Mumbai, Dec 3 (IANS) Filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, on account of late superstar Dev Anand’s death anniversary on December 3, shared a beautiful anecdote that made him know Anand closely.
Sharing a picture of Dev Anand on his social media, Shekhar elaborated on an incident that got him to know Dev Anand up close, during a film’s failure. “The phone rang, and there was excitement in his eyes. ‘Thank you, thank you,’ he said. ‘I am soo glad you loved the film…’ Similar calls followed. He savoured the praise… after all, he had invested all his own resources… his wealth into the film. And spared no expense.”
It further read, “I was there with him … playing a bit part in his film ‘Ishq Ishq Ishq’ … my first experience … however small … in the film industry.” He further wrote, “We went all the way up to Nepal … to the Himalayas … up to the Everest Hotel and almost to the Everest Base Camp … no expense was spared. But the calls then changed in tone … gradually Dev Anand’s expressions fell. ‘Oh .. which scenes did the audience not like. ‘ What do you mean the audiences are walking out before the end of the film…? … Theatres are going empty … Are you sure?”
Shekhar Kapur further wrote, “As it dawned on my uncle Dev Anand that not only had his passion project failed miserably at the box office … He had also lost a considerable amount of his money. The phone calls stopped … Dev Uncle looked at me. ‘Shekhar, the film is a disaster.’ He further mentioned how it affected Dev Anand.
“He got up and went to the washroom. I thought maybe it’s time for me to leave him alone … to get over his loss. But he came out quickly … His face changed … His voice was full of excitement and of hope.” Had the news on the film changed? No He paced up and down the room like an excited little boy. ‘Shekhar … I have an idea for another film … It’s a great story … Now if you leave me … I have to start writing this new film … ‘It’s going to be brilliant.’
The filmmaker further expressed, “He’s passed away now … But I will never forget this lesson he taught me. Regret is not an emotion you can allow to weigh you down. #DevAnand #Regret #Hope.”
For the uninitiated, Dev Anand was the ‘Mama’ (mother’s brother) of Shekhar Kapur. A few days ago, Shikhar Kapoor shared a photo of himself from his childhood days standing alongside his mother and a young Dev Anand.
A part of the long caption read, “So here’s my mom happy to be with her favourite brother … Dev Anand, his wife, Mona Aunty and my elder sister Neelu … and sulky shy me … Happy Birthday… Mama.”
The late superstar Dev Anand passed away on December 3, 2011, in London at the age of 88. His demise marked the end of an era, as he was one of Hindi cinema’s most enduring and influential stars.
His legacy included cult classics like Guide, Jewel Thief, CID, Hum Dono, Tere Ghar Ke Samne, Johny Mera Naam, Bombai Ka Babu, and Hare Rama Hare Krishna.
His pairing with legendary actress Waheeda Rehman was a superhit in the 60s era of Bollywood.
–IANS
rd/