Pyaasa
About Pyaasa
Vijay, an Urdu poet in Calcutta, cannot sell poems about unemployment and poverty. His brothers mock him and sell the manuscripts as waste paper. Gulabo, a prostitute, loves the work. His former girlfriend Meena has married the publisher Ghosh, who hires Vijay as a servant. Vijay gives his coat to a beggar. The beggar dies in a train accident and is taken for Vijay. Gulabo sells what she owns and pushes Ghosh to publish the book. Vijay, alive and shut in an asylum when he gives his name, gets out with help from the masseur Abdul Sattar, denounces the memorial crowd, and leaves the city with Gulabo.
Cast & crew
More about Pyaasa
Guru Dutt directed, produced, and wrote the screenplay from a story idea he called Kashmakash in 1947 or 1948. Abrar Alvi wrote the dialogue. Y. G. Chawhan edited. A location trip to Calcutta was dropped after pimps attacked the crew, and the streets were rebuilt in Bombay from photographs. Distributors insisted on the ending in which Vijay leaves with Gulabo. Dutt’s earlier finish had him go alone.
Themes
Background
Vijay’s unsold poems are about unemployment and poverty in the city, not about a love affair.
Making
The Calcutta streets in the film are Bombay sets. The crew had been attacked when they tried to shoot in the city, so the art department worked from photographs.
Look
V. K. Murthy shot the film in black and white, on the Bombay sets that stand in for Calcutta.
Music
S. D. Burman wrote the music and Sahir Ludhianvi the lyrics. Geeta Dutt, Mohammed Rafi, and Hemant Kumar sing the playback.
Preservation
The original camera negative was melted and damaged. Ultra Media & Entertainment’s digital restoration was shown at the 72nd Venice International Film Festival in 2015. A copy is on Wikimedia Commons as Pyaasa (1957).webm.
Notes
- Waheeda Rehman plays Gulabo. Mala Sinha plays Meena. Rehman plays Ghosh. Johnny Walker plays Abdul Sattar.
- Dilip Kumar turned down the role of Vijay. Nargis and Madhubala were discussed for the two women.
- The song Hum Aapki Aankhon Mein was added because the distributors wanted it.
- Sar Jo Tera Chakraye uses a tune R. D. Burman took from the British film Harry Black and the Tiger.
- Ultra Media & Entertainment in Mumbai worked a damaged camera negative for four months, about 45 people on 200,000 frames. The restoration played in Venice Classics in 2015.
Scenes
- Vijay’s brothers sell his manuscripts as waste paper.
- A beggar in Vijay’s coat dies in a train accident and is buried under Vijay’s name.
- Vijay walks into his own memorial and turns on the crowd.
- He leaves the city with Gulabo.
Influenced by
- Guru Dutt's story idea Kashmakash
Also available
- Wikimedia Commons (Pyaasa (1957).webm)
Quotes
Ye duniya agar mil bhi jaaye to kya hai
