Geeta Dutt, one of the most eminent singers in the Hindi film industry, passed away on this day.
She was 41. She was born Geeta Ghosh Roy Chowdhury, in Faridpur, now in Bangladesh. Her parents moved to Bombay (Mumbai). The first film for which Geeta sang was Bhakta Prahlad. She got her big break from music director S.D. Burman, who gave her several songs in the film Do Bhai. She would work with the biggest music directors in the industry, but most of her best songs were composed by Burman and O.P. Nayyar.
Geeta’s life had taken a new turn after she met actor and director Guru Dutt. They got married and Geeta sang some of her most memorable songs for his films. Her voice, sweet, sensuous, playful or melancholy was ideal for the intense, soul-searching narratives of Guru’s films. But their marriage was turbulent. Guru died in 1964. Geeta did not recover from his death. She tried to continue her singing career. But she developed an alcohol addiction, which made her health deteriorate. She died in 1972.
Among her numerous songs, many of which remain as loved today, are Babuji dheere chalna, Hum aap ki aankhon mein, Jaane kahan mera jigar gaya ki, Jane kya tune kahi, Waqt ne kiya. But a short list is impossible.