Guru Dutt, the iconic actor and visionary filmmaker in Indian cinema, is undoubtedly one of the revered figures of all time. Born in Bangalore, and brought up in Calcutta, Dutt is celebrated for his artistic storytelling with social commentary. Some of his notable classics include Pyaasa, Kaagaz Ke Phool, Chaudhvin Ka Chand, and Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam, among others. His films dealt with complex themes of love, loss, inner struggles, and inequality. The sheer brilliance of his direction and acting, make him the towering legend. Reportedly, he spent his last two years in Madras (now Chennai), before he died in 1964 at the age of 39. Ahead of Guru Dutt's birth centenary, which is on July 9, 2025, let's look at his connection with the South.
Guru Dutt's south connection
As per journalist Fenil Seta, after the debacle of his ambitious Kaagaz ke Phool (1959), Guru Dutt was interested to work in south. South filmmakers wanted to cast him in the Hindi remakes of regional hits.
The first South Indian Hindi film in which Guru Dutt played the male lead was 1963 film Bahurani, opposite Mala Sinha. It was directed by the acclaimed Telugu-Tamil filmmaker T Prakash Rao who had given blockbusters like Uthamaputhiram (1958) and Padagotti (1964). The Hindi remake was earlier made in Telugu as Ardhangi (1955) and as Pennin Perumai (1956) in Tamil. Gemini Ganesan played the lead role in the Tamil version, while Akkineni Nageswara Rao featured in the Telugu version.
N Vasudeva Menon of Vasu Films signed Guru Dutt for Bharosa (1963), which was a remake of the Tamil film, Thedi Vandha Selvam (1958). Directed by K. Shankar, the film also starred Asha Parekh in it.
Guru Dutt also worked in Suhagan (1964), the Hindi version of the Tamil hit, Sarada (1962). It was backed by renowned producer A L Srinivasan, and directed by K S Gopalakrishnan.
Seta also revealed that Dutt spent his time with Gopalakrishnan in his village, Malliyam, near Mayiladuthurai. Gopalakrishnan’s associate and dramatist and writer Komal Swaminathan has written about Dutt's easy nature and friendliness in his memoirs. "Dutt would spend hours together in the hot sun angling for fish in a village tank. At a time when prohibition was being firmly implemented in Tamil Nadu, Dutt enjoyed potfuls of country toddy with the relish of sipping his favourite Chivas Regal!," wrote Seta.
Dutt’s sudden demise sent shockwaves to the entire unit of Suhagan and Srinivasan released the film with the message, "I humbly dedicate this film to the everlasting memory of the late Shri Guru Dutt, my friend and your favourite."
