Guru
Dutt
is
a
name
that
evokes
awe,
intrigue,
romance
and
tragedy.
Besides
being
one
of
the
pioneers
among
Indian
filmmakers,
his
personal
life
also
holds
an
endless
appeal
for
filmmakers.
Guru
Dutt
himself
made
Kaagaz
Ke
Phool
based
on
his
own
life.
Much
later
filmmaker
Johnny
Bakshi
got
Rajesh
Khanna
to
play
Guru
Dutt
in
Khudaai,
a
clumsily
fictionalized
version
of
the
legendary
filmmaker's
life.
For
years
now
filmmakers
have
attempted
to
recreate
the
Guru
Dutt
mystique
without
much
success.
But
now
two
filmmakers
Rakeysh
Mehra
and
Shivendra
Singh
are
determined
to
bring
Guru
Dutt's
life
to
celluloid.
While
Rakeysh's
film
will
be
based
on
Nasreen
Munni
Kabeer's
biography
of
Guru
Dutt,
Shivendra
Singh
Dungarpur
is
going
ahead
full-throttle
with
his
research
on
the
life
of
Guru
Dutt.
The
mythic
movie
maker's
son
Arun
Dutt
is
also
collaborating
with
Shivendra
in
getting
Guru
Dutt's
life
on
celluloid.
As
for
Rakeysh
doing
his
own
take
on
Guru
Dutt's
life
Shivendra
shrugs,
"It's
a
free
world
and
Guru
Dutt
is
part
of
public
folklore.
Anyone
can
make
a
film
on
his
life.
Why
just
Rakeysh,
I
welcome
many
others
to
do
the
same.
There
were
so
many
films
on
the
life
of
Bhagat
Singh."
Shivendra
who
started
his
career
making
a
shelved
film
featuring
Karisma
Kapoor,
Sanjay
Kapoor
and
Chandrachur
Singh
fifteen
years
ago
before
gravitating
towards
ad
films,
is
confident
of
his
grasp
over
Guru
Dutt's
life.
"I've
spent
many
years
researching
Guru
Dutt's
life.
Two
years
ago
Anurag
Kashyap
was
brought
in
to
write
the
film.
We're
sure
of
what
we're
doing."
The
title
Guru
Dutt
has
already
been
registered.
And
Shivendra
who's
the
cricket
aficionado
Raj
Singh
Durgapur's
nephew
wants
to
cast
Aamir
Khan
as
Guru
Dutt.
Apparently,
Aamir
is
also
Rakeysh's
first
choice.
But
the
scales
would
be
titled
in
Shivendra's
favour
because
Guru
Dutt's
family
is
backing
the
project.
In
fact,
Aamir
is
very
fond
of
Guru
Dutt's
sister
Lalita
Lajmi
who
happens
to
be
filmmaker
Kalpana
Lajmi's
mother.
Lalita
made
an
appearance
in
Aamir's
Taare
Zameen
Par.
Kalpana
in
fact
was
planning
a
film
on
her
legendary
uncle's
life
but
backed
out
when
she
heard
of
Shivendra's
plans.
Says
Kalpana,
"My
mother
told
me
Anurag
Kashyap
is
scripting
and
Shivendra
Singh
Durgapur
is
directing
the
film.
They've
informed
my
mother
that
it
won't
be
fictional
but
a
bio-pic
on
my
uncle.
My
uncle's
only
living
heir
Arun
Dutt
has
also
giving
his
nod
to
the
project.
So
we're
all
for
it.
Story first published: Saturday, February 14, 2009, 12:06 [IST]