#GoldenFrames: Pictorial Biography of Guru Dutt, Bollywood’s Troubled Genius!

Born in Karnataka, Guru Dutt was originally named Vasanth Kumar Shivashankar Padukone, but his name was changed after an accident in his childhood as his parents believed that the name Guru Dutt was more auspicious.

Guru Dutt’s family relocated to Kolkata where Dutt spent most of his childhood. (Photo: Lalitha Lajmi and National Film Archive of India, Pune)

In the early 40s, Guru Dutt worked as a telephone operator in Kolkata. However, he was disinterested in the job and joined his parents in Bombay.

With the help of his uncle, Guru Dutt signed a three year contract with Prabhat Film Company in Pune in 1944. (Photo: Lalitha Lajmi and National Film Archive of India, Pune)

At Prabhat Film Company, he acted in minor roles and also worked as an assistant director and helped choreograph songs in ‘Hum Ek Hain’.

After the contract expired, Guru Dutt worked as an assistant to the CEO of the Prabhat Film Company. However, he remained unemployed for a while after that and began writing short stories in English. Dutt began writing for an English magazine in Bombay. (Photo: Lalitha Lajmi and National Film Archive of India, Pune)

It was while Guru Dutt was working on 'Hum Ek Hain', he met actor Dev Anand. The duo stood across each other and realised that their shirts got swapped in the laundry and that was the beginning of their friendship.

Dev Anand made a promise that if Guru Dutt turned into a director, he would have Anand as the hero, and if Dev Anand produced a film, he would let Guru Dutt direct it. Dev Anand kept his promise and offered Guru Dutt to work as a director in his new company Navketan. (Photo: Lalitha Lajmi and National Film Archive of India, Pune)

Guru Dutt directed his first film 'Baazi' with Dev Anand in the lead role. The film was a big success and Guru Dutt went on to direct his second hit film 'Jaal' with Dev Anand. (Photo: Lalitha Lajmi and National Film Archive of India, Pune)

In her book 'Conversations with Waheeda Rehman', the actress spoke about Guru Dutt's death saying, "Nobody knows. I don’t think he was in depression after the failure of ‘Kagaz Ke Phool’ as ‘Chaudhvin Ka Chand’ did quite well.” (Photo: Lalitha Lajmi and National Film Archive of India, Pune)