Flashback Friday: Pyaasa, A Guru Dutt Poetic Gem That Remains Unfading

Guru Dutt, who passed away at the age of 39, left behind a legacy in Hindi cinema that can be taken as a reservoir of insight into the art.

The film was based on a story premise titled Kashmakash that was created by Guru Dutt when he was only 22 years old. 

WHY PYAASA IS THIS WEEK'S PICK

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When talking of the pioneers of Hindi cinema, there are a few names that cannot be skipped, and Guru Dutt’s is one of them. Although a few in the count, his films stand out for their subtlety and sensitivity. Ahead of his birth anniversary, which is on July 9, we talk about the film that has remained timeless — Pyaasa.

 

New Delhi: Bollywood's mainstream films, which have tweaked their approaches constantly over the years, have now settled in a zone where it is unlikely to find movies that could force their audience to see life as it is. Even with a sobering theme, creators often infuse an extra pinch of humour to make up for calling a spade a spade. 

Guru Dutt, who passed away at the age of 39, left behind a legacy in Hindi cinema that can be taken as a reservoir of insight into the art. The last of his films, ‘Kaagaz Ke Phool’, which chronicled the lonesome and troubled life of a filmmaker, earned acclaim decades after its release when it was deemed to be ahead of its time. But unlike the aforementioned movie, ‘Pyaasa’ was a commercial success, and it has a certain charm that will make me pick it over the artist's other works. The film was based on a story premise titled Kashmakash that was created by Guru Dutt when he was only 22 years old. 

The words poignant and poetic capture the essence of Guru Dutt's ‘Pyaasa’. The actor-director crafts a tale that is likely to never be forgotten and shouldn't be put away, based on his own growing up as a struggling artist and starring Dutt himself. The story's everlasting brilliance stems from the way it portrays humanity and society as a whole in a mirror, revealing the blatant vanity we effortlessly mask behind the guise of needs.

After big-time superstar Dilip Kumar turned down the gig because he thought the character was too close to Devdas', Dutt took on the role of the protagonist in his film. The Calcutta-based drama 'Pyaasa' tells the tale of Vijay (Guru Dutt), a less fortunate poet who is jobless and gets little backing or appreciation from his loved ones or society for his work. His goals of becoming an acclaimed poet are consistently crushed by the way he is regarded by those around him. Meena (Mala Sinha), the love of his life, rejects him because she thinks he will never amount to much and instead marries wealthy editor Ghosh (Rehman). He only finds solace in the sex worker Gulabo (Waheeda Rehman), who is moved by his poems when she buys them from a scrap vendor. She ultimately gets Vijay's work published, making his lifelong dream come true. 

The Hindi movie, full of unconventional elements at certain times hard to find in contemporary films, justifiably made it to Time magazine's selection of the 100 greatest films of all time. It appeals to the spectator on many levels, whether it's through the fully fleshed-out characters, its appealing visual facets, or the modern take on an old-fashioned drama. In the post-independence age, the movie underlines the new India but the same old society's scaling materialisation, which brings about a sense of blindness among people.

The sorrowful 'Yeh Duniya Agar Mil Bhi Jaaye Toh Kya Hai' pretty much tells us all that Dutt keeps between the lines while also blending in any voids in the actual narrative. And most people would concur that the gorgeously shadowed silhouette of Dutt standing in front of a huge hall entryway had been designed to become iconic. But the cheerful "Sar Jo Tera Chakraye" track, which is far removed from the bleak and melancholy tone of the movie, calls for kudos for standing the test of time and connecting to generations of listeners who were unaware knew the song came from this movie. 

One can't overlook the fact that 'Pyaasa' is an exploration of an early and unusual film with feminist protagonists, while it is a progressive work with an atypical hero and an intriguing plot that goes beyond romance, particularly in a time where content controls are much less rigid than they once were. Even in 1957, Dutt's film avoids tropes that Bollywood today unabashedly exploits. Waheeda Rehman plays a sex worker, but she is never objectified; rather, she comes across as an insightful character with a higher emotional quotient than those around her. Her means to survive do not completely define her but rather stay a part of her identity.

Re-watching old films from a time when sensibilities and situations were entirely distinct is a treat when you see movies that provoke thought and make you wonder why modern filmmakers aren't trying to do the same on the big screen in an effort to give a more realistic and transparent portrayal of our society. And after seeing ‘Pyaasa’, the masterpiece of legendary actor and director Guru Dutt, you won't be able to stop thinking about it for a while.