Whenever I see this movie, I always have a bad taste towards the modernization of India and how we have been eroded cultural and moral front. This movie is a time stamp of how India was until the 50s and 60s.
As a producer Shailendra the great lyricist had a touch of Saint Kabir in his songs. It is obvious he was inspired by the novel. He picked a great story but not great for masses. Great only only those those who have a heart, romanticism, who have sensitive feelings. The biggest blunder in this work has been his honesty to the novel. Had he changed the ending, this movie would be a super duper hit. The proportion of its legendary stature would have been higher. Now after so many years, this movie has become like rare wine, only appreciated by those who have roots in rural India of the 50s and 60s.
Basu Bhattacharya is from the great Bimal Roy school of cinema-tics and story narration, it shows he was a great student despite this being is first film. The cinematic grammar as to how the characters are introduced, the scene transitions shows good training. However, the main genius is how the actors have absolutely lived their characters to the degree of rural ignorance required, the childish excitements, the rustic innocence and simple though process. I have seen such people when I was child and thus can relate to that mentality. Raj Kapoor was fabulous, he surpassed himself. Waheda too surpassed herself especially in expressing the feminine feelings.
To me this movie represents the fact that the ultimate charm in each of us is our innocence. Waheda Rehman, the dancer, has obviously experienced the ugly and ogling side of lust, commercial thought process can only be charmed by innocence. This is a universal truth.
