Kaagaz Ke Phool
| Kaagaz Ke Phool | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Guru Dutt |
| Screenplay by | Abrar Alvi |
| Starring | Guru Dutt Waheeda Rehman Kumari Naaz Mehmood Johnny Walker |
| Cinematography | V. K. Murthy |
| Edited by | Y. G. Chawhan |
| Music by | S. D. Burman Kaifi Azmi (lyrics) |
Production company | |
Release date |
|
Running time | 148 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Hindi |
Kaagaz Ke Phool (transl. Paper Flowers)[a] is a 1959 Indian Hindi-language romantic drama film produced and directed by Guru Dutt, who also played the lead role in the film along with Waheeda Rehman. It is the first Indian film in CinemaScope and the last film officially directed by Dutt.[1] It marked a technical revolution in Indian cinematography and is widely considered to be ahead of its time.[2][1]
The film was a
Synopsis
The film tells, in flashback, the story of Suresh Sinha, a famous film director. His marriage to Veena is on the rocks, due to her wealthy family seeing filmmaking, as a job, lacking in social status. He is also denied access to his daughter, Pammi, who is sent to a private boarding school, in Dehradun.
On a rainy night, Sinha meets a woman, Shanti, and gives her his coat. She comes to the film studio to return the coat, unintentionally disrupting the shooting, by walking in front of the camera. While reviewing the rushes, Sinha recognises her potential as a star and casts her as Paro, in Devdas. Shanti goes on to become a rage and an acclaimed star. Shanti and Suresh, two lonely people, come together. Their liaison is hotly debated in gossip columns and results in Pammi's friends tormenting her, in school. Pammi pleads with Shanti to leave Sinha's life and allow her parents' marriage another chance. Moved by Pammi's plea, Shanti throws away her career and becomes a school teacher in a small village.
Pammi decides to live with her father, who fights his in-laws in court, but loses custody of Pammi to Veena, who is now his ex-wife. Losing custody of Pammi, along with Shanti's departure from films, drives Suresh to alcohol. This marks the beginning of his downfall, both personally and professionally, in his career and consequent decline in his fortunes. Meanwhile, Shanti is forced to return to films since she has a contract with the studio. Her producer agrees to hire Suresh because of Shanti, but Suresh's self-respect will not let him return and owe his job to Shanti's star status; so she is unable to help him, as he is too far gone for redemption. In the final scene, remembering his glorious past, he dies in the director's chair in an empty film studio, a lonely and forgotten man.
Cast
- Guru Dutt as Suresh Sinha
- Waheeda Rehman as Shanti
- Johnny Walker as Rakesh "Rocky" (Veena's brother)
- Veena as Veena (Suresh Sinha's Wife)
- Baby Naazas Pramila Sinha "Pammi" (Suresh Sinha's Daughter)
- Mahesh Kaul as Rai Bahadur B. P. Verma (Rocky & Veena's Father)
- Pratima Devi as Mrs. Verma (Rocky & Veena's Mother)
- Minoo Mumtaz as Juliet Singh
- Ruby Myers as Sulochna Devi
- Mehmood
- Mohan Choti
- Tun Tun as Telephone operator
Production
The film is widely considered to be an
Soundtrack
| Kaagaz Ke Phool | |
|---|---|
Bollywood | |
| Length | 33:18 |
| Label | Saregama |
The music of the movie was composed by S. D. Burman. He had warned him not to make Kaagaz Ke Phool, which resembled his own life. When Guru Dutt insisted on making the film, S. D. Burman said that that would be his last film with Guru Dutt.[5]
The song Waqt Ne Kiya Kya Haseen Sitam became an evergreen hit and one of the most loved
All music is composed by S. D. Burman
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Title Music" | - | - | 2:02 |
| 2. | "Dekhi Zamane Ki Yaari" | Kaifi Azmi | Mohammed Rafi | 9:00 |
| 3. | "San San San Woh Chali Hawa" | Kaifi Azmi | Mohammed Rafi, Asha Bhosle | 4:13 |
| 4. | "Ud Ja Ud Ja Pyaase Bhaware" | Kaifi Azmi | Mohammed Rafi | 3:21 |
| 5. | "Hum Tum Jise Kahta Hai" | Shailendra | Mohammed Rafi | 4:13 |
| 6. | "Ek Do Teen Char Aur Paanch" | Kaifi Azmi | Geeta Dutt | 3:24 |
| 7. | "Ulte Seedhe Dao Lagaye" | Kaifi Azmi | Mohammed Rafi, Asha Bhosle | 3:31 |
| 8. | "Waqt Ne Kiya Kya Haseen Sitam" | Kaifi Azmi | Geeta Dutt | 3:31 |
| Total length: | 33:18 | |||
Release and reception
The commercial and critical failure of Kaagaz Ke Phool was an intense disappointment for Guru Dutt. He had invested a great deal of love, money, and energy in this film. All subsequent films from his studio were, thereafter, officially helmed by other directors since Guru Dutt felt that his name is anathema to box office.[11][1]
In the writing of Sathya Saran's book Ten Years with Guru Dutt: Abrar Alvi’s Journey, Abrar Alvi, who wrote the screenplay and dialogues of Kaagaz Ke Phool, told Saran that he believed the masses just couldn't identify with Suresh's trauma over his personal heartbreak and his lack of professional creative freedom, given that he was reasonably well off and he still had a job, while they struggled to put two meals on their table. He believed viewers couldn't feel for what they saw as the self-indulgent angst of a privileged man.[1]
Home video
Yash Raj Films released a commemorative DVD of the movie. Included in the special features is a three-part documentary produced by Channel 4 in the United Kingdom on the life and works of Guru Dutt, In Search of Guru Dutt. His close associates and some of his family members remember him, his life and work. There is also a tribute to Geeta Dutt by Lata Mangeshkar, in which she sings "Waqt Ne Kiya Kya Haseen Sitam".[12]
Legacy
In the 2002
Kaagaz Ke Phool's screenplay was published in 2014 as a book as Kaagaz Ke Phool: The Original Screenplay.[19] In 2019, British Film Institute named Kaagaz Ke Phool as the Best Musical of 1959, citing, “if proof were needed that Guru Dutt was no one-hit-wonder, it's right here.”[20] It was ranked first in The Cinemaholic's list of "Best Hindi Cult Films that were Flops", citing, “The last film officially directed by the legendary Guru Dutt. Often regarded as one of the greatest film ever made, the failure of Kaagaz Ke Phool severely impacted Guru Dutt.”[21] In an article regarding the film, the University of IOWA, summed up, “Flaws and all, Kagaz Ke Phool deserves to rank—with Fellini's 8½—among the all-time great films about filmmaking and life.”[22]
Kaagaz Ke Phool significantly serves the plot of 2022 film Chup: Revenge of the Artist.[23]
Awards
- Filmfare Best Cinematographer Award – V. K. Murthy
- Filmfare Best Art Direction Award – M. R. Acharekar[24]
Footnotes
- ^ The implied meaning is that all happiness in this life [Flowers] is fake [Paper], although it might appear real. The protagonist of this film [a character played by Guru Dutt] had at one point in time, all the happiness this world had to offer him. However, it was only due to his success. Once he failed to deliver success, people gradually moved away from him [a situation, very poignantly described by Kaifi Azmi in another of his songs from the same film Bichde Sabhi Bari Bari (Every one moved away from me gradually) and also by extremely sobering thought Matlab ki duniya hai saari (the whole world only needs favors from you; once you are unable to deliver that, they will silently move away). The philosophical message that this film appeared to deliver was this - Don't be arrogant, when you are successful; a time will inevitably come, when this success will disappear. Thus all your success and happiness is fake or paper flowers
References
- ^ a b c d e Sood, Samira (16 May 2020). "Kaagaz Ke Phool is Guru Dutt's masterclass in filmmaking and heartbreak". ThePrint. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
- ^ "Kaagaz ke Phool 1959". The Hindu. 11 October 2008 – via www.thehindu.com.
- ^ "Kaagaz ke Phool: 59 years later". Indian Cultural Forum. 18 July 2018. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
- ^ Zonno, Federico. "About the beginning of Kagaze ke phool".
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ ISBN 978-93-86797-89-6.
- ^ "100 Filmfare Days: Day 25 - Kaagaz Ke Phool". filmfare.com. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
- ^ Chatterji, Shoma A. "60 years of Kaagaz Ke Phool: The most outstanding self-reflexive film of Indian cinema". www.cinestaan.com. Archived from the original on 17 April 2021. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
- ISBN 978-1-84150-632-6.
- ^ "Top 32: Most loved Bollywood songs of all time". Hindustan Times. 31 August 2013. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
- ^ "20 Best Hindi Film Songs Ever | Outlook India Magazine". Outlook India. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
- ^ "Guru Dutt: Remembering a genius". Hindustan Times. 9 July 2008. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
- ^ "Documentary on Guru Dutt released on DVD". DearCinema. 12 July 2011.
- ^ "2002 Sight & Sound Top Films Survey of 253 International Critics & Film Directors". Cinemacom. 2002. Retrieved 19 April 2009.
- ^ "BFI | Features | Top 20 Indian Films". 15 May 2011. Archived from the original on 15 May 2011. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
- ^ "India's 20 greatest films » NDTV Movies". 21 February 2012. Archived from the original on 21 February 2012. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
- News18. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
- ^ "6. Kaagaz Ke Phool -1959 | Outlook India Magazine". Outlook (India). Retrieved 17 April 2021.
- ^ "The Best Bollywood movies". Time Out London. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
- ^ Dayal, Radha (February 2015). "Reversing cinematic translation". The Book Review. Vol. 39, no. 2. Archived from the original on 10 September 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
- ^ "The best musical of every year – from the dawn of sound to the rise of the jukebox musical". BFI. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
- ^ Shah, Aarya (18 October 2017). "15 Best Bollywood Cult Movies That Were Actually Flops". The Cinemaholic. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
- ^ "Kaagaz ke phool | Indian Cinema - The University of Iowa". indiancinema.sites.uiowa.edu. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
- ^ "Sunny Deol, Dulquer Salmaan ask you to review psychopath thriller 'Chup' trailer; it's an ode to Guru Dutt, his 'Kaagaz Ke Phool'". Retrieved 6 September 2022.
- Internet Movie Database.
