Dev Anand's autobiography launched in London

LONDON: After a sparkling career spanning six decades and over 100 films, evergreen film star Dev Anand is still going strong and is involved in the making of three movies.

The octogenarian actor-producer, whose autobiography 'Romancing With Life' was released here by industrialist Anil Ambani and spouse Tina, launched in Bollywood by Dev Anand himself, received accolades for cinematic brilliance and work ethics at a glittering ceremony last night.

Thanking Dev Anand for "discovering and introducing" his wife Tina, a former actress, to the film industry with his film 'Des Pardes' in 1978, Ambani turned nostalgic and said in his case "it was 'Ishk, Ishk,' followed by 'Hira Panna'", recalling his love affair with Tina and his effort to get family support for their relationship and eventual marriage.
    
"There was a period of time when I had to pray Hare Ram Hare Krishna and see Tere Mere Sapne," the leading industrialist said, punning on some of Dev Anand's films and relating them to his life.
     
Ambani said his father the late Dhirubhai Ambani was a great fan of Dev Anand and to his knowledge had never missed a movie of his.
    
Explaining the significance of the title of his autobiography, Romancing With Life, 84-year-old Dev Anand said the first reason was his romantic image as an actor. "Unless one is in love with people around how can one function? This is the essence of my persona, my being".
     
Asked whether he has any plans to produce a film based on the autobiography, he said it was left to others to do so.
     
He said currently he was working on three films, two based in the US and the third in Croatia.
  
Dev Anand said that he wrote the autobiography in about eight to ten months.  "Whenever I start anything, I give all my energy and attention to it. My only condition to my publishers was that they would not change even a line of what I had written. Every line in the book belongs to me," he added.
   
The veteran said "the book covers a span of 62 years of my life in Bombay film industry. It has been like an epic journey. I have been very honest and frank in my book.  People who think they know me through my films and by reading about me will find a lot of things in the book. The book has innumerable things that I only know about myself."
   
Calling all achievers in all walks of life as pioneers, Dev Anand said a person cannot be a pioneer unless they have a style of their own.

Asked whether he regretted something in his life, the actor said, "All my memories are good. My attitude towards life has always been positive.  And it is this attitude that has always helped me to look forward towards the future."

Also present at the ceremony at Court House Kempenskie auditorium in the heart of London were actress and Rajya Sabha member Jaya Bachchan, NRI entrepreneur G P Hinduja, President of the Hinduja Group, and Vitabiotics chief Dr Kartar Lalvani.

Tina said she had imbibed a lot from her first director Dev Anand. "My personality, grooming, belief about work ethic came from working with Dev Saab. His confidence and belief in taking life ahead have inspired me.

"Working with Navketan, Dev Anand's production company, was the best thing that had happened to me.  My memories of working with Dev Saab have been amazing."