As fans and the film industry celebrate the 100th birth anniversary of Guru Dutt on July 9, veteran actor Waheeda Rehman has opened up about her experience working with the legendary filmmaker. Guru Dutt, who directed some of Indian cinema’s most celebrated classics, also helped shape Waheeda’s early career. Speaking to HT City, Waheeda shared, “It’s really nice that people remember it’s going to be 100 years. When I started working with him, at that time nobody knew, not even him, that he will be making such great classic movies. I am so fortunate that I was a part of them. Till today, people talk about Pyaasa and others. It’s also my favourite film of him,” she said. “My first film with him was CID, then came Pyaasa. I was on a three-year contract with him.” With a biopic on Guru Dutt being discussed and reports hinting at Vicky Kaushal as a possible lead, Waheeda was asked who she feels could do justice to the role. Her answer was clear: “Pankaj Tripathi, Naseeruddin Shah or Pankaj Kapur. Inn sabhi ke face pe aur kaam mein maturity hai. Aaj ke bachche bahot jawaan hain, unko play karne ke liye maturity chahiye. Jawaan bacche nahi kar sakenge.” While Guru Dutt’s personal life has often been the subject of public discussion, Waheeda chose to remember his quiet, thoughtful nature and his sensitivity as a director. Recalling specific moments from their time on set, she said, “He was very understanding about an actor’s problems. Once, I couldn’t scream in a scene. He was surprised and said, ‘A 17-year-old girl can’t scream?’ I told him I couldn’t, and he calmly changed the scene. Another time, I had to run downstairs and speak, but I struggled. My mother, who was on set, told him I was slightly asthmatic. He said, ‘A director should know these things,’ and changed the scene to suit me.” Meanwhile, The Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM), one of the biggest Indian film festivals outside of India, is set to pay a heartfelt tribute to one of the greatest pioneers of Hindi cinema, the legendary Guru Dutt. As part of its 2025 edition, IFFM will host special screenings of two of his most iconic masterpieces, Pyaasa and Kaagaz Ke Phool. Guru Dutt, whose visionary storytelling and deeply human narratives forever changed the language of Indian cinema, continues to inspire generations of filmmakers and cinephiles around the globe.