Bollywood movie star Dev Anand, a fixture in the Indian film industry for decades, has died of an apparent heart attack, reported CNN yesterday. He was 88. Anand died in a London hotel on Saturday night, his family said. The legendary Indian actor was known for his roles in a series of movies, including Johnny Mera Naam, Des Pardes and Hare Rama Hare Krishna.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh offered his condolences yesterday. Said Mr Singh in a statement: "Dev Anand was a great artist who entertained generations of cinema lovers over five decades. "He was an embodiment of a life-long passion for acting and film making. I join millions of his fans in mourning his death."

The star, who was known for his good looks and leading roles in romantic movies, released his book, Romancing with Life, in 2007. Born on Sept 26, 1923 as Dharam Dev Pishorimal Anand in Gurdaspur district of then-undivided Punjab, he studied English literature at Government College, Lahore (now in Pakistan).

After graduation, he moved to the city of dreams - Bombay, as Mumbai was then called. The actor's well-to-do family lived in Gurdaspur town, where his father practiced law, reported The Times of India. Anand spent his early years in Gharota, Gurdaspur, the hill stations of Dalhousie and Dharamsala and later studied in Lahore. Said one Gharota resident, Mr Sanjeev Kumar: "We always thought that he would someday return to his village but he never came. Our wish will remain a wish only now."