Pyaasa
Directed by Guru Dutt
Written by Abrar Alvi
1957/India
Guru Dutt Films Pvt. Ltd.
First viewing/Netflix rental
[box] Vijay: Apne shauk ke liye pyaar karti hai aur apne aaram ke liye pyar bechti hai. [Love, for her, is a hobby that she can barter for material pleasures][/box]
IMDb users rate this Bollywood extravaganza very highly (8.5/10), so I was hopeful. Alas, it was not for me.
Vijay is a poor, struggling poet. He has written a book dedicated to his college love Meena. When he tries to sell his manuscript, the publisher sells it as waste paper. A rich girl buys the book from the waste paper seller and falls in love with Vijay from afar but his heart still belongs to the venal Meena, who has married an evil rich guy. Vijay has some evil brothers. There is also a comic character who peddles scalp massages in the street. A lot of singing and two hours of plot precedes the happy ending.
I don’t have a lot to say about this one. Nothing about it grabbed me. On the other hand, if you are looking for a Bollywood musical you could definitely do worse.
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