As Indian cinema marks 100 years since the birth of Guru Dutt—a filmmaker revered for his poetic storytelling, melancholic heroes, and cinematic brilliance—the industry has come together to pay tribute. Among the most moving reflections came from Padma Shri awardee Bhawana Somaaya, who remembered the auteur not just for his craft, but for the way he portrayed women: layered, dignified, and achingly human.
At a special event ahead of the Guru Dutt Film Retrospective (scheduled from August 8–10), which will showcase restored classics like Pyaasa, Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam, and Chaudhvin Ka Chand, Somaaya shared personal insights that touched the audience. Recalling a behind-the-scenes moment, she said, “You will walk a few steps forward, then you will turn back, look at the camera and smile, and then again walk three steps ahead. And he showed it to her—but he said, don’t do it like me, do it like you would do.”
Her words painted a vivid picture of Guru Dutt’s sensitivity as a director. She spoke at length about Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam and the hauntingly beautiful character of Chhoti Bahu, played by Meena Kumari. “I wouldn’t classify her a homemaker or regressive or what she did. All that points—I don’t want to get into them at the moment. I think she is so wonderful. She has this equation with Ghulam; he is her friend.”
Somaaya, a veteran film journalist and historian, highlighted the iconic song Piya Aiso Jiya Mein Samaya Gayo as her personal favorite, calling it a rare cinematic expression of Shringar Rasa—the aesthetic of adornment and anticipation in love. “We have seen many songs about seduction, whether the vamp does it or the heroine does it. But very few songs have been about Shringar rasa... the whole dressing up for a man who is going to come, and waiting for it, and finally they meet.”
Having started her career in 1978, Bhawana Somaaya has chronicled the evolution of Indian cinema through decades, authored over 13 books, and served as editor of Screen magazine for nearly a decade. Her reflections on Guru Dutt echo the sentiments of an entire generation of film lovers—those who continue to find beauty, heartbreak, and timeless elegance in his films.
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