His name is Dev Anand bit fans call him “Deva-nand”. The name has become a legend for those born during 1940s and beyond. He does not belong to ‘Bollywood’, he represents the golden years of the Indian Film Industry. The ‘Trimurti’ of Indian Cinema, Dilip Kumar (Yusuf Khan), Raj Kapoor (Ranbirraj Kapoor) and Dev Anand (Devdutt Pishorimal Anand) ruled the Indian Film Industry for more than two decades. Dilip Kumar was the thespian, Raj Kapoor was the show-man and Dev Anand was the Hero, the star of 1950s. Nobody has every enjoyed the universal magic of Dev Anand. For people my age, he remains a milestone.
During the 1950s, the six of us were young and our parents were strict about us watching too many films. We were allowed to watch only one Hindi film and one English film every month. That too my father preferred us to watch patriotic Hindi films or mythological films. We were also allowed one Walt Disney movie a month. The only exception for me at least was a Dev Anand film with Johnny Walker as the comedian. My father did not have the heart to stop us from a Dev Anand starrer, as simple as that. Such was the magic of Dev Anand and his Navketan Films.
Devdutt Pishorimal Anand (Dev Anand) was born in Gurdaspur, Punjab on September 26, 1923. He was born in a well-to-do Punjabi-speaking family of Advocate Pishorimal Anand. His elder brother was the late Chetan Anand (Producer & Director) and the younger brother was director Vijay Anand. Dev Anand graduated in English literature from Government College, Lahore, British India and then left his hometown to work in the Military Censor Office at Churchgate, Bombay. He was offered a role in 1946 Hindi film, ‘Hum Ek Hain’ by the film maker P L Santoshi. It was at Prabhat Studio where ‘Hum Ek hain’ was being filmed that Dev Anand first met Guru Dutt. Ashok Kumar introduced Dev Anand as a leading man opposite Kamini Kaushal in ‘Ziddi’.
DEV ANAND & KALPANA KARTIK – AAJ KI RAAT PIYA – 1951 FILM (BAAZI)
DEV ANAND & GEETA BALI TADBEER SE BIGDI HUI
DEV ANAND & KALPANA KARTIK AANKHON ME KYA JI
DEV ANAND MADHUBALA ACHHA JI MAIN HAARI
Filed under: Bollywood | Tagged: "Deva-nand", Advocate Pishorimal Anand, Ashok Kumar, Bollywood, Chetan Anand (Producer & Director), Churchgate Bombay, Dev Anand, Devanand, Devdutt Pishorimal Anand, Dilip Kumar, Government College-Lahore, Gurdaspur-Punjab, Hum Ek Hain, Indian Cinema, Indian Film Industry, Johnny Walker, Kamini Kaushal, Military Censor Office, Navketan Films, P L Santoshi, Punjabi-speaking family, Raj Kapoor, Ranbirraj Kapoor, September 26th 1923, The evergreen magic of "Devanand", Trimurti, Vijay Anand, Yusuf Khan, Ziddi |
THINK! 
I met Dev Anand when I was studying at the J J Institute of Applied Arts in Bombay way back in late sixtees. He was very handsome and dashing and I, with a couple of friends, went to Mahboob Studios to visit him. We actually got a chance to sit and talk with him in between shooting stints. He was filmimg for a movie called Prem Pujari and when I told him I am an Art student, he asked me if I could make a butterfly that could fly! He really made his guests feel special, and once remarked that I had very pretty slippers on. After that, I took some other friends who were visiting me from Delhi to show off that I knew Dev Anand (half afraid that he would not even recognize me). He was not in his office and after about a half hour’s wait, we saw his car (white Fiat) drive up to the studio. He went past the waiting room, came back with a “Ritaaaaw ?” in his known famous drawl………my friend almost fell off. She could not believe that he really remembered my name. We went to his office, he offered us some refreshments from his home, and after a few minutes, we left. Till today, my friend remembers that day and repeats that story every time we meet.
Even today, Dev Anand is the same dashing, handsome gentleman that he was then. I do have some pictures with him and Waheeda Rahman. I wish him all the very best in life. He truly is a legend.
agree — i with a group of friends (which included then an upcoming star deepti naval) met him in Mehboob studios when he was shooting for a film called loot maar- yes he was truly charming and very amiable- all of us who were not die hard fans but had just gone to see a shooting- became lifelong fans of his persona/intelligence/style and humility- yes he is truly a gentleman as was proclaimed and still is by the filmi/no filmi indian press.