Guru Dutt, born on 9 July 1925, in Bangalore [now Bengaluru], Mysore
princely state [now Karnataka, India], 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.
No comments:
Post a Comment