Pyaasa (1957)

Director: Guru Dutt

Screenplay: Abrar Alvi

     Pyassa is one of the biggest gems in the crown of Indian cinema. It is about a journey of a failed poet Vijay, played by Guru Dutt Sahab and how he realizes that a world does not give importance to something unless that something is no more with them.

     Vijay is struggling for success but no one takes his work seriously; neither the publisher nor his own brothers. Unable to bear their constant taunting he decides to leave the home and often lives on the streets. He meets a kind-hearted prostitute Gulabo, played by Waheeda Rahman. She falls in love with Vijay because of his poetry. 

     Vijay fails to save a beggar's life from a train accident and that beggar's dead body is misunderstood as Vijay's. Now people find his poems enamoring. The publisher, the brothers and Mr. Ghosh for whom Vijay worked as a servant decide to make money out of the fame Vijay have got. Vijay gets sick with this cruel, materialistic, greedy and hypocrite world and leaves with Gulabo to start a new life.

     Sahir Ludhianvi's lyrics make your heart ache in pain. Some of my favorite songs are:

• Jane wo kaise log the jinke pyaar ko pyaar mila
• Ye duniya agar mil bhi jaye to kya hai
• Tang aa chuke hai kashm-e-kashe zindagi se hum

     With such intense storyline, Abdul Sattar (Johnny Walker) and Pushplata (Tun Tun) helps to reduce the tension. S. D. Burman's music does full justice with Sahir Ludhianvi's beautiful lyrics. Dialogues are very well written. My favorite line of the movie is at the very end of it which goes as,

Vijay: Gulabo, mein yaha se kahi dur jana chahta hu.
Gulabo: Kaha?
Vijay: Jaha se mujhe aur dur na jana pade.

     It's a complete film and I adore Guru Dutt Sahab's talent as a director and an actor. It's a must watch for those who say there are no good movies in Bollywood and for those who are looking for a very well written and executed cinema.

Article By: Gaurav Dhakate