved07@gmail.com