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Hindustan Times
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Guru Dutt's tragic affair with life, and Bollywood
In the Hindi film world, Deepika is not the only famous Padukone. Many decades earlier there was another Padukone, arguably far more iconic. His name was Gurudutta Padukone, known to the world as Guru Dutt. July 9 marked his 100th birth anniversary. Starting life as a telephone operator, Guru Dutt achieved, even before he was 30, unprecedented success in Hindi cinema. Making his directorial debut with the hit film Baazi in 1951 starring Dev Anand, he acted in/directed or produced four blockbusters between 1954 and 1956 — Aar Paar (1954), Mr & Mrs 1955 (1995), and CID and Sailaab in 1956. In 1960, he played the lead role in the unforgettable commercial hit, Chaudhvin ka Chand. But apart from these successes, Guru Dutt will always be remembered for three of his films, Pyaasa (1957), Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959), and Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962). In an era where most films were mythological dramas, the usual song and dance routines, or tales of simplistic morality, Dutt had the courage to create these celluloid indictments of a society that rewards mediocrity, punishes idealism, and fears introspection. To understand Guru Dutt's genius, one must first understand Pyaasa, arguably his magnum opus. At its heart is Vijay, a penniless poet in a materialistic world, whose verses, suffused with anguish and truth, find no takers. In crafting Vijay, Dutt gave us a character who was as much a reflection of his own inner torment as he was a symbol of the artist in any era — ignored, misunderstood, and ultimately commodified. Dutt employed Sahir Ludhianvi's searing poetry — Jinhe naaz hai Hind par woh kahan hain? — to strip away the false pieties of a newly independent nation that had begun to forget its promises. Pyaasa will be remembered too for the role of Gulabo, the courtesan played by Waheeda Rehman, who becomes the sole repository of compassion in a cruel world. Dutt subverts societal norms by investing dignity in the most marginalised. That, in essence, was his moral vision: the courage to see worth where others saw waste. In its stunning compositions, Dutt introduced a visual grammar rarely seen in Indian cinema at that time — deep shadows, noir-inspired frames, long tracking shots that mirrored the protagonist's emotional descent. In short, he turned cinema into poetry. If Pyaasa — which was listed in the top 100 films ever by Time magazine — was Guru Dutt's lament for a callous society, Kaagaz Ke Phool was his bitter elegy to fame, failure, and the crushing loneliness of the creative spirit. Rarely has any filmmaker so nakedly exposed his inner disillusionment on screen. The film is an autobiographical confessional, cloaked in fictional narrative. Ironically, while regarded now as a cult classic, it was a commercial disaster. The film's protagonist, Suresh Sinha, is a celebrated film director who falls from grace, destroyed by a society that first deifies and then discards him. It is a scathing commentary on the fickle nature of fame, on the voyeurism of a public that consumes the artist but offers him no solace. That iconic shot of light streaming through the studio roof onto a forlorn Sinha remains one of the most powerful visual metaphors in Indian film history. In Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam, Guru Dutt turned his gaze towards the declining feudal order and, in doing so, offered one of Indian cinema's most nuanced portrayals of female suffering and resilience. While the film was directed by Abrar Alvi, its visual style, thematic undertones, and emotional palette bear the unmistakable stamp of Dutt. Meena Kumari's haunting performance as Chhoti Bahu, the lonely wife who turns to alcohol to win her husband's love, is arguably the most tragic character in Dutt's oeuvre. Guru Dutt's personal life was tormented. He drank and smoked excessively. His marriage to singer-artist Geeta Dutt was a failure. His rumoured infatuation with Waheeda Rehman also led nowhere. On October 10, 1964, at the age of 39, he was found dead, possibly due to an accidental overdose of alcohol and sleeping pills, but more likely suicide, which he had attempted twice before. What sets Guru Dutt apart is his profound aesthetic solitude. He did not pander. He did not flatter. He did not conform. In today's age of algorithm-driven content, he insisted that art must have soul. Pavan K Varma is author, diplomat, and former Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha). The views expressed are personal.
New Indian Express
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Guru Dutt@100: The abiding politics of poetry and Pyaasa
Dutt's commentary—through the words of his writer Abrar Alvi and Sahir Ludhianvi's lyrics—on the community's inimical approach to the arts and the artiste segues in with the critique of societal ills. The state of the nation gets addressed through the state of the poet. His personal frustrations run parallel with the political grievances. For Vijay, and Dutt in turn, personal is political and political is personal. So, 'art for art's sake' doesn't hold meaning for Vijay, nor was it a dictum for Dutt. His films had to make sense of the times they were set in. The hunger and unemployment that Vijay is scorned for writing about run like a thread through Dutt's work. From the idle Madan (Dev Anand) who takes to gambling in Baazi (1951) to the ace cartoonist Preetam (Dutt)—a brilliant artist, like Vijay—whose shoes have worn out in search of a job in Mr and Mrs '55 (1955). Through the character of a doctor in this romantic comedy, Dutt talks about how the twin illnesses of hunger and unemployment are forcing the young to seek out sookha kuaan (dry well) or gehraa taalaab (deep pond) (implying death by suicide). When asked about whether he does any work, Vijay replies that he works towards searching for work. Unemployment has turned him so weary that he too talks about suicide—abandoning the world due to sheer helplessness in a song that voices his interminable struggles: 'Tang aa chuke hain kashmakash-e-zindagi se hum'. Preetam and Vijay foreshadow the personal and professional despair, disillusionment and decline of another artiste, albeit a privileged one—filmmaker Suresh Sinha in Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959). Dutt's cinema is seminal for being a perfect meeting ground for both the craft and content. In Pyaasa, the song and dance, the play of light and shade, the camera, the tracking shots, the closeups, the eye contact between the characters, their gazes at each other—each deserves an essay of its own. But most so its depiction of the reality of the newly independent India. It is about cinema trying to document, and understand its times, raising profound questions, not providing instant, readymade solutions.
The Hindu
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
On films directed by Guru Dutt
Q: Visual question: Name this Dadasaheb Phalke awardee and what is his connection to Dutt's career as a director A: V.K. Murthy who was the cinematographer for all the films Q: Dutt's directorial debut was the 1951 'Baazi', a crime thriller which was produced by Dev Anand's Navketan Films. Which famous Indian cinematic legend wrote the screenplay? A: Balraj Sahni Q: Which flick, made in 1953, which had Guru Dutt debut as an actor under his own direction, is a period piece set in the 16th century depicting an uprising against the Portuguese? A: 'Baaz' Q: In 'Aar Paar' made in 1954, what is Guru Dutt's profession and which sibling of his assisted him in the direction? A: Taxi driver and Atmaram Q: Which popular star is said to have rejected a role in the romantic comedy 'Mr. & Mrs'. 55 due to her hectic schedule, later lamenting it as her 'worst decision ever'? A: Vyjayanthimala Bali Q: Dutt's not-so-successful 'Sailaab', made in 1956, was produced by his brother-in-law, who also gave the music for the film. Name him. A: Mukul Roy Q: In 'Pyaasa', who were supposed to play the roles that Mala Sinha and Waheeda Rehman eventually enacted ? A: Nargis and Madhubala Q: Name the Oscar-winner who designed the costumes for 'Kaagaz Ke Phool'. A: Bhanu Athaiya
Indian Express
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Filmmaker Sudhir Mishra unpacks the brilliance of Guru Dutt and its enduring impact
Filmmaker Guru Dutt is like a poet who works with other poets such as Sahir Ludhianvi (he wrote lyrics for Baazi (1951), Jaal (1952) and Pyaasa (1957) among others) and creates enduring cinematic moments. I see his films as a series of moments which resonate with me at various points of my life. I tend to understand myself better in a weird way through those moments. I don't have an intellectual relationship with Guru Dutt but more of a subconscious relationship. Once his films entered my mind, they never left. I don't know whether that shows in my work. If it shows, I am glad. If it does not show, then I am not good enough. Because of him, I am also attracted to people on the margins. Chhoti Bahu in Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962), a character essayed by Meena Kumari, is a woman locked up but bursting with desire and sensuality. She wants to explore the world outside. The way Guru Dutt sees women is very interesting. He is not condescending. There is even a mischief there in Waheeda Rehman's character in this film. There is jealousy and all sorts of desire. Women are not ashamed to express their desire. They are not making any excuses. His women are capable of expressing their deeper desires. He treats them as he treats men. Of course, the experiences of men and women are different. It is remarkable how Guru Dutt almost rewrites a script while making a film. He creates an ambience that's beyond the written pages. Sometimes, it is even contrary to the dialogues. Handled by any ordinary filmmaker, the dialogues can be seen as mundane. A lament can be melodramatic but he makes it poetic. Chhoti Bahu becomes a metaphor for me — much more than just a character. The way he shoots the songs is outstanding. 'Waqt Ne Kiya Kya Haseen Sitam' in Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959) almost foretells the lead characters' parting and encapsulates the inevitability that their lives will go separate ways. It is kind of in the subconsciousness — he is not trying to intellectualise it. Because he was also a dancer and choreographer, he understood rhythm. The way he shoots 'Jinhe naaz hai hind par woh kahan hai' in Pyaasa — with VK Murthy behind the camera — transforms the song into something much more than a complaint. It is as if he completes the poem by Sahir. He rewrites it with the camera. My grandmother identified herself as Meena Kumari (who plays Chhoti Bahu) after my grandfather had walked away, into the arms of another woman. I was around five years old when I first watched Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam with my grandmother. My father founded the film society in Lucknow. I saw Guru Dutt's films there again. I watched them on my own. Whenever there was a screening of a Guru Dutt film — Pyaasa, Chaudhvin Ka Chand, Aar Paar or Baazi — I would go. In hindsight, that was the trigger to my becoming a filmmaker. I am quite intrigued by the fact that he was a passionate man and that his first love was filmmaking. He was obsessed with taking the right shots. He has shot films and dumped them because he was not happy with them. He was trying to make sense of the world. He had certain ideas and it was difficult to replicate them. They are ephemeral. A lot of people can call it confusion. But he was searching as he shot. When he sees Meena Kumari singing 'Na Jao Saiyan Chhuda Ke Baiyan' and Murthy has lit the shot, that's when he realises what he has in his mind. Consciously, he has left those moments for us. He is a poet, painter, and filmmaker. Call it hyper realism, he takes a moment, fits into the art, and thereby creates a third moment. Look at the image he creates with Yeh duniya agar mil bhi jaaye in Pyaasa. He speaks for many. Guru Dutt exists in all my films. I am not claiming that kind of greatness but I am a product of so many things and my lineage. Then, there is something unique, something that I have — my filmmaking is a search for that. It is what Ghalib called 'andaz-e-bayan' (style of expression). That was what Guru Dutt was searching for. He was also trying to understand who he was. His death at the age of 39 was sad. When you die young, you either disappear or become a legend. The latter is justified in his case since his films created the impact that they did. He was discovering the medium through his early movies. He is exploring how to treat a character and how to take a shot. Then, he made Pyaasa. He was getting ready to make these kinds of films. Cinema is a commercial world. You can become independent and explore what you want if you are a producer too. He was a producer-director. The medium of cinema is unique. There are certain things that only cinema can express if you submit to the muse and the medium. Then you will become a filmmaker and express what only cinema can do. That's what he was trying to find. He was saying what can be said only through cinema. His muse was the medium itself. (As told to Alaka Sahani)
The Hindu
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Guru Dutt at 100: celebrating with his songs
Guru Dutt, one of Indian cinema's greatest artists, would have been 100 today (July 9). The famously troubled and sensitive maverick behind Pyaasa, Kaagaz Ke Phool and Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam, Dutt crafted sublime cinematic worlds steeped in longing and lyricism. While many of his films reflected a melancholic worldview, shaped in part by his own tragic life, Dutt's filmography embodied a range of styles, tones and emotional textures. In a short but remarkable directorial career, he experimented with genre and form, distilling a range of cinematic techniques through his uniquely poetic vision. Dutt was born Vasanth Kumar Shivashankar Padukone in 1925 in Bangalore, but grew up in Calcutta. As a young man, he trained at Uday Shankar's dance academy in Almora before beginning his film career as a choreographer with Prabhat Film Company. His directorial breakthrough came with Baazi (1951), starring Dev Anand. Dutt went on to direct several acclaimed films such as Aar-Paar (1954), Mr. & Mrs. '55 (1955), and Pyaasa (1957). His magnum opus, Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959), a classic to modern eyes, bombed at the box office, mirroring the fate of its disillusioned protagonist. Dutt continued to produce and act in films but never directed again. He was found dead in his Mumbai home on October 10, 1964, aged 39. One of Dutt's greatest gifts was his use of music and song choreography, ranging frome playful to the lonesome. He was married to legendary playback singer Geeta Dutt, and their personal and creative partnership brought forth many iconic moments in Hindi cinema. Songs like 'Waqt Ne Kiya', 'Babuji dheere chalna' and 'Jaane Kya Tune Kahi' remain standards of the era. Dutt collaborated with the leading composers of his time — S.D. Burman, Hemant Kumar — and, in discovering and giving wing to OP Nayyar, found a match for the formal mischief of his early work. On Dutt's centenary, here are some of his most enduring and evocative songs to celebrate with.. Tadbeer Se Bigdi Hui Taqdeer Bana Le (Baazi, 1951) Baazi, Dutt's directorial debut, bequeathed Bombay noir. The genre's interplay of light and shade—perfect for that city of chancers and chances—runs through this classic song. Voiced by Geeta Dutt and picturised on Geeta Bali and Dev Anand in a downstairs gambling den, the song, with its playful exhortations and charming composition, has resonated down the ages. Babuji Dheere Chalna (Aar-Paar, 1954) A noir-shaded comedy, and his second starring film, Aar-Paar featured Guru Dutt as a raffish, penniless taxi driver caught in a web of crime and romance. One of those ageless earworms, Babuji Dheere Chalna had a lovely teasing quality that informed the Geeta–O.P. Nayyar sound. While Nayyar adapted the tune from the Spanish-language Quizás, Quizás, Quizás, the song's suggestive moodiness is entirely its own. Sun Sun Sun Zalima (Aar-Paar, 1954): In this alliterative Rafi-Geeta Dutt duet, Kalu (Guru Dutt) is desperately trying to woo his employer's daughter, Nikki (Shyama). Composed by OP Nayyar, the song unfolds in a garage, where the duo flirt, spar and prance back and forth — a sequence that we'd later see play out in countless Bollywood romantic comedies. Preetam Aan Milo (Mr. & Mrs. 55, 1955) It's a classic airport scene. Anita (Madhubala) is racing to catch a glimpse of Preetam (Guru Dutt), who's set to fly off. Hurt, betrayal, longing hang heavy in the air. The flight takes off; Anita has just missed him. As she stands there, heart-broken, Geeta Dutt's achingly beautiful vocals take over. Originally a popular non-film track, composed by OP Nayyar and sung by CH Atma, it was reproduced for the film in Geeta Dutt's voice. Jaane Kya Tune Kahi (Pyaasa, 1957) Composed by SD Burman, with lyrics by Sahir Ludhianvi, the song was sung by Geeta Dutt. Waheeda Rehman traipses around a moonlit city at midnight, and an enchanted Guru Dutt follows her around. There's a hint of intrigue, some restraint and an undeniable spark. Jaane Kya... is one of the more sprightly musical sequences from Pyaasa. Jaane Woh Kaise Log The (Pyaasa, 1957) Perhaps this is the most enduring image of Vijay, the disillusioned poet, from Pyaasa. An anthem of the broken-hearted, the track remains iconic for SD Burman's delicate piano notes, Hemant Kumar's haunting vocals and Sahir Ludhianvi's rueful lyrics. Interestingly, a bit of the song is inspired by the second line of the national anthem of India. According to the book, S. D. Burman: The Prince-Musician by Anirudha Bhattacharjee and Balaji Vittal, the tune of the line 'Humne toh jab khushiya maangi' borrows subtly from the line 'Punjab Sindh Gujarat Maratha Dravid Utkal Banga' of the national anthem. Waqt Ne Kiya Kya Haseen Sitam (Kaagaz Ke Phool, 1959) A tragic, soulful lament, the song tugs at the bruised heart of Kaagaz Ke Phool. Penned by Kaifi Azmi and composed by SD Burman, it crystallised the lush, doomed romanticism that was Dutt's emotional signature. The regret and longing in the lyrics is complemented by VK Murthy's wondrous black-and-white photography and unforgettable lighting tricks. Na Jao Saiyan Chhuda Ke Baiyan (Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam, 1962) Composed by Hemant Kumar and sung by Geeta Dutt, this is a tipsy ballad of love and longing featuring Meena Kumari as the indomitable Chhoti bahu. Chhoti bahu is married to Chhote saheb (Rehman), a 19th century zamindar in Bengal, whose life revolves around drinking and debauchery. In her attempts at winning her husband's love, Chhoti bahu, too, turns to alcohol. Here, she implores her husband to not leave, or she'll break down.
