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How else do you explain the fact that the book has the exact trajectory for his career-- from delightful to delusional?
The fun part of this book is that it doesn't necessarily require you to read it in sequence. I for one, was quickly drawn to pages in the middle where he talks about ho
Love or hate this book by Dev Anand but if there's one thing going for it, it is the fact that, unlike most autobiographies that are ghost-written, this one is, without a shred of doubt, penned by the man himself.How else do you explain the fact that the book has the exact trajectory for his career-- from delightful to delusional?
The fun part of this book is that it doesn't necessarily require you to read it in sequence. I for one, was quickly drawn to pages in the middle where he talks about how he fell in love his protegee Zeenat Aman and was jealous when Raj Kapoor 'made advances' and took her on for Satyam Shivam Sundaram. He says, "A hint of suspicion crossed my mind. A couple of days earlier, a rumour had been floating around that Zeenat had gone to Raj's studio for a screen test for the main role in his movie. The hearsay now started ringing true. My heart was bleeding."
Another part that I noticed while I was browsing it and stayed to read, was the phone call that the actor made to writer R K Narayan, requesting the rights to make The Guide, which eventually ofcourse, turned out to be one of the highlights in the actor's career.
Clearly, the first 200 pages or so of this book are extremely readable and abound in many interesting anecdotes. From his intense love story with Suraiya to his enchanting bicycle rides with Guru Dutt in the serene lanes of Pune (then Poona), from his guilt at driving rashily and hurting co-star Geeta Bali to his child-like excitement at creating avant garde cinema with his charismatic elder brother, Chetan Anand....all of it points towards a man deeply romantic, eternally optimistic, with an insatiable desire to be loved and lusted after.
In many ways, Dev Anand's nervous energy and creative longing to break free from established cinematic norms perfectly reflected the zeitgeist of the 50s and 60s, a period that was looking pregnant with possibilities.
That he had an exaggerated sense of himself and his works even at the height of his stardom is quite obvious. But to give him his due, his passion for cinema mixed a perilous streak for taking risks is what gave him an edge as an actor and producer. Additionally, Dev Anand was blessed to have two phenomenally talented filmmakers as his brothers.
...readers can read the rest on my blog, www.sandyi.blogspot.com
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I read the first few chapters with some focus to know about Dev Anand's upbringing and then only those paras from chapters that appeared intriguing t
Having been brought up amidst the 70s Hindi film music and many gossipy insights from my father on the lives of the 60s and 70s Hindi film actors, I've looked forward to reading their biographies to know the real humans. Over the 3-day stay at the lovely Walterre, that included many well-stocked reading shelves, I breezed through this autobiography.I read the first few chapters with some focus to know about Dev Anand's upbringing and then only those paras from chapters that appeared intriguing to me. I'd always wondered about his relationship with his wife so looked for those descriptions with more interest. I needed to know if he remained loyal to his wife or had affairs with his muses--some of them would have been the age of his granddaughter.
He's been honest about the women in his life. He mentions his first sexual encounter with candidness--with an unknown woman on a train journey--and goes into old school English in its description. Elsewhere, the language is contemporary and readable. His wife's screen name was Kalpana Kartik but she met him as Mona--a carefree and spoilt sister of 5 brothers and a Christian. She is talkative and boisterous, wants to be acknowledged for any value she brings to a movie or as his partner. He likes her. But then he easily falls for beautiful women. For a long time, he remains very shy as a person but he's aware of the effect his good looks have on women and he flirts all the time--in his own reserved manner. Mona and he enjoy spending time together but she had to still corner him into a proposal and marriage. He's already had some box office successes by then--2 with her. Before and after he meets her, he's desperate to be with and marry Suraiya but is prevented by her relatives to be with her. She's more famous than him but she's also child-like and accedes to his charm. In years ahead he finds himself falling for his find Zeenat Aman but figures about Raj Kapoor's crush on her, and a possible sexual connection between the two so leaves them to it. Shows him to be a romantic guy and not just a corrupt director. He talks about some other heroines with respect, not implying affairs. His relationship with his wife after the birth of his 2 children is unclear. He mentions her 2 major outbursts and later alludes to her vague ways of staying inside her room with her beautician or Church group. His son Suniel studies management in a foreign university but surprises him by wanting to be an actor. He makes a movie starring him and the son that doesn't do well. Don't know what happens of Suniel after that. The daughter Devina is a produce of boarding schools and marries early. She has a baby girl but ends her marriage early too. Dev Anand mentions his granddaughter with fondness.
In the early years, he goes over his years in Gurdaspur, living in the shadow of his erudite father, doting mother and 8 siblings. Talks about the time he loses his Mom to TB but feels her blessings with him. He likes a pretty girl in his English grad course but never sums up courage to go beyond a hello. He wants to study abroad like his brother Chetan but learns of the father's dwindling financial situation so feels forced to leave for Bombay to become an actor. Struggles for many years in the beginning, lives off some people, including Chetan Anand when he also gets to Bombay after quitting his teaching job in Doon school. The really good innings come with his younger brother Vijay Anand joining him and writing for his movies.
All along, Dev Anand is a polite gentleman. He looks up to Ashok Kumar,Guru Dutt and establishes good relations with the Nepal royal family and many politicians through his polite demeanour and charming ways. He relates his interaction with Pt Nehru with much pride but repeats the general impression of Indira Gandhi being a 'dumb doll.' Later, he was brave enough to speak and act against the Emergency and devotes some energies to supporting BJP. Despite many years of early struggle, he earns and lives well as his movies start doing well.
He always looked for inspiring stories that he could show as movies. Goes over how Guide happened in English and Hindi, and incidents behind major milestones in his movie making or any preliminary groundwork. All the flops of the last decade were based on some strong ideas and always a pretty, 'fresh' face. I feel that Vijay Anand's partnership in his directorial ventures was a balancing factor for him. After his younger brother's death, he keeps working and making movies but sort of loses touch with the audience and reality. But he remains a romantic guy, looking for love and showing love in his movies all his life, almost as if his life depended on it.
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Yes, the man had his faults. But then, who doesn't. Okay, enough of the man. The book was honest. It was entertaining. But when he switches b
My review might be a bit biased as I grew up loving the man, his skewed movies, and his mannerism. But nothing can take away from the fact that the man 'Dev saab' was effervescence personified. He was obviously so full of life. It would a blessing to live a life the way he did. A big life and a long and fruitful one. His joy for life was indeed infectious.Yes, the man had his faults. But then, who doesn't. Okay, enough of the man. The book was honest. It was entertaining. But when he switches between illusion and reality, it becomes a bit tedious. A straightforward narrative would have been more enjoyable.
Still, I cannot help but give the man and the book a 5-star rating. Unlike other books that I review, I know that Dev saab will not be reading my review. Wish he could and respond to me.
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This was one of my buys at Delhi International Airport on my recent visit to India. My flight was delayed by a couple of hours so I spent several hours walking and browsing the few bookstores at the airport. I picked up this book and returned it to its shelf several times until I felt sorry for the store owner and bought it. I don't know whether to rate the book 3/5 or 4/5. It is definitely a book written by the man himself. He is of course full
Romancing with Life, an Autobiography by Dev AnandThis was one of my buys at Delhi International Airport on my recent visit to India. My flight was delayed by a couple of hours so I spent several hours walking and browsing the few bookstores at the airport. I picked up this book and returned it to its shelf several times until I felt sorry for the store owner and bought it. I don't know whether to rate the book 3/5 or 4/5. It is definitely a book written by the man himself. He is of course full of himself and is unabashedly honest about it. What I truly enjoyed was the history as it plays out. He came to Bombay before independence from Gurdasapur near Lahore. You see historical events unfold in his story telling. That part I truly enjoyed to see history unfold as observed and experienced by a person as opposed to written by a historian. His career spanned over six decades in which he acted, directed or produced 111 films. You have to give it to the man - his zest for life and his roaming eye for beauty in nature and people.
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But what comes as a pleasant surprise is his command over English and his abiity to write.
Of the many celebrity biographies I have read this is the best because it is written with honesty and flair. (Prem Chopra's beautiful bio written by his daughter reluctantly must go to second best)
This book does exactly what you expect of an autobiography: A look inside the celebrity.
As you look inside, you We all know of Dev Anand as the Evergreen Hero who romances women two generations younger, on screen.
But what comes as a pleasant surprise is his command over English and his abiity to write.
Of the many celebrity biographies I have read this is the best because it is written with honesty and flair. (Prem Chopra's beautiful bio written by his daughter reluctantly must go to second best)
This book does exactly what you expect of an autobiography: A look inside the celebrity.
As you look inside, you realise that the core of Dev Anand is action. Like a river in flow, a life in action washes away the dirt. ...more
It does get dreadful at times especially when he Dev Anand and his lessons on self love and affirmation. The power of manifestation of thoughts. Dev Anand revels alot in self praise and in creating an image of a Playboy whom every woman he met admired and longed for. The text is easy to read ornamented by Dev Saab's colonial era english and has the charm of her personality. The man loved life, the world, the success it has bestowed upon him, the people who loved him crazy and above all, himself.
It does get dreadful at times especially when he narrates that how every woman in the world was hot for him but expect this, you get to understand alot about the man who ruled the hearts of masses for a long time. There's not a lot of inside stories with his contemporaries which I was looking forward to and utter lack of acceptance that most of the movies directed by him were barely watchable, an exercise in vanity to say the most. The way he cast his actors shows Dev Saab's outdated understanding of cinema. But one thing that everyone can learn from the man is that whatever endeavour he took up in his life he did so with childlike gusto and divine passion. ...more
He just goes on about how he went abroad for some shooting..and then finds this beautiful girl and then starts planning a film with her. It really gets on your nerves.
If one is very keen...pleas read till he discovers Zeenat A
Dev Anand , one of my hot favorites, had a phenomenal impact on Indian cinema and Indian audience ..And I wish it were the same for his autobiography, but it does not. It is interesting in the beginning , but after 50% of the book gets over, it gets increasingly repetitive.He just goes on about how he went abroad for some shooting..and then finds this beautiful girl and then starts planning a film with her. It really gets on your nerves.
If one is very keen...pleas read till he discovers Zeenat Aman. But not beyond that....
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He talks about "spicing it up" in the preface and he spices it up alright it doesn't make for good reading either - so here's another one that the bad sex award committee missed that year but you really don't know now which of these things actually happened and what bits are being made up for effect.
There is virtually nothing in the book about the business aspect. Just how did he fund those duds? Tireless film-maker he may be, but the man churned out an astounding number of flops one after the other in the eighties, nineties and noughties! There are a series of tiresome chapters in the middle about how he found his "leading ladies" and gave them their big break - abroad mostly - but you've never seen them in another movie since??!! Sometimes you get the impression that Dev Anand wanted to be a traveler more than anything and film making was just an excuse for him to spend time on the road and meet more nubile twenty somethings.Maybe it's just me, but these are names I have never heard - neither the actors nor the movies! No, Seriously!
One of the reasons I picked up the book is because some reviews mentioned that the book is well written. Far from it. He writes like he speaks - with not a little pomposity. I think this is because - like most people from the pre-Independence era he holds things British in awe and this is evident when he prides himself in the use of the language or makes such a great deal about it - but what he's really doing is mixing metaphors or is unintentionally funny - like when he is translating Hindi idioms into English. But then again he is a film-maker and not a writer which kind of explains the way he writes - it's - i dunno - "visual" if you will and for want of a better word like that but sometimes the writing gets bizarre and surreal like in the chapter when he is recovering post hernia surgery. He makes such a big deal about that too. Like he goes to great lengths to keep things hush hush. No one should know he is being operated upon. Like why would anyone care? It's hernia dude. Not life threatening ... Very odd!
So, only the first third of the book documenting the fifties and early sixties held any interest for me and it was all downhill from there.
On the plus side, Dev Anand had a long, long life. It must not have been an easy task deciding what to pick and what to leave out. Like, for example, there is a chapter about his son Suneil failing at the movies but he does not mention why his daughter didn't take to Bollywood, but he does talk about her divorce? Also, early on in the bio, I would have liked him to dwell a little on why he wanted to become an actor than just have him say that a couple of girls in the neighborhood found him handsome.
It's not a very big book though for a life that long and it's nicely divided into short chapters. It could have used a lil more by way of editing, proof-reading, vetting or better - ahem - "post production". But he never bothered doing that with his movies cause by the time he'd finish filming one, he'd have found his next muse already. Fat chance, then!
Again, coming from the pre-independence era, he talks about the partition and independence with emotion and is quite the nationalist, works in a bit of politics into the writing - but not a lot - i liked those asides. A bit of history to punctuate all that time. Not to mention the romance of utopia and idealism, that all but had him launch a political party too, but that didn't see fruition, given that none of this was clearly thought through. Not that one was expecting a blueprint or manifesto for some full-fledged economic theory, a la Ayn Rand. It's not like anybody else has that kind of panacea either, but just saying.
All in all, a pretty honest account nonetheless but somehow not as entertaining as I thought it might be. That said, you take what you get. There's not another book nearly good enough about Dev Anand in the market the last time I looked.
I bought a paperback from Amazon and didn't get a DVD, so the review is only for the book.
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Much of my sensitivity came from watching these kind of movies as a 6-7 year old kid. I owe way too much to Dev Anand for the nature of movies he has made.
Reading his autobiography I was overwhelmed to understand what it was like his growing up years, years of struggle. The book has more details on the movies made, a bit on personal life, a bit on friends, overall very diplomatic and specific in few places.
Cheers,
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all truths about him he wrote in this book...
A milestone person...
Dev Anand, an English Honours graduate from the famed Government College in Lahore, was considered one of 'The Big Three' in Hindi cinema,
It says much for the enduring popularity of the man that the release of his autobiography was greeted with such interest. Book signings from New York to Chennai thronged with fans wanting a glimpse of the man, a smile, an autograph. Romancing with Life is quintessential Dev Anand – unmistakably enthusiastic, brimming over with optimism, and outspokenly frank.Dev Anand, an English Honours graduate from the famed Government College in Lahore, was considered one of 'The Big Three' in Hindi cinema, the other two being Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar. The autobiography is full of verbal flourishes, sometimes using up whole reams of print where two sentences would have done the trick. However, that is also part of his charm, and probably evidence of the fact that he wrote the book, instead of having it ghost-written.
In his preface, he answers charges of narcissism. He is serious when he says that 'To honour that image (that of a deity to millions of his fans) I must project myself to be the best I can be in both my personal and professional life.'
The narrative is racy enough to keep your interest going, the beginning pages flashing back and forth between the train journey that is taking him towards the future he is dreaming of and the loving family he has left behind. There is no glorification of his earlier struggles, but neither is there resentment. The greatest tragedy of his struggling days? Having to sell his precious stamp collection in order to stave off hunger.
The story of his journey from his first film Hum Ek Hain to Dev Anand the star is filled with affectionate reminiscences of the many people who had a hand in his success – his idol, Ashok Kumar who gave him his first big break in Ziddi;Guru Dutt, a friend of his struggling days, who helmed many of his successes, Chetan Anand, his elder brother whom he looked up to, and who later became his partner in Navketan films, Vijay Anand, his younger brother, who directed some of his big films like Jewel Thief, Guide and Johnny Mera Naam, the father-son duo of SD Burman and RD Burman who gave Navketan their most memorable tunes and Kishore Kumar, who was Dev Anand's voice.
Films are a passion with him and the best part of the book are those that deal with his movies. There are some interesting vignettes about his films, about how they shot Taxi Driver in 35 days on a shoestring budget, in a last ditch effort to keep the fledgling Navketan afloat, how Kala Bazaar was shot at the original premiere of Mother India, how Major Verma in Hum Dono was patterned on a major he had met in the British Army cantonment in Poona.
He talks about his fallout with Chetan Anand with his usual forthrightness. Yet, he names no names when he writes about some of the notorious scandals of his times. There is no mention of Guru Dutt's passion for Waheeda Rehman, or Chetan Anand moving in with Priya Rajvansh. Apart from his many encounters of the sexual kind, there are no salacious details about any of his contemporaries.
Dev Anand would not be Dev Anand, if there were not any mention of women. The book is heavily peppered with his flirtations and sexual affairs, some of which are quite graphically described. Of them all, his description of his fabled love story with Suraiyya is probably the most romantic. One gets the feeling that the affairs that followed, while it allowed him to keep his 'romantic hero' image alive, did not mean much. Zeenat Aman was to prove an exception. As he himself admits, he was ready to confess his love to her, only to find that she had moved on – to Raj Kapoor.
His commitment to movies comes through in every page, even if he hasn't had a box-office success or critical acclaim in the past three decades. Is it his incurable optimism or his absolute capacity for self-delusion which makes him claim that his films were 'ahead of their times', as in the case of Awwal Number, a film , I am sure Aamir Khan would prefer to forget. Or, that Love at Times Square failed because the local distributors were too stingy to delve into their pockets for a million-dollar promotion.
It is however true, as he says, that he "…still had the passion and conviction to make movies based on his own novel ideas, which were never borrowed, plagiarised or stolen."
It must be that indomitable spirit that refuses to accept that he is at the fag end of his career. At the end of his autobiography, the flamboyant star announces his next venture, an international one, no less.
The book meanders towards the end, much like his present movies do, but what you come away with is a sense of his unbeatable optimism, his almost child-like joy in living life to the fullest.
(First published on www.domain-b.com/goodlife )
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Dev Anand is of course a living legend of Hindi Cinema. The story of Dev Anand's life spans 60 years, from pre-independence to present day, and it is a fascinating account. The movie milestones along the way include such gems as Baazi, Taxi Driver, Guide, Jewel Thief, Johnny Mera Naam, Hare Rama Hare Krishna, Des Pardes and Man Pasand among many many others. Dev Anand provides interesting facts and stories about the making of these movies, and the people involved in mak My Review from Amazon.com:
Dev Anand is of course a living legend of Hindi Cinema. The story of Dev Anand's life spans 60 years, from pre-independence to present day, and it is a fascinating account. The movie milestones along the way include such gems as Baazi, Taxi Driver, Guide, Jewel Thief, Johnny Mera Naam, Hare Rama Hare Krishna, Des Pardes and Man Pasand among many many others. Dev Anand provides interesting facts and stories about the making of these movies, and the people involved in making them.
For fans of Hindi Cinema, Dev Anand and Navketan -- his film company -- stand also for the glorious music from S.D. Burman and Kishore Kumar that charms listeners to this day. To my disappointment, Dev Anand has spoken precious little about the music of Navketan, and also about these legendary music directors and singers who were such an integral part of the success and romance of Dev Anand's films. Navketan is also about Vijay "Goldie" Anand, his younger brother who no doubt was a very capable director and who infused much of the magic in these movies. Dev Anand speaks fondly of Goldie and narrates several incidents, but again, it falls a little short of the stellar credit that his brother deserves in creating Dev Anand the phenomenon.
Dev Anand comes across as being very honest and open about his narrative, and no doubt this is an "open book" on his life. He also speaks well of his contemporaries like Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar although they were also his competitors of sorts, and about the leading ladies that he introduced in his films including Zeenat Aman, although he clearly feels betrayed and hurt by some of their actions. As in his films, he seems to have kept moving ahead and blown every worry away like smoke-rings, as immortalized in the Hum Dono song "Har fiqr ko dhuve mein udaata chala gaya".
Dev Anand is clearly in love with himself and with his on-screen persona, which he has promptly addressed right in the preface. However, at times the tone of the narrative can be characterized by his famous dialog from Guide (quoted a little out of context here): "Na dukh hai na sukh hai; Na deen hai na duniya; Na insaan na bhagwan; Sirf main, main, main" -- There is neither joy nor pain; No days, no worlds; No man, no God; There is only me, me, and me". As a star who is busy "Romancing with Life" and who has no doubt enriched the world of Hindi Cinema in no small measure, I am sure that we can forgive him for that.
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If I read the signs correctly, 'Romancing with Life' is more of a chronicle of Dev Anand's love affairs than anything else. It is hard to believe the string of women he describes (in great detail) as being buxom or curvy or dressed in such and such way, were not the objects of his desire, romance or lust. There are a few strong points in the book though- parts where Dev Anand actually talks about the era gone by; one of the best points in the book is when he, Dilip Kumar and Raj Kumar meet Jawahar Lal Nehru. In any other book, this would have been a drab boring literary piece; but the rest of the book was so bad that in comparison, this meeting stood out.
Only in one section does Dev Anand admit his extramarital "feelings"; in this section, Zeenat Aman becomes the object of his desire and affection and Mr. Anand admits that he was about to profess his love to her, when fate stepped in.
Take my advice; avoid Dev Anand's ramblings. Read Saadat Hasan Manto's 'Stars from another sky' instead.
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From the lights and shades of black and wh
Always a fan of his works; his style, songs and his movies. Don't know why it took so long that I made this book stay on the shelf. It's a wonderful, often dreamy account of a star shining bright on his own in the very first galaxy of Indian cinema. Knowing no one in the industry Dev Saab's is a story no less than a fairy tale. (wonder what would be the writing material for today's stars when the trend of 'you launch my son I'll launch your new movie').From the lights and shades of black and white era, to the musical of early seventies to the one after another non-stop failures produced by Navketan. Dev Saab honestly puts it down like no other star has done till date in India.
Of course there are dull moments, and those in larger quantity in last almost 150 pages when he keeps on boasting about the honors he was receiving and the political connections. As everyone's review points out. After the Zeenat chapter, things get boring. But still there are chapters like the shooting of Love at Times Square and his Lahore bus journey, which holds your attention.
I wish he could have written more about working with his two most effective partners on screen : SD Burman and Waheedaji. That would have made this more intriguing. However, for a fan like me, even this is more than enough. Evergreen as he is, the life account is a suitable for the aura he still has, even after his departure.
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But we forget that the Charm and the Magic of it all, it's like an obsession, a constant flirtation with adversity and no one sums it better than Dev Anand !!
Romancing with life, that's how he summed up life, for him it was a Charm, a good story to tell. Not the struggles, defeats or victories but life itself. How Poetic, how Exqu
When it comes to great people, great souls who change things; who are remembered. We see them overcome the greatest of challenges, go against the tide and ad infinitum.But we forget that the Charm and the Magic of it all, it's like an obsession, a constant flirtation with adversity and no one sums it better than Dev Anand !!
Romancing with life, that's how he summed up life, for him it was a Charm, a good story to tell. Not the struggles, defeats or victories but life itself. How Poetic, how Exquisite;P
I truly believe, that's really how it should be, a Love Affair, a ceaseless Romance with Life with nothing held back, No Limits; none at all !!
Romancing with Life, Sounds kinda Right;P
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