When Dev Anand Confessed To Elope & Marry Suraiya But Could Not(Photo Credit: Still From Movie)
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Dev Anand is one of the most successful actors in the Indian film industry. His career spanned over six decades and has given several blockbuster films. The evergreen star of Bollywood had few affairs with the tinsel town ladies but it was his first love, Suraiya. Scroll down to know more.
Their love story was nothing less than a Bollywood film as it had love, romance, hatred and a sad ending. Back in the 40s, Afsar star started charming the world with his looks and acting skills she had a huge female fan base.
Dev Anand and Suraiya met on sets of the 1948 film Vidya and he got attracted to her simplicity. He never shied away from accepting his love for the actress. As reported by Bollywood Shaadi, the star once said, “Suraiya and I fell in love when we started working together. She was a very nice girl who radiated warmth and friendliness. She was an established star but had no airs about her. I was passionately in love with her. I was young, It was my first love and very intense.”
Suraiya too couldn’t help herself falling for him. She also spoke about what attracted him. “Soon after, we were shooting in a boat and it capsized but Dev saved me from drowning. I told him, ‘if you hadn’t saved my life today, it would have ended.’ He just said quietly, ‘if your life had ended so would have mine.’ I think that’s when we fell deeply in love,” the yesteryear actress said.
While Dev Anand and Suraiya were madly in love with each other, their families were against their union. They decided to elope and get married during the shooting of Jeet in 1949 but the actress’ conservative maternal grandmother, Badshah Begum got the wind of their plan and dragged her home.
Talking about the incident, the actress said, “Eventually, my grandmother succeeded in separating us. Dev was deeply hurt and offended by my lack of courage. But I was afraid for him. In retrospect, I don’t think anything would have happened if I’d been bold enough. But I was terrified of my grandmother. And was heartbroken.”
Moreover, Suraiya’s grandmother was so rigid that she would interrupt the shoot and wouldn’t let her meet Dev Anand. The star said, “It was so frustrating to communicate with Suraiya those days with her grandmother being around her all the time. Of course, I remember passing on the letter in the book. I always told Suraiya that the only religion is Love. Don’t let social barriers or family influence your heart. I loved her dearly.”
Dev Anand and Suraiya found a way to meet each other at the terrace despite her grandmother’s vigilance. “But my grandmother was very orthodox and she later became angry because Dev was a Hindu. She had at one point banned me from meeting him so we had to meet secretly on the terrace of my building. Dev would come with the late Dwarka Divecha by the backstairs. We would sit behind the water tanks and chat while downstairs, Dwarka would keep my grandmother engaged in conversation. But I was always tensed,” the actress said.
While Badshah Begum was against their union, Suraiya’s mother Mumtaz Begum, supported the lovebirds but was often snubbed by others. Dev Sahib said, “Suraiya’s mother was always on my side and encouraged us. But her grandmother hated me.”
Both fought for their love but couldn’t succeed. As per the report, the stars met in her balcony where they cried, hugged and parted their ways. “I wanted to marry her, but could not. Cried on my brother’s shoulder and then I forgot the chapter to proceed further,” the Sanam star confessed.
Dev Anand then, later on, went on marry actress Kalpana Kartik but Suraiya never got married.
