Golden Era of Bollywood: Guru Dutt- An Institution.

Born on July 9, 1925, in Bangalore, Guru Dutt was the eldest of five children born to Vasanti and Shivkumar Padukone. He spent more than a decade in Bhawanipore in Calcutta, where Guru Dutt finished his schooling. Not surprisingly, Guru Dutt spoke fluent Bengali and carried a distinct stamp of Bengali culture in his work. As a child, Guru Dutt was fond of two things: dance and animals.it was his love for dance that laid the foundation of a career in cinema.
The 16-year-old Guru Dutt joined Shankar's dance academy in Almora on a scholarship of Rs 75.The dance troupe was disbanded during the Second World War because of financial problems, and Guru Dutt finally joined V. Shantaram's Prabhat Film Company, then a formidable film production house, in 1945. It was here that he met three of his close friends, actors Dev Anand and Rehman and director Raj Khosla, all on Prabhat rolls then.Dev anand in an interview said that we struck a deal over a glass of beer and then he said Dev..if I ever become a director you are my star and I said if I ever form a company and I invite a directory to direct a film you’re going to be the one.

So he brought him in for Baazi so that type of friendship. Then he made CID, he invited me to do a picture. Then he made Jaal and then he branched off on his own.. made his own pictures starred himself. Dev branched off. he brought in his brother Vijay Anand for Nau Do Gyarah..

Dev Anand-Guru Dutt repeated their magic at the box office with breezy crime-based thrillers like Jaal (1952) and CID (1956). Guru Dutt formed his own banner and made Baaz (1953), Aar Paar (1954) and Mr and Mrs 55 (1955). it was the entry of writer Abrar Alvi and cinematographer V.K. Murthy into Guru Dutt Films that changed the tenor of his cinema. 'Guru Dutt never repeated a writer till he joined him in Aar Paar. After that, he never hired another writer,' Together, they created some of India's most admired films ' Pyaasa (1957), Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959) and Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962). While Pyaasa and Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam did well at the box office, it was the failure of Kaagaz Ke Phool, the semi-autobiographical story of a sensitive filmmaker who refuses to stand up to the pretentiousness of the tinsel world ' that broke Guru Dutt. Dutt could never accept the failure of Kaagaz ke Phool. He never directed another film.

Though he produced his next film Chaudhvin ka Chand in 1960 directed by Abrar Alvi and it was a smashing hit. Dutt also made Sahib Biwi aur Ghulam (1962) with Alvi, and there’ve been rumours about Dutt having ghost directed the movie. Sahib Biwi Ghulam was both commercially and critically successful but he was a broken man.What was running in his mind no body knows.Dev Anand in an interview said that 5 days before his death he met Guru Dutt,he wanted to make a film with him for which Dev agreed and asked him to show the script.He died on 10 th October

He lives on in his works. Some of us will always – Hum aap ki aankhon mein, is dil ko basa de toh for him as he continues to live through his cinema.1964