The end of an era

Devanand, the evergreen hero and romantic is no more. And when it is said that this leaves a void not easily filled,  it is simply not a cliché. Who else ruled the roost for more than 60 years acting and producing films? In his career spanning 6 decades he has produced 31 films and directed 19. He has acted in more than a 100 films. An actor  considered a chocolate hero, he had this penchant for nodding his head now and then, a mannerism I think, afterwards picked by the later arrival, superstar Rajesh Khanna.

                         Here he comes, Dev in almost a slothful way with a swaggering shuffle both his hands held by the side, flaccidly swinging, lifeless as though, with almost a languid expression on his face, clad in black with the sleeves of the pullover rolled back on his full sleeves, singing “khoya Khoya chand” down the slope as if he is about to fall forward.. Who can ever forget this scene if you have seen it once. Wearing loose clothes with a “Fuggga”hair style –buffed up tress in front , with frequent nods of head and his staccato speech he was and is  often a target of the mime artists.

                     He is not a great histrionic actor like our Dilipkumar and cannot perhaps cry on the screen like him , Sanjeevkumar, Sunil Dutt or even Big B but he could carry the sad role well with other props as seen in the songs “Kya se kya ho gaya” and “Din dal jaye “ “Kabhie Kudpe kabhie halath pe rona aaya”.

                   Devanand, called as the Gregory Peck of Hollywood was a charming personality with pleasing looks with a boyish charm and quote innocent mannerisms. A literature graduate, in his early career days he was in love with the actor singing sensation Suraiys whom he saved from drowning during a shooting accident but there was opposition from Suraiya’s family and the marriage did not take place. He later married his next co star Kalpana Kartik who was his wife till he died last week. He had in between fallen in love with his find Zeenat Aman as written in his autobiography romancing with life, which did not proceed beyond that. I am sure he must have been a heart throb for many die hard females during his active hero days,  

`                  He was lucky to have a brother in Goldie or Vijayanand to direct some of his wonderful films like Guide, Tere Mere Sapne, Johny Mera Nam, and Jewel thief. All very successful and acclaimed movies. Goldie was a magician in picturisation. Who can  forget the romance, love and the closeness of the a married couple as shown in the songs “Maine kasam lee” and “Jeevan ki bhagiya mahkegi”” from Tere Mere Sapne by Goldie?. The picturisation of the song “Aaj phir jeeneki tamanna hai” is a classic by itself with abundant “joie de vivre”  capturing your heart and soul and therefore unforgettable. The same Goldie added some fun in the shooting of the songs “Oh oh mere raja” and “ Pal bhar ke liye” from ‘Johny mera naam’ and showed a different  attribute in the dance “Husne ke lakhon rang” of Padma Khanna showing his versatility in song picturisation . Devanand was a thinker ahead of his times. In ‘Tere Mere Sapne’ he tackled the delicate subject of corruption in medical community much ahead of his time. In ‘Guide’ he had a married woman romancing outside wedlock.. In’ Hare rama Hare Krishna’ he tackled the hippy cult which was in vogue then. He played the role of a reluctant brother in “Bombai ka Babu”, a reluctant forced to be a saint in “Guide” and a doctor caught in the commercial world in “Tere Mere Sapne”.

He was also politically active and formed a party and protested against the imposition of emergency. He was a true democrat and gave openings to many  budding stars. As he says in Hum dono I am in search of a place beyond the ravages of joy and sorrow. And ultimately he has gone there leaving us a little sadder and the sequel to ‘Hare rama Hare Krishna’. remaining only a pipe dream.

To mention a few awards won by him : Filmfare best actor award for “Kala pani” and “Guide”, Dadasaheb Phalke Award for his contribution to hindi films and life time achievement award in 1991.