One of the greatest figures in Indian commercial cinema, Guru Dutt was regarded as a man ahead of his time. Even though he only produced a few more than ten movies, they are regarded as the best to emerge from Bollywood's Golden Age. They were notable for their ability to connect with the common person as well as for their artistic and lyrical substance, which later became trendsetters that have influenced Bollywood ever since.

Both as a director and actor, Guru Dutt was at his best in Pyaasa and Kaagaz Ke Phool, two movies that not only have a timeless quality but also have given the landscape of Indian cinema a new meaning. These two lyrical films transport us to a world of introspection through the "techniques" of the craft of filmmaking, musical sensitivities, silences and dialogues, light and darkness, as well as the intensity of acting.

These two poetic films transport us to a world of introspection through the "techniques" of the craft of filmmaking, musical sensitivities, silences and dialogues, light and darkness, and the intensity of acting. We start to recognize ourselves: our overall moral decay, our obscene materialism, and our inability to discern the light of truth among the flash of the external world. These movies, in a way, touch the spiritual threshold and give us the impression that only a poet or mystic can perceive the fallacy in the “Maya” of this worldly existence, and that society, obsessed with its materialism, frequently crucifies these sensitive souls.

Additionally, Guru Dutt produced a few other films that were delightful to watch and had brilliant minute details and great tunes. He was acutely aware of the need for films to be commercially successful despite his frustration with the division between art and business. He managed a production company and was well aware that others relied on him for their livelihood.

Good art's transcending appeal and historicity

Is Dutt still relevant today? Are his films still relevant in today's world? Even while it appears obvious that his artistic works are ageless, let's consider India's politico-cultural environment in the 1950s, when these two films were produced. Yes, the Nehruvian state undertook a significant effort to modernise and industrialise a traditional culture like ours; yet, this social transformation process equally gave rise to new aspirations, worries, and anxieties.

Many sensitive minds experienced a sense of loss as a result of this dialectic of modernization. They were afraid of the onslaught of modern values, such as the assertion of a self-possessive/rational individual headed by the concept of infinite material growth. This fear was growing rather acutely in Gandhi's absence—a subtle mediator between moral and ethical understanding and contemporary politics. In a sense, Raj Kapoor's outstanding films, such as Awaara and Shree 420, which were infused with a combination of "socialist" ideals and Gandhian principles, exposed the ferocity of this dialectic.

These two Dutt films also expressed this worry about the disappearance of moral and ethical values in a world that is moving more and more toward materialism in a more profound and poetic way. In this way, these movies have a romanticism and anguish component.

What has changed since then?  Well, quite a lot indeed! India has undergone a difficult process of societal upheavals in the post-Nehru era. The results of these transforming processes are also depicted in our films.  From Amitabh Bachchan's iconic portrayal of the "angry" young man in the turbulent 1970s to Mani Ratnam's depiction of a nation's fear in the face of terrorist violence in the 1990s, from the glitzy films of the Karan Johar variety made for NRI audiences and released in multiplexes to the glitz of neo-liberal global capitalism as seen in the rise of new stardom of Shah Rukh Khan and Hrithik Roshan- We can observe the sociology and history of our movie.

The new audience and good art: A juxtaposition

Are these movies suitable for today's youth? Yes, on some level, we might receive a gloomy response. One could argue that the onslaught of the mass culture industry, characterised by soap operas, news entertainment, media simulation of hyper-reality, and "Facebook shares," has ushered in an age of instantaneity and depthlessness. The "aura" of culture is lost in this age of "surfing," and we lack the patience to delve deeper, reflect, and appreciate a work of cultural creativity that deviates from the customary, standardised, and commercialised fare that the glitzy entertainment industry constantly bombards us with. It's like claiming that a pornographic video on YouTube might receive more views than, say, Shyam Benegal’s Ankur or Manthan.

Final Thoughts

We must constantly increase our awareness; watching quality movies or reading works of art is a purifying process. For instance: This purification procedure even includes drafting this article. Only when I’m determined to turn off the TV, put my phone on quiet, forgo using social media for some time, and resist the urge to see a glossy movie with coffee and popcorn in the PVR complex, only then can I rediscover Dutt.