Tribute to Bhowanipore's Guru Dutt on centenary
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Kolkata:
Guru Dutt
was not born in Kolkata but the city had lived in him since he shifted here and grew up as a Bhowanipore resident.
Fluent in Bengali and an avid reader of Bengali literature, Dutt married iconic Bengali singer, Geeta Ghosh Roy Chowdhuri, and filmed at least two of his cult movies in Kolkata.
To commemorate his centenary, film enthusiasts from across India will gather for a day-long event at the Kolkata Centre for Creativity on Friday. Richa Agarwal, chairperson of the centre, described "Yeh Duniya Agar Mil Bhi Jaye Toh: Remembering Guru Dutt" as a space to reflect on cinema and not just a tribute. After completing his schooling in Kolkata, Dutt took up a job of a telephone operator in the city in 1942.
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"He watched Bengali films at Jyoti theatre next to his home, attended jatras, heard Baul songs and watched the dance dramas of Uday Shankar that had a deep impact on him.
He admired the work of PC Barua, Debaki Bose, Nitin Bose, Phani Mazumdar. In his own cinema, we see the influence of these film-makers," said Ira Bhaskar, former dean of School of Arts and Aesthetics, Jawaharlal Nehru University, who will deliver the keynote address.
Bhaskar will present the programme's keynote address, titled 'Affect, Authorship, and Ideology. Dutt's association with Uday Shankar's School of Dance and Choreography in Almora impacted his work.
JU professor Madhuja Mukherjee, who will also deliver a talk at the event, said Dutt's 'Pyaasa' is set in Kolkata. The song, 'Jaane kya tune kahi' featuring Dutt and Waheeda Rehmanwas shot at the Prinsep Ghat.
Stories abound about Dutt's friendship with novelist Bimal Mitra whose 'Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam' was adapted for the 1962-classic. It was partially shot at the Indo-English castle of the Gaines in Dhanyakuria. "Guru Dutt began to remake Nitin Bose's 'Saathi'/'President.'
When he died in October 1964, he was remaking this film as 'Bahaaren Phir Bhi Aayengi'— set in Kolkata — with Mala Sinha and Tanuja as his co-stars.
As he died, it was finished by his team, including his brother Atma Ram and released as a Guru Dutt production in 1966 with Dharmendra playing his role," Bhaskar said. Dutt had also started shooting his Bengali directorial debut titled 'Gouri', based on the life of a sculptor. But the project was shelved.
"Geeta Dutt sang for all his films. In many of his films, SD Burman and Hemant Kumar composed the music," Bhaskar added.
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