Pyassa ( 1957 ) : Remembering Guru Dutt’s classic in its golden jubilee year !
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Pyassa is the true example of the directorial excellence of Guru Dutt. Right from the very first scene where Vijay is lying in a garden and a flower falls on him and his mind is resounded with poetical words, film goes ahead proving frame by frame that a perfect grip of director is there on every aspect of this film. Each frame is so well defined. When Vijay sees that source of his poetry is crushed by a careless human being, his poetry hitherto filled with happiness suddenly takes a sad impact. He stands up and we see a hole in the back pocket of his trouser and it suggests very well about his economical conditions.
This is the beauty of Guru Dutt that he takes no time in setting the tone of his film. Audience becomes familiar with the conditions of the main character within 3-4 minutes of the film. Another important aspect of direction of Guru Dutt in this film is that he has given a suitable importance to each and every character whoever has been included in the story. Guru Dutt is the leading man of the film and he is surrounded by two leading ladies but camera is not obsessed with these three characters only and it covers the emotions of other character as well.
Language of the character, Vijay, is just perfect. Though he confronts Devdas like sad situations but he has also been given the wit and rebellion spirit of Mirza Ghalib. He has not tasted much failure and rejections yet and when he reaches to a publisher he has shining of hope in his eyes and an optimistic curiosity in his voice.
He asks the publisher,” Meri nazmen parhee apne, apne risale mein chhapiyega unhe (Did you read my poems, will you publish them in your newspaper?)
Publisher rejects his work and ridicules his poetic wisdom and asks that if he has read Mir and Momin
Vijay says with an anger in his voice,” Unhe bhee parha hai aur Josh aur Faiz ko bhee jo aapki samajh se bahar hain”( I have read them along with Josh and Faiz also, whose works are beyond your comprehension).
Publisher is living with the fame of old master poets only and he is unable to see the contemporary greats and Vijay hints towards this blind trend only. This happens all the time and people don’t recognize talented artists in present time. It’s not like this that Ghalib and Mir were praised a lot in their time and they lived a rich and comfortable life. It’s difficult for common people to accept contemporary geniuses because they are far ahead of the general awareness of that era and they always talk about advanced matters, which are beyond the general understanding of common people.
Vijay has been given very apt dialogues to show his razor sharp wisdom and Guru Dutt says those dialogues with a perfect timing and style.
When this rude publisher becomes angry and says” Agar aap shayar hain to mein gadha hun (If you are a poet then I am a donkey)
Vijay instantly replies, “Agar aap apnee tarif mein na bhee kuch kehte to bhee mein apko pehchan jata (If had not used adjectives in your praise even then I would have recognized you)
Poets are not managers and hence most of the time they remain vulnerable. If they learn manipulations to live luxuriously in this business oriented world then their poetry will not remain a true poetry but will become a compromised one. Though we come across such poets who do compromises, still there are few unfortunate who love their poetry more than the mere desire to survive among greedy people. This is world’s attitude which sends these creative geniuses back in to their own shelves and often they start living in a solitude, which is though must also for their creative nature but they need acceptance also from the world and when they get repetitive rejection, mockery etc their soft hearts get wounded and they renounce this world. Some die, some go away from the people and some do compromises and leave their creative work and become involved in petty businesses with which world of common men runs.
Society treats geniuses well only after their death. Author of the film puts emphasis on this point. When a beggar is died, to whom Vijay had given his coat, it’s understood that Vijay has been died because there was a page in the pocket of the coat and Vijay’s name and a poem was written on that page. Now after the supposed death of Vijay, all of a sudden others become interested in his work because now Poet’s work can be exploited in the market.
Director’s brilliance is reflected in the way of presenting this sad story. It’s never monotonous because life is never filled with a single colour or shade only. Like life, film is having different shades. Like four weathers, phases come in the film and often different phases are so beautifully intermingled with each other that audience are not allowed to live with a single emotion for a long time. If sadness is concentrating too much then it is balanced by comical character of Sattar Bhai, played so beautifully by Johny Walker.
Even Vijay’s character does not show any submission before sadness initially and he is able to fight against the system and market. He does not chew his words before rich publisher, Ghosh and other old publishers. Without any fear he says in a sarcastic tone to Ghosh,” Nausikhiye kee bakwas le ja sakta hun, (May I take away nonsense writings of an amateur)?
Film shakes the audience to the extent that it seems saying to the whole society, “Wake up foolish and selfish people towards genius people and learn to treat them with respect, learn to recognize their talents at right time else they also have so big self respect that they may leave your stupid society which curses living persons and adores their statues”. Vijay, when standing at the stage in a theatre where he is at the threshold of getting everything, name, money and respect, sees foolishness of this recognition from foolish crowd and declares himself that he is not that Vijay, for whom this crowd has been gathered. He kicks the ego of a sleeping and selfish society and refuses the requests of his old lover, Meena who requests him to declare that he is the real Vijay. She suffers from the guilt that she had left Vijay because he was poor and unemployed and now she wishes to make him a successful person because by this way she can feel bit good that she also did something for her old lover. This is her atonement. But Vijay has gone beyond any kind of illusion and he is ready to go on an unknown journey where he does not know what lies in the future. But he is ready to start his journey afresh and in this decision Gulab joins him and holds his hands. This is unconditional love. World rejects Vijay, and love in the personal life is the only therapy with which a sensitive mind like Vijay can survive.
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Don’t we see such cases in real life? We are still living in that era which is shown in the film. Did we not do same thing to a genius called Dr Vasishtha Narayan Singh? He did not have support of his wife and family and ultimately he had to go to a mental asylum or he was sent there by the society. Cruel world did not treat him well and greedy people exploited him in the asylum also and it’s reported that many people were engaged in stealing his mathematical papers; he used to write in his room there at the asylum.
When we will become sensible enough to recognize the talents? Pyaasa leaves us in an astonished state. Vijay does not commit suicide and he simply rejects this world and its sick norms where talent gets no respect.
It’s also strange that in real life world especially developing nations like India do not give much to a scholar and poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan but give everything to his actor son Amitabh Bachchan. World bows down before glamour only. Can a balance be brought in the functioning of the world?
People did not wake up even after watching Pyassa and hence we found Vasistha Narayan Singh in similar state after 40 years of Pyassa.
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When a brilliant writer who understands cinema joins hands with a brilliant director who has vast vision about cinema then only a film like Pyassa happens. Pyassa travels ahead following a micro detailing method and if audience is conscious then he can see that what happen in the life all is there in Pyassa in one way or other.
Those who belong to category of haves, they sing “Hum Pee bhee gaye chalka bhee gaye (We not only drank but spilled out also) and they feel good on this extravaganza. And those who are economically poor but rich in wisdom and talent sing
Jaane woh kaise log the jinke pyar ko pyar mila
Humne to jab kaliyaan maangi kaaton ka haar mila
(Who were the people whose love got an equal response?
When I desired buds only, I got a garland of thorns)
Khushiyon Kee Manzil Dhundhee to Gam Kii Gard Milee
Chaahat Ke Nagame Chaahe To Aanhen Sard Milee
Dil Ke Bojh Ko Dhundhalaa Kar Gayaa Jo Gamakhaar Milaa
Hamane To Jab …
(When searched destination of happiness, I got dust of sadness
When desired songs of affection, I got cold sighs
Burden on my heart became heavy when I met with the source of my sadness
When I desired buds only, I got a garland of Thorns)
Bichad gaya har saathi dekar pal do pal ka saath
Kisko phursat hai jo thaame diwanon ka haath
(Every fellow-traveler left me after staying with me for some moments;
who has the courage to hold the hands of a passionate?)
Isako Hee Jeenaa Kahate Hain To
Yun hee Jee Lenge
Uff na Karenge Lab See Lenge
Aansuu Pee Lenge
Gam Se Ab Ghabaraanaa Kaisaa, Gam Sau Baar Milaa
Hamane To Jab …
(If this is called living a life
Then I will also live like this
I won’t complain and will sew my lips
Will drink my tears
Why to have a fear of sadness, when I get it so often
When I desired buds only, I got garland of thorns)
Guru Dutt has used flashbacks at most appropriate places and editing is so fine that audience feel as if they are also entering to an other universe existing in the memory of the character.
One of the finest scenes in the film is where Vijay is standing before a mike in a festival arranged at his old college and there he becomes disturbed by seeing his old lover Meena. She is also disturbed to see him there. Both are passing thorough the emotions and memories of their common past but along with these parts of that scene, camera goes to a gentlemen sitting in a row behind the Meena. He feels that Meena is somehow disturbed and this actor so brilliantly steals the scene from everyone with his silent reactions. He has no dialogues there and only through his facial expressions he is able to convey his changing emotions. This is actor Rehman (Playing Mr. Ghose in the film). He outshines everybody in this wonderful scene. Though no word is spoken in that scene but audiences get to know very well what is happening and Guru Dutt has maintained this subtlety throughout film and he has done justice with every character by focusing at his/her emotions and expressions of these emotions.
Vijay recites a sad poem there. Vijay does not know that Meena had married after leaving him.
Tang aa chuke hain kasham-e-kashe jindangi se hum
Thukra ne de jahan ko kahin bedili se hum
Hum ghumjada hain laye kahn se khushi ke geet
Denge wahee jo payenge is jindagi se hum
Ubhrenge ek bar abhee dil ke valvale
Mana ki dab gaye hain ghum-e.jindagi se hum
Lo aaj hamne chhorh diya rishta-e-umeed
Lo ab kabhi gila na karenge kisi se hum”
[Struggles of life have gone on my nerves
I fear I may reject this world callously
I am a sad person now, from where can I bring the songs of happiness
I can give only that which I get from the world
Yearnings of my heart will come again on the surface
I accept I have been suppressed with the sadness in the life
Today I leave any remaining connection with the hope
Now onwards I won’t complain to anyone]
Meena becomes more disturbed and Ghose is more curious and his doubts are increased. When Vijay comes outside he is confronted by Ghose who asks if he does any work and Vijay replies that he is searching for some work. Ghose asks him to see him in his office.
Next day Vijay reaches there with a hope that Ghose is a publisher and may publish his poems but Ghose is interested only in knowing his past during college time. When he is confirmed that Vijay was a college mate of his wife, he gibes an offer to Vijay to work at his publishing house.
Pyassa is a film to watch fine nuances. Guru Dutt’s head remains almost upside whenever he talks and this is maintained through out the film whether he is passing through depressive phase or not, which reflects inner self respect of a poet.
Pyassa is the film from where scenes can be taken out as still shots and they will look like live paintings. Still frames of the film are able to talk to the watcher.
If Dev Anand should be known to make him available at the windows then Guru Dutt should be known to frame him at the doors. Pyassa alone has many scenes where Guru Dutt is standing in such a way that he gets background of open door and the song “ye Dunia agar mil bhee jaye to kya hai” is fully in the backdrop of a door. Light is coming through the door and people gathered in the auditorium see silhouette of Vijay.
Film uses symbols and this scene is a symbolic presentation of the crucifixion of Jesus. Vijay is standing in same pose, with his hands resting on two sides of the door and whole crowd is watching him. It seems as if Guru Dutt is saying to crowd, “Yet another sensible person is being crucified by the foolishness and callousness of crowd”.
Some people ridicule the metaphor, which is sometimes used when we come across a wonderful film or parts of the films, where we give similes that this is like poetry on celluloid. Pyasaa is example of what is poetry on celluloid. This is poetry because you watch it many times and with every new watching you go deeper and you see many new interpretations which had not occurred to you in previous watching.
Pyassa brings poetry on the screen right from the first scene where Vijay is lying on the ground in a garden and a flower falls on him and he removes his hands from his eyes and sees the flower and poetry starts sprouting inside him. With the poetry generating inside him audience also go on a poetic journey for next 2 minutes.
Ye hanste hue phhool, Ye mehka hua gulshan
Ye rang aur noor mein doobi huyee rahein
Ye phulon ka ras peeke machalte huye bhanware
(These smiling flowers, This sweet smelling garden
These paths filled with colour and aura
These Bees, dancing after enjoying the nectar of flowers)
Vijay is filled with joys of life and he is enjoying the liveliness of nature but soon world creeps in and a man’s careless walking crushes the bee. Vijay is sad and heart of sensitive poet is hurt.
Mein doon bhi to kya doon tumhe, aiy shokh nazaaron
Le de ke mere paas kuch aansoo hai kuch aahen
(Even if I wish to give, what can I give you, O! Beautiful surroundings?
I have been left with some tears and some sighs only)
Just watching this scene, till he walks ahead and stops near a tree, is sufficient to describe what “poetry on celluloid” means. This scene is the Summary of the film also. Vijay’s fate is going to follow the fate of that Bee. Cruel world is going to crush the sensitive poet residing inside him. He is enjoying the life while he creates the poetry and next moment, people are ready to destroy him.
Vijay has seen Meena before also but he avoids meeting her but in the elevator she meets him. Again Director has become kind of a poet here. They are standing side by side and Vijay sees her reflection on the wall of the chamber. Camera works fantastically in this scene. Her reflection is of a happy woman with so many dreams in her eyes. What best than to have a dreamy flashback song at such a juncture?
Hence a duet “Hum Apki Anakhon mein Is dil ko basa lein to” exists here.
In the flashback, while Vijay is dreaming this song, Meena is disturbed because she had decided to come out of her relationship with Vijay. She has written a letter and when Vijay comes back in the senses he finds the letter which Meena has left behind with him.
Song, Hum Apki ankhon …. fully expresses the emotions of both the characters.
Again scene in the elevator is not monotonous in any way and contains deeper meanings. When elevator reaches at ground floor then only Meena comes in to her senses and says,” Ohh I had to go upside” !!!!!
Vijay comes out and Iron gates of elevator fall down and Meena is shown in a trap, which she had chosen herself. While Vijay walks ahead with his freedom.
With that single dialogue of Meena and with that single scene where she is shown to be trapped in the elevator chamber, director says much about her life and her decisions in the film.
Is this not poetry on celluloid? Film is full of such scenes. They bring deeper meanings and audience enjoys the taste of poetry through the moving visuals.
Vijay is a civilized and caring person toward others, while some of them, knowingly or unknowingly, busy in hurting other’s feelings. Vijay does not hurt anyone. He is not even revengeful. He faces rejection and ridiculing from the world. He is mocked by the foolish people who are busy in their petty business and think they can control the world because they have some money. They can’t touch the sensitivity and liberal attitude of Vijay. Vijay is poor but he knows the importance of giving to needy. When he finds a shivering beggar he gives his coat to him.
Vijay is not a poet limited to only one kind of taste or vision as newspaper editor understands when he says,” You have been hankering after hunger and unemployment only and poetry has to be related with love, liquor and so many other soft and romantic things of life”.
Vijay creates a poem when his friends provoke him to say something extempore and he sees Meena and recites,
“Jab hum chalein to saya bhee apna na sath de
Jub tum chalo, zameen chale asman chale
Jab hum ruken saath ruke sham-e-bekasi
Jab tum ruko, bahar ruke, chandni ruke“
[ When I walk then even my shadow does not accompany me
When you walk, earth and sky move along with you
When I stop, helpless evening stops with me
When you stop, spring and moonlight also stop]
Meena has rejected him and his love because he is poor and unemployed. Vijay does not steer away from the realities and he writes poetry of realities though he can write poetry of any kind.
Vijay does not show any frustration to Meena and he says he is not even angry with her though he was disappointed with her actions. He says that you had left me for a luxurious life and you have got everything now but you are not happy. He still treats her with a respect. He gives her advice that she had done wrong to him when she left him because he was poor and now by contacting him again she is doing wrong to her husband.
Ghose is a businessman, who understands the language of profit only. He follows a mean thinking. When he finds Meena and Vijay talking inside his office he tries to malign Meena and says that there is no difference between her and a prostitute. He shows no respect toward his own wife. She has no liberty even to express her feelings. On the other hand Vijay treats even a prostitute with a full respect and his respectful behavior generates a self respect in Gulab also. He even does not feel any hitch to say that she is his wife, while saving her from a policeman.
Ghose threatens Meena that he will sack Vijay immediately and he will see if Meena gets any pain or not. It’s understood that Vijay’s job w’d be taken away.
Here comes the genius of a master director. In the very next scene we find that someone is thrown out of the car. It’s Gulab.
Two lives and their destinies are keeping a matching pace with each other!
Ghose’s animal behavior sends Meena away from him and she feels that her love toward Vijay has been revived again. Vijay’s humanly behavior generates love in the Gulab toward him. Ghose is jealous of Vijay’s talent and he is insecure after knowing that his wife used to love Vijay who can’t arrange a job for him. He has a mission to demean Vijay in front of Meena so that he can satisfy his envious feelings. Vijay is spreading love in the society and people, like Ghose, Vijay’s brothers and friends are spreading hate, intrigues, doubt and meanness etc. in their surrounding. And society rejects Vijay and regards Ghose kind of businessman!
This is the reason that mankind has been involving in thousands of wars in same numbers of years and still people are fighting because corrupt, opportunist and cunning people are given more importance because they know how to manipulate and genuine people have to follow the path and destiny of Vijay. Some commit suicide and some become recluse and live life in their seclusion away from this petty world. Though this tendency is spread everywhere but it’s very dangerous in fields like arts and science because these fields simply deserve merits. People who join these fields don’t expect such cunningness because they are not well versed in the give and take behavior. When someone enters in to the business he is well prepared that he has competition with equally cunning people and hence no or less heart breaks happen there. That’s why Vijay’s friend says to Ghose that till now he saw a profit in being with him but now Vijay has become a hot property and so now he finds more profit in being with Vijay. He joins another publisher who earlier had rejected Vijay’s poetry.
But in the crowd of these cunning men, soft souls like Vijay are badly crushed. Vijay’s monologue before Meena in the end of the film is heart breaking. That’s a truthful monologue coming straight from the heart of the writer who wrote those dialogues and Guru Dutt’s delivery left a most intensified impact. When he says that he can’t get peace in this world and he wishes to go so far from where he won’t have to go any further, then that’s the ultimate disillusionment of a genuine creative genius from the crowd of sheep like human beings.
Pyasaa removes the gap between so-called art film and commercial film. It’s both. It has got both a class as well as a wider appeal. When filmmakers make utterly boring films and say that this is pure art and audience don’t have intelligence to understand the film then they show their ignorance because fault is in their way of presenting the story on celluloid and those filmmakers who say false excuses that people don’t want to watch class films hence they make formula films then they also ignore the success of class films like Pyassa. Both kind of filmmakers wish to impose their own limited understanding and hence excuses on the audience.
Songs go in tandem with the plot and tone of the theme of the film. Meena and Vijay play hide and seek with each other’s wishes in “Hum Apki Ankhon mein ….”
Film transcends the time and indicates towards the general behavior of the people. Vijay is fighting against all odds but still he has inner strength to keep his consciousness alive. But when he finds that only person, who loved him without any selfish reason, his mother, is died then he is broken and succumbs before the cleverness of his friends who almost compel him to drink alcohol. He is unable to bear the mental tension and he drinks.
Dissociation of energy happens inside him and Ala Devdas, he follows a path of self destruction for a while but while watching dance of a woman, he hears the crying of a child and he finds that dancer is not allowed by his lusty friends to attend her child then he regains his consciousness and leaves that place. He is not an activist but a poet but he tries to save a woman but he is thrown away by her oppressors.
Is this a false scene given in a film?
Does it not happen in life?
It happens!
Around 48 years after the Pyassa, leftist Journalist Ram Sharan Joshi writes his confessions in a column “Self acceptances” in a famous magazine. He writes that during Emergency he was following an underground life in Chhatisgarh. His friend took him to a poor place and they both selected a young woman. Woman’s father or father in law was sitting outside of the hut, coughing continuously. First his friend went inside and appeased his physical hunger and when Joshi ji went inside he saw that barely a 2-3 months old child was lying in the hut. He got some hitch but still physical hunger was more powerful than the inner awareness but when he got mother milk in his mouth while sucking her breasts, he felt a shame and his senses came back to him. He gave money to woman and came out.
It happens and it has been happening. Poverty is compelling people to follow inhuman activities. It compels women to fall in to the prostitution where they lose all their self respect. Though Pyassa is a film but it is very close to real life and this makes it one of the greatest films ever made in India.
Vijay is not a superman that he can save women from goons and after getting defeats in his physical efforts he handles it with his poetical skills. Till now his disillusionments were somewhat personal but from now onwards he gets disillusionment from all corners of life and he starts finding futility in the prevalent societal arrangements. Having seen disgusting realities, Vijay, under frustration, shame and helplessness, finds catharsis in his angry poetry only and he throws questions to the people who run the country and who feel false proud.
Yeh kooche neelaam ghar dilkashi ke
ye lutate hue kaaravaan zindagi ke
kahaan hain, kahaan hain muhafiz khudi ke
jinhen naaz hai hind par woh kahaan hain
(Love is being sold in these galleries, looting of the caravan of life is going on; where are they, the self claimed custodians of the nation?
where are they, those who feel so much proud on the country?)
Woh ujale darichon mein paayal kee chhan chhan
Thakee haaree saanson pe tabale ki dhan dhan
Yeh berooh kamaron me khaansi ki Than Than
jinhen naaz hai hind par woh kahaan hain
(There in the much lit places, rings the sound of ankle-bells;
slow and tired breathing is suppressed by the sound of beats of the tabla;
In the soulless rooms, sound of coughing echoes;
where are they, those who have so much proud on country?)
zaraa is mulk ke rahabaron ko bulaao
ye kuche ye galiyaan ye manzar dikhaao
jinhen naaz hai hind par unko laao
jinhe naaz hai hind par woh kahaan hai
(Just call the Rulers of this country; show them these places, galleries, and sights;
bring those, who are so proud of country; where are they, those who are so proud of India?)
ye mahalon, ye takhton, ye tajon ki duniyaa
ye insan ke dushman samaajon ki duniyaa
ye daulat ke bhukhe rivaazon ki duniyaa
ye duniyaa agar mil bhi jaaye to kya hai
(This world of palaces, This world of thrones and monuments;
this world that has societies which are enemy of humanity; this world which by nature hungers for wealth; what will I get even if I am given this world?
jahaan ek khilauna hai inasaan ki hasti
ye basti hai murdaa-paraston ki basti
yahan par to jeevan se hai maut sasti
yeh duniya agar mil bhi jaaye to kya hai
(Where an alive man’s existence is valued not more than a toy, this is world which adores dead ; here death is cheaper than life; what will I get out of this world even if I am given it?
jalaa do, jalaa do ise, phunk Daalo ye duniyaa
mere samne se hata lo ye duniyaa
tumhaari hai tum hi sambhalo ye duniyaa, ye duniyaa …
(Burn this, blow away this insane world; take this world away from my sight, This world is yours, only you take care of this world,
what will I get if am given this world?)
He feels that he does not exist for the world. He says this to Gulab, Ab to maa bhee nahin rahee, phir mein yahan kyon hun, kisliye hun, kiske liye hun (Now as my mother is also no more why I am living, for what, for whom). He leaves a sleeping Gulab and soon he is declared dead.
Gulab, a true lover of Vijay, gets a mission to get published his poetry and she goes to Ghose’s office. There she meets Meeta, who tries to buy Vijay’s poetry. As Vijay is no more and can provide no harm to his personal life, so Ghose’s business acumen takes possession and he publishes Vijay’s poem. Alive Poet Vijay was rejected all over and poetry of a dead poet becomes best sellers. Now Vijay’s work is a gold mine and Vijay’s friend, who has some poems of Vijay with him, comes to sell his work. Vijay’s brothers, who always had cursed Vijay’s love for poetry, come to demand a share in the profit.
Guru Dutt had made three films, Bazi and Jaal like crime thrillers with Dev Anand and Baaz where he himself had played the lead role of a swash buckler. Two thrillers were written by him. He had produced CID also with Dev Anand in the lead role and Pyassa was his almost first serious social drama based film, but he did not leave his liking for the thrillers and thus audience see that Vijay is not died but he is lying ill in a hospital.
Vijay is not suicidal but he possesses too high self respect. When Meena talks about lost love, he stops her by saying that she had left him to get an easy going life. He stops her advances toward him. He does not accept offers given by same world, which had been rejecting him for years. He is not interested in living on the pieces of breads thrown at him. He kicks away the offers of greedy world and goes to the person who, he thinks, loves him unconditionally. He asks her to come along with him and she happily agrees to it and both walk ahead having hands in hands and elope behind the mysterious future!
Music of SD Burman fantastically supports the film. There is no unnecessary use of orchestra and instruments are played only in the case of an ultimate need. If Guru Dutt touches heights in the direction then Sahir Ludhianvi provides high quality lyrics. Can there be any evaluation in terms of money if we consider words penned by Sahir? When he gives words to Vijay,
Ye Dunia agar mil bhee jaye to kya hai.
Or before that when poet Vijay wishes to wake up his fellow countrymen and asks“ Jinhe naaj tha hind par wo kahan hain?”
With this song Director and lyricist wished to associate the film with the contemporary realities. They are doing a job which a serious writer or a poet does when he tries to shake sleeping people of his era. These factors add value to Pyaasa.
If detailed screen play of the film is released or a transcript is prepared which contains everything included in the film then this will look like a high class literature.
VK Murthy’s camera simply lives and rather enhances the impact of cinematic vision of Guru Dutt on the screen. Film has amazing light arrangement also. Both camera and light have been used very intelligently and they enhance the technical impact of the film.
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Why Pyassa remains one of the most socially relevant films? Because it touches the very disease with which our society has been suffering. A poet like Muktibodh dies early at the age of 47, because he faced the trauma of living in an utter poverty. Revolutionary poet Dushyant Kumar died (suicide?) at the age of 42 only. And there are many such examples.
Guru Dutt had approached Dilip Kumar to make him ready to play Vijay. But Dilip Kumar was passing through the after effects of playing Devdas and many other roles of a doomed lover and he was so deeply involved in his roles that they had affected his real life and psychologists of England had suggested him not to do tragedy roles anymore and hence he was trying his hands in comedy. So he denied Pyassa and Guru Dutt took the challenge to play Vijay himself and did full justice. No doubt if Dilip Saab could have done the film then film could have got some different heights because then master Director Guru Dutt could have been able to devote full energies in direction only.
Waheeda Rehman, Mala Sinha, Rehman, Johny Walker; Mehmood, Kumkum, Leela Mishra all were in the hands of a very good director and thus gave their one of the best performances.
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If someone says great films are not made in hindi cinema, show him Pyassa. If someone says songs are odd parts of hindi films, if possible show him Pyassa so that he knows how songs can be used and how music is an essential part of Indian life. It’s a story of a poet so songs look natural and Guru Dutt has inserted his beautiful imagination in picturisation of the songs.
Pyassa is a classic film because it affects the audience like a good piece of literature affects its reader. It does not only raise questions before audience and put them under scanner but it provides high degree of entertainment also. And this is the best example of good cinema. Cinema should be “what Pyassa is”.
Pyassa is a classic example of responsibility of a filmmaker/director which he must have toward the society. Here Director dons the role of a writer/poet and tries to awaken the sleeping society and that too in a highly appealing way.
What if Dushyant Kumar had written his following famous poem before the Pyassa was made
ho gayee pir parbat see pighalanee chaahiye
is himaalay se koee gangaa nikalanee chaahiye
aaj ye divaar pardon kee tarah hilane lagee
shart lekin thee ki buniyaad hilanee chaahiye
har sadak par har galii mein har nagar har gaaon mein
haath leharaate huye har laash chalanee chaahiye
sirf hangaamaa khadda karanaa meraa maqsad naheen
meree koshish ye hai ki ye suurat badalanee chaahiye
mere seene mein naheen to tere seene mein sahee
ho kaheen bhii aag lekin aag jalanee chaahiye
(Sadness has become like a mountain and now this ice should melt
Some Ganga should emerge out of this Himalaya
Today this wall shakes like curtains
But point was this only that foundation should have been moved
At every road, in every street, In every city and every village
Dead bodies should walk with their hands moving
Only chaos is produced is not my motive
My efforts are to change this whole scenario
If not in my heart then in your heart,
it does not matter where fire is lit but fire should be lit)
Then Guru Dutt could have used this poem in the last scene in the background where Vijay walks away with Gulab.
Tags: Baaz, Baazi, CID, Dev Anand, devdas, Dilip Kumar, Guru Dutt, Jaal, Johnny Walker, Mahmood, Mala Sinha, Rehman, Sahir Ludhianvi, SD Burman, Teaching Film-making, waheeda rehman
Anurag Kashyap
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Navdeep Singh
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Onir
Ashvin Kumar
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dude
I got to see this film if not for guru dutt, for u
The passion with which u have written this, I respect u.
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RK,brilliant stuff..I am a bigtime Sahir Ludhianvi fan and at times wonder would any other poet-lyricist have done justice by bringing out the soul of Pyaasa’s story..Because many other poets at that time were also leftists in their ideologies..And every time a voice within says No,Pyaasa was meant for Sahir Ludhianvi..Infact Pyaasa is another classic example of a film that just gets made’ jo ban jaati hai–ek baar’(like Sholay,Mughal-e-Azam,Mother India)..When all the elements are just a perfect fit. And then I wonder why Pyaasa could not fetch international awards en masse..Ur take on that RK?
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Nice memories RK… Pyaasa is perhaps one of the first where Guru Dutt played so brilliantly with light and darkness both in physical and in human context. The haunting images of him standing in the doorway of the theater and the turning of the audience to see who’s reciting the words “Yeh duniya agar mil bhi jaye toh kya hain”… clearly is one of the best picturized songs in my top 20 list…
Krysh… yes unfortunately not much is talked about Sahir and the post Gen X, I have not come across many of the yuppie crowd that is familiar with him or his works… my Sahir favorite though remains ‘Aurat ne janam diya mardon ko, mardon use bazaar diya’ (roughly in english: women gave birth to men, men gave her the brothel) – that piece is gut wrenching…
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The songs in Pyaasa are wonderfully reflective of the state of the country today as well. Nice write-up, thank you RK ji.
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Nice article. I remember reading in some books mentioning movies to watch and it included Pyaasa with a foreword by Orson Welles saying that he didnt believe a movie like this is being made in other parts of the world (something like this not the exact words)
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“Hamare samaj ka dhacha aisa kyo hai ke jaha bhai bhai ke saath beimani karta hai”….
We need more Guru Dutt to bring positive social change in any society. Madhur Bhandarkar, Anurag Basu, Rakyesh Mehra are the hope, including others.
Salute to them and Guru Dutt sahab.
Arun
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Indeed Guru Dutt was a true legend and will live for ever in the world of cinema. But we shouldn’t forget the legendary team with him ,As Oz said Sahir Ludhianavi, Sd Burman, Abrar Alvi(writer).Vk Murti(cinematographer)and above all the man who gave Guru dutt a break in films was none else than Evergreen Dev Anand .Payasa and Kagaz ke phool were examples of cinematic excellence and soulful story telling. My tribute to a legend… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYSk0gr1_gg.
Sanjay malhotra
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Pyassa Was path breaking movie with such excellent direction,music and lyrics.If Guru Dutt’s direction was body of movie then lyrics of great saahir soul of it.Pyaasa is such socially relevant due to its songs and characters like gulabo.for me saahir is best lyricist in hindi cinema.his range was just amazing ie song of movie hum dono abhi naa jaao chodd ke, Neelkamal (babul ki duaie leti jaa), Kabhi kabhi (main har ek pal ka saayar hu), Rakhabhandan song ( bahena ne bhai ki kalai me) and ultimate song to describe love (humne dekhi hai un aakho ki mehkti kushbu).Guys i think Saahir itself need one separate post on his work.Sadily it was last movie in which S.D and saahir work together.
RK was touched when you compare vijay with Dr Vasishtha Narayan Singh.Vashishtha Narayan Singh is a noted mathematician from Bihar, India.
He has suffered from schizophrenia since 1976.
Dr. Vashishtha Narayan Singh was born as the first son of Late Lal Bahadur Singh and Smt. Lahaso Devi in Village Basantpur, under Sadar Block of Dist. Bhojpur, Bihar, India, on 2nd April 1942. His father was working as a policeman in the state Police Dept. Vashishtha N. Singh had his primary education in the village school. Thereafter, he went to Netarhat School in class VI. In the year 1962, he passed his matriculation examination, topping in the entire state of Bihar.
for futher reading plz visit as thera in length resriction
http://www.answers.com/topic/vashishtha-narayan-singh
Rk your take on muktibodh and dushant kumar was just amazing and i want to add one more thing in this thread muktibodh never got any type of recoginzation in his whole life and when he died,hospital persons kept his body inside the mens toilet(now his one kavita “chand ka mukh theda hai is in IAS HINDI sahitya syllabus”).i think you forget to take one more name who suffer such kind destiny its was surakant tripathi nirala.Its very true for us and our society “ahaan ek khilauna hai inasaan ki hasti
ye basti hai murdaa-paraston ki basti
yahan par to jeevan se hai maut sasti
yeh duniya agar mil bhi jaaye to kya hai”
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^:)^ ^:)^^:)^
to you RKji for this brilliant write up
^:)^^:)^^:)^^:)^^:)^^:)^^:)^^:)^^:)^^:)^^:)^^:)^^:)^^:)^^:)^^:)^^:)^^:)^^:)^^:)^^:)^^:)^^:)^^:)^
to guru dutt for making Pyaasa
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@RK
You are not just passionate about movies, you are a movie fanatic. Salute!^:)^
The movie is symbol-laden. During each viewing a person can find some new symbolism.
Ye Dunia agar mil bhee jaye to kya hai.
A person rejects fame but only after achieving it. He doesn
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Great post by great RK- as ususal!
I have seen pyaasa long time ago now i have to see again with having your article’s printout in my hand.
Hoping more from you regarding classics relevant with social issues.
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=Sunny
Thanks Man,
see it to enjoy the great work left by greats like Guru Dutt, V.K.Murthy, Abrar Alvi, Sahir Ludhiyanvi, SDBurman and it not only will enrich your viewing expreinece but will push to search more such works done by master filmmakers like Guru Dutt done in the 1950s. They depicted stories of their country revolving around characters, who looked so familiar to the audience, and they made films which were at par with any kind of films made anywhere in the world.
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guys – sorry for the self promotion.. but u might want to read this … article written by Guru Dutt himself
http://passionforcinema.com/classics-and-cash-guru-dutts-speaks/
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Krysh, that was the time when big poets and writers like Krishan Chander, Rajendra Krishan, Sadat Hasan Manto, Khawaja Ahmad Abbas, Sahir Ludhiyanvi, Shailendra, Mazruh Sultanpuri, Kaifi Azami, Pradeep and many more and profound and highly educated people like Balraj Sahni, Chetan Anand etc were associated with the films. Directors had clear vision and they had one passion in cinema only and therefore they were commited to create standard cinema.
They all were sufficient to give the best required input to make high quality product and this is also true that somewhere people are destined to create some particular thing and it was Sahir’s turn in Pyassa.
Raj Kapoor made Aag at the age of 23!, Guru Dutt was hardly 32 years old when he released Pyassa!
I am not aware if Pyassa was released outside also, especially in Europe in 1957 but later when it was re released in France it was appreciated a lot. Pyassa is too indianized film where songs are so integrated part of the film and who knows If Guru Dutt was even slightly interested in getting recognition from west. He was all for commercial success because that was surety of one factor that large number of people had seen his films. It was not multiplex era where 100 people are more than erstwhile 2000 people.
International award or no award, Pyassa wins the heart of audience, whoever search for quality cinema, anywhere in the world
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=Oz,
This is so true that with the help of VK Murthy’s camerawork, Guru Dutt’s use of light and darknes was at full bloom in Pyassa, though he always played with the shining and shades in his earlier films also, especially in Bazi and Jaal. and while filming the songs then also he gave specila emphasis to the lightinge.g. Aar Paar, Mr and Mr 55 and Taddir se bigari huee takqdir bana le in Bazi and ye raat ye chandani phir kahan in Jaal and Hum apki nakhon mein in Pyassa, all songs have fanatstic use of light and shades and change according to the lyrics and mood of the characters.
Aurat ne janam diya—- of Sadhana was a master stroke from Sahir’s pen and as a song also its so wonderful. It was not from famous music composers of that era but from a little known N Dutta and he was sensible enough to keep orchestra so low to bring more impact of high scaled voice of Lata Mangeshkar so that song make impact on audience. lyrics of the song have importance and musician gave that importance to the song.
This element is lost from the understanding of these days music composer who prefer heavy orchestra and singer and their voice and lyrics are lost somewhere.
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Salaam RK!! Great post..”Denge wahi jo payenge is zindagi se hum”…..Fits Guru Dutt to the T…cheers once again
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=Sujata: yes, 50 years old songs are still able to reflect the situations prevailing in the todays India and its a pity that old songs did not become matters of past. As far as problems and irregularities in the society are concerned we are still standing on same ground.
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=Om Prakash, was it not Time magazine’s special issue where 100 films were selected with some details abt them?
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=Arun, you quoted so sad lines of that heart wrenching monologue of Guru Dutt. Dialogue writer’s lines are still pertinent. Yes we can hope many filmmakers become conscious towards their own society before looking for inspiration from stories and charcaters relevant to other societies of elsewhere.
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=Sanjay: Guru Dutt did in short life which only legends can do. His life reveals that every step in his life was preparing him to become a good film maker. If childhood catalysed his sensitivity then his joining the Udai Shankar academy to learn dance and art of acting, made him multi-facted personaility. His training as a choreographer may be the reason why his songs are so appealing.
” Tha Making of Guru Dutt” is not less intersting than the products he made
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Shatrughan,
Its so right, Sahir along with many other great poets active in films in those years brough a classy touch in the film songs. They were not merely filmi poets but true poets.
I feel that song, humne dekhi hain … (khamoshi of Rajesh Khanna) was penned by Gulzar saab.
Dr Vashisht Narayan Singh’s case is true example of the ill treatment by colleagues ande insufficient care by family. His predicament is the result of unhealthy and jelous feelings of his colleagues and perhaps careless attitude of family. He was not less sensitive than a poet or an artist and he was thrown in the crowd of jealous people who could not cope with his talent and thus departmental harrassment. Its sad but so true that ife he had stayed back in Berkeley than in SRK’s words (KANK) unki jinmdagi ka rukh kuch aur hota aur dukh kuch aur hota.
You are right, Nirala is another such example. His personal life’s happenings never gave him chance to live for few months in peace and above this his economical conditions and his bohemian attitude. People certainly did not treat him well.
There is a story. When most of the people were describing him as mad. Prithvi Raj Kapoor had visited the Allhabad with his theator troupe and he had invited Nirala also and he invited him on dias and when Nirala gave a short speech after reciting his poem (perhaps verses from Ram ki shakti puja) he had said in his high voice,” Do you know where is Ganga Jamuna and Saraswati?” Silent audience went in to more silence and he had roared while striking his fingure on the chest of Prithvi Raj Kapoor,”Here flows Ganga Jamuna and Sarswati”.
In another incidence when Mahadevi Varma had invited him to Allahabad University’s programme and he was reciting his poems in the auditorium and electricity supply was failured and it was dark all over and its said, he had shouted without mike, ” All the boys sitting and standing here, should feel the responsibility of thread of Rakhi on their wrist, these girls sitting here are their sisters and no nonsense should be created till electricity supply is provided again”.
Muktibodh, Baba Nagarujuna, Dushyant Kumar are other examples of victim of people’s avoidance.
They were really different people. So sensitive, so creative and yet so neglected by the people because they were not market oriented people.
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kartik: thanks for posting the link of Guru Dutt’s article. a fantastic read in his own words.:)
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=Vinayak,
surely viewing by immortals like Orsen Welles should be different than us mortals. Their sensitivity as film makers, may catch many important things in a film, which we cant get and then it does not matter he could understand true meaning of Jinhe naz hai hind par wo kahan hain. we in India can easily associate with Pablo Neruda’s poetry. If we replace hind word with “World” then its song of whole world whereever humanbeing is surviving. desh desh ke kahani(every country’s story). These indigneous factors may not be a hurdle for a great film maker like welles to understand fully the work of his contempoarary film maker. Moreover they better know how difficult might have been picturization of some parts, or technical aspects or continuity.
After 50 years of film, I feel that it has become critics habit to repeat words of old critics because it saves time, energy etc. Film could not be made only to point out period of 4-5-10 years rather its made to point out a tendancy. Some critics connected it with post Nehurvian era so its continue since then.
In my feeling it was more related to Mahatma Gandhi’s emphasis on social changes and creative works towards social reforms. It was to emphasise to recall that time is not to celeberate as we have so many social evils prevailing in our society. Thats why song is still relevant and it has transcends the time.
You are right film is full of symbols and film should be like this only and this symbollicism and subtelity makes it as nice example of class film where art is present at its height.
Along with examples you quoted, Scenes and characters have got conscious light and make up respectievly. When Guru Dutt goes to asssit a party at Rehman’s house, he is in a show white shining kurta paijama and shawl and his face is shining a lot. when he appears again at auditorium then again he is in similarly shining dress. and when he is in grim state, mostly he is in dark coloured clothes. Same is followed with Mala Sinha.
Life has to move on and with this pessimism that there cant be anything, there can come a block in the our lives. May be its an illusion that something can happen but this illusion alone has been the reason for great creations and it will be helpful in future also. Perhaps not big change but small changes can happen in world. If not at that time then now we give respect to his(Guru dutt’s) work.
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Shailesh: Hope you enjoy more the film in new viewing. Film reveals new things in every viewing.
Aditi: Thanks
hum ghumzadan hain layein kahan se khushi ke geet
Somebody had written that
“Sadness purifies the hearts”
Agyeya had quoted the full saying in one his great novel ” Nadi ke Dweep”
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I will go watch this film. Thanks
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@ RK, thanks for correcting me on song humne dekhi hain un aankho and thanks again for sharing information on nirala .
i read some where that nirala ji was having great relationship with contemporary prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru .I want to share one incident which reflecting retlationship between them.
The Prime Minister had just returned from a visit to the People’s Republic of China. He was addressing a public meeting in his hometown, Allahabad, where Nirala then lived and where Triloki Pandey then studied. The poet sat in the front row, bare-bodied, his chest rubbed up with oil
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= Shatrughan,
Pt Nehru, indeed had visited Nirala’s house, either in Allahabad or Unnao. Nirala had given full account of that visit. Publishers have been reasons in sending depression to many poets and writers. These creative people cant manage business side of publication and thus they have been exploited by publishers. In Hindi and and regional language this exploitation is more. English publication has been supportive.
you are right abt hyped Harry Potter and if same was written in hindi or regional language then it was possible that nobody was going to pay it such attention. Its beauty of good marketing. When something is made “In” these days then people behave like crowd of sheeps. If you dont keep it, you are out of fashion and out of fashion or old fashioned is a biggest abuse.
To analyse own position is very good thing but to maintain an inferiority complex is the disease with which we have been suffering.
Be it literaure, science or say films, some of the seniors have developed this tendency to curse works done here and to praise works elsewhere. Those who are or have been big in science till recently writes analytical discourses that if Indians do research in such and such fields then Nature cant deny the publication. Come on you have been active in same scientific field for more than 30 years, you held various top positions and whole lot of scientists worked under you, why you did not publish a papert in Nature?
Same is for active film maker when you are active film maker then its a pathetic scene to say that we dont make good films. Who are we? Are you not included in we? why you did not try to make good films which you feel should have been great works.
and disgruntled young filmmakers why they dont try to make great cinema, if they feel everybodyelse is making garbage.
Its a market oriented era, why others will care for your products when they have to sell their products and when you have no confidence in your product why others will consider it?
This is true that literature created in Hindi and regional languages does not get proper attention and hence a scene has been created that nothing great has been created here.
If we relate it with film makers then its more shameful situation. To picturise Namesake or Shantaram no indian film maker comes ahead and this is done by either NRI film maker or rights are purchased by a foreigner. when Indian filmmakers dont wish to picturise own tales then why this complaining?
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RK.. really freakish coincidence, but i got this movie in the mail the same day you posted this article.. i waited to read your post until after i had watched the movie.. and wow ^:)^ ^:)^ ^:)^ your post really does the film justice.
i loved the movie, but my first-watch is always just to watch the movie with no other pre-conceived notions.. and just watch the movie to watch the movie and enjoy the songs.. but after reading your post, i must at least watch it 3 or 4 more times to get the full effect. i never even gave all the symbolism you speak of a second thought.. which is probably good because then you end up thinking too much while watching the movie, and that takes away from the film. but thank you for exploring all these elements of the film in such an in-depth article.
i’m curious though.. did guru dutt make this film with all that symbolism in mind? or was he just doing what he was doing as a filmmaker and setting up the shots as he wanted to? part of me wonders if he hadn’t thought of all this while making the actual film.. and it’s the media and the people who loved the film so much who explored the hidden meanings of the film to bring out the nuances..
thank you RK sir.. for this brilliant post. one of my favorites on PFC.
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@Rk ji,you are right in every sense.In anurag kashyap word’s “indians loved to pity themselves”, don’t know why we hate or love to ignore (in artistic term) our movies, our literature,our personalities of some specific fields.
I think its due to our inferiority complex as you mentioned or its due to our “Gulaami mansikta”.
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=Striker, thats a very nice habit not to keep any preconceived notion while watching a new film otherwise ghost memorries or recommondations spoil the real joy of watching a new film.
Given the conditions of hindi film industry in 1950s and Guru Dutt’s own film making talent it can safely be said that whatever he has kept in the film, is a result of a well planned vision he had seen about this film.
When a talented film maker is working in same era where Mehboob, K Asif, Raj Kapoor, Bimol Roy, Chetan Anand, AR Kardar, B.R.Chopra and many other important and intelligent filmmakers are making their films in same language and at same time Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak kind of film makers are making films in different language then one has to make intelligent cinema. Its both, inspiration as well as healthy competition.
This scene of 50s is under repetition now also. Many so talented film makers are present in the film world and result will be some wonderful films in next 10-15 years or so.
With each new film Guru Dutt did many experiments. It cant be coincidental if he had not planned scenes in editing in such a way that in one scene Johny Walker and Waheeda Rehman have some comedy and in next scene Guru Dutt sees his brothers performing last rituals for his mother. When one has taken Tuntun in the film then one has to give her suitable scenes and suitable dialogues and hence she says during college function ” Mr So and So has not come, well its good” pause and a long laugh by audience and then she says “But Vijay Babu has come”. Much before anyoneelse Guru Dutt might have seen the whole film in his head. Thats why while making Kaghaj ke phhul when his close associate cameraman VK MUrthy had shown his reservation that he is making too abstract and personal thing which people might not understand he had said that other films I make for people this one is for you and me only. He knew what he was doing.
His extraordinary brilliance can be the reason of his early death. Its sometimes seen. Many examples are there. when some one goes miles ahead of collective knowing of rest then its difficult for them to survive for long. Universe does some conspiracies against them.
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Shatrughan: All I can say is any active film maker is never in a position to complain about inferior quality of films as long as he is getting chance to make films. He has to make his film great as great as he thinks one should make. same is true with writers, greatness lies in his/her writing and not in complaining about works of the rest of the crowd involved in creation.
and if an active creator complains then he is not doing justice and hence shying away from his own responsibility. We make crowd, we are the crowd.
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lengthy but worthy….. enjoyed it, revisited the film again..
was it not introducing film of Mala Sinha?
Pyassa show Mahmud as villain also. so good actor.
he and Jonny walker are two of my favourite comedy kings.:d
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I have seen Pyasa more than 25 times. I think it was more or less based on the life of great Urdu story writer Saadat Hasan Manto, who wrote so many moving stories on partition. Pyasa is a master-piece and got commercial recognition too. Your passionate narration is able to project the quality of the film.
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This is best film review or appreciation or tribute i ever read. Pyasa is one my all time favorite and it as good as any world cinema film. This how Indian Film should be or should have been. And as far as song goes , use them like Gurudutt used them in “Pyasa” or Hrishida used “Asali Naqali” or simply don’t use it.
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and fav shayari
Jab hum chalein to saya bhee apna na sath de
Jub tum chalo, zameen chale asman chale
Jab hum ruken saath ruke sham-e-bekasi
Jab tum ruko, bahar ruke, chandni ruke
just too much “dard”. It shows the glimpses of Indian psyche at the times of pyasa
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Definitely he made his unforgottable marks in the sandunes of life… everyone accepts his reality songs….
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