Movie Recommendation of the Day: Devdas (India, 2002)

[dangermousie]

I have a movie to recommend for my flisters. It was India's official entry into the foreign category for 2002's Oscars, it is the most expensive Indian movie ever made, and it's an 11th (!) adaptation of a classic novel. Visually, it's one of the most amazing and sumptuous things I've ever seen.

Just look at this. Aren't you interested?


The name? Devdas. I am sure most of the Bollyholics on my flist have seen it, but for the rest who haven't are and interested, a brief blurb with reasons follows.

The director is Sunjay Leela Bhansali, one of the most visually distinctive directors I've seen (you are never going to mistake his movies for anyone else's) and the whole movie has the intensity and beauty and feverishness of a dream. This one was meant to be seen in a movie theater, but at the worst, using a big TV and turning off all the lights will do (it also has an added benefit of no one seeing you cry).

The plot is rather simple. It involves a doomed romance between childhood sweathearts, Devdas and Paro. They love each other madly (though rather dysfunctionally), but his family views hers as rather low in status. Devdas loses Paro through his indecisiveness and she marries another, but he can't forget her. He descends into alcoholism and despair, spiralling into self-destruction. It's a tragedy so if you want fluffy happiness, this is probably not a good choice. But oh what sumptuous, drop-dead-gorgeous and passionate tragedy it is. Everything glitters, and sparkles and shimmers and is full of colors. I just want to look at the props from the movie for hours because they are a work of art. Aishwarya Rai as Paro and Madhuri Dixit as Chandramukhi (a courtesan who falls in love with Devdas) are beautiful like princesses in a fairy tale, and Shahrukh Khan, who plays Devdas, gives one of his best performances (and isn't hard on the eyes himself).

Some samples of how beautiful it is:

My favorite still from the movie. It just gets me for some reason:


Devdas hasn't learned "if you can't be with the one you love, love the one you are with." He and Chandramukhi in their dysfunctional glory:


Not that he and Paro were that functional:


Guuuuh, just look at the bed:


The beautiful Paro. No wonder Devdas went mad:



Devdas drinking himself into a sodden mess. But I want that bottle...so pretty:


Chandramukhi:


Fellow rich lushie Chuninlal:

Comments

[jonaki.livejournal.com]

Bhansali's Devdas is beautiful but I find that it lacks soul. The music is wonderful and Madhuri is wonderful (no surprises there) but it is a major step back from Bimal Roy's 1955 classic.

The last scene, with Paro running to see Devdas is a direct lift from the black and white version. I would highly recommend it and would be interested in hearing your thoughts on that movie. It stars Dilip Kumar (Devdas), Suchitra Sen (Paro) and Vyjantimala (Chandramukhi).

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I find it very interesting that SLB's Devdas is such a "love it or hate it" movie (just like SLB's style of moviemaking itself. I can watch him film a phonebook and adore it. Others just find it grates horribly).

For me, it was love at first sight. I did find it very moving, and emotional and unique. It's currently my No. 5 favorite Indian movie of all time (of the ones I've seen of course), and it pretty much fluctuates between no. 3, 4, or 5 spots. I am pretty sure if I was to compile a Top 10 movies ever, it would be somewhere on the list.

I do know it took a number of liberties with the text. Of course, another criticism is that it is too far removed from reality as SLB's Devdas really is not anchored to any particular time and place. I know that Roy's Devdas is both closer to the book and more realistic in that respect. Not being someone who has either read the book, or has any particular historical or social ties to the place that is supposed to be depicted, the fantasy-surroundings actually rather appealed to me, because it made be think of opera (another pure emotion art not constrained by historical reality, or even (unlike Devdas) common sense that somehow works).

I am going to get around to watching Roy's version one of these days, just because I am interested to compare the two, and because I like Dilip Kumar. I am afraid I won't be as emotionally enraptured however, because it's precisely the Bhansalification of the story that made me love it so much (this "Bhansalification:" mixing beauty with hyper-engulfing emotion is evident in Khamoshi a bit, HDDCS quite a lot and has its pinnacle in Devdas). It's a pretty idiosyncratic style thing, and I can see how people who prefer their movies more understated might prefer the spare elegance of "Parineeta." (another excellent adaptation of the author, but in such a different style)

[jonaki.livejournal.com]

I can understand now why you like Bhansali's Devdas so much. Yes it does have that fairytale fantasy look that appeals to you. Bimal Roy's Devdas is in complete contrast to Bhansali's version. You will find Roy's Devdas very depressing and stark.

I think Bhansali should stick to the no-time/no-specific-location theme because all of his stories seem to be so far removed from any sort of realism. I think his movies are like Karan Johar but of course a lot more beautiful.

I haven't seen Parineeta yet but I am really excited about it.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I think his movies are like Karan Johar but of course a lot more beautiful

I like his movies better than KJo's for two reasons:

a. he is a much better actor's directors. Aishwarya gave her best performances in his movies. He's gotten top-of-the-line performances out of Salman and SRK. I think KJ is not as good as actor's director. He allows too much over-the-top acting (Kareena in K3G) and I think he is a pretty bad SRK director actually, which, if you consider his infatuation with the man, is pretty bizarre and

b. I find KJ's movies sumptuous. I find SLB's artistically, breath-takingly beautiful. Somehow the over-the-top emotion works with his style, but not as much with KJ. I enjoy Johar's movies: they are excellently made and provide plenty of good time. But for me SLB movies are something else altogether. He is probably my single favorite BW director.

[katranna.livejournal.com]

I agree. It was very beautiful, but so... empty.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Have you seen it? When? And why didn't you tell me :P

[katranna.livejournal.com]

A bit ago? Anna rented it and we all watched it.

I wouldn't say I didn't like it specifically, but I did find it rather shallow, in the sense that I couldn't connect to the action or the characters. It was like watching a dance of beautiful cardboard cutouts: nice to look at, but also rather detached.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Our history of having wildly different tastes in movies continues...

In a semi-related note, some people have a problem with Devdas because they don't find the characters likeable. But I find them fascinating.

[katranna.livejournal.com]

And yet you don't care for Leopold and Loeb's story. :-P

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

:D

There is a huge difference between bored freaks who kill for thrills and Dev and Paro who suffer because their love is strong but society pressures and their own flaws punish them.

[katranna.livejournal.com]

I'm just sayin': you don't have to like them, but they're fascinating.

[jonaki.livejournal.com]

Thanks for agreeing with me. :)

[vierran45.livejournal.com]

I also agree that it was an extremely beautiful film, but lacked soul. It is one of my favourites, because I love the visuals and the songs, but I wasn't moved really by it.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

The funny thing is for me, except for the beauty I fell for the emotion of it all...

[wasabi-girl1.livejournal.com]

Guuuuh, just look at the bed

Wow, that's not what I was looking at! :D

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Well, it could be taken to mean: look at the angsty pretty on the bed! :)

[rajni.livejournal.com]

I agree, what a stunning movie! It has one of the most gutwrenching endings ever, too - I couldn't get over it for weeks (which to me means it was a powerful film).

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I know. I cried and cried...

When you see Child Paro run, and then the gats slam in her face...wow.