"Waqt Ne Kiya Kya Haseen Sitam" - The Haunting Song of Guru Dutt’s Life
Tuli Research Centre for India Studies (Editor)
Document TypeIn-house Video
Date31 August 2026
Duration55 sec
FormatVertical Video
Description
Few frames in Indian cinema signify quiet devastation as the beam of light in "Waqt Ne Kiya Kya Haseen Sitam" from Guru Dutt’s Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959).
In 'Deconstructing the Film Song: A Musical Glue for Nation-Building,' panelists Antara Mondal, Ravikant, Madan Gopal Singh, Juhi Sakhlani, and Neville Tuli, trace the visual language of the song and how time's quiet cruelty runs through both Kaifi Azmi's lyrics and VK Murthy’s cinematography. The discussion moves between close readings of the song, its emotional architecture and its enduring presence in popular memory.
This session was presented by the Tuli Research Centre for India Studies (T.R.I.S) as part of the 7th Self-Discovery via Rediscovering India Festival.