Pyaasa is Guru Dutt's real masterpiece. It tells of the thirst for love, for recognition, for spiritual fulfilment. There is a strong parallel between the hero, a poet, the outsider trying to make a place for himself in the society he inhabits and the director, the outsider, trying to leave his independent stamp in a world of formulaic cinema.

It is in Pyaasa where we really see Guru Dutt transcend way above the ordinary and succeed in totality. Many individual shots and scenes become impressionistic images telling of his lyricism. An example which immediately comes to mind is the song Aaj Sajan Mohe Ang Lagalo. It is a kirtan - a Bengali devotional song telling of longing and desire. Though we see baul singers perform the song, it, in fact, voices the prostitute's passion for the poet. She follows the poet up the stairs to the terrace where he stands his back to her. She moves towards him but cannot bring herself to touch him and she runs away. The earthly love she feels is uplifted and given a spiritual dimension through the words. And this is further reinforced by the amazing rendering of the song by Geeta Dutt. In the last scene of the film, an instrumental version of the song is played as the prostitute overcome with joy at seeing the poet at her doorway runs down the steps of her house into his arms. They are one. What is most interesting to note in their relationship is that the prostitute shares with the poet a greater attraction for spiritual fulfilment rather than materialistic fulfilment.

Pyaasa was an idea Guru Dutt had for quite some time. He had written the first draft of the script himself around 1947 and had called it Kashmakash. However once he became a director, he made relatively more formulaic films in a bid to establish himself. Finally wanting to make better films, he decided to make Pyaasa. And in lyricist Sahir Ludhianvi, on whose poems the lyrics were based, Guru Dutt found the soul of Pyaasa. Sahir's words seem to articulate Guru Dutt's own view of the world and experience of tragedy. Pyaasa sees some of Sahir's best work, perhaps greatest ever work as a lyricist. Yeh Mehlon Yeh Thakhton, Jaane Woh Kaise Log The Jinke and Jinhe Naaz Hai Hind Par Woh Kahaan Hai are some of the finest songs written for Hindi cinema - the last looking at the disillusionment that had set in a decade after the giddy euphoria of Indian Independence. It was taken from his poem Chakle (Brothels), a fine example of political comment combined with humanitarian compassion.

In many of Guru Dutt's films we see him caught between two women - Aar Paar (1954), Kaagaz ke Phool (1959) and Sahib Bibi aur Ghulam (1962). In Pyaasa too, apart from the prostitute, Gulabo, there is another woman, his ex-girlfriend from college, Meena, who leaves him and marries for security. Her priority is clearly materialistic fulfilment. In fact though having negative shades to it, this is actually the more difficult and challenging female role in the film as against the standard prostitute with a heart of gold role. It has its shades of grey and counts as one of actress Mala Sinha's better and more subtle performances, a far cry from her rather mechanical and melodramatic performances. Talking of the acting, Waheeda Rehman is outstanding in the role of the prostitute and Guru Dutt himself is fine in the role of the poet. Perhaps the parallels between him and the character help him in coming out with his best ever screen performance. Though Dilip Kumar was the original choice for Vijay's role, one has to admit Guru Dutt made the character his own. Rehman, Johnny Walker, Kum Kum, Leela Mishra and Mehmood all provide more than adequate support but special mention must be made of Guru Dutt's assistant director, Shyam Kapoor, who effectively plays his slimy and materialistic friend, Shyam.

The music by SD Burman is extraordinary as is the rendering of the songs. Each of the songs is masterfully composed. The film is a triumph for all three playback singers. Jinhe Naaz Hai Hind and Yeh Duniya Agar Mil Bhi Jaaye prove what  fine and versatile singer Mohammed Rafi was. He renders them as effectively as the lighter Sar Jo Tera Chakraye. Geeta Dutt is absolutely magical in Aaj Sajan Mohe Ang Laga Lo and Jaane Kya Tune Kahi, naming both in her list of her ten favourite songs. Hemant Kumar has never sounded better than in Jaane Woh Kaise Log The Jinke. Sadly, a beautiful Geeta Dutt solo, Rut Phire Par Din Hamare was removed from the film about a week after it had released. Guru Dutt himself is in fine form picturizing the songs brilliantly. The background music helps to create the necessary atmosphere for a number of individual scenes. The Mala Sinha character has her own signature tune or motif - a simple yet haunting melody played on the harmonica by RD Burman. Whenever the poet sees her, the tune is played representing for him the love he has lost.

Interestingly, Pyaasa has that rare element in a Guru Dutt film. A song treated like a fantasy. An idyllic daydream of the hero. The song Hum Aapki Aankhon Mein is picturised amongst clouds as the heroine descends from the moon. It sticks out when viewed against the whole film. It is said that Guru Dutt picturised it in such a manner just to get back at the distributors who felt that an 'item' was needed! So he provided them with one! Another weak moment in the film is when Johnny Walker sings Sar Jo Tera Chakraye at the mental asylum to distract the guards so Guru Dutt can escape. It is too 'filmi' a moment that sticks out like a sore thumb in this otherwise flalwless film.

Special mention has to made of VK Murthy's evocative cinematography. It is easily amongst the best black and white camerawork done in the history of Hindi cinema with extremely brilliant use of light and shade. Biren Naug's Art Direction has to be lauded, in particular, for the creation of the red light area of Calcutta. In fact, Guru Dutt did try to film on location in Calcutta but could not due to crowd troubles and so filmed it in Mumbai.

 To sum it up simply, a classic! Need one say more?!