Having starred in his classics such as Pyaasa (1957), Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959), Chaudhvin Ka Chand (1960) and Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962), veteran actor Waheeda Rehman shares how filmmaker-actor Guru Dutt’s work continues to be celebrated for its themes, aesthetics, and visionary direction.

On his 100th birth anniversary today, Rehman, says, “When I started working with him, nobody knew he would be making such great classics, not even Guru Dutt himself. I was so fortunate to be a part of his films. People talk about Pyaasa even today. It’s also my favourite film of him.”

The 87-year-old admits that she was deeply influenced by Dutt, who was not only her mentor, but also played a critical role in shaping her into a star. Remembering him as a “very quiet person”, the actor says, “He was very sensitive to artistes’ problems. Once, I couldn’t scream in a film scene, so he said, ‘I am very surprised that a 17-year-old girl can’t scream’. I said, ‘I can’t. I am sorry’. So, he gave me an alternate way.”

Sharing another instance, she adds, “Once I had to rush down the stairs and say a dialogue. I couldn’t do it, but he was patient and told me to take my time. Then my mum, who was present on set, told him, ‘She is asthmatic’. He came to me and said, ‘A director should know his actors’ physical problems, you should have told me before’. He tweaked the scene after that.”

Highlighting his brilliance, she shares how he decided to change a song while the film was running in cinemas: “Chaudhvin Ka Chand was shot in black and white and colour films were coming up then. The film became a hit, and then he thought: ‘If the title song was reshot in colour and added to the film, it’d be more successful’. And it did make a difference. People went to the theatres again and again to see the title song in colour.”

There have been reports about a biopic on Dutt’s life, reportedly starring Vicky Kaushal. Ask Rehman which actor works best to play Dutt, and she says, “Pankaj Tripathi, Pankaj Kapur or Naseeruddin Shah ke face aur kaam mein maturity hai. Aaj ke bachche bahut jawaan hain. Unko play karne ke liye maturity chahiye. Jawaan bachche nahin kar sakte.”