'Which star-heroine motivated genius Guru Dutt to make his debut as 'lead-hero'? –Younger brother Devi Dutt reveals the 'raaz' on iconic filmmaker's 100th birth anniversary !! By Chaitanya Padukone

“Its so sentimentally delightful to know that on his Centenary Birth Day ( July 9th 2025) and current month and the year ahead,  Guru Dutt-saab's ardent loyal global fans are and will be celebrating globally by watching his timeless classic movies and evergreen melodious songs . Also I am very happy to learn that the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM-2025) in Australia organized by Mitu Bhowmick Lange, will also honour my elder brother Guru Dutt ( Padukone)'s luminous legacy with some of his classic movies in mid-August 2025, " enthuses and shares his younger producer brother Devi Dutt     ( of classic musical movie 'Masoom' 1983 fame). 

Jogging into a fond flashback, Devi Dutt , who has worked with his genius elder brother for 11 years, reveals how director Guru became an actor ‘by sheer default and a twist of destiny’.  “Way back in early 50’s, when we were making this movie ‘Baaz’ , financier K K Kapur refused to cast actor Yeshwant and asked Guru to sign a popular Southside actor Rajan for the same film. Which he did.  But just before the start of shooting of ‘Baaz’, Rajan played truant and without informing Guru and his team, he preferred to start shooting for some other movie ‘Sindbad the Sailor’ opposite Naseem Banu. When confronted, Rajan tried to pressurize Guru to postpone the film shooting by a few months---which the latter refused. That’s when ‘Baaz’ heroine Geeta Bali coaxed, motivated and compelled Guru Dutt to ‘face’ the camera. Fortunately, even financier Kapur approved of Guru as the lead ‘hero’,” recalls Devi who incidentally is the producer of the classic musical movie ‘Masoom’ (1983) directed by Shekhar Kapur.. Incidentally Devi-jee has dedicated 'Masoom' as a token tribute guru-dakshina to the memory of his 'Guru' ( Guru Dutt) and bhabhi-jee Geeta Dutt as a respectful tribute with a title-card in the rolling credit titles.   

Is this Aamir Khan's 'silent tribute' to genius Guru Dutt-saab or is it just a wonderful coincidence ??

Did Guru Dutt's subsequent classic movie   ‘Pyaasa’ (1957) also face a similar situation ? Yet again junior Dutt catapults us into the vintage era.  Reveals Devi-jee,“ Dilip Kumar-saab  who was supposed to be finalized for the lead role of ‘Pyaasa’, did not turn up on the Mahurat day and preferred sitting with BR Chopra in his office in the same compound . After a futile wait, Guru finally canned the Mahurat shot on a “Bhaura” (bee) getting crushed. Not willing to give up, the senior Dutt patiently waited for Dilip-saab till the lunch-break was over. When he did not turn up at all, Guru Dutt (who was motivated this time by his close buddy genius cameraman V K Murthy-saab) finally decided to play the lead in his own film ‘Pyaasa’, which turned out to be an iconic film,”recalls Devi. Devi-jee also informs us who that although Guru Dutt-jee was never formally trained in music, but he was adept at dancing and choreography. "Guru Dutt jee was  a Master of  innovative song-picturizations visuals and being very music-savvy almost  all his movie songs are evergreen chart-busters," shares Devi Dutt. Among the classic shots are the light-shade camera-work in the soulful title-song of 'Chaudhvin Ka Chaand' . Cut to then Guru Dutt with arms stretched appearing perhaps like a Maseeha in the library backdrop song 'Jaane Woh Kaise ( 'Pyaasa') . 

In the haunting lyrical song 'Yeh Duniya Agar Mil Bhi Jaaye' (Pyaasa) standing facing a shadow silhouette shot in the auditorium back-lit entrance ( 'Pyaasa'). With his arms stretched  Guru Dutt  appears more like a Maseeha ( like perhaps Lord Jesus Christ crucified and then resurrection and return ?) 

There are numerous shots and scenes in genius maverick Guru Dutt's legacy of movies which are always considered like a benchmark reference and hallmark standards of cinematic excellence by most top senior directors, top senior actors and senior camera-men and most upcoming directors and cameramen  in film industry.

Legendary Guru Dutt's actual name was  Vasanth Kumar Padukone and his younger brother 'late' Atmaram (of  musical hit 'Shikaar' 1968) fame was also a eminent prolific famous film-maker,  who had even launched newcomer Subhash Ghai as an 'actor' in his movie 'Umang'.( 1970) 

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