Guru Dutt and the Golden Era of Hindi Cinema

Known for his classic films like Pyaasa, Chaudhvin Ka Chand, and Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam, Guru Dutt was regarded as one of the greatest writers and filmmakers of Indian cinema.

In 2025, as we celebrate Guru Dutt’s birth centenary, Nasreen Munni Kabir—who has authored three books on the iconic filmmaker— explores his legacy, delving into his unique cinematic style and mastery of song sequences that redefined Hindi cinema. The discussion moderated by Dinesh Khemani from the MAP Team, also looks at why the 1950s is widely regarded as the Golden Era of Hindi film, and the impact of Guru Dutt’s work within this key period of Hindi cinema.

Born in India, Nasreen Munni Kabir lives in London and has made several TV series for Channel 4, UK on Hindi cinema, including In Search of Guru Dutt, Lata Mangeshkar in her own voice and The Inner/Outer World of Shah Rukh Khan. Author of 22 books, including “Talking Films/Songs/Life with Javed Akhtar”, “In the Company of a Poet: Gulzar” and “Conversations with Waheeda Rehman.”

Nasreen has been curating Channel 4’s annual Indian film season since 1982 and is a former governor on the board of the BFI (2001-2007). Her next publication is a diary “The Legacy of Guru Dutt, 2025”, to mark the filmmaker’s 100 birth anniversary, Nasreen is also a keen subtitlor, working from Hindi to English for many top Hindi titles and Web Series.

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