Guru Dutt  Shiv Shankar Padukone, the famous director and actor was born on 9th July 1925 in Mangalore, Karnataka. He received his early education in Calcutta. Guru Dutt learned dancing at Uday Shankar's, India Cultural Centre at Almora for two years. Later he moved to Maharashtra where he began his association with the film world. He learned every aspect of film making by assisting major directors in studios like Prabhat, Famous Pictures, Bombay Talkies etc. 

Dutt's earliest assignments in the world of commercial cinema was that of a choreographer in the film 'Hum Ek Hain' and as an actor in the film 'Lakhrani' in 1944. His first big break as a director came with ' Baazi' (1951), produced by Dev Anand's Navketan Studio but it was with 'Aar Paar'(1954), that Guru Dutt entered his most popular phase as a director. He also proved his mettle as an actor by playing the hero in the film with a style of his own. During this time he married the popular playback singer, Geeta Roy who was to sing some of the best songs in his films. 

With Aar Paar, Guru Dutt started his own production company. Other films that established Dutt's reputation - as an excellent director, 'Pyaasa'(1957), 'Kaagaz Ke Phool'(1959) ; as an actor and producer, 'Chaudvin Ka Chand'(1960) and 'Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam'(1962). The story of Kaagaz ke Phool has glimpses of his personal life. Almost all his films had female as central characters. Famous actresses like Meena Kumari and Waheeda Rehman have given powerful performances in his films. He was so different from his fellow directors in the sense that he made good purposeful, films though not hits at the box office. He had a tragic end at the young age of thirty nine.

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