Guru Dutt took an overdose of pills twice, once even swallowing opium, calling out for Geeta Dutt even when he was not fully conscious.
One suicide attempt, according to sister Lalita Lajmi, was definitely deliberate with Guru Dutt leaving a letter for brother Atma Ram asking him to take care of the production company, his wife and the kids.
But she always wondered if the third attempt was actually suicide since there were no calls and no letters.
It's been over six decades since Guru Dutt went to bed and never woke up.
But the magic he wove on screen, the mystery around his untimely demise, and the mystique he brought to the screen have kept him alive in our hearts.
On his birth centenary, July 9, 2025, Rediff Senior Contributor, Roshmila Bhattacharya remembers conversations with his mother, sister and a writer-friend to understand the man we lost too soon,
Shadow play on the walls
Dusk had fallen and it was time for the sandhya aarti (evening prayers).
In their two-bedroom flat near Paddapukur tank in Calcutta (now Kolkata), three youngsters are watching their nani (grandmother) light the diyas.
Suddenly, the quiet room is buzzing with activity as a deer leaps off the wall and a swan glides across, fishes dart and birds flutter.
A little girl watches, mesmerised, as her brother's slender, dancing fingers bring these creatures to life.
Years later, the world was just as fascinated by the play of light and shadow in films like Pyaasa, Kaagaz Ke Phool and Sahib Biwi Aur Ghulam, the boy, Gurudatta Padukone, having grown up to become writer, choreographer, actor, director and producer Guru Dutt.
His sister, seven years younger, Lalita Lajmi, a celebrated artist, recalled that when she had her first exhibition, though her eldest brother didn't turn up, he did buy two of her paintings.
When love blossomed...
In 1951, Guru Dutt made his directorial debut with Baazi, produced by Dev Anand -- he also played the lead -- whom he had befriended when working for Prabhat Film Company in Pune.
Baazi's mahurat shot was taken on the song Tadbeer Se Bigdi Hui Taqdeer Bana Le.
The S D Burman composition was sung by playback singer Geeta Roy and Guru Dutt's mother, Vasanthi Padukone, present on the occasion was not just impressed by her lovely voice, but years later, still spoke about her beautiful eyes and her unstarry warmth.
Soon, whenever she had a day off from recordings, Geeta would drive down to Guru Dutt's Matunga residence in central Mumbai, tuck her sari pallu into her waist and join his mother in the kitchen, pitching in with the chores and sometimes the cooking too.
She also never turned down a request to sing, and Guru Dutt, who loved Bengali songs from his years spent in the City of Joy, had a particular favourite, Tumi Jodi Bolo Bhalobasha Dite Jaani Na.
He was in love and would occasionally whisk Geeta off on long rides, his assistant Raj Khosla and sister Lalita accompanying the couple.
All through their courtship, Lalita was both a chaperone and courier, slipping their letters to each other.
Cupid's arrow had unerringly found its mark, but there was a hitch.
Geeta's family wanted her to marry the Bengali boy she was engaged to rather than a struggling actor-filmmaker from another community.
Even after Baazi and Jaal became hits, the Roys were not keen on the match, and after two years, a frustrated Guru Dutt took Geeta to the Haji Malang shrine and asked her to choose whom she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.
She chose him and they finally tied the knot on May 26, 1953.
Casting merry-go-round
According to his writer-friend Abrar Alvi, who directed Sahib Biwi Aur Ghulam, Guru Dutt never considered himself a good actor.
Dev Anand was his first choice for the lead in his debut production Aar Paar, but dates were a problem and he had to step in.
Alvi also shared that Kaagaz Ke Phool had been offered to Chetan Anand, but his price was too steep for Guru Dutt.
According to Lalita Lajmi, her brother had wanted Ashok Kumar to play Suresh Sinha, the fast-fading director in Kaagaz Ke Phool, but eventually did the role himself.
After the debacle of the 1959 drama, Guru Dutt couldn't afford a big star, so he had to play Aslam, with his real-life friend Rehman as his reel life buddy Pyare Miyan in Chaudhvin Ka Chand.
After shooting three reels of Pyaasa, he had approached Dilip Kumar, but the actor was hesitant about doing another dark film after Devdas and remuneration was an issue too, so Guru Dutt had gone back to playing the disillusioned poet Vijay.
Interestingly, Johnny Walker had shot for three days as Shyam, Vijay's scheming friend, but his director-friend quickly realised that the comedian would never be accepted as a villain.
Replacing him with his assistant Shyam Kapoor, Guru Dutt conceived the role of a malishwala for him and even got S D Burman to compose a song for him, Sar Jo Tera Chakraye which remains evergreen.
Biswajit was to be launched in Hindi cinema with Sahib Biwi Aur Ghulam, but when Bengal's matinee idol returned home, he was warned against sighing an exclusive contract with him since Guru Dutt was notorious for starting and shelving films, and declined the offer.
And that's how Guru Dutt shaved off his trademark mustache and stepped into the role of Bhoothath, Biswajit making his Bollywood debut with Hemant Kumar's Bees Saal Baad opposite Waheeda.
And suddenly, curtains...
However, another thriller, Raaz, an adaptation of Wilkie Collins' 1860 novel A Woman in White with Waheeda in a double role, being produced by Guru Dutt and directed by his assistant Niranjan, was shelved even after he replaced Sunil Dutt in the lead.
The script was later reworked and the film resurrected by Raj Khosla, Woh Kaun Thi? was a superhit!
Even Gouri a Hindi-Bengali bilingual with Geeta Dutt in the title role, was shelved after a few reels as differences between the couple escalated.
In 1961, after Guru Dutt's father passed away, their bungalow in Pali Hill, north west Mumbai, was razed and he moved to a flat in Peddar Road, south Mumbai, while Geeta shifted with the kids to Santa Cruz, north west Mumbai.
The separation was painful for both because despite all the fights, they still loved each other and found solace in alcohol and sleeping tablets.
Guru Dutt took an overdose of pills twice, once even swallowing opium, calling out for Geeta even when he was not fully conscious.
One suicide attempt according to Lalita was definitely deliberate with Guru Dutt leaving a letter for his brother Atma Ram asking him to take care of the production company, his wife and the kids.
She, however, always wondered if the third attempt was actually suicide since there were no calls and no letters.
He was shooting for K Asif's ambitious love story, Love and God, and till 2 am, had been working on the dialogue of his next production, Baharen Phir Bhi Aayengi.
He had complained of chest pain and his personal physician had dropped by at 8 am on October 10, 1964, but his bedroom door had remained stubbornly shut.
Geeta, who is said to have had a premonition and had wanted to drive down to Peddar Road the previous night, but since it was so late, had agreed to wait till morning by when he was gone.
The last scene he shot was for Baharen Phir Bhi Aayengi. In it, he hands his resignation letter to Mala Sinha, saying, 'I'm leaving.'
Prophetic? Or just ironic coincidence?
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