with each film I watch from the indian cinema of the 1950s, I am pushed further towards a solidified notion— there is a sheer irrationality in thinking any other era could ever come close to what the 50s managed to achieve.

Of course, the display of his inner turmoil through expressionist camerawork (seen at its purest in the surreal dream sequence) and the extraordinary mise-en-scène unquestionably stand out but Kapoor’s clever amalgamation of noir with the romantic musical pieces, comedy and the extravagant dream sequence that takes a brilliant shape on GG Mayekar’s edit table and results into this seminal film, checking the waters for the giant products of cinema to eventuate in the decade, is what makes Awara eternal.