Even the most ardent of Guru Dutt’s fans readily admit that Baaz (1953) is undoubtedly his worst film and a total misfire. His third film, following the huge box office success of Baazi (1951) and an average response to Jaal (1952) (both noirs), Baaz sees Guru Dutt debut as both - a leading man and producer (the film is co-produced with his heroine, Geeta Bali’s sister).

The film, a costume drama set in the 16th century, is supposedly a swashbuckler set amidst the high seas and looks at the rebellion against Portuguese rulers along the Malabar Coast. Sadly, the story is awful, the screenplay woeful, dialogues unintentionally funny and there are but a handful of sequences which bear the so-called ‘Guru Dutt’ touch like the song Watan ke Naujawaan Jaag which as it builds up to a crescendo sees Cabral killed accompanied by the strains of a shrieking conch. The film is unable to successfully blend the elements of patriotism, action, and romance and consequently none of the tracks work even remotely satisfactorily. To make thinks even worse, the special effects are abysmal to say the least with the main ship used in the film looking like a pathetic toy boat!

As a leading man, Guru Dutt is just about passable and his performance is unremarkable and strictly average as are most of the rest of the cast but Geeta Bali more than manfully rises above the trite script and carries the film on her able shoulders as the firebrand pirate queen, Nisha. Kuldip Kaur vamps it up deliciously as Rosita, a Portuguese woman who has her sights on Ravi.

The real stars of the film and its major saving graces however are Music Director OP Nayyar and playback singer Geeta Dutt. The songs are brilliant – Zara Saamne Aa, Manjhi Albele, Ae Dil Ae Deewane, Taare Chandni Afsane, Watan ke Naujawaan Jaag, all Geeta solos and that Talat Mahmood gem – Mujhko Dekho Hasrat ki Tasveer Hoon among others.

The hostile critical and commercial reaction to Baaz made Dutt retread the safer world of noir – Aar Paar (1954) and the rest as they (always) say is history!