Kaagaz Ke Phool (Paper Flowers)

Guru Dutt''s final film as a director, Kaagaz Ke Phool ( Paper Flowers , 1959), follows the successful filmmaker Suresh Sinha (played by Dutt himself) as rumours of his affair with his actress Shanti (Waheeda Rehman) lead him to lose his family, descend into alcoholism, and ultimately retreat from the film industry. Initially met with critical and commercial failure, the film is now revered for its technical prowess and considered one of the finest self-reflexive works in Indian cinema. In her study of the film, Lalitha Gopalan explores the film''s innovative visual style, being the first Indian film shot in CinemaScope, highlighting cinematographer V.K. Murthy''s essential contribution to the film. She also analyses the film''s soundtrack, composed by S.D. Burman with lyrics by Kaifi Azmi and Shailendra, examining the now-classic picturisations of songs like "Waqt Ne Kiya Kya Haseen Sitam". Drawing on interviews with practitioners and people close to Dutt, Gopalan reconstructs the original contexts of the film''s production and reception. Gopalan uses Kagaaz Ke Phool as a lens through which to assess Dutt''s influence on popular Indian cinema during the long 1950s, as well as on global film melodrama more broadly.

Product details

• Authors: Lalitha Gopalan, Gopalan Lalitha
• Publisher: British Film Institute
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Release: 11.12.2025
• EAN: 9781839027062
• ISBN: 978-1-83902-706-2
• No. of pages: 104
• Series: BFI Film Classics
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Art > Theatre, ballet; India, Films, cinema, PERFORMING ARTS / Film / History & Criticism, PERFORMING ARTS / Film / General, Film Theory & Criticism, PERFORMING ARTS / Film / Guides & Reviews, Film history, theory or criticism, Film guides and reviews, Film Guides & Reviews, HISTORY / Asia / South / India