Guru Dutt portrays a highly successful, passionate and famous film director in Kaagaz Ke Phool.
The film also explores the fleeting nature of fame in show business. The movie is set in the film industry and there was a need of authentic backdrop to show the rise and the fall of the protagonist Suresh Sinha, played by Guru Dutt.
Most of the film's studio scenes were shot at Vijaya Vauhini Studios in Vadapalani, Madras (now Chennai).
However, the studio did not receive explicit credit and for a long time people assumed that it was shot in Mumbai studios.
The iconic opening scene where an old Guru Dutt is shown walking through the studio gates and numerous other scenes showcasing studio's floors, cranes and arclights were filmed at Vijaya Vauhini Studios. The movie’s final scene features the surrounding areas of Vadapalani, showing a stark, undeveloped landscape of coconut trees.
The film was released at a time when Madras (Chennai) was emerging as a major hub for film making often challenging Mumbai's dominance in terms of studio facility.
The name Ajanta Studios used in the film was a fictional production company name created for the movie’s story.
Just to add, the iconic beam light scene in the song, “Waqt Ne Kiya Kya Haseen Sitam” was not shot in Madras (Chennai). It was shot at Mehboob Studios, Mumbai. Guru Dutt had made special modifications to the studio's ceiling and walls to achieve the spectacular lighting effect in the song.
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