Guide (film)

Dev Anand was approached by American director Tad Danielewski and writer Pearl Buck for an American film based on the 1958 novel The Guide by R. K. Narayan. Anand declined at first, but agreed to collaborate with Danielewski when he met him again at the 1962 Berlin Film Festival. Anand read the novel and contacted Buck, who invited him to the United States to discuss the project. He then reached Narayan to procure the rights to the book.[10]

The Indian and American production teams clashed, causing Anand to postpone the Hindi version, thereby freeing Chetan Anand to direct the highly acclaimed Haqeeqat (1964).

Raj Khosla was to direct the Hindi version and Waheeda Rehman was the first choice to play Rosie. However, Rehman did not wish to work with Khosla following a misunderstanding between the two on the sets of Solva Saal (1958). Anand then approached Saira Banu to play the lead, who declined.[11] Vyjayanthimala was considered, but was rejected by Danielewski.[12] Khosla then abandoned the project, thereby presenting an opportunity for Vijay Anand to step in, and the film would prove to be a landmark achievement in his career and the Hindi film industry.[10][13] Following his appointment, Rehman returned to the project. Buck tutored her on her diction for the English part.

The sequence featuring the song "Aaj Phir Jeene Ki Tamanna Hai" was shot in the Chittor Fort in Rajasthan.[6] The film's climax was shot in the town of Limbdi, 90 km from Ahmedabad on the Bhogavo River.[14]

The film's music was composed by Sachin Dev Burman, written by Shailendra and sung by Kishore Kumar, Mohammed Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar, Manna Dey and Sachin Dev Burman. The soundtrack was listed by Planet Bollywood as #11 on their list of 100 Greatest Bollywood Soundtracks.[15]

Rafi had originally recorded a song called "Hum Hi Mein Thi Na Koi Baat, Yaad Na Tumko Aa Sake, Tumne Hume Bhula Diya, Hum Na Tumko Bhula Sake", but later this song was replaced by "Din Dhal Jaaye".

Author R. K. Narayan disliked the film adaptation of his novel. Reviewing the English version of the film for the magazine Life, he called it "The Misguided Guide."[16]

In a review of the American release in The New York Times, critic Bosley Crowther praised the cinematography as "... a succession of colorful views of sightseeing spots, busy cities, temples, dusty landscapes and crowds," but lamented that "... the development of the narrative continuity is so erratic and frequently slurred–so clumsy and artless, to be plain-spoken–that both story and emotion are vague."[4]

The film was selected as the Indian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 38th Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee.[17]

Guide received a leading 9 nominations at the 14th Filmfare Awards and won 7 awards, becoming the most-awarded film at the ceremony. Guide was also the first film to win all 4 major awards: Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Actress.

The ceremony also proved to be controversial, as S. D. Burman, who was nominated for Best Music and Lata Mangeshkar, who was nominated for Best Playback Singer for "Aaj Phir Jeene Ki Tamanna Hai", both lost their respective awards to Shankar-Jaikishan and Mohammed Rafi (for "Baharon Phool Barsao"), both for Suraj, despite being highly favored for winning in their respective categories.

• List of submissions to the 38th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
• List of Indian submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film

• The Guide (Modern Classics). Penguin Books. 2010. ISBN 978-0-14-341498-8.

• Guide at IMDb
• The 30 Must See Indian Films, Selected By Utpal Datta ( Film critic ). – Lens Eye, Neither tomorrow nor today, it's now 30 Must see Indian Films selected by Critic Utpal Datta