Ahead of Guru Dutt's birth centenary on July 9, his granddaughters Karuna and Gouri, has remembered the legendary filmmaker and actor, who gave classics, like Pyaasa, Kaagaz Ke Phool and Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam, among others.
Gouri tells PTI they don't tell people that they are related to Guru Dutt and later, when people come to know, they feel happy. Karuna says they would like to pay a tribute to their grandfather through their work. She feels the best tribute they could give to him would be by "making films that connect with people and have that resonance."
For the uninitiated, Karuna, 40 and Gouri, 37, are daughters of Guru Dutt’s son Arun. Both were raised in Pune and later moved to Mumbai, to start their career in filmmaking. They worked with several filmmakers as assistant directors.
Guru Dutt died in 1964 at the age 39, while his wife Geeta Dutt passed away in 1972 at the age of 41. Karuna and Gouri never met their grandparents, but they have heard many stories from their father, uncle Tarun, and their granduncle Devi Dutt and grandaunt Lalita Lajmi, Guru Dutt’s brother and sister.
From the stories they heard while growing up, Karuna reveals that Guru Dutt was a disciplinarian, and a very generous person.
Their grandaunt told that he was very fond of sweets. She also reveals Devi Dutt telling them that after pack up, Guru Dutt would bring sweets for his crew to celebrate the work of the day.
Gouri also reveals Guru Dutt's love for animals and they have got the same passion from their granddad. She adds Dutt had a lot of animals.
Gouri and Karuna are skeptical about documenting Guru Dutt's life through a biopic or a book.
"I don't know if I'd be able to be objective about it because at the end of the day, he is my grandfather. To make a good biopic on somebody, you do need objectivity to be able to talk about a person's life as a whole. I would love to help, be a part of that process, but not personally make it.
"In terms of books, there's so much written about him. We never met him personally, I don't know what new we would be able to bring or say about him, even if it has to come from his grandchildren's perspective," Karuna says.
They came to know about Guru Dutt's being a towering figure, when they got involved in the film community.
Karuna calls it "heartening to see how well loved he is even today, and how many people are speaking about him and wanting to celebrate his birth and his contribution to cinema."
In the time when so many artists are so easily forgotten, they feel "joyous to see how he's being celebrated."
She also feels that Dutt has left a legacy behind with "his writing, his direction, his voice as a director is still relatable and has still found a place in people's hearts."
"Hundred years is a long time but it’s amazing that people remember his body of work as if it was 10 years ago," says Gouri.
Kaagaz Ke Phool is Gouri's favourite Guru Dutt's movie, while Karuna's favourites are Pyaasa and Mr and Mrs 55.
