BOOK LAUNCH | ‘Guru Dutt - Study Of Women In His Films’

Report & Pictures

Rai Saha & Teerthankar Basak

B.A Sem 1

The book launch of 'Guru Dutt - A Study Of Women In His Films' by Shoma A Chatterji at I Can Flyy Tea Kafi 

on September 5 witnessed the presence of who's and who of Kolkata

Kolkata, September 5 - The cozy ambience of I Can Flyy Tea Kafi opposite to Maddox square , Gharcha, Ballygunge was set on an  intellectual fire of cinematic nostalgia as eminent author Shoma A Chatterji unveiled her latest book  “Guru Dutt - A Study Of Women In His Films “. The evening brought  diverse minds together from worlds of cinema, literature, culture, academia, making it a concoction of the best of different worlds .

The author, Shoma A Chatterji

The film director, Goutam Ghose and Public Relations Expert, Rita Bhimani at the event

The event was graced by Goutam Ghose, acclaimed filmmaker and national award-winner director, who attended as the Chief Guest. The Special Guest was Jawhar Sircar, former MP of Rajya Sabha , ex-CEO of Prasar Bharati and a noted cultural scholar. The Guests of Honour included Dr. Isha Banerji , director of Dr. Prasanta Banerji Homeopathic Research Clinic and cultural philanthropist and Smita Roy Chowdhury, Editor, The Telegraph - t2.

The thought-provoking panel discussion was followed and moderated by Tathagata Chowdhury - Founder of Theatrecian, actor , Ted X speaker , playwright, director , and film studies examiner . His engaging moderation flawlessly brought together the artistically different perspectives from the panelists. Oindrilla Dutt, Founder of Open Doors, who reflected on the cultural memory  and preservation of Guru Dutt’s post-modern depiction of women Sounak Chacraverti, art curator and cinema aficionado, who emphasised on  Guru  Dutt’s expression of philosophies using camera tools. Sudeshna Roy, noted filmmaker, writer and author, who spoke about how Guru Dutt’s films were devoid of the “Devdas syndrome” and further talked about Dutt’s sophisticated approach to cinematography which incorporated intricate character designing .

Each panelist plated their insights , opinions  and anecdotes, enriching the discussion with various yet cohesive and unsung pointers such as “ The legend Guru Dutt was initially a typist before the starting of his cinematic career “, lights were shed on Dutt’s closeness with actor Dev-Anand and Johnny Walker’s impacts in his films . Sounak Chacraverti also mentioned how trolly shoot and diagonal track were religiously used by Guru Dutt to add emotional depth and visual poetry to his films like ( Kaagaz ke Phool).

Rai and Teerthankar along with the author after the event 

During a brief interaction after the formal session, the students had the privilege of speaking with Shoma A Chatterji  herself . She shared her motivation for writing this book , explaining that “ Guru Dutt’s expression of female character was an untouched segment up until now and she wanted to raise a toast to the man who depicted women of great beauty and inner-strength without typecasting and stereotyping”. 

Closing Moments - The evening got wrapped up on a warm and celebratory note as the author along with the panelist engaged personally with the attendees , signing copies of her book . The air got filled with love , admiration , humour and nostalgia as readers did not only carry a signed book but also a piece of an immense classic  experience through Shoma A Chatterji’s artistic lens. 

About The Author - Shoma A Chatterji is not limited to only authoring books , she is an eminent freelance journalist , National Award winner for best film critic (1991) and for best book in cinema (2003). Her urge to articulate  the impact of Guru Dutt’s women characters over time is thoroughly reflected in this book.