Suneil Anand Wanted To Remake Guide

'Guide is my dad's most beloved film. It's also the film closest to his fans' heart.'
'The film's theme is timeless, so we felt it was the right thing to do.'

Suneil Anand, the only son of the legendary actor-filmmaker Dev Anand and actress Kalpana Kartik, passed away at the age of 70 on July 26. He suffered a heart attack in London while on a stopover enroute to India from the United States.

Coincidentally, he passed away at the same London hospital where Dev Anand died in 2011.

'Like any father, I want to do my best for Suneil'

Suneil belonged to the prominent Anand film family. Acclaimed filmmakers Chetan Anand and Vijay Anand were his uncles, and director Shekhar Kapur is his cousin.

Born in Zurich, Switzerland, in 1956, he earned a bachelor's degree in business administration in Washington, DC.

He spent over 40 years assisting his father, managing his hectic schedules, and running their iconic family production banner, Navketan Films. He was launched by his father in the 1984 film Anand Aur Anand and starred in a handful of other Hindi movies, including Car Thief (1986) and Main Tere Liye (1988). The latter was directed by Vijay Anand.

In a conversation with Subhash K Jha, Dev Anand had admitted he was worried about his son's career.

"I made Anand Aur Anand to launch my son. Then I got my brother (Vijay Anand) to direct my son in Main Tere Liye. That didn't work either. Like any father, I want to do my best for Suneil. But beyond a point, he is on his own."

'When I look into the mirror, I see an actor'

Suneil Anand trained extensively in Wing Tsun martial arts in Hong Kong to direct and star in the action film Master (2001). In his later years, he focused on international filmmaking and was developing a Hollywood project titled Vagator Mixer.

At one point, Suneil was all set to revive his father's most well-known film Guide, directed by Dev's brother Vijay Anand.

Suneil had excitedly told Subhash, "Yes, we are looking at reviving Guide in a technically enhanced format with high-quality picture and Dolby sound. Guide is my dad's most beloved film. It's also the film closest to his fans' heart. The film's theme is timeless, so we felt it was the right thing to do."

Suneil was planning an international thriller as well.

"Audiences will definitely see glimpses of my father and his films in my film but it isn't Jewel Thief. I've done a number of films as an actor. I've been training and practising, and when I look into the mirror, I see an actor."

'I can never hope to equal his stature'

Suneil Anand announced his directorial Vagator Mixer on his father Dev Anand's birthday in 2014.

He didn't only produce and direct the film, but also composed the music.

'My film won't have any lip-sync songs. It's an international thriller in the English language, so there would be no running around trees,' Suneil had said before launching his film.

'I am into world music. I used to be a drummer in my high school band. Since then, I've kept abreast of what's happening in world music. I have an impressive collection of music, and know what the audiences like to hear today. My film will have a strong background score and a couple of songs in the background.'

'The screenplay will have to go through three-four rewritings before I am satisfied. I want to make a film that my father would be proud of.'

Speaking about his father Suneil once told Subhash, "My father, the legendary Dev Anand, was truly amazing in every sense of the world. Besides being a good father, he was also my good friend, confidante, mentor, inspiration and role model."

"I can never hope to equal his stature. I am not even trying. I just hope I don't do anything that would embarrass him."

Photographs curated by Satish Bodas/Rediff