Geeta Dutt remains one of the most influential playback singers of the subcontinent, remembered for iconic songs such as “Tumi Je Amar”, “Nishi Raate Banka Chand”, “Mera Naam Chin Chin Chu” and “Babuji Dheere Chalna”. Although widely associated with Bombay cinema, she was born on 23 November 1930 in Faridpur, Bangladesh.
Her early life was marked by both privilege and upheaval. The daughter of zamindar Debendranath Ghosh Roy Chowdhury, she received initial training under Harendranath Nandi. But the family’s financial decline forced them through several relocations before they eventually settled in Bombay in 1942. Unable to afford advanced music lessons, Geeta supported the family by teaching music, often travelling on foot to save money.
Her discovery was almost accidental. Pandit Hanuman Prasad overheard the young Geeta practising and immediately recognised her potential. He introduced her to film music, leading to her debut in Bhakt Prahlad at the age of sixteen. Her breakthrough followed soon after, when S. D. Burman selected her for the film Do Bhai. The song “Mera Sundar Sapna Beet Gaya” established her as a major voice in the industry.
By the early 1950s, Geeta’s versatility—ranging from devotional to Western-influenced club numbers—made her indispensable to composers. She brought a distinct Bengali inflection to songs in Devdas, Pyaasa and Baazi.
In 1953 she married filmmaker Guru Dutt after a long courtship. Though the marriage initially flourished, tensions grew as Guru Dutt restricted her from singing outside his productions. Rumours surrounding his relationship with actress Waheeda Rehman intensified personal conflicts, and the couple eventually lived separately. Guru Dutt’s death in 1964 left Geeta emotionally and financially vulnerable.
Despite attempts at revival—including acclaimed work in Anubhav and even acting in Bengali cinema—her career never fully recovered. Liver disease severely weakened her in her final years, though she continued recording whenever physically able.
Geeta Dutt died on 20 July 1972. Her voice, however, remains a benchmark of emotional expression in Indian music. As many critics have remarked, while singers may adopt the styles of Lata Mangeshkar or Asha Bhosle, the unique quality of a “Geeta voice” is beyond imitation.