This or That

Aar Paar has all the style that Guru Dutt brought to every film he made. He plays with light and shadows like only he has done in Hindi cinema. But a weak storyline pulls the film down.

The plot just lingers over the characters most of the time and the story does not move forward. There is a hint of a bank robbery coming but all it does is to set the background for the climax. At the end, it is difficult to understand what the story was about.

Inspite of all this, Aar Paar is considered an important film in Guru Dutt's career. Not only because it is technically right most of the time, like any of his films, but more because in Kaalu he creates one of the most realistic tramp-with-a-golden-heart characters seen in Hindi films. That character is seen in hundreds of Hindi films but hardly any is as real as Kaalu.

The film has some great songs ever. 'Kabhi Aar Kabhi Paar', 'Ye Lo Main Haari Piya' and 'Baabuji Dheere Chalna' are timeless. Easily a Hindi film classic.