Guru Dutt was the finest gem of Indian cinema and was hailed as a maverick of his craft. Although many of his films had a melancholy tone, just like his tragic life, they employed a wide range of cinematic techniques. Born as Vasanth Kumar Shivashankar Padukone, Guru Dutt’s career began as a choreographer in 1944.
After seeing his work in the film, Chand (1944), Dev Anand asked Dutt to direct Baazi (1951). When the film received critical acclaim from the audience, there was no looking back for Guru Dutt, who delivered successful films which went on to become unforgettable classics. Some of the path-breaking films were Kaagaz Ke Phool, Sahib, Biwi Aur Ghulam and Pyaasa.
Though Guru Dutt had an unbeatable professional life, his personal life was not the same. He married Geeta Roy, one of the versatile singers of Hindi cinema on May 26, 1953. Soon, the couple had three beautiful children, Tarun Dutt, Arun Dutt and Nina Dutt. However, the marriage was unsuccessful, and the couple eventually parted ways. There were many factors to Guru Dutt’s broken marriage, but his romantic relationship with Waheeda Rehman added the final nail to it.
Guru Dutt married Geeta Dutt against her parent’s will
Guru Dutt met Geeta Roy during the shoot of the film Baazi and fell in love with her melodious voice. She, too, couldn’t stop herself from falling in love with him. They dated for three years before getting married. Even though Geeta’s family was totally against this alliance as she was the breadwinner of the family, the couple didn’t pay any heed to the opposition and got married.
Guru Dutt’s poor finances paved the way for tension in his marriage with Geeta Dutt
Guru Dutt’s dream project, Kaagaz Ke Phool, failed miserably, and the film’s poor performance had a significant impact on his finances. This led to a period of financial struggle, which stayed for long. He not just had to sell his assets, but also struggled to afford basic necessities. The financial strain, somewhere, also affected his marriage with Geeta.
Geeta Dutt was suspicious of Guru Dutt
Guru Dutt’s in-laws felt that the actor married Geeta for her money. Humiliated, Guru restricted Geeta from singing for films other than his own. On the other hand, Geeta’s possessiveness for Guru soon turned into suspicion.
She kept track of every actress he worked with. Guru Dutt’s sister, Lalitha Lajmi, talked about the couple’s troubled marriage and said:
“They had 11 years of a tempestuous marriage. Both of them were brilliant as artistes but as a couple faced constant friction. She was suspicious of every actress he worked with. She kept tabs on him all the time. That was her only undoing. There would be frequent quarrels and she’d take the children away to her mother’s home. He’d beg her to return.”
Guru Dutt’s alleged romantic relationship doomed his marriage with Geeta Dutt
Guru Dutt had cast Waheeda in her first lead role in the film Pyaasa, which is still considered one of their greatest films ever. Waheeda considered Guru as her mentor which eventually turned into a very strong bond. Waheeda and Guru Dutt’s collaboration continued in films like 12 O’Clock, Kaagaz Ke Phool, and Chaudhvin Ka Chand.
Guru Dutt’s marital life was already having problems. Furthermore, his closeness with Waheeda Rehman further distanced him from Geeta. Waheeda Rehman and Guru Dutt’s relationship raised many questions in people’s minds. Some stated that she was his muse; others revealed that he was hopelessly in love with her, and it was the main reason for his broken marriage.
Guru Dutt’s tragic death
Guru Dutt’s tumultuous marriage and financial constraints turned him into an alcoholic. It was then reported that Waheeda, too, distanced herself from him owing to his alcoholism, anxiety and depression attacks. On the night of October 10, 1964, he took sleeping pills after consuming alcohol. The actor reportedly passed away due to an overdose of sleeping pills with alcohol.
Guru Dutt would have been 100 today. His untimely death left a vacuum in the industry.
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