Today marks the birth anniversary of one of the finest and evergreen personalities of Bollywood, Dev Anand. Although he is lauded for this exceptional acting, he was also known as a writer, director and also a producer within the Hindi film industry. He was also a Dada Saheb Phalke awardee and had also been honoured by Padma Bhushan for his commendable contribution to the world of cinema.
On the occasion of this auspicious day, let’s remember the icon by taking a look at the very best films he acted in:
1. Teen Devian (1965)
The film is remembered till this date by being way ahead of its time. Dev Anand essayed the role of a man who gets attracted by three women and has to decide who out of them will be his life partner. He essayed his role perfectly and despite the plot being light and breezy the film was quite gripping and dealt with the matter maturely.
2. Hum Dono (1961)
‘Hum Dono’ had a Shakespearean comedy of terrors vibe to it. Dev Anand was seen in a dual role in the film which centred around an army officer perceived to be dead. The plot gets gripping when a look-alike of the demised is asked to take the responsibility to break the news to his family and he ends up impersonating the demised. The film is also remembered for the great music that it gave to the music industry, which is still remembered.
3. Kala Bazar (1960)
The story focuses on Raghuvir (played bu Dev Anand), an ordinary man who sticks to doing mildly illegal acts to support his family. He has a change of heart after falling in love and decides to change his life for the better. This portrayal of an anti-hero from the icon is one of the most memorable. The songs presented by SD Burman in this film has a separate fanbase.
4. Jewel Thief (1967)
‘Jewel Thief’ is a classic and is known to be one of the best thrillers to come from Indian cinema. The story is about Vinay (played by Dev Anand), an ordinary man who comes to a realisation that his doppelganger has been involved in jewel heists. His journey begins when he plans on catching the actual culprit. The plot twist in this film is something no one saw coming.
5. Guide (1965)
Based on writer RK Narayan’s story ‘Raju, the guide’, the film is considered impeccable owing to the rawness and realism it has depicted. The theme of the film is the struggle one has to do in order to deal with their inner self. The philosophical touch of the film has been blended very well with the storyline, portrayed beautifully by superstar, Dev Anand.