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EYE ON BOLLYWOOD JULY 18, 2025 | The Indian Eye 38

CLASSIC BOLLYWOOD

Guru Dutt Lives On: A Century Later,

His Cinema Still Haunts and Inspires

As India celebrates 100 years of Guru Dutt, a new generation is rediscovering the genius of

the filmmaker whose black-and-white classics continue to shape the soul of Indian cinema

OUR CORRESPONDENT
Mumbai

n an era of CGI spectacles and instant stream-
ing, the news of Guru Dutt’s cinematic gems
Ireturning to the big screen feels almost like a
gentle rebellion. As part of his centenary celebra-
tions, restored versions of iconic films such as Pyaa-
sa, Chaudhvin Ka Chand, Mr. & Mrs. 55, and Baaz
will be screened in theatres across India this August.
These 4K restorations, undertaken by NFDC-NFAI
and Ultra Media & Entertainment, aren’t just a
tribute — they are a revival of an imagination that
defined Indian cinema’s golden age.
Now, thanks to Ultra Media’s efforts and the
National Film Heritage Mission of India’s Ministry
of Information and Broadcasting, audiences will
be able to relive that magic in crystal clarity. “Re-
storing Guru Dutt’s films goes far beyond reviving
old reels. It’s about safeguarding a priceless legacy
that defines the soul of Indian cinema,” says NF-
DC’s Prakash Magdum.
What sets Guru Dutt apart even today is the
timelessness of his themes — unrequited love, ar-
tistic struggle, and the chasm between dreams and
reality. His films exist in a world that is as emo-
tionally complex as it is visually rich. In Sahib Bibi
Aur Ghulam, he explored the decaying feudal or-
der through the melancholic lens of a woman’s frames elevated mainstream Hindi cinema to a vi-
desire for love and dignity. In Mr. & Mrs. 55, he Guru Dutt, born on July 9, 1925, wasn’t sual art form. In films like Kaagaz Ke Phool, his use
married satire with romance, creating an unforget- merely a filmmaker — he was a poet of of light and shadow conveyed emotional turmoil
table snapshot of urban India’s post-independence with breathtaking subtlety. His collaboration with
confusion. the screen. His camera did not just re- cinematographer V.K. Murthy resulted in some of
That his work continues to inspire is evident cord; it revealed. With visual finesse, Indian cinema’s most iconic visuals. Every frame
in the growing interest among younger cinephiles. was purposeful, poetic, and painterly — blurring
From film schools in Pune and New York to un- complex characters, and haunting music, the lines between cinema and art. Dutt’s brilliance
derground cine-clubs in Bengaluru and Berlin, Dutt’s work transformed black-and-white lay not just in storytelling, but in how the story
Guru Dutt’s name evokes reverence. His frames looked, felt, and breathed. He was among the first
are dissected in lectures, his scripts referenced in film into a language of emotional depth to merge aesthetics with activism, romance with re-
screenwriting workshops, and his songs still play at and socio-political commentary. From the alism, and personal pain with public art.
midnight gatherings of film lovers. For many, the return of his films to theatres
Internationally, the Indian Film Festival of doomed poet of Pyaasa to the fading direc- is not just a nostalgia trip. It’s a rite of passage. A
Melbourne (IFFM) has joined in the tribute. As tor in Kaagaz Ke Phool, his protagonists reminder that before the age of blockbusters and
part of its 2025 edition, IFFM will screen Pyaasa algorithms, there was a man who painted in mono-
and Kaagaz Ke Phool, offering global audiences a were often reflections of his own anguish chrome but touched every shade of the human heart.
glimpse into Dutt’s universe. Festival director Mitu — misunderstood, romantic, unyielding. In an India where cinema often chases trends,
Bhowmick Lange describes him as “far ahead of Guru Dutt remains the master who chased truth.
his time, both in cinematic technique and emotion- And as lights dim in theatres this August and his
al depth.” just stories, but a visual vocabulary for loneliness, frames flicker once more, a new generation will
Though Guru Dutt died young — at just 39 — passion, and hope. His mastery of chiaroscuro find what countless before them have — that Guru
his legacy feels eternal. He gave Indian cinema not lighting, deep-focus shots, and carefully composed Dutt didn’t just make films. He made feelings.

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