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A vintage Dev Anand

Nanda and Dev Anand

Dev Anand was a rage by the time Hum Dono hit the screens all over the country in 1961. The year saw three more Dev Anand releases – Maya, Jab Pyaar Kisi Se Hota Hai and Roo p Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja. But Hum Dono remained special of them all.

“A remarkable social,” was how film historian Raju Bharatan described the Hum Dono. “It was a movie well received. Amarjeet (director), known for a novel style of publicising, sold the movie in sketches. Access to information those days was not easy,” recalled Mr. Bharatan.

Dev Anand’s double role was a hit with the audience all the way. “The romantic and the serious, Dev Anand really acted well. In my opinion his performance as Major Verma was his best performance ever. It was a better etched role,” said Mr. Bharatan.

Music was the strong point of Hum Dono and Bharatan observed, “The Jaidev-Sahir pair clicked with this movie to give some unforgettable numbers. It was a big break for Jaidev.”

On paper, Amar Jeet was the director, but there was evidence to suggest the involvement of Vijay ‘Goldie’ Anand at some stages. “In song taking, you could see the mark of the innovative Goldie. It is well known that he fell in love with Nanda during the making of this film.”

Veteran sports journalist V. Srivatsa had this to share: “I saw the movie as a 14-year-old in Vijayawada. So popular was the movie that a running translation was organised at the theatre for the benefit of those who could not follow Hindi. The movie ran to packed houses for weeks.”

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