By Fuad Omar.
Devdas - A tortured lover
Sanjay Leela Bhansali is the man who dared to dream a dream, narrate it at twenty-four frames-per-second and metamorphosisied into a big screen event and is now a name no one in Cannes, Hollywood and Europe can say they haven t heard of.
Devdas is almost upon us and it is without out a doubt the movie event of the year. Not just an offering from Indian cinema, but a gift. Neatly packaged with hand-crafted wrapping paper and ensuring the ribbon-colour co-ordinates with the box it s presented in, Devdas is causing Hollywood to re-think their own films and wonder why what they see as a masterpiece of a film has outdone, in almost every department, all their films of the past year. One colleague from a prominent Hollywood publication even joked after seeing the film, What we call a masterpiece or landmark film is an average Bollywood movie to you guys! I ve never seen anything so visually delicate and beautifully portrayed. He is not alone in his praise. Many who caught glimpses of Devdas along with its supportive entourage cannot stop raving about the film and most of these people have not seen a Hindi film before. Le Monde, El Pais, The Hollywood Reporter, Variety you name it, they all have something to say about Devdas.
It helps that our own superstar and actor extraordinaire Shah Rukh Khan was present at Cannes because his magnetic charisma borders on hypnotic. It helps that the moment Aishwarya stepped out of the golden carriage and raised her eyes after carefully ensuring her feet touched the ground, she was instantly raised again with an onslaught of appreciative decibels and showered with adulation not-seen from a non-Indian audience ever before. It also comes in handy that an intelligent man who speaks with an unbridled passion about the film he has given four years of his life to and suffered much turmoil for in the bargain, Sanjay Leela Bhansali is at hand to entertain anyone with engaging conversation about his film and Indian cinema. All this helps, but the true star is the collective effort of these and more people that culminated in the team effort that is the film itself.
Emails, faxes, phone calls from almost all corners of the globe (and some I had no idea existed geographically) have in the past few weeks wanted quotes, profiles, backgrounds and with a thirst for information are lapping up the film, its stars and Indian cinema in general and in a quiet explosion, Devdas has found itself creating a place for itself in history even before its release.
The international market cannot get enough of the film, the Americans who have never seen an Indian film before are gorging on the visuals and the style of filmmaking, the Brits who have experienced some Hindi cinema as it seeps into a part of their own culture have lowered their wary glances and appreciated what is poetry on celluloid and found it long but an experience. And you never forget an experience .
It s not the story of a doomed, defeated lover, but a celebration of a divine emotion, like Meerabai s and Sant Tukaram s devotion, like Kabir s poetry it is love in its purest form, says Sanjay Leela Bhansali, the film s director quashing the myth that all Devdas is about is doom and gloom.
Recreating a timeless story always comes with additional burdening baggage and this time was none the different. Comparisons with the original are inevitable from the purists and some will say it s a depressing subject devoid of real love. To me, the pitch of Devdas alone is mind-blowing and it could just be the most romantic escapade to ever be portrayed on screen. Forever a die-hard romantic, I ve fallen in love with the story of a man who loves someone so much that if he can t have her, he won t stop loving her even if it leads to self-destruction. To me, that s an awe-inspiring love that transcends space and time, but not everyone will be appreciative of or understand his behaviour.
Sanjay re-enthuses that Devdas is not just the epitome of the tragic hero but a journey in itself that crosses the boundaries of race, time and culture. I connected with the story of Devdas. It s a story which transcends the sexual love and makes emotion its hero. Working on it has changed me as a person, I ve evolved into a better being. Can you imagine how tough it is to remake any classic, especially a film like this, where legendary actors like Saigal, Dilip Kumar and Vyjayanthimala have raised acting to new dimensions.
The reworking of Sarat Chandra Chatterjee s Bengali classic has created a lot of hype and expectations already. The cast itself is a film fan s dream come true and the finest of India s talent showcased to the rest of the world, but Devdas is an Indian film made for Indians, just like the best foreign films such as Life is Beautiful and Amelie were made for the people of Italy and France, it just happens that the common factor is that all of these were loved by international audiences too. The film means something to everyone in their own way. Be it the women of France who found a new buzz word in Issshh! after seeing the film, the reservoir of men who have been maniacally emailing me for more information on Ash and a profile with pictures suitable for publication and whether she d migrate to colder shores, to those that simply will never forget watching the film. Devdas to me is the making of the film, the efforts poured into it and the passion that sparked an inferno of talent to work diligently to breathe life into the vision. As the long drive that took me to the sets at Film City culminated in its destination I realised I was at the most beautiful place on Earth. The palace with its stuck-on mirrors that reflected onto the purpose-built lake as the moon shone down illuminating a phenomenon is a haunting, romantic visual etched into my memory. With the polystyrene rejected pieces of palace pillars scattered around with bugs and snakes crawling over them the set was a completely humbling experience in the understanding of the magic of the movies. It was on these very sets, everyone seemed to be running on obsession and the costumes, fabrics and jewellery are simply to die for. Devdas sets had their own aura and luck and you d never know quite what to expect. If I could freeze a moment of the making that was personal to me, it would be the moment Madhuri and I were in the full swing of an interview, Ash was outside chatting on her mobile before lunch and Sanjay was in casuals discussing the next shot. Madhuri and Ash both look stunning and it was one of those moments where it hits you just how big the film you are watching unfold is going to be. Sanjay vehemently denies casting Madhuri and Ash on a box-office cash-in basis and explains how these two personalities are icons of Indian cinema and represent perfectly the characters he has placed them in. I cast them because somewhere inside him Devdas looked for his Paro in Chandramukhi. The two women may appear diametrically different, but somewhere they came together in their personalities, at least in Devdas mind.
In terms of beauty grace, screen presence and commitment to the craft, I feel Aishwarya begins where Madhuri leaves off, just as Madhuri began where Hema Malini left off. They are wonderfully graceful dancers who never look unbecoming, no matter how cheap the movements. Be it the character of the femme fatale or a prostitute, only Madhuri can combine that wistful tragic look. Hers is a blend of a flawless face and fine acting. No actor in the last decade has gone through so many different roles as Shah Rukh Khan, and honestly speaking I m not sure anyone but Shah Rukh could conquer the medium as he has through such diverse roles. Devdas is an intense character and Sanjay enthuses how in his mind there could have been no one but the energetic and master thespian for the role. Only Shah Rukh could have portrayed this air of haunting sadness, he s given an outstanding performance, I ve fallen in love with it. He is flawless and Shah Rukh understood the character without losing his spontaneity. I don t know what to say about him. He has left me speechless. I had my doubts before working with him. But it s his most endearing and honest performance to date. After seeing him you ll want to embrace him. The performance came amidst all his personal problems. He was able to project the personal turmoil on screen. If I were to make Devdas again I would still cast only Shah Rukh.
Devdas is released in the UK on July 12th and will be accompanied with English subtitles. I urge you to take your friends to see it only on the big screen and if you have never seen an Indian film, make this the first and leave all your expectations and preconceptions of Indian cinema at the foyer. Devdas is an important film and cannot be ignored because it will change the way our cinema is looked at forever, in fact it already has.
The final word goes to Sanjay Leela Bhansali on his earnest efforts in creating the experience and telling the story how he wanted to: I love this film as much as Devdas loved his Paro. I have put more sincerity and passion into Devdas than my other two films put together. I gave everything I had to Devdas. I knew I would never make a better love story because there is none.