Guru Dutt | |
|---|---|
 Dutt on a 2025 stamp of india | |
| Born | Vasanth Kumar Shivashankar Padukone (1925-07-09)9 July 1925 |
| Died | 10 October 1964(1964-10-10) (aged 39) |
| Other names | Gurudatta Padukone |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1946–1964 |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
| Relatives |
|
Guru Dutt (bornVasanth Kumar Shivashankar Padukone; 9 July 1925 – 10 October 1964; also known asGurudatta Padukone) was an Indian filmactor,director,producer,choreographer, andwriter.[1][2][3][4] He is regarded as one of the greatest filmmakers of Indian cinema.[5][6] He was heavily influenced byAlfred Hitchcock in his initial films and later was compared withOrson Welles due to his works getting a legitimate amount of prominence amongst the cinephiles.
Dutt was lauded for his artistry, notably his usage ofclose-up shots, lighting, and depictions ofmelancholia.[7] He directed a total of eightHindi films, several of which have gained acult following internationally.[8] This includesPyaasa (1957), which made its way ontoTime magazine's 100 Greatest Movies list,[9] as well asKaagaz Ke Phool (1959), all of which are frequently listed among the greatest films in Hindi cinema.[10][9][11][12] He was included amongCNN's "Top 25 Asian Actors" in 2012.[13]
Vasanth Kumar Shivashankar Padukone was born on 9 July 1925, inBangalore in the present-day state ofKarnataka inIndia into aKonkaniChitrapur Saraswat Brahmin family. His name was changed toGurudatta Padukone following a childhood accident, the belief being that it was an auspicious choice.[14] His father, Shivashanker Rao Padukone, was aheadmaster and abanker; his mother was Vasanthi, a teacher and writer.[7] Dutt spent his early childhood inBhowanipore,Kolkata, and spoke fluentBengali.[15]
He had one younger sister—Lalita Lajmi, who was an Indian painter—and three younger brothers,Atma Ram (a director), Devi (a producer), and Vijay.[4][7] Likewise, his nieceKalpana Lajmi was also a well knownIndianfilm director,producer andscreenwriter. Hissecond cousinShyam Benegal was a director and screenwriter.[4] He is also asecond cousin twice removed ofAmrita Rao, whose grandfather and Dutt weresecond cousins.[16]
Beginning in 1942, he studied atUday Shankar's School of Dancing and Choreography inAlmora,[4]: 93 but was taken out in 1944 after getting involved with the company's leading lady.[7] From there, gaining employment at atelephone operator at aLever Brothers factory in Calcutta (nowKolkata),[4]: 93 Dutt wired home to say he had got the job. However, soon after, he was disenchanted by the job and left it.[17]
Dutt briefly returned to his parents inBombay before his uncle found him a job under a 3-year contract with thePrabhat Film Company inPune later that year. This once-leading production company had already seen the departure of its best talent,V. Shantaram, who had by then launched his own production company calledRajkamal Kalamandir.[citation needed] It was at Prabhat that Dutt met two people who would remain his lifelong good friends—actorsRehman andDev Anand, the latter of whom would later go on to produce Dutt's directorial debut.[4]
In 1945, Dutt made his acting debut inVishram Bedekar'sLakhrani (1945), as Lachman, a minor role.[4]: 303 In 1946, he worked as an assistant director and choreographed dances for P. L. Santoshi's film,Hum Ek Hain, in which Dev Anand made his acting debut.[4]: 306 [16]
While his contract with Prabhat ended in 1947, Dutt's mother got him a job as a freelance assistant with the company's CEO, Baburao Pai. Dutt once again lost his job after getting involved with the assistant dancer, Vidya, whom heeloped with as she already had a fiancé (Vidya's fiancé threatened police action, after which, the matter was resolved.)[7] From there, Dutt was unemployed for almost 10 months and stayed with his family atMatunga in Bombay. During this time, Dutt developed a flair for writing in English and wrote short stories forThe Illustrated Weekly of India, a local weekly English language magazine.[citation needed]
After his time with Prabhat failed in 1947, Dutt moved to Bombay, where he worked with two leading directors of the time:Amiya Chakravarty inGirls' School (1949); andGyan Mukherjee in theBombay Talkies filmSangram (1950).[4][7] Around this time,Dev Anand offered Dutt a job as a director in his new company,Navketan. Back in their time at Prabhat while both still new to the industry, Anand and Dutt reached an agreement that if Dutt were to become a filmmaker, he would hire Anand as his hero, and if Anand were to produce a film, he would use Dutt as its director. Keeping that promise, the duo made two super-hit films together in a row.
First, Anand hired Dutt forBaazi (1951), starring Anand himself and marking Dutt's directorial debut.[4][16][7] With itsmorally ambiguous hero, the transgressing siren, and shadow lighting, the film was a tribute to the 1940sfilm noir genre of Hollywood, and defined the noir genre for the following decade in Bollywood.[18][4]Baazi, which was an immediate success, was followed byJaal (1952), also directed by Dutt and starring Anand, and was again successful at the box office.[4]
Dutt went on to cast Anand inC.I.D. (1956).[4] After Dutt's death, Anand said that "He was a young man, he should not have made depressing pictures."[19] Creative differences between Dutt, andChetan Anand (Anand's elder brother), who was also a director, made future collaborations difficult.[citation needed]
For his next project, Dutt directed and starred inBaaz (1953). Though the film did not perform very well at the box office, it brought together what would be known as theGuru Dutt team, who performed well in subsequent films.[7] The team included various filmmakers discovered and mentored by Dutt, including:Johnny Walker (actor-comedian),V.K. Murthy (cinematographer),Abrar Alvi (writer-director),Raj Khosla (writer),Waheeda Rehman (actress), among others.Dutt's next films, however, were blockbusters:Aar Paar in 1954;Mr. & Mrs. '55 in 1955;C.I.D. thenSailaab in 1956; andPyaasa in 1957. Dutt played the lead role in three of these five films.
In 1959 came the release of Dutt'sKaagaz Ke Phool, the first Indian film produced inCinemaScope.[4] Despite the innovation,Kaagaz—about a famous director (played by Dutt) who falls in love with an actress (played by Waheeda Rehman, Dutt's real-life love interest)—was an intense disappointment at the box office.[4] All subsequent films from his studio were, thereafter, officially headed by other directors, since Dutt felt that his name wasanathema to the box office. It would be the only film produced by Dutt that was considered a box office disaster, for which Dutt lost over Rs. 17 crore, a large amount by the standards of that time.[9]
In 1960, Dutt's team releasedChaudhvin Ka Chand, directed by M. Sadiq and starring Dutt alongside Waheeda Rehman and Rehman. The film was a box-office smash hit, and more than recovered Dutt's losses fromKaagaz. The film's title track, "Chaudhvin Ka Chand Ho", is in a special colour sequence and is the only time one can see Guru Dutt in colour.[20]
In 1962, his team releasedSahib Bibi Aur Ghulam, a critically successful film which was directed by Dutt's protégé, Abrar Alvi, who won theFilmfare Best Director Award for the film. The film starred Dutt andMeena Kumari, along with Rehman and Waheeda Rehman in supporting roles.[21]
In 1964, Dutt acted opposite Meena Kumari in his last film,Sanjh Aur Savera, directed byHrishikesh Mukherjee. After his death in October 1964, he left several films incomplete. He was cast as the lead inK Asif's filmLove and God but was replaced bySanjeev Kumar when the film was revived years later. He was also working oppositeSadhana inPicnic which was left incomplete and shelved.
He was set to produce and star inBaharen Phir Bhi Aayengi but was replaced as the lead byDharmendra and the film released in 1966 as his last film as a producer.[22]
In 1953, Dutt married Geeta Roy Chowdhuri (later,Geeta Dutt), a well-known playback singer whom he met during the making ofBaazi (1951).[7] The couple had been engaged for three years, overcoming a great deal of family opposition in order to marry. After marriage, in 1956, they moved to a bungalow inPali Hill, Mumbai. They eventually had three children, Tarun, Arun, and Nina;[7] after the death of Guru and Geeta, the children grew up in the homes of Guru's brotherAtma Ram and Geeta's brother Mukul Roy.[23][24]
Dutt had an unhappy marital life. According to Atma Ram, he was "a strictdisciplinarian as far as work was concerned, but totally undisciplined in his personal life."[25] He smoked and drank heavily and kept odd hours. Dutt's relationship with actressWaheeda Rehman also worked against their marriage. At the time of his death, he had separated from Geeta and was living alone. Geeta Dutt died in 1972 at age 41, after excessive drinking, which resulted in liver damage.
On 10 October 1964, Dutt was found dead in his bed in his rented apartment atPedder Road in Bombay.[26] He is said to have been mixing alcohol and sleeping pills. His death may have beensuicide, or just anaccidental overdose. If the former is true, it would have been his third suicide attempt.[27]
Dutt's son, Arun, considered the death to be an accident. Dutt had scheduled appointments for the next day with actressMala Sinha and actorRaj Kapoor for his movieBaharen Phir Bhi Aayengi, to discuss the making of colour films. According to Arun: "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."[28]
At the time of his death, Dutt was involved in two other projects:Picnic, starring actressSadhana; and directorK. Asif's epic,Love and God.Picnic remained incomplete and the latter was released two decades later as it was entirely reshot, withSanjeev Kumar replacing Dutt in the leading role.[4]
Twelve years after his death, his mother, Vasanthi Padukone, published her biography (1976) inKannada, titled ನನ್ನ ಮಗ ಗುರುದತ್ತ: ಜೀವನ-ಚರಿತ್ರೆ (Nanna Maga Gurudatta: Jeevana-Charitre; My Son Gurudatta: Life-Story).[29]
Contrary to a general belief about the viability of his film projects, Dutt more or less produced commercially successful films.[30] Over the years the commercial nature of his projects saw a trade-off with his creative aspirations. Movies such asC.I.D.,Baazi,Pyaasa,Kaagaz Ke Phool,Chaudhvin Ka Chand andSahib Bibi Aur Ghulam were the first of their kind in Hindi cinema.[9]
The only film produced by Dutt that was considered a box office disaster wasKaagaz Ke Phool, which is now acult classic.[9] The extra-feature on the DVD ofKaagaz Ke Phool has a three-partChannel 4-produced documentary on the life and works of Dutt titledIn Search of Guru Dutt.
He, along with Raj Kapoor,Mehboob Khan andBimal Roy, was one of the few Indian film directors able to achieve a healthy blend of artistic and commercial success between the mid-1950s and mid-1960s. His brotherAtma Ram dedicated his 1969 directorialChanda Aur Bijli to him.[9]
Dutt is known as a director who used his imagination in relation to light and shade, his evocative imagery, and a striking ability to weave multiple thematic layers into his narratives.[31]
He was inducted into theWalk of the Stars, atBandra Bandstand, where his autograph was actually preserved.[32]
BothKaagaz Ke Phool andPyaasa have been included among thegreatest films of all time, as well as onSight & Sound magazine's 2002 "Top Films Survey", which polled over 250 international film critics and directors. In 2005,Pyaasa made its way on toTime magazine's All-Time 100 Movies list.[9] In 2010, Dutt was included amongCNN's "Top 25 Asian Actors of all time".[13]
A postage stamp featuring Dutt was released byIndia Post on 11 October 2004.[33] On 10 October 2011, aDoordarshan documentary on Dutt aired. In 2021, authorYasser Usman published a biographical book about him, titledGuru Dutt: An Unfinished Story.[34]
The56th International Film Festival of India taking place from 20 to 28 November 2025, will celebrate centenary and pay tribute to Guru Dutt by screening his classic films.[35]
| Year | Title | Director | Producer | Writer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | Baazi | Yes | No | Yes |
| 1952 | Jaal | Yes | No | Yes |
| 1953 | Baaz | Yes | No | Yes |
| 1954 | Aar Paar | Yes | Yes | No |
| 1955 | Mr. & Mrs. '55 | Yes | Yes | No |
| 1956 | C.I.D. | No | Yes | No |
| Sailaab | Yes | No | No | |
| 1957 | Pyaasa | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 1959 | Kaagaz Ke Phool | Yes | Yes | No |
| 1960 | Chaudhvin Ka Chand | No | Yes | No |
| 1962 | Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam | No | Yes | No |
| 1966 | Baharen Phir Bhi Aayengi | No | Yes | No |
Acting credits
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1945 | Lakharani | — | Choreographer only |
| 1946 | Hum Ek Hain | — | choreographer and assistant director only |
| 1953 | Baaz | Prince Ravi | |
| 1954 | Aar Paar | Kalu Birju | |
| 1955 | Mr. & Mrs. '55 | Preetam Kumar | |
| 1957 | Pyaasa | Vijay | |
| 1958 | 12 O'Clock | Advocate Ajay Kumar | |
| 1959 | Kaagaz Ke Phool | Suresh Sinha | |
| 1960 | Chaudhvin Ka Chand | Aslam | |
| 1962 | Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam | Atulya Chakraborty / Bhoothnath | |
| Sautela Bhai | Gokul | ||
| 1963 | Bharosa | Bansi | |
| Bahurani | Raghu | ||
| 1964 | Suhagan | Professor Vijay Kumar | |
| Sanjh Aur Savera | Dr. Shankar Chaudhary | ||
| Picnic | |||
| 1983 | Film Hi Film | Himself | Posthumous archival-footage appearance |
| Year | Film | Award | Category | Result | Refs. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam | BFJA Awards | Best Actor (Hindi) | Won | [36] |
| 1963 | Filmfare Awards | Best Film | Won | [37] | |
| Best Actor | Nominated | [37] | |||
| 1963 | National Film Awards | Best Feature Film in Hindi[a] | Won | [38] |
