100 Years Of Guru Dutt Part-II: Unfolding Longing, Loss And Legacy In Pyaasa And Kaagaz Ke Phool

In Part-II of our Guru Dutt 100 Years Anniversary series, we delve into two cinematic masterpieces — Pyaasa and Kaagaz Ke Phool. These films reflect Guru Dutt’s emotional depth, creative brilliance, and personal struggles, offering a poignant glimpse into the man behind the camera and the timeless art he created.

PYAASA (1957)

After four successful crime films and a comedy caper, Guru Dutt shifted focus to make some serious and seminal films, which are hailed as classics. The first in the series of the four classics was Pyaasa, made up of Pyaas + Aas + Yaas i.e., Quest, Desire and Despair:

QUEST: Driven by passion for artistic expression, recognition, and validation in a hypocritical and material world.

DESIRE: Fuelled by hope for connection, understanding, true love, and a better life.

DESPAIR: Crushed by societal rejection, leading to disillusionment and frustration and loss of hope for his art and values.

The story idea is believed to have originated in and around 1947, when Guru Dutt had just started and didn't have much work. He started working on a story and titled it tentatively as Kasmakash.

The story was loosely based on the character of a powerful and wealthy socialite woman of the Chetana Art Gallery in Kala Ghoda, who patronised art and artistes for her own benefit. She would identify a promising talent, hone his skills, develop and build his career, and then dump him for a newer one. It was out of his concern about the fate of such talented artistes (which did not exclude him) that he started working on the story. He gave it up the moment he started assisting Amiya Chakravarty and Gyan Mukherji.

The story was revived in the mid-50s with the help of his writer-friend Abrar Alvi. The title was changed from Kashmakash to Pyas, signifying the character's ambition and pursuit of fame and success, and ultimately to Pyaasa, signifying his emotional longing and yearning.

DUTT – DESIRE – DESPAIR

A lifetime role for any actor, to play the 'defeated by life, devastated by love' protagonist in Pyaasa, the inherent Kashmakash (Dutt's dilemma) kept lingering in the mind of this creative czar. After toying with the idea of casting Dilip Kumar, Guru Dutt himself played the role of Vijay, an impoverished and sensitive poet in search of unconditional and unalloyed love in this materialistic world. The central character, with immense love and longing, found that the world around is bereft of appreciation, and true recognition for progressive poetry is a misnomer. Hence, the creative satisfaction, eternal contentment, and spiritual fulfilment remained elusive throughout his life.

Vijay is a strong example of a weak character, and his poetic sensibilities and sensitivities make him lament and lampoon the decadent society, the deplorable social atrocities and cruelties, hypocrisy and falsity, where crass commercialisation and politicisation of art is the order of the day, reflecting the moral decadence and degeneration of values. As such, he finds himself out of sync not only with his kith and kin, friends and well-wishers, and his lady love, but also with society at large.

Hapless and helpless, hurt and humiliated, he wallows in self-pity, flounders under guilt for the atrocities of others, and broods over his failed relationship and unrequited love. Unable to continue his sole fight, he gives up and gives expression to his agonising experiences in the form of his poetry laced with cynicism and social comment.

The film shakes the conscience and stirs the soul when his glory is sung, and his poetic works are appreciated and rewarded posthumously — ironically, in his own presence — after he is erroneously believed to be dead. His epiphany is marked by the haunting question: "Ye duniya agar mil bhi jaaye to kya hai?”

The film’s finale, with Vijay's poignant monologue, scathingly critiques “that civilization, that culture where the dead are worshipped and living beings are trampled underfoot.”

DUAL DILEMMA

In Pyaasa, Guru Dutt's character faced a dual dilemma, torn between two heroines, Mala Sinha and Waheeda Rehman, with strikingly contrasting personas.

Mala Sinha had a more complex role with subtle negative shades, posing a great challenge to her at that phase of her career. Her character is ambitious, dreams big, craves for material comforts, and looks for financial and social security; in other words, she is practical and rational. The character's complexity deepens as she grapples with internal conflict, torn between the calculations of her head and the calling of her heart.

Interestingly, her complex character was less talked about, and the spotlight was more on the 'other woman' Gulabo, played by Waheeda Rehman. As the caring and compassionate street walker, she resonated more with the struggling poet, thereby winning the audience's sympathy too. Yet another reason for the shift in focus was Guru Dutt's growing fondness for her in real life.

S.D. – SAHIR SYNTHESIS

Music by S. D. Burman and lyrics by Sahir Ludhianvi elevated the film's emotional depth and narrative impact, contributing significantly to its artistic and commercial success.

Life, with all its complexities and mysteries, was a perpetual question mark for Sahir Ludhianvi, much like it is for many of us. His prolonged, inconclusive thinking to find a solution only found him in an enduring interrogative mode.

His rebellious temperament revelled in making strong social and anti-establishment comments and questioning the status quo. Pyaasa offered him full freedom, with absolute autonomy afforded by the auteur. Almost every song of Pyaasa posed a question:

Hum aapki aankhon mein, is dil ko basaadein toh?

Sar jo tera chakraaye... Kaahe ghabraaye?

Jaane kya toone kahi?

Jaane woh kaise log the jinke pyaar ko pyaar mila?

Jinhen naaz hai Hind par woh kahaan hain?

Ye duniya agar mil bhi jaaye to kya hai?

In fact, the film itself begins with a helpless question — "Ae hanste hue phool, ye mehka hua gulshan... Main doon toh bhi kya doon tumhein ae shokh hazaaron...?" — followed by the introspective, interrogative iconic couplet — "Hum ghamzada hain laaye kahaan se khushi ke geet, denge wahi jo paayenge is zindagi se hum."

Despite his limited understanding of Urdu poetry's nuances, S. D. Burman captured the full essence of Sahir's poignant and probing, interrogative lyrics. By keeping the music subdued and understated, he allowed Sahir's words to take centre stage, infusing the songs with emotional authenticity.

Sadly, following ego clashes, the Burman–Sahir team ended with Pyaasa. A classic case of a musical crime!

FRAMING THE FEELINGS

Pyaasa was set in the backdrop of Calcutta. Guru Dutt wanted to picturise the songs in the city, but he had to make some cinematic compromises.

Guru Dutt had unknowingly entrusted the location management to an inept and dishonest individual, who falsely assured him of obtaining necessary permits from the Calcutta Municipal Corporation. However, the unit faced repeated interruptions from the Calcutta police at every location, putting Guru Dutt in an embarrassing situation. It was then Guru Dutt decided to shoot the songs at Bombay's Central and Kardar Studios.

Jaane woh kaise log the at Central Studios, Tardeo.

Aaj sajan mohe ang lagaalo, "Hum aapki aankhon mein", "Sar jo tera chakraye", and "Jinhen naaz hai Hind par woh kahaan hain" were all shot at Kardar Studios. For the latter song, Guru Dutt was refused permission by the Prostitutes’ Association to shoot in the red-light area of Calcutta, and they called the police, which caused further embarrassment.

Jaane kya toone kahi was shot completely at night on the banks of the Hooghly River, Calcutta, with patchwork done at Kardar Studios.

Peechhe peechhe duniya hai", the picnic duet by Mohammed Rafi and Geeta Dutt, was shot at the Aarey Milk Colony but was deleted finally; only two lines were retained in the film.

Rutt phire par din hamaare", a solo song by Geeta Dutt, was picturised at a location on the west side of the Hooghly. This song too was deleted from the film.

Ye duniya agar mil bhi jaaye to kya hai" was the only song shot at Calcutta’s Town Hall, but a few shots were taken in Minerva Cinema, Bombay.

REEL AND REAL REFLECTION

There's a striking similarity between the reel life character of Guru Dutt and the real life filmmaker. Both craved recognition, and both achieved success. While Guru Dutt accepted his success as a filmmaker with humility, the poet Vijay's success is bittersweet. In a poignant twist, standing in a crucifixion-like pose at the portals of worldly fame, his alter ego rejects the appreciation and recognition that comes "after his death".

Pyaasa marked the beginning of the end for Guru Dutt himself — a haunting parallel between reel life and real life. True love might have changed his fate, but can one find the essence of love amidst the artificial beauty of paper flowers?

KAAGAZ KE PHOOL (1959)

Heady with the artistic and commercial success of Pyaasa, Guru Dutt marched ahead and made another poignant film, Kaagaz Ke Phool, exposing the artificiality and superficiality of the film line, and the hypocrisy and falsehood of emotions, feelings, and relationships.

FUSION OF FACTS AND FICTION

Kaagaz Ke Phool was semi-autobiographical and poignantly portrayed the complex relationship between a famous filmmaker, played by Guru Dutt, and his protégée, Waheeda Rehman. He is a married man estranged from his wife and in-laws. His only solace is his young school-going daughter studying at a boarding school. The film blended facts and fiction and reflected the reel and real-life tragic trajectory of Guru Dutt's own life.

In this film too, the protagonist is torn between two women: his estranged wife (Veena in an inconsequential role) and his discovery, Waheeda Rehman. By this stage of his career, Guru Dutt's emotional involvement with Waheeda Rehman in real life was widespread, creating a divide and chasm between Guru Dutt and his singer-wife Geeta Dutt, and shattering the domestic bliss.

Interestingly, the film mirrored "real life in reverse." In the film, Guru Dutt's character is depicted as distant from his wife and Waheeda Rehman's character drawing near him. In real life, Guru Dutt was growing close to Waheeda Rehman, while his wife, Geeta Dutt, was drifting away from him. In both the cases, the "Guru" of both the women was at the receiving end!

Adding fuel to the fire, the film flopped miserably at the box office, largely due to the abstract and intellectually demanding narrative that flew over the heads of an average viewer. The harsh reality entailed huge financial losses for Guru Dutt and, as depicted in the film, he gave up direction and took to heavy drinking — a case of fiction becoming factual and reel-life tragedy becoming real-life tragedy.

TIMELESS TUNES

Kaagaz Ke Phool had music by S. D. Burman and lyrics by Kaifi Azmi, and two outstanding scores stand out: "Bichhde sabhi baari baari" and "Waqt ne kiya kya haseen sitam". Both the timeless classics poignantly depicted the harsh realities of life and the cruel whims of time: the fleeting nature of relationships, heartbreaks that linger, the double-edged sword of success and failure — all set against the backdrop of a hypocritical society driven by self-interest.

FLICKERING FRAMES OF FATE

Kaagaz Ke Phool is noteworthy for its brilliant cinematography by V. K. Murthy, and he shot the film in Cinemascope, making it the first Indian film in Cinemascope. The complicated "beam shot," created by using two mirrors — one reflecting the sunlight on another to give the beam effect — in the song "Waqt ne kiya kya haseen sitam", is hailed as a milestone in cinematographic excellence. In the song, despite the physical distance between the two actors, Murthy poignantly captured their spiritual connection and communion, conveying a deep sense of emotional intimacy that transcended the physical realm.

Truly, time played truant, and Guru Dutt was not the same again. The sun had set, but the moon refused to rise and shine!

GURU GR-’ANTH’

In a short but illustrious career spanning about fifteen years, Guru Dutt made the above mentioned highly acclaimed crime based, comic satire and classic films. All these films, except 'Baazi', 'Jaal' and 'Baaz' were made under his banner Guru Dutt Films. Besides acting in most of his films, he acted in a few outside banner films too like: 'Sailaab' (1956, which he directed too), '12 O'Clock' (1958), 'Sautela Bhai' (1962), 'Bharosa' and 'Bahu Rani' (both 1963), 'Saanjh aur Savera' and 'Suhagan' (both 1964).

Guru Dutt started and shelved a couple of films viz.: 'Gouri' (in Bengali with Geeta Dutt in the title role) and 'Raaz' with himself and Waheeda Rehman. He also started a colour film titled 'Kaneez' with Simi in the lead and shelved it. He left a few other films incomplete, notable among them being his own 'Baharen Phir Bhi Aayengi' (for which he shot almost ten reels) and K Asif's dream project 'Love and God'. God's will seemed to have other plans for Guru Dutt, his life truncated, his films fragmented.

To paraphrase the 'Creative Pehlu of the Cosmic Persona', following a string of commercial successes and creative triumphs like 'Baazi', 'Jaal' 'Aar Paar', 'Mr and Mrs 55, 'C I D' and 'Pyaasa', Guru Dutt poured his heart into the semi autobiographical film 'Kaagaz Ke Phool', which unfortunately became his waterloo. The film's crushing failure marked a turning point, compounding the doom and despair that had begun to surface with the thematic darkness of 'Pyaasa'.

As Guru Dutt's emotional entanglement with Waheeda Rehman deepened, pessimism began to seep into his life and films. The turmoil that followed disrupted his domestic harmony with his wife Geeta Dutt and the chasm between them grew. The box office failure of 'Kaagaz Ke Phool' left him financially strained. The final blow came with 'Sahib Bibi aur Ghulam', whose commercial failure coincided with his heartbreaking split from Waheeda Rehman, marking the final chapter in a life that seemed to be writing its own haunting elegy.

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