Geetha Dutt

Geetha Dutt Biography

Geeta Dutt was a famous playback singer of golden era of Bollywood movies – 1950’s. She was the wife of versatile film maker Guru Dutt as well. Born in Faridpur before the partition of India, her family shifted to Calcutta in the early fourties. Later they shifted to Mumbai when she was just 12, where she completed by school studies. She has given valuable contributions to Bollywood as well as Bengal music. Her major hits include ‘Tadbir se bigdi hui taqdeer’ of Baazi pictured on Geetha Bali (1951), Babuji dheere chalna and Kabhi aar kabhi paar lage theere nasar of Aar paar, Hum aapke aankhon mein and Jaane kya tu ne kahi of Pyaasa (1975), Jaane kaha mera jigar gaya jee, Aao milo of Devdas, Meri jaan mujhe jaana kaho, Hawaa deere aana of Sujatha (1959), Mumbai meri jaan of CID and Waqt ne kiya of Kaagaz ke phool (1959).

Geeta Dutt debuted Bollywood at the age of 16, singing two lines for the movie Bhaktha Prahlad in the year 1946. Next year she got the major break in Do Bhai, the next year. She met Guru Dutt at the song recording of Baazi and very soon they got married. Geeta sang for Guru Dutt’s movie ‘Gauri’ in the year 1957. But Guru Dutt’s romantic involvement with her heroine Waheeda Rehman, with whom he worked in Saheb Biwi aur Ghulam, Chaudwin ka chand and Kagal ka phool, their marriage was the rocks. It severely affected her singing talent too, as she became addicted to alcohol. S.S.Burman and O.P.Nayyar were among those music composers who gave her repeat opportunities to pull up her career, but it couldn’t help. O.P.Nayyar slowly moved to Asha Bhosle. Yet a few finest songs of CID, Baaz, Aar paar, Shreemati 420 and Howrah Bridge of O.P.Nayyar’s compositions still remain Geeta’s best. Hit songs are Mera naam chum chum of Howrah Bridge, Babuji zara of Aar paar, Dhandi hawa of Mra nd Mrs.55 and Kaisa jaadu of 12 0’ clock.

She has sung some finest songs for Hemant Kumar too. All songs of Saheb biwi aur ghulam (Na jao sayya, Piya aisa jiye mein and Chale aao) and Kaise rook and Jai Jagdish hare bhajan of Anand Math are simply the finest of Hemant Kumar – Geeta Dutt combination. She died due to liver Cirrhosis in the year 1972, her last song being ‘Meri jaan mujhe jaana kaho’ of Anubav. Still it stands a mystery with the lyrics of her last song!!!!

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Updated: June 11, 2013