Stark black and white cinematography powerfully evokes the antagonistic forces at work in this classic melodrama. Set in post-Independence Calcutta, it tells the story of Vijay (Guru Dutt), an unemployed young man striving to be a published poet and whose potential for success hangs on a twist of fate. Waheeda Rehman’s emerging talent is showcased in the role of his loyal friend, Gulabo, a pairing which contributed to the film’s commercial success.
Pyaasa (1957)
Guru Dutt’s classic, set in post-independence Kolkata (then Calcutta), tells of a young poet’s ambition.
- 1957 India
- Directed by
- Guru Dutt
- Produced by
- Guru Dutt
- Written by
- Abrar Alvi
- Featuring
- Mala Sinha, Waheeda Rehman, Rehman
Who voted for Pyaasa
Critics
- Karan Bali
- India
- Danial Brännström
- Sweden
- Colin Burnett
- USA
- Forrest Cardamenis
- USA
- Anupama Chopra
- India
- José Manuel Costa
- Portugal
- Sean Cubitt
- UK/Australia
- Bedatri D. Choudhury
- India/US
- Koen van Daele
- Slovenia
- Rachel Dwyer
- UK
- Shubhra Gupta
- India
- Usha Iyer
- USA
- Phuong Le
- Vietnam
- Daniel Morgan
- USA
- Laura Mulvey
- UK
- Nasreen Munni Kabir
- UK
Directors
- Ritesh Batra
- India/US
- Mark Cousins
- UK
- Anurag Kashyap
- India
- Gitanjali Rao
- India
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