/> Reminiscing about ‘Dev' from Bangalore Waheedaji laughs throatily, "Guide is not just my most iconic film. It is also Dev's most celebrated work.

Yes, you can act as shocked as you like. But the fact is I almost didn't do Guide. Hua yun ke, shuroo mein director Raj Khosla the. Raj Khosla and I had a difference of opinion during an early film. I never worked with him after that. And I wasn't willing to change that for Guide or any other film.

But you know how persuasive Dev was. He called up said, ‘Come on, Waheeda. Let bygone be bygones. Everyone makes mistakes. " But I refused to budge. I asked Dev why his brother Goldie (Vijay Anand) wasn't directing. But Goldie was busy with Tere Ghar Ke Samne.

Eventually Raj Khosla was replaced by Chetan Anand. But he didn't want me ! I laughed. Yeh to achcha hua. One director I didn't want and the other director didn't want me. I think Chetan Saab wanted Priya Rajvanshji. But Dev was adamant. They needed a dancer. And Priyaji couldn't dance. Eventually Goldie directed Guide. That's how I got Guide. The rest, you know. It's a film I'm very proud of. "

Waheedaji did 7 films with Dev Anand. "So you can imagine our comfort level. In fact my very first film in Hindi CID was with Dev Anand. I was a big fan of Dev Anand and Madhubala.

So can you imagine my excitement and nervousness at doing a film with him? On the very day on the sets when I called him ‘Dev Saab' he turned around and said ‘No no, call me Dev'. I couldn't bring myself to call him by his first name, that wasn't my upbringing.

So I suggested I call him ‘Anandji'. He glared at me and said, ‘Do I look like a schoolteacher to you?' The next day when I called him ‘Dev Saab' he looked around as though he didn't know whom I was addressing. I had to finally call him ‘Dev'. And ‘Dev' he remained until the end. "

Dev Saab had told me Waheeda was his favourite actress. She laughs pleasurably, "That was nice of him. We did share a very easy and warm working relationship. When he truned director with Prem Pujari I was in the film, of course.

But without meaning any disrespect to him I'd like to say that as the years went by Dev's script sense went more and more haywire. I think he got too involved with himself. Dev was a very good producer. But he needed to look out for better scripts. "

The lovely actress says she wasn't much in touch with Dev Saab in his later years.

"I got married and left for Bangalore. Then one day I got a call from Dev inviting me to the premier of the colorized version of Hum Dono. I excused myself saying I had a prior engagement. Dev asked me, ‘How many films have you done with me?' I said 7.

Then he asked how many of these are for the Navketan. I said, 3. He retorted, ‘Then Naveketan is like your home banner. How can you not be here for such a big moment for Navketan? Cancel your other engagement, and be there. ' Unfortunately I couldn't be there. So I couldn't meet him one last time. "