What do Dev Anand’s kids do?

Suneil Anand and Devina are always far away from the spotlight that keeps their father

If you have very successful parents, it is next to impossible to match up to their standards. Most star kids are not able to measure up to super dad or super mom’s guts and glory. Some don’t even want to go there. Case in point – Abhishek Bachchan, Kumar Gaurav, Randhir Kapoor, Kunal Kapoor, Boy Mukherjee, Puru Rajkumar, Fardeen Khan, Zayed Khan, Pratibha Sinha, Nitin Mukesh, Amit Kumar, Aditya Raj Kapoor, to name just a few. Dev Anand’s children – a son and a daughter – are no different. His son Suneil is an actor-director, but has stayed out of the limelight. He made his acting debut in 1984 with Anand Aur Anand, which did not fare well, and followed it up with Car Thief (1986) and Main Tere Liye (1988), without much luck. He produced, directed and wrote the 2001 film Master, touted as the ‘first martial arts film in India’. Suneil trained in Kung Fu in Hong Kong and it was only logical that he make a film on his favourite sport. Master did not garner much attention, much like Dev Anand’s last few films as director – Chargesheet being the latest. Suneil also worked on a documentary. But early in his career, he seems to have realised that acting or direction is not what he should be doing for a living. Armed with a major in business administration and another in mass communication from USA, Suneil settled down to managing Dev Anand’s company Navketan International Films and was also instrumental in bringing out the colourised version of his father’s classic Hum Dono using very advanced techniques implemented in the USA. Dev saab‘s daughter Devina is married and has a daughter. She has never acted in or directed a film.

Photo courtesy: Cine Blitz – Jagdish Mali