Pyaasa DVD comparison on dvdbeaver.com; Eros vs YRF DVD;

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDCompare5/pyaasa.htm

Ali

Hafner,
Now that Pyaasa has influenced you can you do us (film lovers a big favor).
Can you get hold of some competant folks and get this DVD re-authored, something like the French release of Devdas ? Maybe you can call this the Swiss release of Pyaasa. Believe me, the mere mention of this project will draw huge attention to this eternal classic !

This film was dark, very dark indeed. The ending you have suggested would have completely depressed someone. Mind you, this movie was released in those days when India had just attained independence and was struggling to come out of utter poverty ! This film depicted the corruption prevelant in society and it was highly unlikely that the audience would have preferred anything, but a "happy ending".

Well, Chandni Bar was hugely depressing, but still good film!

Guru Dutt classics are a Notch above or many notches indeed above and beyond, so called YRF TRASH , so called Classics!! and need huge patronization, by good cinema loving audience.

Abrar Alvi, in the "In Search of Guru Dutt" doc, called the ending "defeatist" He disagreed with Dutt and thought that wherever they went they would find corruption anyways, so leaving that place wouldn't have done them any good.

The film needs to be restored first from the original negative or the best sources available.
That's a job for the copyright holder and a competent technical facility. It costs from some
10000$ to some 100000$ depending on the shape the material is in.
The DVD mastering comes later, after a HD 1080p transfer has been made from the
restored negative, unless the restoration is in digital where a 2K digital master would be
the best element from which a preservation negative is made, and prints.
I can't do much here as the copyright holder must first have an interest in taking action.

After looking at the screen caps for YRF and Eros I think that I am going to transfer my Channel 4 subtitled VHS of Pyaasa to DVD and stick with that. I haven't bought this movie as I gave up with buying Guru Dutt YRFs releases as they were such bad quality. As far as I can remember the Channel 4 print was better than both Eros and YRFs versions ... I only wish that DVD recorders were around when it was screened ... and I hope that it is screened again sometime in the near future.

Did anyone here record it off TCM?

Not sure, whether Abrar Alvi was the writer or only assisting Guru Dutt, but Guru Dutt was the boss. In the extras on YRF disc, Abrar Alvi comments on this scene.

BTW, I don't think Guru Dutt was trying to make a sad ending, a happy ending or a most powerful ending. He was delivering a message, how bad, greedy, selfish, money is God, cunning, deceiving, -----, the world is. It needs to be reformed. Jinhein Naaz Hai Hind Par Woh Kahan Hain (Where are those who are proud of India).

Abrar Alvi did not agree with this ending and argued that this is no ending. Guru Dutt-Waheeda going away doesn't help in them finding a better world. They will get same type of people wherever they will go. But, Guru Dutt insisted on ending the way it did.

Another Comment about Film Length:

As my VHS (Esquire) was 5-6 min longer than the YRF DVD, started checking the reason/ or if some segment is missing in DVD. After comparing segments in first 30 min, it was clear that YRF DVD was consistently running 4% faster than the VHS. Running 4% faster is normal for Film to PAL transfer. Moreover, YRF DVD is PAL to NTSC converted using Field Averaging instead of repeating every 5th field into 6th.

In short, both versions contain the same film (length).

1995. Hmmm.
She musty be talking of Esquire VHSs.
I too used to think that I have the best VHSs. But, as DVD arrived, we all know now that VHS is no where close to DVD as long as DVD is done properly.

I picked up the newly released Spark DVD of pyaasa ... another trash release. I don't know if it is better or worse than the other two releases ... looks similar to the Yash Raj version. Has anyone seen the Shemaroo version?

Slightly off topic - but if anyone sees the Shemaroo version of Tere Ghar Ke Saamne and want to buy it ... don't bother. It sucks.

Shemaroo.com does not list a DVD of Pyaasa. Is a cover available online?

Not sure about a movie cover on line ... but I have seen the songs for Pyaasa on Shemaroo songs discs. If you check some of the Shemaroo songs DVD then they are listed there.

I'll see of I can find out if Pyaasa is officially released by Shemaroo.

Not sure about a movie cover on line ... but I have seen the songs from Pyaasa listed on Shemaroo songs discs. If you check some of the Shemaroo songs DVD then they are listed there.

I'll see of I can find out if Pyaasa is officially released by Shemaroo.

Spark seems to have a quite a few old Guru Dutt DVDs that were first released by YRF then by Eros - there golden classics include;




But if Pyaasa DVD is poor print don’t hold your beath for any others to be any better.

Ali