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Geeta Dutt

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Geeta Dutt
Dutt, taken before 1958
Born
Geeta Ghosh Roy Chowdhuri

(1930-11-23)23 November 1930
Idilpur, Bengal Presidency, British India (present-day Dhaka Division, Bangladesh)
Died20 July 1972(1972-07-20) (aged 41)
Bombay, Maharashtra, India
NationalityIndian
OccupationSinger
Years active1946–1972
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1953; died 1964)​
Musical career
Genres
InstrumentsVocals

Geeta Dutt (born Geeta Ghosh Roy Chowdhuri; 23 November 1930 – 20 July 1972)[3] was an Indian classical and playback singer. She found particular prominence as a playback singer in Hindi cinema and Bengali cinema and is considered as one of the best playback singers of all time in Hindi films.[4] She also sang many modern Bengali songs in the non-film genre.

Early life

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Geeta Ghosh Roy Chowdhuri was one of 10 children born to a wealthy zamindar family in a village named Idilpur, Madaripur Subdivision under Faridpur district in Bengal, British India presently under Gosairhat Upazila of Shariatpur District, Bangladesh. Her family moved to Calcutta and Assam in the early 1940s, leaving behind their land and properties. In 1942, her parents moved to an apartment in Bombay. Geeta was twelve and continued her schooling at the Bengali High School.[3]

Singing career

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2016 postcard and stamp featuring Geeta Dutt from the series Legendary Singers of India

K. Hanuman Prasad took Geeta under his patronage, trained and groomed her in singing and later launched her into singing for movies. In 1946, she got the first break with an opportunity to sing in the mythological film Bhakta Prahlad for which Prasad was the music director. She was given two lines to sing for two songs. She was sixteen at that time.

Personal life

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During Geeta's recording of songs for the movie Baazi, she met its young up-and-coming director, Guru Dutt. Their romance culminated in marriage on 26 May 1953. Together they had three children: Tarun (1954–1985), Arun (1956–2014) and Nina (b. 1964).

She also cut a number non-film discs, singing to the tune of notable music directors like Sudhin Dasgupta and Anal Chatterjee.

In 1957, Guru Dutt launched the film Gauri with Geeta Dutt as its singing star. It was to be India's first movie in cinemascope but the project was shelved after just a few days of the shooting. By then, Guru Dutt had got romantically involved with Waheeda Rehman and Geeta had taken to drinking. The break up of their marriage affected Geeta's singing career[citation needed].

In 1964, Guru Dutt died from a combination of alcohol and an overdose of sleeping pills. (His death was widely perceived as a suicide following two earlier attempts).[5] This shattered Geeta, who then suffered a serious nervous breakdown and ran into financial problems[citation needed]. She tried to resume her singing career, cutting discs at Durgā Pujā and giving stage shows. She performed a leading role in a Bengali movie, Badhu Baran (1967), and sang admirably in Anubhav (1971), to the music of Kanu Roy. Geeta Dutt's final performance was for Midnight in 1972 (unreleased) Two duets, one of which was with Talat Mahmood.

Death

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Geeta Dutt died on 20 July 1972 due to cirrhosis aged 41, in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

Notable songs

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Further information: List of songs recorded by Geeta Dutt

She has sung over 1417 songs in Hindi films. In addition, she has sung songs in many other Indian languages including Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali, Maithili, Bhojpuri and Punjabi. She has sung in Nepali evergreen movie Maitighar.[6]

Some of the songs sung under S. D. Burman's direction:[7]

  • "Mera Sundar Sapna Beet Gaya" (Do Bhai – 1947)[8]
  • "Woh Sapne Waali Raat" (Pyaar – 1950)
  • "Tadbir Se Bigdi Hui Taqdeer" (Baazi – 1951)
  • "Aan Milo Aan Milo" (Devdas – 1955 ) With Manna Dey
  • "Aaj Sajan Mohe Ang Lagalo" (Pyaasa – 1957)
  • " Jane kya tune kahi" (Pyaasa – 1957)
  • "Hum Aap Ke Aankhon Main" (Pyaasa – 1957) with Mohd. Rafi
  • "Hawa Dhire Aana" (Sujata – 1959)
  • "Waqt Ne Kiya Kya Haseen Sitam" (Kaagaz Ke Phool – 1959)
  • "Janu janu re" (Insaan Jaag Utha) with Asha Bhosle

Some of the songs she sang under O. P. Nayyar's direction:[9]

  • "Zara Saamne Aa" (Baaz – 1953)
  • "Babuji Dhire Chalna" (Aar Paar – 1954)
  • "Thandi Hawa Kali Ghata" (Mr. & Mrs. '55 – 1955)
  • "Jaane Kahan Mera Jigar Gaya Ji" (Mr. & Mrs. '55 – 1955)
  • "Jab Badal Lehraya" (Chhoomantar – 1956)
  • "Mere Zindagi Ke Humsafar" (Shrimati 420 – 1956)
  • "Jaata Kahan Hai" (CID – 1956)
  • "Aye Dil Hain Mushkil" (Aka "Bombay Meri Jaan") (CID – 1956), With Mohammed Rafi
  • "Chor, Lutere, Daku" (Ustad – 1957)
  • "Mera Naam Chin Chin Chu" (Howrah Bridge – 1958)
  • "Kaisa Jadoo Balam Tune Dara" (12 O'clock – 1958)

Some of the songs sung under Hemant Kumar's direction[10]

Madan Mohan's direction

For movie Anubhav (1971)

  • "Mujhe Jaan Nah Kaho Meri Jaan" (Anubhav – 1971) Music: Kanu Roy
  • "Mera Dil Jo Mera Hota" (Anubhav – 1971) Music: Kanu Roy
  • "Koi Chupke Se Aake" (Anubhav – 1971) Music: Kanu Roy

Several songs from Jogan:

  • "Ghunghat Ke Pat Khol"
  • "Mein Tou Girdhar Ke Ghar Jaon"
  • "Mat Ja Mat Ja Jogi"
  • "Dag Mag Dag Mag Dole Naiya"
  • "Mein Tou Prem Diwani"

Some Bengali songs:[12]

  • 'Shachimata Go Char Juge Hai' (1950)
  • Baalo (1951) ( Punjabi Film ) : Kothe Kothe Aa Kudiye : Music N Dutta : L Sahir Ludhiyanvi
  • 'Ekhan-O Dustar Lajja' (1952)
  • 'Ei Sundar Swarnali Sandhyay' (Hospital, 1960; Music: Amal Mukherjee)
  • 'Katha Achhe Tumi Aj Asbe (Kanu Ghosh 1960)
  • 'Ei Mayabi Tithi' (Shonar Horin, 1959; Music: Hemant Mukherjee)
  • 'Tumi Je Amar'[13] (Harano Sur, 1958; Music: Hemant Kumar)
  • 'Nishi Raat Banka Chand Aakashe' (Prithibi Aamare Chaay, 1957; Music: Nachiketa Ghosh)
  • 'Jhanak Jhanak Kanak Kankan Baaje' (Indrani, 1958; Music : Nachiketa Ghosh)
  • ' Sundar, jano na ki.....' ( Indrani, 1958; Music : Nachiketa Ghosh)
  • ' Nir chhoto kshati nei ' [duet with Hemanta Mukherjee]( Indrani, 1958; Music : Nachiketa Ghosh)
  • ' Kancher churir chhata' ( Dak Harkara; Music : Sudhin Dasgupta)

A few Bengali songs of non-film genre:

  • ' Kato gaan haralam tomar majhe ' (Music : Anal Chatterjee)
  • ' Krishnachura aagun tumi ' (Music : Sudhin Dasgupta)
  • ' Ektu chaoya, ektu paoya ' (Music : Sudhin Dasgupta)
  • '..Aay aay moynamotir ganye ' (Music : Kanu Roy)

Government recognition

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2013 stamp of India featuring Dutt

Postage stamps featuring Dutt were issued by India Post in 2013 and 2016.

References

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  1. ^ a b "Geeta Dutt - Classical Songs". Geetadutt.com. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  2. ^ "Geeta Dutt - Bengali Songs". Geetadutt.com. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  3. ^ a b Ali, Nasir. "The Impact of Geeta Roy in Nineteen Forties". Geetadutt.com. Archived from the original on 20 June 2011. Retrieved 22 February 2011.
  4. ^ Neville, Pran (2 December 2016). "Her songs never die". The Hindu. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  5. ^ 'Guru Dutt attempted suicide thrice' Archived 10 May 2012 at the Wayback Machine Rediff.com 8 October 2004.
  6. ^ 'The Geeta Dutt Website' Archived 26 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine. Geetadutt.com. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  7. ^ 'Geeta Dutt's Collaboration with S.D. Burman' Archived 23 March 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Geetadutt.com. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  8. ^ Video on YouTube
  9. ^ "'Geeta Dutt's Collaboration With O.P. Nayyar'". Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  10. ^ "'Geeta Dutt's Collaboration With Hemant Kumar'". Archived from the original on 24 August 2015. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  11. ^ Video on YouTube
  12. ^ "'Geeta Dutt's Bengali Film Career'". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  13. ^ "Tumi Je Amar". Archived from the original on 13 December 2015. Retrieved 29 March 2008 – via YouTube.
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