Latest news with #DevAnand
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
He gave magic, mystery, great music to cinema
The year was 1964 and in that one year, I literally swallowed a lot of Hindi films into my heart and soul. Those were cinema times and my brother would make it a point to take us for every new release in Patna town and on Saturdays we would see old films screened in the open for the other ranks. My brother, who headed the family after my father's passing away, was a handsome and a strict disciplinary at times but no restriction did he put on us watching cinema. Those were cinema and radio times and my favourite was of course Dev Anand. Some of my friends had switched their loyalties to Joy Mukherjee, who danced around Asha Parekh with a guitar in his arms singing 'Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon'. Surprisingly, I had no favourite heroine, although my mother was very appreciative of Nutan. But that year I found my role model in Sadhna and guess how and in which film? It was a Raj Khosla film with haunting music and mystery and even before I got to see the film, I would be glued to the radio listening to the promo I still recall like a nursery rhyme. It went thus: 'Andheri raat, sansanati dastan, kabristan ka darwaza apne aap khula aur woh dekhate hi dekhate gum ho gayi. Woh kaun thi?' (A dark night, a scary story, the door of the graveyard opened, and she was lost forever. Who was she?). Well she was to become my role model and I wept before my mother that she give me a fringe cut. Now hair cuts for girls was a no-no in our male-dominated family and my mother was afraid of the response of her haughty Major son. So a story by my mother and bhabhi was made that I burnt my hair while lighting a lamp in my mother's little temple and there was no choice but to give me a fringe cut. This earned me the nickname of Sadhna in my peer group, to my great joy! The Raj Khosla times All this comes to the mind as I have in hand a mint-fresh authorised biography of Raj Khosla by Amborish Roychoudhury with passion and deep research, including long interviews with his friends, colleagues and associates. The book comes from Hatchette when he is all but forgotten, not because of his merit, but owing to the fact that he was not party savvy or publicity conscious. Yet Khosla was always a lover, always a poet with a singing soul and the great urge to be a singer like his ideal Kundan Lal Saigal. He was a great connoisseur of the poet of all poets, Mirza Ghalib. Born and schooled in Punjab he was proficient in Urdu poetry. His dream was to be a playback singer but 'Bambai Meri Jaan' had other things in store for him. Dev Anand, in his early days of struggle, became a friend of Khosla in the Bombay Coffee House and later referred him to Guru Dutt when the Navketan cinema took root. Dev Anand always referred to him as a friend of the Coffee House days. The story of the Anand-Dutt camaraderie is well known. The two loved in the same building while they were trying to find a foothold in the Bombay Island as they called it. Once the press wala exchanged their shirts by mistake. So the two faced each other in the lobby in the exchanged shirts. They became such good friends that when they got a chance they would work together and the words came true. The book recounts that when Khosla was trying hard to get a break as a singer, Dev Anand told him, 'My friend Guru Dutt is directing my next film. Why don't you become his assistant. Come on Raj, we'll work together,soon you will be able to sing too.' The singing never came but much else came and Khosla was to become a great director with his films having some of great songs which are sung till date. If he reinvented Sadhna as a ghost singing 'Naina barsein rim-jhim', he also gave the feisty Mumtaz alluring song 'Bindia chamkegi' to lure Rajesh Khanna in one of the great breaks for the star. Biographer Choudhury writes; 'When I told my friends that I was writing a book on Raj Khosla, only the hardened film buffs among them showed any comprehension. Later, when I posted a collage from his films, my inbox was overflowing with messages of the following nature, 'Wow! All these songs are from his films? 'He needs to be celebrated'. Indeed, he is celebrated in this biography with aplomb and it is a book one find hard to put away. As Mahesh Bhatt remembers The heartwarming prelude to this soulful remembrance has a prelude by Mahesh Bhatt who approached Khosla in 1969 to be his assistant. Witness to his era, Bhatt writes: 'Raj Sahab's story is larger than my memories, larger than my single telling. He was a magician, a creator of light and shadow, a man no biography could fully capture. But I salute the audacity of Amborish who has dared to do that'. Well said. nirudutt@
Deccan Herald
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Deccan Herald
Remembering Raj Khosla, director of a string of hit films
Khosla directed 26 movies between 1955's 'Milap', starring Dev Anand and Geeta Bali, and 1989's 'Naqab', starring Rishi Kapoor and Farha. His last years saw his creativity under a cloud.
India.com
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- India.com
'Dekho baby, I still have options...': Dev Anand said to an actress when three girls were found in his room, the actress was...
In the Bollywood industry there have been many actors and actresses whose redefining charm and beauty created huge stirs amongst their fans. Many of them took the craze to new heights while many took drastic steps just to prove their unconditional love for their favourite star. Among these, there was one actor whose magnificent screen presence and personality created a huge benchmark amongst his ardent fans, especially for the girls and women who crossed their heights of craziness in the love of this actor. The Evergreen Star Of Bollywood Yes, here we are talking about none other than the legendary actor of Indian Cinema, Dev Anand also known as Dev Saab by his fanbase and lovers. The actor not only had charming looks but also made an iconic contribution and reshaped cinema with a new genre. He starred in many crime-investigation thrillers in that period that includes, 'Guide', 'Jewel Thief', 'Johnny Mera Naam', 'Hum Dono', 'Kaala Bazaar' and many more. When Dev Anand Gave An Important Piece Of Advice To… Recently, during a candid conversation with Radio Nasha veteran actress Mumtaz, who shared a very pleasant bond with Dev Saab shared some interesting stories about him. The actress shared that Dev Saab always remained very careful with his looks, she said that once the actor told her that if an actor dies, his corpse should look good. She further shared a bit of advice that was especially given to her by the actor. He said 'You should take care of your hair, your figure and yourself because you are what you look like and when you walk on the road, both men and women should turn their heads and see you, if you take care of yourself, you will never have to worry about your age. When The Actor Proved That Age Was Just A Number For Him During the same conversation, Mumtaz shared an interesting anecdote about Dev Anand. She said 'At the age of 85, Dev Sahab tried to prove her with an example that age is merely just a number for him. The actor asked his makeup man to open the door of his room and she saw that three women were standing outside as they were trying to get a glimpse of Dev Saab. Later, he told all three of them that he'd meet them again. He closed the door and said to me in his style 'Dekho baby, I still have options' and I just sat there and said, wow.' For the unversed, the two stalwarts of cinema featured together in two films which were both released in year 1971 titled 'Hare Rama Hare Krishna' and 'Tere Mere Sapne' which received a huge round of applause from audiences and critics.
India.com
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- India.com
Meet actress who jeopardised her career because of her co-star, was Zennat Aman's lucky charm, was in one sided love with..., her name is...
Meet the actress who was madly in love with Dev Anand, rejected blockbuster because..., she is... In the golden era of Bollywood, where stars were worshiped as god figures, their charm and allure remain unmatched by today's generation of actors. While some rose to fame with their determination and hard work, others had a legacy that brought them into public attention, and later, with their choices of script, they carved their name into stardom. But there was one actress who, even though belonged to a filmy dynasty, couldn't make it big on the silver screen because of her career-altering choice. The actress we are talking about is none other than Zaheeda Hussain. Having a special connection with the famous Bollywood actress, Nagis, Waheeda's entry into the showbiz world of cinema became easier. However, besides her renowned background, Waheeda's impeccable performance also received praise from the audience. She made her debut in the film Prem Pujari in the year 1970, but it was films like 'Gambler ' and 'Chudi Nahi Hai Yeh Mera Dil Hai ' that turned around her career trajectory and raised her to fame, so much so that she resonates with the fans even today. Starring opposite Dev Anand, their chemistry was widely appreciated, and soon she became a fan favourite. Eventually she became high in demand with offers lined up from filmmakers, but soon in a twist of event, her career took an unexpected turn. After working with Dev Anand, it was believed that she developed strong feelings for him. That one-sided love made her so emotionally attached that she went on to refuse doing all the romantic roles that didn't have Dev Anand as her co-star. But this attachment made her pay a huge amount, she turned down significant opportunities that later turned to be a career-defining moment for another actress. The blockbuster film Hare Rama Hare Krishna , which brought Zeenat Aman to fame was first offered to Zaheeda but because her role demanded her to play Dev Anand's sister on screen, she turned it down. The role then went to Zeenat Aman, whose performance became iconic and turned her into an overnight superstar. While Zaheeda kept working for years to come, she could never get that spark alive again that she had in early days. Her tale shows that sometimes it important to not let your emotions get the best of you.
Time of India
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
When Dev Anand was 85, he made his make-up man open the door of his room and three women were peeping, told Mumtaz: 'I still have options'
Many yesteryear actors have proved that age is just a number for them. Dev Anand was one of them. Mumtaz who still looks drop dead gorgeous and was extremely popular in the 70s has recently opened up on how Dev Anand was obsessed with his looks. The actress said that the 'Guide' actor also told her to take care of her looks as that's what matters. Mumtaz and Dev Anand had worked together in movies like 'Hare Rama Hare Krishna', and 'Tere Mere Sapne'. The actress said in an interview with Radio Nasha that she feels proud about how she looks even today when people come to take photos with her. She said, "People come up to me to take pictures, and I feel so proud that even though so many years have passed, I think I have given around 50 years of my life to this (industry). But people still love me the same, and it doesn't take them more than a second to recognise who I am.' She added, "You have to look good and presentable. Even today more men love me than women.' She revealed how Dev Anand was obsessed with his looks. He told Mumtaz, "Even if an actor dies, their corpse should look good.' Mumtaz added, "He told me, 'You need to take care of your hair, your figure, and take care of yourself, because you are what you look like. When you walk down the road, both men and women should turn their heads to look at you. If you take care of yourself, you will never have to worry about your age.'' Recalling a funny instance, she said that at 85, he proved to Mumtaz that age is just a number. He asked his make-up man to open the door of his room and there were three girls trying to peep and get a glimpse him. Mumtaz exclaimed, "He just casually told them that he'll get back to them, closed the door and said to me, 'See, baby, I still have options,' and I just sat there saying, Wow.' Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
