P yaasa is a 1957 Drama movie directed and produced by arguably the greatest Indian filmmaker of all time, yaasa is a 1957 Drama movie directed and produced by arguably the greatest Indian filmmaker of all time, Guru Dutt . Dutt, who pioneered the

integration of songs in the movie's narrative as well as the

use of close-up shorts in Indian Cinema, is ubiquitously regarded as one of the most influential film-makers of his time. Dutt's avant garde works and his unique style of film-making have been a subject of discussion in various acting and film institutes all across the globe for well over five decades. In Pyaasa, Guru Dutt presents the poignant tale of a struggling poet ostracized by a hypocritical society that faces no qualms in immortalizing the dead, but finds it outlandish to exalt the living. Vijay, educated yet unemployed, epitomizes the hapless state of the Indian youth in the post-colonial

India

. A consummate artist, Guru Dutt was equally brilliant behind the camera as he was in front of it: his attention to detail as a director matched his ability to emote as an actor. Guru Dutt and his team were keen on casting the king of tragedy,

in the lead role for Pyaasa, but Dutt himself had to fill in the shoes when an agreement couldn’t be reached.

Guru Dutt in Pyaasa

Pyaasa, widely regarded as Dutt’s magnum opus, represented a departure from the traditional style of film-making in the Indian Cinema, for it blurred the line that hitherto separated art cinema from commercial cinema. With Pyaasa, Guru Dutt demonstrated for the first time, to both his audience and fellow film-makers, how a balance could be struck between creative aspirations and commercial requirements—a success formula that was completely unknown at that time. Pyaasa, along with Guru Dutt’s autobiographical Kaagaz Ke Phool , is currently included in the list of all time greatest motion pictures, both by Time magazine's "All-TIME" 100 best movies and by the Sight & Sound critics' and directors' poll.



