Born Vasanth Kumar Shivashankar Padukone in Bangalore in 1925, he was renamed Guru Dutt after an early childhood accident. It is also rumored that he was supposed to have dropped the latter part of his name because of his love for all things Bengali. Never formally schooled due to financial troubles at home, he joined the performing troupe of Uday Shankar (brother of Ravi Shankar) and studied with the group until it was closed down due to WWII. He later moved to Bombay and worked at a succession of film related jobs like choreographer, assistant, and also at times as actor.
Madhubala (1933 - 1969) was one of the great and talented Hindi movie actresses of 1950's-60's. She acted in many successful and classic Hindi movies like Mahal (1949), Mr. & Mrs. '55 (1955), Howrah Bridge (1958), Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958), Mughal-E-Azam (1960), Half Ticket (1962).
These personal and rare photographs were taken by James Burke for Life Magazine. The Life archive hosted by Google wrongly documented the date of these photographs as 1941, but probably these photos were taken in 1951.
Born Vasanth Kumar Shivashankar Padukone in Bangalore in 1925, he was renamed Guru Dutt after an early childhood accident. It is also rumored that he was supposed to have dropped the latter part of his name because of his love for all things Bengali. Never formally schooled due to financial troubles at home, he joined the performing troupe of Uday Shankar (brother of Ravi Shankar) and studied with the group until it was closed down due to WWII. He later moved to Bombay and worked at a succession of film related jobs like choreographer, assistant, and also at times as actor.
His chance meeting with Dev Anand over a shirt exchanged by the laundry led to a lifelong friendship. They vowed to each other that if Guru Dutt made a film he would have Anand as hero, and if Dev produced a film then he would use Guru Dutt as its director. Dev Anand asked Guru Dutt to direct his Baazi - a noir thriller with wonderful music from SD Burman:
Guru Dutt never really did direct Dev in a film made by him, even though the wonderful CID was produced by him with Dev in the lead. The film also saw the beginning of the relationship between Guru Dutt and Waheeda Rehman:
The wikipedia lists the following as contributions that Baazi made to cinema: "Baazi also highlights two early key technical developments in Indian movie-making that are attributed to Guru Dutt. The use of close-up shots with a 100 mm lens - there are over 14 in the movie - which became known in Indian movie-making as the "Guru Dutt shot", and the use of songs to further the narrative in the movie. Guru Dutt also introduced Zohra Sehgal (whom he met at Almora) as the choreographer in the movie, and he also met his future wife, Geeta Dutt during the making of the movie.:"
Guru Dutt would go on to direct, produce and act in a series of outstanding films that have retained their quality and left their mark on Indian cinema. A core company that included Waheeda Rehman, Rehman, Johnny Walker, and Abrar Alvi (as writer and director for a few films) was part of most of these ventures. In Mr. and Mrs. 55 Guru Dutt played a poor artist in a marriage of convenience to the heiress played by Madhubala:
The success of this film led to other ventures like CID, Sailaab, and eventually Pyaasa. This latter film was an intensely personal story of an artist who is never appreciated until his death. Today the film resides in many international lists of best films and is gem-like in brilliance, and yet heartbreakingly melancholic. The lover who rejects the poet for a rich spose is played by Mala Sinha, and the woman who befriends and falls in love with him is the prostitute played by Waheeda Rehman. With many shades of the classic Devdas tale, Pyaasa mirrored the real life of Guru Dutt. He too was in a marriage with Geeta Dutt and yet his relationship with Waheeda was well known and not tolerated by his wife:
The next film that Guru Dutt directed was even more melancholic and even more personal, Kagaz Ke Phool was about a director, who sees all success, and then it all flees away from him. In this one too Waheeda was the muse, the actress he falls in love with, while married to another woman. The commercial failure of this film was a huge blow to Guru Dutt, and he was unable to recover fully from the shock:
After this Guru Dutt did not direct another film, though many speculate that he was the ghost-director for both subsequent films he produced, Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam and Chadavin Ka Chand. Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam was a period film, moody and sprightly at the same time. The two leading ladies were polar opposites in character states and the film is considered to be one of Hindi cinema's masterpieces:
The other film produced by Guru Dutt was a huge box office success and it too had his indelible directorial mark. Set in the by-lanes of Lucknow, in a Muslim environment, the film about love and sacrifice, struck an instant chord with the viewers. Waheeda was the lady Guru Dutt fell in love with, and married, only to realize his best friend was also in love with the same woman....
Madhubala, the legendary actress who graced the silver screen during the golden age of cinema, to this day remains an icon who symbolizes eternal beauty. Even though this alluring and exquisite beauty provided joy to millions of fans by her sheer radiance, her own life was full of tragedies. For someone born on Valentine’s Day, it was ironical that she kept seeking true love all her life. Suffering from a severe heart ailment, Madhubala's life was cruelly cut short on February 23rd, 1969 at the tender age of 36. However, she still lives on with her twinkling eyes and lopsided smile in the hearts and minds of all her fans. Here are my top dozen picks of the songs she featured in. Enjoy!
12. Jaane waale se (Amar): A heart wrenching song sung by Lata made even more poignant by the fact that this onscreen pair was going through an eerily similar situation in their real life!
11. Aayeeye meherbaan (Howrah Bridge): A sensational Asha Bhonsle song immortalized by a sensuous Madhubala and staid Ashok Kumar. Favorite club song!
10. Chaand sa mukhda kyon sharmaya (Insaan Jaag Utha): Soft and melodious...one of Sachin Dev Burman's best compositions!
9. Mohe Panghat pe (Mughal-e-azam): Although Madhubala was not by any means a classical dancer, this song choreographed by Lacchhu Maharaj went on to become piece-de-resistance of the movie. I guess the beauty of Radha was enough to dazzle all the movie goers!
8. Paanch Rupayya barah anna (Chalti ka naam gaadi): The famous comedy number in the voice of Kishore Kumar and Asha Bhonsle magically portrayed onscreen by the real-life couple Kishore and Madhubala!
7. Aayega aanewala (Mahal): The absolute masterpiece that launched Lata's career! Divine voice with unforgettable lyrics.
6. Haal kaisa hai janaab ka (Chalti ka naam gaadi): Classic Kishore Kumar Yodelling! Love Madhubala's expressions in this one!
5. Ek Pardesi mera dil le gaya (Phagun): Another classic hit from the golden era of bollywood music. Sung by Rafi and Asha with OP Nayyar's music, the melody of this song probably makes it a remixer's delight!
4. Acchha jee mein haari (Kala Paani): The sheer mesmerising beauty of Madhubala in this song simply blows me away every time...her naughty expressions equally matched with Asha's vocals makes it one of my personal favorites!
3. Ek Ladki bheegi bhaagi si (Chalti ka naam gaadi): Madhubala's seductive charms in this song can set many a heart fluttering to this date! SD Burman and Majrooh Sultanpuri's winning combination made this song magical and of course it was sung and enacted brilliantly by Kishore Kumar.
2. Zindagi bhar nahin bhoolegi (Barsaat ki raat): Hearing this number still overwhelms me! No words to describe the beauty of this brilliant composition. The male version of this song sung by Rafi is equally outstanding.
1. Jab pyaar kiya toh darna kya (Mughal-e-azam): An immortal song and probably the most famous one to come out of Hindi cinema! What can I say about the unforgettable Anarkali that hasn't been said before? Hailed as the Venus of India, Madhubala's most accomplished work as an actress was in Mughal-e-Azam. It unfortunately became her last swansong as well!
It is said that those whom the god loves die youngest. Maybe that's why he stopped making them like her anymore!
Madhubala, the legendary actress who graced the silver screen during the golden age of cinema, to this day remains an icon who symbolizes eternal beauty. Even though this alluring and exquisite beauty provided joy to millions of fans by her sheer radiance, her own life was full of tragedies. For someone born on Valentine’s Day, it was ironical that she kept seeking true love all her life. Suffering from a severe heart ailment, Madhubala's life was cruelly cut short on February 23rd, 1969 at the tender age of 36. However, she still lives on with her twinkling eyes and lopsided smile in the hearts and minds of all her fans. Here are my top dozen picks of the songs she featured in. Enjoy!
12. Jaane waale se (Amar): A heart wrenching song sung by Lata made even more poignant by the fact that this onscreen pair was going through an eerily similar situation in their real life!
11. Aayeeye meherbaan (Howrah Bridge): A sensational Asha Bhonsle song immortalized by a sensuous Madhubala and staid Ashok Kumar. Favorite club song!
10. Chaand sa mukhda kyon sharmaya (Insaan Jaag Utha): Soft and melodious...one of Sachin Dev Burman's best compositions!
9. Mohe Panghat pe (Mughal-e-azam): Although Madhubala was not by any means a classical dancer, this song choreographed by Lacchhu Maharaj went on to become piece-de-resistance of the movie. I guess the beauty of Radha was enough to dazzle all the movie goers!
8. Paanch Rupayya barah anna (Chalti ka naam gaadi): The famous comedy number in the voice of Kishore Kumar and Asha Bhonsle magically portrayed onscreen by the real-life couple Kishore and Madhubala!
7. Aayega aanewala (Mahal): The absolute masterpiece that launched Lata's career! Divine voice with unforgettable lyrics.
6. Haal kaisa hai janaab ka (Chalti ka naam gaadi): Classic Kishore Kumar Yodelling! Love Madhubala's expressions in this one!
5. Ek Pardesi mera dil le gaya (Phagun): Another classic hit from the golden era of bollywood music. Sung by Rafi and Asha with OP Nayyar's music, the melody of this song probably makes it a remixer's delight!
4. Acchha jee mein haari (Kala Paani): The sheer mesmerising beauty of Madhubala in this song simply blows me away every time...her naughty expressions equally matched with Asha's vocals makes it one of my personal favorites!
3. Ek Ladki bheegi bhaagi si (Chalti ka naam gaadi): Madhubala's seductive charms in this song can set many a heart fluttering to this date! SD Burman and Majrooh Sultanpuri's winning combination made this song magical and of course it was sung and enacted brilliantly by Kishore Kumar.
2. Zindagi bhar nahin bhoolegi (Barsaat ki raat): Hearing this number still overwhelms me! No words to describe the beauty of this brilliant composition. The male version of this song sung by Rafi is equally outstanding.
1. Jab pyaar kiya toh darna kya (Mughal-e-azam): An immortal song and probably the most famous one to come out of Hindi cinema! What can I say about the unforgettable Anarkali that hasn't been said before? Hailed as the Venus of India, Madhubala's most accomplished work as an actress was in Mughal-e-Azam. It unfortunately became her last swansong as well!
It is said that those whom the god loves die youngest. Maybe that's why he stopped making them like her anymore!
The Chaplinesque Raj Kapoor perfected the role of the naïve simpleton and his lady-love was more often than not played by the graceful, ethereally beautiful Nargis. The duo was the number one romantic couple of their time, worked in 16 films, and gave hit after hit in Andaaz, Barsaat, Awaara, Shree 420, Chori Chori. Rumors of a real life liaison between them were rife and alive even after Nargis married Sunil Dutt. Nargis’ often well-grounded, educated and poised character was the perfect foil for Raj’s tramp and simpleton with a big heart. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5mujIINCwM
Though each would act with many other actors, the Raj Kapoor Nargis magic was unique. Raj Kapoor would go on to be linked romantically with many of his leading ladies like Vyjayantimala and even Zeenat Aman, but never again did he sizzle on screen with any other lady.
At about the same time Yusuf Khan aka. Dilip Kumar was acting in one romantic, emotional or tragic film after another, and his graph was quite different from that of Raj Kapoor. Dilip was paired very successfully with Nargis in Deedar, Mela, Andaz, Jogan, Babul. But unlike Raj Kapoor, who played the man disadvantaged in life but eventually able to triumph over it, Dilip usually played a man who was struck down by fate, a man for whom tragedy always lurked around the corner. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myB3N4fjUtE
It was no surprise that he was the choice to play the ill-fated Devdas Mukherjee by Bimal Roy, or the star-crossed Salim opposite the enchanting Madhubala in Mughal-e-Azam. Madhubala was Dilip’s co-star in several films and romantically linked with him off-screen. In keeping with his tragedy king image, Dilip played the stoic and tragic, whether wooed by a chirpy Madhubala in Amar http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZELyWZJrAg
Or by a defiant Madhubala in Mughal-e-Azam
One other Dilip co-star made waves with him, and that was Vyjayantimala. Be it as the lovers across time itself in Madhumati, or the rich man vs. nautch girl of Sunghursh, the pair locked in a David vs. Goliath struggle in Naya Daur, or the criminal on the run with his girlfriend in Gunga Jumna, the two had a palpable on-screen chemistry.
The legendary Guru Dutt was a tragic hero in a completely different vein. Considered somewhat of a genius in the director’s chair, nevertheless he was also an excellent actor. His on-screen chemistry with Waheeda Rehman in the usually tragic films like Chaudavin ka Chand, Pyaasa, Kagaz ke Phool was fed by speculations of an off-screen liaison. In the recent book by Abrar Alvi, Alvi suggests that it was his paranoid wife Geeta Dutt who was trying to ‘out’ a non-existent romance between the two. Guru’s heroes were railing against societal injustices and went well beyond the tragedies of un-fulfilled romance. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSo3KVwrp8M
No discussion of romantic heroes of the 50s and 60s would be complete without talking of the evergreen Dev Anand. He romanced leading ladies for decades and could act the charmer even at age 50!
The Chaplinesque Raj Kapoor perfected the role of the naïve simpleton and his lady-love was more often than not played by the graceful, ethereally beautiful Nargis. The duo was the number one romantic couple of their time, worked in 16 films, and gave hit after hit in Andaaz, Barsaat, Awaara, Shree 420, Chori Chori. Rumors of a real life liaison between them were rife and alive even after Nargis married Sunil Dutt. Nargis’ often well-grounded, educated and poised character was the perfect foil for Raj’s tramp and simpleton with a big heart. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5mujIINCwM
Though each would act with many other actors, the Raj Kapoor Nargis magic was unique. Raj Kapoor would go on to be linked romantically with many of his leading ladies like Vyjayantimala and even Zeenat Aman, but never again did he sizzle on screen with any other lady.
At about the same time Yusuf Khan aka. Dilip Kumar was acting in one romantic, emotional or tragic film after another, and his graph was quite different from that of Raj Kapoor. Dilip was paired very successfully with Nargis in Deedar, Mela, Andaz, Jogan, Babul. But unlike Raj Kapoor, who played the man disadvantaged in life but eventually able to triumph over it, Dilip usually played a man who was struck down by fate, a man for whom tragedy always lurked around the corner. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myB3N4fjUtE
It was no surprise that he was the choice to play the ill-fated Devdas Mukherjee by Bimal Roy, or the star-crossed Salim opposite the enchanting Madhubala in Mughal-e-Azam. Madhubala was Dilip’s co-star in several films and romantically linked with him off-screen. In keeping with his tragedy king image, Dilip played the stoic and tragic, whether wooed by a chirpy Madhubala in Amar http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZELyWZJrAg
Or by a defiant Madhubala in Mughal-e-Azam
One other Dilip co-star made waves with him, and that was Vyjayantimala. Be it as the lovers across time itself in Madhumati, or the rich man vs. nautch girl of Sunghursh, the pair locked in a David vs. Goliath struggle in Naya Daur, or the criminal on the run with his girlfriend in Gunga Jumna, the two had a palpable on-screen chemistry.
The legendary Guru Dutt was a tragic hero in a completely different vein. Considered somewhat of a genius in the director’s chair, nevertheless he was also an excellent actor. His on-screen chemistry with Waheeda Rehman in the usually tragic films like Chaudavin ka Chand, Pyaasa, Kagaz ke Phool was fed by speculations of an off-screen liaison. In the recent book by Abrar Alvi, Alvi suggests that it was his paranoid wife Geeta Dutt who was trying to ‘out’ a non-existent romance between the two. Guru’s heroes were railing against societal injustices and went well beyond the tragedies of un-fulfilled romance. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSo3KVwrp8M
No discussion of romantic heroes of the 50s and 60s would be complete without talking of the evergreen Dev Anand. He romanced leading ladies for decades and could act the charmer even at age 50!
