Breaking down Guru Dutt’s masterpiece “Pyaasa” (1957)

If there was one Indian movie I’d like every aspiring artist to watch, it would definitely be “Pyaasa,” directed by the great Guru Dutt.

This film is as relevant today, if not more, as it was in the year 1957, and it has stood the test of time like no other.

In 2005, the famous Time Magazine ranked it as one of the 100 greatest films ever made.

Warning

Before we begin talking about Pyaasa, I should warn you that there are spoilers ahead, so if you haven’t yet seen this brilliant film, please go watch it. It’s available on YouTube to stream for free.

About the Film

“Pyaasa” is a heartbreaking story of a very talented yet struggling poet, Vijay, played by Guru Dutt himself. He is an idealist and a true romantic who is abandoned and constantly put down by everyone. His own family hates him, and even the woman he loves marries someone else, all because he chooses to live life on his terms. His art isn’t valued, and he is pushed into poverty. Vijay finds recognition and love eventually, but not in a way he imagined.

“Pyaasa” can be viewed as a dark take on Devdas.

This film was initially offered to Dilip Kumar, but he turned it down. I just wonder what he would have done with the character of Vijay. Now, don’t get me wrong, Guru Dutt is brilliant in this film; there is no doubt about that. But Dilip Kumar would have taken it to another level, and that is the reason Guru Dutt wanted to cast him in this role.

What makes it GREAT?

Layered Storytelling

“Pyaasa” is a brilliant example of layered storytelling. Layered storytelling involves putting a story within a story through the use of symbolism, metaphors, religious or historical references, and analogy to help convey a deeper narrative. This adds to the relevance of the story being told and makes the audience identify with it.

Abrar Alvi’s use of analogy in the screenplay of Pyaasa further elevates the material. For example, the way Vijay, who is presumed dead by the world, reappears or, you can say, resurrects to see he is being posthumously celebrated for his great work, references what happened with Jesus Christ. Guru Dutt also makes excellent use of symbolism to further this analogy by constantly placing Vijay in the Christ pose and giving him intense backlight to symbolize a holy figure.

Iconic Scenes

There is an important scene in the movie where, when Vijay is at the lowest point in his life and has given himself up to drinking, a friend of his takes him to a brothel. There, a woman is dancing for the men, and when her child, who is in a pram, starts crying, she becomes restless and tries to go to her child but is dragged back — first by her employer, then by a man who wants her to entertain them first before attending to her child. Vijay’s eyes tear up at this scene.

For this powerful moment, Guru Dutt makes use of subjective perspective as he cuts back and forth between the point of view shot of Vijay and the extreme close-up of his teary eyes. He does that because he wants the audience to understand what he is feeling — the eyes tell the emotion that the face cannot. Facial expressions can mislead, but the eyes always tell the truth. His idealistic worldview only makes things harder for him. He finds himself helpless in a world full of immoral, mean, and corrupt people.

The scene is followed by a shot of Vijay going down the stairs and finding himself in the company of soulless men hunting for flesh in a red-light area. The world has pushed him to his limits, and he has become one of them, or has he? He has realised the ideal world he thought he lived in does not exist in reality. But he is still not ready to give in to their ways. Somewhere in his heart, he is still hopeful of creating this ideal world as he sings the haunting ‘Jinhe naaz hai hind par vo kahan hain’.

But why was the shot of Vijay going down the stairs put in there? Why is it important? With this simple and brief shot of Vijay descending a staircase, Guru Dutt symbolically establishes that Vijay’s pride has hit the lowest and he has lost his dignity. It serves as a visual metaphor for his descent into a world of despair and moral compromise.

Conclusion

Guru Dutt was an artistic genius, and this film is his definitive masterpiece. Influenced by German expressionism for visual storytelling, his cinematographer V.K. Murthy created striking dramatic images through light and shadow that leave a lasting impact. This film was way ahead of its time. In fact, some people argue that Bollywood still hasn’t been able to catch up with what Guru Dutt accomplished with this one.

Every artist who worked on this film gave it their best. The songs in this musical, from S.D. Burman’s music to Sahir Ludhianvi’s lyrics, and the singing by Mohammed Rafi, Hemant Kumar, and Geeta Dutt, are an art of the highest order.