15 Years of Dev.D: 'Anurag Kashyap fulfilled his promise of giving me Chunnilal,' recalls Dibyendu Bhattacharya

Dibyendu Bhattacharya in Dev.D

In the realm of Indian cinema, Anurag Kashyap's 'Dev.D' marks a significant chapter, echoing not only artistic brilliance but also tales of perseverance and promises fulfilled. As the film celebrated its 15th anniversary on Wednesday, actor Dibyendu Bhattacharya fondly reminisces about a promise made and kept by director Anurag Kashyap.

Dibyendu shared, "When Anurag was making 'Dev D,' I had expressed my desire to play Chunnilal as I have been always very keen to work with him. At that time, Anurag's 'Black Friday' had received a stay order, and the film's future was in the dark. Anurag told me that in case 'Black Friday' doesn't release, he might have to take a more celebrated actor to play Chunnilal, and if the film releases he will cast me. After a long wait of 3 years, not only did 'Black Friday' see the light but also did well. Soon after, Anurag made an official announcement in the newspapers announcing Abhay Deol as Dev D and me as Chunnilal! It was like a beacon of hope to all the actors who were struggling. I recall Nawaz (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) also calling to congratulate me. Can't believe it has been 15 years since then."

The success and recognition that followed the film's release not only validated Dibyendu's wait but also solidified his position as a director's actor. Dibyendu has, since then, given memorable performances in acclaimed projects such as 'Undekhi Season 1 & 2,' 'Rocket Boys Season 1 & 2,' 'The Gone Game season 1 & 2,' 'Jamtara season 1 & 2,' 'Maharani season 2,' apart from others. Dibyendu's upcoming releases include 'Poacher' for Amazon Prime, a Bengali film titled 'Bonobibi,' and varied substantial projects in the pipeline.

Abhay Deol celebrates 15 years of Dev.D

On February 7, Abhay Deol took to Instagram to reminisce and think about how 'Dev D' has completed 15 years. He said, "It's 15 years today since the release of Dev.D. I still remember pitching the idea of a contemporary, musical version of Devdas to Anurag, at the juhu Marriott. The shock and excitement on his face is etched in my memory."

Talking about how the final moments of his version of Dev D, he said, "My ending was different from what he made though, I had Dev get shot by the cops outside Paro's house because by the end of the film he's a drug dealer. But the happy ending gave my character redemption, and it clearly worked."

Concluding the caption, Abhay Deol wrote, "I still wonder where we would be had we killed him off. Dev the drug dealer, the original chauvinist, he was always far beyond redemption for me from the start lol! Either way, I have never pitched another idea to anyone in the industry since then. Maybe I should start focusing on development once again?"