Pyaasa: An Epoch in Indian Cinema

If there was one film that changed the face of Indian cinema and is still the reason why there’s reverence for our film industry, it’s Pyaasa.

Along with Kagaz Ke Phool, Pyaasa ranks amongst the greatest films ever made anywhere in the world. Just to put things into perspective and give an inkling of what it means, understand that since the start of cinema more than 150 years ago, millions of features have been made and these two gems are at 160th rank.

Pyaasa, also one of the most romantic film ever made in the history of films is as relevant today as it was when made 70 years ago.

Anybody who has followed films in India would know that there has not been a greater genius than Guru Dutt, a life more tragic than his and a legacy as eternal as his. His life in itself is a homage to cinema by providing the greatest joys and sorrows that any great story is expected to have.

Vijay, played with suave and great self-belief by Guru Dutt (original choice was Dilip Kumar but he refused because he didn't want to play tragic roles anymore and took up Ram aur Shyam) is a failed poet, a dejected lover and an ever hopeful. His character grows into a more mundane one as the film progresses. He is the personification of Murphy’s Law as we know it, i.e anything that can go wrong will go wrong and not the optimistic take that we saw in Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar. He gets rejected by his lover, Meena because apparently love is not enough to survive through life, which would make sense to us with the interpretation we have today of love. Vijay, like any other idealist, believed in the strength and endurance of the ever elusive ‘true love’. As unfortunate as it is, we find reasons when we are selfish and self-centered. 

As I watched the film from 1:06:00 till 1:8:59, I could see how relevant this film is in today’s time as well.

Gulab, played by elegant Waheeda Rahman, is a prostitute who is enamored by the poetry of Vijay and falls in love with him as she’s able to see through the bitterness and failures of his body. She saw the poet who didn't judge her. She saw somebody who couldn't care less about the norms and rules of the society. 

They found solace in each other after being wronged by the people but not before the end of the film and to cap the happy ending, Vijay becomes famous as well. 

Now from what I know, this is not what Guru Dutt wanted as the ending but given the gloomy nature of the film, producers changed the ending of the film otherwise in Dutt’s version, Vijay was left all alone in the end.

That’s how probably he saw life as well. He saw unprecedented commercial success as director but for some reason saw his life as a burden and as luck would have it, he was successful in his third suicide attempt. But that’s a story for another day.

The reason why I, or in fact everybody, call Pyaasa a groundbreaking film is because it ushered an era of cinema where it wasn't taboo to portray taboo on screen and an art of making that is still unparalleled. V.K Murthy’s camera work weaves in a stark imagery of black and white and his movement with camera which is often taking close ups of Vijay’s angst filled calm face with constant lines on his forehead tell us the story even before it has been told.

Since it was a second viewing for me after a long time, I was amazed by the pace of the story and the frequent transitions of scenes. The film and the film maker managed to strike a beautiful balance between a story ahead of its time and the commerce of the industry. And one specific reason for that was the presence of ever charming, Johnnie Walker who gave us sporadic smiles while accompanying Vijay through his ordeals.

Films become cult when everything falls into place, from the writer to director, to actors to music. It wasn't any different for Pyaasa. S.D Burman’s music was voted one of the best soundtracks of all time by Time magazine in 2011. And I thought, I’d mention this given our obsession with foreign media and cinema. Being a story of a failed poet, Pyaasa required music and not just tunes but a soul which was given by the words of Sahir Ludhianvi. Every nazm, every ghazal leaves you spellbound.

But Pyaasa is a personal story for Guru Dutt, a genius who is not only considered one of the greatest directors of all time but an actor par excellence as well. I could give you various references as proof but it’d be wiser to watch him perform his artistry in person to understand why he is a remarkable figure in the history of world cinema.

Vijay, just like Guru Dutt, found love in the most unlikeliest of situation. And what makes Pyaasa story even more poignant is that the film, at least the film, had a good ending unlike his life.