Overview
Often heralded as the crown jewel of Indian cinema, Guide transcends the definition of a mere film. It’s a tapestry woven with vibrant threads of love, ambition and redemption, set against the backdrop of beautifully photographed landscapes and pulsating music. More than just a love story, the movie delves into the depths of the human condition.
Dev Anand breathes life into Raju, a charming rogue and tour guide, who awakens the hidden star within the reclusive Rosie (Waheeda Rehman). The exquisite soundtrack, by the legendary composer S.D. Burman and the incomparable lyricist Shailendra, becomes an integral character of the film itself.
Guide is not just a film; it’s an experience. It’s a testament to the power of cinema to move, inspire and leave a lasting legacy. So if you haven’t already, embark on this cinematic journey and discover why Guide continues to captivate audiences and is considered by many movie lovers to be the greatest Hindi film ever made.
Year released: 1965
Producer: Dev Anand (Navketan)
Director: Vijay Anand
Cast: Dev Anand, Waheeda Rehman, Kishore Sahu, Leela Chitnis, Anwar Hussain
Wiki site: Visit
Video: Watch
Awards & Recognition
Filmfare Awards (won)
Best Film: Dev Anand (producer)
Best Director: Vijay Anand
Best Actor: Dev Anand
Best Actress: Waheeda Rehman
Best Story R. K. Narayan
Best Dialogue: Vijay Anand
Best Cinematography: Fali Mistry
Filmfare Awards (nominated)
Best Music Director: S.D. Burman
Best Playback Singer: Lata Mangeshkar for “Aaj Phir Jeene Ki Tamanna Hai”
Did you know?
Vijay Anand became the film’s director almost by accident, after three other directors departed the film for various reasons: Tad Danielewski (director of the English version), Chetan Anand and Raj Khosla. Vijay Anand accepted the assignment from his brother Dev only on the condition that he would be allowed to revamp the script and make the film as he saw fit. It is truly fortunate that Dev, after some hesitation, accepted this condition, since it is difficult to imagine Guide being made by anyone else or in any other way.
Guide was the first Hindi film to sweep the top four Filmfare awards for Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Actress, and deservedly so. It is unbelievable that S.D. Burman did not win the Best Music Director award for what I consider to be the best Hindi film soundtrack ever composed. The same goes for Shailendra, whose lyrics for each song are so finely crafted that no other movie album comes close to matching their collective beauty and elegance.
The movie is based on R.K. Narayan’s acclaimed novel The Guide, but the author was reportedly not happy with the film adaptation, including the fact that the setting we changed from South India (Malgudi) to North India (Udaipur). While I am an admirer of R.K. Narayan’s book, I think the film transcends the novel and takes the story to a whole new level. Many film aficionados (including myself) consider Guide the best Hindi movie ever made.
Additional Information
Many interesting details on the making of Guide can be found in the following books:
Guide the Film: Perspectives, by Lata Jagtiani [Ed.] (2019)
Goldie: The Man and His Movies, by Anitaa Padhye (2020)
Romancing with Life: An Autobiography, by Dev Anand (2007)
Ten Classics: The Extraordinary Journey of the Making of Ten Classic Hindi Films, by Anitaa Padhye (2020)
A great review of the film (at UpperStall.com) can be found here.
