‘Main zindagi ka saath nibhata chala gaya' went the timeless melody from the movie Hum Dono. Nonchalantly puffing a cigarette and wandering through the woods with gay abandon, Hindi cinema's legendary hero Dev Anand embodied the spirit of this ode to life on screen and in personal life.
When he passed away on Saturday night in London, he was living it up till the last moment. Dev Anand, 88, breathed his last after a cardiac arrest while on a holiday in London.
Many accolades
Ruling the roost in Hindi cinema for decades, Dev Anand won the Filmfare Best Actor Awards for his role in Kala Pani in 1958 and for the cult film, Guide, in 1966. He also won the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 1991.
In 2001, he was bestowed Padma Bhushan, the country's third highest civilian honour. A year later, he won the Dadasaheb Phalke award for cinematic excellence.
Dev Anand turned to direction later in his career. His movie Chargesheet was recently released under the banner of Navketan International Films, a production company he launched in 1949.
His inimitable style, active lifestyle and never-say-die spirit earned him the title ‘Evergreen.'
Condolence in Mumbai
“He had left for London two weeks ago with his son. He died in the hotel room at 10 p.m. London time. His son Sunil was with him at that time,” Dev Anand's manager Mohan Churiwala told The Hindu on the phone on Sunday.
“His wife Kalpana Kartik, daughter Devina and granddaughter Gina are flying to London. His sister Boney lives there. Since the entire family is going to be there, he will most likely be cremated in London itself. The condolence will be held in Mumbai,” Mr. Churiwala said.
Dev Anand's health was fine and he was not suffering from any particular ailment. His body was taken to the morgue, but it is not known if a post-mortem would be conducted.
“Since it is a Sunday, we will only know by tomorrow [Monday],” Mr. Churiwala said. “He was perfectly fine. He was awake. He had just had dinner, after which he passed away.”
Dev Anand recently celebrated his 88th birthday in Mumbai by throwing a party.
