Dev Anand’s Birth Anniversary: Was late superstar actually banned from wearing black because of a fangirl’s death? Know the truth
For several decades now there has been a popular assumption that Dev Anand was banned by the Bombay High Court from wearing black coats. But is it actually true? Let's find out.
Trigger Warning: This article contains mention of death and suicide.
September 26 marks the birth anniversary of Dev Anand, Indian cinema’s legendary superstar. The man has been one of the most desired and admired artists of all time, and the fanbase he enjoyed was monumental. If you grew up hearing stories about him, we are sure you must have come across several media reports claiming that Anand was legally banned from wearing black.
A popular media tabloid once even detailed the reason. According to them, a female fan of Dev Anand once died by suicide after jumping from Delhi's historic Qutub Minar because she was too mesmerized to see the man in black. The portal even claimed that the Bombay High Court banned the actor from wearing black for the same reason.
Well, let us tell our Pinkvilla readers that all of it was just an extremely blown-out rumor that the birdies had spread so much that it started seeming like a truth. There’s no doubt that Dev Anand did look super hot in black that anyone would have fawned over him but seriously guys, no one died due to that reason. This is not what we are saying, but the legendary star himself revealed in his autobiography Romancing with Life.
Dev Anand had mentioned, “KALA PANI also gave the world a story about me that has been circulating amongst my fans ever since – that I am forbidden to wear black, for women swoon when they see me dressed in that color. A Stupid Myth. But I went along with it, humoring my fans. The yarn, perhaps originated from the fact that I wore black throughout KALA PANI, as the son (in the film) had sworn to himself that he would always be dressed in black, until the time he freed his innocent father from the clutches of law.”
Well, now we hope you guys know that this rumor went too far because literally all of us at one point in time believed in it. Dev Anand had a glorious career of over six decades, certainly one of the longest periods of service any Indian actor gave to the entertainment world. The legend left for his heavenly abode on December 3, 2011, but his contributions remain immortal in our hearts forever.