Devdas

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Jithin K @Jithin Nov 3 Devdas will always be special to me, especially to a 10-year-old me who cried for the first time just by watching a movie. That ending with Shah Rukh Khan saying "Paro.." and Aishwarya Rai running through that huge mansion with her long, long sari is so iconic and heartbreaking. To watch this on a big screen was always a dream, and I finally got the chance, and it really met my expectations beyond just the nostalgia for it. Sure, nostalgia does play a factor in how much I still love it, but it is such an immensely cinematic film with all the glory of the best form of Bollywood musicals. The film does have its issues, and they are glaringly obvious. The writing itself, even though there are moments that shine, is mainly focused on making the movie a melodramatic spectacle, and it works, but it does show the issue, especially in the very beginning. It is really over the top and extravagant. The lavish, expensive sets, which are among the best things about the movie in terms of making it a grand visual experience, also make it look fake and ridiculous. But that ridiculousness is the point; it is with that kind of zealousness in making everything look so epic that this experience of a movie was possible. It can also be argued that a lot of themes of the original novel are muddled in this, and we can also draw parallels with Bhansali's obsession with such representations in his later works, which have been fairly criticised for their opulence overshadowing the kind of themes they are supposed to represent, and almost starting to warp the view of certain section of history into something else entirely. But here, I don't think it became that much problematic, even though it made a lot of things seem a lot less of an issue than it is, or maybe I'm just biased. Nonetheless, I was able to overlook a lot of such issues easily after I was immersed in its world. Aishwarya Rai and Madhuri Dixit really commanded the screen when they appeared. Shreya Ghoshal debuting as a singer in this, what a moment! We see Aishwarya Rai in such an incredible way, and then the song starts Silsila Ye Chahat Ka, and it's just bliss. The whole album is incredible, and experiencing it as part of the whole movie in the theatre was just out of this world. The palm reading actions during the scene in Bheri Piya being prophetic, the communication between the two characters in Dola Re, the dramatic tension and the fairy tale beauty during More Piya, this is how impactful a full-on musical can be, but rarely is. It really did look like the most expensive Indian movie of that time. Would that be something that can be thought of today? A pure melodrama, being the most expensive movie, sounds like a joke nowadays. But that's the beauty of this movie. I was on the verge of crying watching this even after twenty years, and I would definitely won't mind watching this on the big screen if it is ever released again. See more MoSa W. @RT66859727 Sep 2 بهترین از لحتظ بیان داستان عشق و سلطه، منطق خشک و دیکتاتوری و عمق عشق See more mina T @RT35534108 07/22/2025 absolute cinema xx worth a watch See more Max A @RT97263949 12/29/2023 Devdas is an astonishing auditory and visual spectacle, full of color and character from beginning to end. Based on the Bengali novel of the same name, Devdas is one of the greatest love stories ever told. The film follows the tragic story of Devdas Mukherjee (Shah Rukh Khan) and Parvati Chaudhary (Aishwarya Rai) impossible love. Devdas has been called "greater than Romeo and Juliet" which I do not object to. Directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, and starring Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai, and Madhuri Dixit, the film is a delight from beginning to end. The musical numbers are visually impressive, well-coreographed, and full of color. Even as someone who does not particularly love — nor understand — musicals, I truly enjoyed them and followed the story without any issues. Ismail Darbar and Birju Maharaj composed the music, while Monty Sharma took care of the score. The original soundtrack has a total length of 52:56, which goes to show how much care was put into it. To me, Devdas Achille's Heel is its editing. It was beautifully done during the first half of the film, but I found it lacking in the second half. It was more notable during transitions to different scenes, not so much while changing from one shot to another in the same scene, but it still was bothersome. Despite what many could consider a long running time — 174 minutes —, Devdas is a masterpiece from beginning to end worth every single minute. See more 08/08/2021 Best movie EVER! A mythic archetypal tale of childhood star-crossed love ruined by pride and family interference, with an expensive noble prostitute thrown in. An upper-class fairytale with luxurious ornate costumes, magnificent sprawling sets, complex choreography with a cast of a hundred dancers, and exquisite classical-influenced Indian music, with singing by the very young and precocious super-talent of Shreya Goshal; first made me cry without understanding a word sung! Any paused frame could be a painting. With the most beautiful actress in the world, Aishwarya Rai, and the most electrifying male actor ever, Sha Rukh Khan - at once boyish, powerful, and amusing with permanently snarling eyebrows, a perfected downward smile, and super-actractive lips, acknowledged even by heterosexuals. Watched it about six times, and still need to hide tears. Too tragic. (Spoiler alert - great lines from the prostitute taking down the aristocrat who sought to destroy her publically!) See more 09/18/2019 Costume and production design in this movie is beautiful. See more Read all reviews

Devdas

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