Guru Dutt, 1925-1965: A Monograph

150 Pages·1973·2.995 MB·English

by  Firoze Rangoonwalla

GURU DUTT
NATIONAL FILM ARCHIV
OF INDIA
1973 »
G U RU DUTT
1925-1965
A MONOGRAPH
By
FIROZE RANGOONWALLA
Published by
NATIONAL FILM ARCHIVE OF INDIA
Ministry of Information & Broadcasting
Govt, of India
POONA-4
CONTENTS
Page
1. Credits & Synopses .. . • •
2. Illustrations Between 46-47
3. The Man & the Artist
Biographical and career note .. 47
4. The Film-maker and Actor
Critical evaluation .. 70
5. Writings by and about him
6. Filmography '31
CREDITS & SYNOPSES
L A K H A R A N I"
(Hindi/1945)
Production
Concern . Prabhat Film Co.
Director . Vishram Bedekar
Screenplay } Vishram Bedekar
Dialogue . Pandit Sudarshan
Lyrics . Qamar Jalalabadi
Music Master Krishnarao
Photography . Pandurang Naik
Sound . S. S, Kuikarni
Editing Shamim Bhagat
Art . B. D. Thatte
Dances . Madame Azurie
Cast DSauprgrua, KBhouttet , MKoasnhicaar , D.e sGaai, nApzautrraieo,,
Gouri, Karadkar, Guru Dutt, Baby
Malan, Ramsingh, Urmila, Kisanrao,
Jadhavrao, Karmarkar, Tamhankar,
Manjrekar.
Synopsis
A community of untouchables was ruled over by
a woman called Bichhwa, whom they acknowledged as
their Queen Mother. They were singers, dancers and
performers in the service of God and put up their acts
outside the Great Temple. They would only eat after
this daily ritual.
One
The Queen had two children, Lakha, the princess
who was the future Queen Mother and Lachhman
(Guru Dutt) who was brave and loyal. Lakha had her
first taste of love when a prince from a powerful clan
of disbelievers in God took her to his palace. But
Bichhwa was strongly opposed to a future Queen having
such affairs and when she found out the truth,
she drove out Lakha on the day of her crowning.
Helpless Lakha had to accept the protection of
the opposite clan by taking the vow of Godlessness
and marrying the prince. She tried to win back the
people of her tribe but in vain, though they badly
missed their star dancer in their acts. They also fared
badly in collecting money and the growing hunger
shook their faith in God.
Lachhman came to inform Lakha about their
plight. So she left the palace to come back and be
with her people despite her mother's scorn. Her angry
husband followed but she even threatened to kill him.
There was a mighty clash. Faith was pitted against
force. Yet faith won the day. In that supreme
moment of Lakha's life, the Gods took human form
and came to her rescue. The atheist prince was
subdued and the temple priests were enlightened. The
gates of the temple were for ever thrown open not
only to the untouchables but also to the disbelieving
ones, if they wished to come.
Two
'HUM EK HAIN"
(Hindi/1946)
Production
Concern Prabhat Film Co.
Director P. L. Santoshi
Original story " Saleh Mohd. Qureshi,
Treatment by J Tony Lazarus & Santoshi
Story Santoshi
Santoshi
Dialogue
Lyrics Santoshi
Music Husnlal & Bhagatram
Photography . Surendra Pai
Sound G. N. Damie
Editing P. S. Kochikar
Art B. D. Thatte
Dances Guru Dutt
Cast Durga Khote, Kamla Kotnis, Dev
Anand, A'aka Achrekar, Rehana,
Rehman, Ranjit Kumarl, Rane, Ram
Singh, Gokhle, Ganpatrao, Manajirao
Karadkar, Bhagwat, Baby Usha,
Master Sharad Kuikarni, Master Af-
zulkhan, Master Abdul Hamid, Master
T. Hussan, Manjrekar, Kisanrao.
Synopsis
When a terrible famine struck the village, many
children were orphaned and would have perished but
for the shelter given by the benevolent zamindarin,
who was quite unlike others of her class. She treated
her tenants as her family and her land as a sacred
trust. No wonder that three of Moa's orphans grew
up like her own children and their adopted form of
greeting one another was to say "hum ek hain"
Three
On the other side was a bad Zamindor and his
son Chhote Babu who grew up to be a suave villain.
Maa had allowed the three boys to pursue their
individual Hindu, Muslim and Christian faiths. The
three fell in love, got married and lived together in
harmony. This was resented by Chhote Babu especially
since the girl he hod wooed had got married to the
eldest boy.
So he began sowing seeds of discord while posing
as a family friend. Setting one brother against the
other, he made them conscious about their real
relationship and instigated them to demand a partition
of. the family estate. The ailing Maa was deeply
pained at this divisive tendency destroying all the
unity she had striven for.
A calamity of a fire in the fields engineered by
Chhote Babu brought the brothers together to protect
their common property. Once united, they and their
peasants stormed the bad Zamindar's house, demanding
punishment for Chhote Babu, who was then driven out
of the village for ever. The others took the pledge for
maintaining unity, which alone brings strength and
happiness.
Four
"GIRLS' SCHOOL
(Hindi/1949)
Production
Concern Lokmanya Productions
Director Amiya Chakrabarty
Screenplay Amiya Chakrabarty
Dialogue J. S. Casshyap
Lyrics Pradeep
Music C. Ramchandra & Anil Biswas
Photography . V. Babasaheb
Sound J. M. Barot
Editing J. S. Diwadkar
Art Bratindra Tagore
Cast Geeta Bali, Shohan, Shashikala,.Sajjan,
Mangala, Ram Singh, Vimala Vashistha,
Krishna, Haroon, Jagannath, Arjun,
Ganju, Kesarbai.
Synopsis
Escaping from a forced marriage, Usha with her
friend Saria comes to the village of Vilaspur. Here she
wonts to set up a girls' school but is strongly opposed
by the orthodox villagers led by the Zomindar. Getting
unexpected help from the Zamindar's widowed sister,
they set up the school for female education.
The Zamindar's brother-in-law Vipin shows great
sympathy towards Usha but with a selfish aim. So
Usha often snubs him and he swears revenge. Adver­
tisement for 0 new lady teacher for the school brings
forth a mole colled Shanti Majumdar who is promptly
rejected. But the widow employs him on condition that
he will soon bring his wife and children there.
But the real fact of his being unnnarried is exposed
by Vipin and he is told to leave the village. Usha who
hod begun to love the young man, suffers the pangs of
separation but her duty to the school comes first. Vipin
also tries another trick of sending a village girl to the
town and spreading the word that Shanti Kumar had
abducted her. The whole village is furious against
Shanti, so much so that Usha too is driven to believe the
rumours.
Finally of course everything turns out well with
the hero's innocence being proved, the villain getting
what he deserves and the villagers coming round to the
idea of the need for a girls' school as a permanent
institution.
Six
"BAAZI*
(Hindi/1951)
Production
Concern Navketan
Director Guru Dutt
Story Guru Dutt & Balraj Sahani
Screenplay,
} Balraj Sahani
Dialogue
Lyrics Sahir Ludhianvi
Music S. D. Burman
Photography V. Ratra
Editing Y. G. Chauhan
Art G. L. Jadhav
Dances Zohra Seghal
Cast Dev Anand, Geeta Bali, Kalpana
Kartik, Roopa Varman, K-N. Singh,
Krishan Dhawan, Shreenath, Rashid
Khan, Abu Bakar, Nirmal Kumar,
Habib.
Synopsis
The gambling instinct in man can often become a
malady and lead to his ruin. Madon, a happy-go-lucky
and audacious youth is a small-time gambler, who
believes he con always win. When his sister Rupa is
grievously ill, he does not have money for the medicine.
Rajni, a new lady doctor whom he hod earlier scorned,
comes to the rescue. This brings together Rajni and
Madon, who slowly get drawn by love.
Rajni belongs to a rich family of high social status
and is being courted by police inspector Ramesh. In the
hotel where Madon is offered a big job by the boss who
always remains behind the scene, he meets Neeno, a
Seven