Former actor Suneil Anand, the son of legendary Bollywood star Dev Anand, has passed away after suffering a heart attack in London. He was 70. The news was confirmed by his family, who have requested privacy as they mourn his loss.
Dev Anand’s son dies
Dev Anand’s granddaughter and Suneil’s niece, Gina Narang, shared an official statement announcing his demise. “With heavy hearts, our family mourns the passing of Suneil Anand. We are comforted by the outpouring of love, prayers and support, for which we are truly grateful. We kindly request privacy as we navigate this difficult time together,” the statement read.
Who was Suneil Anand?
Born in Zurich, Switzerland, to Dev Anand and actor Kalpana Karthik, Suneil Anand entered Bollywood with the 1984 film Anand Aur Anand. The film also starred his father and marked their first on-screen collaboration. However, it failed to make an impact at the box office.
He later appeared in Car Thief and Main Tere Liye, opposite Meenakshi Seshadri. Neither film managed to revive his acting career. After his brief stint in films, Suneil chose to stay away from the spotlight. Instead, he focused on managing his father Dev Anand’s production house, Navketan Films, in Mumbai.
When Suneil Anand spoke about father Dev Anand
On Dev Anand’s 100th birth anniversary in September 2023, Suneil Anand had reflected on the close bond he shared with his father and the responsibility of carrying forward his legacy. He revealed that he had spent nearly four decades looking after Dev Anand’s health, work schedule and their production house, Navketan Films.
Recalling one of the proudest moments of his father’s career, Suneil had said, “I even coordinated taking our classic movie Guide to the Cannes Film Festival in 2008. It was the first Indian classic to be selected by the Cannes committee to be showcased at the festival. It was a major milestone for Dad, for us, Navketan and India.”
He also described Dev Anand as someone who could connect with people from all walks of life. “He could converse on any topic with anyone in any crowd. He was as at ease with the man on the street as he was with royalty. He was very humble. It is difficult to be humble when you are such a big star. He was the best of both worlds,” Suneil had said.
Suneil had also shared plans to honour his father’s legacy through cinema. Speaking about the project, he had said, “It’s a huge movie dedicated to my father. I am producing and directing. The show goes on. I will continue to take my father’s legacy forward.”
Dev Anand, regarded as one of Hindi cinema’s greatest stars, died in 2011 at the age of 88.
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