Dutt started his career in the film industry as a commercial artist working in film publicity. He did the publicity for Mukh o Mukhosh, the first Bangla film made in the then East Pakistan. He designed the logo, poster and the title of the film. His publicity works for several Bangla and Urdu films earned him fame. Though the publicity job was an important aspect of his involvement with the industry, it was never enough. "There had always been creative impulses and inspirations, otherwise I would not be able to come so far."

In 1957, he had the opportunity to watch Satyajit Ray's Pather Panchali. "I was greatly moved by the film. Though I had been involved in the industry for quite sometime then, it was a whole new experience for me. I wondered if Ray, also a commercial artist, could make such a film, why can't I? There's no harm in trying." This conviction led him to prepare himself for greater achievements. He started going to libraries and cultural centres including British Council and USIS as they had good collections of books on films and filmmaking.

After attaining considerable theoretical knowledge, he longed to put it to test. As no film institute was there, he had to rely solely on working in films. He requested S M Parvez, the editor of Chitrali, who was directing Matir Pahar, to allow him access to the sets so he could practically learn the art of filmmaking. Parvez invited him to assist Hassan, the Indian art director of the film. "It was an amazing thing for me to get an access to the Film Development Corporation (FDC)."

Dutt never thought of becoming a film actor. The young aspirant director offered his service as an assistant to Ehtesham who was directing Ei Desh Tomar Amar. Ehtesham offered him a role of a comedian in the film. And when the film was released, the new comedian became very popular. He acted in quite a few films including hits like Rajdhanir Bukey and Chanda before he came up with his first directorial venture in 1964. By the end of 1962, he decided not to "waste" his time in acting. "I could realise then I was going in a wrong direction. I am here to make films. I questioned myself where I was heading," he recalls the crucial period of his life.

Dutt's entry as a director is also quite remarkable. He made his first film Sutorang with a tragic end. "A lot of my acquaintances told me that people won't like a tragic film from a comedian', Soovas says. He can vividly recall the day when the film was released. Ehtesham accompanied Dutt to the Mazaar at High Court premises. They offered munajaat and spent the day in anxiety. The film was a huge commercial success and won an award at the South Asian film Festival in Frankfurt.

Dutt is a follower of Swami Vivekananda, "I have tried throughout my life to implement Swamiji's philosophies."

Dutt has directed 25 films so far. According to him he has distanced himself from the industry as "bad elements" have taken over. However, he is not pessimistic about the future, as he believes it to be a 'temporary' phenomenon.