How Dev Anand and Feroz Khan changed the concept of hero in Hindi cinema

The actors complimented each other and expanded the horizons of Hindi cinema

Isn't it an uncanny coincidence that two of the most swashbuckling heroes in the annals of Hindi cinema were born on successive days?

The flamboyant Feroz Khan was born on September 25 and the debonair Dev Anand on September 26.

Both redefined what it means to be a hero in Hindi cinema and effected a complete change in the world view of film lovers.

The serious students of Hindi cinema are well aware that the evolution of stars has been rather slow.

Heroes, though good actors, were not "hero material", to quote late film-critic Devyani Chaubal, who minced no words.

The heroes of olden days lacked the dynamism and spontaneity that is demanded of a hero. K L Sehgal, Motilal, Ashok Kumar, Shyam, Surendra were brilliant actors, but were all identical heroes but were betrayed by the theatricality.

Even the great thespian Dilip Kumar, who joined celluloid later, could never elicit a passionate response from moviegoers despite his acting prowess, sophisticated bearing and fabulous Urdu.

Urdu writer and critic Akhtar Ul-Iman explained this in 'Shama' way back in 1973.

He wrote, "Though Dilip Kumar emerged as an excellent actor on the celluloid and he amply proved his great acting without a shred of doubt, his appeal as a 'hero' remained rather limited among the cine-goers."

The same can be said about Raj Kapoor. Bunny Reuben says, "Raj Kapoor was predominantly a director who happened to be an actor". Despite the popularity of 'Aag', 'Awara' and 'Barsat', Raj Kapoor lacked mass appeal. So, while Kumar and Kapoor were powerful presences on the screen, they lacked the ability to cast a spell after the show.

And then came Dev Anand with his killer looks and relatable screen presence. Whether it was his 'Guide', 'Teen Deviyan', 'Hum Donon', 'Munimji,' or 'Kaala Pani', he exuded an impish charm that stayed with the cine-goers even after the show.

Despite being refined, suave and English-speaking, the masses thought of him as one of their own. While Dev Anand seemed to be 'it', there was still an Errol Flynn-shaped hole in Bollywood.

Enter Feroz Khan, an English-speaking beefcake who could give Hollywood a run for its money.

And with that, a new idiom of a hero was created in Hindi cinema. Khan swept audiences off their feet.

Much before Dharmendra, it was Feroz whose fantastic English and cowboy image paved the way for other actors to follow suit.

Feroz could act well too. In 'Oonche Log', his signature film, Feroz enacted the role of the philandering and reprobate son of Ashok Kumar and the younger brother of an upright cop, played by Raj Kumar.

Who could forget the immortal song 'Jaag dil-e-deewana rut jaagi...' sung by Mohammed Rafi? It was filmed with Feroz Khan, who looked unpardonably handsome and pardonably snobbish.

Works like 'Safar', 'Khote sikke', 'Qurbani' and 'Jaanbaaz' further consolidated his macho-image.

Hindi cinema shall always be thankful to Dev Anand and Feroz Khan for their style, histrionics, screen-presence and an altogether different way of acting.

Both gave cinematic probabilities to the audiences. They complimented each other and augmented the canvas of Hindi cinema.