Exhibition on ‘evergreen’ Dev Anand a hit among cinelovers at KIFF
Salman Khan has framed a handwritten letter that Dev Anand had sent him, congratulating him on the success of ‘Dabangg’.
“I took off one of the paintings from my wall to put up something more precious,” the ‘Tiger 3’ actor once said.
Dev Anand’s contribution to Indian cinema is incomparable. From his dialogue delivery to his unique nodding style, his acting became a trademark and continues to be often copied by others. In fact, Tollywood superstar Prosenjit Chatterjee, who inaugurated the exhibition on Dev Anand at the 29th edition of Kolkata International Film Festival on Wednesday, said he even apes the veteran actor’s gait till today. “I met the great Dev Anand a few times, thanks to my father (Biswajit Chatterjee). I always noticed how he had a spring in his feet whenever he climbed stairs. I still ape him,” said the ‘Gumnaami’ actor.
Prosenjit also said how he returns to ‘Guide’ and ‘Hare Rama Hare Krishna’ often. “Those are cult films and till today, the song ‘Dum Maaro Dum’ is played at discotheques,” he said. In fact, ‘Guide’ was based on RK Narayan’s novel and marked a major milestone in Dev Anand’s career.
The exhibition titled ‘Evergreen Dev Anand’ at Gaganendra Shilpa Pradarshala highlights his personal love story with Suraiya too. However, her grandmother was against inter-religious marriage. Their romance blossomed during the filming of ‘Vidya’ in 1974.
A detailed description of his works has also been documented at the exhibition. His journey from the romantic 1960s to the dynamic 1970s has found its place at the exhibition. There’s also detailed documentation of his association with the maestro SD Burman, who scored for him in hits like ‘Guide’, ‘Baat Ek Raat Ki’ and ‘Solva Saal’ and ‘Manzil’.
His cinematic journey with Waheeda Rehman, Nanda, Madhubala, Mumtaz, Hema Malini, Sadhana, and even Suchitra Sen has been beautifully captured at the exhibition, which celebrates his centenary. Sen worked with Dev Anand in the popular thriller ‘Bombai Ka Babu’ in 1960. In fact, his
on-screen romance especially with Waheeda and Zeenat Aman set the standard for cinematic love stories. Waheeda has worked with him in iconic films like ‘Solva Saal’, ‘Kala Bazaar’ and ‘Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja’.
Do you know Hollywood tycoon David Selznick was keen to cast him in a proposed film to be shot in Kashmir. However, his sudden death put an end to the project.
“The exhibition is extremely well-crafted and filled with information. As a student of cinema, these exhibitions always help us,” said Aritra Gyne, a cinema lover.
