In this weekly column, we revisit the gems of Hindi cinema’s golden years. This week, we have a look once more at Bimal Roy’s 1955 movie Devdas.
For generations, we have usually heard the phrase ‘love trumps every little thing’, however on the subject of tragic love tales, it is usually the pleasure that ruins every little thing. And it’s this pleasure that’s the central wrestle of Bimal Roy’s 1955 movie Devdas, starring Dilip Kumar, Suchitra Sen and Vyjayanthimala.
A big half of the present era associates Devdas with Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s mega epic starring Shah Rukh Khan, however no matter got here earlier than it, it was the function that catapulted the legendary actor Dilip Kumar to famous person standing. gave. This was the movie that earned him the title of ‘Tragedy King’ and it’s so heartwarming to look at his interpretation of the character that one can not assist.
Set within the pre-independence period in Bengal, Roy’s movie begins with the childhood of Devdas and Parvati. She is the spoiled brat of the wealthy landlord household and it’s the harmless woman who follows him as their protector. His maintain on her is so robust that he doesn’t hesitate to kill her, just because she is not going to observe his directions. Parvati, too, does not let him stroll round her and is aware of learn how to stage the taking part in area, even when it is for trivial issues. They are inseparable and have that form of love for one another that actually does not require phrases to specific itself. So, when Devdas makes use of harsh phrases to defame Paro’s emotions, it cuts deep and this wound destroys their relationship endlessly.
Paro exhibits braveness on the subject of professing her love for Devdas however he does not. (Photo: Express Archives)
Seeing the movie in the present day, their love appears toxic. It doesn’t enable them to develop in life and even the presence of its reminiscence is sufficient to make their soul decay. Devdas’s consuming, which has since turned romantic, comes into impact as he goes down in a whirlpool of despair. His loneliness, when he leaves his household and abandons Paro, turns into numb and he’s shocked by the fixed consuming. Late actor Dilip Kumar was troubled by the thought that Devdas may mislead the youth to drink alcohol in the event that they ever failed in love. In his autobiography, Dilip Kumar: The Substance and the Shadow, he wrote, “I won’t go into details, but it bothered me initially to experiment with renderings of a character who felt pain and despair under the skin. Heavily measured and may mislead more vulnerable youths into believing that alcoholism is the best defense against the pain of losing love. “
Dilip Kumar takes that ache of misplaced love and tells about his tragic life to Chandramukhi of Vyjayanthimala, who falls in love as quickly as she meets him, however doesn’t count on something in return. In a pivotal scene within the movie, Devdas tells prostitute Chandramukhi {that a} girl’s coronary heart is extraordinarily stressed, she will by no means make up her thoughts, which in flip deepens the fickleness of her personal character. When Chandramukhi says that males prefer to declare their love from the rooftops however do not actually know learn how to love a girl, Devdas does not get it. Chandramukhi says that even when a person has destroyed his love story, he’ll curse the girl for breaking her coronary heart. While generalizations of gender-related stereotypes are age-old, these conversations work inside the confines of this story. It additionally works due to the impeccable grip that Dilip Kumar and Vyjayanthimala have over their characters as they learn out dialogues that resonate in your head for days. The movie’s dialogues by Rajinder Singh Bedi have acquired cult standing through the years.
While each Paro and Devdas are cussed, it is just Chandramukhi who believes within the energy of sacrifice. (Photo: Express Archives)
Parvati, performed by Suchitra Sen, is deeply in love with Devdas and in contrast to the ladies of the time, she will not be afraid of society to profess her love. She places herself on the market and expects comparable braveness from Devdas, who finally ends up cowardly in love. When he pushes her away, Parvati’s pleasure turns east and she or he decides to maneuver on however her love for Devdas runs deep. Sen is exemplary within the scene when she tells Devdas close to the river financial institution when he performed lots together with her emotions.
Devdas is predicated on the novel by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay however the movie was tailored for the display screen by Nabendhu Ghosh. In a number of earlier interviews, Ghosh had shared that the movie’s workforce needed Meena Kumari as Paro and Nargis as Chandramukhi, however after a number of casting modifications, they landed on Sen and Vyjayanthimala for the 2 roles. Sen was a well-known Bengali actor on the time and this marked his Hindi movie debut.
Bimal Roy’s Devdas focuses on the three main characters of the story. Their struggles, their love and their tragedy are all the results of their very own actions, which supplies them possession of their story, in contrast to the Bhansali model the place lots of conflicts have been launched by secondary characters. Roy permits his characters to take central stage and transfer the narrative ahead which turns into overwhelming inside minutes. Their prolonged conversations about heartbreak, love and life push the viewers right into a world the place they will witness the tragic finish of Devdas, however they don’t seem to be prepared for it to occur.
Devdas is a gullible one who takes hasty choices that finally hurt him. (Photo: Express Archives)
Over the years, Devdas has been re-imagined on numerous events by a number of filmmakers and whereas every producer has its personal spin on the story, Roy’s model shines due to Dilip Kumar’s dialogues and performances. It is the timeless high quality of Chattopadhyay’s story that has saved Devdas related even in 2021 and whereas the protagonist right here is not at all a hero, he’s nonetheless a cautionary story for perplexed lovers.
Bollywood Rewind | Baiju Bawra | Shree 420 | Pyaasa | CID | Madhumati | Naya Daur | Awara | Sharada | Do Aankhen Barah Haath | Bandini | Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam
Devdas is streaming on Prime Video and Shemarooami.
.
With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
