HE WAS the late Guru Dutt’s constant companion, but VK Murthy’s identity, doesn’t end here. A great artist, he gave the world many amazing cinematographical contributions.
“The fondest of my childhood memories, was the inspiration that I had got from Gandhiji. India was fighting for its freedom and Gandhi was a source of inspiration to many youths like me… I remember getting arrested and being sent to jail. In fact I remember that day so well as if the canvas has been just there in front of me.”
Prodded for details, he reminences, “I can remember the scene and if I could, I would want to capture it in my camera. I was in college, an enthusiastic youth, in those days our blood so ripe, ready to stand for the nation. Hearing Gandhiji’s speech I led a group of 150 odd students to a cycle-protest. I was the leader- the most enthusiastic of the lot and sheepishly I planned the protest to move from the city to the police chowki. The Goras had been intimated by someone beforehand and so when we passed from the chowki, they were ready to arrest us. The anti-climax was that when I turned to seek supporters, there were only seven left!”
When asked about his home life, he said, “Life was an uphill task, almost a freedom struggle for me. I lost my parents early in life. But I believe someone does come to your rescue. I was lucky to get caring relatives and friends who supported me till I began to earn on my own. The going wasn’t that easy, finding your way out and putting up with unpleasant experiences are all a package of the deal called life. My first passion-music saved me here. It relaxed me and gave me strength, the passion and the dedication to not lose faith. I learnt the Violin and was so good at it that I scored 175 out of 200 in the examination with some legendary names of Carnatic music as my examiners.”
He talks of his first tryst with Bollywood. “I always had this desire to become an actor - to be able to deliver dialogues and get into the character. I still smile thinking of those days. So to become an actor I ran away to Mumbai, and did rounds of the studios in my half-pants. I stayed with a relative but since I didn’t even know Hindi, I realised I was wasting my time. So I went back and completed my school.”
He did not give up his plans for joining the industry. “I started teaching students and playing the violin at Ganpathi festivals to pay my bills. I later did a course in cinematography, which benefited me a lot in the industry. In fact, interestingly when I first applied for the course I knew I would be rejected for they needed a degree in science to get admission for this course, but seeing my experience in Mumbai, where I had run away to be an actor, they gave me the chance to pursue the course.”
Talking of his first break in the industry, he says, “I didn’t exactly know where my life was heading, when in the year 1946 I got a break in Jayant Desai’s Maharana Pratap where I assisted cinematographer Dronacharya. Then one day I saw Amrapali, and was amazed by the standard of cinematography by Fali Mistry, which was at par with English films. Here is where my luck helped me. I had played the violin for some music directors too, and when I went in the studio to collect my money, I was told that Fali-saab was looking for me for work. I worked with him for 4-5 years and I was the highest paid assistant to any cinematographer then.”
He is full of praises for Guru Dutt. “Meeting Guru Dutt was a radar change in my life. How I met him itself was a chance happening. I first met Guru Dutt while working for Famous Studios as an assistant cameraman. Dev Anand Navketan had hired the studio to make Baazi. I suggested a difficult shot, which he said his cameraman would not be able to execute. I requested him to give me a chance to take the shot and I could do it. After the day’s pack up he asked me if we could work together – and of course my answer was a resounding ‘yes’.”
“Working with him was a terrific experience. He worked on serious subjects, the intellectual type of work. He was hesitant to face the camera as actor, but he did so at my insistence. I was sure because he understood the roles so well. I remember once while we were scouting for locations in Baroda for Chaudhvin Ka Chand, he narrated me a line from Pyaasa: Agar yeh duniya mujhe mil bhi jaye to kya hai. I asked him why he said that suddenly and he said, 'Mujhe waise he lag raha hai. Dekho na, mujhe director banna tha, director ban gaya; actor bana tha, actor ban gaya; picture achcha banane tha, ache bane. Paisa hai, sab kuch hai, par kuch bhi nahi raha… his comments touched me a lot. ”
Murthy talks of his career after Dutt's tragic death. “After Guru Dutt’s death in 1964, I worked for lot of other directors but working with Dutt saab will always be a poignant experience. I worked with Govind Nihalani, Shyam Benegal, Pramod Chakravarthy… My last film was with a Kannada director after which I quit myself than wait to be thrown out, after all I was too old by then....”
He believes that the awards given to him are not more important than the people who met him throughout his life. “The filmfare awards sit smartly on my drawing room’s rack. But in so many years of life I have realised that the greatest awards are the people you meet in your life. And I would say I got the real award in life, I met wonderful people and my work was always close to my heart- even till the last day of my working life, I didn’t get tired of setting up a camera and shooting.”
