<p>Dev Anand, one of the most iconic stars of Hindi cinema, passed away in 2011, leaving behind millions of admirers. On September 26, he would have turned 101.</p> <p>Memories of Dev Anand remain vivid from my youth in Allahabad, where I saw his films like <em>Hum-Dono</em> at Niranjan, <em>House No. 44</em> at Vishambhar, <em>Nau Do Gyarah</em> in Kanpur, <em>Funtoosh</em> at Jhankar, and <em>Johny Mera Naam</em> at Pushparaj. His charm and legacy are beautifully captured in his autobiography <em>Romancing with Life</em>.</p> <p>After graduating in English Literature from Lahore, Dev Anand sought to pursue an MA but was held back by financial constraints. Inspired by Ashok Kumar&#39;s stardom, he ventured to Bombay and debuted with his first hit, <em>Ziddi</em>. In 1949, he founded Navketan, his production house, and became known for selecting films that reflected his education and taste.</p> <p><strong>Romantic Entanglements</strong><br /> <br /> Before his rise to superstardom, Dev Anand fell for Suraiya, the leading singing star of that time. However, her grandmother opposed their relationship, leaving him heartbroken. He later found solace in his brother&rsquo;s support and eventually married Kalpana Kartik. He was also romantically linked with actresses like Zaheeda Hussain and Zeenat Aman, though his relationship with Zeenat was the most significant. Dev was deeply in love with her, but when she moved on to work with Raj Kapoor in <em>Satyam Shivam Sundaram</em>, he was heartbroken and left for America to nurse his emotional wounds.</p> <p>Throughout his career, Dev Anand and Zeenat worked in many films together, including <em>Hare Rama Hare Krishna</em>, <em>Heera Panna</em>, and <em>Ishk Ishk Ishk</em>. His story remains a blend of romance, stardom, and resilience.</p>