How the evergreen star’s own son could not find stardom, got launched multiple times, and failed consecutively

When thinking of Bollywood’s golden era, Dev Anand is the first name that comes to mind. With his unique style, charisma, and vision, he was more than a screen idol—he was a writer, producer, and director who chose subjects ahead of his time.

From love stories to socially relevant dramas, Dev Anand constantly reinvented himself, bringing authenticity to every role.

Launching the next generation- his own son Suniel Anand

Similar to some of his contemporaries, the legendary actor even acted in films with his son, Suniel Anand, but unlike Sunil Dutt, who made the launch of Sanjay Dutt in 'Rocky,' or Dharmendra, who introduced Sunny Deol in 'Betaab,' Dev Anand chose a much quieter version to launch his son. In 1984, he cast Suneil in a supporting role in ‘Anand Aur Anand,’ which he himself directed and starred in alongside Rakhee and Smita Patil. Unfortunately, the film failed to leave a mark at the box office.

A string of disappointments for Dev Anand's son

After his debut, Suneil Anand took on a lead role in ‘Car Thief’ opposite Vijayta Pandit, but this too failed commercially. His early career saw one setback after another, as four consecutive films went unnoticed. Even when his uncle, filmmaker Vijay Anand, directed him in ‘Main Tere Liye’ with Meenakshi Seshadri, the expected breakthrough did not arrive.

Dev Anand’s relentless support

Not discouraged by repeated failures, Dev Anand continued to fully support his son. He produced one more film for Suneil, casting him opposite veterans Asha Parekh and Rajendra Kumar, in order to try to establish him as a leading man.

Unfortunately, this too did not work out, and the dream for his son to succeed as an actor was never realized.

Stepping away from the spotlight

After a few failures, Suneil Anand began to fade quietly from view. He was determined to re-image himself and decided to work on himself before he re-emerged in 2001 with 'Master,' a martial arts film that he acted in and directed. Although it was a new beginning in cinema, this too failed to leave an impression on cinema and did not help change any trajectory.

A role behind the scenes

Accepting that stardom might not be his calling, Suneil Anand shifted his focus to filmmaking. He began working behind the scenes as an assistant director with Dev Anand’s production house, Navketan Films. After Dev Anand’s passing in 2011, Suneil took over the reins of Navketan as a producer. But despite his efforts, the company was unable to revive the magic and legacy that his legendary father had built.