In today’s weekend blog, I am writing about a one of the greatest director and actor of Bollywood. His name was Vasanth Kumar Shivshankar Padukone, who is better known as
GURU DUTT
He was born on 9th July 1925 in Bangalore. He spent his early life in Bhowanipur (West Bengal), most of people thought he was Bengali because he could speak fluently in that language.
Initially he started working with Lever brothers in Calcutta, but soon got disenchanted by the job and left the same and came to Bombay, where his parents were staying at that time. However his uncle found him a job in Prabhat studio Poona, and from here he got interested in films. It was here that he met two people who would remain his good friends for lifetime- Rehman and Dev Anand. Gurru Dutt started assisting director PL Santoshi and choreographed dances in a film called Hum Ek Hain. After his contract was over with Prabhat, he started working with Baburao Pai, who was earlier CEO of Prabhat, as a freelance assistant. He also started writing short stories in English for The Illustrated Weekly.
Then in 1947 he moved to Bombay, and worked with two leading directors of that Amiya Chakravarty in Girls School and with Gyan Mukherjee in Sangram. When Dev Anand and Guru Dutt were struggling in Prabhat, they had verabally reached an agreement that if Guru Dutt became film maker, he would cast Dev Anand as leading man, and if Dev Anand turned producer he will hire Guru Dutt to direct film for his banner. In 1950 Dev offered Guru Dutt film called Baazi to direct for his banner Navketan and after that Guru Dutt never looked back. Baazi turned out to be super duper hit film. Dev Anand and Guru Dutt made one more film together called Jaal. But creative differences between Guru Dutt and Chetan Anand (Dev’s elder brother, who was partner in Nav Ketan, and also a director in his own right) made future collaboration difficult. Jaal and his next directorial venture Baaz did not do well, in Baaz Guru Dutt was leading man also, but during making of these films, he brought together a team that performed so brilliantly in future films. He discovered and mentored Johny Walker (Comedian), VK Murthy (Cinematographer) and Abrar Alvi (writer-director) among others. He is also credited with discovering Waheeda Rehman.
Fortune smiled on Guru Dutt, when his next film Aar Paar (1954) turned out to be block buster. This was followed by Mr & Mrs 55 (1955), CID (1956), Sailaab (unreleased) and then in 1957 came PYAASA, which immortalised him.
Pyaasa is considered one of the greatest film ever made, and is in the list of TIME Magazine’s all time 100 best movies. Guru Dutt was not supposed to act in this film, the role was offered to Dilip Kumar, but on the first day of shooting he refused that role, saying that his doctors are advising him not to act in depressing and sad movies. So at the last minute Guru Dutt did not have any choice but to enact the role himself. Pyaasa had wonderful music by SD Burman and soulful poetry by Sahir Ludhianavi. Who can forget the songs ‘Jaane Kya Tune Kahi’, Yeh Duniya Agar Mil Bhi Jaye To’, ‘ Jinhe Naaz hai Hind Par Woh Kahan Hai’. Pyaasa was the story of a Poet, rejected by an uncaring world, who achieve success only after his presumed death.
His next film was his most ambitious project, ‘Kaagaz Ke Phool’. He had invested a great deal of love, money and energy in this film, which was self absorbed tale of famous director (played by Guru Dutt) who falls in love with his heroine (Waheeda Rehman). The film was technically marvellous and even 6 decades late is appreciated for hs technical brilliance. Who can forget the lighting in song ‘ Waqt Ne Kiya Kya Haseen Sitam, Tum Rahe Na Tum, Hum Rahe Na Hum’, and what a picturisation. Today’s film maker wonder how could Guru Dutt managed this technical brilliance in those days of black & white cinema, which even the director of calibre can not even think today of doing same thing. The film was a biggest loss making film of those times. But the same film is now termed as classic and reference is made of this film in all film institutes over the world, where the students watch this film with revered interest. Guru Dutt officially never directed any films after Kaagaz Ke Phool, he lost the interest for film direction after this film flopped. He only produced and acted in films after 1959.
Immediately next year in 1960 he produced a smash hit film, a Muslim social ‘Chaudhavin Ka Chaand’, a story of three friends, involving a love triangle. The film had super hit music by Ravi.
His next film as producer was ‘Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam’ a critically and commercially successful film, it was directed by his protégé writer Abrar Alvi, which won him Filmfare Best Director Award. The film had a wonderful acting by Meena Kumari and ably supported by Waheeda Rehman, Guru Dutt and Rehman.
His last film as actor producer was ‘Baharen Phir Bhi Aayengi’, but during the shooting of his film he expired. The film was reshot with Dharmendra playing the role , which was played by Guru Dutt.
His death was a mystery, on 10th Oct 1964 he was found dead in his bed in his apartment in Bombay. He is said to have been mixing alcohol and sleeping pills. His death may have been suicide, or just an accidental overdose.
At the time of his death, he was involved in two other projects also-Picnic starring actress Sadhana and director K Asif’s epic ‘Love and God’, which was released two decades later with Sanjeev Kumar replacing Guru Dutt in the leading role.
In Personal life Guru Dutt married singer Geeta Roy (later Geeta Dutt). They had three children Tarun, Arun & Nina. Dutt had an unhappy martial life, he was strict disciplinarian as far as work was concerned, but totally undicsciplined in his personal life. He smoked and drank heavily and kept odd hours. His relationship with actress Waheeda Rehman also worked against their marriage. At the time of his death , he had separated from his wife Geeta Dutt and was living alone. Geeta Dutt died in 1972 at the age of 41, due to excessive drinking which damaged her liver.
He also acted in the films produced and directed by other film makers, films like 12 O’clock, Sautela Bhai, Sanjh aur Savera, Bharosa, Bahurani and Suhagan.
In the 2002 sight & sound critics and Directors poll, two of Guru Dutt’s films Pyaasa and Kaagaz Ke Phool among the top 160 greatest film of all times.
Waiting for your comments/views/feed backs.
Anil Malik
Mubai, India
21st Jun 2019
R. N. Mungale.
Guru Duty was a really talented Director.