Dev Anand (born September 26, 1923) is an Indian actor and film producer. His elder brother Chetan Anand is credited to bringing him and younger brother Vijay Anand into the film world. Though he did launch his son Suneil Anand in films with Anand aur Anand, the film and Suneil did not get noticed. He was born in Gurdaspur in Punjab to a well-to-do advocate, Devdutt Pishorimal Anand. He graduated in English literature from the Government College, Lahore (now in Pakistan). His love for acting made him leave his hometown. After a flop debut with Hum Ek Hain in 1946, Dev Anand met Guru Dutt at Prabhat Studio and struck a rapport with him. His first success came with Ziddi (1948).
In 1949, he turned producer and launched his own "banner" Navketan, which continues to churn out movies year after year. Though his maiden attempt at direction, Prem Pujari, flopped, his second directorial effort Hare Rama Hare Krishna in the 1970's with Zeenat Aman was a big success.
Dev invited Guru Dutt to direct the crime thriller Baazi in 1951. Lyricist Sahir Ludhianvi's song Tadbeer se bigdi huyee taqdeer bana le proved to be prophetic and Dev went on to become a star. His style was lapped up by the audience and was widely imitated. He starred in a string of box office successes for the remainder of the 1950's and some of his hit films include Munimji, CID, Paying Guest, Gambler, Tere Ghar ke Saamne and Kaala Pani which got him his first Best Actor Filmfare Award.
He was romantically involved with singer-actress Suraiya and the two of them paired in six films together. During the shooting of a song, a boat capsized and Dev Anand saved Suraiya from drowning. She fell in love with him but her grandmother opposed the relationship. Suraiya remained unmarried all her life.
Dev Anand married film actress Kalpana Kartik in 1954. His first film in colour, Guide with Waheeda Rehman was based on the novel of the same name by R. K. Narayan. The impetus for making a film from the book came from Dev Anand himself, and he met and persuaded Narayan to give his assent to the project. Dev Anand tapped his friends in Hollywood to lauch an Indo-US coproduction that was shot in Hindi and English simultaneously and was released in 1965. This is regarded by many as his best work till date and he received the Filmfare Award for best actor for the same.
Dev Anand's films are best known for their great music. Some of the most popular Bollywood songs were picturized on him. His association with music composers - O. P. Nayyar, Sachin Dev Burman and his son Rahul Dev Burman, lyricists - Majrooh Sultanpuri, Neeraj, Shailendra, and playback singer Mohammad Rafi and Kishore Kumar produced some of the best songs in the Bollywood history.
In 1991 he was awarded the Filmfare Award for Lifetime Achievement. Then in 2001, he was felicitated with the Padma Bhushan, an honour by the Government of India. He was also awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, 2002, for lifetime contribution to Indian cinema.
