Solan, October 22
Delhi-based theatre group Raabta brought the life, dreams and creative struggles of legendary filmmaker Guru Dutt to the Shoolini University campus, with its production ‘Bemisaal Guru Dutt: Zindagi, Cinema Aur Khwaab’. Around 360 students, faculty members and guests attended the performance. It was the first pre-event of the seventh Shoolini Literature Festival, which will be held from March 12 to 14, 2027.
The performance came two days after Guru Dutt’s death anniversary and World Mental Health Day, both of which fall on October 10. The play explored the link between creativity and emotional turmoil. It reflected on the loneliness and vulnerability behind the filmmaker’s achievements. His films, including Pyaasa and Kaagaz Ke Phool, remain landmarks of Indian cinema.
The 105-minute production combined biographical storytelling with music, dance and an interplay of light and shadow. Drawing on the visual language of Guru Dutt’s cinema, it recreated the magic of his films and the contradictions of the man behind them. The performance moved between humour, nostalgia and intense emotion, and it evoked the poetry and music of his era.
Prof Ashoo Khosla, Chief Learning Officer and Director of the Shoolini Literature Festival, said, “We often celebrate creativity for the beauty it produces, but rarely talk about the emotional price that sometimes comes with it. Guru Dutt’s life reminds us that extraordinary talent and deep vulnerability can coexist. With World Mental Health Day falling on October 10, this performance was especially relevant. It gave our students an opportunity to reflect not only on great cinema, but also on the human being behind the artist.”
Chancellor Prof. P.K. Khosla praised the artists for bringing an important chapter of Indian cinema to the campus. “Universities must be spaces where science, literature, cinema and the performing arts come together. Education is not only about acquiring knowledge, but also about developing sensitivity, imagination and empathy. Prof. Khosla and Mrs. S Khosla felicitated the visiting artists after the performance.
Raabta brings literature to the stage through storytelling, poetry and live music. Its productions include Wo Afsaana, which explores the relationship between Sahir Ludhianvi and Amrita Pritam, and Chand Qissey, which presents stories from Urdu literature.
Members of the university’s student theatre group helped organise the event and coordinate arrangements. In doing so, they gained hands-on experience in theatre production and event management.
