Hindi Film Industry’s legend Guru Dutt was born on 9th July 1925. He is the man who is known for making tragic movies and winning everyone’s hearts. Some of his classic movies include Pyaasa, Kaagaz Ke Phool, Sahib, Biwi Aur Ghulam, Chaudhvin Ka Chaand among others.
Guru Dutt earned a lot of name, fame and money in his career for his outstanding contribution to the Hindi cinema. He got the same recognition as other two big cinema legends Satyajit Ray and Ritwik Ghatak.
On the occasion of their birth anniversary, let us remember this legend who will stay with us forever.
- Guru Dutt birth name was Vasanth Kumar Shivsankar Padukone and he hailed from Karnataka.
- Before he shot to fame as an actor in the Hindi cinema, Guru Dutt had short stints with careers in choreography, telephone operator position and English writer.
- Guru Dutt has received great recognition abroad in countries like France, Japan and Germany, where his films are re-released to full houses.
- Kaagaz Ke Phool, a film rejected by Indian audience has now been included among 160 greatest films of all time.
- People remember Dutt for his perfectionist and disciplinarian attitude. Unfortunately, his personal life was a total opposite of his professional life.
- He smoked heavily, he drank heavily, and he kept odd hours, which finally took its toll on his relationships and life itself.
- Guru Dutt had a very traumatic childhood which included conflicts between his parents.
- Baharein Phir Bhi Aayenghi, Picnic and Love and God were some of Guru Dutt’s unfinished projects.
- Guru Dutt is among the top 25 Asian Actors of all time rated by CNN.
- He was often referred to as Orson Welles of the Indian Cinema.
- While he was married to singer Geeta Dutt, his affair with newcomer Waheeda Rehman is said to have led him on a path to self-destruction.
- It is said that Guru Dutt gave the close-up shot to the Indian cinema. It was also known as the Guru Dutt shot.
- One of Dutt’s films Picnic remained incomplete due to his sudden death while Love and God were released 20 years later with Sanjeev Kumar replacing Guru in the leading role.
- The cinema legend had a tragic end to his life due to the overdose of sleeping pills and alcohol – a deadly mix. Dutt left for the heavenly abode at the age of 39. The last person to speak to Guru Dutt was Asha Bhonsle, who he had called up asking about his wife.
Guru Dutt may not be between us but he is still remembered as a well-known personality of Bollywood. May his soul rest in peace!
