Dev Anand tells all in his Autobiography

By Subhash K Jha

Dev Anand has never known full stops. At 83, he continues to plan two new films in 2007.

But before that he has something truly grand planned for January 2007.

"It's more than 60 years of my life as a film person, my journey from a wannabe in the streets of Mumbai to the actor, writer, director, producer in the studios…everything…all condensed in one book."

The words tumble out in an effervescent flow of unstoppable energy. "My autobiography is ready for publication. The international publishers are coming down on 4 January…We need to sit down and sift through the vast material and eliminate what to record or not to record. This is a historical moment for me."

Dev Saab started writing the autobiography some years back. "When Baghdad was attacked by the US, I was in New York. Every channel showed the grim news about the bombardment. I was at a loose end in my hotel room. That's when I started jotting down my thoughts. Once I started writing I was hooked.

Everything had happened so fast in my life! This process of writing my book has given me a chance to live my own life.I kept writing in fits and starts ….. until last year when I took it up very seriously. I finally finished the book in two months' stretch."

The obvious pride in having done something which no other Bollywood icon has done, bubbles over. "Every line in my book is mine. I haven't got any professional writer to help me. And I didn't type it out because I don't know how to type.

I've handwritten the entire monumental volume of my thoughts. Since every word flows from my mind to my hand and onto paper I'm as excited as a child. Yeh main hoon kitaab ke andar."

Dev Saab has two titles for his autobiography which will be revealed in consulation with the foreign publishers. "Out of my 83 years, 60 years of my active life in the movies is put into this book. And it isn't over yet. It'll only be finished when I'm gone. …

I've discussed everything from my initial struggle to my family, brothers…It required six books to chronicle six decades of my career. But that wasn't possible. So I've condensed it all in book to keep it interesting. After all I don't want readers to get bored. I want them to feel the same excitement that they do when they watch a movie."

Will the book hurt any of the people who are mentioned in it? " I've been honest in the book. I had to be honest. Otherwise I had no business writing my autobiography. But in writing about my life I've made sure not to hurt anyone. I've let certain events in my life be ambiguously dealt with …let people draw their own conclusions.

As for those whose names do crop up…I'd expect the world to be sporting enough. In my journey of life there're so many people I've met. I've of course brought them up in my book. But never to hit them below the belt. That's not my style."

The book should be out in the next few months. "And then the publishers would want me to promote it all all over the world. This isn't an empty boast…I don't think anyone else has attempted what I've in this book."

As for Dev Saab's plans as a director, "I've two films to make. One is a love story called When Heartbeats Are The Same to be shot on Croatia. It'll be my first film in English—again an experiment. Why can't I do a film in English? It's a beautiful subject about an NRI boy and a Croatian girl.

The casting and location are ready. But it's winter in Croatia. So I can ony shoot in in April-May 2007. In the meanwhile I'll be shooting a murder mystery entitled Charge Sheet which I'll be casting as soon as I give over my book to the publishers."

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