Dev Anand, one of the greatest and most successful actors, in Bollywood was often the centre of attention for not only his acting but also his endearing personality. In a career of over six decades, Dev Anand worked in more than 100 films with many actresses such as Parveen Babi, Hema Malini, Zeenat Aman, Suraiya, Mumtaz, and Sharmila Tagore, among others. However, there is one superstar who was the love of Dev Anand's life. We are talking about none other than the Nightingale of India, Lata Mangeshkar.
Dev Anand, in an interview with Rediff’s Subhash K Jha, once revealed how Lata Mangeshkar was not just a colleague but also the love of his life. Dev Anand even confessed how Lata Mangeshkar was "gorgeous". He refused to call her a sister, a label she was repeatedly given in the industry.
Dev Anand once said about Lata Mangeshkar, "Who would want to call this enchanting woman his sister! She is the gorgeous Lata, the love of my life."
Not only this, but Dev Anand also shared how Lata Mangeshkar was the only person for whom he would stop shooting as she was 'irreplaceable'.
"The others, one could do without, not Lata. Lata is Lata. She is irreplaceable. The others, we can do without. Not Lata. She is known to cancel recordings at the last minute. That’s because she is a perfectionist. She always says, 'When I record, it’s just a few people listening. But when the song goes out, it is millions listening. I cannot afford to be less than the best version of myself.' I would happily wait for her," he had said.
Lata Mangeshkar and Dev Anand made some of the most unforgettable songs in Bollywood history. Some of these iconic songs are Dheere Dheere Chal, from the film Love Marriage (1959), and Abhi Na Jao Chhod Kar from Hum Dono (1961).
