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American publisher for Dev Anand's autobiography
16th Jan 2006 14.00 IST
By Agencies

One of the legends of Hindi cinema, Dev Anand on Sunday said an American publisher would soon be bringing out his autobiography.

Talking to newspersons at a reception given to him by another legend of the south Akkineni Nageswara Rao at the latter’s Annapurna Studios in Hyderabad, Anand said he was writing the trials and travails he had undergone in his life in the book.

Anand said he was missing his brothers Chetan and Vijay with whom he had made some memorable films for his production house 'NavKetan'.

The 82-year-old actor said he was also missing the Burmans, 'SD and RD', the former who was one of the pillars of 'NavKetan'.

When a correspondent asked him about his trademark cap he appeared with at the press conference, Anand said ''wait for the book. There is a chapter on the cap.''

''I came to Bombay with mere 19 rupees in my pocket from what was then in India-- Lahore-- in 1945. By 1947 Lahore was part of a foreign country. I chose to stay back. I started my production company by 1949 to basically to expose the talent of my elder brother Chetan Anand. Prior to that, we produced a film in 1947. It was never released as no distributor came forward. From 1949, we have been producing films till 2005. After Mr. Prime Minister I also have plans,'' he said.

''I am not rich. The money I earn from my films more I plough back to the film industry,'' Anand added.

Anand, who turned nostalgic about his native place Lahore, said he enjoyed every minute of his travel back there with the former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee during the ''bus journey for peace'' during the NDA regime.

Asked about the present standard of films, he said one should not grumble. ''Producers are only making films that suit the needs of their time,'' he said.

About the government’s proposal to ban scenes of smoking on the screen, he said while he opposed the ban, he felt that ''nothing happens as per the wishes of one individual.''

He said there was need for a consensus to present the viewpoint of the industry. He, however felt that if the government chose to ban scenes of smoking, it should also ban scenes of drinking.

Anand said while a man has ''a devil'' in him, he also has ''God'' in him and pointed out that all his films were produced with a social purpose and to his heart’s content.

Replying question on the performance of the present day actors, he said he would not like to comment. Clarifying that he was not being diplomatic, he said ''anyone who attains stardom, should be talented.'' ''The film industry does not make anyone without talent a star,'' he said.

About Madhubala, with whom he had done maximum number of films, Anand said she was one of the most beautiful actresses who did not have to use makeup or wig or artificial eye lashes. She was young. That youth gave her all the beauty needed. ''She, however, had some problems with her father,'' he added.

Asked about Guru Dutt, Anand said he was the best of his friends. We started our lives together. I got an early break. When I produced a film I wanted him to handle it and when he got a break he wanted me to act in it. This was the reason for our involvement in 'Bazi' and 'CID', the veteran actor recalled.

When asked whether he had seen any of Akkineni Nageswara Rao’s films, he said he had watched quite a few on the small screen but not on the silver screen. ''I have heard a lot about his accomplishments. I wish I had achieved as much as he had. I met N T Rama Rao earlier we were invited to a trip to America in 1966. I had a brief meeting with him. But what I have heard about him is more than what I have seen of him. I am proud to receive an award instituted in his honour from him yesterday,'' the glamour boy of yesteryears said.

On a question of choosing black clothes after his film 'Kala Pani' as girls liked him that way, he quipped ''you should better ask them.'' He said he chose black dress for that particular film and perhaps continued to wear black clothes as they were accepted by the audience.

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