Devdas...POV...U heard that???. Review on Devdas - New

Devdas (Shah Rukh Khan) and Paro (Aishwarya Rai) are childhood sweethearts. Their love is doomed from the beginning because Devdas is the son of a wealthy aristocrat while Paro’s family is way down in the social scale. Devdas’ father sends him abroad to study, hoping that the separation will be permanent. When he returns, his love is undimmed and when Paro’s mother (Kiron Kher) proposes that the two be united in marriage, she is humiliated and rebuffed by Devdas’ father. In despair, Paro offers to give herself, body and soul, to her lover, but he is caught in the trap of convention, and rejects her. Too late, he comes to realize how much he has lost, because Paro now marries someone else. Devdas seeks refuge with alcohol and in the arms of a dancer, Chandramukhi (Madhuri Dixit). She falls in love with him, but he is unable to forget Paro… Special Report: Kryztoff de Breza in Cannes Devdas was a clear winner at Cannes at the world premiere of director Sanjay Leela Bhansali''''s opus. At Cannes'''' Grand Theatre Lumiere, the main venue of the Cannes Film Festival, Devdas enjoyed a special out-of-competition screening. This is where all important screenings take place. Applause greeted the stars and Bhansali, dapper in a Sherwani.

The cast was honoured on the famous Monter des Marche (climbing the red carpeted stairs). Nonetheless, it was Aishwarya Rai who the huge crowds just couldn''''t get enough of. She obliged the cheering and whistling people with broad smiles, waves and air kisses. It was the French public that surprised. Unused to melodrama, the 600-plus audience seemed to thoroughly enjoy watching all three hours of the film, thus busting the popular thought that the Western audience has no patience to sit through the typically long Hindi feature film. It won’t be wrong if we‘d say that Bharat Shah has been through hell and back in recent times. He’s been in the news all through, but what makes for bigger news is the conquest over hell. And with Devdas becoming a major hit among audiences all over, Bharat Shah has done just that. This reminds us of the confident statement that he made just days before the release of Devdas. “I am sure the film will be a huge success. It has everything in it. A great director in Sanjay Leela Bhanshali and a great cast in Shahrukh, Madhuri, Aishwarya and Jackie. It also has fantastic music by Ismail Darbar, great background score, classic costumes, magnificent sets and what not.

The film will open to packed houses, I am sure. I also agree that its a huge film with a huge budget; and that it has to do very well for me to earn something out of it. Although its a loss for me on-table, it’s been a very satisfying experience.” A young Frenchman said, “This is a fantastic movie.” Several others loved the music and expressed deep interest in knowing where to buy audio CDs of the film. For all the popularity Devdas enjoyed with the Western crowd, the Indians disappointed.

An Indian film professional thought the film was monotonous and repetitive. He later conceded the audience vote mattered more than his. It was clear from the standing ovation at the end of the film what the audience vote was. Any takers for a contest on this thought? Certain Celebrity Sentiments on Devdas…Then And Now!!! Bansali believes that it’s not how old the story is, or how many times has it been made before, but the treatment accorded to it that makes a difference. Supporting this sentiment he says, “I don''''t think in eight decades the language of love has changed. For years the same love, the same feelings have been recalled and relived time and again. ''''Devdas'''' is a timeless love story written by Sarat Chandra and it shall remain so forever.” “And virtually a generation wept over Devdas'''''''' - Eric Barnow and S. Krishnaswamy in their book on Indian Cinema. Every Indian grew up sensitized to the saga of Devdas. Devdas emerged a national hero defying every connotation of the very word. The character had received the merit of Shakespeare''''s Romeo. Bimal Roy''''s daughter Rinki Bhattacharya gave a priceless insight when she said, “The hero of Indian Cinema was ushered in by perhaps the best known anti-hero of all times, Devdas.” It was also an astute fact that the Devdas persona had become a ‘mythological’ reference point for Hindi Cinema. Characters modeled on Devdas generously peppered the Hindi films that followed and commanded empathy, each time. “My interpretation of Devdas is more modernistic. I have tried to look at the subject, as it is relevant today.

This film is not about Devdas being an alcoholic. It''''s about a lover who just can''''t take no for an answer. Of course, I made a lot of effort to add authenticity to the character. I''''m not a drinker as such, but in this case, I did the drunken scenes after drinking.” - Shah Rukh Khan, Actor. “I made Shah Rukh Khan drink.” – Sanjay Leela Bansali, Director. “Shah Rukh is the best. He is the favourite of the whole world. And this is no doubt his best performance till date. Even the music is fantastic; but I am not happy with the way the film music was promoted by Universal. They are treating the film as any ordinary one.” – Bharat Shah, Producer. “From the very first visual to the last, Devdas is a treat to the eyes. Nitin Desai’s sets are stunningly beautiful and the costumes from Neeta Lulla for Aishwarya Rai, and Abu Jani-Sandeep Khosla for Madhuri Dixit and Shah Rukh Khan are awe-inspiring. Don’t miss the great lighting and dizzying camerawork by Binod Pradhan.” - Devendra Shah, Film Distributor. “Aishwarya and Madhuri seem to have totally absorbed their characters. Ash is imperial, and Madhuri is as refreshing as ever. Shahrukh is ok, except for some of the drunken sequences. Jackie’s presence in the film is still a mystery to me.” - Sanjay Shah, Journalist. “An unparalleled magnanimous vision bedecked with visual and emotional grandeur like never before! The tale of immortal love lives on…” - Ajay Sengar, Production Manager. Bhansali has no doubt crafted a superior film, with great visual appeal and outstanding moments, but it never tugs at your heartstrings to an extent where you’re overwhelmed. There are some fantastic sets and colourful canvas displays, but the over-indulgence somehow, leaves you a wee bit unsatisfied. The score by Ismail Darbar lays too much emphasis on classical music, and this makes the box-office success a tough proposition. - Kunal Shah, Film Journalist. “Noted dancer Pandit Birju Maharaj''''s choreography will leave you spellbound. The film is gripping and performances by Aishwarya, Madhuri and Shah Rukh are very mesmerizing. But Bhansali''''s epic is exaggerated and melodramatic.” - Vajir Singh, Film Analyst. “Somewhere in-between, Bhansali seems to lose the strings and the film degenerates rapidly. The many drunken sequences with Khan and Shroff and an abhorrent song don''''t help matters. All the hard work of the first 150 minutes of the film evaporates faster than the liquor Devdas consumes. And the film becomes tragically comic and utterly unwatchable. But Ash and Madhuri raise Devdas