Guru Dutt
Encyclopedia
Vasanth Kumar Shivashankar Padukone (Konkani
: वसंत कुमार शिवशंकर पडुकोण}) (9 July 1925 – 10 October 1964), popularly known as Guru Dutt, was an Indian film
director
, producer
and actor
. He is often credited with ushering in the golden era of Hindi cinema
. He made quintessential 1950s and 1960s classics such as Pyaasa
(Thirsty), Kaagaz Ke Phool
(Paper Flowers), Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam
(The King, the Queen and the Jack) and Chaudhvin Ka Chand
(The Fourteenth Day Moon). In particular, Pyaasa and Kaagaz Ke Phool are now included among the greatest films of all time, both by Time magazine's "All-TIME" 100 best movies and by the Sight & Sound
critics' and directors' poll, where Dutt himself is included among the greatest film directors of all time. He is sometimes referred to as "India
's Orson Welles
".
In 2010, he was included among CNN
's "top 25 Asian
actors of all time".
He is most famous for making lyrical and artistic films within the context of popular Hindi cinema of the 1950s, and expanding its commercial conventions, starting with his 1957 film, Pyaasa. Several of his later works have a cult following. His movies go full house when re-released; especially in Germany
, France
and Japan
. The latest book on him is Ten Years with Guru Dutt: Abrar Alvi's Journey by Sathya Saran based on the recollections of his chief scriptwriter and friend.
speaking Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmins, originally settled at Panambur
, a village in South Kanara district of present day state Karnataka
(then Madras Province). His father was initially a headmaster, and then a bank employee. His mother Vasanthi, while initially a housewife, later taught in a school, gave private tuition and also wrote short stories and translated Bengali novels into Kannada. Vasanthi was only 16 when Guru Dutt was born.
Guru Dutt had a tough childhood with financial difficulties, and a strained relationship between his parents. As a child he had some bad experiences; the hostility from his maternal uncle's family, a frightening encounter with his insane maternal adopted uncle, and the death of his seven-month old brother (Shashidhar).
Guru Dutt was initially named Vasanth Kumar at birth at the suggestion of his mother's elder brother, but after a childhood accident, he was renamed Guru Dutt, which was felt to be a more auspicious name. He was joined by three younger brothers, Atmaram, Devidas and Vijay and a younger sister, Lalitha. The Indian film director, Kalpana Lajmi, is his sister's daughter.
He spent a great deal of time with his mother's cousin, Balakrishna B. Benegal (known to the family as Bakutmama) who was a painter of cinema posters. The Indian film director, Shyam Benegal
, is the son of Sridhar B. Benegal, Balakrishna's younger brother.
. He moved jobs to work as an administrative clerk at the Burmah Shell company and began living at Bhawanipore in Calcutta, where Guru Dutt finished his schooling. Hence, Guru Dutt spoke fluent Bengali
, and carried a distinct stamp of Bengali culture in his work . Later, when he moved to Bombay (now called Mumbai
) in the 1940s, he dropped the Shivashankar Padukone part of his name, and was known simply as Guru Dutt. Because Dutt is a common Bengali
last name, many people assumed that he was a Bengali.
(candle) as she performed the evening arathi
(prayer). Though untrained, he could produce inspired movements as he did when he persuaded his uncle, Benegal, to photograph him performing a snake dance, based on a painting by the latter. The snake dance was later performed at a gathering of Saraswat Brahmin
s at Calcutta for which Guru Dutt was even given a cash prize of 5 Rupees.
He was a good student, but never went to college, partly because of financial troubles at home. Instead, he joined the performing arts troupe of Uday Shankar
, the older brother of the better-known Ravi Shankar.
The Uday Shankar India Culture Center at Almora
taught dance, drama, and music. It aimed at combining the best of the Gurukula system with a modern Arts University, and tried to turn out well-rounded students, at home in many disciplines. A young Guru Dutt joined the center at age 16 in 1941 on a five-year scholarship of Rs. 75 annually (a lot of money then), and studied at Almora until 1944, when the advancing World War II
forced the closing of the center.
at a Lever Brothers factory in Kolkata. But soon he disengaged himself from the job, and joined his parents in Mumbai
in 1944.
However, his uncle found him a job under a three-year contract with the Prabhat Film Company
in Pune
(then called Poona) in 1944. This once premier film producing centre had already seen the departure of its best talent, V. Shantaram
, who had by then launched his own Kala Mandir. It is here that Guru Dutt met two people who would remain his good friends - actors Rehman
and Dev Anand
.
Guru Dutt acted in a small role as Sri Krishna in Chand in 1944. In 1945, he acted as well as assisted director Vishram Bedekar
in Lakhrani, and in 1946 he worked as an assistant director and choreographed dances for P. L. Santoshi’s film, Hum Ek Hain.
This contract ended in 1947, but his mother got him a job as a freelance assistant with Baburao Pai, the CEO of the Prabhat Film Company and Studio. However, after that, for almost ten months, Guru Dutt was unemployed and stayed with his family at Matunga, Mumbai
.
During this time, Guru Dutt developed a flair for writing in English, and wrote short stories for The Illustrated Weekly of India
, a local weekly English magazine.
It is during this time that he is supposed to have written the script for the almost autobiographical Pyaasa . Its original name was Kashmakash , which was changed later to Pyaasa
and was written at his home in Matunga
.
It is in this phase of his life that Guru Dutt was married twice! The first time he eloped with a girl called Vijaya from Pune, and later his parents had him married to his maternal niece, Suvarna, from Hyderabad.
as a choreographer, he was soon pressed into service as an actor, and even as an assistant director. At Prabhat, he met Dev Anand
and Rehman
, who both became stars. These early friendships helped ease his way into the film world.
After Prabhat failed in 1947, Dutt moved to Mumbai
, where he worked with two leading directors of the time, with Amiya Chakravarty in Girl's School, and with Gyan Mukherjee in the Bombay Talkies
film Sangram. Then, Dev Anand offered him a job as a director in his new company, Navketan, after the first movie had flopped.
Thus, Guru Dutt's first film, Navketan's Baazi, was released in 1951 . It was a tribute to the Forties' Film Noir Hollywood with the morally ambiguous hero, the transgressing siren, and shadow lighting.
used the services of the same laundry man when they were at Prabhat in Pune
in 1945. One day Anand found that one of his shirts had been replaced with a different one. On arriving at work as the hero of Hum Ek Hain, he found the film's young choreographer (Guru Dutt) wearing his shirt. On being questioned, Guru Dutt admitted that it was not his shirt, but since he had no other, he was wearing the replacement. This developed into a great friendship, since they were of the same age. They promised each other that, if Guru Dutt were to turn filmmaker, he would hire Anand as his hero, and if Dev were to produce a film then he would use Guru Dutt as its director.
Dev Anand fulfilled his end of the bargain with Baazi, but still regrets that his friend Guru Dutt did not. Guru Dutt indirectly did fulfill his promise. His studio, Guru Dutt Movies Pvt. Ltd.
, produced "C.I.D." which starred Dev, but the film was directed by Raj Khosla
(an assistant director to Guru Dutt). Thus, technically, Guru Dutt never directed Dev Anand under his production company.
Guru Dutt and Dev Anand would make two super-hit films together, Baazi, and Jaal. Creative differences between Guru Dutt, and Chetan Anand (Anand's elder brother), who was also a director, made future collaborations difficult.
Remembering his old friend Guru Dutt, Anand quotes, “He was a young man he should not have made depressing pictures…”
Recently, Anand quotes, "my only true friend in the film industry. We got close to each other while working for Prabhat, one of the big banners of those days. I gave him his big break in Baazi and he cast me in some of his movies like C.I.D."
(whom he met at Almora) as the choreographer in the movie, and he also met his future wife, Geeta Dutt
during the making of the movie.
was an immediate success. Guru Dutt followed it with Jaal
and Baaz
. Neither film did well at the box office, but they bring together the Guru Dutt team
that performed so brilliantly in subsequent films. He discovered, and mentored, Johnny Walker
(comedian), V.K. Murthy (cinematography), and Abrar Alvi
(writing and directing), among others. He is also credited for introducing Waheeda Rehman
to the Hindi cinema. Baaz
was notable in that Guru Dutt both directed and starred, not having found a suitable actor for the principal character.
Fortune smiled on Dutt's next film, the 1954 Aar Paar
. This was followed by the 1955 hit, Mr. and Mrs. 55, then C.I.D., Sailaab
, and in 1957, Pyaasa
- the story of a poet, rejected by an uncaring world, who achieves success only after his apparent death. Guru Dutt played the lead role in three of these five films.
His 1959 Kaagaz Ke Phool
was an intense disappointment. He had invested a great deal of love, money, and energy in this film, which was a self-absorbed tale of a famous director (played by Guru Dutt) who falls in love with an actress (played by Waheeda Rehman, Dutt's real-life love interest). Kaagaz Ke Phool
failed at the box office and Dutt was devastated. All subsequent films from his studio were, thereafter, officially helmed by other directors since Guru Dutt felt that his name was anathema to box office.
Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam
, a critically and commercially successful film, was directed by his protege, writer Abrar Alvi
, which won him the Filmfare
Best Director's award. The film's star Waheeda Rehman
denied rumors that the film was ghost-directed by Guru Dutt himself. Guru Dutt also has his influence on his last box office smash hit Chaudhvin Ka Chand
.
His legacy to direction of Hindi cinema is unmistakable and accepted by many leading Hindi directors of the day, including another of his protege, Raj Khosla
.
. He is said to have been mixing alcohol and sleeping pills. His death may have been suicide, or just an accidental overdose. It would have been his third suicide attempt http://in.rediff.com/movies/2004/oct/08spec1.htm.
Guru Dutt's son, Arun Dutt, said that he views this as an accident in an interview with India Abroad in October 2004 on the 40th anniversary of his father's death. Guru Dutt had scheduled appointments the next day with actress Mala Sinha
for his movie Baharen Phir Bhi Aayengi
, and Raj Kapoor
to discuss making colour films. According to him, "my father had sleeping disorders and popped sleeping pills like any other person. That day he was drunk and had taken an overdose of pills, which culminated in his death. It was a lethal combination of excessive liquor and sleeping pills."
At the time of his death, Guru Dutt was involved in two other projects - Picnic starring actress Sadhana
, and director K. Asif's
epic, Love and God. Picnic remained incomplete and Love and God was released two decades later with Sanjeev Kumar
replacing Dutt in the leading role.
The extra-feature on DVD of Kaagaz Ke Phool
has a 3 part Channel 4 produced documentary on the life and works of Guru Dutt titled In Search of Guru Dutt
.
Most people, including Abrar Alvi
, seem to suggest that it was a suicide. Abrar and Guru Dutt sat late that night discussing a movie, and according to Alvi, during their conversation, Guru Dutt was very morbid in his thinking and conversation.
He was, according to many, distressed by his personal situation - his wife, Geeta Dutt
, had distanced herself from him. He had a sleeping disorder that made him take sleeping pills, and he had been drinking since 5:00 pm that evening.
According to Asha Bhonsle, Guru Dutt called her at midnight before his death to ask whether Geeta, his wife was with her to which she replied in negative. She was the last person who spoke with Guru Dutt.( Doordarshan Documentary on Guru Dutt aired on Oct 10 2011)
, a well-known playback singer. They had been engaged for three years and had to overcome a great deal of family opposition to marry. They had three children, Tarun, Arun, and Nina.
Dutt had an unhappy marital life. According to his brother Atmaram, Guru Dutt was "a strict disciplinarian as far as work was concerned, but totally undisciplined in his personal life" (Kabir, 1997, p. 124). He smoked heavily, drank heavily, and kept odd hours. Guru Dutt's relationship with actress Waheeda Rehman
also worked against their marriage. At the time of his death, he had separated from Geeta and was living alone. Geeta Dutt
herself died in 1972 at age 41, after excessive drinking which resulted in liver damage. According to an interview with Abrar Alvi, one of Dutt's close friends and his assistant director in films, Dutt did not "open up" to discuss his thoughts and problems, even though they were spending many hours together.
an international favorite. He also has a place in the hearts of many ordinary Indians for his song picturisations and the many vivid characters sketched in his films.
Contrary to a general belief about the viability of his film projects, Guru Dutt more or less produced commercially successful films. Over the years the commercial nature of his projects saw a trade-off with his creative aspirations. Movies like C.I.D., Baazi
, Pyaasa
, Kaagaz Ke Phool
, Chaudhvin Ka Chand
and Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam
were rightfully the first of their kind in Hindi cinema. The only movie produced by Guru Dutt and termed a box-office disaster was Kaagaz Ke Phool
, now a cult classic. He lost over 17 Lacs producing that movie, a large amount by the standards of the time, which was more than recovered by his next project, Chaudhvin Ka Chand
. He never lost faith in his team or in the distributors of his films. Once a project was over, he would begin anew - with little concern about the commercial success of the previous project. He was part of an exclusive school of Indian film directors, including the likes of Raj Kapoor
, Mehboob Khan and Bimal Roy
, who were able to achieve a healthy blend of artistic and commercial success between the mid-1950s and mid-1960s.
Pyaasa
was rated as one of the best 100 films of all time by Time Magazine
. In the 2002 Sight & Sound
critics' and directors' poll, two of his films, Pyaasa and Kaagaz Ke Phool
, were among the top 160 greatest films of all time. The same 2002 Sight & Sound poll ranked Dutt at #73 in its list of all-time greatest directors, thus making him the eighth highest-ranking Asian filmmaker
in the poll.
Films directed by Guru Dutt
Konkani language
KonkaniKonkani is a name given to a group of several cognate dialects spoken along the narrow strip of land called Konkan, on the west coast of India. This is, however, somewhat an over-generalisation. Geographically, Konkan is defined roughly as the area between the river Damanganga to the north...
: वसंत कुमार शिवशंकर पडुकोण}) (9 July 1925 – 10 October 1964), popularly known as Guru Dutt, was an Indian film
Cinema of India
The cinema of India consists of films produced across India, which includes the cinematic culture of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Orissa, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal. Indian films came to be followed throughout South Asia and...
director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
and actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
. He is often credited with ushering in the golden era of Hindi cinema
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
. He made quintessential 1950s and 1960s classics such as Pyaasa
Pyaasa
Pyaasa is a 1957 Indian film produced and directed by Guru Dutt. The film tells the story of struggling poet, Vijay , trying to make his works known in post-independence India...
(Thirsty), Kaagaz Ke Phool
Kaagaz Ke Phool
Kaagaz Ke Phool, , is a 1959 Hindi film produced and directed by Guru Dutt, who also played the lead role in the film .The film was a box office disaster of its time but was later resurrected as a world cinema cult classic in the 1980s. The film's music was composed by S. D...
(Paper Flowers), Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam
Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam
Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam is a 1962 Indian Hindi film produced by Guru Dutt and directed by Abrar Alvi. It is based on a Bengali novel, Shaheb Bibi Golam by Bimal Mitra, and is a look into the tragic fall of the haveli-dom and feudalism in Bengal during the British Raj...
(The King, the Queen and the Jack) and Chaudhvin Ka Chand
Chaudhvin Ka Chand
Chaudhvin Ka Chand is a 1960 Hindi feature film directed by Mohammed Sadiq. A production of Guru Dutt, the film centers on a love triangle between Guru Dutt, Rehman and Waheeda Rehman, and features music by Ravi. Farida Jalal is a guest appearance in the film, her debut...
(The Fourteenth Day Moon). In particular, Pyaasa and Kaagaz Ke Phool are now included among the greatest films of all time, both by Time magazine's "All-TIME" 100 best movies and by the Sight & Sound
Sight & Sound
Sight & Sound is a British monthly film magazine published by the British Film Institute .Sight & Sound was first published in 1932 and in 1934 management of the magazine was handed to the nascent BFI, which still publishes the magazine today...
critics' and directors' poll, where Dutt himself is included among the greatest film directors of all time. He is sometimes referred to as "India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
's Orson Welles
Orson Welles
George Orson Welles , best known as Orson Welles, was an American film director, actor, theatre director, screenwriter, and producer, who worked extensively in film, theatre, television and radio...
".
In 2010, he was included among CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
's "top 25 Asian
Asian cinema
Asian cinema refers to the film industries and films produced in the continent of Asia, and is also sometimes known as Eastern cinema. More commonly however, it is used to refer to the cinema of Eastern, Southeastern and Southern Asia. West Asian cinema is sometimes classified as part of Middle...
actors of all time".
He is most famous for making lyrical and artistic films within the context of popular Hindi cinema of the 1950s, and expanding its commercial conventions, starting with his 1957 film, Pyaasa. Several of his later works have a cult following. His movies go full house when re-released; especially in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. The latest book on him is Ten Years with Guru Dutt: Abrar Alvi's Journey by Sathya Saran based on the recollections of his chief scriptwriter and friend.
Early life and background
Guru Dutt was born to Shivashanker Rao Padukone and Vasanthi Padukone. His parents were KonkaniKonkani language
KonkaniKonkani is a name given to a group of several cognate dialects spoken along the narrow strip of land called Konkan, on the west coast of India. This is, however, somewhat an over-generalisation. Geographically, Konkan is defined roughly as the area between the river Damanganga to the north...
speaking Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmins, originally settled at Panambur
Panambur
Panambur is the site of New Mangalore Port. It is located in Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka state, India, north of the Gurupura river. The name Panambur is derived from 'Panam' which means Money and 'Ur' which means place or village in Tulu language.There is a Nandaneshwara temple in...
, a village in South Kanara district of present day state Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
(then Madras Province). His father was initially a headmaster, and then a bank employee. His mother Vasanthi, while initially a housewife, later taught in a school, gave private tuition and also wrote short stories and translated Bengali novels into Kannada. Vasanthi was only 16 when Guru Dutt was born.
Guru Dutt had a tough childhood with financial difficulties, and a strained relationship between his parents. As a child he had some bad experiences; the hostility from his maternal uncle's family, a frightening encounter with his insane maternal adopted uncle, and the death of his seven-month old brother (Shashidhar).
Guru Dutt was initially named Vasanth Kumar at birth at the suggestion of his mother's elder brother, but after a childhood accident, he was renamed Guru Dutt, which was felt to be a more auspicious name. He was joined by three younger brothers, Atmaram, Devidas and Vijay and a younger sister, Lalitha. The Indian film director, Kalpana Lajmi, is his sister's daughter.
He spent a great deal of time with his mother's cousin, Balakrishna B. Benegal (known to the family as Bakutmama) who was a painter of cinema posters. The Indian film director, Shyam Benegal
Shyam Benegal
Shyam Benegal is a prolific Indian director and screenwriter. With his first four feature films Ankur , Nishant Manthan and Bhumika he created a new genre, which has now come to be called the "middle cinema" in India although he himself has expressed dislike in the term preferring his work to...
, is the son of Sridhar B. Benegal, Balakrishna's younger brother.
Bengali connection
Guru Dutt's father was initially a headmaster at Panambur and later a bank employee at BangaloreBangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
. He moved jobs to work as an administrative clerk at the Burmah Shell company and began living at Bhawanipore in Calcutta, where Guru Dutt finished his schooling. Hence, Guru Dutt spoke fluent Bengali
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
, and carried a distinct stamp of Bengali culture in his work . Later, when he moved to Bombay (now called Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
) in the 1940s, he dropped the Shivashankar Padukone part of his name, and was known simply as Guru Dutt. Because Dutt is a common Bengali
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
last name, many people assumed that he was a Bengali.
Early Inspirations
His sister recalls that at age 14 Guru Dutt would use his fingers to shape images on a wall lit up by the flickering light of their grandmother’s diyaDiya (light)
A Diya, divaa, deepam, or deepak is an oil lamp usually made from clay, with a cotton wick dipped in ghee or vegetable oils....
(candle) as she performed the evening arathi
Aarti
Aarti , also spelled arathi, aarthi is a Hindu religious ritual of worship, a form of puja, in which light from wicks soaked in ghee or camphor is offered to one or more deities...
(prayer). Though untrained, he could produce inspired movements as he did when he persuaded his uncle, Benegal, to photograph him performing a snake dance, based on a painting by the latter. The snake dance was later performed at a gathering of Saraswat Brahmin
Saraswat Brahmin
The Saraswats are a Brahmin caste of India.- History :According to the legend, Saraswat Brahmins are Brahmins who lived on the banks of the former Saraswati River that once flowed in northern India. Although it is said that at Prayag the three rivers meet or met.the fact is that the Saraswati never...
s at Calcutta for which Guru Dutt was even given a cash prize of 5 Rupees.
He was a good student, but never went to college, partly because of financial troubles at home. Instead, he joined the performing arts troupe of Uday Shankar
Uday Shankar
Uday Shankar , the pioneer of modern dance in India, and a world renowned Indian dancer and choreographer, was most known for adapting Western theatrical techniques to traditional Indian classical dance, imbued with elements of Indian classical, folk, and tribal dance, thus laying the roots of...
, the older brother of the better-known Ravi Shankar.
The Uday Shankar India Culture Center at Almora
Almora
Almora is a municipal board, a cantonment town in the Almora district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. Almora was founded in 1568.It is a town bustling with activity and a rich cultural heritage and history. It is considered the cultural heart of the Kumaon region of...
taught dance, drama, and music. It aimed at combining the best of the Gurukula system with a modern Arts University, and tried to turn out well-rounded students, at home in many disciplines. A young Guru Dutt joined the center at age 16 in 1941 on a five-year scholarship of Rs. 75 annually (a lot of money then), and studied at Almora until 1944, when the advancing World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
forced the closing of the center.
Early career
Guru Dutt wired home to say he had got the job of a telephone operatorTelephone operator
A telephone operator is either* a person who provides assistance to a telephone caller, usually in the placing of operator assisted telephone calls such as calls from a pay phone, collect calls , calls which are billed to a credit card, station-to-station and person-to-person calls, and certain...
at a Lever Brothers factory in Kolkata. But soon he disengaged himself from the job, and joined his parents in Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
in 1944.
However, his uncle found him a job under a three-year contract with the Prabhat Film Company
Prabhat Film Company
Prabhat Film Company popularly known as Prabhat Films was an Indian film production company and film studios, formed in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India in 1929, towards the end of silent films' era, by the noted film director V. Shantaram, along with V.G. Damle, K.R. Dhaiber, S. Fatelal and S.B...
in Pune
Pune
Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
(then called Poona) in 1944. This once premier film producing centre had already seen the departure of its best talent, V. Shantaram
V. Shantaram
V. Shantaram is a renowned Indian filmmaker, film producer and actor. He is most known for his films like Dr...
, who had by then launched his own Kala Mandir. It is here that Guru Dutt met two people who would remain his good friends - actors Rehman
Rehman
Rehman was an Indian film actor whose career spanned from late 1940s through to late 1970s. He was an integral part of the Guru Dutt team, and most known for his roles in films, like Pyaasa , Chaudhvin Ka Chand , Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam and Waqt...
and Dev Anand
Dev Anand
Dharam Dev Anand , better known as Dev Anand , is an Indian Hindi Cinema actor, director and film producer. Dev is the second of three brothers who were active in Hindi Cinema. His brothers are Chetan Anand and Vijay Anand. Their sister, Sheel Kanta Kapur, is the mother of renowned Hindi and...
.
Guru Dutt acted in a small role as Sri Krishna in Chand in 1944. In 1945, he acted as well as assisted director Vishram Bedekar
Vishram Bedekar
Vishwanath Chintamani Bedekar , who professionally used the name Vishram Bedekar , was a Marathi writer and movie director from Maharashtra, India....
in Lakhrani, and in 1946 he worked as an assistant director and choreographed dances for P. L. Santoshi’s film, Hum Ek Hain.
This contract ended in 1947, but his mother got him a job as a freelance assistant with Baburao Pai, the CEO of the Prabhat Film Company and Studio. However, after that, for almost ten months, Guru Dutt was unemployed and stayed with his family at Matunga, Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
.
During this time, Guru Dutt developed a flair for writing in English, and wrote short stories for The Illustrated Weekly of India
The Illustrated Weekly of India
The Illustrated Weekly of India was an English language weekly newsmagazine publication in India. It started publication in 1880 and ceasing publication in 1993...
, a local weekly English magazine.
It is during this time that he is supposed to have written the script for the almost autobiographical Pyaasa . Its original name was Kashmakash , which was changed later to Pyaasa
Pyaasa
Pyaasa is a 1957 Indian film produced and directed by Guru Dutt. The film tells the story of struggling poet, Vijay , trying to make his works known in post-independence India...
and was written at his home in Matunga
Matunga
Matunga is a district located in the central part of Mumbai. It is a railway station on the Mumbai Suburban Railway network. This station is called Matunga on the Central railway line, Matunga Road on the Western line and King's Circle, on the Harbour Line...
.
It is in this phase of his life that Guru Dutt was married twice! The first time he eloped with a girl called Vijaya from Pune, and later his parents had him married to his maternal niece, Suvarna, from Hyderabad.
As choreographer, actor, assistant director
While Guru Dutt was hired by Prabhat Film CompanyPrabhat Film Company
Prabhat Film Company popularly known as Prabhat Films was an Indian film production company and film studios, formed in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India in 1929, towards the end of silent films' era, by the noted film director V. Shantaram, along with V.G. Damle, K.R. Dhaiber, S. Fatelal and S.B...
as a choreographer, he was soon pressed into service as an actor, and even as an assistant director. At Prabhat, he met Dev Anand
Dev Anand
Dharam Dev Anand , better known as Dev Anand , is an Indian Hindi Cinema actor, director and film producer. Dev is the second of three brothers who were active in Hindi Cinema. His brothers are Chetan Anand and Vijay Anand. Their sister, Sheel Kanta Kapur, is the mother of renowned Hindi and...
and Rehman
Rehman
Rehman was an Indian film actor whose career spanned from late 1940s through to late 1970s. He was an integral part of the Guru Dutt team, and most known for his roles in films, like Pyaasa , Chaudhvin Ka Chand , Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam and Waqt...
, who both became stars. These early friendships helped ease his way into the film world.
After Prabhat failed in 1947, Dutt moved to Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, where he worked with two leading directors of the time, with Amiya Chakravarty in Girl's School, and with Gyan Mukherjee in the Bombay Talkies
Bombay Talkies
The Bombay Talkies Limited was a movie studio produced 102 movies, founded in 1934 in Malad, Bombay , India, by Himanshu Rai, Rajnarayan Dube and Devika Rani along with businessmen like F. E...
film Sangram. Then, Dev Anand offered him a job as a director in his new company, Navketan, after the first movie had flopped.
Thus, Guru Dutt's first film, Navketan's Baazi, was released in 1951 . It was a tribute to the Forties' Film Noir Hollywood with the morally ambiguous hero, the transgressing siren, and shadow lighting.
Dev Anand and Guru Dutt's promise
There exists a very interesting anecdote behind this new job. Guru Dutt and Dev AnandDev Anand
Dharam Dev Anand , better known as Dev Anand , is an Indian Hindi Cinema actor, director and film producer. Dev is the second of three brothers who were active in Hindi Cinema. His brothers are Chetan Anand and Vijay Anand. Their sister, Sheel Kanta Kapur, is the mother of renowned Hindi and...
used the services of the same laundry man when they were at Prabhat in Pune
Pune
Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
in 1945. One day Anand found that one of his shirts had been replaced with a different one. On arriving at work as the hero of Hum Ek Hain, he found the film's young choreographer (Guru Dutt) wearing his shirt. On being questioned, Guru Dutt admitted that it was not his shirt, but since he had no other, he was wearing the replacement. This developed into a great friendship, since they were of the same age. They promised each other that, if Guru Dutt were to turn filmmaker, he would hire Anand as his hero, and if Dev were to produce a film then he would use Guru Dutt as its director.
Dev Anand fulfilled his end of the bargain with Baazi, but still regrets that his friend Guru Dutt did not. Guru Dutt indirectly did fulfill his promise. His studio, Guru Dutt Movies Pvt. Ltd.
Guru Dutt Movies Pvt. Ltd.
Guru Dutt Movies Pvt. Ltd. is an Indian movie production company, started by legendary actor-director, Guru Dutt, and now run by his son, 'Arun Dutt', who wrote and directed film Khule Aam .-About:...
, produced "C.I.D." which starred Dev, but the film was directed by Raj Khosla
Raj Khosla
Raj Khosla was one of the top directors, producer and screenwriter in Hindi films from the 1950s to the 1980s. He was known for bringing in ‘neo-noir’ and style in Indian cinema since black & white times, and also as a "women's director" because he showcased actresses at their best. He is often...
(an assistant director to Guru Dutt). Thus, technically, Guru Dutt never directed Dev Anand under his production company.
Guru Dutt and Dev Anand would make two super-hit films together, Baazi, and Jaal. Creative differences between Guru Dutt, and Chetan Anand (Anand's elder brother), who was also a director, made future collaborations difficult.
Remembering his old friend Guru Dutt, Anand quotes, “He was a young man he should not have made depressing pictures…”
Recently, Anand quotes, "my only true friend in the film industry. We got close to each other while working for Prabhat, one of the big banners of those days. I gave him his big break in Baazi and he cast me in some of his movies like C.I.D."
Baazi's other contributions
Baazi also highlights two early key technical developments in Indian movie-making that are attributed to Guru Dutt. The use of close-up shots with a 100 mm lens - there are over 14 in the movie - which became known in Indian movie-making as the "Guru Dutt shot", and the use of songs to further the narrative in the movie. Guru Dutt also introduced Zohra SehgalZohra Sehgal
Zohra Segal is an Indian stage and film actress, who started her career as dancer with dancer Uday Shankar in 1935 and worked with him for the next eight years. She has appeared in many Bollywood films as well as English language films and television series...
(whom he met at Almora) as the choreographer in the movie, and he also met his future wife, Geeta Dutt
Geeta Dutt
Geetā Dutt was a prominent singer in India. She found particular prominence as a playback singer in Hindi cinema...
during the making of the movie.
As director
BaaziBaazi
Baazi is a 1951 Indian Hindi film directed by Guru Dutt. Dev Anand's Navketan production house produced the movie, and as per a commitment given by Dev Anand to Guru Dutt in their days of struggle, the movie was directed by Dutt....
was an immediate success. Guru Dutt followed it with Jaal
Jaal
Jaal may refer to:* Jaal * Jaal * Jaal * Jaal: The Trap...
and Baaz
Baaz
Baaz is an Hindi film released in 1953, directed by Guru Dutt. This film is Guru Dutt's first starring film, an action film packed with adventure staged mainly on a ship.-Plot:The 16th century, the Malabar Coast...
. Neither film did well at the box office, but they bring together the Guru Dutt team
Guru Dutt team
The Guru Dutt team is a group of people Guru Dutt created for some of his finest works. The death of Guru Dutt cut short more works. What the team created is considered to forever have left its mark on Indian cinema as well as world cinema.-About:...
that performed so brilliantly in subsequent films. He discovered, and mentored, Johnny Walker
Johnny Walker (actor)
Johnny Walker is the screen name of an Indian movie comedian, who acted in over 300 movies. He was born as Badruddin Jamaluddin Kazi in Indore, India, the son of a mill worker. The family shifted to Mumbai when the textile mill his father worked in closed...
(comedian), V.K. Murthy (cinematography), and Abrar Alvi
Abrar Alvi
Abrar Alvi was an Indian film writer, director and actor. Most of his notable works are from the 1950s, 1960s done with Guru Dutt. He wrote some of the most respected works of Indian cinema, Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam, Kaagaz Ke Phool, and Pyaasa which have an avid following world over...
(writing and directing), among others. He is also credited for introducing Waheeda Rehman
Waheeda Rehman
Waheeda Rehman , is an Indian film actress who appears in Bollywood movies and is known for many successful and critically acclaimed movies from 1950's, 60's and early 70's most notably C.I.D. and Guru Dutt classics such as Pyaasa , 12 O'Clock , Kaagaz Ke Phool , Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam...
to the Hindi cinema. Baaz
Baaz
Baaz is an Hindi film released in 1953, directed by Guru Dutt. This film is Guru Dutt's first starring film, an action film packed with adventure staged mainly on a ship.-Plot:The 16th century, the Malabar Coast...
was notable in that Guru Dutt both directed and starred, not having found a suitable actor for the principal character.
Fortune smiled on Dutt's next film, the 1954 Aar Paar
Aar Paar
Aar-Paar is a 1954 Indian Hindi-language film. Directed by Guru Dutt, the film has music by O.P. Nayyar and lyrics by Majrooh Sultanpuri. A light-hearted film , Aar-Paar stars Johnny Walker, Shyama, Shakila, Jagdeep, Jagdish Sethi, Bir Sakuja, Rajendra, Amir Banu, Rashid Khan, M.A...
. This was followed by the 1955 hit, Mr. and Mrs. 55, then C.I.D., Sailaab
Sailaab
Sailaab is a Hindi movie directed by the famous Indian film director, Guru Dutt in 1956.Released in April 1956, it stars Geeta Bali, as Kanchan and Abhi Bhattacharya as Gautam.Smriti Biswas, Helen and Bipin Gupta also costar....
, and in 1957, Pyaasa
Pyaasa
Pyaasa is a 1957 Indian film produced and directed by Guru Dutt. The film tells the story of struggling poet, Vijay , trying to make his works known in post-independence India...
- the story of a poet, rejected by an uncaring world, who achieves success only after his apparent death. Guru Dutt played the lead role in three of these five films.
His 1959 Kaagaz Ke Phool
Kaagaz Ke Phool
Kaagaz Ke Phool, , is a 1959 Hindi film produced and directed by Guru Dutt, who also played the lead role in the film .The film was a box office disaster of its time but was later resurrected as a world cinema cult classic in the 1980s. The film's music was composed by S. D...
was an intense disappointment. He had invested a great deal of love, money, and energy in this film, which was a self-absorbed tale of a famous director (played by Guru Dutt) who falls in love with an actress (played by Waheeda Rehman, Dutt's real-life love interest). Kaagaz Ke Phool
Kaagaz Ke Phool
Kaagaz Ke Phool, , is a 1959 Hindi film produced and directed by Guru Dutt, who also played the lead role in the film .The film was a box office disaster of its time but was later resurrected as a world cinema cult classic in the 1980s. The film's music was composed by S. D...
failed at the box office and Dutt was devastated. All subsequent films from his studio were, thereafter, officially helmed by other directors since Guru Dutt felt that his name was anathema to box office.
Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam
Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam
Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam is a 1962 Indian Hindi film produced by Guru Dutt and directed by Abrar Alvi. It is based on a Bengali novel, Shaheb Bibi Golam by Bimal Mitra, and is a look into the tragic fall of the haveli-dom and feudalism in Bengal during the British Raj...
, a critically and commercially successful film, was directed by his protege, writer Abrar Alvi
Abrar Alvi
Abrar Alvi was an Indian film writer, director and actor. Most of his notable works are from the 1950s, 1960s done with Guru Dutt. He wrote some of the most respected works of Indian cinema, Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam, Kaagaz Ke Phool, and Pyaasa which have an avid following world over...
, which won him the Filmfare
Filmfare
Filmfare is an English-language tabloid-sized magazine about Indian cinema. Published by The Times Group, India's largest media services conglomerate, in Mumbai , it highlights the doings of the Bollywood film scene...
Best Director's award. The film's star Waheeda Rehman
Waheeda Rehman
Waheeda Rehman , is an Indian film actress who appears in Bollywood movies and is known for many successful and critically acclaimed movies from 1950's, 60's and early 70's most notably C.I.D. and Guru Dutt classics such as Pyaasa , 12 O'Clock , Kaagaz Ke Phool , Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam...
denied rumors that the film was ghost-directed by Guru Dutt himself. Guru Dutt also has his influence on his last box office smash hit Chaudhvin Ka Chand
Chaudhvin Ka Chand
Chaudhvin Ka Chand is a 1960 Hindi feature film directed by Mohammed Sadiq. A production of Guru Dutt, the film centers on a love triangle between Guru Dutt, Rehman and Waheeda Rehman, and features music by Ravi. Farida Jalal is a guest appearance in the film, her debut...
.
His legacy to direction of Hindi cinema is unmistakable and accepted by many leading Hindi directors of the day, including another of his protege, Raj Khosla
Raj Khosla
Raj Khosla was one of the top directors, producer and screenwriter in Hindi films from the 1950s to the 1980s. He was known for bringing in ‘neo-noir’ and style in Indian cinema since black & white times, and also as a "women's director" because he showcased actresses at their best. He is often...
.
Guru Dutt's last productions
In 1964 he acted in his last film Sanjh Aur Savera opposite Meena Kumari.Death
On 10 October 1964, Guru Dutt was found dead in his bed in his rented apartment at Pedder Road in MumbaiMumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
. He is said to have been mixing alcohol and sleeping pills. His death may have been suicide, or just an accidental overdose. It would have been his third suicide attempt http://in.rediff.com/movies/2004/oct/08spec1.htm.
Guru Dutt's son, Arun Dutt, said that he views this as an accident in an interview with India Abroad in October 2004 on the 40th anniversary of his father's death. Guru Dutt had scheduled appointments the next day with actress Mala Sinha
Mala Sinha
Mala Sinha is an Indian actress, who has worked in Hindi, Bengali and Nepali films. Recognised for her acting talent and beauty, she went on to become a popular leading actress in Hindi films from the early fifties till late seventies...
for his movie Baharen Phir Bhi Aayengi
Baharen Phir Bhi Aayengi
Baharen Phir Bhi Aayengi is a 1966 Hindi-language film. Produced by Guru Dutt and directed by Shaheed Latif. It stars Mala Sinha, Dharmendra, Tanuja, and Rehman. The film is still remembered for its music is by O.P...
, and Raj Kapoor
Raj Kapoor
Known as Ranbir Raj Kapoor Rāj Kapūr, 14 December 1924 – 2 June 1988), also known as The Show-Man, was an Indian film actor, producer and director of Hindi cinema. He was the winner of nine Filmfare Awards, while his films Awaara and Boot Polish were nominated for the Palme d'Or at the...
to discuss making colour films. According to him, "my father had sleeping disorders and popped sleeping pills like any other person. That day he was drunk and had taken an overdose of pills, which culminated in his death. It was a lethal combination of excessive liquor and sleeping pills."
At the time of his death, Guru Dutt was involved in two other projects - Picnic starring actress Sadhana
Sadhana (actress)
Sadhana is an Indian Bollywood actress. She was one of the top stars in the 1960s and the early 1970s. Beside becoming the fashion icon for young Indian girls with her specific hair style, still known as Sadhana cut, she become famous as Mystery Girl with her three suspense thriller films namely...
, and director K. Asif's
K. Asif
K. Asif was a film director, film producer and screenwriter who was famous for his work for the Hindi epic motion picture, Mughal-e-Azam .-Early life:...
epic, Love and God. Picnic remained incomplete and Love and God was released two decades later with Sanjeev Kumar
Sanjeev Kumar (actor)
Sanjeev Kumar was one of the most prominent Indian actors in Bollywood.-Personal life and background:Sanjeev Kumar was born as Jariwala in Gujarat to a Gujarati family. His first home was in Surat and family based in Mumbai. A stint in the film school took him to Bollywood, where he eventually...
replacing Dutt in the leading role.
The extra-feature on DVD of Kaagaz Ke Phool
Kaagaz Ke Phool
Kaagaz Ke Phool, , is a 1959 Hindi film produced and directed by Guru Dutt, who also played the lead role in the film .The film was a box office disaster of its time but was later resurrected as a world cinema cult classic in the 1980s. The film's music was composed by S. D...
has a 3 part Channel 4 produced documentary on the life and works of Guru Dutt titled In Search of Guru Dutt
In Search of Guru Dutt
In search of Guru Dutt is a three part documentary on life and work of legendary Indian actor, writer, director and producer of Hindi films Guru Dutt to mark his 25th death Anniversary....
.
Most people, including Abrar Alvi
Abrar Alvi
Abrar Alvi was an Indian film writer, director and actor. Most of his notable works are from the 1950s, 1960s done with Guru Dutt. He wrote some of the most respected works of Indian cinema, Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam, Kaagaz Ke Phool, and Pyaasa which have an avid following world over...
, seem to suggest that it was a suicide. Abrar and Guru Dutt sat late that night discussing a movie, and according to Alvi, during their conversation, Guru Dutt was very morbid in his thinking and conversation.
He was, according to many, distressed by his personal situation - his wife, Geeta Dutt
Geeta Dutt
Geetā Dutt was a prominent singer in India. She found particular prominence as a playback singer in Hindi cinema...
, had distanced herself from him. He had a sleeping disorder that made him take sleeping pills, and he had been drinking since 5:00 pm that evening.
According to Asha Bhonsle, Guru Dutt called her at midnight before his death to ask whether Geeta, his wife was with her to which she replied in negative. She was the last person who spoke with Guru Dutt.( Doordarshan Documentary on Guru Dutt aired on Oct 10 2011)
Personal life
In 1953, Dutt married Geeta DuttGeeta Dutt
Geetā Dutt was a prominent singer in India. She found particular prominence as a playback singer in Hindi cinema...
, a well-known playback singer. They had been engaged for three years and had to overcome a great deal of family opposition to marry. They had three children, Tarun, Arun, and Nina.
Dutt had an unhappy marital life. According to his brother Atmaram, Guru Dutt was "a strict disciplinarian as far as work was concerned, but totally undisciplined in his personal life" (Kabir, 1997, p. 124). He smoked heavily, drank heavily, and kept odd hours. Guru Dutt's relationship with actress Waheeda Rehman
Waheeda Rehman
Waheeda Rehman , is an Indian film actress who appears in Bollywood movies and is known for many successful and critically acclaimed movies from 1950's, 60's and early 70's most notably C.I.D. and Guru Dutt classics such as Pyaasa , 12 O'Clock , Kaagaz Ke Phool , Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam...
also worked against their marriage. At the time of his death, he had separated from Geeta and was living alone. Geeta Dutt
Geeta Dutt
Geetā Dutt was a prominent singer in India. She found particular prominence as a playback singer in Hindi cinema...
herself died in 1972 at age 41, after excessive drinking which resulted in liver damage. According to an interview with Abrar Alvi, one of Dutt's close friends and his assistant director in films, Dutt did not "open up" to discuss his thoughts and problems, even though they were spending many hours together.
Legacy
Guru Dutt was at first mourned as a matinee idol but as the years passed, it became ever clearer that it was as a director that he would be remembered. Starting in 1973, his films were shown at film festivals throughout India and the rest of the world. Despite being a commercial director, he appealed to the same intelligentsia who made Satyajit RaySatyajit Ray
Satyajit Ray was an Indian Bengali filmmaker. He is regarded as one of the greatest auteurs of 20th century cinema. Ray was born in the city of Kolkata into a Bengali family prominent in the world of arts and literature...
an international favorite. He also has a place in the hearts of many ordinary Indians for his song picturisations and the many vivid characters sketched in his films.
Contrary to a general belief about the viability of his film projects, Guru Dutt more or less produced commercially successful films. Over the years the commercial nature of his projects saw a trade-off with his creative aspirations. Movies like C.I.D., Baazi
Baazi
Baazi is a 1951 Indian Hindi film directed by Guru Dutt. Dev Anand's Navketan production house produced the movie, and as per a commitment given by Dev Anand to Guru Dutt in their days of struggle, the movie was directed by Dutt....
, Pyaasa
Pyaasa
Pyaasa is a 1957 Indian film produced and directed by Guru Dutt. The film tells the story of struggling poet, Vijay , trying to make his works known in post-independence India...
, Kaagaz Ke Phool
Kaagaz Ke Phool
Kaagaz Ke Phool, , is a 1959 Hindi film produced and directed by Guru Dutt, who also played the lead role in the film .The film was a box office disaster of its time but was later resurrected as a world cinema cult classic in the 1980s. The film's music was composed by S. D...
, Chaudhvin Ka Chand
Chaudhvin Ka Chand
Chaudhvin Ka Chand is a 1960 Hindi feature film directed by Mohammed Sadiq. A production of Guru Dutt, the film centers on a love triangle between Guru Dutt, Rehman and Waheeda Rehman, and features music by Ravi. Farida Jalal is a guest appearance in the film, her debut...
and Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam
Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam
Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam is a 1962 Indian Hindi film produced by Guru Dutt and directed by Abrar Alvi. It is based on a Bengali novel, Shaheb Bibi Golam by Bimal Mitra, and is a look into the tragic fall of the haveli-dom and feudalism in Bengal during the British Raj...
were rightfully the first of their kind in Hindi cinema. The only movie produced by Guru Dutt and termed a box-office disaster was Kaagaz Ke Phool
Kaagaz Ke Phool
Kaagaz Ke Phool, , is a 1959 Hindi film produced and directed by Guru Dutt, who also played the lead role in the film .The film was a box office disaster of its time but was later resurrected as a world cinema cult classic in the 1980s. The film's music was composed by S. D...
, now a cult classic. He lost over 17 Lacs producing that movie, a large amount by the standards of the time, which was more than recovered by his next project, Chaudhvin Ka Chand
Chaudhvin Ka Chand
Chaudhvin Ka Chand is a 1960 Hindi feature film directed by Mohammed Sadiq. A production of Guru Dutt, the film centers on a love triangle between Guru Dutt, Rehman and Waheeda Rehman, and features music by Ravi. Farida Jalal is a guest appearance in the film, her debut...
. He never lost faith in his team or in the distributors of his films. Once a project was over, he would begin anew - with little concern about the commercial success of the previous project. He was part of an exclusive school of Indian film directors, including the likes of Raj Kapoor
Raj Kapoor
Known as Ranbir Raj Kapoor Rāj Kapūr, 14 December 1924 – 2 June 1988), also known as The Show-Man, was an Indian film actor, producer and director of Hindi cinema. He was the winner of nine Filmfare Awards, while his films Awaara and Boot Polish were nominated for the Palme d'Or at the...
, Mehboob Khan and Bimal Roy
Bimal Roy
Bimal Roy was one of the most acclaimed Indian film directors of all time. He is particularly noted for his realistic and socialistic films like Do Bigha Zamin, Parineeta, Biraj Bahu, Madhumati, Sujata, and Bandini, making him an important director of Hindi cinema...
, who were able to achieve a healthy blend of artistic and commercial success between the mid-1950s and mid-1960s.
Pyaasa
Pyaasa
Pyaasa is a 1957 Indian film produced and directed by Guru Dutt. The film tells the story of struggling poet, Vijay , trying to make his works known in post-independence India...
was rated as one of the best 100 films of all time by Time Magazine
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
. In the 2002 Sight & Sound
Sight & Sound
Sight & Sound is a British monthly film magazine published by the British Film Institute .Sight & Sound was first published in 1932 and in 1934 management of the magazine was handed to the nascent BFI, which still publishes the magazine today...
critics' and directors' poll, two of his films, Pyaasa and Kaagaz Ke Phool
Kaagaz Ke Phool
Kaagaz Ke Phool, , is a 1959 Hindi film produced and directed by Guru Dutt, who also played the lead role in the film .The film was a box office disaster of its time but was later resurrected as a world cinema cult classic in the 1980s. The film's music was composed by S. D...
, were among the top 160 greatest films of all time. The same 2002 Sight & Sound poll ranked Dutt at #73 in its list of all-time greatest directors, thus making him the eighth highest-ranking Asian filmmaker
Asian cinema
Asian cinema refers to the film industries and films produced in the continent of Asia, and is also sometimes known as Eastern cinema. More commonly however, it is used to refer to the cinema of Eastern, Southeastern and Southern Asia. West Asian cinema is sometimes classified as part of Middle...
in the poll.
Memorable quotes
- On failure of Kaagaz Ke PhoolKaagaz Ke PhoolKaagaz Ke Phool, , is a 1959 Hindi film produced and directed by Guru Dutt, who also played the lead role in the film .The film was a box office disaster of its time but was later resurrected as a world cinema cult classic in the 1980s. The film's music was composed by S. D...
and success of Chaudhvin Ka ChandChaudhvin Ka ChandChaudhvin Ka Chand is a 1960 Hindi feature film directed by Mohammed Sadiq. A production of Guru Dutt, the film centers on a love triangle between Guru Dutt, Rehman and Waheeda Rehman, and features music by Ravi. Farida Jalal is a guest appearance in the film, her debut...
: "Life mein, yaar, kya hai? Do hi toh cheezen hai – kamyaabi aur failure. There is nothing in between." ("What is there in life, friend? There are only two things - success and failure. There is nothing in between.") - While scouting for locations in Baroda for Chaudhvin Ka ChandChaudhvin Ka ChandChaudhvin Ka Chand is a 1960 Hindi feature film directed by Mohammed Sadiq. A production of Guru Dutt, the film centers on a love triangle between Guru Dutt, Rehman and Waheeda Rehman, and features music by Ravi. Farida Jalal is a guest appearance in the film, her debut...
: "Dekho na, mujhe director banna tha, director ban gaya; actor bana tha, actor ban gaya; picture achche banane thay, achche banay. Paisa hai, sab kuch hai, par kuch bhi nahi raha." ("See, I wanted to be a director, I became one. Wanted to be an actor, I became one. Wanted to make good pictures, I have done that too. Have money, have everything. But I have nothing left.")
Actor
- Picnic (1964)-Incomplete
- Sanjh Aur Savera (1964)
- Suhagan (1964)
- BahuraniBahuraniBahurani is a 1963 Indian Hindi film directed by T. Prakash Rao. The film stars Guru Dutt, Mala Sinha and Feroz Khan in lead roles.-Plot:The Zamindar has two sons - Raghu, by his first wife, and Vikram, by his second wife. Raghu is a simple-minded and innocent young man...
(1963) - BharosaBharosaBharosa is a Hindi film released in 1963.-Plot:Ronaklal is the servant of a rich man who suffering from tuberculosis and believing himself to be on the point of death, gives Ronaklal a large sum of money to look after his little son, Bansi. Ronaklal moves to a village with his wife, son and Bansi...
(1963) - Sahib Bibi Aur GhulamSahib Bibi Aur GhulamSahib Bibi Aur Ghulam is a 1962 Indian Hindi film produced by Guru Dutt and directed by Abrar Alvi. It is based on a Bengali novel, Shaheb Bibi Golam by Bimal Mitra, and is a look into the tragic fall of the haveli-dom and feudalism in Bengal during the British Raj...
(1962) - Sautela Bhai (1962)
- Chaudhvin Ka ChandChaudhvin Ka ChandChaudhvin Ka Chand is a 1960 Hindi feature film directed by Mohammed Sadiq. A production of Guru Dutt, the film centers on a love triangle between Guru Dutt, Rehman and Waheeda Rehman, and features music by Ravi. Farida Jalal is a guest appearance in the film, her debut...
(1960) - Kaagaz Ke PhoolKaagaz Ke PhoolKaagaz Ke Phool, , is a 1959 Hindi film produced and directed by Guru Dutt, who also played the lead role in the film .The film was a box office disaster of its time but was later resurrected as a world cinema cult classic in the 1980s. The film's music was composed by S. D...
(1959) - 12 O'Clock (1958)
- PyaasaPyaasaPyaasa is a 1957 Indian film produced and directed by Guru Dutt. The film tells the story of struggling poet, Vijay , trying to make his works known in post-independence India...
(1957) - Mr. & Mrs. '55Mr. & Mrs. '55Mr. & Mrs. '55 is a 1955 Bollywood film by director Guru Dutt. Guru Dutt stars alongside Madhubala, supported by Lalita Pawar, Johnny Walker and Jagdeep in this socially critical romantic comedy set in contemporary Bombay. The films music is by O. P...
(1955) - Aar PaarAar PaarAar-Paar is a 1954 Indian Hindi-language film. Directed by Guru Dutt, the film has music by O.P. Nayyar and lyrics by Majrooh Sultanpuri. A light-hearted film , Aar-Paar stars Johnny Walker, Shyama, Shakila, Jagdeep, Jagdish Sethi, Bir Sakuja, Rajendra, Amir Banu, Rashid Khan, M.A...
(1954) - BaazBaazBaaz is an Hindi film released in 1953, directed by Guru Dutt. This film is Guru Dutt's first starring film, an action film packed with adventure staged mainly on a ship.-Plot:The 16th century, the Malabar Coast...
(1953) - Hum Ek Hain (1946)
- Lakha Rani (1945)
- Chand (1944)
Director
- Kaagaz Ke PhoolKaagaz Ke PhoolKaagaz Ke Phool, , is a 1959 Hindi film produced and directed by Guru Dutt, who also played the lead role in the film .The film was a box office disaster of its time but was later resurrected as a world cinema cult classic in the 1980s. The film's music was composed by S. D...
(1959) - PyaasaPyaasaPyaasa is a 1957 Indian film produced and directed by Guru Dutt. The film tells the story of struggling poet, Vijay , trying to make his works known in post-independence India...
(1957) - SailaabSailaabSailaab is a Hindi movie directed by the famous Indian film director, Guru Dutt in 1956.Released in April 1956, it stars Geeta Bali, as Kanchan and Abhi Bhattacharya as Gautam.Smriti Biswas, Helen and Bipin Gupta also costar....
(1956) - Mr. & Mrs. '55Mr. & Mrs. '55Mr. & Mrs. '55 is a 1955 Bollywood film by director Guru Dutt. Guru Dutt stars alongside Madhubala, supported by Lalita Pawar, Johnny Walker and Jagdeep in this socially critical romantic comedy set in contemporary Bombay. The films music is by O. P...
(1955) - Aar PaarAar PaarAar-Paar is a 1954 Indian Hindi-language film. Directed by Guru Dutt, the film has music by O.P. Nayyar and lyrics by Majrooh Sultanpuri. A light-hearted film , Aar-Paar stars Johnny Walker, Shyama, Shakila, Jagdeep, Jagdish Sethi, Bir Sakuja, Rajendra, Amir Banu, Rashid Khan, M.A...
(1954) - BaazBaazBaaz is an Hindi film released in 1953, directed by Guru Dutt. This film is Guru Dutt's first starring film, an action film packed with adventure staged mainly on a ship.-Plot:The 16th century, the Malabar Coast...
(1953) - JaalJaalJaal may refer to:* Jaal * Jaal * Jaal * Jaal: The Trap...
(1952) - BaaziBaaziBaazi is a 1951 Indian Hindi film directed by Guru Dutt. Dev Anand's Navketan production house produced the movie, and as per a commitment given by Dev Anand to Guru Dutt in their days of struggle, the movie was directed by Dutt....
(1951)
Producer
- Aar PaarAar PaarAar-Paar is a 1954 Indian Hindi-language film. Directed by Guru Dutt, the film has music by O.P. Nayyar and lyrics by Majrooh Sultanpuri. A light-hearted film , Aar-Paar stars Johnny Walker, Shyama, Shakila, Jagdeep, Jagdish Sethi, Bir Sakuja, Rajendra, Amir Banu, Rashid Khan, M.A...
(1955) - C.I.D. (1956)
- PyaasaPyaasaPyaasa is a 1957 Indian film produced and directed by Guru Dutt. The film tells the story of struggling poet, Vijay , trying to make his works known in post-independence India...
(1957) - GauriGauriGauri is an India musical raga that appears in the Sikh tradition from northern India and is part of the Sikh holy scripture called Sri Guru Granth Sahib Every raga has a strict set of rules which govern the number of notes that can be used; which notes can be used; and their interplay that has to...
(1957) Incomplete - Kaagaz Ke PhoolKaagaz Ke PhoolKaagaz Ke Phool, , is a 1959 Hindi film produced and directed by Guru Dutt, who also played the lead role in the film .The film was a box office disaster of its time but was later resurrected as a world cinema cult classic in the 1980s. The film's music was composed by S. D...
(1959) - Chaudhvin Ka ChandChaudhvin Ka ChandChaudhvin Ka Chand is a 1960 Hindi feature film directed by Mohammed Sadiq. A production of Guru Dutt, the film centers on a love triangle between Guru Dutt, Rehman and Waheeda Rehman, and features music by Ravi. Farida Jalal is a guest appearance in the film, her debut...
(1960) - Sahib Bibi Aur GhulamSahib Bibi Aur GhulamSahib Bibi Aur Ghulam is a 1962 Indian Hindi film produced by Guru Dutt and directed by Abrar Alvi. It is based on a Bengali novel, Shaheb Bibi Golam by Bimal Mitra, and is a look into the tragic fall of the haveli-dom and feudalism in Bengal during the British Raj...
(1962) - Baharein Phir Bhi AayengiBaharen Phir Bhi AayengiBaharen Phir Bhi Aayengi is a 1966 Hindi-language film. Produced by Guru Dutt and directed by Shaheed Latif. It stars Mala Sinha, Dharmendra, Tanuja, and Rehman. The film is still remembered for its music is by O.P...
(1966)
See also
- Guru Dutt teamGuru Dutt teamThe Guru Dutt team is a group of people Guru Dutt created for some of his finest works. The death of Guru Dutt cut short more works. What the team created is considered to forever have left its mark on Indian cinema as well as world cinema.-About:...
Films directed by Guru Dutt