56-527: Pyaasa ( Hindi pronunciation: [pjɑːsɑː] ; transl. Thirsty ) is a 1957 Indian Hindi drama film directed and produced by Guru Dutt , who stars alongside Mala Sinha , Waheeda Rehman , Rehman , and Johnny Walker . Set in Calcutta , it focuses on the disillusioned Urdu poet Vijay (Dutt), whose works are underestimated by publishers and panned for writing on social issues rather than romantic topics. The film follows his encounters with
112-462: A better understanding of the film. According to the taxonomy, combining the type with the genre does not create a separate genre. For instance, the "Horror Drama" is simply a dramatic horror film (as opposed to a comedic horror film). "Horror Drama" is not a genre separate from the horror genre or the drama type. Crime dramas explore themes of truth, justice, and freedom, and contain the fundamental dichotomy of "criminal vs. lawman". Crime films make
168-685: A more central component of the story, along with serious content. Examples include Three Colours: White (1994), The Truman Show (1998), The Man Without a Past (2002), The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011), and Silver Linings Playbook (2012). Coined by film professor Ken Dancyger , these stories exaggerate characters and situations to the point of becoming fable, legend or fairy tale. Examples: Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) and Maleficent (2014). Light dramas are light-hearted stories that are, nevertheless, serious in nature. Examples: The Help (2011) and The Terminal (2004). Psychological dramas are dramas that focus on
224-400: A particular setting or subject matter, or they combine a drama's otherwise serious tone with elements that encourage a broader range of moods . To these ends, a primary element in a drama is the occurrence of conflict —emotional, social, or otherwise—and its resolution in the course of the storyline. All forms of cinema or television that involve fictional stories are forms of drama in
280-633: A person's life and raises their level of importance. The "small things in life" feel as important to the protagonist (and the audience) as the climactic battle in an action film, or the final shootout in a western. Often, the protagonists deal with multiple, overlapping issues in the course of the film – just as we do in life. Films of this type/genre combination include: The Wrestler (2008), Fruitvale Station (2013), and Locke (2013). Romantic dramas are films with central themes that reinforce our beliefs about love (e.g.: themes such as "love at first sight", "love conquers all", or "there
336-464: A specific approach to drama but, rather, consider drama as a lack of comedic techniques. Examples: Ghost World (2001) and Wuthering Heights (2011). According to the Screenwriters' Taxonomy, all film descriptions should contain their type (comedy or drama) combined with one (or more) of the eleven super-genres. This combination does not create a separate genre, but rather, provides
392-410: Is Vijay. At a function to honour him, Vijay becomes sick of all the hypocrisy in the world around him and declares he is not Vijay. He then leaves with Gulabo to start a new life. Pyaasa was based on a story idea called Kashmakash, written by Guru Dutt sometime in 1947 or '48, when he was 22. The film's theme and philosophy was inspired by his life experiences in early struggling days of his life. It
448-447: Is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction ) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-genre, macro-genre, or micro-genre, such as soap opera , police crime drama , political drama , legal drama , historical drama , domestic drama , teen drama , and comedy-drama (dramedy). These terms tend to indicate
504-526: Is a final fight to the death; the idea of the protagonists facing death is a central expectation in a war drama film. In a war film even though the enemy may out-number, or out-power, the hero, we assume that the enemy can be defeated if only the hero can figure out how. Examples include: Apocalypse Now (1979), Come and See (1985), Braveheart (1995), Life Is Beautiful (1997), Black Book (2006), The Hurt Locker (2008), 1944 (2015), Wildeye (2015), and 1917 (2019). Films in
560-411: Is also surmised that the story is based on the life of the film's lyricist Sahir Ludhianvi who had a failed affair with poet and writer Amrita Pritam . Till the project was started in 1956, several changes were made in the original story in assistance with Abrar Alvi like originally the protagonist was to be a painter. In the original ending, Guru Dutt wanted to show that Vijay left all alone, but on
616-400: Is an unsuccessful, idealistic Urdu poet in Calcutta whose works are not taken seriously by publishers. They condemn Vijay for writing on social problems such as unemployment and poverty, rather than those on conventional romantic topics. His brothers also dislike his occupation, trying to sell his poems as waste paper. Unable to bear their taunting, he stays away from home and also comes upon
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#1732791611574672-656: Is his masterpiece." It was also part of BFI Screen Guides' 100 Film Musical book. In 2011, the British author Nasreen Munni Kabir published The Dialogue of Pyaasa , which contains original dialogues for the film in Hindi and Urdu as well as its translation in English . The song "Ye Duniya Agar Mil Bhi Jaye" was re-used in the 2022 film Chup: Revenge of the Artist . Drama film In film and television , drama
728-482: Is now considered a "seminal landmark" in the history of Indian cinema. Guru Dutt and his later movies, including Pyaasa , have a large cult following, particularly in France, Germany, South Asia and parts of East Asia (Japan, Singapore, etc). It was a huge commercial success during its 1984 French Premiere, something Guru Dutt never witnessed during his lifetime. Since then, the movie has been screened to huge mass appeal
784-502: Is often listed among greatest films ever made. In 2002, Pyaasa was ranked among Top 160 on the Sight & Sound critics' and directors' poll of all-time greatest films . In 2005, Pyaasa was the only Hindi film to make it to the " 100 Greatest Films of All Time " list by Time magazine, which called it "the soulfully romantic of the lot." In 2017, Taste of Cinema ranked it among "25 Most Influential Asian Movies of All Time". On
840-421: Is someone out there for everyone"); the story typically revolves around characters falling into (and out of, and back into) love. Annie Hall (1977), The Notebook (2004), Carol (2015), Her (2013) , and La La Land (2016) are examples of romance dramas. The science fiction drama film is often the story of a protagonist (and their allies) facing something "unknown" that has the potential to change
896-622: Is that in a documentary it uses real people to describe history or current events; in a docudrama it uses professionally trained actors to play the roles in the current event, that is "dramatized" a bit. Examples: Black Mass (2015) and Zodiac (2007). Unlike docudramas, docu-fictional films combine documentary and fiction, where actual footage or real events are intermingled with recreated scenes. Examples: Interior. Leather Bar (2013) and Your Name Here (2015). Many otherwise serious productions have humorous scenes and characters intended to provide comic relief . A comedy drama has humor as
952-416: Is thought to be mad. Vijay's brothers too are bought off by Ghosh not to recognise him and a memorial is held for the dead poet. Vijay, with the help of his friend Abdul Sattar escapes from the mental asylum and reaches the memorial service, where he denounces this corrupt and materialistic world. Seeing that Vijay is alive, his friend and brothers side with a rival publisher for more money and declare that this
1008-405: The golden-hearted prostitute Gulabo (Waheeda Rehman) and his former girlfriend Meena (Sinha), how the former helps him to get his poetry published, the success of his works, and his romantic relationship with Gulabo. The role of Vijay was initially offered to Dilip Kumar which he declined owing to the impact of doing intense films on his health. Later, in an interview, he also said that he found
1064-763: The western super-genre often take place in the American Southwest or Mexico, with a large number of scenes occurring outdoors so we can soak in scenic landscapes. Visceral expectations for the audience include fistfights, gunplay, and chase scenes. There is also the expectation of spectacular panoramic images of the countryside including sunsets, wide open landscapes, and endless deserts and sky. Examples of western dramas include: True Grit (1969) and its 2010 remake , Mad Max (1979), Unforgiven (1992), No Country for Old Men (2007), Django Unchained (2012), Hell or High Water (2016), and Logan (2017). Some film categories that use
1120-492: The 1980s, long after Guru Dutt died. The movie boasts one of the best performances of S.D. Burman , Sahir Ludhianvi , Geeta Dutt and Mohammed Rafi to produce one of the most lyrical Hindi musicals. Sahir's work in the film's music was particularly praised; As stated in The Hindu , "While for Pyaasa, a film considered the brainchild of Guru Dutt, the soul behind the film was its lyricist Sahir Ludhianvi". Pyaasa marked
1176-493: The Apes (1968), A Clockwork Orange (1971), Blade Runner (1982) and its sequel Blade Runner 2049 (2017), Children of Men (2006), Interstellar (2014), and Arrival (2016). In the sports super-genre, characters will be playing sports. Thematically, the story is often one of "Our Team" versus "Their Team"; their team will always try to win, and our team will show the world that they deserve recognition or redemption;
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#17327916115741232-507: The British film Harry Black , which was later released in India as Harry Black and The Tiger . He later recreated it so well that when the producer of Harry Black and the Tiger visited India, he heard the song and not only failed to recognise the tune, but applauded him on it. In 2004, as part of Sight & Sound's feature "celebrating the relationship between cinema and music", Pyaasa
1288-421: The archives completely melted, with parts damaged or lost. Their biggest challenge was the flickering. Every frame was at a different angle and there was no stability. After several clean-ups, they managed to retrieve the actual content from the original camera negative, but it lacked clarity and depth. 45 restoration experts worked for almost 4 months on over 2 lakh (200,000) frames. The original monaural soundtrack
1344-407: The audience jump through a series of mental "hoops"; it is not uncommon for the crime drama to use verbal gymnastics to keep the audience and the protagonist on their toes. Examples of crime dramas include: The Godfather (1972), Chinatown (1974), Goodfellas (1990), The Usual Suspects (1995), The Big Short (2015), and Udta Punjab (2016). According to Eric R. Williams ,
1400-534: The beautiful photography of the Christ-like tormented poet, the beauty of the streetgirl (Waheeda Rehman) and the wonderful music with some of the great Sahir Ludhianvi's best lyrics." In 2019, the British Film Institute named it the 'Greatest Musical of 1957', stating, "Until his tragic overdose in 1964, its director-producer-star Guru Dutt was one of Indian cinema's boldest talents and Pyaasa
1456-412: The broader sense if their storytelling is achieved by means of actors who represent ( mimesis ) characters . In this broader sense, drama is a mode distinct from novels, short stories , and narrative poetry or songs . In the modern era, before the birth of cinema or television, "drama" within theatre was a type of play that was neither a comedy nor a tragedy . It is this narrower sense that
1512-419: The centenary year of Indian cinema by selecting one essential Indian film from each decade, The Guardian named Pyaasa as the 'Quintessential Indian Classic of 1950s' decade citing, "The 1950s is the hardest decade from which to pick a film. Guru Dutt's melodramatic Pyaasa or 'The desirous one' is 'extraordinary', a film that draws on all the features of a mainstream movie to achieve a high aesthetic, from
1568-521: The character of Vijay in Pyaasa similar to that of Devdas and admitted Pyaasa was one of three movies he regretted turning down. Guru Dutt, later accepted the role himself and the film went on to become one of the most commercially successful movies of the year. Pyaasa is a classic and is considered one of the best films of Indian cinema . It was remade into the Telugu film Mallepoovu (1978). Vijay
1624-533: The characters' inner life and psychological problems. Examples: Requiem for a Dream (2000), Oldboy (2003), Babel (2006), Whiplash (2014), and Anomalisa (2015) Satire can involve humor, but the result is typically sharp social commentary that is anything but funny. Satire often uses irony or exaggeration to expose faults in society or individuals that influence social ideology. Examples: Thank You for Smoking (2005) and Idiocracy (2006). Straight drama applies to those that do not attempt
1680-473: The course of the film. Thematically, horror films often serve as morality tales, with the killer serving up violent penance for the victims' past sins. Metaphorically, these become battles of Good vs. Evil or Purity vs. Sin. Psycho (1960), Halloween (1978), The Shining (1980), The Conjuring (2013), It (2017), mother! (2017), and Hereditary (2018) are examples of horror drama films. Day-in-the-life films takes small events in
1736-461: The crew was attacked by a group of pimps. Guru Dutt however, recreated sets in Bombay on the basis of photos taken at Kolkata. After a slow opening, Pyaasa went on to be a major commercial success of the year. This gave Guru Dutt the confidence to make a repeat on a grand scale. However, Kaagaz Ke Phool went on to be a commercial disaster. The movie picked up a cult following the world over in
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1792-413: The distributors' insistence the ending was changed. There was a debate between writer Abrar Alvi and Dutt on film's ending. Abrar wanted the protagonist to accept and compromise with the prevailing material social reality; Guru Dutt insisted otherwise. The film was originally titled Pyaas (thirst), but Dutt later changed it to Pyaasa to better describe the film. Waheeda Rehman's character in Pyaasa
1848-481: The family as a whole reacts to a central challenge. There are four micro-genres for the family drama: Family Bond , Family Feud , Family Loss , and Family Rift . A sub-type of drama films that uses plots that appeal to the heightened emotions of the audience. Melodramatic plots often deal with "crises of human emotion, failed romance or friendship, strained familial situations, tragedy, illness, neuroses, or emotional and physical hardship". Film critics sometimes use
1904-409: The film and television industries, along with film studies , adopted. " Radio drama " has been used in both senses—originally transmitted in a live performance, it has also been used to describe the more high-brow and serious end of the dramatic output of radio . The Screenwriters Taxonomy contends that film genres are fundamentally based upon a film's atmosphere, character and story, and therefore
1960-416: The future of humanity; this unknown may be represented by a villain with incomprehensible powers, a creature we do not understand, or a scientific scenario that threatens to change the world; the science fiction story forces the audience to consider the nature of human beings, the confines of time or space or the concepts of human existence in general. Examples include: Metropolis (1927), Planet of
2016-416: The hallmark of fantasy drama films is "a sense of wonderment, typically played out in a visually intense world inhabited by mythic creatures, magic or superhuman characters. Props and costumes within these films often belie a sense of mythology and folklore – whether ancient, futuristic, or other-worldly. The costumes, as well as the exotic world, reflect the personal, inner struggles that the hero faces in
2072-408: The labels "drama" and "comedy" are too broad to be considered a genre. Instead, the taxonomy contends that film dramas are a "Type" of film; listing at least ten different sub-types of film and television drama. Docudramas are dramatized adaptations of real-life events. While not always completely accurate, the general facts are more-or-less true. The difference between a docudrama and a documentary
2128-403: The last collaboration of the long-lasting team of composer Burman and lyricist Ludhianvi. The popular song "Hum Aapki Aankhon Mein" was added to the movie on behest of distributors to bring some relief in rather pessimistic film. It was never planned in the original cut. The song "Sar Jo Tera Chakraye", actually composed by R.D. Burman , S. D. Burman's son was originally inspired from a tune from
2184-403: The leading role in the movie, which the 'tragedy king' declined. One major reason that is cited for the decline is the impact of doing intense films on Dilip Kumar's health. Reportedly, the doctors had advised him to take up lighter roles for sometime. Another possible reason that is cited is the alleged disagreement between him and Dutt over the film's distribution rights. Thus, Dutt himself played
2240-488: The legal system. Films that focus on dramatic events in history. Focuses on doctors, nurses, hospital staff, and ambulance saving victims and the interactions of their daily lives. Focuses on teenage characters, especially where a secondary school setting plays a role. Abrar Alvi Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include
2296-606: The occasion of Valentine's Day 2011, Time declared it as one of the "Top 10 Romantic Movies". It was listed in Taste of Cinema 's "Top 30 Best Romantic Movies of All Time" list in 2016. It is frequently voted in Time Reader's Choice Top 10 movies. Indiatimes ranks it among "25 Must See Bollywood Movies". On the centenary of Indian cinema in 2013, CNN- IBN listed it among "100 Greatest Indian films of all time", calling it "The most soulful romantic Hindi film ever made". It
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2352-409: The path of a running train is mistaken for Vijay. Gulabo goes to Ghosh and gets his poems published. Ghosh does so feeling he can exploit the poems and make a killing. The poems are very successful. However, Vijay is alive and in the hospital after the train mishap. Ghosh and Shyam, Vijay's close friend, refuse to recognise him and he is committed to a mental asylum since he insists that he is Vijay and
2408-411: The poems his brother has sold. Around this time, Vijay encounters a prostitute named Gulabo, who buys and is enamoured with his works and, consequently, falls for him. His former girlfriend Meena has married the publisher Ghosh for financial security. Ghosh hires him as a servant to find out more about him and Meena. A dead beggar to whom Vijay gave his coat and whom he tries to save unsuccessfully from
2464-632: The role and movie went on to become one of the most commercially successful movies of the year. The role of Shyam was originally to be played by Dutt's real life friend, Johnny Walker , but was then also assigned to one of Dutt's assistant directors. Pyaasa was to be made with actresses Nargis Dutt and Madhubala in the roles Mala Sinha and Waheeda Rehman played eventually. But the two actresses couldn't decide which role they wanted to play and Dutt eventually opted for two, then new actresses, Mala and Waheeda. Guru Dutt wanted to film red light area scenes on locations in Calcutta (now Kolkata), but
2520-534: The story does not always have to involve a team. The story could also be about an individual athlete or the story could focus on an individual playing on a team. Examples of this genre/type include: The Hustler (1961), Hoosiers (1986), Remember the Titans (2000), and Moneyball (2011). War films typically tells the story of a small group of isolated individuals who – one by one – get killed (literally or metaphorically) by an outside force until there
2576-525: The story." Examples of fantasy dramas include The Lord of the Rings (2001–2003), Pan's Labyrinth (2006), Where the Wild Things Are (2009), and Life of Pi (2012). Horror dramas often involve the central characters isolated from the rest of society. These characters are often teenagers or people in their early twenties (the genre's central audience) and are eventually killed off during
2632-578: The term "pejoratively to connote an unrealistic, pathos-filled, camp tale of romance or domestic situations with stereotypical characters (often including a central female character) that would directly appeal to feminine audiences". Also called "women's movies", "weepies", tearjerkers, or "chick flicks". If they are targeted to a male audience, then they are called "guy cry" films. Often considered "soap-opera" drama. Focuses on religious characters, mystery play, beliefs, and respect. Character development based on themes involving criminals, law enforcement and
2688-498: The word "comedy" or "drama" are not recognized by the Screenwriters Taxonomy as either a film genre or a film type. For instance, "Melodrama" and "Screwball Comedy" are considered Pathways, while "romantic comedy" and "family drama" are macro-genres. A macro-genre in the Screenwriters Taxonomy. These films tell a story in which many of the central characters are related. The story revolves around how
2744-580: The world over, like the recent screening at 72nd Venice International Film Festival held in Italy , in September 2015. With the commercial success of noirs: Baazi (Navketan Films) , Jaal (Navketan Films), Aar Paar ; thriller: CID (produced by Dutt), as well as comedy: Mr. & Mrs. '55 , Guru Dutt and his studio were financially secure and established. From 1957, he could now make movies he really wanted to make, including Pyaasa. Pyaasa
2800-674: Was also included among NDTV 's "20 Greatest Indian Films" citing, "the cinematic mastery on display in Pyaasa has rarely been replicated in mainstream Indian cinema"; British Film Institute 's "Top 5 of India's Greatest Films" poll in 2002; Time 's "Top 3 of Bollywood's Best Classics"; Esquire 's '10 Best Bollywood Movies' calling it, "the ultimate posthumous dream"; Outlook 's 'Top 5 of Hindi Cinema's Greatest Films' poll of 25 leading Indian Directors in 2003; Time-Out 's 'Top 5 of Bollywood's Best Movies' poll in 2015 and numerous other polls of greatest films. In 2013, to celebrate
2856-474: Was doubted. It didn't receive any award at the post year's Filmfare ceremony. Even though the film had an unconventional theme and no major actor or actress at the time it was made, Pyaasa managed to be the third highest grosser of the year. The film received international acclaim in the 1980s when it was first released in Europe, subsequently becoming a big commercial success there, long after Guru Dutt died and
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#17327916115742912-443: Was inspired from a real life character. Abrar Alvi and his friends were visiting Bombay and they decided to visit the red light area. Alvi got talking to a girl who called herself Gulabo. According to Alvi "As I left, she thanked me in a broken voice, saying that it was the first time that she had been treated with respect, in a place where she heard only abuses. I used her exact words in the film." Dutt wanted Dilip Kumar to play
2968-486: Was listed as one of The Best Music in Film and was named by Olivier Assayas as one of his favourites, who called its music as "possibly one of the most remarkable transpositions of poetry on screen." This film has been digitised and restored by Mumbai-based Ultra Media & Entertainment , thus becoming the first Indian film to be restored to its original. As per the report, the original camera negative had come to them from
3024-443: Was one of the earliest films to have achieved a healthy blend of artistic as well as commercial mainstream traits. Filmmakers in India, to this day cite Pyaasa as their inspiration. It is one of the most revered and respected films in India and remains a popular favourite among cinephiles and filmmakers of Hindi Cinema. It is, in particular, praised for its technical bravura, storytelling, theme and romantic idealism. Its soundtrack
3080-513: Was remastered at 24-bit from the 35 mm optical soundtrack. The company sent it to the 72nd Venice International Film Festival held in 2015, where it competed with 20 other restored classics and was selected to be screened as part of the Venice Classics section along with 11 other films from all over the world. Pyaasa is regarded as one of the greatest films ever made. It frequently features on world cinema's greatest films lists. It
3136-464: Was the first major of its type in carrying the narrative forward– utilising songs which are a major part of Hindi Cinema's mainstream films and transposing poetry on screen. In 2004, its soundtrack was listed by Sight and Sound magazine as one of The Best Music in Film. The film is considered to be ahead of its time. At the time of its release, the theme of the film was unconventional and hence wasn't widely admired by critics and its acceptance by audience
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