Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Pyaasa

This is a fan post. I have turned into a Guru Dutt's fan of Pyaasa! When I mentioned this to my friend who is a fan of Guru Dutt's another cult work, Kagaz ke phool, he said 'kya gham hai tumhari life mein'.

Technically, there is no gham(sadness), I told him. The world has been fair to me, life has been easy and I have always met people who loved me back more than I had expected. But when I watched Pyaasa, something inside me changed. It was the ultimate happiness of liking something that I cannot relate to.

Pyaasa is magnificent- The story of a struggling poet, Vijay, played by the actor who makes me blush at the mention of his name- Guru Dutt. I have replayed that part 12 times when a young bashful Guru Dutt tries to woo the girl in classroom with his spontaneous poetry -

Jab Hum Chale Toh Saaya Bhi Apna Na Saath De, Jab Tum Chalo Zameen Chale Aasman Chale, Jab Hum Ruke Toh Saath Ruke Sham-e-bekasi, Jab Tum Ruko Bahaar Ruke Chandni Ruke

While the entire movie revolves around this artist’s struggle, what keeps him going is his art itself and a secret admirer with a heart of gold. It couldn't have been pulled off by anyone as beautifully as done by Waheeda Rehman, the epitome of grace. When he encounters the woman he had loved and finds her married to his employer, amidst an elite party of established poets, he lets loose the most soulful song of his time. And though I had grown up listening to this melody, I had never really understood the depth of its lyrics until, Vijay the disparaged poet sings it-

Bichhad gayaa har saathi dekar pal do pal ka saath 
Kisko fursat hai jo thaame deewano ka haath
Humko toh apna saaya tak aqsar bezaar mila
Humne toh jab kaliyaan maangi kaaton ka haar mila 
Jaane woh kaise log the jinke pyaar ko pyaar mila

Nothing could beat this lethal combination – S. D. Burmans’s melody, Hemant Kumar’s voice, Sahir Ludhianvi’s words and the screen presence of Guru Dutt.

For the next four days this movie stayed with me and I couldn't help talk about anything else.

‘But Guru Dutt was a pessimist’ said my friend on the fifth day. I blushed, as I had only heard the subject and ignored the predicate of his statement. My friend got confused and added- 'That is why he died a tragic death at 39'.
‘That’s the best part’ I exclaimed, ‘His fans got to see only the young and charming Guru Dutt.’
‘That’s not true’, he said ‘Technically, we have seen the old Guru Dutt too’.
‘Kagaz ke phool’ We both said almost together.

Dekhi Zamaane Ki Yaari
Bichhade Sabhi, Bichhade Sabhi Baari Baari




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