Kolkata, Nov 9 (UNI) Acclaimed documentary director-producer Ramesh Sharma described Guru Dutt as "India's moral compass in cinema," during a thought-provoking session at the 31st Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) on Sunday.

Placing Guru Dutt in the larger context of post-independence Indian cinema, Sharma likened him to Orson Welles for his daring experimentation with lenses, lighting and form. "He was almost like Orson Welles, experimenting with the lenses, experimenting with lighting. He was sculpting his film to what actual cinema was going to be. And then we think of darkness. He celebrated melancholy. It was like a part and parcel of what we may call the dichotomy, where you look at pain and you look at the great amount of angst, and yet, you know the great line from, I think it's from Kaagaz Ke Phool."

He even quoted Shelley's lines, "our sweetest songs are those that tell of saddest thoughts," drawing parallels with his artistry and melancholic beauty.

Sharma recalled a conversation with Waheeda Rehman, who had spoken of Dutt's painstaking attention to detail. "He would obsess over light, shadow and emotion, even persuaded Mehboob Khan to demolish a studio wall for a single scene's illumination. That dedication defines his cinema."

"Guru Dutt's cinema was born from anguish, but it gave Indian filmmaking its conscience," concluded Sharma.

UNI NST RN