Teen Devian

About the film

Teen Devian (transl. Three Goddesses) is a 1965 Bollywood film directed by Amarjeet and ghost-directed by Dev Anand. The film also stars Anand in the lead role. Filmed mostly in black and white, with some colour scenes, the movie tells the story of a poet who falls in love with three women. It is inspired by writer D.H. Lawrence's works. The music was composed by S. D. Burman, whose son Rahul Dev Burman composed the English version of this film titled "Oh Boy and Three Girls", but the print was never released.

Plot

Teen Devian starts off to a commentary by Ameen Sayani, as the camera moves through Calcutta's streets, the pretty Nanda (Nanda) finds herself, as she sees it, being followed. The man, Dev Dutt Anand (Dev Anand) has been sitting in the bus beside her, and has bought a ticket for Dalhousie (after she's bought one) and has now even followed her into the boarding house where she lives. At this point, Nanda loses her temper and yells at Dev, threatening to call the police. Instead, her shouting attracts the attention of the boarding house's owners, Mr Pinto (Harindranath Chattopadhyay) and his wife (Ruby Myers). Mr. and Mrs. Pinto assure Nanda that she's misunderstood, this Dev being their new lodger. Nanda is sheepish and embarrassed. But Dev forgives her readily, with a remark quite apparently aimed at her, though he's in his room and she's in hers, watching each other only through a gap.

Within a couple of days, they're good friends. In fact, Nanda is pretty much in love with Dev. He flirts with her, is nice to her, even goes off on a day trip into the countryside with her.

Meanwhile, Dev starts working at Merry Musical Stores. His boss, I. S. Johar flies off the handle when Dev turns up late on the very first day. But one day, I. S. Johar happens to come across a poem that Dev's written and is so impressed that he quickly forgives Dev and all his shortcomings and prays that Dev's poems will soon get published. Hopefully, some of Dev's subsequent fame will rub off onto Merry Musical Stores too.

Production

Although Amarjeet was credited as the director, Dev Anand revealed that he ghost-directed the film, thus marking his first attempt at direction, before making his official directorial debut with Prem Pujari (1970).

Saira Banu was offered one of the female lead roles, but she declined.

A sequence where Dev Anand and Simi's characters attend a mushaira is set in Kashmir, but the mushaira setting on houseboat was recreated at Mehboob Studio in Bombay.

Soundtrack

The music was composed by S.D.Burman. There are six songs in the album. Lyrics were penned by Majrooh Sultanpuri. The soundtrack for English version of the film was composed by S.D.Burman's son R.D.Burman but the print was never released.

Key details