THE presence of legendary filmmaker Guru Dutt is apparent at the Mumbai home where his daughter-in-law Iffat, the wife of his son, late Arun Dutt, and his granddaughters, Karuna and Gouri, reside. The poster of Pyaasa (1957) hangs in the living room while another wall is adorned with black-and-white family photos featuring Dutt, his singer-wife Geeta Dutt and their children. These images are not mere reminders of the cinematic legacy that the sisters have inherited, they are a celebration of the brilliance of their grandfather and the life he led.
“Though our grandfather, Guru Dutt, has always been a big presence in our lives, this year we are experiencing it more since his birth centenary is coming up on July 9,” says Gouri. While growing up in Pune, they realised the significance of his legacy during their college days; Karuna studied at Fergusson College and Gouri at Nowrosjee Wadia College. “When we were kids, we were introduced to our grandfather’s work by our father. In Pune, we used to have frequent power cuts in the evenings and Dad used to talk about his parents as we waited for the electricity to be restored,” recalls Gouri. Iffat points out that Karuna is more social like her grandmother Geeta Dutt while Gouri is introverted like her father and grandfather.
Getting reintroduced to his movies as teenagers had its advantages. “We were able to look at his work objectively and understand his craft. The film that hit me the most was Pyaasa. But it is Mr & Mrs 55 (1955) that I believe has not got its due appreciation. Even today, it is relevant and entertaining,” says Karuna, while Gouri cites Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959) as her favourite. The family moved to Mumbai a few years ago when the sisters started working as film professionals.
For the birth centenary, the family has not made any special plans yet. “We celebrate such family occasions privately. However, we follow the tradition of cooking and feeding the favourite dishes of the deceased family member to birds. This tradition was started by Arun. So, on July 9 we will make simple Mangalorean dishes that Papa loved such as dal chawal and aloo saung (a spicy dish of potatoes and onions),” says Iffat.
When they were younger, people assumed that Karuna and Gouri would join the film industry. “When someone mentioned that, I found it annoying. However, when I was around 18, I wanted to become a film professional. My father, however, was not keen. That was strange because while growing up we were encouraged to explore theatre, singing and dance,” recalls Karuna. She struck a deal with her father that she can pursue a career in films if she is interested in it even after her graduation. When Karuna stuck to her decision, Arun started teaching her filmmaking. Incidentally, from 2010 to 2013, Arun ran Guru Dutt Films Acting Academy in Pune. But he had to close it later due to ill health. He also produced and directed the last film under Guru Dutt Films Private Limited, titled Khule-Aam (1992).
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Karuna entered the film industry as assistant director no 13 on the sets of That Girl in Yellow Boots (2010) and went on to be associated with several projects such as Ugly (2013), Masaan (2015), Trapped (2016) and Jubilee (2013). Gouri became a volunteer at Prithvi Theatre in 2010. “I worked on the theatre productions of Manav Kaul and Rangbaaz group. I adapted Albert Camus’s novella The Outsider as a play. The first film I worked on was Nitin Kakkar’s Ram Singh Charlie (2020),” says Gauri, who was part of Victoria & Abdul (2017), Girls will be Girls (2024) and Tanaav (2024). She was first AD on the last two projects.
The Dutt sisters aspire to make their own movies eventually. “We already have started the process of writing and pitching,” says Karuna. They are clear that their stories and choices will be guided by their interests and the life they have experienced. The influence of Guru Dutt, they expect, will nudge them to achieve perfection in their craft and storytelling.
