Kaagaz Ke Phool, (English: Paper Flowers), is a 1959 classic Hindi film, produced, directed and acted by Guru Dutt.
The film was a box office disaster of its time but was later resurrected as a world cinema cult classic in the 1980s. The film’s music was composed by S. D. Burman and the notable lyrics were written by Kaifi Azmi, giving hits like Waqt ne Kiya Kya Haseen Situm, sung by Geeta Dutt.
Overview
Motivated by the success of Pyaasa, Guru Dutt embarked on the creation of yet another of his socially challenging movie, Kaagaz Ke Phool. The theme and tone on this movie were ages ahead of the Indian audience of the 50s who were used to simpler plots and storylines. The underlying tones of the film were complex and story was controversial for the time.
Considered one of Guru Dutt’s finest film by many, Kaagaz Ke Phool was a commercial disaster when it was first released. At the film’s premiere, Dr Rajendra Prasad, then President of India and invited chief guest, walked out of the cinema hall deeply offended. Audiences in Delhi’s Regal cinema threw stones at the screen during the screening. Reactions like these deeply affected the sensitive and introverted Dutt Guru Dutt himself admitted in an interview to Filmfare in 1963,
- ” It was good in patches. It was too slow and it went over the head of audiences.”
Even though Guru Dutt produced and acted in two commercially successful and critically acclaimed hits after this, namely Chaudhvin Ka Chand (1960) and Sahib, Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962), he never undertook the role of director again. There is some speculation that Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam was ghost directed by him, although it lists Abrar Alvi as the director, for which he won the year’s Filmfare ‘Best Director’ award.
Ironically, today Kaagaz ke Phool enjoys a cult following, and became a commercial hit at its 1984 re-release in France and Japan. Critically acclaimed even at time of its release, it is often listed in top ten Hindi movies of all time listings today. The film is regarded by many as India’s equivalent of “Sunset Boulevard”. Guru Dutt’s influence in Indian cinema continues to date.
The cinematographer of Kaagaz Ke Phool was the legendary V.K. Murthy and it has the distinction of being the first Indian film made in wide 75 mm CinemaScope. He created the sun breaking through studio roof shot in the movie with use of a pair of ordinary mirrors and sambarani to get a parallel beam, as seen in the song, Waqt Ne Kiya. This scene won him the Filmfare Best Cinematographer Award for 1959.The film also won critical acclaim in direction, lyrics and poetic songs. S.D. Burman and Kaifi Azmi poured their heart and soul in the music and lyrics of this film respectively.
Plot Inspiration
Many claim that the film is semi-autobiographical of Guru Dutt and that he portrayed his angst in the movie. At the time of production of the film, Guru Dutt’s marriage to Geeta Dutt was under strain due to his liking for Waheeda Rehman. This was openly known causing Guru Dutt’s personal life to resemble that of the protagonist in the movie. However, the forecast of his own (Guru Dutt’s) death, to parallel the sad and imminent death of the protagonist in the film, is debatable.
Another explanation for the inspiration is Guru Dutt’s association with Gyan Mukherjee, the famous 1940s director whose Qismet (1941) had made him into a household name. The life and subsequent failures of Mukherjee, whom Guru Dutt had joined in 1950, influenced him deeply. Many think that Kaghaz ke Phool was based on Gyan Mukherjee’s life and failures, as Guru Dutt’s previous film Pyaasa had been dedicated to him.
Cast
- Waheeda Rehman – Shanti
- Guru Dutt- Suresh Sinha
- Mahmood – Suresh Sinha’s brother
- Kumari Naaz (Baby Naaz) – Pramila ‘Pammi’ Sinha
- Johnny Walker – Rocky (Bina’s brother-in-law)
- Mahesh Kaul – Rai Bahadur B.P. Verma (Father-inlaw)
- Veena – Bina (wife of Suresh Sinha)
- Minoo Mumtaz – Veterinarian
- Nilofer
- Ruby Myers (as Sulochna Devi)
- Sheila Vaz
