Guide (film) - Production

Production

Dev Anand was approached by American director Tad Danielewski and Pearl Buck to be cast in an American film based on a novel by an Indian author. Although Dev Anand had refused, he took up the opportunity for a collaboration when he met Tad again at the 1962 Berlin Film Festival. Somebody suggested The Guide. Dev Anand purchased the book and read it at one go. He called up Pearl who invited him to the United States to discuss the project. With their approval, he called up R. K. Narayan and procured the rights to the book.

The movie was planned to be an Indo-American co-production to be shot simultaneously in Hindi and English. The idea was to film the scenes common to both versions simultaneously. Pearl tutored Waheeda Rehman on her diction for the English part. But because of differences of opinion between the two production teams, Dev Anand postponed the Hindi version, thereby freeing Chetan Anand to direct Haqeeqat which was later highly acclaimed. It also became an opportunity for Vijay Anand who stepped in, as the film proved a landmark for him.

The climax of the film was shot in Limdi town, 90 km from Ahmedabad, where Chetan Anand taught English in 1941. Towards the end of the film, there’s a scene where a foreign journalist arrives to interview Raju (Dev’s character in the movie) after he becomes an ascetic. Dev wanted a young, good-looking foreigner for the role. So, he asked an associate to get one in five hours! The associate rushed to Ahmedabad. Walking down a road, he spotted a tall, well built foreigner. He went up to him and bluntly asked: ‘Do you have a good-looking wife?’ He glared at him. Realizing his blunder, he clarified that the unit were looking for a foreigner to feature in an Indian movie. The couple agreed, and he drove them back to Limdi for the shoot.