Dev Anand and Kalpana, a hit pair on and off the screen

Dev Anand’s 10TH death anniversary

Kalpana Kartik (born as Mona Singha) was a history honours graduate from St Bedes College, Shimla, when she came across a shy Dev Anand on the sets of ‘Baazi’ (1951). The introvert Dev Anand began to have a silent liking for her.

They made a super hit pair with ‘Baazi’ and worked together in ‘Aandhiyan’ (1952). Though the film flopped, their performances won appreciation. Their midnight marriage on the sets of ‘Taxi Driver’ (1954) created a nationwide flutter. Only selected guests such as Chetan Anand, Uma, Vijay Anand, Phani Majumder, Guru Dutt and SD Burman attended the ceremony.

‘Taxi Driver’ set the box office on fire and Dev Anand and Kalpana became the first hit-husband wife pair of Hindi cinema. Their later films ‘Nau Do Gyarah’ and ‘House No. 44’ were resounding hits.

Kalpana married Dev Anand at a time when the latter was suffering from the tragedy of separation from Suraiya. Kalpana knew she could never substitute Dev Anand’s first love. However, both the women had great respect for each other.

After she gave birth to Suneil and Devina, Kalpana quit acting. Occasionally, she was seen in family parties, playing the perfect host to Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor, Rajendra Kumar and others.

Dev Anand and Kalpana were international travellers and their favourite holiday spots were Europe and USA. In the early 60s, the couple had a memorable one-hour interaction with Sofia Loren and Alfred Hitchcock in London. Both were fond of Dev Anand’s knowledge of international cinema and literature.

It was a sight to watch Dev Anand and Kalpana dance to a philharmonic orchestra during a reception to a Czechoslovakian Film delegation, given by Manoj Kumar in 1968.

In 1970, the Irish Park residence of the Anand was throbbing with life as Dev Anand and Kalpana played hosts to Shirley McLane. Later on, Kalpana chose to stay away from the limelight. Dev Anand was a liberal Hindu while Kalpana was a Bengali Christian. The interfaith marriage was built on trust and affection.

When there were rumours of Dev Anand divorcing Kalpana for Zahida and Zeenat Aman, Kalpana rubbished such gossip strongly by being on her husband’s side.

Dev Anand and Kalpana made appearances together in 1985, at the marriage ceremony of daughter Devina, and on Vijay Anand’s birthday, January, 22, 1996. Ten years ago, Kalpana bid a tearful farewell to her husband, her all time love, in London, without attending the last rites in public.

(The author is a Kolkata-based freelancer who has done research on all three Anand brothers).

His fitness secret, and two versions of ‘The Guide’

I first met Dev Anand in 1984 at the Mehboob Studio in Mumbai. I was in the city to collect my prize that I won in a caption-writing contest organised by the ‘Star & Style’ magazine. He was kind enough to give me an interview and he spoke about his impeccable fitness. “I don’t exercise and do yoga. But I am a teetotaller and eat only fruits and vegetables for lunch and try to keep my mind always creative and optimistic,” he had said with a charming smile.

My next meeting with the stylish star was in 2008 at the Taj West End in Bengaluru. Dev Anand was in the city for his felicitation in Gayathri Vihar at Palace Grounds. He spoke about how the English version of the famous book ‘The Guide’ had impressed its writer RK Narayan while the Hindi movie disappointed him. “I had toned down the adultery aspect in the story for the Indian audience and the author wasn’t happy. But ultimately that version won the hearts of the audience.”

-Veena Bharathi, health management consultant and writer based in Bengaluru