Music in the Films of Guru Dutt: Dreams, Desire, and Disillusionment | An Introduction
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Guru Dutt's cinema blended poetic storytelling with visual brilliance tackling the themes of love, identity, an artist's struggle and social disillusionement. This session explores the nuances of his craft through four of his most enduring songs: "Babuji Dheere Chalna" (Aar Paar, 1954), "Jinhe Naaz Hai Hind Par" (Pyaasa, 1957), "Yeh Duniya Agar Mil Bhi Jaye" (Pyaasa, 1957), and "Waqt Ne Kiya Kya Haseen Sitam" (Kaagaz Ke Phool, 1959).
While discussing "Jinhe Naaz Hai Hind Par", Juhi Saklani juxtaposes the grandeur of the Indian national anthem and its celebratory descriptions of the nation's landscapes: "Panjaba-Sindha-Gujrata-Maharata-
Dravida-Utkala-Vanga, Vindhya-Himachala-Yamuna-Ganga" with the grim reality that Sahir Ludhianvi's lyrics lay bare through: "Ye kooche ye neelam-ghar dilkashi ke... ye sadiyon se bekhauf, sehmi si galiyan." Where the anthem sees glory, the song sees streets centuries-old in their exhaustion, people living at the margins of the very nation being celebrated. Ravikant adds that Sahir poses a direct and piercing question to the powers that be, holding a newly independent government accountable to the promises it made to its most vulnerable citizens.
Reflecting on "Waqt Ne Kiya Kya Haseen Sitam," Madan Gopal Singh observes that it is perhaps the only song in Indian cinema where the process of making the song itself becomes a part of what we see on the screen.
In "Yeh Duniya Agar Mil Bhi Jaye," Antara Nanda Mondal reads the line "Ye mahalon, ye takhton, ye taajon ki duniya" ("this world of palaces, thrones, and crowns") as an allusion to British rule, suggesting that Guru Dutt saw colonial hierarchies continuing to shape post-Independence India.
On "Babuji Dheere Chalna," Antara Nanda Mondal argues that the song offers a remarkably nuanced portrait of a woman living on the fringes of society. In a single sequence, it reveals how such women are often looked at, desired, and judged, yet rarely understood on their own terms.
This segment is part of T.R.I.S.' workshop series "A Musical Glue for Nation-Building: Deconstructing the Film Song," featuring Madan Gopal Singh, Ravikant, Antara Nanda Mondal, Juhi Saklani, and Neville Tuli, presented by the Tuli Research Centre for India Studies (T.R.I.S.) at the 7th Self-Discovery via Rediscovering India Festival.
While discussing "Jinhe Naaz Hai Hind Par", Juhi Saklani juxtaposes the grandeur of the Indian national anthem and its celebratory descriptions of the nation's landscapes: "Panjaba-Sindha-Gujrata-Maharata-
Dravida-Utkala-Vanga, Vindhya-Himachala-Yamuna-Ganga" with the grim reality that Sahir Ludhianvi's lyrics lay bare through: "Ye kooche ye neelam-ghar dilkashi ke... ye sadiyon se bekhauf, sehmi si galiyan." Where the anthem sees glory, the song sees streets centuries-old in their exhaustion, people living at the margins of the very nation being celebrated. Ravikant adds that Sahir poses a direct and piercing question to the powers that be, holding a newly independent government accountable to the promises it made to its most vulnerable citizens.
Reflecting on "Waqt Ne Kiya Kya Haseen Sitam," Madan Gopal Singh observes that it is perhaps the only song in Indian cinema where the process of making the song itself becomes a part of what we see on the screen.
In "Yeh Duniya Agar Mil Bhi Jaye," Antara Nanda Mondal reads the line "Ye mahalon, ye takhton, ye taajon ki duniya" ("this world of palaces, thrones, and crowns") as an allusion to British rule, suggesting that Guru Dutt saw colonial hierarchies continuing to shape post-Independence India.
On "Babuji Dheere Chalna," Antara Nanda Mondal argues that the song offers a remarkably nuanced portrait of a woman living on the fringes of society. In a single sequence, it reveals how such women are often looked at, desired, and judged, yet rarely understood on their own terms.
This segment is part of T.R.I.S.' workshop series "A Musical Glue for Nation-Building: Deconstructing the Film Song," featuring Madan Gopal Singh, Ravikant, Antara Nanda Mondal, Juhi Saklani, and Neville Tuli, presented by the Tuli Research Centre for India Studies (T.R.I.S.) at the 7th Self-Discovery via Rediscovering India Festival.
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Music in the Films of Guru Dutt: Dreams, Desire, and Disillusionment | An Introduction
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Published13 Aug 2026
Media1 image, 1 video
Research Categories21_CinemaEducation·12_Scholarship
Masterlists1Guru Dutt