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.
S D Burman enjoyed a productive partnership with Dev Anand's production house Navketan for two decades, but their collaboration reached its apogee with Guide.
'The pain of not having a home is bearable, but the pain of having one -- and not finding peace in it -- is far worse.'
'Guru Dutt taught me that pitying oneself can be beautiful, and that heartbreak is cinematic.'
'Everyone at Guru Dutt Productions would get monthly salaries. Waheeda didi would get Rs 2,500 per month. And that was the reason why she left.'
'I always considered him as a director, never an actor. Do you know he always considered other actors for his films first?' 'For Pyaasa, he wanted to cast Dilip saab; only when Dilip saab refused did Guru Duttji decide to do the role himself.'
'You have become a big star. How can you play a secondary role to Meena Kumari?'
'Abrar uncle said he had started drinking from the afternoon on that fateful day. And he continued drinking till late at night.' 'Thereafter, he must have consumed some sleeping pills, as was his habit.' 'I think that combination went fatally wrong.'
'Coming from Sikkim and the Himalayan region, we don't have a well-established film industry, so funding, infrastructure, and distribution opportunities are limited. At the same time, that can be liberating.' 'There are fewer expectations about what stories should be told, and that gave me freedom to make the film on my own terms.'
Subhash K Jha continues Guru Dutt's birth centenary celebrations by listing 10 immortal songs.
As Riteish Deshmukh turns director again with Raja Shivaji, we look at past actors who stepped behind the camera and delivered some of Hindi cinema's most memorable films.
The song that best encapsulates Geeta Dutt's unfairly abbreviated life would probably be: Yaad Karoge, Yaad Karoge, Ek Din Humko Yaad Karoge. On her 95th birth anniversary on November 23, Dinesh Raheja pieces together the life of this talented singer.
Shatrughan Sinha on Sushant Singh Rajput: 'I identify with his struggle to make a place in the Hindi film industry without any godfather.'
'Mr & Mrs 55 was breezy, romantic and so Hollywood.'
The budget of this bio-pic is said to be Rs 1.2 billion.
'If you watch songs like Acha Ji Main Haari Chalo Maan Jao Na, Lag Ja Gale or Jhumka Gira Re, you'll notice they're not just a distraction. There's a story unfolding within them.'
'It was only after he passed away that the family realised he was crying for help.'
'He began to find her boring. She felt lonely and unwanted.'
Can anyone forget S D Burman's classic songs in Devdas, Sujata and Bandini?
Sathya Saran talks about Guru Dutt and Abrar Alvi at the launch of her book Ten Years with Guru Dutt: Abrar Alvi's Journey.
Ranbir Kapoor recalled how his grandfather Raj Kapoor sent a telegram to Vyjayanthimala, convincing her to join the 1964 romantic musical drama, Sangam.
'A majority of filmmakers cannot truly understand the city because they don't live here,' says Anusha Rizvi, Director, The Great Shamsuddin Family.
Cinematographer V K Murthy talks about his old friend Guru Dutt.
S D Burman is that unique composer who remained successful right up to his death with his creative engines never running on empty.
Arun Dutt talks about his famous father Guru Dutt and how it was like growing up under his shadow.
'The behaviour, body language and attitude of a streetwalker were alien to me.'
'I don't have many friends. The ones that I have, I'm very proud of and happy with.'
V K Murthy is the first ever cinematographer to be chosen for the prestigious Dada Saheb Phalke award for his outstanding contribution to films.
It's more than just a career in show business.
'At a time when the 'my country, right or wrong' attitude is sweeping over the majority, the Pyaasa song Jinhe Naaz Hai Hind Par Woh Kahan Hain brings a much-needed sense of reality. It questions: How can one feel any sense of pride when women are treated like this? Utkarsh Mishra salutes Guru Dutt's classic that turns 68 this month.
Bhavna Talwar will direct a film based on the life and loves of the iconic filmmaker.
V K Murthy gives insight in Guru Dutt's life.
'I fell in love with Suraiya and that was my first real gafla. The more I couldn't get her, the more I wanted her. When I couldn't marry her because the world didn't want it, I cried for the first time.'
The cinematographer, famous for his camera work in Guru Dutt's classics like Pyaasa and Sahib, Bibi Aur Ghulam, believes that only Aamir Khan can play Guru Dutt onscreen.
'Madhubala in Kala Pani looks divine and yet, she's not just there for glamour.' 'In Do Raaste, the character of Neelambari (played by Bindu) isn't a heroine in the traditional sense but she has such a pivotal role.' 'That Raj Khosla gave a non-heroine such a central role, instead of the heroine, says a lot about how he valued female characters.'
We bring you an excerpt from the book Kaagaz Ke Phool: The Original Screenplay written by Dinesh Raheja and Jitendra Kothari.
Bollywood's biggest stars arrived at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai on May 1 to take part in the inaugural edition of World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) 2025.
