Dev Anand — Romancing the stars, a tribute by Satrangi to the evergreen actor, revisited popular numbers featuring him opposite his popular female co-stars.
Picture this: In the towering Qutub Minar, a beautiful Nutan is seen sprinting down a flight of stairs with the debonair actor wooing her with the words ‘Dil ka bhanwar kare pukar’ in the rom com Tere Ghar Ke Saamne. Or this: A vivacious Mumtaz teasing him at a mill in Kathmandu in Hare Rama Hare Krishna in the duet Kanchi Re Kanchi Re.
The heroines whom he romanced with such ease on the screen summarise his career that spanned close to five decades as a hero. Well, Dev Anand never slipped into the supporting roles, even when he was in his eighties. He was an actor, who was paired opposite both the forties-fifties actors in the likes of Geeta Bali, Nalini Jaywant, Madhubala and the eighties heroines like Tina Munim, and Simple Kapadia.
Satrangi’s ode to Dev Anand on Sunday was unique on different counts — the songs that were performed were hardly the ones sung on stage and they weren’t the hero-driven numbers that you would expect at a Dev Anand night.
Beginning with Yeh Raat Yeh Chandni (Jaal), the show covered numbers, featuring thirty female co-stars of the actor — the popular ones and the relatively not-so-popular female leads.
How many of us know Meena Kumari was cast opposite Dev Saab in the film Kinare Kinare? Or, Saira Bano played his female lead in the film Pyaar Mohabbat?
Combining peppy duets, romantic solos and melancholic melodies, the tribute threaded together the long-standing innings, highlighting his versatility.
Singers Pramod Nair, the founder of Satrangi, and Mumbai-based Sarvesh Mishra and Bengaluru’s Sinchan Dixit, and the orchestra that was loyal to the original score, successfully pulled off a huge challenge. After all, Dev Anand numbers are as popular as the actor himself. This was evident with the huge round of applause that followed the prelude of several numbers.
Din Dhal Jaaye (Guide), Aise Toh Na Dekho (Teen Deviyan), Honthon Mein Aisi (Jewel Thief) and Accha Ji Mein (Kaala Pani) — are songs for all generations. As probably first-time stage picks, there were Gori Gori Gaon Ki (Yeh Gulistan Hamaara opposite Sharmila Tagore), Gustakh Nazar (Jaali Note opposite Helen) and Uf Yun Ma (Jab Pyaar Kisi Se Hota Hai opposite Asha Parekh).
The troupe was effectively supported by the evening’s host Uday Meghani who traced the career highlights of the actor, from his struggling days in Bombay, his relationship with actor Suraiyya, his eventual marriage to actor Kalpana Kartik to his collaborations with his brothers Chetan Anand and Vijay Anand. Vijay Anand too takes credit for some of his songs that went down the annals of Bollywood as some of the most beautifully picturised songs.
By the end of it was the audience content? Not really, as they signed off in the actor’s trademark style Abhi Na Jao Chhodkar Ke Dil Abhi Bhara Nahi.