Kolkata, Jan 24 (.) Filmmaker and author Nasreen Munni Kabir says Guru Dutt’s cinema stands out because music in his films was never added merely to entertain audiences, but to express emotions and ideas that could not be conveyed through dialogue alone.
Speaking at a discussion on The Melancholy and the Magic of Guru Dutt at the Kolkata Literary Meet 2026, Kabir said the filmmaker was very conscious of how music functioned in cinema.
“According to Guru Dutt, use of a song within the narrative is considered to break the illusion of realism in cinema. Hindi cinema does not see music and dance as separate from the storytelling and is entirely dependent on songs as essential ingredients. He never used music for music’s sake.”
Kabir pointed out that in films such as “Pyaasa” and”Kaagaz Ke Phool”, the songs express emotions and ideas that the characters cannot voice through dialogue.
“If the songs are removed from Pyaasa, the film is emotionally hollow. Sahir Ludhianvi’s lyrics say what Vijay can’t express in words. It’s the songs that convey that emotional, political, and social commentary.”
She also highlighted Guru Dutt’s preference for songs without elaborate musical introductions. He believed that announcing a song too openly created distance between the film and its audience. So many of his songs begin suddenly, almost as a continuation of a scene, keeping the viewer emotionally involved.
Pointing to his meticulous craft, she said Guru Dutt clearly distinguished reality from fantasy through music. In dream sequences, such as those in “Kaagaz Ke Phool”, he permitted longer musical preludes to indicate that the moment belonged to imagination rather than lived experience. She stressed this placement of songs were central to his filmmaking style.
“Guru Dutt’s son Tarun once revealed, if you miss a song in Guru Dutt, you missed a scene, and he was absolutely right,” she recalled.
The conversation also turned to the difficulty of drawing younger viewers, often unaccustomed to black-and-white films, towards Guru Dutt’s cinema. Kabir acknowledged the challenge but said his films survive through their music. “They know the songs. The songs are the glue of Indian cinema. Younger generation at first engages with his songs and then his films.” . . .