Cinemas

Devdas

A Preview by Ajay Pamneja.

Devdas, the much awaited and much hyped film from Bollywood opens this month - June 2002. This one is made by Sanjay Leela Bansali - the creator of the magical Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam.

The film is a remake of the 50s film starring Bhaarat Bhushan. This one dons a cast to die for - Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwariya Rai an Madhuri Dixit.

The film was recently shown at the Cannes Film Festival where it has received some rave reviews, although reviews with mixed undertones by some parts of the press. The press for Devdas can be divided into three camps - Americans: full of good reviews, European: Good reviews, but caution over the length of the film (3hrs 01min) and the British Asian: say that the film is too hyped.


The film is the story of Devdas, the son of a rich Zamindar Narayan Mukherjee and his childhood friend and lovely playmate Paro. It was a special childhood in which only Devdas and Paro seemed to exist. They were not to know then, that the seeds of an all-consuming passion were already being sown. Time stood still to allow the two playmates to shimmer in the love that was being felt, before it was being understood. 

Devdas is sent to London for his further education and returns after years of studies. Devdas returns - A sytlish young man , armed with foreign sophistication. Paro still donned the garb of simplicity and adoration for her Devdas. The disparity between the two was for all to see. In appearance. In exposure. In status. But Devdas could not for long remain immune to the fact that his childhood playmate was now a beautiful woman, whose lotus eyes spoke even when she did not. 

Unifying Devdas and Paro in marriage was proposed by Paro's mother, but the Zamindar pointed out the differences in the social status of thetwo families scorning the idea. And a rift was caused. Devdas, the respectful son, hesitantly sided with his father and asked Paro to forget him. It was too late when the enormity of his decision hit Devdas. He reached out to Paro, but she had been humiliated. Paro ruthlessly scorned Devdas for not having stood by her and they parted yet again.This time the parting paved two ways...One that saw a unforgiving, heart-broken Paro entering into a chaste marriage with a wealthy, much older man, Zamindar Bhuvan . And the other that saw a shattered Devdas walking towards anguish, alcoholism & Chandramukhi. 

Chandramukhi- a stunning courtesan instantly lost her heart to Devdas. His undisguised contempt for her profession, strangely gave her the solace that she had always yearned for. Devdas was magnetised to the sympathy offered by an undemanding Chandramukhi. A unique bond was formed. He could share with her the intense pain of his unfulfilled love for Paro. Chandramukhi worshipped this man who had the capacity to love like no other. It mattered not, that he did not love her! The ornaments that adorned Chandramukhi, no longer seemed to shine. The gold pillared, mirror-floored, Kotha seemed to have lost its grandeur. Instead, the purity of the Ganga which her house overlooked, seemed to beckon her. For it reminded her of her pure relationship with Devdas...It gave her the strength to renounce the world. 

Paro, on the other hand, performed her worldly duties sincerely, winning the hearts of one and all with her generosity and compassion. Yet ,she felt lost amidst the painted walls of her majestic haveli. For she could never forget Devdas. Not for a day, a minute, a second! 

Strange was the fate of Devdas. Intensely loved by two women, who were never meant to be his. One whom he could never love and one whom he could never stop loving...Devdas stood alone, aimless, with alcohol being his only weapon to fight thecircumstances. Love meant giving without expectation. 

In one of its benovelent moments, life gave Devdas and Paro the opportunity to meet. The heart-wrenching passion was as palpable as ever. But the cloud of separation created by society menacingly existed..The Devdas of today looked defeated, dejected, drunken. Paro begged him to give up the bottle. But how could Devdas? It made him forget all. Yet, he promised to meet his beloved Paro once before his last breath. 

A love is immortalized, even as it dies...
A Union is celebrated, even as it breaks...
A hero is born, even as he is defeated... 

Devdas, a poignant saga of timeless love and emotional anguish that will tenderly touch the hearts of all those who love and believe in love. For ever and ever! 

The music of the film is very much along the classical lines. The score is by the same Ismail Darbaar who created the wonderful music for HDDCS. The first time I heard the music, I felt that it was too much in the era gone by - will not be appreciated by the people who now enjoy the likes of Kabhi Khushi... But the more I listen to it, the more appealing it gets. I hear more and more young people requesting the music from this film on the radio. Could the films like this and Lagaan succeed in changing the musical 'strings' in hearts of the people from the sub-continent. Does the penchant for the classical still remain, even two generations down the line?