Dev Anand is perhaps the longest surviving film hero in the world. In a career spanning 61 years he has charmed five generations of audiences and wooed four generations of heroines from Suraiya to Tina Munim! The Gurdaspur-born Dharam Dev Anand made his debut as an actor in Prabhat Talkies’ Hum Ek Hain (1946). It was a disastrous beginning, but the success of Bombay Talkies’ Ziddi, directed by Shahid Lateef, pulled him out of the rut. The very next year (1949), Dev launched his own banner, Navketan, and produced Afsar (1950) opposite singing-star Suraiya, whom he was courting those days. The film, directed by Chetan Anand, was a disaster at the box office. Dev then turned to Guru Dutt, a friend from the Prabhat days, to direct Baazi. The huge success of Baazi (1951) turned Dev into an overnight star. His exaggerated mannerisms and individualized acting set him apart from his contemporaries. It also undermined his credentials as an actor. But he did surprise his detractors once in a while with impressive performances in films like Kala Pani, Hum Dono and Guide.

With Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand formed the famous ‘triumvirate’ that ruled the star-spangled Hindi film industry in the 1950s and the 1960s. Dev, however, outlasted the other two to go into the 1970s as a leading man! He took to direction with Prem Pujari (1971), a damp squib. But he was impressive in his second attempt, Hare Rama Hare Krishna, which set a new musical trend with the number 'Dum maro dum’. It also gave a new star in Zeenat Aman. But Dev’s record as a director has been rather indifferent thereafter, except for a rare Des Pardes, which introduced Tina Munim.

 In his heyday, Dev nurtured directors like Guru Dutt, Vijay Anand and Raj Khosla under the Navketan banner. He always got the best out of music directors SD Burman, RD Burman (Hare Rama Hare Krishna) and Jaidev (Hum Dono).