Dev Anand Lost Everything on His Big Film—Then Bounced Back

Legendary actor Dev Anand poured his own money into a bold film called Ishk Ishk Ishk back in 1974, hoping it would shine with stars like Shabana Azmi and Zeenat Aman. But at its premiere, he began getting troubling news: audiences were leaving theaters before the film ended .Within 15 minutes, he realized the movie had flopped—and with that, his entire investment was gone

. He quietly excused himself to the bathroom for a short moment. When he came back, something magical happened: his energy returned, and he said, “Let’s make a new film; I just thought of an idea.”

This remarkable moment revealed Dev Anand’s true spirit—the courage to rise again, almost instantly, after a setback. He didn’t dwell on failure. He didn’t give up. And that’s why his nephew, director Shekhar Kapur, says this moment taught him one of life’s most inspiring lessons .

Shekhar Kapur shared another light-hearted story that showed Dev Anand’s carefree nature.

He recalled having breakfast with “Dev uncle” one morning, with a film producer also at the table. Dev asked the producer if he had to sell anything to make his latest film. The producer sighed and listed everything—his wife’s jewellery, his home, and more.

Without missing a beat, Dev smiled and said, “Acha hai, aise hi banti hai filmein” That’s good. This is how you make films.”