It took Yasser Usman more than two years to finish his book on Guru Dutt. In an exclusive interview with Asian Voice, Usman spoke about the book. He told us that there were very few contemporaries of his era who are alive. A few passed away during the course of his research. The archives were very important. They included some accounts in Kannada and Bengali.
Your book, especially the first section paints a rather hard hitting picture that almost smashes the rose tinted glasses with which masses view cinema. Was it a conscious decision to start that way, or, it came naturally?
It was a conscious decision. But it wasn’t for a shock value. I remember it must be 2004-5 in Delhi when I watched most of the Guru Dutt films on ‘big screen’. It was during one of his retrospectives. I was immensely fascinated. They seemed magical. But when I read most of the accounts on Guru Dutt, I realized everyone is talking about how personal his cinema was. Everyone was writing about how disturbed he was but no one explained why. But there were no real details of what ultimately consumed the genius filmmaker. In all his brilliant films he borrowed from his own life. His films were mirroring what was happening in his life. But no one really talked about what he must be going through when he was making these classic films. He was repeatedly trying to end his life. During my research for the book, various accounts of Guru Dutt’s colleagues, close friends and his family members suggested that despite being at the peak of his success, Guru Dutt’s constant refrain used to be, “Mujhe lagta hai mai paagal ho jaoonga (I think I’ll go crazy!)” He finally died at the young age of 39, a death similar to what he predicted in his quasi-autobiographical Kaagaz Ke Phool.
Was he suffering from some mental issues? Was it due to his turbulent personal life or was it because a relationship went wrong? Was he heartbroken after the dismal failure of his magnum opus Kaagaz Ke Phool? What was the turmoil that he attempted suicide multiple times? I wanted to tell this story that ran parallel to the making of his classics.
What inspired you to choose Guru Dutt as the subject of your book?
I loved his cinema, of course and he made all those films in a span of just ten years. It’s phenomenal. He is talked about as a great filmmaker but there are many myths too. For example- It is often said that after Kaagaz Ke Phool flopped he lost the confidence to make any other film. The reality is, he was a ‘comeback man’. After the Kaagaz Ke Phool disaster, he made.his next Chaudavin Ka Chand in just SEVEN MONTHS! It remains his biggest commercial blockbuster ever. He achieved a spectacular balance between commercial success without ever compromising on artistic satisfaction. Look at Pyaasa- the philosophical ‘Ye duniya agar mil bhi jaaye’, the searing ‘Jinhe naaz hai hind par’ coexist with peppy chartbuster ‘Sar jo tera chakraaye’. But while he was creating these classics on celluloid, he was going through hell in his personal life. This aspect intrigued me the most.
What was the process like? How long and what did it take to finish this book?
It took me more than two years. There were very few contemporaries of his era alive. A few passed away during the course of my research. The archives were very important. They included some accounts in Kannada and Bengali. But this was a journey I loved. Finally when Guru Dutt’s sister, the eminent artist Lalitha Lajmi agreed to share her memories of the life and times of Guru and Geeta Dutt, the story started unravelling.
As an author, you've written about some of the most debated and sensitive actors of the country before, and now, Guru Dutt. What is the kind of responsibility, and precaution that you adhere to while drafting books on them?
The main rule that I follow is to not be judgmental about their lives. If you read my books, my voice in the narrative is minimal. It’s a conscious decision. Also, the thin line between gossip and truth. So mostly, I stick with interviews/quotes of the subject or people close to him personally or professionally. It helps that the film journalism of those decades was much better than the film media of present times.
As a kid, I was obsessed with Hindi cinema. I want to explore their stardom which I think is not easy to describe. There’s no logic or scientific theory behind stardom. Take for instance- Sanjay Dutt. I know he’s not a ‘great actor’ but look at his life journey. He went through so many life-altering events - his drug phase, his cases, his jail terms- ideally these are the qualities for being a superstar. Yet after each episode, the audience accepted him as a bigger star. His films were successful even after the jail term. He remained a star for almost 4 decades. I wanted to explore that stardom. The Rajesh Khanna and Rekha books were actually about acute loneliness. Beyond their stardom, the stars as humans. As a writer, I want to humanize their enigma.
What was it like meeting Lalitha Lajmi? (Lajmi is Guru Dutt’s sister)
There were multiple conversations with Lalitha Lajmi Ji.Many times she was moved by her memories. But I was also fascinated as she narrated the episodes of Guru and Get Dutt in vivid details.
Talking about Guru Dutt turmoil, she told me Guru Dutt never talked about the reason why he tried to end his life so many times, ‘Sometimes he used to call me. I would rush to him even in the middle of the night. But he would sit quietly, not say anything. I felt he wanted to say something. But he never did. Never.’
She still regrets there wasn’t much awareness on mental issues in those times, “In those days no one really talked about such things. We also called a psychiatrist but he charged Rs 500 for a visit. My brother Atma laughed that he was ‘just talking’ with Guru and he is so expensive. We never called him again. It moved me that she was honest enough to admit that sometimes she blames herself for not doing enough for her brother who she thinks was silently crying for help.
I am deeply indebted to her for this crucial documentation. Really thankful that she allowed me an entry into her inner world.
