Few filmmakers have left behind a body of work as luminous, enduring and emotionally resonant as Guru Dutt. Nearly six decades after his untimely death at the age of 39, his cinema continues to inspire filmmakers, actors and storytellers across generations. Whether it is the aching romanticism of Pyaasa, the heartbreaking introspection of Kaagaz Ke Phool, the haunting melancholy of Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam, or the crackling energy of his early noir classics, Guru Dutt’s films remain startlingly contemporary in their exploration of love, loneliness,  artisteic integrity, social hypocrisy and human longing.To mark the continuing legacy of this cinematic visionary, some of India’s finest filmmakers and actors revisit the Guru Dutt film that has stayed with them the most.Kaagaz Ke Phool: Amitabh BachchanKaagaz Ke Phool. Don’t ask me why I love it. Why does one love the mist on the mountains, or the sound of water rushing in a stream? It would have been an honour  to play Guru Dutt. Now it’s too late. Guru Dutt died at 39. Tragically, we lost the genius who had miles to go many more masterpieces to give to the world.Pyaasa: Deepa MehtaThat’s an easy one. Pyaasa…corruption, lies, betrayal. So relevant even today. Jinhe naaz hai Hind par woh kahan hai?Pyaasa: Hansal MehtaI love Pyaasa because of its lyricism, its mood and its sensitive gaze on artistes, relationships and the plight of an artiste in the modern world. Guru Dutt’s 1957 masterpiece follows Vijay, an idealistic Urdu poet in Calcutta whose verses on poverty and injustice are dismissed by publishers hungry only for romance, and whose own brothers sell his poems as waste paper. It is a film that understands how a materialistic world discards the sensitive and rewards the hollow—and how love, when it comes, arrives from the margins, through Gulabo, the sex worker who cherishes his words when no one else will. Sahir Ludhianvi’s lyrics, S.D. Burman’s music and V.K. Murthy’s shadow-drenched cinematography make it less a film than a poem etched in light. Nearly seven decades on, its thirst still speaks—the artiste’s hunger for recognition, love and meaning in a world that traffics in everything but truth.Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam: Mira Nair Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam is my favourite Guru Dutt film. It’s a flawless masterpiece. An early original effort by this great filmmaker to highlight the pathetic and poignant position of Indian woman in pre-Independence society. Despite being a male Guru Dutt has projected tremendous compassion for the Bibi’s unrequited love and unfulfilled sexuality and longing for her husband. Meena Kumari played India’s first multilayered heroine. There are memorable poetic yet stark images of pools of light in contrast to vast areas of black darkness within the frames. The timekeeper cackles away predicting doom. The masterly music by Hemant Kumar heightens the dark hopeless gloom that envelopes the grey characters. Insanity, intoxication, murder and intrigue are themes that run parallel to the innocence of the Ghulam (played by Guru Dutt). Outstanding performances by Meena Kumari, Guru Dutt and Rehman.Pyaasa: Honey TrehanPyaasa any day. A true artiste fight with the hypocrisy and the very selfishness of the society where it’s almost impossible to survive keeping your conscience alive. It’s a great film. Yeh duniya ager mil bhi jaaye toh kya hai?”Kagaz ke Phool: Prakash JhaKagaz ke Phool …Amazing story of a mentor and mentee… their interlinked destinies … infatuation, promises, love, loss, agony and emotional depth that different relation brings out. It was a story told ahead of its time!!”Pyaasa: Tigmanshu DhuliaMy favourite Guru Dutt film is Pyaasa. It delineated the life-journey of a true artiste. They have become a rare species these days. Guru Dutt and the true artiste.Pyaasa: Mahesh BhattIt passionately explored the human situation through the eyes of an angst-ridden poet. It showed us how fickle public adulation and fame are. It exuded the fragrance of sorrow. It was made by a filmmaker who had suffered a broken heart.Pyaasa: Santosh SivanFor me the most interesting Guru Dutt film is Pyaasa. It tells a very interesting story layered with deep emotions. And it follows an Indian tradition of filmmaking. And the songs by Sachindev Burman are awesome.Kagaz Ke Phool: Bejoy Nambiar:I love Kagaz Ke Phool, Chaudhvi Ka Chand and Mr & Mrs 55. Why? The reasons could film up three different textbooks.”Kagaz Ke Phool, Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam and Pyaas: Umesh ShuklaKagaz Ke Phool, Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam and Pyaasa. Each is a timeless work of art. Guru Dutt is an institution, a one-man school and army of filmmaking.”Jaal, CID, Aar Paar and Baazi: Piyush JhaJaal, CID, Aar Paar and Baazi. I’d rather go with these than the classics Pyaasa, Kagaz Ke Phool or Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam. I feel the crime thrillers display Guru Dutt’s versatility as a storyteller and a filmmaker.Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam: Manish TiwariMy favourite Guru Dutt film is Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam. Its haunting theme of love and longing was incredible. It also had the beautiful theme of decadence in the feudal order. And then there was Meena Kumari, so desperately lonely, so evocative…Pyaasa, where decadence and a moral bankruptcy are seen through the poet’s eyes. There’s unbounded compassion here for the underdogs.”Pyaasa: OnirPyaasa. I think the film is beautifully crafted. Gulabo portrayed by Waheeda Rehman is one of the most memorable characters of our cinema. Waheeda defied the definition of a heroine. As an artiste I identify with Guru Dutt’s deep angst at the sacrifice of art for commerce.”Pyaasa: Prawaal RamanPyaasa for having the guts to explore the façade behind fame success and perceived glory. The film was rational in thought and not prejudiced in respecting a prostitute for her integrity and honesty. Pyaasa exposed the malaise of collective surrender where individual opinion is not respected.Which Guru Dutt film is your favourite ?