Guru

Like many avid cinegoers, I too have a long list of classic/cult classics/all time great movies that I have heard people rave about but never gotten to actually watch them (or in many cases, couldn’t complete them).  Mother India, Mackena’s Gold, Mughal-e-Azaam, Good Fellas, Raging Bull, Salaam Bombay,  China Town, Dombrivali Fast, Bicycle Thieves, a lot of Hitchcock’s classics, Roja, Mirch Masala, No country for old men,  Awaara, Amelie, Ardh Satya, My left foot, Braveheart, Saving Private Ryan, Apocolyspe Now,...... and the list goes on.... Until recently this list also included the likes of Star Wars series, Pyscho, Life is beautiful, There will be blood, The lady vanishes, Godfather 2 and some others that I fail to recall right now. I would say it’s been a great “movie classics catching up” year. I partly owe this catching up to the fast food junk-esque cinema that has been served by two of my regular movie eating joints: Hollywood and its Hindi speaking Indian cousin, who shall remain nameless here. Primarily because I want the readers of this blog post to gather around at cocktail parties, all dolled up in suits and dresses, drinks in hand to speculate about the identity of this mysterious and unheard of cinema! (Audience: LAUGHTER)

Two important additions to the list of classics that I added to my movie watching history this year came from the same film maker. And to that film maker, may his soul rest in peace, I write this ode. One of the several that exist. One of the several that shall follow. The late Guru Dutt.

 As I typed his name, the song from his movie starts playing in my head.’ Dekhi zamaane ki yaari....bichde sabhi....baari.....baari....’. Two of the greatest movie watching experiences that I had this year was from watching Pyaasa and Kaagaz ke Phool. It was long due. I had been told by my aunts, uncles, and friends, how truly fantastic Guru Dutt movies are and fortunately like most things in life, this wasn’t hyped! I was awed. Not just by the emotional quotient of the two movies which led me to tears, but by the brilliant camera angles/placements, the music, Mohammad Rafi and Hemant Kumar’s soothing voices, the dialogues, the performances, Waheeda Rehman’s beauty, the stories, the direction and most of all the underlying message of the two movies.

While Kagaaz ke Phool had its weak moments, Pyaasa was simply flawless! I was engrossed in every scene of the movie. I can’t rave enough about the songs-‘Jinhe naaz hai Hind par’, ‘Jaane kya tune kahi,’ Jaane woh kaise’ (which I can’t stop humming and is now one of my favourites). Not only did all the songs have beautiful music, brilliant vocals, touching and thoughtful lyrics but were also so brilliantly picturized. I only realized while watching ‘Hum aapke aankhon me’ that part of the picturisation of the song ‘Zooby Dooby’ from the movie, ‘3 Idiots’ is inspired from here.

While it’s tempting to go on and on about how both these movies are rightly termed classics and how truly saddening the twilight years of Guru Dutt’s life were, I labour on to keep on to the true inspiration of writing this blog post. While enough people raved about all aspects of Guru Dutt movies, I was dazed that nobody ever told me what a truly fantastic actor he was! You know those people who command your attention when they walk into a room? Well Guru Dutt is that to a movie frame! You cannot take your eyes off. Not only was he incredibly handsome, he was a great performer with excellent dialogue delivery, style and tone. Guru Dutt will steal attention from co-actors even when they are ranting off and he’s quietly standing.  I can’t remember the last actor I saw who had such immense screen presence.

 I would like to take a moment here to potentially re-define the term ‘screen presence’. I have heard a lot of movie critics’ associate this term with actors like Salman, SRK, Ranbir, Akshay etc. While I don’t intend to deny the screen presence of these actors, in my definition the purest form of screen presence is one where the actor has no cinematic props in the form of chest thumping dialogues, deafening background score, camera close up, etc but still manages to grab your attention. A true screen presence is one that commands your attention, not demands it. It’s easy to grab eyeballs when you have heroic dialogues to mouth with four item songs, bikini clad women around you and umpteen Madras cut action scenes in the movie. Guru Dutt had none of those but yet had your attention! The closest parallel that I can draw to him today is Irrfan Khan. Have you ever wondered to yourself why he’s considered such a fine actor? Some of his most prominent movies, Paan Singh Tomar, Haasil, Namesake, Life in a Metro and Life of Pi had him play some of the most commonplace characters. Can you mouth any of his popular dialogues? Can you dance in his signature step? Can you imitate him? (Apart from the signature “A bhaiya.....”) Yet he’s usually the most memorable person in almost all the movies that he stars in! He’s the kind of person who just creeps up into your sub-conscious. Guru Dutt is all that and a tad more. While I still admire the Amitabhs, Aamirs, Ranbirs and Hrithiks out there, I urge you to spare a thought (in terms of actual movie watching) for the Sanjeevs, Irrfans, Gurus, Iftekaars, Abhays, Daniels of the world!

But I digress. If nobody has ever told you yet, let me be the first one. Guru Dutt was one of the finest actors of the Indian film industry! And I say this after having watched only two of his movies (next in tow is Sahib Biwi aur Ghulam). And if you don’t believe me, believe CNN! To sum up, I say watch Guru Dutt movies not just for the movies but for the man himself! RIP Guru.