Guru Dutt
Guru Dutt (born July 9, 1925, Bangalore [now Bengaluru], Mysore princely state [now Karnataka, India]—died October 10, 1964, Bombay [now Mumbai]) was a Hindi motion-picture producer, director, writer, and actor, whose mastery of such elements as mood and lighting in a group of melodramas made him one of the best-known and most-accomplished stylists of Bollywood’s golden age.
Educated in Calcutta (now Kolkata), Dutt trained at Uday Shankar’s dance academy in Almora and then earned a living as a telephone operator. Later he shifted to Pune and joined the Prabhat Studio, where he served first as an actor and then as a choreographer. The first feature film he directed, Baazi (1951; “A Game of Chance”), was produced under the banner of actor Dev Anand’s Navketan International Films and featured Anand and Geeta Bali. The next year Dutt made another successful film, Jaal (1952; “The Net”), with the same stars. He then set up his own production house to make Baaz (1953; “The Hawk”). Although he worked in a variety of genres during his brief but brilliant career, melodrama was the style that best showcased his talents.
Dutt’s renown revolves primarily around three dark and brooding films: Pyaasa (1957; “The Thirsty One”), with Dutt as director and actor; Kaagaz ke phool (1959; “Paper Flowers”), again as director and actor; and Sahib bibi aur ghulam (1962; “Master, Wife, and Servant”), primarily as actor. Dutt also produced director Raj Khosla’s debut film C.I.D. (1956; abbreviation standing for “criminal investigation division”]), which launched the career of actress Waheeda Rehman. She achieved a cult following through her performances opposite Dutt in both Pyassa and Kaagaz ke phool. As a director, Dutt is known for his imaginative use of light and shade, his evocative imagery, and a striking ability to weave multiple thematic layers into his narratives. Those abilities, combined with a bewitching treatment of the songs that typify Bollywood, made him one of India’s most-accomplished filmmakers.
