Lord Paul grieves Dev Anand`s death as he meets family

Dev Anand`s cremation would be held here on Saturday following which his ashes will be flown back to Mumbai, where a memorial service will be held for him at the Mehboob Studio on December 15.

London: Leading NRI industrialist Lord Swraj Paul expressed his condolences on the demise of Bollywood legend Dev Anand as he visited the family members of the veteran actor-filmmaker here.

Lord Paul met Dev Anand`s son Suneil and nephew Tony Sarin at the Washington Hotel here last evening and conveyed his heartfelt condolences. "Dev Anand was an outstanding Bollywood legend and he was also a good friend and a good human being," Lord Paul said. The Hinduja family led by Srichand P Hinduja also paid tributes to Dev Anand and expressed "great sadness" on his passing away, describing him as a "magnificent personality". A joint statement issued by the Hinduja brothers, including G P Hinduja, Prakash Hinduja and Ashok Hindua, remembered him as "a dear and life-long friend to all the Hinduja family". "Dev Anand was a magnificent personality whose achievements have become part of the Indian soul. A truly unique man, he always honoured his commitments and was true to his word. With his endless creativity he changed the face of Indian and worldwide cinema," the statement said. Dev Anand passed away on Sunday at the age of 88 leaving behind an unparallelled body of work. His cremation would be held here on Saturday following which his ashes will be flown back to Mumbai, where a memorial service will be held for him at the Mehboob Studio on December 15. The Hindujas recalled the Cannes Film Festival honouring the anniversary of his blockbuster `Guide` three years back. "Dev Anand leaves behind a legacy of Love, Laughter and the Joy he instilled in all of us. We pray that his dear wife Mona (Kalpana Kartik) and his children, Suneil and Devina and all his family are comforted at this sad time by the knowledge that he will remain in our hearts and minds forever as his soul is everlasting," the statement said. PTI