Evergreen, debonair, urbane and classy are words which have described Devdutta Pishorimal Anand or simply Dev Anand aptly during parts of his six-decade film career and often throughout.
Be it at the beginning of his career, the zenith or what some would call, though the man himself vehemently denies, the fag end, the octogenarian Bollywood legend has staunchly refused to look back.
But that was till now.This self-styled torchbearer of the future has now decided to chronicle his life and times and to a large extent that of Bollywood in an autobiography, however, without pausing for a breath.

Romancing with Life oozes the essence of Dev: flamboyance, drama and panache in his inimitable style. In his memoir, Dev takes you through the journey of his life in classic filmi style, starting from his early days of struggle in Bollywood, to his relationship with his siblings, his crazy fans, his association with directors, actors and of course his heroines.
Dev Anand is something of a Bollywood institution.  In Romancing with Life, the first-ever full-fledged memoir by a leading Bollywood star, he tells his remarkable life story—no less dramatic and gripping than any of his films—like only he can. Here are tales from Dev’s youth in 1930s Gurdaspur and Lahore; his years of struggle in 1940s Bombay; his friendship with Guru Dutt and his doomed romance with Suraiya; his marriage to co-star Kalpana Kartik; his relationships with his brothers Chetan—who brought him to Bombay—and Vijay Anand—who directed him in hit after hit, with S.D. and R.D. Burman, who provided the memorable music for his films, with his compatriots Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor, to both of whom he was very close, and with his heroines, from Geeta Bali, Madhubala, Meena Kumari, Nutan, Vyjayanthimala, Mumtaz and Hema Malini to Waheeda Rehman, Zeenat Aman and Tina Munim, all of whom he launched.

Romancing with Life is a fine account of a superstar who has lived on his own terms and conditions. Yes, it has several superfluous elements in it, but still one can’t ignore the intricacies of a Great Star who continues to look forward to future with a childlike intensity. It’s worth being an attraction in your book shelf.