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(1930 - 1972)
 
 

Tribute by Raju Bharathan, Music critic:

" Geeta Dutt was thandi hawa and kaali ghata rolled into one. The moment she came, you got the refreshing feeling of aa hi gayi jhoom ke. There was a rare swing in her voice. She hit you like a thunderclap..........This made Geeta Dutt the one singer that Lata Mangeshkar really feared. In training and technique Lata was way ahead but neither training nor technique was of much use when pitted against Geeta in the recording room........This put Lata on the defensive and I think she avoided singing with Geeta as far as possible. (They have sung few duets) I vaguely remember Lata acknowledging this fact when Geeta died on July 20, 1972."

Tribute by famous playback singer Meena Kapoor:

Meena Kapoor recently wrote an article for the Swar Alaap magazine cherishing her close association with dear friend, the one and only Geeta Dutt. It is a charming reminiscence of a profound friendship; not as much about one great singer remembering another as it is one childhood friend remembering another.

Their friendship dates back to the year 1952, when Meena Kapoor had to sing a duet with Geeta Roy for a film called ‘Ghayal,’ which had music by (late) Gyan Dutt. Geeta was very much impressed with Meena Kapoor’s Bengali. By the time the rehearsal was over, both had already become very friendly with each other.

Wavelengths matched, minds clicked and friendship blossomed. So much so, that Geetaji used to send Meenaji’s car back home with the driver and make Meenaji sit in her car to drop her home while chit-chatting their way through, and vice versa. She was a very affable and gregarious person, full of zeal and indefatigable energy. While not recording, often she would appear at Meenaji’s door and plan for an impromptu picnic. Company? She would have already roped in her (Meena’s) mother and the choir girls!

Meena ji described those ‘impromptu’ picnics at Powai, Vihar Lake, or National Park as some of the most enjoyable moments of her life. By now, Geeta and Meena had become very close friends.

Immediately after Baazi in 1951, one fine morning, Geeta introduced Guru Dutt to Meena Kapoor. She was witness all through as Guru Dutt courted Geeta. From going all the way to Khandala just to have coffee, to fishing at Powai Lake, to outdoor shootings at China creek, a favorite spot of Guru Dutt, till the day when Geeta got married to Guru Dutt ceremoniously.

Meena Kapoor stayed with Geeta at her place, seven days ahead of the marriage ceremony which was to be held on the 26th of May, 1953. She enchantingly recalled Geeta as looking a very beautiful bride and Guru Dutt looking a typical Bengali groom.

Though they never sang another duet after ‘Ghayal’, they remained good friends. Meena Kapoor dolefully remembered Geeta’s troubled married life and how her career started going down after delivering hits like ‘Na Jao Saiyyan’ and ‘Koi Door Se Aawaz De’ under Hemant Kumar’s baton in the 1962 Guru Dutt, Meena Kumari starrer, ‘Sahin Bibi Aur Ghulam’.

In 1963 Meena Kapoor left Bombay with husband, music director Anil Biswas, as he was called by the I&B Ministry in Delhi to work as the Director, Indian Music, All India Radio. A few years later Meena Kapoor met Geeta Dutt, who had come to sing for some music concert, and was shocked to see an altogether changed Geeta!

She was perturbed over the uneventful ‘gaps’ in Geeta’s career, 1964 onwards, and grieved the death of her closest friend, who lost her life to Cirrhosis of liver, on 20th of July 1972 in the article.

Meena Kapoor wrote, what may very well be the essence of this marvelous relation called friendship, “I hate to add the word 'Late'. For me it was my friend Geeta who was no more. Even now I can hear her singing on the radio ‘Jaayenge kahan soojhta nahin, Chal diye magar raasta nahin’. The soul never dies and my friend Geeta's voice will never die”

Tribute by famous playback singer Alka Yagnik:

Geeta Dutt ji ki awaaz mein ek apni individuality thi, ek apni khaasiyat, ek chulbulaapan aur ek apni hi ek adaa thi gaane mein. Bahot se kalaakaron ne koshish ki unki tarah gaane ki , lekin koi bhi nazdeek nahin aa paaya.

(Geeta Dutt's voice had her own individuality, her own speciality (special touch), a kind of naughtiness and her own style. Many artists tried to sing like her, but no one could come closer to her.)

Tribute by famous playback singer Preeti Sagar:

Kisi bhi kala kshetra mein ..aap dekhenge..toh artist kisi na kisi ko apna idol maanta hain. Aur maine apna idol, yah jis se main prabhaavit hoon woh thi hamarai swargiy gaayika Geeta Dutt ji. She was one of the finest singers we had in the industry. It was just wonderful how versatile she was..

In any art, you can see, an artist always look upon someone as his/her idol. And I had (always thought) our (dear) belated singer Geeta Dutt as my idol, as the one I was inspired by. She was one of the finest singers we had in the industry. It was just wonderful how versatile she was..

Tribute by famous playback singer Pankaj Udhas:

Geeta ji ki awaaz ek kamaal awaaz thi, ek taraf shokhi toh dusari taraf utnaa hi sanjeeda pan. Afsos iss baat ka hain, ki woh apne sangeet ka safar kahin aise aadhe raaste, beech mein se chhod ke chali gayi. Mujhe yeh mahasoos hota hain ki Geeta ji ke laakhon , karodon chaahne walon par waqt ne kaisa bewakht sitam kiyaa....

Geeta ji's voice was so great..in (one song) her voice had naughtiness and in another song her voice had deep emotions. It is so sad that she left her musical journey half way and passed away. I (deeply) feel that what kind of injustice the fate has done with thousands and millions of fans of Geeta ji...

Tribute by famous film-maker Kalpana Lajmi:

1952 mein Geeta aunty ne shaadi ki Guru Dutt uncle ke saath. Aur unhon ne apna career shuru kiya bahut kam umr mein , 13 saal ki thi jab unhon ne pehli film "Bhakt Pralhaad" mein unhon ne gaana shuru kiyaa. Jab mere maama se unki mulaqaat hui tab mere maama thei chhote se assistant director, aur woh thi bahut mashahoor gaayika. Toh jab pyaar shuru hua donon ki beech mein toh naturally mere maama ne kabhi sochaa bhi nahin ki woh unse shaadi karengi. Aur hamari ek chhoti si community hain Saraswat brahmanon ki joh Konkani bhaashaa mein bolate hain. Aur Geeta ji thi Bangaali, Zameendaar ki beti thi. Unka janam hua thaa Faridpur district Bangaladesh mein. Phir bhi yeh sab cast, creed aur sab overcome kar ke unki shaadi hui. Aur aap toh jaanate hain, ki uske baad, shaadi ke baad, jitane mashahoor aur jitane khubsurat gaane Guru Dutt uncle ke filmon me hue unhein Geeta ji ne hi toh gaaya tha. Afsos ki baat hain ki bahut kam umr mein , at the age of 41, 1972 mein unka dehaant ho gayaa. Aur main ab bhi sochati hoon ki agar thodaa sa patience hotaa unke andar, thoda saa kam restlessness hotaa, toh shaayad aaj tak woh gaati rahati.

In 1952 Geeta Aunty (Geeta Dutt) married Guru Dutt (the correct year though is 1953). And she started her career at a very young age. When she sang for the first time for the film "Bhakt Pralhaad", she was just 13 year old. When my uncle (Guru Dutt) met her, he was just a small time assistant director and she (Geeta Dutt) was a very popular singer. So when they developed love for each other, my uncle (Guru Dutt) never even thought that she (Geeta Dutt) will marry him.

And ours is a small community of Saraswat brahmins, who speak the Konkani language. And Geeta ji was from Bengal, she was the daughter of a landlord. She was born in Faridpur district, which is (now a part of) Bangladesh. Still, overcoming all the (hurdles) of cast and creed etc, they got married. And of course all of you very well know that, afterwards, after their marriage, all the popular and sweet songs in Guru Dutt uncle's films were of course sung by Geeta ji. Its a sad thing that she left us at a very young age, at the age of just 41, in the year 1972. And I still think about this, only if she had a little more patience, and little less restlessness, she would still have been singing (songs) for us.

Tribute by famous composer O P Nayyar:

A lovely lady, whose appearance proclaims that she has good taste in clothes and jewelry. So gaily is she bedecked that, for a moment, I think a nymph has risen from the swirling waves. But I know, of course, that the limpid look and that smooth carriage can belong only to Geeta Dutt !Cultured, comely and well-read, Geeta could as easily be a leading lady as she is a top playback singer. But she sincerely believes that she has found her niche in the realm of ghost-singing. And who will deny that there is a unique quality in her singing? Give her a blatantly westernized tune this moment and a complex classical composition the next, and she will do equal justice to both with an ease of expression which a singer can only be born with.

She is especially good for songs accompanying boisterous jamborees. With that tantalizing lilt and the fascinating curves she puts into her singing, she is the ideal choice if it is seductive allure you want in a song. Remember the gay abandon of those early songs, hits all of them, which I composed for her: "Zara samne aa" in Baaz and "Ye lo main haari Piya" in "Aar Paar"? Since then, she has sung many other hits for me, including the two best selling duets in "CID".

A linguist, sober and serious by nature, of a thoughtful disposition, very considerate of others, and punctilious to a fault, Geeta Dutt is an asset to any music director.

A tribute by a special fan who has seen Geeta ji in person - Jaishree Pathak

In 1965 I moved to India from East Africa and went to live in Santacruz-west in an apartment complex on S. V. Road. In building no. 3 Geetaji moved in on the first floor with her children Taru, Arun and Nina together with some relatives.

We had quite a few film personalities living in the complex at that time. Hemnatda's sister in law, B.R. Chopra saab's editor Mr. Pran Mehra, Mohan Chotiji, Jeetandra's sister (Gatu's mom).etc.

All of them were very very humble and friendly and always ready to talk to us wide eyed teenagers. I remember Mohan Chotiji a lot and he used to come to our house on Holi day and drag us to play holi. On one such occassion, Geetaji and her children came down to play holi and Tuntunji (Umadevi) was visting Geetaji so she came to play as well. We had a great time. Both of them sang songs and reveled in the festivities. No airs, no show off, nothing. For us as teenagers, it was a big deal because we were not ignored. Geetaji was so beautiful and what an amazing voice!!!

Geetaji was a very kind and compassionate soul, always smiling and would stop and say hello if she was going out. The children were here life. In the evening we used to see her sitting in the balcony listening to her songs and would wave to us when we passed by. You could see her listening to her songs of Anubhav, Mujhe Jaan na kaho meri Jaan, Koi chupke se aake.

I have heard her singing these while she was playing the record too. What a beautiful voice!!!

We knew she was lonelyand sad yet she had such compassion!!! Smile and acknowledge us even in her sadness!!!! You saw a kind of melancholy in her eyes, yet she always had a smile for everyone. Then one day, we heard she was in hosipital and we all felt very very sad. We kept a vigil as to what was going on.

And when she passed away it was a very sad day for all of us. It felt as though the whole world was quiet that day!!!

What a beautiful soul was Geetaji??? The thing that I remember the most is her smile, her beauty and these beautiful expressive eyes.

I will never forget her.

 
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