Tribute to McMohan

Poetry written in Celluloid by FOOTBALL

Journey with Guru Dutt

On last 18th Nov, Abrar Alvi breathed his last almost in a lonely state. Few days back I tried to contact him over phone, but my wish was not fulfilled as he was ill at that time. At that time I have never imagined that he will go away within such a short span of time. Abrar Alvi was a ‘lonely tragic prince in the roll of fame’. He has created the classic ‘SAHIB BIBI AUR GULAM’ but he was never properly honoured for the film, everybody was busy in praising Guru Dutt only as if it was Guru Dutt’s directorial effort – it is a film by Guru Dutt in the name of Abrar Alvi. Sathya Saran has established the fact and established the honour for him which was not shown to him earlier. At last he became able go from this world with proper dignity and reorganization. This write up is a tribute to that the great creator and gratitude to Sathya Saran.
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Suddenly I got the book I was searching for a long time. I was busy with my daughter in a book stall at Panbazar (popular book market of Guwahati) searching a book for her. She gave me three books- Papa, buy these three. One is about A R Rehman, another is on Bimal Roy – edited by Rinki Bhattacharya, published on his birth centenary and the third is Sathya Saran’s Ten years with Guru Dutt – Abrar Alvi’s journey. All are my desired book, but I did not have money for the three. What to do? My daughter advised – buy the Guru Dutt, you purchased Guru Dutt’s dvd, now buy this book.
I have purchased a collection of Guru Dutt’s classics few days back and was plunged in those. At this time this book will be more meaningful for me. “Perhaps Guru Dutt is the only India fil director who made films with personal statement within the parameter of box office. His films not only expresses his ‘genius’ but also proved the creative talents of his team which includes cinematographer V K Murthy, writer Abrar Alvi and music director S D Burman.’
‘Ten years with Guru Dutt – Abrar Alvi’s Journey’- with this book Sathya Saran has sensitively portrayed the friendship, dependencies and work of the director and his writer in a fountain like flowing language.
Sathya Saran was the editor of Femina, now she edits the journal Me. She is not regular in cinema writings. Long back, she wrote a long interview based article for Filmfare on Vijay Anand. That article exposed Vijay Anand’s life - philosophy- art- pain in such a insightful way which we have never experienced earlier. Later I have translated that article into Assamese for Bismoi, of course with her permission.
This book has evoked our interest for several reasons. First – Sathys Saran’s writing on film. After that Vijay Anand’s article I always used to search journals for her film writings. Second reason – Guru Dutt. And the third is – Abrar Alvi. He wrote three great films of Indian Cinema- Pyaasa, Kagaz Ke Phool and Sahib Bibi Aur Gulam. He directed the third also, Guru Dutt directed the two others. Both the films are Guru Dutt’s personal statement. This book will provide us lots of information about those three films- with this hope I started the reading.
But, I found that the book is much more thought provoking, interesting and soulful as I presumed earlier. Indian Express has came out with an interview with Abrar Alvi, where he said that he has lots to tell – but who will listen? The interviewer also concluded his write up repeating the same question. Sathya Saran has accepted that challenge. ‘I was at that time going through a rough patch emotionally, thanks to matters at the workplace turning soul. This I told myself, would distract me, keep me from feeling that my journalistic job was the beginning and the end of the world.’ Perhaps, at that time she gave up the editorship of Femina.
Few miles by train, after that by bus, in every Saturday, Sathya Saran reached Abrar Alvi’s residence and talked with him for long hours. After two years, the book came to a shape.
In this ten year’s description we discover two parallel journey of Abrar Alvi’s rising, he has entered to Guru Dutt’s camp as a driver, then became dialogue writer and then screenplay writer and reached the peak as a director. The other journey depicts Guru Dutt’s creative talent, multi dimensional aspect of his creative mind/soul, mental conflicts, thrust, concept of art, personality and his aspiration. The word Guru Dutt simultaneously echoes few other words also – Pyaasa, Gulabo, Wahida Rehman, Geeta Dutt and V K Murthy. All these works make the perfect picture of Guru Dutt.
Poetry lover Gulabo – in Indian silver screen, we have met lots of whore with golden heart. But Gulabo is in above to all of them. That particular sequence from Pyaasa – where the hero’s wife met Gulabo – has emotionally charged lots of film makers. Sanjay Leela Vansali has created such a sequence with Paro and Chandramukhi in his Devdas, which was a deviation from the original novel by Saratchandra. Sanjay Lela Vansali told in an interview that the creation of that sequence was inspired by Pyaasa. Goutam Ghose also included such a scene in his Yatra, Actually, the film Yatra is completely inspired by Pyaasa. In this book we found all the background story of the making of Gulabo told by Abrar Alvi.
Once, Abrar Alvi came to an intimate level with a whore and became emotionally involved. Her painful life and sense of humanity touched Abrar. He portrayed that girl in Pyaasa with his own interpretation. ‘I carried my relation with Gulabo to the screenplay, even some of her words also, and the rest became easy.’….‘ During the shooting of Mr and Mrs 55 …….. It is a challenge and I must accept it.’
Guru Dutt played the leading male character in Pyaasa. At the beginning he was not suppose to play that role, he thought for some other actor. One of those actors was Dilip Kumar. Dilip Kumar was reluctant to the role for several reasons of his own. Later he accepted the role but did not turn up for shooting. So Guru Dutt had to play the role as he could not arrange other alternative. Later Dilip Kumar expressed that it was his great blunder, a great loss in his acting career.
Guru Dutt’s most ambitious film was Kagaz he Phool. It was in cinemascope format. In this film V K Murthy expressed his creative artistic talent in such a height which is still bright and mystic. His creative genius to expand the limited frame and mastery to create magic of light and shade gave an unique level to cinematography which is still observed by the film lovers with great sense of surprise. Abrar Alvi has elaborated all those aspects in this book. ( we can feel the influence of some shots on Farah Khan in her film Om Shanti Om).
Kagaz ke Phool was a disaster in box office. So, Guru Dutta has entrusted the directorship to Abrar Alvi for his nest production Sahib Bibi aur Gulam. Initially Abrar was not confident to pick up the megaphone of Director. Later he accepted. The film was a hit in box office and even in artistic measure also. But, many people believe that the film was directed by Guru Dutt directed the film himself and published Abrar’s name only. This book has logically established that the director of the film was none other than Abrar Alvi. In the preface Sathya Saran wrote – 'I do wish he (Abrar Alvi) finds happiness again and the book vindicates his stand and places him firnly back in public memory; that future generations, who thrill to the world class cinema Guru Dutt films produced, will know him as the man who was friend, philosopher and guide to Guru Dutt and the writer-director of Sahib Bibi Aur Gulam.
This book has successfully fulfilled her wish. Sathya Saran presented Abrar that reorganization which he never enjoyed in his life.
A phrase ‘pregnant silence’ is generally being used to express the appeal, resonance and feel of an art work. Pregnat silence is – silences which contain messages, either good or sinister. Silence, that is more potent than words. While Abrar Alvi was narrating his life and work to Sathya Saran, I believe, he was not talking all the time. Definitely there was lot of silences in between. It is not complicated to believe that that silence was filled by his respect for Guru Dutt. We can feel that silence in this book too. This feeling has increased the weight and volume of the book.
After completing the reading of the book I have again watched the films – Pyassa, Kagaz ke Phool and Sahib Bibi aur Gulam and discover the writer and the director in a new dimension. This is the greatest award we acquired from the book.