Kolkata affords tribute to cinema legend Guru Dutt, with screenings of his masterpieces and lectures

Kolkata is providing tribute to cinema legend Guru Dutt, with screenings of his restored masterpieces and lectures. The Kolkata Centre for Creativity (KCC) hosted ‘Yeh Duniya Agar Mil Bhi Jaye Toh: Remembering Guru Dutt’ on the event of the start centenary of the filmmaker.  

As a part of this commemoration, KCC is collaborating with the Nationwide Movie Growth Company – Nationwide Movie Archive of India (NFDC-NFAI) to current a curated screening of ‘Pyaasa’ and exhibition of digital prints of unique posters and film-stills alongside important talks and archival supplies that reframe Dutt’s legacy for brand spanking new audiences. An official assertion from organisers says, “interact with Dutt not as a nostalgic icon, however as a spectral presence–an artist whose pictures nonetheless whisper urgently to the current.” 

The day-long immersive tribute commenced with a keynote handle titled ‘Have an effect on, Authorship and Ideology’ which was an in depth exploration of the aesthetics and politics of Guru Dutt’s movies by Prof. Ira Bhaskar, the previous Dean of Jawaharlal Nehru College. She spoke of how his movies displayed a choreography of sunshine and motion, molding with music. 

Professor Bhaskar analysed the politics of his movie ‘Pyaasa’ which she described as a “very hard-hitting critique of capitalism with its prostitution of human feelings and values on the altar of capital.” She goes on to probe into some extra of his important works–inspecting Dutt’s reflections on patriarchy, feudalism, the rising modernity and the capitalist movie trade. 

“He spoke fluent Bangla, and it was his life’s dream to make a movie in Bengali,” Professor Bhaskar stated about Guru Dutt’s love for Bengal and the affect it had on him. She talked about that she’s going to return to Kolkata in November this 12 months for a seminar on Ritwik Ghatak, who she describes as one other all-time obsession of hers. 

The day was accomplished with a screening of Pyaasa, certainly one of Dutt’s most celebrated movies.