GURU DUTT (
1925-1964)
“ Jab Hum chalein to
saaya bhi apnaa na saathh dhe ,
Jab tum chalo Zameen
chalay Aasmaan chalay.
Jab hum rukein to
saathh rukay sham e bekasi ,
Jab Tum Ruko Bahaar
rukay chaandini Rukay.”
Guru Dutt ( 1925-1964
) , known as genius and enigmatic film maker, continues to haunt Indian
Cinema even 51 years after his Death. In this October 2015, he would have been
90 years old.
Why had he to kill
himself at a very young age of 39 ?
(1) Was he an
Alcoholic ?
(2) Was it due to his
troubled marriage ?
(3) Was it due to the
affair with his leading actress Waheeda Rehman ?
(4) Was it due to
failure of his “ KAAGAZ KE PHOOL “ at Box office that ruined him financially?
(5) Was it the deep
hurt that he carried on account of failure of his audience to appreciate his
serious film “ KAAGAZ KE PHOOL “.
(6) Was it due to his
belief ( in later years ) with regard to futility of existence that he had also
conveyed to Abrar Alvi ?
(7) Was it an
accidental overdose of sleeping tablets after his usual heavy drinking session
?
Even if he died young and could not completely do what he
wanted to do for Indian Cinema , GURU DUTT remains a pioneer. A Pioneer for
introducing the methodical song picturization . He is the first film maker who
introduced dialogues in street language . Film dialogues used to be Bookish and
the credit for this change goes to his friend , team mate and his script and
dialogue writer Abrar Alvi. Guru Dutt
had a fantastic perception of camera shoots . He made the characters in his
frames speak inner tales. This he did with exceptional use of Light and shade.
His team included the exceptionally skilled and crafty cinematographer known as
V K Murthy.
His Pyaasa ( 1957 )
has been rated as one among100 best films of all times . Guru Dutt used the staircase symbolically in this film to create space
for exchange of words between prostitute Gulab ( Waheeda Rehman ) and poet
Vijay ( Guru Dutt ).The poet and the prostitute demonstrate higher and mundane
love with their appropriate up and down movements along the staircase . In
2004, The British film Institute magazine "Sight And Sound" credited
PYAASA with one of the best music creations for Cinema.
And his Kaagaz ke Phool ( 1959 ) , though a box office
disaster , was ranked at 160 among the greatest films of all time . The song “ Waqt ne Kiyaa Kyaa haseen sitam “
remains as fresh and popular as it was in 1959. After some Hollywood directors
appreciated the subject and its cinematic presentation by Guru Dutt, the movie
was suddenly rediscovered . And after 1980 it picked up a cult following world
over.
For her book “ GURU
DUTT: MAKING OF CINEEMA “ , Nasreen Munni Kabir interviewed Guru
Dutt’s relations , friends and acquaintances some time around 1988. As producer
of documentaries for Channel 4 TV, UK , she also made a well received
documentary “ In search of Guru Dutt “ in 1989 .
From her Book , it appears
that some one who came very close to Understanding the enigma called Guru Dutt
was his friend and film maker Raj Khosla.
In fact Guru Dutt was introduced to Raj khosla by Devanand
and finally Raj KHOSLA directed the all time super hit CID ( 1956 ) produced by Guru Dutt.
The film had music composed by O P
Nayyar and almost all the songs (Kahin
pe Nigaahein kahin pe nishaana , Boojh Mera kyaa naam re , Aey dil Hai Mushkil
jeena yahaan , Le ke pehlaa pehlaa pyaar, Aankhon hi aankhon mein Ishaara ho
gayaa and Jaata kahaan hai deewane ) were instant hits .
In 1988, Late Raj
Khosla told Nasreen Munni Kabir ,
“He was a tremendously generous person. After CID, one day
he called me and just handed me the keys of a car. It was a Dodge convertible.
He said: "Here it is, here's your car." "What's this all
about?" "It's a present for you for making CID" And the beauty
of it was when I took the car home, I found the paperwork and everything was in
my name. I did not have to bother to do anything further.
Guru Dutt's interest in detail was tremendous. That is the
basis of all good writing and filmmaking. You look to the details and the
details will look after the rest. He was very careful about the details and
that's why his characters came alive. For Guru Dutt they were not characters
merely talking and acting - but what worried him was: "What is my artist
thinking at the moment in the story?"
I miss his quietness. We would sit together, he wouldn't
speak for hours but I was comfortable with him. Today everybody talks a lot -
they mean nothing. That company which would speak in silence - that's what I
miss.
I could never touch the core of his heart . He was a deeply
affectionate to everyone , to servants and the humblest people . He was devoted
but could not express love . You see it is one thing to love someone but it is
another to express love. So the whole thing came out in his films .That love he
put through his movies .”
( Autar Mota )
CHINAR SHADE by
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