2 min readChennaiFeb 9, 2026 08:03 AM IST
The 1965 classic Guide is one of the most memorable films of Waheeda Rehman and Dev Anand’s careers. However, in a recent interaction, Waheeda shared how she initially refused to star in the project, and how it was Dev Anand’s stubbornness and persistence that finally made her sign the film.
Speaking to ETimes, Waheeda admitted, “I almost didn’t do Guide.” She explained that she and director Raj Khosla, who was initially supposed to direct the film, were not on great terms. She recalled how the two had differences of opinion while working on an earlier film and said that it affected their professional relationship. “I never worked with him after that. I wasn’t willing to change that for Guide or any other film.”
However, she admitted that Dev Anand was extremely persistent about casting her in the film and kept requesting her to “let bygones be bygones.” “But I refused to budge,” she said. Waheeda even suggested that Dev Anand’s brother Vijay Anand should direct the film, but at the time, he was busy with the shooting of Tere Ghar Ke Samne.
Eventually, she shared that another director, Chetan Anand, was brought on board. However, this time it was Anand who did not want to cast Waheeda. “I think Chetan Saab wanted Priya Rajvanshji. But Dev was adamant,” she recalled. Ultimately, the makers were looking for a heroine who could dance, and Priya did not have that forte. As a result, Waheeda was finally cast in the film, which was eventually directed by Vijay Anand.
Waheeda also admitted that she shared a very comfortable equation with Dev Anand, with whom she had made her Hindi film debut in CID. She fondly recalled how Dev Anand insisted that she call him Dev and not “Anandji” or “Dev Sahab.” She recalled him teasing her, “Do I look like a school teacher to you?” Waheeda ended up calling him Dev till the end of his life.
