M A I N   N E W S

Vijay Anand dead

Mumbai, February 23
Vijay “Goldie” Anand, who directed classic “Guide” and acted in a number of Bollywood movies, died here this morning, two days after suffering a massive heart attack. He was 71.

Vijay Anand, who gave the country classic films with iconoclastic themes like “Guide” in which his elder brother Dev Anand had played the role of the protagonist, is survived by wife Sushma and son Vaibhav.

He was admitted to the Leelevati Hospital after he suffered heart attack on Saturday and his end came at 6 a.m. this morning.

Vijay was the youngest of the four Anand siblings and took to films like his elder brothers, Chetan and Dev Anand and set up Navketan Productions.

The outspoken Vijay Anand had resigned as the Censor Board Chairman following differences of opinion over the censorship issue.

Vijay began his career with film “Nau Do Gyarah” and went on to direct a number of films “Kala Bazaar”, “Tere Ghar Ke Samne”, “Guide”, “Teesri Manzil”, “Jewel Thief”, “Kahin Aur Chal”, “Johny Mera Naam”, “Tere Mere Sapne”.

Other films directed by Vijay Anand included “Chuppa Rustam”, “Black Mail”, “Bullet”, “Ram Balaram”, “Rajput”, and “Sharif Badmash”.

He also directed the box office hit, “Teesri Manzil,” outside his home banner, Navketan Productions.

“Johny Mera Naam” was the biggest all-time hit directed by him.

Vijay also acted in some of the films like “Kala Bazaar,” “Double Cross,” “Haqueeqat,” “Barood Road,” “Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki,” “Hum Rahe Na Hum.”

He was known for his outspoken nature, fine sense of direction and his ability to comprehend a concept and put it on the celluloid convincingly.

Vijay, who took his steps into the film industry with the film “Nau Do Gyarah”, is still remembered for the brilliant adaptation of the R K Narayan novel “Guide” and continues to be one of the most loved classics.

The character of wayward “Raju”, played by his brother Dev Anand, the protagonist and the self-promoting tourist guide, who undergoes an accidental transformation continues to be one of the most remembered characters to date.

The thriller “Teesri Manzil”, located in a hill station replete with Las Vegas style decor, night club drummers, fur-draped dancers and a mystery death thrown was immediately lapped up by the Indian audience. Burman’s snappy scores and Vijay’s fine eye for direction created a musical hit. — PTI