Note: This review pertains only to the subtitled version.
A gorgeous epic about a timeless love, Devdas broke box office records in its home country of India and garnered critical acclaim at the Cannes film festival in 2002. The story follows a man's downfall into depression, alcoholism, and his ultimate self-destruction when his childhood sweetheart marries a man she does not love because of a thoughtless mistake on his part. While Devdas Mukherjee (Khan) struggles to overcome his grief at losing Paro (Rai), the one woman he loves, he meets Chandramukhi (Dixit), a courtesan who falls in love with him at first sight. Running slightly over three hours (subtitled version), Devdas is, at heart, a basic story of boy loves girl, boy loses girl, another girl loves boy, and a tragic end for one or all of them. Although typical in Bollywood (Hindi cinema), the plot is very engaging and simple, but later made complex due to the marvelous performances by Khan, Rai, and Dixit.
At first, the focus of the viewer is solely on Devdas and Paro's relationship, but when Chandramukhi enters the scene, the viewer is conflicted by who he/she wishes to see Devdas end up with. While Paro is beautiful, innocent, and pure in her love for Devdas, Chandramukhi is sensual and elegant. The latter also gives off an air of sadness and loneliness that seems to stem from her life as a courtesan, which endears her all the more to the viewer.
With his previous hit Hum Dil de Chuke Sanam (Straight from the Heart, 1999), Bhansali delivers another visually stunning film with Devdas. The songs are exquisite and very catchy, and the dance scenes were a wonder to behold. Elaborate costumes and striking sets only added to the beauty and mystique that was the world of Devdas.
The only things I could make negative comments on would be the picture quality, the subtitles, and Shahrukh's acting. The quality of the picture was often grainy and did not seem as clear as it should have been. There were a few instances when the subtitles either went by too fast or needed to be read more than once in order to understand the meaning; some of them were very weirdly worded. Shahrukh did appear to struggle a bit in his performance and overact in some scenes, but overall he did a nice job.
A film that can be enjoyed by families and viewers of any age and nationality, Devdas is what most Americans expect to come from India: gorgeous, breathtaking, and having the ability to take a simple love story and turn it into a complicated plot line that will have almost anyone become a romantic (even a secret one).
7 out of 10 found this helpful