MartinHafer While I am VERY far from an expert on Indian films, I was lucky enough to have seen "Devdas" recently. It really helped me with "Kaagaz Ke Phool" because within "Kaagaz Ke Phool", the characters are actually making a version of "Devdas"--and, as the film progresses, the plot of "Kaagaz Ke Phool" begins to mirror that of "Devdas".So, before talking about "Kaagaz Ke Phool", let me quickly summarize the plot of this other film. Devdas returns home to his parents home. One of the most happy people to see him is his neighbor Parvati--a girl that Devdas grew up with but who suddenly catches his eye. They wish to get married but his family insists that he cannot marry her--his family wants him to marry a richer lady. Devdas is a jerk and marries this other woman and immediately regrets it. Then, for most of the rest of the film he pines for Parvati and drinks himself to death. And, with his dying breath, he returns to see Parvati one last time...then he dies. It's a VERY depressing romantic film--and as I said above, the film eventually begins to mirror "Devdas"."Kaagaz Ke Phool" begins with Suresh Singh already a very famous and successful Bollywood director. Despite his successes, though, he's sad and alone because his wife has left him and she took their daughter with her--and they now live with his snobbish parents and they often refuse to allow Surresh to see his daughter. He is sad but manages to suppress his feelings and keeps directing films.One day, Suresh is caught in a rain storm and meets a nice young lady. He gives the woman (Shanti) his coat and thinks nothing more of it. However, when she returns the coat, he gets another look at her and realizes she looks perfect to play Parvati in his upcoming production of "Devdas". She ends up being wonderful in the film and she falls head over heels for Suresh. But, since he's still married and she might get in the way of a reunion with the daughter, Shanti drops out of films and disappears. However, at this point, Suresh is smitten with Shanti--and has tried (in vain) to get his daughter. So, he resorts to drink and soon becomes a has-been and severe alcoholic (sounds familiar?). And, by the end of the film, he manages to gather up the strength to come to see Shanti one last time...before the end (again, a total parallel to "Devdas").All in all, this film is one of the better older Indian films I have seen. It's deeper and more introspective than most and gives an interesting behind the scenes look at their movie industry. It is also the nicest film I've seen from 1950s India when it comes to the film work--some of the scenes are really artistic and well composed. It also is sweet and exciting to watch--but makes much less sense if you haven't seen "Devdas". It's easy to find a copy of this other film, however, as they seem to have made a bazillion remakes of the movie! Well worth your time. Unfortunately, however, the print has LOUSY sound--so bear with it as you watch.

ravikumar-mandadi saw pyaasa first which sorta disappointed me but then i watched this one just for the song 'waqt ne kiya'. for a modern day movie goer there is no sanctity attached to this stalwart of yester years, it follows that no offense whatsoever is intended in my casual language. about the movie, it is difficult to realise that so many scenes seem 'old' because these have been excessively used/copied/parodied/improvised/destroyed in the past 50 years in various languages. but there are so many scenes where the intensity of the passion of Guru Dutt as a film maker is unmatched. Waheeda Rehman was blissful in pyaasa and is even more so in this one..one word 'love her' !! if you were to watch this movie as a critic, you will appreciate it well but if you were to watch it as a casual man, it is heart wrenching. yet, i prefer the latter.

kunalsen_7684 Why is Guru Dutt hailed as one of the all time best directors in the world? See this film and you'll get an answer. Guru Dutt never got his due from the audience or the critics when he was alive. After he died, he was suddenly hailed as this best thing to have happened to Hindi film industry. And today, he is universally regarded as one of the best Hindi film directors. This film too is resplendent with that same irony, hypocrisy and tragedy. There are films and then there is this. 'Kaagaz Ke Phool' is Guru Dutt's extremely personal and almost poetic take on the trials and tribulations of a life of fame and glamor; and especially the aftermath of it. Guru Dutt plays a successful director Ajay Sinha who is looking for a new face to cast as the leading lady in his next film. In the midst of all this, he has a strained marriage wherein his wife leaves him to live with her parents along with their daughter. On a certain rainy day, he meets a girl (Waheeda Rehman). They meet again in the studio. Immediately,Guru Dutt realizes that Waheeda's is THE face he had been looking for and promptly casts her in his next film. Eventually he falls in love ith her but she doesn't reciprocate. Meanwhile, he isn't allowed to eet his beloved daughter too through a court order. As a last straw, his next film is a colossal failure and he suddenly finds that the ones who pretended to be his well-wishers and friends now seem to hate and ignore him. Thus Waheeda, his discovery, goes on to become a successful star while he begins his downward spiral into the deep darkness of ignominy. Subsequently and ironically, after many years, he dies on the same director's chair It is not a perfect film by any means. The screenplay is sometimes indulgent and probably isn't as good as say Guru Dutt's 'Pyaasa' (his other classic). Plus, the whole track involving Johnny Walker is somewhat irrelevant to the film and hence could have been shortened. However, it was incidentally, India's first film to be shot in Cinemascope and hence makes good use of technique but essentially KPK remains a very humane film which moves us without being preachy or overtly sentimental. SD Burman's haunting music and Kaifi Azmi's poignant lyrics add to the mood of this filmIronically, the film was a commercial disaster upon its release (eerily similar to the protagonist Sinha's last film). So, the claims of it being an Autobiographical film also started being made. But, I think it is a case of life imitating art than vice- versa. Having said that it is a fact that Guru Dutt died shortly after making this film and thus KKP remains his last masterpiece and I think its commercial failure can be attributed to one of those rare occasions when the AUDIENCE got it wrong as the film may have been ahead of its time and has since been widely considered to be one of the best and most important films made in India The obvious comparisons with Fellini's 8 ½ are to be expected but to my mind they are unwarranted. Both were different films made for very different audiences. This is a great film in its own right- one of the best Hindi films ever- a bona-fide masterpiece by the prodigiously talented albeit flawed genius called Guru Dutt

nirav-3 "Kaagaz ke Phool" (Paper Flowers) is an agonizing, self-reflexive look at a filmmaker who, because of martial, societal and economic pressures dissolves into alchoholism. It's a common theme among Indian movies, but in this film, there's autobiography to back it up. From what I understand, the course of this film paralells Guru Dutt's life who died by his own hand.Geeta Gutt and Mohammad Rafi sing on the soundtrack penned by S.D. Burman, which is wonderful as can be expected considering the people involved (and, if anyone has a lead on where I can find it on lp or cd, be in touch!) The movie is beautifully shot, and the play of light on Guru Dutt's face (he acts in the lead role, as well as directing) as he enters an alchoholic stupor will bring a grown man to tears (I've seen it happen.)There's more misery and abjection here this side of Fassbinder or Jerry Lewis, so this is perfect for a cold, rainy, lonely evening.