Monday, December 5, 2011

A real hero never dies....right, Dev Saab?

This appears in Bombay Times today...

Dev Saab: A real hero never dies

Dev Anand was one of the most ‘life affirming’ individuals in the world. No wonder the ‘Evergreen’ tag was reserved exclusively for him.There was something so endearing about his enthusiasm for life and all the riches it offered, it charmed his harshest critics. Every moment had to be fully lived and was! Dev Saab radiated positivism, and was the original ‘never say die’ person. We expected him to live forever, too. Or at any rate outlive us all. There was no looking back for the man who always insisted it was only the now that mattered and all thoughts had to be focused on the future. He meant it. His hunger for the next big thing was so infectious, nobody had the heart to tell him his kind of movies were totally passe - over twenty years ago. In a brutal and competitive business, people were kind and gentle towards Dev Anand, because there wasn’t a mean bone in his body either. He was a man so entirely self absorbed, so preoccupied by his own persona, to call him delusionary would have been cruel. Jaunty, perennially cheerful, gung-ho and talkative, it was impossible not to love him. His zest for making ‘motion pictures’ ( he never called them ‘movies’) was matched by his insatiable appetite for fame. Disciplined and meticulous, he lived by his own rules, unaware of the time warp he was hopelessly trapped in. It was this touching innocence and exuberance that people found infectious. Dev Saab understood branding and the real meaning of ‘star power’ almost before anybody else. His image was carefully constructed and jealously guarded by him throughout his extraordinary life. From the way he dressed ( layers and layers of clothing, with a bomber jacket, colourful scarves and high collared shirts), to the sound bytes and quotes he eagerly provided, Dev Saab was always on top of his game. The multiple clothes he wore, camouflaged his frail body. The rakish tilt to his head, as he nodded away, became his trademark. Some may have ridiculed his strenuous attempts to hang on to his youth, there were others who genuinely admired the way he refused to give up …. or should we say ‘abdicate’?
The only role Dev Saab ever played was himself. In film after film,fans went to watch Dev Anand, and not the character he was supposed to be portraying. It didn’t matter whether he was a ‘Jewel Thief’ or a ‘Guide’. Nothing changed, except the get up. People of that era called him the Gregory Peck of India. Both men were charismatic, debonair, urbane ‘matinee idols’ whose real love affair was with their image in the mirror.One got the feeling Dev Anand didn’t really care how he’d be remembered. It was too distant and distasteful a thought to the 88-year-old. Death was something that happened to other people. Old people. Dev Anand still had a lot of life ahead of him…. more scripts to write, several ‘motion pictures’ still to shoot, countless nubile starlets to discover. No Sir, you don’t say ‘goodbye’ to someone like Dev Saab. He’d laugh and look over his shoulder to see who you were addressing! Forget all the ‘end of an era’ clichés. Dev Anand must be in heaven, scouting for fresh faces, new concepts, fantastic locations. No, he won’t offer God the lead role.That is reserved for him in perpetuity. It’s true. A real hero never dies. They don’t make them like Dev Anand anymore

30 comments:

Sushma Harish said...

Ms.De khoob kahee apne. Real hero lives in the hearts for ages...Dev Saab was my favorite.

Arnika said...

They really don't make them like Dev Anand anymore... because the one that they made is truly going to last forever! Really enjoyed reading this article. The only one that revived a smile on my face after learning that heavens have gained another star this year...

~Arnika
arnika-saakaar.blogspot.com

चंद्रमौलेश्वर प्रसाद said...

YES! He will always be a LIVING legend.

Pooja Rathore said...

nice post.Dev Anand( the true Libran) will be missed!
willingdon warriors - cant make out, but i think the one in black...but i have seen his pictures in speed post i love his eyes(big,deep and sexy) ,he is goodlooking and very attractive.if i could see the eyes of the men in photo clearly it could have been very easy for me to pick aditya.

Anonymous said...

Unbelievable :.(
Love you Saab.

Anonymous said...

can't believe SD can write a piece like this without being bitchy.... dev saab! you have achieved one more great feat even with ur death....RIP.

WhencutGoddamn said...

This is such a cute tribute!
Dev Anand, you'll be missed. RIP.

Desi Babu said...

Well written Mrs. De! We will all miss Dev Sa'ab.

Peace!

R K Bajpai said...

Infact I open yr blog , just to read what is yr perception of the Legend called Dev Anand .
Well said.
Eternal Romantic ,88 yr young ,his zest for life is unbeatable.
Dev Anand :( 1923-.....) forever.

R K Bajpai said...

Best Quote :

"And Now He will Charm The Gods Above ": Mid day.

Such a sweet Dahling Dev Anand.
Miss u.

Anonymous said...

An ode to the man....

2011 hasn't been a kind year...not at all. We never really thought this would happen to Dev Saab, may he rest in peace.

Another Kiran In NYC said...

Most people will remember Dev Anand for his charm, his stylish roles in Hindi films, his business sense as a producer in the early half of his working life and most of all for mini skirted Janice and her marijuana filled blunt. All memorable in their own way.

However, the Dev Anand I will remember and idolize is the man who was not afraid of failure. The man who embraced his foibles and failures but moved on, quickly and with renewed energy. The man who always had plans for the future. That is courage. That is zest. A man who never stopped living as long as he breathed. Dev Anand was a courageous man and I salute him.

The man I admired always, is the one that Shekhar Kapur gave us a glimpse of in his beautiful tribute to his Uncle. Dev Anand, the man who spent 10 mins alone coming to terms with complete ruin and emerged from that room ready with plans and complete enthusiasm for his next new challenge in the future.

Just this summer, on realizing that I was despondent about some minor setback, my own father counseled me to follow the example set by Dev Anand to acknowledge the failure and to move right along to challenge myself again without looking back. Baba and Dev Anand thank you for reminding me that courage is never in short supply. Life is in short supply.

Dev Anand, you taught me something very precious through a life well lived. RIP.

Tsomo85 said...

He was cute in his black and white days. And I really liked some of his late 70s films. It's amazing how he has managed to live life in full on energy till his last breath. He has been there and done everything but somehow deep down I'm not really sure if he has ever gotten wise as he aged judging by the way how he talks about his ex gf. It seem as he hasn't forgotten & forgiven her, sad!

R K Bajpai said...

Agreed with another Kiran NYC .Shekhar Kapoor Ishq 3 , was a real example of how he was or i say is , feel better.
Move on , success/failures are for
Aam admi, not for Dev.

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Website and Printing Solutions said...

Dev Anand's never say die attitude and his youthfulness set him apart from all his contemporaries. He was a true legend.
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Milan said...

Dev sahab is truly a icon..he will remain for ever in our hearts..the real jewel theif

Caravan Family said...

I really love "Another Kiran in NYC"'s comments - very well thought out and very well articulated..cheers!

Rakesh Kumar Jha said...

Dev sir was a legend... People r gonna follow his footprints on the sands of time...

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proud Indian said...

A hero like him will always remain in our hearts. He was, I must say he is still be the heart throb of millions of his fans all over the world. A meticulous representation of his legacy can only be portrayed in the hands of an illusionary thinker like you, Ms De....may god bless you with a long life to write extraordinary articles like this...!

kakaka said...

please say something about the AMRI hospital incident in your next one!

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ekta khetan said...

Salutations to the guy who followed his passion and did whatever he wished too. Irrespective of judgement, conflict & disapproval. He didn't fear mockery nor taboo nor limitation of majority! RIP to the 88year old Golden era that lost today. RIP Dev Anand Saheb!

http://ektakhetan.blogspot.com

Chandni S said...

Dev Anand Hit Songs

Anil Kumar Thapliyal said...

My enchantment with Devanand goes when I was 5 years old and saw him in "Asali Nakli".From then on hw was etched in my mind and made him my source of inspiration throughout life for the magnetism , spell of everyouth he casts. Truly said "Hero never dies"

Anil Kumar Thapliyal said...

My enchantment with Devanand goes when I was 5 years old and saw him in "Asali Nakli".From then on hw was etched in my mind and made him my source of inspiration throughout life for the magnetism , spell of everyouth he casts. Truly said "Hero never dies"

Unknown said...

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