Dev Anand turns 87

The man: Born in 1923, in Gurdaspur, Dev Anand's real name was Dharamdev Pishori Anand. The man we know only as the brightest star of Hindi cinema, did his graduation in English Literature from the Government College in Lahore.

The family: Dev Anand came for a film-oriented family - his brothers Chetan and Vijay Anand were directors in the Bombay film industry. This naturally lead to a fascination for films.

And it all begins: After the usual journey of any aspiring actor, he managed a break with the film Hum Ek Hain (1946). During the shooting of this film, a deep friendship sprung up with actor-director Guru Dutt.

Bombay Talkies beckoned: A major break came in 1948, when Ashok Kumar spotted him hanging around the studios, and picked him for Ziddi, which also starred Kamini Kaushal.

The gamble: The friendship between Guru Dutt and Dev Anand resulted in Baazi. The film was directed by Guru Dutt, while Dev Anand acted in it and produced it as well.

The year that was: 1952 was an important year in Dev Anand's life, not only was Taxi Driver a huge hit, but he also got married to Kalpana Kartik that year. She was his co-star in the hit film.

Dark waters: Despite regular hits, not all were convinced of his acting abilities, but Kala Pani changed it all, when the head-nodding star received the Best Actor Award at Filmfare.

More romance: Rumour has it that Dev Anand had an affair with singer-actress Suraiya. The legend is that she fell in love with him when he saved her life during a shoot.

Enter Waheeda Rehman: The Dev Anand-Waheeda Rehman pair acted in Kala Bazar (1960), which was direcred by Vijay Anand. Dev Anand was nominated for Best Actor for this film, but he didn't win the award.

Waheeda again: Waheeda rehman went on to become one of his most recurrent leading ladies.The two acted together again in Vijay Anand's Guide (1965), which was adapted from R.K.Narayan's famous novel of the same name.

Guide to success: Guide brought Dev Anand another Best Actor Award. In fact, the film swept the awards that year - Waheeda Rehman got Best Actress, the film got Best Movie, Best Director, Best Story, Best Cinematography and Best Dialogue Awards.

Dukhi man: Apart from entertainers, Dev Anand also acted in some films that commented on society. Funtoosh was one such. This one was directed by his other brother, Chetan Anand.

Sound of music: Though Dev Anand was primarily an actor, he was close to a lot of music directors. S.D Burman and R.D Burman were special friends.

All rounder: He is known to have been an active participant in the music sessions of a number of his films. He shared a deep friendship with actor-singer Kishore Kumar.

Daunting Dev: Dev Anand was among the few film celebrities who protested against the Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi. He formed a political party called the National Party of India.

Hippies ahoy: In 1971, Dev Anand directed the supremely popular Hare Rama Hare Krishna. He played the brother of pot-smoking, misguided Zeenat Aman. The song 'Dum maro dum' made the proverbial hall of fame in India, and shot the newcomer Zeenat Aman to instant fame.

Dreamer: Dev Anand starred opposite Mumtaz in Tere Mere Sapne in 1971.

Queen maker: Apart from Zeenat Aman, he was also responsible for the rise in fame of Tina Munim who starred in Des Pardes (1978). This film is considered his last hit.

The show must go on: Dev Anand remained popular well into his fifties. The first lull in his career came in the early 80s when he made no more than one film every two years. Post that, he came in a few, very unsuccessful films in the 1990s, like - Gangster, The Return of Jewel Thief, and more recently, Mr. Prime Minister.

Encapsulated: 2007 saw Dev Anand's autobiography, Romancing with Life. The book is considered a tell-all about his life, especially since he admitted to his relationship with Suraiya.

And it goes on...: He's 87, but nothing has stopped him - the enthusiasm remains. He said, 'I am not sure whether I will be able to complete my next production within my lifetime but I will continue working till my last breath.'