Gurudutt - A Balance in Imbalance by Kay S

A Tribute to Dutt by Dutt
Inspired by Professor Ramesh Dutt



This piece is a tribute to a stalwart, a legend, a human who was an imbalance in a so-called psedo-balanced society, the great actor-director and doyen of the Hindi film industry, Gurudutt written inspired by my dearest Dutt Saab’s bayaar today, as he narrates in his beautiful and mesmerizing style that is inimitable and a one of its kind voice.  I am writing this in a very different format today as a dialogue of sorts laced with my thoughts in first person with Dutt Saab on his bayaar, hence this style of writing and on my blog for posterity’s sake to preserve these thoughts.

Waah Dutt Saab....Kya khoobsoorat aur dard bhara bayaar Dutt Saab ke naam...... Starting with Gurudutt Saab's death on 10th October at such a young age, the shocking effect on people around…..It's indeed a very great loss for the connoisseurs of films when such an amazing actor and more so a great human being passes away! Tapti Hui ret par dikhi Hui ibarat tha Guru...waah Kya andaaz-e-bayaan hai Dutt Saab... Bangalore being the birth place of this great personality, his name being Basant Kumar changing to Gurudutt. His childhood, his interest in acting, dancing, all the nitty-gritty details...Woww. Information on Almoda in Nainital, its beauty and Gurudutt Saab’s dance training in Udayshankar Academy....Agar aap nahi kehte toh kuch khoobsoorat jagah ke baare mein shaayad hi pataa chalta..informacion-de-galore.....aap hi ye keh sakte ho...Starting off as Assistant Director in Prabhat Studios in Pune, meeting Dev Anand and Rehman, his close friendship with Dev Anand and their pact of making films together, 1950- Sangram and choreography for a song on Shashi Kapoor and Tabassum who were kids in that movie, 1951- Baazi, a thriller, first direction of Gurudutt, the beginning of Navketan Films, Tadbeer se bigdi hui-a favorite song of mine, Sahir Ludhianvi as a music director and his exemplary talent, the film becoming a great hit, then making of Jaal, yeh raat yeh chandni- your rendering of one of my favorite songs was an icing on the......aap sahi kehte ho those were songs written such that they will remain immortally in our minds, Joining hands with OP Nayyar and Majrooh Sultanpuri starting off a different joie-de-vivre of songs, then my favorite movie, Pyaasa, what a movie....Dilip Saab refusing to play the role, and history created with Gurudutt playing the role himself, Waheeda Rehman from Hyderabad entering the realm of films, entering into a relationship with Waheeda Rehman although having Geeta Dutt as his wife, his pact with Dev Anand being fulfilled with CID, Kagaz ke phool and his complications of life, your meeting with V.K. Murthy, the technician who was given the Dada Saheb Phalke Award, your two hours of blissful meeting with him, discussion about Gurudutt and his advice about the storyline of the film and relationship of Gurudutt and Waheeda Rehman, the flopping of the film, cinemascopic making of the film, his disappointing experience,  jaayeinge kahaan soojtha nahi chal pade magar raasta nahi- what a beautifully written and again a favorite of mine song....waqt ne Kiya, kyaa gaana woh tha magar Kya khoobsoorat andaaz aur ehsaas aapke gaane mein, the difficulty of love and it's complicated and convoluted problems and your thoughts invoking thoughts of a different plane, then Chaudvin ka Chaand.....what a classic film with amazing songs, Sahib Biwi and Ghulam, the slipping of Gurudutt into silence, his depression, Life can sometimes be quite cruel too, how we last it is how the world perceives us. As the saying goes, "Life is a mystery to be lived not a problem to be solved," something I learnt very young too, Gurudutt haan was indeed a great romantic person, probably why his kind of movies probably belongs in a genre of its own...V.K.Murthy ji's last conversation with Gurudutt in the beginning of October and expression of his depression and sadness, Geeta Dutt leaving him to stay with her parents, Gurudutt meeting his children at will, his last meeting on 9th October with Devidutt and Abraar, unki ajeeb kaifiyat aur baatein and him retiring late into the night never to wake up......kaash ke us din koi saath reh gaya hota….him calling Geeta Dutt at 3 am wanting to see the kids, having an argument and his last words as if a premonition of his death.....sahi kehte ho aap Dutt Saab...tanhaaiyaan and depression.... having his sleeping pills with his drink and curtains down.....Loneliness and depression- a poison that does attack your soul and leaves you so empty and drains you of the very life one depends upon- In Firak Gorakhpuri's words...

Ab to un ki yaad bhi aati nahin
Kitni tanha ho gaya in tanhaiiyaan

What an enriching experience in life and what a journey you have had, the information you deliver extempore.... amazing you are, Dutt Saab.... blessed we are to hear you and know all this information...kyaa khoob khiraaj-e-aqeedat Diya aapne...kabhi sochti Hoon in mahaan hasthiyon ki rooh sun paaye aapki baatein toh shaayad unki khushiyon ka parwaaz hogaa.... leaving you with something I read that is apt for Gurudutt ..Thank you Dutt Saab....

Bala ki chamak us ke chehre pe thi
Mujhe kya ḳhabar thi ki mar jaaega
- Ahmad Mushtaq

Written by Kay S
Author of "Unfinished - A Woman's Tryst with Destiny"

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