Guru Dutt made his films from the point of view of an artiste who felt unseen and perhaps none of his works are as personal as Kagaz Ke Phool which generously borrows from his personal life. So I, a Gen Z, who lives on the internet and is always seen – decided to watch his 1959 classic on his 100th birth anniversary. While the movie-goers back then didn’t appreciate the film — Guru Dutt famously vowed never to direct a film after it flopped, today’s generation may take to it, especially how it presents the complexities of the film industry, and the place of an artiste in it.
A popular director Suresh Sinha (played by Guru Dutt) discovers acting potential in Shanti (young Waheeda Rehman), and casts her as the female lead in his film Devdas. In a twist of fate, she becomes a star, but his career is on a slippery slope. The film juxtaposes how the movie business treats success and failure, how the rising star is celebrated and the has-been is cast aside.
So many aspects of the film are ahead of its time, a woman doctor is dressed in pants, women are shown drinking — albeit brandy to avoid cold, and some of the dialogues are in English.
A still from Kaagaz Ke Phool
However, the abrupt cuts were distractiong. The jump between scenes was so sudden and hurried that I had to catch up by going back and forth. On top of that, the character introduction, establishment and development felt quite weak that it was difficult to recall who was who even after I was already 25 minutes into the film.
Then Vs Now
The film’s story feels dated, as does the character development. GenZs play around in situationship, they would never be so direct as Shanti rejecting Suresh, when he wasn’t even going to ask her out. We romanticise sadness, this film gives that treatment to finding happiness for each other, even if that means by not being together. But, for some reason, 30 minutes in and I was already invested and intrigued to know what will happen next.
Kaagaz Ke Phool is filled with stereotypes that just doesn’t sit well with the audience today. People are more open about that culture rather than being purely judgemental and ending a marriage on that basis. However, one has to remember that the film was made in India in the 50s where both a young nation and its film industry were trying to find their feet.
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A still from Kaagaz Ke Phool (Photo: File photo)
The estranged couple’s (Suresh and his wife) daughter Kumari Naaz aka Pramila Sinha getting teased in school for her separated parents was also something that still exists. Some things never change, do they? While the Indian society might have moved forward in a lot of aspects, but even the GenZ can’t live in denial that the society still doesn’t accept such a so-called ‘broken family’ dynamic. That explains them calling people from the film industry as ‘cheap film-walas’.
What would I add to give a GenZ twist?
The tragic, unspoken love started with Kaagaz Ke Phool and ended with Veer Zara era in 2004. After that, the definition of romance became something else. If I could add my own GenZ twist to it, I would turn the film’s trajectory after its one hour runtime, when Pramila came to request Shanti to back off and stay away from her father. I would have never let my female lead agree to save Suresh’s ex and his family, which was already a wreck, way before she entered the picture. And now that we are on the topic of making it in today’s era, I believe it sounds like an absolute Aamir Khan film.
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A dialogue that screamed old loudly
Right when Shanti started developing feelings for Suresh and they are in the studio, she tells him, “Aapne hi toh jaane ko kaha tha”. To this, he replies, “Uss din jaane ko kaha tha, lekin agle din vapis na aane ko nahi kaha tha.” Well, can you ever imagine saying something like that to your partner/lover now? Exactly. But, that still touched my heart in its own retro kind of a way (a perfect uff-moment). Besides the dialogues, the film’s songs screamed old to me. No matter how melodious these were – “Waqt Ne Kiya Kya Haseen Sitam” or “Dekhi Zamane Ki Yaari”, the lyrics and music transported me into a world that simply doesn’t exist today.
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A still from Kaagaz Ke Phool
Kaagaz Ke Phool flopped when it released, but now, it’s iconic. Maybe that’s the takeaway for us – some art just needs time. Guru Dutt did not direct another film after this movie’s commercial failure, which also left him emotionally wrecked. Well, I wish he had.
If you are also someone who heard a lot about Guru Dutt’s filmography and never gave it a chance like me, start with Kaagaz Ke Phool. This was a GenZ purposely watching a 1959 movie before GTA6. Lowkey liked it, unapologentically!
