Tryst With Matinee

Vaishnava Jana To

2007-05-03T08:25:00.000-07:00

The easiest way to revive a sleeping blog and satisfy one's demanding conscience is to post something utterly irrelevant and unnecessary. So here goes..

This is something I had writtten.. nay compiled for Wikipedia (which explains the factual nature). I haven't put it up. So i'l let it grace my blog for the time being.

Although this hymn has precious little to do with Cinema, it has been used in a few movies, especially those that deal with Gandhiji. It happens to one of my FAVOURITE pieces of music. Here's a way of sharing it with you...

1. Introduction
Vaishnava Jana To is a bhajan which describes the ideal Vaishnava. It essentially shows how the character of a Vaishnavite should be. A Vaishnava is one who follows the Hindu school of Vaishnavism. Vaishnavism is one of the principal divisions of Hinduism. Its adherents worship Vishnu as the supreme God or one of his avatars. The Vaishnava devotional creed of bhakti represents love and devotion to God.
Althouh Narsinh Mehta speaks about a Vaishnava, this bhajan has wider applicability. In spite of its religious connotations, it is a song that describes a kind of life that a person must seek. The song is not limited by religion, faith or caste and people all over the world can look to it as a guiding light. The ideals and virtues that Narsinh Mehta writes about are so universal that every person can adopt them as his own.

In Gujarat, this kind of bhajan is known as a ‘prabhatiyu’, roughly translated as ‘Prayer at Dawn.’ The practise of singing devotional prayers at dawn is very popular in rural India.

Vaishnava Jana has become very popular in India, especially because of Gandhiji’s patronage. It has been rendered into almost all Indian languages and some foreign languages. There have also been many on-screen movie adaptations of this song (see below).

This song is sung to various tunes, but the most popular is the one set in Raga Khamaj.

2. Narsinh Mehta (1414 – 1481)
Narsinh Mehta is arguably the greatest of all Gujarati poets. He is considered the first poet to write in Gujarati and is therefore regarded as Adi Kavi.
Narsinh is the foremost of the Gujarati saint-poets who blossomed when the Bhakti wave engulfed India in the 15th century. He has written many songs devoted to Lord Krishna’s bhakti. His morning prayers or ‘Prabhatiya’ are very popular. These have been handed down from generation to generation, and are still sung today in the same tunes that Narsinh had sung them in. Standing out amongst these is Vaishnava Jana.

It is believed that Narsinh was born in Talaja, Bhavnagar District of Saurashtra, in Nagar brahmin community, in 1414. In 1428 he went to stay at his cousin’s home in Junagadh. However, the cousin’s wife, was very rude to him. Soon enough he left the house and went to a nearby forest where he fasted and meditated for a week by a secluded Shiva Lingam until Shiva appeared before him in person. On the poet’s request, the lord took him to Dwarka and showed him the eternal rasa leela of Sri Krishna and the gopis. A legend has it that the poet transfixed by the spectacle burnt his hand with the torch he was holding. Narsinh, as the popular account goes, at Lord Krishna’s command decided to sing His praises. He resolved to compose around 22,000 kirtans or compositions.

3. Text
In Latin Script

Vaishnav jana to tene re kahiye,
Je peed parai jane re;Par dukhe upakar kare toye,
Mana abhimana na aane re.
Vaishnav jana to…

Sakal loka man sahu ne vande,
Ninda na kare keni re;Vach kacha mana nishchal rakhe,
Dhana dhana janani teni re.
Vaishnav jana to…

Sama drushti ne trushna tyagi,
Para stree jene maat re;Jihva thaki asatya na bole,
Para dhana nava jhale haath re.
Vaishnav jana to…

Moha maya vyape nahin jene,
Drudhha vairagya jena mana man re;Raam naam shun tali re lagi,
Sakal tirath tena tanaman re.
Vaishnav jana to…

Vana lobhi ne kapat rahit chhe,
Kama krodha nivarya re;Bhane Narsaiyo tenu darshaan karatan,
Kool ekoter taryan re.
Vaishnav jana to…

4. Gandhiji and Vaishnava Jana
Mahatma Gandhi is the Father of the Indian nation. Vaishnava Jana was his favourite hymn. He included it in his daily morning prayers. Gandhiji was a Vaishnava himself, but he recognised the fact that this song encompassed within its ambit, not only Vaishnavas, or other Hindus, but people of all beliefs. He strove to inculcate in himself the ideals that Narsinh Mehta sings about. It would hardly be wrong to say that Gandhiji was an embodiment of his song. He desired to become the song, finally the song became him. It would also be true to say that almost all the popularity that Vaishnava Jana enjoys outside of Gujarat is because of Gandhiji. He made the world aware of this beautiful and powerful composition. Till today, any event on Gandhiji is incomplete without a rendition of Vaishnava Jana and Raghupati Raghava Raja Ram. In fact, both these songs are played in the background in Richard Attenborough’s 1981 award-winning film ‘Gandhi.’

4.1 Gandhiji’s translation
(http://www.dgvaishnavcollege.com/col1.htm)

“A true Vaishnav is he who knows,
Another brother's weals and woes.
To his suffering brother, he gives his aid,
Sans pride, sans tough of being repaid.
He loves and respects one and all,
From his lips harsh words on none do fall.
For women and wealth, he cares never,
To his Kin, he remains a jewel forever.
The same to all, with no carvings of the mind,
In every woman, another does he find.
Master of his tongue, he never tells a lie,
On another's wealth ha casts not his eye.
By passion and attachments, he is never bound,
The sprit of renunciation in his heart can be found.
For the Lord he pines, whose glory his heartstrings strum,
His body a pilgrim's grab has truly become.
He is neither avaricious nor vile,
Wrath and desire, him do not defile.
Says Narsih, such a man as this,
Will attain the heaven of purest bliss”

5.1 Khushwant Singh’s translation
Noted India author and columnist Khushwant Singh had, in a column written for The Hindustan Times, published his English rendering of Gandhiji's favourite hymn Vaishnava Jana to and invited suggestions from readers on how to improve it. Mr. Singh felt that we should have a generally acceptable version of his hymn which could go with the collections of Gandhiji’s writings and speeches.

Mr. Singh’s translation:

A godlike man is one,
who feels another’s pain
Who shares another’s sorrow,
And pride does disdain.

Who regards himself as the lowliest of the low,
Speaks not a word of evil against any one
One who keeps himself steadfast in words, body and mind,
Blessed is the mother who gives birth to such a son.

Who looks upon everyone as his equal and has renounced lust,
And who honours women like he honours his mother
Whose tongue knows not the taste of falsehood till his last breath,
Nor covets another’s worldly goods.

He does not desire worldly things,
For he treads the path of renunciation
Ever on his lips is Rama’s holy name,
All places of pilgrimage are within him.

One who is not greedy and deceitful,
And has conquered lust and anger
Through such a man Saint Narsaiyon has a godly vision,
Generations to come, of such a man, will attain salvation

5.2 Revised translation
A few years later (October 1999) Mr. Singh wrote an article in the Hindustan Times, titled ‘Title: Bapu, why have you forsaken us?’ (http://www.hindustantimes.com/nonfram/091099/detOPI02.htm). In this article he presented the revised translation of Vaishnava Jana, after incorporating the various changes that were suggested to him by his readers. He hoped that it would receive nationwide acceptance as the authentic translation of the hymn.
Mr. Singh’s revised translation:
Speak of him as godlike The man who feels another’s pain; Who shares another’s sorrow and pride does disdain. Who regards himself lowliest of the low, Speaks not a word of evil against any one Blessed is the mother who gave birth to such a son. Who looks upon everyone as his equal, And lust he has renounced Who honours women like he honours his mother, Whose tongue knows not the taste of falsehood Nor covets another’s worldly goods. Who longs not for worldly wealth (or fame) For he treads the path of renunciation Ever on his lips is Rama’s holy name, All places of pilgrimage are within him. He has conquered greed, is free of deceit, lust and anger Through him Narsinh has godly vision And his generation to come will attain salvation.

6. Italian Translation

Vaishnava Jana enjoys universal relevance and popularity. The Prabhupada Desh site provides a translation in Italian. (http://www.prabhupada.org/prabhupadadesh/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=366)

Un Vaishnava sopporta ed elogia il mondo nel suo complesso senza parlare male degli altri
Fa le sue promesse le sue azioni ed i suoi pensieri puri, la madre sua è sicuramente benedetta
Un Vaishnava vede tutto in maniera equa, rifiuta avidità ed avarizia: Rispetta le donne come se rispettasse la sua stessa madre
La sua lingua può stancarsi ma non pronuncerà con essa il falso. Non tocca mai la proprietà degli altri
Un Vaishnava non soccombe agli attaccamenti del mondo, ha dedicato se stesso ad un distacco determinato dai piaceri terreni
Diviene dedito all'elisir che proviene dal nome di Rama, e perciò tutti i luoghi sacri sono presenti nella sua mente
Un Vaishnava non soccombe agli attaccamenti del mondo, lui ha rinunciato al desiderio ed a ogni tipo di rabbia
Al poeta Narsi piacerebbe vedere una persona così per la quale la propria virtù porti la salvezza dell’intera famiglia.

7. Different Versions
Vaishnava Jana has been sung by various singers over the years. There have been many audio versions. The songs has been played in various Indian movies, too.

7.1 Non Film Versions:
A.Probably the most famous rendition of this song is by Lata Mangeshkar in the album 'Ram Rattan Dhan Payo' (1997).
B.Even great Carnatic singer MS Subbulakshmi has lent her voice to this song. It is a well-known fact that on hearing her sing this song Gandhiji was moved to tears.
C.Pandit Jasraj, Chitra Subramaniam, Eshwai, Shankar Mahadevan, Alka Yagnik, Jaspinder Narula, Sonu Nigan and others have sung this song in an album titled ‘Vaishnava Jana To – An Ideal Man’s Path’ (2005).
D.The most recent album to feature this song is ‘Ishwar Allah Tere Naam’ - an album containing Gandhiji’s favourite bhajans. Volume 1 of this album features Karsan Sagathiya’s version sung in traditional form. Volume 2 features Ashit & Hema Desai’s rendition sung in the popular form. The Desai version can be downloaded officially from the Mahatama Gandhi Foundation website at http://www.mahatma.org.in/downloads/bhajans/bhajans.jsp?link=fd&cat=bhajans

7.2 Film Versions:
A.Richard Attenborough’s 1981 film ‘Gandhi’ plays an instrumental version of Vaishnava Jana.
Kamal Haasan’s movie ‘Hey Ram’ (2000) featured this song sung by Vibha Sharma.
B.Recently, Deepa Mehta’s ‘Water’ (2005) contained this song. Kaushaki Chakraborty sang this A. R. Rahman composition.

2006-09-06T09:04:00.000-07:00

"I haven’t had to suffer for my art but I’ve suffered enough inside to hopefully be called an artist."
– Christopher Plummer

Top Ten Actors Of All Time

2006-09-06T08:54:00.000-07:00

The other day, I was watching a programme on television which was running a countdown of the Best Bollywood actors of all time. Pardon me for the use of the term Bollywood, but I prefer it as it is shorter to type than ‘Hindi film industry’.
Back to the programme, I completely did not agree with the top ten actors, so I thought I should have my own countdown. My rating might not be the most accurate, or even most accepted, but it is my opinion. And my opinion is based on the premise that acting is not synonymous with being a star. Measure of popularity can never be an accurate measure of acting skills. Of course, screen presence matters, but good looks and two ‘right’ feet cannot an actor make.
Rating is always a risky business. Choosing the best of anything is like a walk on hot coal, one cannot come out unscathed. But, one must make a choice, and I’ve made mine. I naturally have a preference for those actors who have been willing to experiment. Versatility is the mark of a good artist. For example, an actor might be the God of sordid sob-stories, but if he lacks the all-important comic timing, he ends up being a mere uni-dimensional figurine – he fails the acid test. The other thing is that I’ve restricted the list to those actors whose movies I’ve had the good-fortune of watching. I am sure that there are plenty of deserving actors that will not find a mention in this list, or will be rated lower than their proficiency, but they will have to kindly excuse me. And so will you…

10. Anil Kapoor – Many would be surprised at this inclusion. And for good reason – Anil Kapoor has never been regarded as a quality top-league actor. All I can say is that it is a pity that the man has never been given his due. AK has been there, done that and more. He has managed to keep a strong foot-hold in the industry for more than two decades, when many of his contemporaries have been relegated to the way-side or resigned to doing the doting father roles. All this despite having unconventional looks, no Godfather, a distracting moustache and one of the most hairy torsoes I’ve ever laid my eyes on. And yet he has survived, on his own rules. Disregarding the few B-grade movies he had to sign (Loafer, Laadla, etc) to atone for the Titanic losses after the ‘what-was he-thinking’ Roop Ki Rani Choro Ka Raja debacle, AK has chosen to be different. AK’s list of hits is endless – Karma, Beta, Mr. India, Andar Bahar, Ram Lakhan, Chameli Ki Shaadi, Lamhe, Taal (where he clearly overshadowed the plastic Khanna and Rai), Biwi No.1, Pukar, etc. Each of these movies saw AK in a new ‘avatar’. And his recent Musafir and No Entry have shown that he hasn’t lost his ‘spark’.
I must mention my favourite AK movie, which didn’t do very well at the BO, but saw an inspired performance from him – 1942 A Love Story. 1942ALS should have made more money than it did, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that it was a brilliantly passionate movie. AK was different, understated, and yet very effective.
Position number 10 for our Mr. India.

9. Madhuri Dixit – Mads is one of the two only two female actors to make my list, which is yet another pity. Female actors rarely get to display the breadth of their abilities, and are mostly relegated to flashing either broad smiles or broad bosoms. But, Mads makes the cut, because she did more than just be a mute spectator as her prince charming, the hero, wooed the audiences. She wooed the audiences, too, not just by dancing her way into their hearts, but by giving power-packed performances, whenever a daring film-maker approached her. One of the most beautiful actresses, Mads, also gets a few brownie points for her dancing talents – simply because when Madhuri dances, she emotes, she can tell stories with those eyes, and burn the screen with those feet. My favourite Mads’ movies include: Devdas (only for her), Beta, Hum Aapke Hain Kaun, Lajja, Dil To Pagal Hain, Pukar, Prahar, etc.

8. Waheeda Rahman – Waheedaji happens to be Amitabh Bachchan’s favourite actress. And as you can see, mine too. Of course it helps her cause that she was my favourite director’s muse, and a leading lady in most of his classic movies. What appeals to me most about her is her unconventional and sometimes bold choice of roles, right from playing a vamp and a prostitute in her first two movies - CID and Pyaasa (a newcomer’s absolute worst career gaffe) to playing an unfaithful wife and lover in Guide. Waheedaji gave eloquent performances in dramas such as Chaudvin Ka Chand, Dil Apna Preet Parayi, Pathhar Ke Sanam, Reshma Aur Shera, Kala Bazaar, etc. But, her three performances stand out – in Kaagaz Ke Phool, Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam, and Guide. Waheedaji’s snake dance in Guide remains one of the most powerful, beautiful and poignant pieces of artistry in Indian cinema. Not many people know that she played Amitabh’s wife (Kabhi Kabhi), bhabhi (Reshma Aur Shera) and mother (Mahaan) on screen. But, it was her off-screen boldness and conviction that endears her to me – as an upcoming actress in the ‘50’s she was asked to change her Muslim name to a Hindu one, as was the fashion at that time. It was felt that she would not be accepted by audiences if she stuck to her maiden name. She refused, and proved, both, her talent and hardwork, and the unqualified love of our misunderstood masses.

7. Aamir Khan – The method actor. The perfect actor. The one emotion at a time actor. His critics might scoff at his diligence and need for perfection, but Aamir Khan has proved that without hard work nothing can be gained. When the rest of his tribe has been making movies a dime a dozen, Aamir has devotedly stuck to his one movie at a time formula. And it has worked! Aamir is one actor who has never sold himself to the BO, and yet given huge hits time and again. Of course, he has been the centre of a few controversies due to his non-nonsense attitude, but that has never diluted his acting. Unfortunately, Aamir is not one of my favourite people on-screen, but I have tremendous respect for his acumen. Aamir is one actor who comes with Quality assurance.

6. Om Puri – If Amitabh Bachchan was an angry young man, Om Puri was an angrier young man. He made his mark as a tough, unbending cop in many a movies such as Ardh Satya, and scorched the screen with his brooding intensity. And, with a voice like his who needs Dolby Digital Surround Sound. Om Puri was like a powerful current on-screen. He gave a passive energy to his movies. Since the early days he has ventured to doing character roles, and is showing us he is as adept at comedy as at drama. Om Puri was one of the jewels of Art cinema in India, and although he has shifted his loyalties to the more lucrative commercial cinema, he still brings great realism on screen. My favourite Om Puri role is a strange choice – Hera Pheri.

5. Naseeruddin Shah – Along with Om Puri, one of the stalwarts of Art House cinema. He was an art director’s dream man. Shyam Benegal and the rest adored him. And when he moved along with Om and the others to commercial cinema, vilified him. He had ‘ditched’ realistic cinema and sold himself to popcorn fare. All said and done, I’m pleased he made the move, or else we would had missed seeing his brilliant performances in plenty of movies such as Tridev, Vishwatma, etc. He proved his mettle with comedy, too, in movies such as the cult classic Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron. Naseer has always been the mature thinking man’s actor and acts with great conviction. His recent Maqbool and Omkara have reinforced this claim. May be he should just keep acting, and leave directing to others.

4. Paresh Rawal – Probably the biggest victim of type-casting in this country. Paresh Rawal must rue his fortune. When he did one villainous role he was offered twenty others. Then he did tragic roles and the tragic offers started pouring in. Then he became a hit at comedy, and the rest is history…
Though, Rawal has never been given the opportunity to carry a movie single-handedly on his able shoulders, he has excelled at every bits and pieces role given to him. Rawal has given some mind-boggling performances, but his greatness stems from the fact that in each and every movie he has given his character an edge, a power, a screen presence. In fact he has often stolen the show from under the noses of many well-established stars. Yet, his numero uno performances were in Daddy, Tamanna and Hera Pheri. These days he makes people laugh with his subtle humour and under stated style, and I’ve heard he charges quite a bomb for it. Well, he deserves whatever he gets.

3. Dilip Kumar – Yusuf Khan. One of India’s first great superstars. Along with Raj Kapoor and Dev Anand he formed the crux of the industry in the 50’s. I have not listed the other two simply because they were great stars, but not really great actors. RK and DA were RK and DA even on film, just like many actors today. But, they were popular and they were charming, so I give them a notable mention and a bow. Dilip Kumar was the uncrowned ‘Tragedy King’ of cinema. He wept and made the audiences wrench their hearts. His udti zulfe made many a heart skip a beat. And his bowed head lifted finger speaking style bred many imitators. Finally, when the Devdas’ sombre movies started affecting his personal life, he moved to a lighter genre. His Kohinoor saw an inspired performance, and demonstrated that he wasn’t a single genre actor. Dilip Kumar’s career has lasted more than half a century, and though he has retired now, we still hope for a cameo. His diverse roles and style have made him an incomparable icon. My favourite role – definitely Mughal-e-Azam. No one could have enacted Salim like he did. He was Salim, and Salim was him. Note: In order to make the song Madhuban Me Radhika from Kohinoor look realistic, Dilip Kumar took sitar tutorials for 6 months. Dedication cannot be more obvious.

1. Amitabh Bachchan – Some things are better left unsaid.
1. Sanjeev Kumar – Haribhai Zariwala is my joint number one with the Big B. As far as I remember they shared screen space two movies – Silsila and Sholay, but in widely different roles. Yet, it is apt that I put them together as Sanjeev Kumar is Amitabh Bachchan’s wife’s all-time favourite actor and co-star. In fact, he played her husband (Koshish), father (Parichay), father-in-law (Sholay) and even husband’s lover’s husband (Silsila). Hmm, so why do I chose Sanjeev Kumar? Because when he came on screen, no one for one minute doubted that he wasn’t the character he was portraying. He wasn’t afraid to accept challenges and unconventional roles. He played characters double his age, but with so much conviction and realism that the only thing that betrayed him was his hideous wig. He had a distinct method of enunciation and is still imitated today, years after his death. He played every possible role, that of lover, father, policeman, a deaf and mute, an envious husband, etc. He wasn’t over-the-top and brought sophistication to every endeavour. He even sang and danced in Sharmilee and Seeta Aur Geeta, albeit awkwardly. His most memorable role remains that of Thakur in Sholay which has immortalised him forever. And how many actors, possibly no one else, could carry off nine roles in a single movie (Naya Din Nayi Raat)? And he carried them off, and with élan. His acting was like silent poetry – it was refined and polished. If only, he had lived longer…

Notable absentees:
Balraj Sahni - since I haven't watched any of his movies.
Shah Rukh Khan - always a star, never the character
Meena Kumari - never had a chance to do anything apart from tragedy
Anupam Kher - just did not fit in the list
Smita Patil - I've seen only Namak Halal, definitely not an indication of her ability

Guru Dutt

2006-08-17T03:58:00.000-07:00

A man rejected in his lifetime, revered after his death.

Guru Dutt was a strange man - an enigma. He was like the grains of sand, one can hold them, but never grasp them. Guru Dutt did not just make movies, he conjured them. Unfortunately, no one gave him his due when he lived, not even he himself. The hunger for love, appreciation and perfection drove him to despair and alcoholism and finally consumed his life.

Gham is qadar badhe ke main ghabrake pee gaya
Is dil ki bebasi pe taras khake pee gaya
Thhukra raha tha mujhko badi der se jahan
Main aaj sab jahan ko thhukra ke pee gaya.
Pyaasa, 1957.

I begin my blog with Guru Dutt as no other movie maker has inspired so much fascination, admiration and awe in me, as him.

Gurudutta Padukone was born on the 9th of July, 1925, in Karnataka. He was not Bengali, as most people believe him to be. Yet, he was so enamoured by Bengal, where he stayed for a few years, that he changed his name to Guru Dutt (Dutt being a Bengali surname).

After learning dance from Uday Shankar's dance academy at Almora, he set out for Bombay where he got his first break as a dance director in the 1948 movie Hum Ek Hain. Incidentally, this was Dev Anand's first movie, too. And, as fate had it, Guru Dutt and Dev Anand met in strange circumstances (at the dhobi's where their clothes had got exchanged), began a long friendship and a professional union.

Then, Dev Anand had promised Dutt that if he ever made a movie under his own banner, he would sign him as director. He stayed true to his word and appointed Dutt the director of Baazi in 1951. There was no looking back for either of them after this.

Over the next 13 years Guru Dutt would make numerous memorable movies - some box-office hits, some bombs, but each one different from the other, each one a rare gem.

In the meanwhile, Guru Dutt fell in love with and married playback singer Geeta Roy and continued his Bengali fixation. Although, both were deeply in love and had 3 children together, theirs was a doomed relationship, one that would leave them pained souls finding solace only in the bottle.

As Guru Dutt's list of hits grew, he gained confidence. His early movies were mainly breezy romantic movies. He dabbled in easy thrillers and soft comedies. His films and songs were of the light variety, possibly reflecting his care-free youthful days and a contended domestic life. But, he was soon to shock the audience with a hard-hitting, sombre and powerful movie - probably a movie borne out of some turmoil in his life.

Pyaasa (1957)

Although, Guru Dutt intended his later Kaagaz Ke Phool to be autobiographical, Pyaasa ended up being closer to his life in some senses. Pyaasa was a tale of a young Urdu poet, Vijay (Bijoy in Bengali), who preferred to die a hungry death than let his precious poems be sold to non-appreciative and cynical publishers. He refused to play to the gallery. He wrote about hunger and despair and poverty and strife, and not about love and lovers as people wanted him to write.
He was in love with a rich girl from his college, but of course, she left him as he had no money or means to support her lifestyle. Disillusioned with life, and frustrated with the growing poverty and inequality all around him, and disowned by his two brothers, Vijay vented out his emotions in his beautiful nazms.

Tang aa chuke hain kashmakash-e-zindagi se hum
Thhukra na de jahan ko kahin bedili se hum
Hum ghum-zada hain, laye kahan se khushi ke geet
Denge wohi jo payenge is zindagi se hum...
Lo aaj humne tod diya rishta-e-umeed
Lo ab kabhi gila na karenge kisise hum.

In the meantime, a prostitute, Gulabo, singing one of his own songs to solicit him, falls in love with him. For the first time in her life someone addresses her as aap.

It so happens that Vijay is mistakenly proclaimed as dead after a rail accident. In reality, he is alive in a hospital, without any reason to live. Gulabo decides that the least she can do for her lost love is to give him the recognition he deserved. She collects his poems and gives them to Vijay’s former girlfriend (who by that time had married a wealthy book publisher and gained material comfort, but could never forget Vijay). The book was published – was an instant success and shair Vijay became the toast of the town. Suddenly, this everyone wanted to be associated with Vijay. Everyone wanted to cash in on his success. After all, they believed he was dead. But, he wasn’t dead.

Vijay came back only to see people jostling like animals to snatch a piece of his fame and fortune. Suddenly, Vijay no longer wanted anything that he had yearned for all his life – success, popularity, money and his ex-girlfriend. He had seen enough of this world, and he was disgusted. He wanted no part of this manipulative and capitalist world. A mortal blow had been dealt to his soul. He left this aalam-e-badhawasi, never to return.

Yahan ek khilona hain insaan ki hasti
Yeh basti hain murda parasto ki basti
Yahan par toh jeevan se hain maut sasti
Yeh duniya agar mil bhi jaaye toh kya hain.

Pyaasa was a monumental work. It challenged society and her norms. It challenged the culture that gave more importance to money than human dignity. It challenged the system that produced alcoholics and prostitutes and encouraged brother to exploit brother. Pyaasa was the embodiment of the disillusionment and frustration which 10 years of captive independence had brought among the masses. It challenged Nehruvian socialism. Pyaasa was a pathbreaker and elevated its director to the realm of great movie-makers.

Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959)

Regarded by many as Guru Dutt’s finest work, and possibly one of the finest movies ever made in India, Kaagaz Ke Phool finds its name in most movie directors' list of top 5 Hindi movies, and in the curriculum of every course on cinema appreciation.

Kaagaz Ke Phool was Dutt’s magnum opus. It was meant to be a reflection of his life. He exhausted his energies behind this movie, and when it bombed at the box-office Guru Dutt was left completely disheartened and surging with self-doubt. If not the best movie ever, KKP is definitely the best movie not to be a popular success.

During the making of this movie, his affair with Waheeda Rehman (who made her debut in his movie CID) was at its peak. After the failure of KKP, their relationship disintegrated. He was an unsuccessful spent director and she was an upcoming young prodigy. Already hugely affected by his professional failure, Guru Dutt could never recover from his personal tragedies.

Kaagaz Ke Phool is the story of a movie director who discovers a crass, yet beautiful girl and transforms her into a moviedom’s objet du desir. They fall in love. He is a divorcee with a teenaged daughter. Their movie is a huge hit, but he is jealous of her popularity that soars over his. His next film flops and so does his stock. Soon he is rejected by everyone and he has no work in his hands, whereas, she is rapidly climbing the ladder of success. Their romance falls apart and the film director finds himself all alone in this cruel world, with nothing but his solitude and spirits to accompany him to his grave. The director is soon forgotten – the world waits for no man, let alone an unsuccessful man. He finally ends his life on the very same director’s chair that had once given him immeasurable adulation and later unbearable pain.

Kya le ke mile ab duniya se,
Aansu ke siva kuch paas nahi
Ya phool hi phool the daaman mein,
Ya kaanton ki bhi aas nahi
Matlab ki duniya hai saari,
Bichhade sabhi baari baari.

KKP is like poetry in motion. Guru Dutt’s ingenious use of lighting and camera placement make every frame of this movie like a picture postcard. The pristine song Waqt Ne Kiya is considered by many to be one of the best examples of song picturisation. Guru Dutt’s innovative capacity and ability to bring to life his innovations is also seen in the song Saqiya from the movie Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam where the faces of all the dancers, save the main dancer, are covered by a shadow.

After KKP, Guru Dutt was emotionally a spent force and never directed a movie again, though he shadow directed movies such as Chaudvin Ka Chand and Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam. As the years progressed he became increasingly impulsive, short-tempered and reclusive. He began many movies and later shelved them. His relation with his wife was at an all time low. Unable to pick up the pieces of his crumbling life, he decided to give it all up. If he could not live with this world, this world must live without him.

Ud jaa ud jaa pyaase bhanware
Ras na milega kharo me
Kaagaz ke phool jahan khilte hain
Baith na un gulzaro pe.

On 10 October, 1964, Guru Dutt finally found the peace he had desired all his life.

2006-08-16T09:06:00.000-07:00