Kaagaz Ke Phool : the tragic love story of Geeta and Guru Dutt.

० GURU DUTT, an actor, a producer, and overall one of the greatest & most talented film makers of the world. He is admired by the top directors of all time. He hadn't learned professional film making anywhere, but he was definitely born a natural film maker. Pyaasa & Kaagaz Ke Phool are two globally acclaimed classic cult movies by him. Almost every movie which he produced was the first of its kind in Hindi Cinema. He died at the early age of 39 Yrs. Some people claim he died accidentally by taking an overdose of sleeping pills along with alcohol; some other believe that he committed suicide. Who knows besides him? But his short career in cinema is no less than any epic.

० GEETA DUTT was one of the most prominent singer in Indian Cinema from the early 50s to mid-60s. She had a unique versatility to sing any kind of song with the authentic tone, feelings, emotions & passion as required. She has given her voice to club songs as well as to devotional songs. She sang deep melancholic songs as well as peppy romantic songs. She was at the peak of her career when she married Guru Dutt, and this marriage worked like a speed breaker in her career. She had almost lost touch on her singing after Guru Dutt's death. However, she is undoubtedly one of the greatest singers of her era.

० Guru Dutt was a young upcoming director in those days when star singer of that time Geeta Roy came to the Mahalaxmi Studio of Bombay for recording a song for Dutt's directional debut film "Baazi(1951)". That song was - "तदबीर से बिगड़ी हुई तकदीर बना ले". Geeta attractive personality and her ethereal look left a long lasting impression on Dutt's Mind. And Guru Dutt thought of making his destiny with Geeta Dutt after that. It was their first meeting which led them impressed on each other's mind and heart.

० They further met with each other and became good friends. Later they felt that they both are in love with each other. But it was not easy for them to marry as their family condition was quite different. Guru Dutt had a big family living in a comparatively small house. He used to do all his creative work just on a table in a corner. In contradiction with it, Geeta, who was actually named Geeta Ghosh Roy Chaudhary in those days, belonged to a wealthy Zamindar family. There was no match of their family status. Geeta's parents were vehemently against their relationship. But their romance culminated into marriage after a great struggle by both of them in convincing their families. Finally, on the date of 26th May 1953, their marriage took place in presence of the elders of both families and other relatives & friends.

० The newly married couple, Geeta and Guru Dutt started with a very smooth & happy married life. Dutt took a flat on rent in Khar, and they both started living there. It was a blossoming marriage in the initial days. The couple was blessed with their first son on the birthday of Guru Dutt in 1954. They named him Tarun. Tarun was very beloved to Guru Dutt. Later they got blessed with another son, Arun (b. 1956) and a daughter Nina (b. 1962).

० Things were smooth and easy going in the initial days, but Guru Dutt's workaholic nature led him quite apart from his family. So many disputes arose between Geeta and Guru Dutt. Geeta was so possessive of Guru Dutt, It is claimed that she did not like watching Guru Dutt romancing with any actress on screen. It is also said that Geeta wanted to be an actress, but Guru Dutt was not in its favor.
On her insistence, he had started a movie named "Gauri" in 1956 casting her as the lead actress, but the filming stopped in the midway for unknown reasons.

० Though there were so many disputes and misunderstandings between Geeta and Guru Dutt, they both loved each other so much. It is evident by one story; when Dutt went into a coma after his second suicide attempt, the first word came from his mouth after his awakening was "Geeta". Their love was pure, but it was their misfortune that they both had started a journey on the path of self-destruction.

० In my view, the biggest tragedy of their tragic tale was Kaagaz Ke Phool ". Let's see the plot of this film directed by Dutt - "There is a director, who has a wife and a daughter. He loves his wife, but there is some bitterness in their relationship because of their conflicting nature. One day he sees a lady, in whom he finds his muse. He signs her for his movie. He gets into love with her. But he gets into depression and melancholy as this relation won't be accepted by the society. The film ends with his death."
Now, you can see that this whole story, except the end, is the story of Guru Dutt himself, Geeta Dutt & Waheeda Rehman. I believe that this film paved way for the sad ending of Guru Dutt's actual life.

० Famous writer Satya Saran talks about Guru Dutt and says, " When a person works with a concept like death, he is deeply attached to melancholia." Unfortunately, it was the same with Guru Dutt.

० Lastly, this sad love story ended when Guru Dutt gave up on his struggle with life and died at an early age of 39 years, on 10th October 1964. Geeta's life was ruined by deep sorrow of Guru Dutt's death. She resorted to alcohol, just like her husband did. Her career took to worse. She even started performing stage shows for livelihood. In 1971, she got to sing the songs of the film "Anubhav", where she sang the legendary song - "मेरी जाँ मुझे जाँ न कहो". The songs of this movie are like the last bricks of her career. Because of her deep alcoholism, she was diagnosed with liver cirrhosis. On 20th July 1972, her short but momentous life ended.

० This was the tragic love story of Geeta & Guru Dutt.
Their marriage was considered a "Romeo-Juliet tale" of the era. Though their married life was full of tragedy, sorrow, stress, etc., their love has lived long and is still remembered even after more than half of a century. On Geeta's death anniversary, I wish that she remains in the memories of millions forever.