Guru Dutt death anniversary: Here are lesser-known facts about legendary actor
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Vasanth Kumar Shivashankar Padukone better known as Guru Dutt, was an Indian film director, producer and actor. He made the 1950s and 1960s classics such as Pyaasa, Kaagaz Ke Phool, Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam and Chaudhvin Ka Chand.
In particular, Pyaasa and Kaagaz Ke Phool have been included among the greatest films of all time, Pyaasa by Time magazine’s “All-TIME” 100 best movies list and by the 2002 Sight & Sound critics’ and directors’ poll, where Dutt himself is included among the greatest film directors of all time.
On 10 October 1964, Dutt was found dead in his bed in his rented apartment at Pedder Road in Bombay. He is said to have been mixing alcohol and sleeping pills. His death may have been suicide or just an accidental overdose. It would have been his third suicide attempt.
Guru Dutt was born as Vasanth Kumar Shivashankar Padukone in Bangalore
Dutt spent his childhood in Kolkata where he grew so close to the culture and intellect that he adopted the name Guru Dutt
Initially, he worked as a telephone operator at the Lever Brothers factory in Kolkata
His critically acclaimed movies, Pyaasa and Kaagaz Ke Phool have reserved a place in Time magazine’s “All-TIME” 100 best movies. The movie Pyaasa was however rejected by the Indian audience when it had released
He is also known as the Orson Welles of India
In 2010, he was included among CNN’s “Top 25 Asian actors of all time”
In the year 1944, Guru Dutt got a small role portraying Lord Krishna in the movie Chand. In 1946, he worked as an assistant director and choreographed dances for P. L. Santoshi’s film Hum Ek Hain
He also worked as a freelance assistant for Prabhat Film Company and Studio. However, after that, for almost 10 months, Guru Dutt was unemployed and stayed with his family at Matunga, Mumbai
When he was unemployed, Guru Dutt developed a skill for writing in English and wrote short stories for The Illustrated Weekly of India. During this time, he wrote the script of Pyaasa which was originally named Kashmakash
Guru Dutt has received great recognition in France, Japan and Germany, where his films have been re-released to full houses
It is believed that Guru Dutt gave the close-up shot to the Indian cinema. It was also known as the Guru Dutt shot
Guru Dutt died at the early age of 39
Guru Dutt left many unfinished projects with his death. Baharein Phir Bhi Aayenghi, Picnic and Love and God were few among them. Picnic remained incomplete and Love and God were released 20 years later with Sanjeev Kumar replacing Dutt in the leading role.