The Guru Dutt Shot
Thursday, September 20th, 2007
A lot of great filmmakers have consistently revolutionized Indian cinema throughout its long history. Everytime Indian Cinema (Bollywood and non-Bollywood) seems like its lagging behind somewhere, a saviour comes to the rescue. Dadasaheb Phalke introduced the art of motion pictures in 1912, Satyajit Ray gave us the globally beloved Apu trilogy but it was Guru Dutt who escalated Indian cinema to newer heights in several ways.
With his critically acclaimed film Baazi (1951), he successfully introduced Film noir into Indian Cinema and with Pyaasa (1957) he dared to walk the almost invisible thin line between art-house filmmaking and commercial cinema. But one of the most profound gifts that Guru Dutt gave to cinema is his infamous ‘Guru Dutt Shot’. Already known to be a master of stark lighting, he was known for his unconventional approach towards lighting his frame. He would create and manipulate various moods just by the intelligent use of light. Similarly, his usage of the camera as another entity within the story was something unheard of during his times.
The Guru Dutt shot is a very simple close-up using a 100mm telephoto lens. At this focal length, the depth of field of the frame is shallow enough to blur out the background, leaving the subject standing out in sharp focus. This forces the viewers’ eyes to stay right on the subject and create a sense of tension. This shot was first used in Guru Dutt’s film noir tribute Baazi (1951). There are 14 such shots in the film and some of them were shot using a 75mm lens.
Although, a lot of filmmakers have gone closer and used close-ups in the range of 135mm-270mm (and beyond), they could never match the charisma of the traditional Guru Dutt shot. Perhaps the essence of the shot existed less in the cinematic technique and more in the spirit of the shot being taken.
Guru Dutt was never a quiet customer, he had a lethally exceptional combination of tireless obsession and passionate willpower. Through the soaring ups and the downward spirals of his career and the tragedy that was to be his end, he remains one of the most exciting filmmakers of the world. It is only apt that his spirit lives on through this incredible cinematic technique.
