London, Dec. 8: Dev Anand has left behind the outlines of several scripts, some of which may be made into films, his son Suneil said today, promising to keep alive his father’s legacy.

Guide, for example, one of Dev Anand’s best known films from 1965, is being remastered and will be reissued in widescreen and with a new soundtrack.

It seems Dev Anand, who died in London last Saturday, aged 88, was working right till the end, and was in the advanced stages of making “a major movie” to be shot in Britain, the US and India. “We were planning to look for locations in England — we were going to do a tour.”

It was an emotional Suneil who spoke today about his father, saying he had been comforted by messages of support from all over the world.

After a cremation service in Putney, south London, on Saturday, there would be a memorial gathering at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. All were welcome — “my father always said, ‘Don’t stop anybody from meeting me.’”

Suneil would then have to wait 48 hours for the handover of his father’s ashes after which he intended to fly back to Mumbai for a memorial service at Mehboob Studios on December 15. The ashes would be scattered in Nashik, “a holy place for us”.

When Dev Anand passed away after a sudden cardiac arrest at 9.45pm on December 3 in suite 207 of the Washington Hotel in Mayfair, a devoted Suneil was by his father’s side — as he has been for many years.

Once his father’s “baby”, he has suddenly had to grow up in less than a week and face the responsibility of keeping alive the Dev Anand flame.

“He left behind many private letters, scripts — he loved writing — I will have to see what I can do,” said Suneil, speaking at the Washington Hotel.

“In the last few days he was writing his script, he wanted to be left alone, but he was also giving me a lot of advice — about life.”

Was his father religious?

Suneil pondered the question.

He wanted to be honest. “I don’t think he was very religious but he believed in God.”

And if he died in London, he wanted the funeral to take place in London — “he loved London”.

With Suneil was his first cousin, Tony Sarin, the son of Dev Anand’s younger sister, Bonnie Sarin, who lives in Surrey. Suneil was also comforted by Kenny Muir, who has represented the interests in the UK of Dev Anand’s studio, Navketan, and had become a close friend of the actor.

The owner of the Washington Hotel, Joginder Sanger, had with him a bit of paper containing a tribute from Equity, the British actors’ union.

It read: “Equity UK is saddened to learn of the sudden passing away of Mr Dev Anand during his visit to London. We appreciate his lifelong contributions to the Indian film industry and send our heartfelt condolences to his family.”

Suneil said that in remembering his father, “people should bear in mind he always looked forward. He did not like to look back”.

Dev Anand’s wife Kalpana Karthik (Mona) and daughter Devina arrived in London yesterday for the funeral.

Dev Anand, who always worried about his son, would have been proud of the dignified way in which Suneil has handled his grief.

“I would like to thank people around the world for their messages,” said Suneil, adding, “I loved my father — I really miss him.”