One of the true pleasures of watching Pyaasa is Guru Dutt's face and his genuine expressions. It doesn't seem like he is playing a character; he is playing himself. Such is the power of those expressions. The genuineness of eyes, the horror in the same eyes when he is exposed to the dirty existence of social hypocrisies and selfishness. Or genuine delight over simplest of things. Or the childlike wonder about the world around him. Everything about that face felt so real and human.
Here is an actor who knows art of acting. While others are waving their hands obsessively, exaggerating expressions, speaking dramatically and mechanically, leaving no traces of subtlety; Dutt is subtle, hardly exaggerating or waving his hands or making faces. He is still. His every word leaves an impact, whether he is angry, sad, disappointed, horrified or happy. Every emotion is portrayed to its utmost perfection. Here is someone who is magical, mysterious and has grandeur. The one who has the charisma, the driving force which make other men long to peek into his head, so as to see whats inside it, whats that man thinking, feeling. I was engrossed by every minute of this man's expressions.
While those around him are good as they can get, but Dutt dont fit in there. It's not an insult to those around him, but its an awestruck respect for the man. Waheeda is also lot of things in Pyaasa; she is charming, mischievous, sometimes mysterious, but most of all caring, loving and pure. When middle aged uncles and old men around me used talk about her in a such incomprehensible adoration, which I could not understand the reason for, but now having seen her, her acting and persona, I can rejoice those people in their adoration towards her. And also maybe compliment them for having a great sense of taste in films and people in them.
The story of Pyaasa is simple but it gets darker and serious after. In the very first scene of the movie, Vijay is lying on the lap of nature singing a poem about bee who is flying around on a flower, he is delighted. But a passerby crushes the bee unintentionally and Vijay's face saddens. He is first sad, then angry with the man, then again he contemplates. He is very sensitive and idealistic. One can say that it is a story of idealism, and it actually is. Yet it is pessimistic. It is agonizing tale about a man where the world is not what he thinks. He gets crushed, betrayed, humiliated, cheated, and used so much that in the end he becomes so indifferent to everything around him. He has no regrets, no hopes, no grudges, no power to change the world, he is left with horrifying conclusion that nothing in the end matters. In the final song of the film he shows his inner agony and pain, "ye duniya agar mil bhi jaye to kya hai". The lyrics are so impactful coupled with Guru Dutt's agonizing, hysterical face, it is one the greatest moments of cinematic genius.
It is a personal story of a genuine man. Yet it says a lot through that person, about the world, about the society and people around him. Every song in this film serves as a driving force and an integral part in storytelling rather than what happens today. I never realised how powerful songs and lyrics of the film can be. There are around 10 songs in Pyaasa, all of them iconic. Muhammad Rafi is a real thing! Its a revelation for me. The lyrics of Sahir Ludhianvi are soul of the film. They are magnificent, poetic and there is a sense of justified cynicism in them. In the song he penned, 'Jaane Woh Kaise Log', he talks about betrayal in love. In 'Tang Aa Chuke Hai', he ruminate about lost hope, in 'Jinhen Naaz Hai Hind Par', he asks the hypocrites who so are proud on Hind, he asks them where are they while their Hind is rotting and getting devoid of morals. While there are songs which are not very pessimistic, yet they are effective in what their purpose is.
Every film has some flaws, it has too. In the modern world the acting might seem exaggerated(except the leads Waheeda and Dutt), I am sure it was perceived differently back then and would have been named iconic and ground breaking. From what I am guessing the technical aspects of the film are as par with any foreign contemporaries. I like to think Pyaasa a perfect film. There comes a performance or a film which you just cant comprehend how massive it is, you just feel awestruck by its greatness and forget about anything cynical; Björk's performance in Dancer In The Dark was such one, or Marlon Brando's in Apocalypse Now and Godfather, or Anthony Hopkins in Silence Of The Lambs, or Mia Farrow's in Rosemary's Baby. Guru Dutt's performance is one such act of genius.
Rating : ★★★★★
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Ranking Songs From Pyaasa:
The songs of the film were iconic. While it might not be best idea to rank them, it's fun nonetheless.
- Ye duniya agar mil bhi Jaye to Kya Hai
- Jinheh Naaz Hai Hind Par
- Jaane Woh Kaise Log
- Tang Aa Chuke Hain Kashm-e-Kashe Zindagi Se
- Aaj Sajan Mohe Ang Lagalo
- Ham aapaki aankho me
- Jaane Kya Tune Kahi
- Sar Jo Tera Chakraye
- Ye Hanste Huye Phool
- Ho lakh musibat raste mein
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