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Bollywood's Dev Anand dies

Mumbai – Bollywood romantic hero and fashion icon Dev Anand has died aged 88, prompting a flood of tributes on Sunday from across India's Hindi-language cinema industry.

The Press Trust of India news agency said in a report from London that Anand, who with Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar reigned supreme in the golden age of Bollywood, died of a heart attack in the British capital on Saturday.

He had been in the city for a medical check-up and had been in poor health for the last few days, the agency said.

Often compared to the US actor Gregory Peck because of his matinee idol looks, "Debonair Dev" was best known for his boundless energy and passion for film and starred in more than 100 movies.

He made his debut in Hum Ek Hain (We Are One) alongside his friend Guru Dutt in 1946, and was still working well into old age, starring in Chargesheet - made by his own production company - this year.

Current stars, from Amitabh Bachchan and Anupam Kher to Shabana Azmi and Shah Rukh Khan, mourned Anand's passing on the micro-blogging site Twitter, praising his youthful optimism and joie de vivre.

Dev Anand was born on September 26 1923 in Gurdaspur in the Punjab area of British-ruled India that is now part of modern-day Pakistan and was educated in Lahore.

He came to India's film and entertainment capital Bombay (now Mumbai) to forge an acting career and soon found roles at the famous Bombay Talkies and Filmistan studios.

His fame reached its height through films like Munimji (Accountant, 1955), C.I.D. (1956), Kalapani (Black Water, 1958), Love Marriage (1959), Kala Bazaar (Black Market, 1960), Hum Dono (Both of Us, 1961) and Guide (1966).

Hum Dono was re-released in colour earlier this year.

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