Dev Anand was a man ahead of his time, which was obvious through his work and the way he lived his life. He was also the OG style icon of the film industry where legions of fans followed his unique style. Dev Anand’s personal life was often the subject of media speculation, but he spoke about two women who shaped his life in many wys — actor Suraiya and the woman he married, wife and actor Kalpana Kartik.
Dev Anand‘s love affair with fellow actor Suraiya lasted from 1948 to 1951. It was in the late 1940s when Dev Anand played the male lead in a series of woman-oriented films opposite singer-actor Suraiya including Vidya (1948), Jeet (1949), Shair (1949), Afsar (1950), Nili (1950), Sanam and Do Sitare (1951).
It is said that Suraiya fell in love with Dev Anand during the shooting of the song Kinare Kinare Chale Jayen Ge from the film Vidya when he saved her from drowning as the boat they were in capsized.
Suraiya called Anand “Devina” and he called her “Suraiyana”. Anand also nicknamed Suraiya “Nosey”, while to Suraiya, Dev Anand was “Steve”, a name chosen from a book Dev Anand had given her.
Initially, Suraiya’s family used to welcome Anand at home, but when her maternal grandmother found out that the two were in love, she started monitoring them. The two shared love letters and messages through their co-actors, like Durga Khote and Kamini Kaushal.
Dev Anand and Suraiya. (Photo: Express Archive)
During the shooting of Jeet (1949), both Anand and Suraiya had planned to elope and marry, but were opposed by Suraiya’s grandmother and uncle.
As per reports, the actor even bought her a huge diamond ring, worth Rs 3,000. However, reports say that her maternal grandmother threw it in the sea, as she was opposed to the union because of their religious difference.
According to an interview given by Dev Anand’s close associate Mohan Churiwala, Suraiya’s mother asked Dev Anand to come to their terrace at 10 pm and meet her one last time. Raj Khosla and Guru Dutt asked him not to go alone fearing trouble. He took an inspector friend along. With two torches and a loaded gun, the inspector sat on the parapet. He asked Dev Anand to flash his torch if he sensed trouble. The anguish of the two lovers was voiced more in tears than in actual words.
Dev Anand opened up about his and Suraiya’s love story in his autobiography, Romancing with Life. (Photo: Express Archive)
Years later, in the ‘Star and Style’ interview, Suraiya had shared that she gave in only when both her grandmother and maternal uncle threatened to get Dev Anand killed. She remained unmarried throughout her life. Dev Anand, meanwhile, was heartbroken after parting away from Suraiya.
He opened up about their love story in his autobiography, Romancing with Life. While talking about the book, the actor once said, “It was destined that way. Had I gone to her, my life would have been different. Had I married her, life at her end would have taken me to a different course. Then may be I would not have been the Dev Anand I am today.”
He married actor Kalpana Kartik in 1954 in a private ceremony while he was shooting the film, Taxi Driver. Born Mona Singha, she adopted the screen name Kalpana Kartik after being spotted by Dev Anand’s elder brother Chetan Anand in Shimla. She was studying at St Bede’s College in Shimla and had been crowned Miss Shimla.
Dev Anand married Kalpana Kartik, an actress from Shimla. (Photo: Express Archive)
Chetan Anand was on the lookout for a new face and gave her the break in Navketan Film’s Baazi (1951) alongside Dev Anand. The film was directed by Guru Dutt and she played a doctor in the film. Inspired by American noir films, the film became a huge hit. She went on to act with Dev in Aandhiyan (1952), Humsafar (1953), Taxi Driver (1954), House No. 44 (1954), and Nau Do Gyarah (1957). Dev didn’t want to take any chances this time and decided to marry her as soon as she said yes.
Sheila Ramani, Dev Anand and Kalpana Kartik. (Photo: Express Archive)
Talking about his courtship and marriage, Dev Anand said during an interview with Simi Garewal, “She was beautiful, bubbly, naughty and educated. We fell in love with each other on the sets of Baazi and decided to get married secretly. Why? Because isn’t marriage a very personal affair? We had planned that we’ll get married and will not tell anybody and then we’ll throw a reception.”
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He added, “We were shooting on the sets of Taxi Driver. I had the ring in my pocket. We had asked the registrar to come there. In between the breaks when the lighting was being done on the sets, I signalled to her, we went into our departmental room, got married and came back. But, the cameraman spotted the ring and said that it is breaking the continuity of the scene. He knew of my affair with her and therefore he was so confident. I said ‘shut up, don’t speak about this… later, let’s take the shot first’. It was great fun.”
They had two children, son Suneil Anand and daughter Devina Anand.
Dev Anand and Kalpana Kartik with their kids. (Photo: Express Archive)
During their five-decade-long marriage, Dev Anand was linked with many women afterwards but he remained loyal to Kalpana.
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