Two superstars dated for three years and planned to marry but had to part ways when her family threatened to kill him.
There have been several romances in the film world that did not reach a happy ending. Many star couples broke up after their paths diverged and while some moved on, other not quite. One such sad story is from the 1950s when two up and coming stars of Bollywood were forced to part ways when the actress’ family threatened to kill her hero boyfriend. The heartbroken heroine stayed single all her life.
Dev Anand and Suraiya’s tale of love
The legendary Dev Anand would have been 100 if he was alive today. The actor, born on September 26, 1923, entered films in the mid-40s. In the late-40s, he began doing lead roles opposite Suraiya, the 19-year-old singer-actress who was on her way to stardom herself. The two were paired together in several films starting with Vidya and all the way to Afsar. In 1948, they began a romantic affair that continued for three years. It all began when Dev Anand saved her life when a boat Suraiya was on capsized during the shoot. By the early 50s, Dev Anand was one of the three leading heroes of Hindi films (after Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor) while Suraiya was a bankable star herself. Together they became independent India’s first power couple from Bollywod.
When Suraiya’s family threatened to kill Dev Anand
While Suraiya and Dev were very much in love, the actress’ family was against the match. Suriya. Whose full name was Suraiya Jamal Sheikh, was a Muslim and her conservative family was not in favour of her marrying Dev Anand, who came from a Hindu family. Initially, Suraiya’s family welcomed Dev Anand thinking they were friends and colleagues but as news of their romance reached them, the warmth vanished. Dev Anand eventually proposed to Suraiya and gave her a ring worth Rs 3000. In an interview to Star and Style years later, the actress said that she had to back out because her grandmother and maternal uncle threatened to kill Dev Anand.
Suraiya and Dev Anand’s later lives
Suraiya was all of 22 when she and Dev Anand broke up in 1951. Her grandmother even stopped her from signing any films with him. Heartbroken, Suraiya remained unmarried till her death at the age of 74. Dev Anand met actress Kalpana Kartik on the sets of Taxi Driver in 1953 and the two fell in love. The following year, they tied the knot in secret. The two have two children – Suniel Anand and Devina Anand.
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 "Dev Anand and Suraiya")
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