Remembering Guru Dutt on 101th birth anniversary: ​​5 best works of the melancholic hero of Bollywood

New Delhi: On Guru Dutt’s 101th birth anniversary, here is an ode to a man of few words, who came to be celebrated for his brilliance only decades after his death.

Guru Dutt

Guru Dutt was born on July 9, 1925, was a multi-talented genius who was master of various talents, including choreographer, writer, producer, financier, director, and actor.

He was the man of few words, he was celebrated for his brilliance only decades after his death. Guru Dutt gave Indian cinema some of its all-time classics.

His Career

Dutt started his career as a dancer, Vasanth Kumar Shivashankar Padukone, aka Guru Dutt, carved out a niche in Indian cinema in a very short span of time.

Guru Dutt passed away at the age of 39, but not before leaving a lasting legacy on Indian cinema.

His 1957 magnum opus Pyaasa was listed in Time magazine’s all-time 100 movies, while films like Kaagaz Ke Phool, Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam, Chaudvin Ka Chand, and Aar Paar have all become cult classics in their own right.

Here are Dutt’s 5 best cinema

1. Aar Paar (1954)

Aar Paar was themed as a noir-comedy, about a street-smart cab driver romancing two women. A whole tramp-with-a-golden-heart concept was a hit with the audience and made the movie a very important one in Dutt’s career.

2. Pyaasa (1957)

This is the movie that gave the audience goose bumps with the song “Ye Duniya Agar Mil Bhi Jaaye To Kya”, where a bearded, beaten-down Dutt arrives at his own memorial service and denounces the world. This movie is rated as one of the best romantic tragedies of all times in India

3. Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959)

Believe it or not, this movie was a box office disaster when it released in 1959. It was only in the 80s that it got its due credit and got labeled a cult classic. Also, this film has a bit of an eerie resemblance to Dutt’s real life; Famous filmmaker, affair with an actor, driven to alcoholism, and then the tragic death. But we like to remember it for its heartbreaking story.

4. Chaudhvin Ka Chand (1960)

Chaudhvin Ka Chand was blockbuster of his career. A love triangle between two best friends and a pretty woman; a story line done to death. But Dutt pulled it off with a brilliance like none other

5. Sahib Biwi Aur Ghulam (1962)

The movie was an adaptation of Bimal Mitra’s Bengali novel Shaheb Bibi Golam. Based on Bimal Mitra’s Bengali novel Shaheb Bibi Golam, it is the story of a feudal lord, his lonely wife, and their lower-class servant.

The movie swivels beautifully around the relationship between the three, ending on a happy note (unlike in the novel).