Dev Anand is one of the greatest stars the Hindi Film Industry has seen. Born as Devdutt Pishorimal Anand in Gurdaspur, Punjab, the middle son of a well-to-do advocate, Dev Anand graduated in English Literature from the Government College, Lahore and left for Mumbai to join elder brother Chetan Anand. Prabhat's Hum Ek Hain (1946) was his first acting assignment. The movie Ziddi (1948) at
Bombay Talkies was Dev's first success. In 1949, he turned producer and launched his own banner Navketan, which continues to produce movies year after year.
1951 saw the release of Baazi, Guru Dutt's directorial debut. The film, written by actor Balraj Sahni, was a trendsetter which inspired the many urban crime thrillers Bollywood churned out in the 1950s. Dev Anand married film actress Kalpana Kartik in 1954. Hum Dono (1961) saw him excel in a double role. His first film in colour, Guide, co-starring Waheeda Rehman, was an Indo-US collaboration released in 1965. His own directorial ventures like Hare Rama Hare Krishna created a strong impression in motion picture making.
Dev Anand's films are best known for their great music. In 2001, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan, an honour by the Government of India. He was awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2002, for lifetime contribution to Indian cinema.
