DEVDAS : THE FRANCHISE!

We all know Devdas 2002, we all have at least once seen that movie and heard its song but what you don’t know is this was not the only Devdas that exist.

The four movies Bimal Roy’s Devdas(1955), Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Devdas(2002) and Anurag Kashyap‘s DevD(2009), henceforth referred to as the First, the Second and the Third in this article for the sake of convenience

Devdas is a Bengali romance novel written by Sarat Chandra Chatterjee. Which was later made into a movie Devdas in 1995 Indian Hindi-language period drama film directed by Bimal Roy, based on the Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay novel Devdas. Bimal Roy’s Devdas had a stellar cast to begin with, with the then rising Dilip Kumar, Vaijayanti Mala and Suchitra Sen as the trio of Devdas, Chandramukhi and Parvati. While Motilal plays Chunnilal as a good hearted but with bad habits loyal friend of Devdas. The movie focuses evenly on the trio, with Dilip Kumar doling out exceptionally good acting in the later half, and equally awesome performances by Vaijayanti Mala and Suchitra Sen. The characters are drawn as being tied to the circumstances as the then contemporary society was strict towards love relations. Screenplay is nice, better than many movies of that era and so is acting. Cinematography is decent, but the clear winner is the direction of Bimal Roy, with subtlety and loudness in perfect amounts.

In 2002 a new Devdas came out starring Shah Rukh Khan with Aishwarya Rai, and Madhuri Dixit. An Indian Hindi-language epic romantic drama film directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and produced by Bharat Shah.

If a single word is to be used to define this movie the one that suits the best is Grand. This movie has so much opulence the effort is beyond the normal level, so that must be applauded. From costumes to sets, producers didn’t spend a penny less than required, and the movie succeeds to be an eye candy. However, art direction and cinematography is one thing and acting, direction and screenplay are another. The trio delivers over the top acting (sorry Shah Rukh fans) most of the time, though sometimes it is very good. Madhuri is the clear winner in this one though. Supporting roles vary from character to character, with Kirron Kher being the best, Tikku Talsaniya the better than average and Jackie Shroff the worst. Direction is pretty solid.

The story us not over:

In 2009 Dev D written and directed by Anurag Kashyap, it is a modern-day take on Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s classic Bengali novel Devdas.

The Anurag Kashyap‘s tale is based on the modern times and is wildly different from the other two versions. The trio consists of Abhay Deol, Mahi Gill and Kalki Koechlin, who were all basically unknowns at that time. But the performances they delivered is amazingly good and balanced from all the three, kudos to the superb direction of Kashyap. Wildly different and brazen, this movie was a total gamechanger, not only full of swear words and bold implications, but also critically acclaimed. It also has characters much more realistic and raw, especially Chunnilal. The characters are grey, with faults in their decisions rather than blaming the situations.

Treatment of main characters

First Devdas is a confused and saddened soul, often lamenting his helplessness and later Drowning completely in alcohol. His slow acceptance of Chandramukhi’s love is the crux of the movie. Second Devdas is anguished and brattish, loud and honestly overdramatic. Third Devdas is a balance between the two, and the one most affected by alcohol.

First and Second Parvatis are basically the same character, with Aishwarya being a tad loud in acting, and lucky to show off her dancing skills. Third Parvati is the one with a difference, the one who boldly taunts the masculinity of Devdas and brandhishes her husband’s sexual activity in front of him. She’s much more bold.

First and Second Chandramukhi are very similar too, although Madhuri gets to show fierceness, while Vaijayanti Mala shows devotion towards lover. Both show incredible dancing skills though. On the other hand, the third Chandramukhi is completely different, a lost teenager and the only one who can truly claim to be a victim in the movie. Her blank look after being reminded of what her job is just after she made a non physical connection with a man shows how pain can be shown without a single word. The winner of the movie.

Overall, all the three movies are magnificent in their own mind, and a must watch for a cinephile.

By-

Gunjan Kriplani