Geeta Dutt (English: Geeta Dutt, born: November 23, 1930; death: July 20, 1972) was a famous playback singer in the Indian cinema world, who enthralled millions of listeners with her captivating voice for almost three decades. The husband of playback singer Geeta Dutt, who gave voice to the songs of the classic film ‘Pyaasa’ at the end, was famous actor, producer-director Guru Dutt.
Geeta Ghosh Rai Chaudhary, famous as Geeta Dutt in the film world, was born on 23 November 1930 in Faridpur city. When she was just 12 years old, her entire family moved to Mumbai from Faridpur in what is now Bangladesh. His father was a landowner. Geeta Dutt was inclined towards music since her childhood days and she wanted to become a playback singer. Geeta Dutt received her early music education from Hanuman Prasad.
Geeta Dutt first got a chance to sing for the film ‘Bhakt Prahlad’ in the year 1946. Geeta Dutt also sang for some films like ‘Kashmir Ki Kali’, Rasili, Circus King (1946) but none of them were successful at the box office. Meanwhile, he met the great musician S. D. Burman. In Geeta Rai S. D. Burman saw the rising star of the film industry and offered Geeta Dutt to sing for his next film ‘Do Bhai’. The film ‘Do Bhai’, released in the year 1947, proved to be an important film in Geeta Dutt’s cine career and the song ‘Mera Sundar Sapna Beet Gaya’ sung by her in this film became very popular among the people. After the success of this song sung by her in the film ‘Do Bhai’, Geeta Dutt became successful in making her mark as a playback singer.
The year 1951 brought a new turn in Geeta Dutt’s cine career as well as personal life. He met director Guru Dutt during the making of the film ‘Baji’. Guru Dutt became fascinated after seeing Geeta Dutt during the recording of a song from the film ‘Tadbeer Se Badi Hui Takdeer Bana Le’. After this Geeta Dutt also started loving Guru Dutt. Geeta Dutt married Guru Dutt in the year 1953. Along with this, the success of the film Baaghi made Geeta Dutt’s fortune and she became established in the film industry as a playback singer.
Geeta Dutt, the owner of the soulful voice and captivating style of singing, was the embodiment of Western influence in Indian film music and was a musician who had expertise in singing all types of songs. Geeta Dutt’s magical voice was first heard in ‘Jogan’. In this film, he has made the audience estranged by expressing the joys of Meera. She sings openly – ‘I should go to Girdhar’s house. Open the veil and you will meet my beloved. And Geeta’s father left nine years before her. She kept singing – ‘Jogi don’t go, don’t go…’ Geeta Dutt has sung very well in Guru Dutt’s films. Not from the throat, but from the heart. The restlessness and restlessness of his mind is visible in every word. Be it ‘Baaji’ or ‘Aarpaar’, ‘CID’ or ‘Pyaasa’, ‘Kaagaz Ke Phool’ or ‘Chaudhvin Ka Chand’, the listener becomes convinced of the diversity of his voice. ‘Make your destiny bad by planning’ (Baaji), ‘Babuji, walk slowly, be careful in love…yes, there are big deceptions in this love’. He was really cheated in love. Still kept singing – ‘Yeh lo main hari piya, hui teri jeet re.’
The film ‘Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam’ may have been a film of the younger daughter-in-law i.e. Meena Kumari, but Geeta’s voice brought the pain of the younger daughter-in-law, the complaint, the pain of loneliness, the infidelity of her husband, on the screen in such a way that Meena became immortal. ‘Don’t go Saiya, free me Bainya, I swear on you I will cry.’ And thousands of spectators, immersed in the darkness of the cinema hall, cried along with Meena. Geeta Dutt has sung all types of songs. In the song ‘Zara Samne Aa, Zara Aankh Mila’ from the film ‘Baaji’, the listeners get crazy sounds. Hearing the song ‘Ae Dil Mujhe Bata De, Tu Kispe Aa Gaya Hai’ from ‘Bhai-Bhai’, the mind is filled with the success of love. Listening to Gulabo’s life music of ‘Pyaasa’, the mind gets lost in unsatisfied thirst – ‘Aaj Sajan Mohe Ang Laga Le, Janam Be Successful.’ But Geeta drank the poison of life all her life – ‘How can one live, life is poison.’ She kept taking the poison of alcohol down her throat daily and one day she left everyone alone.
In the year 1957, there was a rift in the married life of Geeta Dutt and Guru Dutt. Guru Dutt started interfering in Geeta Dutt’s work. He wanted Geeta Dutt to sing songs only for the films made by him. Geeta Dutt, who was dedicated to her work, initially did not agree to this, but later Geeta Dutt thought it better to compromise with fate. Gradually other producers and directors started avoiding Geeta Dutt. After a few days, Geeta Dutt could not tolerate the increasing interference of her husband Guru Dutt and she decided to live separately from Guru Dutt. One of the main reasons for this was that at that time Guru Dutt’s name was also being linked with actress Waheeda Rehman, which Geeta Dutt could not tolerate. After separation from Geeta Dutt, Guru Dutt went broke and drowned himself in alcohol. On October 10, 1964, Guru Dutt left this world due to taking excessive amount of sleeping pills. After Guru Dutt’s death, Geeta Dutt was deeply shocked and she also drowned herself in alcohol. In the seventies, Geeta Dutt’s health started deteriorating and she once again reduced her singing. Playback singer Geeta Dutt, who enthralled the audience with her voice for almost three decades, finally bid farewell to this world on July 20, 1972.