Can someone say MELODRAMA!
“Devdas has earned its spot the
Time Magazine’s top ten movies of the millennium worldwide!”
The Rundown
Country: India, 2002
Genre: Melodrama, Romance
Distributed
by: SLB Films
Cast: Shahrukh Khan (as Devdas
Mukherjee), Aishwarya Rai Bachchan (as Parvati "Paro"
Chakraborty), Madhuri Dixit Nene
(as Chandramukhi),
Jackie Shroff
(as Chunnilal "Chunnibabu"), Smita Jaykar (as Kaushalya Mukherjee), Manoj Joshi (as Dwijdas Mukherjee), Ananya Khare (as Kumud Mukherjee), Ava
Mukherji (as Dev's Badi-ma), Kirron Kher (as Sumitra Chakraborty)
Compare to: Vivah!
Hate
it or Love it? Love it!
Synopsis in a Sentence: Childhood sweethearts are
separated for ten years when the guy leaves for the UK to study law; now
they’re grown will they really end up together forever?
This one is quite
the classic. It’s the third Hindi remake and the first time in colour! A
nine-time Filmfare Award winner (think Indian Oscars), including the best film
for 2002, Devdas
became a five-time National Award winner; and was listed the No. 1 film
worldwide in 2002, according to Time Magazine. Critics and audiences alike
adored this movie. Grossing $25 million with a budget of about $8 million, Devdas is a winner on all
fronts!
On Writing: The Plot
Oh, it’s as melodramatic as it gets! But it’s SUCH an enjoyable
plot—one full of juxtaposition too. The story’s simple but realistic, comedic
but dramatic. It’s a classic tale of Bollywood style Romeo and Juliette with
the implications of social class convoluted. It’s the type of story everyone
can sympathise with and understand. The movie’s action-oriented screenplay
plays well into the script, written by Sanjay
Leela Bhansali, who also directs
the movie. This double duty filters, it seems, as perhaps certain renditions of
characters are simply too… simple. Everything else in terms of production is
complex. The wordplay is quite intriguing though, and we get glimpses into
old-style India from this plot. Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s teenage mind (impressively, he was a only 17 years old when he
wrote the book) is brought into a theatre of sorts through this plot, and it’s
a great one too!
(4/5)
On Acting: The Cast
The cast and their acting is terrific! We are drawn to
Sharukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai’s performances
and their chemistry, and we are entertained by Khirron Kher and Madhuri Dixit’s performances of their
characters. These actors bring the movie to life!
 |
| Aishwarya Rai |
 |
| ShahRukh Khan |
 |
| Kirron Kher |
Hats off go to Kher, who plays Paro’s mother. Her performance is dignified and
ardent and we are introduced to the theatrical turn of the movie with her
character.
 |
| Madhuri Dixit |
Dixit plays ‘the other woman,’ who we end up falling in
love with. She defends and proves her title as “the original dancing diva” in
her performance with Rai, particularly in their
“Dola Re Dola” number.
 |
| Milind Gunaji |
Milind Gunaji plays the despicable villain and we totally believe
he’s a creepy pervy man in real life!
(4.5/5)
On Production: The Creativity
Alright.
Production is the star of this film! Clearly, Director Bhansali takes advantage
of the debut of the movie in vivid colour. It’s a total explosion and it is
rich and tasteful and distinctly Bollywood. Production is theatrical, but hey,
this is melodrama, and what is melodrama without its parlay with theatre?
The dance performances are complex and
excessively entertaining. On the creative side, wardrobe, hair and make up is
exquisite!
The shots are sweeping and beautiful, with fluid
transitions and soft symbolism. The entire story is wrapped up in this
beautifully knit art that is production. Bravo!
(4.5/5)
On Resolution: The
Conclusion
Oh, the realistic ending of this drama! The end is
perhaps the best. The movie ends with our hearts out because we’ve been deeply
implicated by this relatable story. A didactic note to the guys; Take note.
Only make steps you really mean.
(4/5)
The Verdict: A fabulous movie!
A must-watch!
Overall Score = 17/20
Watch Devdas: http://www.einthusan.com/movies/watch.php?id=480
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