Remembering Dev Anand

It is easy to mimic those that set themselves apart. Perhaps few have been mimicked, caricatured and parodied as much as Dev Anand and that too over several generations. It is testimony to the longevity of the man, the actor, the writer, director, and producer. To be considered as one the triumvirate of the Indian film industry in the 50s and 60s along with Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar speaks volumes of his popularity and contribution.

Dev Anand's career spread over three innings. The first innings was pre-70s and defined him really and catapulted him as one of the three superstars. I have little re-collection of this period, except for a few movies I saw much later in life.

His second innings, started with a bang with "Johnny Mera Naam" in 1970. Some film historians also claim it was this movie that made Hema Malini famous. If Rajesh Khanna had teenage girls and married woman swooning over him, Dev Anand had his fair share too. And then were guys like Amar, my next door neighbour, who would insist on wearing these ghastly yellow bell-bottom trousers that Dev Anand wore and made famous in one of his movies.

1971 saw the release of the cult movie "Hare Rama Hare Krishna". I recall being on a boat ride at the "Gateway of India" with my family on a dark Sunday evening and they were playing "Dum Maro Dum" the famous song from the movie during the ride. It was a surreal experience. A very topical film (showcased hippie culture), based on a terrific and moving storyline, backed by excellent acting and music that achieved instant cult status, it also gave the Indian film industry its first glamour girl - Zeenat Aman. I dare say, I consider this to be one of my personal favourites.

Dev Anand continued to make several movies through rest of the 70s, but the one that I enjoyed was the 1978 Des Pardes. Again, highly topical, the movie was based on illegal immigration and exploitation of labour from Punjab to the UK, the movie had everything that one came to expect from a Navketan starrer (the name of his production banner). Above all, it shot to fame Rajesh Roshan, the music director, and introduced Tina Munim.

Dev Anand's third innings that I place in the 80s and onwards is pretty much forgetable. True to his production banner - Navketan, which means newness, he continued to make movies that had different and topical storylines, but somehow he seemed to have lost his ability to connect with the audience. Some of the movies were so bad, I could not sit through its entire length. When asked on his reaction to repeated box office failures and criticism, he would often respond that he did not care as such and would continue to make movies based on his convictions. An artist that does not care for audience feedback is a narcissist, but I dont think Dev saab was one. I think his sheer passion for film making overshadowed everything else, and he just had to go on and go on till death stopped him.

It was on a Shivrathri night, that my college hostel gang and I were watching Guide at a theatre in Vadodara. The song "Aaj phir jeene ki tamanna hai" burst forth on the screen. In unison, most of us were out of our seats, throwing coins at the screen - it was the first and only time, I did such a thing, but now, looking back it perhaps was a good way of paying tribute to this evergreen entertainer.

The Unlearning Imperative

True learning as a process must include constant unlearning...

I remember sitting perplexed in Class XI and XII as NS Ganesh, our Chemistry teacher, went about demolishing most of what we had learnt about the atom in previous years. From JJ Thompson’s plum model to the current quantum model, the history of the atom is a story of constant unlearning. The story does have its share of conflicts between opposing schools of thought, however each of them in turn were bold enough to unlearn what had been discovered by their predecessors and peers and ultimately reconcile with fact and evidence.

Indeed Science and Cosmology in particular have seen momentous phases of unlearning over several hundred years. Theories and laws put forth by giants such as Newton and Einstein were challenged. It is simply not possible to comprehend the world of the small – quantum mechanics – without unlearning everything one has learnt from Newton’s laws and Einstein’s theory of relativity.

The Universe is full of surprises and anyone incapable of or unwilling to unlearn is best advised to stay away from the domain of Cosmology. First the big bang, then the notion of an accelerating expansion of the universe, dark matter, dark energy…We are not done yet, there is so much more to unlearn about the Universe.

It is ironic that Einstein, in his later years, was reluctant to unlearn. He was unwilling to reconcile to the world of quantum mechanics and hence is supposed to have stated “God does not play dice with the Universe”.

Modern day technology is propelled by innovation. Innovation, not accompanied by unlearning, results in the desktop computer becoming faster, smaller and cheaper. But disruptive innovation, that accompanied by unlearning, results in devices like the iPod and iPad. Changes that will forever change the way we live.

During the Axial Age – latter half of the 1st millennium BC – thinkers from Greece, Middle East, India and China, abandoned and disowned prevalent social practices and religious beliefs. From that tumultuous period rose the Vedanta, Buddhism, Jainism, Confucianism, Platonism and Zoroastrianism.

Alas, even in this age of scientific temper, our religions and social practices are stifled by dogma and intolerance. Instead of looking inward and correcting that which is so obviously wrong, everyone is expected to accept and not question as this will offend the millions who belong to the particular faith that is being questioned.

A second Axial Age is long overdue, however in the current political climate the world over, I do not see the spark being ignited any time soon.

Modern day economy has its share of unlearning too, but from completely unexpected quarters. I point you in the direction of China (and not America). No doubt, stung by the crisis of Tiananmen Square, China (then) under Deng Xiaoping initiated a gradual process of unlearning staunch communism and incorporating their brand of capitalism. Even as this unfolds, America lurches from one economic crisis to another. America is today a victim of its belief systems. And unless its people and politicians summon the courage to question their current belief systems, including the hallowed capitalism and democracy (their versions), things are unlikely to change.

A true indicator of freedom is the ability of individuals and society to question without fear. And in that environment of true freedom will come true learning. I despair, that today, there is no country in this world, including America, where one is truly free. But, as they say, hope is eternal. The movements in the Arabic world rekindle that hope. The great nations of the world must show the way. And I wish that India would be one of them. May I die in a land where the mind is without fear….