It was with Aar Paar that Guru Dutt really arrived as a filmmaker to be reckoned with. The film was a crime thriller in the genre of Baazi (1951) but by now with Jaal (1952) and Baaz (1953) behind him, Guru Dutt had polished his skills and Aar Paar stands out as among the best of the genre of the crime films of the 1950s.

In certain ways, the plot of the film may now seem formulaic but where the film scores and scores heavily is in its treatment. Its great strength lies in the way the plot unravels and especially in the manner even the most minor of characters are fleshed out - be it the barman, the street urchin or the newspaper vendor. (This was one of the strong points of Guru Dutt's films. And since he repeated artistes he worked with, the minor roles done in his films standout for their individual wit and integrity) Thanks to the absolutely wonderful dialogue by Abrar Alvi, for once characters spoke with a language that reflected their background. The hero is from Madhya Pradesh in central India so he speaks in a particular style (Yaaron ka Yaar). The garage owner, a Punjabi, spoke with a Punjabi slang. (Actually a glimpse of this was seen in Baazi itself when the hero is asked for his last wish before hanging and in true and typical Bambaiya street language says " Ek special chai." i.e. one special tea!). In that sense Abrar Alvi was really the first modern writer Hindi cinema has had and his dialogues in Aar Paar set a trend. That it was his first film makes his effort all the more noteworthy.

Taking a further cue out of film noir, the city is very much a character in Aar Paar. Much shooting was done on actual outdoor locations of Bombay rather than confining oneself to the studios though the interiors were done at Shrikant Studios, Chembur. In fact even the garage where the hero worked was shot on location at the South Indian Garage in Parel, a locality of Bombay rather than create it as a set.

The film has fine central performances from Guru Dutt, Shyama, Shakila and Johnny Walker. Special mention, in fact must be made of Guru Dutt's performance. It is a fine and confident act comsidering he was so awkward in his previous film, Baaz. Shyama too responds with one of the best performance sof her career. Incidentally Shyama's character, Nikki, was based on a  girl Guru Dutt loved and lost in his teen years in Calcutta, Amarjeet Singh, who also was the daughter of a Punjabi garage owner who did not like her association with Guru Dutt!

In Aar Paar Guru Dutt took his talent for song picturisations to several notches above the commonplace. Many directors choose to enhance the fantasy elements by setting it in unreal and glamorous locations but in Guru Dutt's films, the songs are rarely separate from the personalities who enacted them. Songs in his films often take place in locations inhabited by the characters in his films. A fine example here is the romantic duet Sun Sun Sun Sun Zaalima. The song is set in the stark and unromantic atmosphere of a garage with a car providing the centre-piece but the way the two lovers circle around each other within this restricted space is a brilliant piece of choreography. Further, Guru Dutt was very particular in sticking to the vocabulary of his characters even in the songs. And often started songs without any introductory music using it as an extension of the dialogue. Thus beyond considerations of language and space, the songs in his films appear better integrated than in most Indian films. Another song which deserves special mention is Kabhi Aar Kabhi Paar picturised on Kum Kum as a construction worker. This song was a last minute addition to the film. The initial picturization on Jagdeep was censored and so Guru Dutt re-picturized it with Kum Kum.

Aar Paar was a major turning point in the life of composer OP Nayyar who went on to become an extremely successful music director. The Songs lin Aar Paar ike Babuji Dheere Chalna, Yeh Lo Main Hari Piya, Ja Ja Ja Ja Bewafaa - all brilliant Geeta Dutt solos as well as the Shamshad Begum all time hit Kabhi Aar Kabhi Paar are remembered and hummed to this day.

Last but not least, mention must be made of a wonderfully staged sequence in the film wherein it looks like a major gang operation is on only to be revealed at the end of it that it was just a test run! Truly zany and highly original!