During the 1950s, Dev Anand reached the peak of his stardom and was considered the ultimate national heartthrob.
"The nodding head, flopping arms, casual charm inspired a legion of actors. Yet, in years, Dev Saab hasn’t had a true successor." - Anupama Chopra.
Dev Anand was a superstar in the truest sense of the term. But more than that, he was an actor always keen on experimenting with his craft and more importantly, cinema as a medium. Even after reaching unprecedented heights of success as a romantic actor, he chose to explore diverse genres - from actions to thrillers to musicals and more - and often played shaded and complicated characters on the screen. As you may already know, he is rightfully regarded as the forerunner of the spate of "Bombay Noir". Sriram Raghavan, an auteur of neo-noir action thrillers in Hindi cinema, said, "Much before Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan, much more than Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor, it was Dev Anand’s bold film choices that shaped what is called the Bombay noir."
However, in every discussion about Anand, it's his insane stardom that takes the spotlight. Obviously, there's enough reason for that. Whether it's his charming screen presence, unique nodding style (which was his trademark), or his fast dialogue delivery - he was in a league of his own. And as critic Subhash K. Jha wrote, he "symbolized the most dazzling bastion of Hindi cinema - he was flamboyant, debonair, mischievous, and romantic." Hence, it comes as no surprise that people used to imitate everything from his fashion to mannerisms, and used to hum his songs. And women? Well, on the late superstar's 13th death anniversary today, we share an interesting fact about him that will explain the kind of craze he had among women.
“There was so much to learn from him. I used to compare him to an Ever-ready battery. He used to laugh and and say 'That's how everybody should be'. He was so full of energy and positivity.”
— Film History Pics (@FilmHistoryPic) December 3, 2021
~ Waheeda Rehman
Remembering DEV ANAND on the anniversary of his passing pic.twitter.com/pB7GMWCLMD
Credit: Film History Pics
As already mentioned, Anand reached the peak of his stardom during the 1950s. He had an aura that could make all the women go weak in their knees. Whenever he appeared in public, women used to go crazy like anything!
According to reports, many women at that time could go to any extent to catch a glimpse of Anand. Things used to get worse when the late superstar donned a black coat in public because it simply made him too hot to handle. Surprising as it may sound, young women often jumped off buildings to see him.
During the release of Anand's 1958 film 'Kala Pani', a woman was so allured by his appearance in a black coat that she ended her life. Thereafter, the Bombay High Court banned him from wearing black in public.
Credit: Film History Pics
Before becoming an actor, Anand had worked as a clerk in an accountancy firm for a Rs 85 salary.
He considered Ashok Kumar as his idol. In fact, it was after watching 'Achhut Kanya' and 'Kismat' that he decided to become an actor.
Throughout his career, he was often compared with the legendary Hollywood actor, Gregory Peck. However, he didn't quite like this comparison, and said, "When you are at an impressionable age you make idols, but when you grow out of the phase, you develop your own persona. I don't want to be known as India's Gregory Peck, I am Dev Anand."
He turned down several films that went on to become blockbusters and shape the careers of others. The list includes 'Junglee' and 'Zanjeer'.
He was a huge fan of Charlie Chaplin.
