Geeta Dutt

 GEETA DUTT

Geeta Dutt (born Geeta Ghosh Roy chowdhury) (23rd Nov.1930) was a prominent Indian playback singer and a famous Hindi and Bengali classical artist. She found particular prominence as a playback singer in Hindi Cinema. She also sang many modern Bengali songs both in filmy and non-filmy genre. 

Geeta Dutt – the unconventional voice that ruled Bollywood music in the ‘50s and ‘60s has unarguably in a short span of 41 years wrote her name in Gold in the annals of Indian Cinema. In a short span, she has left a rich legacy of songs into which she breathed life with her unique ethereal voice that has stood the test of time and continues to enthrall generations after generations of fine music lovers all over the world. The uncanny ability of Geeta Dutt that made her race past her contemporaries was her unique versatility to sing any kind of song with authentic tone, feeling, passion and emotion as demanded by the composition and the situation it was being pictured in. From Bhajan to club song, from haunting melancholic song to a peppy romantic number, she could traverse the range of music, seemingly effortlessly. This unique versatility helped Geeta (Roy) Dutt carve out a niche and cement her place even when the Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle phenomenon was sweeping through Hindi playback. Who can forget the timeless melodies like Mera Sundar Sapna Beet Gaya …, Tadbir se Bigdi Hui Taqdeer Bana De …, Waqt ne Kiya Kya Haseen Sitam…’, Babuji Dheere Chalna …, Aye Dil Mujhe Bata De…, Na Yeh Chand Hoga …, Na Jao Sayyan Chuda Ke Bayaan…, and her last magical number Meri Jaan Mujhe Jaan Na Kaho Meri Jaan.

Early Life :

Geeta Ghosh Roy Chowdhury was one of the 10 children born to Debendranath Ghosh Roy Chowdhary and Amiya Devi, a wealthy Zamindar family in a village named Idilpur, Madaripur Subdivision,  (presently under Gasairhat upzilla of Shariatpur district, Bangladesh) formerly under Faridpur District of Bengal, British India. Her family moved to Calcutta and Assam in early ‘40s, leaving behind their land and properties in the wake of Quit India movement, which turned anti landlord. In 1942 her parents moved to an apartment in Dadar, Bombay. Geeta studied at Bengali Education Society School. She studied up to SSC.  Though she went to school, she had a passion for music right from the age of six. When she lived in Calcutta she would go crazy by the songs sung by boatmen. Later when she came to Bombay she would run to the neighbor’s house and listen to the music on the gramophone. . Fortunately, her parents were progressive and they understood her passion for music. They arranged a music master by name Herendranath Nandi as a teacher. However, due to monetary issue, they had to discontinue her music classes. After discontinuance of music classes, Geeta did not lose her heart and started practicing her music herself without a guru.

Music Career:

 Call it a divine blessing; the famous music director Pundit Hanuman Prasad heard her melodious voice. Incidentally Pundit Hanuman Prasad lived in the same apartment in the third floor and Geeta in the first. Punditji was impressed by the soul stirring voice of the young girl in the first floor and he not only offered to give free training but also signed her to sing in the mythological film “Bhakta Prahlad” (1946). The song was a success. Other music directors were also attracted. Impressed by her voice the music legend Sachin Dev Burman gave a major break in his film ‘Do Bhai” and the song Mera sundar sapna Beet Gaya , which became a big hit. And Geeta rose to stardom. S.D.Burman used Geeta as a main singer in many of his hit films and so also O.P.Nayyar.

She is supposed to have sung over 1200 songs in Hindi films. In addition she has sung songs in many other Indian languages including Marathi, Gujarathi, Bengali, Maithili, Bhojpuri, Punjabi and Nepali. She has sung songs under many Music Directors

Notable Songs of Geeta Dutt :

Under S.D.Burman in movies :DO Bhai (1947); Pyaar (1950); Baazi (1951); Devdas (1955); Pyaasa (1957); Sujata (1959); Kagaz Ke Phool (1959); Insaan Jaag Utha (1959)

O.P.Nayyar : Baaz (1953); Aar Paar (1954); Mr & Mrs 55 (1955); Choo Mantar (1956); Shrimati 420 (1956); C.I.D. (1956); Ustad (1957); Howrah Bridge (1958); 12 O’ Clock;

Hemant Kumar : Anand Math (1951); Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962); Fashion (1957); Shart (1954)

Bulo C. Rani : Jogan (1950)

Madan Mohan : Bhai Bhai (1956) 

Kanu Roy : Anubhav (1970)

Pankaj Mullick : Zalzala (1952)

She has also cut a number of of non-film discs singing to the tune of notable music directors like Sudhin Das Gupta and Anol Chatterjee.

India Post released two postal stamps featuring Geeta Dutt in 2013 and 2016. 

Personal Life :

Geeta had a love marriage with actor-film maker Guru Dutt. The two first met during the recording of the song Zara Samne Aaa Zara Aaankh mila (Baazi) in 1951. The film was directed by Guru Dutt ( Dev Anand and Geeta Bali were lead actors). This song turned a hit and Guru Dutt was mesmerized by the enchanting voice of Geeta. Soon she became the permanent singer in Guru Dutt’s home production and the professional closeness turned intimate and the two fell in love. The two got married on May 26, 1953. They shared a happy married life. They had three children – two sons (Tarun and Arun ) and a daughter  (Nina).

Show biz is replete with tragic personal life of artists of great talent and fame – Geeta Dutt was one such unfortunate case. Her marriage in 1953 to the person she deeply loved – Guru Dutt – a great creative genius himself, turned out to be turbulent. He discouraged her from singing outside his banner. His ability to handle his relationship with Waheeda Rehman, which had no future, brought the marriage to unbearable strain. Besides, Guru Dutt started maintaining distance from Geeta Dutt. This ruined the marriage. In depression, Geeta took to alcohol and Guru Dutt began consuming sleeping pills to kill melancholy. Eventually both ruined their careers. Her singing assignments dwindled and because of her own personal problems, she could not take full advantage of the fortuitous opportunity given by S.D.Burman’s discard with Lata Mangeshkar during 1957–62. Guru Dutt’s suicide at a young age of 39 in 1964 completely shattered her emotionally and financially. She herslf took refuge to alcohol which took her inexorably to her untimely death on 20th July, 1972 (she died due to cirrhosis of the liver) at the age of 41 in Mumbai, Maharashtra. 

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GEETA DUTT SONGS :

The following are the playlists of songs of Geeta Dutt with their links.

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