Dev Anand works his charm on <I>Express</I> on-line

Dev Anand works his charm on Express on-line
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

Actor-filmmaker Dev Anand is always at his charming best, whether it's on screen or on-line. The never-say-die spirit of Hindi cinema's Peter Pan was on display this week during a chat show organised by the The Indian Express On-line staff at the Anand Recording Studios, Pali Hill, Bandra, on Tuesday evening.

Dressed in a peach-coloured shirt buttoned up to the collar, with a red jacket over it and maroon trousers, Dev Anand greeted us with his characteristic boyish grin.

Since this was Dev Anand's first on-line chat, the actor repeatedly said, ``It is a great feeling.''

Although not very net-savvy, he said he was excited about the new medium and was looking forward to getting addicted to it as soon as he completes work on his forthcoming film Censor.

Given the worldwide appeal of Hindi films thanks to the Indian diaspora, Dev Anand got a barrage of questions from NRIs. ``I am popular among all the generations. I shall answer all the questions thrown at me,'' he said before the programme began.

The on-line chat began at around 6.15 pm and the question which perturbed him the most was ``Why do you continue to act? How long will you act and direct?''

``Are you a negative person?'' was the veteran actor's reply to one such query. ``People who are alive are creative. The older you get, the stronger your mind,'' he asserted.

When asked about his resemblance to Hollywood actor Gregory Peck, Dev Anand said he did not want to be compared with anybody. ``When you are impressionable, you follow an idol. But when you become an adult, you want to be known as yourself,'' the actor replied.

He said further that he had bumped into the Hollywood actor when Peck was shooting for Roman Holidays in Rome and later when he was shooting for Moby Dick.

One of the most touching moments of the chat show was when a female fan mailed him a message which said that she felt like his younger sister when she was watching his film Kala Bazaar and Hare Rama Hare Krishna.

``Please do get in touch with me when you're in Bombay,'' the actor told her in his reply.