Geeta Dutt

Geeta Dutt (born Geeta Ghosh Roy Chowdhuri; 23 November 1930 – 20 July 1972)^[3] was an Indian classical and playback singer. She found particular prominence as a playback singer in Hindi cinema and Bengali cinema and is considered as one of the best playback singers of all time in Hindi films.^[4] She also sang many modern Bengali songs in the non-film genre.

Geeta Dutt
Dutt, taken before 1958
Born	Geeta Ghosh Roy Chowdhuri (1930-11-23)23 November 1930 Idilpur, Bengal Presidency, British India (present-day Dhaka Division, Bangladesh)
Died	20 July 1972(1972-07-20) (aged 41) Bombay, Maharashtra, India
Nationality	Indian
Occupation	Singer
Years active	1946–1972
Spouse	Guru Dutt ​ ​ (m. 1953; died 1964)​
Musical career
Genres	Filmi Classical[1] Devotional[1] Bengali music[2]
Instruments	Vocals

Early life

Geeta Ghosh Roy Chowdhuri was one of 10 children born to a wealthy zamindar family in a village named Idilpur, Madaripur Subdivision under Faridpur district in Bengal, British India presently under Gosairhat Upazila of Shariatpur District, Bangladesh. Her family moved to Calcutta and Assam in the early 1940s, leaving behind their land and properties. In 1942, her parents moved to an apartment in Bombay. Geeta was twelve and continued her schooling at the Bengali High School.^[3]

Early career

2016 postcard and stamp featuring Geeta Dutt from the series Legendary Singers of India

As a child she trained as a singer under her music teacher, Hirendranath Nandy before her family left East Bengal in 1942 and settled in Bombay. The composer K. Hanuman Prasad launched Geeta, aged sixteen, into singing for movies in 1946 when she got the first break with the mythological film Bhakta Prahlad. She was given two lines to sing for two songs. ^[5]

The 1947 film Do Bhai marked her breakthrough in playback singing, with the popular song "Mera Sundar Sapna Beet Gaya" scored by S. D. Burman. She worked on 15 films in a span of two years after that. By 1949, she had established herself as one of the leading playback singers of the time with popular songs in Shaheed, Ek Thi Larki, Darogaji, Shabnam, and Jeet, among others.^[6]

Both Darogaji (1949) and Jogan (1950) contained 12 or more songs sung by Dutt and scored by Bulo C Rani. Dutt's continuous collaboration with Rani spanned 60 songs between 1947 and 1964.^[7]

In 1951, her songs in the Hindi film Baazi, also scored by S. D. Burman, were highly well-received with the song "Tadbeer se bigdi hui taqdeer bana le" being a fan favorite. She met and fell in love with Guru Dutt, who directed Baazi, at the recording of this song.^[8] Consecutive hits made her one of the highest paid and most sought-after singer in the Hindi film industry the 1950s, singing in around twelve movies in 1948 and at least twenty-five films in 1949.^[9]

Despite not knowing the language, her songs in Gujarati films brought her early success and assignments. She recorded for four Gujarati films — Gunsundari, Kariyavar, Nanand Bhojai, and Varasdar — all released in 1948 with composers Avinash Vyas and Ajit Merchant. She recorded for six more films in 1950, and for two of six Gujarati films released in 1951. She worked again with Avinash Vyas for five songs in Naagdevta (1955) and for four songs with her composer brother Mukul Roy in Vidhata (1956). Between 1948 and 1967 Dutt recorded nearly 80 songs for 25 Gujarati films.^[10]

Works in Bengali

Geeta Dutt maintained a significant body of work in Bengali, her mother tongue. She recorded two songs for the film Mahakobi Girishchandra (1956) for composer Anil Bagchi. She collaborated multiple times with composer Nachiketa Ghosh with popular songs in the film Prithibi Aamaare Chaay (1957) and Indrani (1958).

She frequently worked with Hemanta Mukherjee, in 11 films, including Joutuk (1958), Sonar Harin (1959), Modhyoraater Taara (1961), and Sathi Hara (1961). In the 1958 film Lukochuri, also scored by Hemanta Mukherjee, she sang with Kishore Kumar for the song "Shudhu Ektukhani Chaowa".

Outside of Bengali film music, she worked with Kanu Ghosh, Sudhin Chakraborty, and Salil Chowdhury among others on devotional, folk, and other genres of music.^[11]

Marriage with Guru Dutt

After meeting on the sets of Baazi, Roy often visited Dutt and his family at their apartment in Matunga. Being the sole earner of her family, Roy's relatives were reluctant to have her marry the, largely unestablished, Dutt who was also not Bengali unlike the Roys. However, with support from Dutt's family, they were engaged and, nearly three years later, married on May 26, 1953 at Roy's mother's home in Santa Cruz.^[8] She adopted Guru Dutt's last name.

Their marriage was strained by their differing personalities, demanding work schedules, and Guru Dutt's engagement with his work and his relationship with co-star Waheeda Rehman. For brief periods, the couple would live separately with Dutt at her mother's home and Guru Dutt spending most of his time at work.^[8]

In a purported effort to repair the relationship, Guru Dutt began production on a film called "Gouri", based on a 1943 Hindi film of the same name, and cast Dutt in her first leading role. Shooting began in 1957 in Calcutta with scenes to be shot in both Bengali and English. The shooting was suspended within a few days for unclear reasons and the film shelved with Guru Dutt's production incurring a financial loss. According to the script writer for the film, Nabendu Ghosh, and writer Bimal Mitra, an on-set heated argument with Dutt led to Guru Dutt calling the shoot off for the day with the unit leaving Calcutta in the next two days.^[12]

In 1963, soon after demolishing their house on Pali Hill, Dutt moved to live separately with her three children in Bandra while Guru Dutt lived alone in a flat on Peddar Road.

Later career

After their marriage, she sang in all of Guru Dutt's subsequent films with songs in Mr. & Mrs. '55, C.I.D., Pyaasa, Kaagaz Ke Phool, and Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam earning popular praise. She also regularly worked on films starring Dutt's close associates including Dev Anand in Nau Do Gyarah, Kala Bazar, and Ek Ke Baad Ek.

In 1956, Dutt was forced to declare personal bankruptcy after the financial failure of Sailaab a film produced by Mukul Roy, her brother.

Despite consistent work in her husband's productions, her career declined in the late-1950s amidst rumors of a disturbed personal life, missed rehearsals, and heavy drinking.^[9] Her regular collaborators including S.D. Burman and O. P. Nayyar drifted towards hiring, the more popular, Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhonsle. ^[13]

As her mental health challenges worsened after Guru Dutt's death in 1964, she performed even more infrequently in films. However, she played a leading role in the Bengali film Badhu Baran (1967) with co-star Pradeep Kumar which also featured her last Bengali film song. For composer Kanu Roy, she recorded three well-received, and now popular, songs for Basu Bhattacharya's Anubhav in 1971.

Dutt's final performance was for the unreleased film Midnight (1972) with two duets, one of which was with Talat Mahmood.

Legacy

With over 25 years in performance, Geeta Dutt recorded over 1,400 songs in various South Asian languages beyond Hindi including Bengali, Gujarati, Marathi, Maithili, Bhojpuri, Punjabi, and Nepali.^[14]

Of her singing, popular music critic Raju Bharatan remarked, "Of all her contemporaries her musical training was perhaps the sketchiest but what she lacked in training and technique, she more than made up with her ability to breathe life and emotion into any song she was singing."^[9]

Comparing her with the then-newcomer Asha Bhonsle, frequent collaborator and composer O. P. Nayyar said "As a singer, she [Asha Bhosle] sang all my songs with her heart and soul. However, Geeta Dutt’s voice modulation was far far better. It remains one of my greatest regrets that I phased out Geeta due to my emotional involvement with Asha, when it was Geeta who had introduced me to Guru Dutt. That’s when my career really took off."^[9]

Of her collaboration with S. D. Burman and them finding success together, Burman's son composer R. D. Burman said "Geeta Dutt was my father’s favourite and there was a family feeling between us. Geeta’s first hit song, Mera sundar sapna beet gaya...was composed by my father whom she called chacha (uncle). Geeta was very famous in her time; she could sing any type of song: soft songs, cabaret songs, aggressive and romantic songs...My father’s music was not recognized immediately...Then came Baazi, a big hit."^[8]

2013 stamp of India featuring Dutt

Postage stamps featuring Dutt were issued by India Post in 2013 and 2016.

Personal life

With Guru Dutt, Geeta Dutt had two sons, Tarun (1954-1985), Arun (1956-2014) and a daughter, Nina (b. 1962).

She died on 20 July 1972 due to liver cirrhosis aged 41, in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

Notable songs

Further information: List of songs recorded by Geeta Dutt

Some of the songs sung under S. D. Burman's direction:^[15]

• "Mera Sundar Sapna Beet Gaya" (Do Bhai – 1947)^[16]
• "Woh Sapne Waali Raat" (Pyaar – 1950)
• "Tadbir Se Bigdi Hui Taqdeer" (Baazi – 1951)
• "Aan Milo Aan Milo" (Devdas – 1955 ) With Manna Dey
• "Aaj Sajan Mohe Ang Lagalo" (Pyaasa – 1957)
• " Jane kya tune kahi" (Pyaasa – 1957)
• "Hum Aap Ke Aankhon Main" (Pyaasa – 1957) with Mohd. Rafi
• "Hawa Dhire Aana" (Sujata – 1959)
• "Waqt Ne Kiya Kya Haseen Sitam" (Kaagaz Ke Phool – 1959)
• "Janu janu re" (Insaan Jaag Utha) with Asha Bhosle

Some of the songs she sang under O. P. Nayyar's direction:^[17]

• "Zara Saamne Aa" (Baaz – 1953)
• "Babuji Dhire Chalna" (Aar Paar – 1954)
• "Thandi Hawa Kali Ghata" (Mr. & Mrs. '55 – 1955)
• "Jaane Kahan Mera Jigar Gaya Ji" (Mr. & Mrs. '55 – 1955)
• "Jab Badal Lehraya" (Chhoomantar – 1956)
• "Mere Zindagi Ke Humsafar" (Shrimati 420 – 1956)
• "Jaata Kahan Hai" (CID – 1956)
• "Aye Dil Hain Mushkil" (Aka "Bombay Meri Jaan") (CID – 1956), With Mohammed Rafi
• "Chor, Lutere, Daku" (Ustad – 1957)
• "Mera Naam Chin Chin Chu" (Howrah Bridge – 1958)
• "Kaisa Jadoo Balam Tune Dara" (12 O'clock – 1958)

Some of the songs sung under Hemant Kumar's direction^[18]

• "Jai Jagadish Hare" Composed By A Sanskrit Poet Jayadeva Circa 1200 AD (Anand Math - 1951)^[19]
• "Na Jao Saiyaan Chhuda Ke Baiyaan" (Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam – 1962)
• "Kaise Roko Ge Aise Toofan Ko" (Anandmath – 1952 ) With Talat Mahmood
• "Madbhari Hain Pyar Ki Palken" (Fashion – 1957)
• "Na Yeh Chand Ho Ga" (Shart – 1954)
• "Piya Aiso Jiya Mein Samaye Gayo" (Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam – 1962)
• "Chale Aao Chale Aao" (Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam – 1962)

Madan Mohan's direction

• "Aye Dil Mujhe Bata De'"(Bhai Bhai – 1956)

For movie Anubhav (1971)

• "Mujhe Jaan Nah Kaho Meri Jaan" (Anubhav – 1971) Music: Kanu Roy
• "Mera Dil Jo Mera Hota" (Anubhav – 1971) Music: Kanu Roy
• "Koi Chupke Se Aake" (Anubhav – 1971) Music: Kanu Roy

Several songs from Jogan:

• "Ghunghat Ke Pat Khol"
• "Mein Tou Girdhar Ke Ghar Jaon"
• "Mat Ja Mat Ja Jogi"
• "Dag Mag Dag Mag Dole Naiya"
• "Mein Tou Prem Diwani"

Some Bengali songs:^[20]

• 'Shachimata Go Char Juge Hai' (1950)
• Baalo (1951) ( Punjabi Film ) : Kothe Kothe Aa Kudiye : Music N Dutta : L Sahir Ludhiyanvi
• 'Ekhan-O Dustar Lajja' (1952)
• 'Ei Sundar Swarnali Sandhyay' (Hospital, 1960; Music: Amal Mukherjee)
• 'Katha Achhe Tumi Aj Asbe (Kanu Ghosh 1960)
• 'Ei Mayabi Tithi' (Shonar Horin, 1959; Music: Hemant Mukherjee)
• 'Tumi Je Amar'^[21] (Harano Sur, 1958; Music: Hemant Kumar)
• 'Nishi Raat Banka Chand Aakashe' (Prithibi Aamare Chaay, 1957; Music: Nachiketa Ghosh)
• 'Jhanak Jhanak Kanak Kankan Baaje' (Indrani, 1958; Music : Nachiketa Ghosh)
• ' Sundar, jano na ki.....' ( Indrani, 1958; Music : Nachiketa Ghosh)
• ' Nir chhoto kshati nei ' [duet with Hemanta Mukherjee]( Indrani, 1958; Music : Nachiketa Ghosh)
• ' Kancher churir chhata' ( Dak Harkara; Music : Sudhin Dasgupta)

A few Bengali songs of non-film genre:

• ' Kato gaan haralam tomar majhe ' (Music : Anal Chatterjee)
• ' Krishnachura aagun tumi ' (Music : Sudhin Dasgupta)
• ' Ektu chaoya, ektu paoya ' (Music : Sudhin Dasgupta)
• '..Aay aay moynamotir ganye ' (Music : Kanu Roy)