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Pyaasa is an excellent introduction to ‘Bollywood’ films, but first-time viewers should be aware that most of them do not carry social messages like this. This is melodrama in every sense of the word—the struggling, misunderstood artist in love with the prostitute with a heart of gold; the artist rejecting love due to a woman who rejected him (and love) for a marriage based on materiality; artistic acceptance too late; comic relief; denial by friends and family; and extravert musical numbers.
But ultimately, this is a deeply pessimistic movie—it lays serious charges to Indian society and answers those charges with cynicism and despair. In fact the ending is so downbeat that director Guru Dutt’s co-writer desperately tried to get him to change the ending (which is different than the source) and was unsuccessful.
Otherwise the acting is mostly quite good, the music, though it may seem a bit strange to Westerners is both powerful and charming and the cinematography outstanding. Johnny Walker steals all his scenes as a street masseur—perhaps because he is the one optimistic character in the film.
¡Time is not my master!
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