New Delhi — Acclaimed actor Arif Zakaria says portraying a character modeled on Guru Dutt in the play Rahenge Sadaa Gardish Mein Taare was both a creative challenge and an emotional journey. The play, written by Saif Hyder Hasan, also starred Sonali Kulkarni as Geeta Dutt and toured extensively in India and abroad, receiving praise for its intimate portrayal of the legendary filmmaker’s turbulent life.
“Guru Dutt is a mythical name in Hindi cinema,” Zakaria told PTI.
“There’s something deeply mysterious about him — his early death, his dark and brooding films, and the aura that still surrounds his work. He’s always with us in Bollywood — omnipresent in every shadowed frame, every sepia shot.”
Zakaria said he was first drawn to Dutt’s cinematic genius like most fans — through his iconic films — but his personal connection came via filmmaker Kalpana Lajmi, his mentor, and niece of Guru Dutt.
“Kalpana gave me my first break. Her mother, Lalita Lajmi, was Guru Dutt’s sister and a painter. Through them, I heard stories of Guru Dutt’s childhood, inspirations, and inner world.”
This connection eventually led Zakaria to take up the lead role in the play. He credits the experience with deepening his understanding of Dutt’s complex inner life.
“It was more difficult doing it on stage than in cinema. We had to bring his emotional world alive through letters — because Guru Dutt was an avid letter writer, especially to Geeta Dutt during his shoots.”
The play incorporated this unique aspect of his personality, framing scenes around the heartfelt letters Guru Dutt would write to his wife during shoots, offering a window into his mental state and emotional depth.
“People often struggle to express what they feel. Through these letters, we found a way to portray his emotional journey with authenticity,” Zakaria said.
He believes that Guru Dutt’s presence continues to live on not just through his films like Pyaasa, Kaagaz Ke Phool, and Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam, but also in the visual and emotional language of Indian cinema.
“Even today, if a film has a heavy black-and-white tone or dramatic lighting, people ask — ‘Are you making a Guru Dutt film?’ That’s how deeply rooted he is in our collective cinematic consciousness.”