Devdas (2002 Film)

Saturday, November 29, 2014
Can someone say MELODRAMA! 


Devdas has earned its spot the Time Magazine’s top ten movies of the millennium worldwide!

The Rundown
Behind the name: Based on the 1917 book, Devdas by Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay
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
 Rai plays the Juliette of the story. She easily delivers the youthfulness, tenacity and passion required of her character. She brings the dance sequences to life, and allows us to empathise with Paro’s story easily. We are enthralled by her overall performance!


ShahRukh Khan
Khan takes over the screen with his carriage and portrayal of Devdas’ story. From him we experience ardour and weakness, strength and heartbreak. He relays the hero’s perspective and we are able to understand the flaws of the hero. An intriguing performance!

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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