Hansal Mehta says Guru Dutt was “not a great actor”; Javed Akhtar reveals an unknown fact about ‘Pyaasa’ movie

On Guru Dutt’s centenary, filmmaker Hansal Mehta sparked debate, asserting Dutt was a stronger director than actor. Mehta highlighted Dutt’s visual storytelling prowess, citing ‘Pyaasa’ as an example where directorial brilliance overshadowed acting. Javed Akhtar revealed Dilip Kumar was initially offered the lead role in ‘Pyaasa’ but declined, later regretting the decision, alongside turning down ‘Baiju Bawra’ and ‘Zanjeer’.