Kagaz Ke Phool
Kagaz Ke Phool is that rare film whose commercial failure is famous. Its disappointment is known to have dispirited a genius like Guru Dutt.
Ironically, it is somehow in conjunction with Guru Dutt's oft-expressed cynical view of worldly fame (Yeh duniya agar mil bhi jaaye toh kya hai?) that today the film is considered no less than a cult classic.
CREDITS
Producer : Guru Dutt
Director Guru Dutt
Music Director: S D Burman
Stars: Guru Dutt, Waheeda Rehman
The bare bones of Kagaz Ke Phool's story are reminiscent of the Hollywood classic A Star Is Born, but the extraordinarily sensitive Guru Dutt makes it his own vision with photographic stylisations, his understanding of irony and his profound sympathy for the human condition.
Of course watching this thickly atmospheric movie does become a rather morose experience. But go beyond the pall of gloom and the unevenly developed screenplay (parts are plain pallid and some sequences exasperatingly self-indulgent) and you find moments of piercing brilliance that give you a glimpse into the heart of the artiste.
Repeatedly running through the film like a leitmotif is the song Bichhde sabhi baari baari, capturing the film's sense of loss.
Famous songs from Kagaz Ke Phool
Song Singers
Dekhi zamane ki yaari Mohammed Rafi
Waqt ne kiya Geeta Dutt
Hum tum jise kehta hai Mohammed Rafi
San san san woh chali hawa Asha Bhosle, Mohammed Rafi
Ulte seedhe daav Asha Bhosle, Mohammed Rafi
Kagaz Ke Phool does seem unrelenting in its narration of its protagonist's tragedies and later, in his surly acceptance of the same. One wishes he would take help to get his life back on the tracks.
Guru Dutt maintains a heightened emotional fervour and tinges his central love story with a heart-breaking air of what-could-have-been. What is also refreshing is the quiet nature of their love story. Their line, Hamne hamesha ek doosre ko samjha hai conveys the depth of their emotion more than reams of dialogue.
Guru Dutt and Waheeda act beautifully, deepening our understanding of their characters. With the aid of cameraman V K Murthy, Dutt creates some unforgettable images. The two premieres (one of a successful film, one of a flop) are strikingly contrasted and the huge empty sets are evocatively lit.
And of course, there is the climactic scene where Guru Dutt is dressed as an extra but runs away when Waheeda spots him. With Ud ja ud ja panchi playing plaintively in the background, Waheeda flees after him but once outside the studio gates, is besieged by autograph-hungry fans.
The scene was wishy washily recreated in Amitabh Bachchan's Hum, but it is Kagaz Ke Phool's soul. Even if it had just this one moment, Kagaz Ke Phool would have deservedly joined the ranks of classics.
* Guru Dutt made himself look convincingly older than his age in Kagaz Ke Phool. Proof: Three years later, and without a moustache, he looked years younger in Sahib Biwi Aur Ghulam.
* Disturbed by the film's commercial failure Guru Dutt didn't take his name as a director for any of his subsequent films.
The Music:
* The S D Burman-Sahir Ludhianvi team of Pyaasa had created history, but the S D Burman-Kaifi Azmi combination of Kagaz Ke Phool was also memorable. It was Kaifi Azmi's big break in films and he scored with Dekhi zamane ki yaari and Waqt ne kiya.
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