Chandigarh event offers rare, personal insight into legacy of iconic siblings — Chetan, Dev and Vijay Anand

Indian Express

14-07-2025

Navketan Films' 75-year legacy and the cinematic contributions of the Anand brothers — Chetan, Dev and Vijay — were celebrated through a 90-minute audio-visual presentation at Punjab Kala Bhawan's Randhawa Auditorium in Chandigarh on Saturday. Organised by Katyayani and the Three Arts Club, the event traced the brothers' journey from their Punjabi roots in Gurdaspur to their rise in the film industry of what then was Bombay.
Actor and writer Sohaila Kapur — niece of the Anand brothers and daughter of their sister Sheela Kanta Kapur — curated and performed the monologue. Blending archival footage with personal recollections and family history, Sohaila offered an intimate look at the Anands' legacy.
'Their ancestors served in Maharaja Ranjit Singh's army. The next generation was granted land in Gharota village for their services. That's where the family grew,' she told The Indian Express. Among the three brothers, she noted, Chetan retained the deepest connection to Punjab.
'I was feeling very nostalgic about the 1950s… Then I realised it was because of my uncles. Their stories needed to be told together,' Sohaila said, reflecting on what led her to create the performance.
She also drew upon memories shared by her mother, Sheela Kanta, who she described as 'the most educated and probably the most beautiful' of the siblings. 'She was a working mother,' Sohaila said.
Chetan arrived in Bombay in 1943 during a winter break from his teaching job, carrying a film script based on emperor Ashoka's life. Though the script went nowhere, the visit launched his acting career with Rajkumar, directed by Phani Majumdar. He soon joined the Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA) and married fellow member Uma. His directorial debut, 'Neecha Nagar' (1946), went on to win the Grand Prix at the first Cannes Film Festival.
Dev Anand followed soon after and debuted in 'Hum Ek Hain'. 'Dev followed Chetan. He was a real admirer… though he probably didn't know he would eventually overtake him careerwise,' Sohaila said. Vijay Anand, the youngest, entered the industry much later. His breakthrough as a director came with 'Nau Do Gyarah', after he had already written dialogues and lyrics for several films.
'There was a public rivalry between the brothers. Not jealousy — but definitely envy,' Sohaila remarked. While Chetan pursued socially conscious cinema, Dev leaned into star-centric storytelling. 'Chetan was cerebral… Dev wanted to enhance 'star'… and Goldie was the balance between the two.'
She recounted a key moment during the making of 'Guide', when Dev initially refused to play a non-glamorous role. 'Dev threw a tantrum — he wanted to play Dev the star, not an ordinary man. But Goldie convinced him… and he won the Best Actor award. Dev respected Goldie for his genius. He would call him 'genius'.'
The presentation was interspersed with family anecdotes, behind-the-scenes stories, and rare clips from the Anand brothers' films. Sohaila recalled how, as a child, she once asked to become a film star. 'Chetan agreed to cast me as the heroine's younger self in a film, but my mother refused.'
She also remembered Dev Anand's magnetic charm: 'Once I asked him which film he was working on. He looked into my eyes and said Asli Naqli. But his hypnotic eyes… I couldn't even look into them.'
Sohaila reflected on the enduring relevance of Navketan's themes, particularly a scene from 'Neecha Nagar' showing the diversion of a river for construction. 'It's very familiar to today's demolitions… India is the same as it was 50-60 years ago. Society hasn't changed. Politicians haven't changed,' she said.
By weaving together personal memory and cinematic history, Sohaila's performance offered a rare, unified narrative of the three Anand brothers — pioneers who helped shape the grammar of Hindi cinema across three decades.
The authors are interns at The Indian Express