Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s magnum opus “Devdas” has caught the imagination of Indian film enthusiasts and has certainly set a trend of a sort. The film could easily be billed as the hit of the year but at the same time it has raked controversy over Bhansali’s deviation from the real story of Devdas written in 1930 by a Bengali author Sharat Chandra Chatterjee. Indian film critic and prominent writer Shobha De launched a vitriolic attack on Bhansali for this deviation.
While the debate is continuing on the morals and ethics of filmmakers in distorting classical stories, the $13 million blockbuster, said to be the most expensive Indian movie ever made, is still doing a roaring business. Bhansali may be guilty of distorting the original story but then “Devdas” of P.C. Barua, K.L. Saigal and Bimal Roy could also not capture the spirit of the original “Devdas.”
Sharat Chandra’s immortal classic portrayed life in rural and feudal Bengal in the early 1930s. Even a director such as Bimal Roy realized that the 1960s audience would feel alien to the 1930s setting and so he made changes.
Bhansali’s dilemma is as big as that of previous producers of “Devdas.” He was bringing the life culture and values of 1930s to a 21st century audience. He had a Herculean task to fill those 70-odd years. There is no denying that he did succeed in making the audience alive to the realities of the 1930s. No doubt the film viewer will find himself somewhere in some form in Bhansali’s “Devdas.” And that is a great achievement.
Bhansali has followed the track of Amir Khan and Ashutosh Gowarikar in “Lagaan.” They proved in “Lagaan” that the storyline is of no importance if the film is made with technical finesse. “Lagaan” had very little story; its success sprang from every viewer finding himself engrossed in the film’s cricket match. Bhansali had a tougher job. His audience had to identify themselves with a love story set in the 1930s.
Bhansali succeeded because of scenery, costumes, music, choreography, camera work and the acting talents of Shah Rukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit and Aishwarya Rai. From the first scene to the last, “Devdas” is a visual treat. Beautiful sets by Nitin Desai create an ambiance which has a lasting effect on the audience. Costumes designed by Nita Lulla and Abujani-Sanjeev Khosla not only enhance the beauty of the actors but also personify their characters. Since Bhansali’s Devdas was returning from London, and not from Calcutta as in the original story, Abujani-Sanjeev Khosla designed a costume which depicted a “Gora Sahab” of the early 20th century. Vinod Pradhan showed his mastery with the camera. Noted dancer Pandit Birju Maharaj’s choreography leaves the audience spellbound. But the clincher to Bhansali’s “Devdas” is Ismail Darbar’s music. “Dola Re Dola” is currently at the top of every music chart.
Shockingly Bhansali’s “Devdas” is too loud and melodramatic. At times it is also exaggerated. The first sequence itself has an overjoyed Kaushalya (Smita Jayakar) prancing with excitement at the return of her only son Devdas (Shah Rukh Khan) after a stay of 10 years in London. The scene tries to capture the emotions to show how much Devdas was missed by his mother but only succeeds in becoming a parody.
The first meeting of Devdas with his childhood love, Paro (Aishwarya Rai) after his return seems beyond the realm of credulity and it is here that the film is replete with overkill. But despite these excesses, the film manages to hold the interests and emotions of its viewers. The story of the budding romance between Devdas and Paro and their dreams of marital bliss is brutally shattered by Devdas’ parents who drag economic, social and political status onto the scene.
Remaking a movie forces both critics and audience to compare the latest version with the earlier one. So it is logical and natural to compare Bhansali’s “Devdas” with Bimal Roy’s “Devdas” in which Dilip Kumar played Devdas and Suchitra Sen Parvati (Paro) and Vyajantimala (Chandramukhi). No doubt Aishwarya Rai has put all of herself into Paro but still she has not come close to Suchitra Sen’s Paro. She has compensated for her lack of expression with histrionics and costumes.
Shah Rukh Khan alleges that he had not seen Dilip Kumar’s “Devdas” so that he could retain his originality. He acts well but he is not equal to the Devdas of Sharat Chandra. His death is a bland one which fails to move viewers. He is too loud and overacts in the drunken scenes.
The film is doing well in India and abroad but it will never attain the status of Saigal and Dilip Kumar’s “Devdas.” Maybe it will motivate filmmakers to remake other old films. “Taj Mahal” with Aishwarya Rai playing Mumtaz Mahal is already in the final stage. Maybe soon we will hear of the remaking of “Moghul-e-Azam,” “Bandini,” “Heer Ranjha” and “Shirin Farhad.” Don’t be surprised even if you hear of a remake of “Sholay”!
