Guru Dutt's Pyaasa is a searing look into the societal indifference and materialism in post-independence India through the eyes of Vijay, a struggling poet, whose idealism is crushed by a world driven by greed, exploitation and superficiality. The film offers a critique of Indian society through its popular lyrics penned by Sahir Ludhianvi, who elevates the soundtrack into a celebrated masterpiece of Indian film music. “Jinhe Naaz Hai Hind Pe”, a song that is performed in the red light area of Calcutta in the film, confronts the duality of the mind-set that glorifies the independence and progress of the nation while keeping the underclass at the margins of the society. Similarly, “Ye Duniya Agar Mil Bhi Jaye” transcends the personal sorrow of the ill-fated protagonist played by Guru Dutt himself and becomes an existential cry against the hollowness of material success. It is a radical rejection of a capitalist worldview that values wealth over humanity.