Tanuja: "Though Dharamji finally did the film, we had shot 11 reels with Guru Dutt under his direction before his untimely death. I was very fond of him and his well-stocked library. I would always tell him, Aye Guru, tu marega toh library mujhe chhod ke jaana.' How was I to know that soon afterwards, he'd commit suicide. Would you believe we had even planned to go to a movie together the next day. He was a very short-tempered and oversensitive man and would often be depressed. He would chew his own brains up. Whenever I came on his set I would crack a couple of jokes, ask him, why take life seriously yaar' and generally lighten the atmosphere. He too grew quite fond of me. Once on returning from Calcutta, the moment I entered Guru Dutt studios I could feel the tension. The lightmen came upto me and said, Saab bahut gusse main hain, aap hi kuch kijiye.' I saw him sitting rigid in his chair, went up behind him and closed his eyes. I could literally feel the tension draining. Tanu ... where were you for 10 days?' he shouted. But I knew he was bluffing. He had called me for no other reason but because he wanted to see me.
"Another time, we were shooting and I saw his man Ratan bringing him a nice filigreed glass covered with a napkin. Ratan kya leke aaya?' I asked. Kuch nahin,' Guru spluttered, tum jaake shot deke aao.' I realized it was a alcohol and I personally cannot stand it if someone consumes alcohol on the sets. I feel it's sacrilege. So I spoke plainly, Look, you drink and I walk off the sets. If you want we'll both drink after pack-up but not now.' Guru gave in then and after that I never ever saw him drink on the sets again."
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