For the Die Hard Dev Anand Fans

For the Dev Anand Die Hard Fans​

There are many fans of Dev Anand here, I am one, but of the devanand till the seventies, till Des Pardes. I guess after that , most of his fans did not bother to see his movies, which acc to me bordered on the idiotic. Yes he did discover new stars, most faded away.

Yesterday Time of India Magazine section had an interesting article by Dev Anand’s close associate, maybe manager I cant say,Mohan Churiwala, and he gave an insight into what Dev was , and his line of thinking.




I am sure, if Dev was alive, he would have skinned Mohan alive, so let me tell u about what he wrote, and then my thoughts on the same. Many things surprised me, but well let us go along the story and see what Mohan has to tell us.

“ Dev Anand, hated early morning lights as he would be anxious the whole night, and wouldn’t get sleep.He never slept before 2-3am, and would wake up at 11 am.

He would often tell me, don’t address anyone , except close family members, as dadai, nanaji, or uncleji.
He did not like ti when anyone addressed him as Dev Uncle, but did not mind people calling him Devsaab.”

Well same here, I don’t like to be addressed as Uncle, or grandpa, I am comfortable with being called kamali, Mr.Mahtani, Mahtani saab, so there I agree with Dev Anand. HAHA. And I too make it a point to call others in my neighbourhood Maheshwarii, aggarwalji, and their wives as bhabhji. Young girls in their twenties calling me Uncle is fine, but can u imagine ladies in forties, even fifties calling me Uncle, and I feel she is trying to prove herself younger, and me v ery older. So now u all know, if u want me in a good mood, what to call me !!!



He lived with his wife Mona, in the same house,but it was partitioned. But they were in touch.She would call him to ask about his dinner plans, if he was late, she would ask if she can have dinner earlier !!!
I have been to his palce a thousand times, but I have never seen his wife.Once an author wanted to talk to his wife, but Devsaab wasn’t keen and was worried that she may make some uncharitable remarks about him .”

Me - living in the same house, but partitioned , wife one side, husband another side, the author visiting a thousand times, and not meeting the wife eh ! Strange.

I had read over the years – She was introduced to movies by Dev’s elder brother Chetan Anand, who I think or read, that he was in love with her. But during the shooting of Taxi Driver, which Chetan was directing, Dev and Mona (screen name Kalpana Kartik), quietly went and got married, during lunch time, and came back to the shooting !!!

And I heard she converted to Christanity, they cant see eye to eye, and Dev Anand had a suite booked in the hotel Sun n Sand, close to his house, where he used to stay most of the time. It was booked for decades.

Now what does one say to this . Dev had said he fell in love with Zeenat Aman, who was his daughter’s age, staying in a hotel, doing nothing for his son Suneil, unlike Raj Kapoor, who stayed with his wife in the same house, even he had affairs, and he did so much for his sons, launched them, it is another matter that just Rishi kapoor was successful.



HE HUGGED NANDA AND WEPT INCOLABLY

“ After a special screening of HUM DONO (in colour), Nanda , who is a recluse went to meet him at his office . When the door opened, she looked at him and said “ Dev Saab, pehchana “? Dev saab came towards her, hugged her, and started weeping,Nanda left in a few minutes, and asked me outside “Why did he get so emotional ?”

Later she told me, that they were meeting each other after 48 years, after 1963, when they shot for this movie . Tears kept flowing down his cheeks even after Nanda had left “

MEETING SHAMMI KAPOOR

He was a complete loner.He would often sit on the terrace of his old penthouse from where he could see the airport. Shammi Kapoor was not well, and he had a desire to meet Dev Anand. So he invited him home, but Dev saab wasn’t too keen. Shammi called again,and Dev Saab again tried to dodge the visit.

But I reminded him of the incident when Ashok Kumar had called him, but he passed away before they could meet, and how he regretted it.Finally we fixed a meeting with on a Sunday and both of them hugged and wept inconslably.Later he thanked me for it .

What kind of a man was Dev Anand ? living in the same city, mayb e 20 odd kms away, he could not meet Nanda for 48 years, and shammi for maybe 20 or more years ? Andit was Ashok Kumar, who spotted Dev Anand, and gave him his first break, and he did not go to see him when Ashok kumar was dying ?

And look at us normal ordinary human beings and bloggers, we got out of our way to meet NRI’s fellow bloggers, arranging a meeting between local bloggers and the guest, and every one is busy, but still we have so much humanity in us, to go out of our way, to meet each other.

And when Shammi died, Saira said she had not met him for almost 25 years .

Even when Dilip kumar was celebrating his 89th Birthday, he had invited Dev Anand, but Dev Anand told his secretary, to send a bouquet instead and went off to London where he expired. Seems Dev and Dilip were not on good terms, I don’t know the reasons for it, and my friend in the garden was telling he had read that Dev and Rak kapoor too did not stand each other.

Imagine u are in your eighties, all of these guys, and behaving like kids. I mean for how long can u keep grudges eh ! And if Dev Anand did not meet Nanda for 48 years, I am sure he must not even have called her to ask her how she was, or wish her on Diwali or New Year’s, ust to keep keep in touch.

And I make it a point to call friends and relatives and bloggers on Diwali, and New year, maybe a few minutes it not more, to be frank, just to wish and say hello, and to find out if all is allright with them, for whom I care, yes it is sad I don’t call often, but then we are all busy in our lives, and these are two times of the year, we can atleast call and talk to our friends and near and dear ones.

And I am touched when the other person calls first, and it feels really nice.What will we carry upstairs, we leave all behind, all this wealth, ego, name and fame, but we can surely depart with the feeling that I did what I could, that I remembered my friends at least once a year eh !

This was for the die hard Dev Anand Fans. And yes I too know quite a few things of Devanand, but I wont disclose them here. If u remember Sudhir, the character actor, whoa cted in most of Dev Anand movies, like in HRHK, Gambler, and many more, I have sat with him over drinks, and he told me so many things, but too personal to blog on, so we leave it at that.

Dev Anand, RIP.

KAMAL MAHTANI

Dear God,
Your love for films ( Shammi Kapoor, Dev anand), music (jagjit Singh), music (Bhupen Hazarika) and technology ( Steve Jobs) is well known to us mortals.
When will u start loving politicians ? Anna Hazare can update u on this better than me eh !!!



They say many people die because of Alcholol
What they never say is how many are born bcs of it !!!!!



Coming soon, india’s scariest movie “ Ab Tak Chappan “
Starring, Ruppee and Dollors !!!!



Outside the crematorium was written
“ Manzil to teri yahi thi,
Zindagi gujar gayi tere ate aate,
Kya mile tuhe duniye se,
Apnon ne hi alaya tujhe jate jate !!!!!



A warning sign board by punjab police
Kutta, bhains, te sohni janani,
Tinno accident di Nishani !!!



A sardar was travelling on a flight, with his hair open.
A foreigner asked the airhostess “ Who is She “?
She replied – She is the HE of Punjab !!!!

 

Dear Auntyji, sorry Aruna,

Well someone may have asked him about Dev Anand's last days, and thsi may have come out, that he met Shammi, etc.

WE take out more time Aruna, not tht we have it, tell me when u went to Chennai, did not Cheeniya take out time, even though he was meeting u for the first time. But people like Dev are so self centered and absorbed in themselves, that theyu dont even phone and find out , if u are fwell or not, they dont even attend funerals, what a cruel thing to do. We cannot be removed from reality Aruna. Tell me who likes to go to hospitals , but dont we take out time and go and visit sick friends relatives, and family ? Does anyone like it ?

At least u laduies dont go to crematoriums, we men do go, and it is not a pleasant sight, half a day goes waste, but we do it out of respect for the dead person and the family.

Regards

kamal

 

Dear Papulla ,

Yes , i am surprised at his attitude to life.

Regards

kamal

 

Dear Kelly,

That Raj kapoor Zeenat one , yes i think u are on the mark. But then Zeenat was half his age, she is free to work with whomsoever she wanted, why should she be bound to Dev ? So what she was discovered by him, she was not his slave, and he did nit mind her working with others, but minded when she worked with Raj ? Strange.

Regards

kamal

 

Dear Radha,

HAHA

Happy new uear to u too and yr family.I am in mumbai now enjoying with mom and family.

Regards

kamal