Vijay writes unpopular poems about the destitute and poor. Ridiculed by his brothers and scorned by publishers, Vijay finds encouragement in a woman, Gulabo, who helps him to try and get his poems published.

Pyaasa, a 1957’s drama from the iconoclastic Guru Dutt, is a zenith of Indian cinema. Concerning a poet (played by Dutt himself!) whose radical works are neglected from a society distracted from truth, the film is a towering emotional experience in love, art, and defiance.