Before they became one of Hindi cinema's most celebrated couples, Geeta Dutt and Guru Dutt were at very different points in their careers.
Geeta (nee Geeta Ghosh Roy Chowdhuri) was already a household name, one of the top playback singers of her time, with her voice gracing countless chartbusters. Guru Dutt, on the other hand, was a newcomer struggling to find his place in the film industry. Yet, despite the difference in fame and fortune, love blossomed between them.
Their romance played out quietly but passionately over three years. Guru Dutt would write her heartfelt letters, often passing them through his sister, artist Lalitha Lajmi, to maintain discretion. Geeta's family, however, was not in favour of the match. She was already a star and they worried whether Guru Dutt could provide her with the stability and life she deserved.
But the couple's determination won out. On May 26, 1953, they married in a traditional Bengali ceremony at Amitya Kutir. The early years of their marriage were marked by warmth, mutual respect, and a deep appreciation for each other's artistry.
Decades later, their granddaughters, Karuna and Gouri, shared with NDTV what they've learned about this remarkable love story.
"We've heard it was a whirlwind romance," says Karuna. "They deeply respected each other's talent and shared a friendship you can feel in his letters to her. But we didn't grow up hearing many stories because we were too little."
Gouri adds, "Some of the letters are so personal you wonder if you should even be reading them."
"Feels like an intrusion into their privacy," Karuna reflects.
"But yes, there was definitely a lot of love there," Gouri affirms.
Even after all these years, the letters remain a window into a relationship that began when one was a superstar and the other a struggler and became one of Hindi cinema's most poignant love stories.
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