Legendary Hindi Actor Dev Anand passes away

Dev Anand, the Evergreen Romantic Superstar of Indian Cinema, has passed away on Saturday night in London following a cardiac arrest. He was of 88 years old.

Dev Anand, owing to continuous illness, went to London for medical check up. His son, Sunil was him when he took his last breath.

Dev Anand made his first debut as an actor in the movie Hum Ek Hain in the year 1946. By the time, his Ziddi was released in 1947, he had become a superstar and has never looked back in his acting career.

Versatile actor Dev Anand was given countless hits like Paying Guest, Baazi, Jewel Thief, CID, Johny Mera Naam, Amir Garib, Warrant, Hare Rama Hare Krishna and Dev Pardes.

For his outstanding performance in the Indian cinema, he was honoured with the prestigious 'Padma Bhushan' in 2001 and 'Dada Saheb Phalke Award' in 2002.

Later in the year 1949, he established his own Film Production company in the name 'Navketan International Films' and has produced more than 35 movies.

Dev Anand has won two filmfare in the year 1958 for the movie Kala Paani and 1966 for the movie Guide for his outstanding performance.

Guide went on to win Filmfare Awards in five other categories including Best Film and Best Director and was sent as India's entry for the Oscars in the foreign film category the same year.

He co-produced the English version of Guide movie named The Good Earth with Nobel Laureate Pearl S Buck.

In the year 1993, he received Filmfare 'Lifetime Achievement Award' and in the year 1996 he received a Screen Videocon 'Lifetime Acheievement Award'.

Of late, he was involved in the direction of a new all American Film Project Song Of Life – a musical love story which was to be shot in the United States.

He was to play the central character in the movie which was to have a predominantly American star cast.

Dev Anand is the second of three brothers who were active in Bollywood. His brothers are Chetan Anand and Vijay Anand. Their sister, Sheela Kanta Kapur, is the mother of film director Shekhar Kapur.

News reported by AR for Newsvision newspaper