Producer: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Starring: Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai, Madhuri Dixit, Jackie Shroff, Kiron Kher, Smita Jaykar
Music: Ismail Darbar, Pandit Birju Maharaj, Monty
Lyrics: Nusrat Badr, Sameer, Prakash Kapadia, Pandit Birju Maharaj
Reviewed by: Rakesh

You’ve read the in depth features. You’ve heard the exquisite music. You’ve seen the exclusive pictures. Now it’s time to hear the story.

From the director of the almost perfect Khamoshi- The Musical and the film, which brought brilliance to an age-old storyline Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, now ready for release is Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Devdas. A personal interpretation of the original [novel], Devdas, written by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhye in 1917. The tale of a young man who misinterpreted love, who misinterpreted the meaning of life and two women who knew the true meaning like no other women did.

Made into a film in 1928, and then again in 1955, Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Devdas will be the first version of the film on screen with color.

Devdas is touted as the most expensive film, with the most expensive soundtrack and the most expensive star cast, Madhuri Dixit, Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai and Jackie Shroff. The film is also one of the most troubled plagued projects to actually hit the big screen in recent times. Death, fires, re-shooting, re-recording, re-writing, the film has hade it share of problems. The film is also feautring in the Cannes Film Festival in Paris the week of May 15-26th. An accomplishment it acquired before its release.

When Love Means…

“The film is a tribute to a great story that transcends sexual love and makes emotion its hero. It is an interpretation of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhye´s brilliant novel. But it is definitely my interpretation.” –Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Bhansali’s Devdas is not a remake of the 1955 version, or the 1928 version. Rather, it is Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s interpretation of the novel, which depicts the sage of timeless love, of a man, Devdas, whose characteristics are inhibited in every man. Bhansali hopes that there would be no comparisons to the previous versions keeping that in mind. Devdas has said to be completed on a 40 crore budget. The film has already recovered 12 of those on the selling of the soundtrack under the Universal label.

Life

Sanjay Leela Bhansali says if he would re-make Devdas again, Shah Rukh Khan would be the only person he picks. He said that, he didn’t pick Aishwarya Rai to play Paro not because he saw Paro in her, but because he saw her in Paro. He said that he picked Madhuri Dixit for Chandramukhi because no other person could play the character who depicted care for no other and could long for someone so much without uttering a word of hate like Madhuri Dixit.

Living

Silsila Hai Chahat Ka” features Paro exhibiting her faith in her diya, the one light that would never leave her, not even in the eye of a storm. “Jhoom Ke Toofan Aiya Hai…” But her diya never left her in darkness- only Devdas did.

Mardalla" features Chandramukhi in her first realization that no man is like Devdas, no man would offer her money for nothing in return. “Har Gham Ko Humne Chupaya …” So says the now sad and longing Chandramukhi.

Who Chand Jaise” features an inebriated Devdas longing for his Paro. But alas, it is not until he realizes that Chandramukhi is willing to give him her all that he understands the love that Paro has for him and he- for her.

Dhola Re Dhola” features Paro and Chandramukhi in an ironic understanding of each other, dancing to their beauty, to their life, to their love- Devdas. Unlike Bimal Roy’s version, where Parvati and Chandramukhi encounter each other briefly, unknown of their identities, Sanjay Leela Bhansali has the two women not only meeting but dancing as well. The lyrics for this song had to be re-written for on screen perfection, which itself took almost a week.

Giving

Devdas has music by Ismail Darbar, Pandit Birju Maharaj and a musical piece by Monty. The lyrics are predominantly composed by Nusrat Badr, with Sameer penning classical lyrics for More Piya, and Prakash Kapadia assisting for the now popular, “Mardalla”.

Ismail Darbar was part of the orchestra for Bhansali’s Khamoshi, which had music by Jatin-Lalit. Bhansali was the first to give Darbar the opportunity to compose before he shot into stardom. It is believed that the situation has now repeated itself with Monty, who composed “Devdas- The Theme”. It is rumored that Bhansali will have him compose for his next release.

The song “Kahe Chedd Mohe” features Madhuri setting feet to classical tunes. Madhuri went to a school to perfect her steps for this specific song. No previous version featured a song like this, and Bhansali has interspersed with his comparison to the life and romance of mythology.

Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle and Alka Yagnik do not sing for the soundtrack. When asked why Shreya Ghosal has taken the task for singing for Paro, Bhansali says, if you know Paro, her naivety, her innocence, purity and peaceful ness, you will know why Shreya Ghosal and not Alka Yagnik has sung for Paro.

A Grand Saga of Timeless Love -- The Story of Devdas

Devdas is a misguided child whose mis-understanding of life, love, and responsibilities has led the world to mis-understand him. The only one who would stand by him in his days of school beatings is Parvati also known as Paro. They sung to the birds, they laugh and played and as young as they were, they knew not what made them what they were together. However, after the mis behavioral attitude of Devdas continues, his rich father, Zamindar Narayan Mukherjee, becomes once enough upset at his repeatedly mis-behavioral activities and decides to send him away in hopes that he would better himself into a proper young man. Devdas now goes to London, leaving Paro in darkness with her diya the only light in her life.

She searches and searches, her diya lit, for Devdas to return. She sings, travels, until finally one day a friend tells her Devdas has returned.

Paro pretties herself in hopes that this now educated Devdas will see her in a new light, the light of his one and true love. But Devdas has not changed, but has just matured into a man who still mis-understands life. Yet Paro still loves him, and Devdas slowly begins to understand this love. Approaching a time for marriage, Paro learns that her family wants her to marry, and her mother knows whom she desires to be wed to.

But that is not meant to be. Devdas’ family rejects the wedding to Paro leaving Devdas in more confusion than he was in the beginning. Unaware of the hurt that lies ahead, he leaves a sullen Paro for Calcutta. Leaving her in the dark once again.

Paro, alone, is wedded off to someone else but her heart still yearns for Devdas. Accepting wholeheartedly the marriage to Zamindar Bhuvan, Paro reverts back to her life of darkness.

Now in Calcutta, Devdas becomes more understanding of the meaning of love. Yearning, unhappy, and confused, Devdas comes to realize that he too can love someone thanks to the unending raised emotive he now feels for Paro. Restless, Devdas pens a letter to Paro and sends it out. Immediately after Devdas tries to acquire the letter again, regretting the fact that he wrote it, but fails to do so. The letter is sent to Paro.

Even more restless, Devdas awaits a response, which takes even longer. After a while of no response and still confusion, Devdas confides in his friend Chunilal (Jackie Shroff) in hopes to acquire some peace, or some sort of happiness. Chunilal then takes him to Chandramukhi- a courtesan who is the dream of every man but can be acquired by none. She indulged in wealth, talent, but wanted one thing. A dancer, Chunilal would visit her amongst the many other men for appeasement, for happiness. But Devdas still did not understand his happiness. Initially reluctant at developing a routine of visiting Chandramukhi’s Kotha, Devdas soon develops a drinking habit to help him with his pain. Slowly developing into an alcoholic Devdas, alone and drunk, visits Chandramukhi but for nothing else than talks, conversations which allow them to understand each other. Nothing more. Slowly Devdas starts realizing that he has developed a relationship with Chandramukhi, and that he still has hidden in his heart a relationship with Paro. But he knows not what to do with these relationships.

As the relationships develop, Chandramukhi soon learns about Paro and Paro soon learns about Chandramukhi. But it is the development of Devdas into a man who is aware of himself, his desires, and his needs that forms the rest of this romantic tragedy. How they come to understand the role each other plays in each other´s lives finishes the saga.

Some food for thought:

Devdas once hits Paro, telling her that, the scar remaining will enable him to be with her forever. A light scar, the action shows Devdas’ mis-understanding of the woman’s love for him.

Chandramukhi never blames Devdas for his actions, but blames Paro, for his drunken ways.

Paro understands that Devdas has met another woman and adorned her in jewels, but that is not the case. Instead, Paro’s naivety turns out to be the one reason why Devdas never gives in to a permanent relationship with her. Her confusion was more mis found jealousy where Chandramukhi expressed her longing with love.

As the film winds down, each of the characters slowly understands their fate. But Paro, Chandramukhi and Devdas will all lose the one thing they aspire for before the film is over.

The industry awaits this romantic tragedy. Not only because of the stars, the music, the hype, but more so to see how this talented film maker has interperted the novel and brought it to life on the big screen. Devdas is scheduled for a June 14th release.