Guru Dutt

A layered portrait of a troubled genius for whom art was not merely a thing of beauty but a vital part of living itself.<p>The original Marathi book won the National Award for Best Book on Cinema (in 1986) now available for the first time in English.</p><p>Guru Dutt is now named along with the masters of world cinema--like Orson Welles Mizoguchi Hitchcock Jancso Ophuls--for his innovative cinematic form and his deep humanism and compassion. In <i>Guru Dutt: A Tragedy in Three Acts</i> renowned film-maker and scholar Arun Khopkar sheds new light on Dutt's genius through a close examination of Dutt's three best-known films--Pyaasa Kaagaz Ke Phool and Sahib Biwi Aur Ghulam. With a nuanced eye Khopkar explores the historical context which influenced Dutt's deeply melancholic style while also analyzing the intricacies of the medium--acting lighting music editing rhythm--that Dutt carefully deployed to create his masterpieces. Originally written in Marathi this exquisite English translation paints a layered portrait of a troubled genius for whom art was not merely a thing of beauty but a vital part of living itself.</p>