19 Years of Devdas: The legacy of impassioned romance and self-destruction

`Devdas` Picture Courtesy: PR

Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay's novel about an impassioned, tragic lover has inspired many adaptations in Hindi Cinema. In 2002, Sanjay Leela Bhansali poured his idea of romance and ravish and attempted to tell the story once again that was already narrated by Bimal Roy and Dilip Kumar in 1955. Kumar's fervid approach to his ferocious characters made him one of India's finest names in history. He was named as the ‘Tragedy King' of Hindi Cinema.

‘Devdas' was one of his most famous tragic roles, narrating the heartbreaking tale of sweep and separation. 47 years later, Bhansali made another adaption by the same name. But which actor could've had the audacity to step into the giant shoes of the towering aura of Dilip Kumar? Shah Rukh Khan may have said, "I'll take that risk." The star has always claimed to have been inspired by Kumar, and his naïveté and rawness in his initial years displayed shades of the legend. Despite the polarising reactions, Khan was a suitable choice to reignite the palpable emotions of this romance.

The canvas this time quadrupled and the emotions were dialed up. The filmmaker filled the frames with gorgeous sets, stunning costumes, and rich visuals of palaces, mansions, and even courtesans. The heart of the story was intact, Khan played Devdas, who's deep and dazzling romance with Paro (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan) was met with rage at home due to their class divide. Traumatised and emotionally tattered, this hapless lover immersed himself into the world of self-destruction and alcohol became his perpetual companion.

Khan not only had to retain the essence of Kumar's tragedy but also infuse his own understanding of heartbreak. He delivered. So did Bachchan and the magnetic Madhuri Dixit as the courtesan Chandramukhi, who was drawn to Devdas' ache and aura. And once again, Bhansali used music to convey the emotions of the story and its characters. Ismail Darbar, delivering one of his career-best, prepared a soundtrack that nicely blended with the narrative.

Hindi filmmakers are often turned on by the idea of lovers who turn into masochists after a romantic tragedy. Anurag Kashyap, in 2009, made ‘Dev D', with Abhay Deol as the new-age, revamped Devdas, only named Dev. Kashyap being Kashyap, went berserk and bold with his version of the story, and peppered it with sex and subterfuge. If Kumar and Khan found solace in booze, Deol tried to discover solace in substance abuse and physical gratification. And unlike the other two adaptations, this one didn't exactly have a tragic end.

But it's not only Devdas whose life turned upside down in love, the other names that one is immediately reminded of are ‘Tere Naam' and ‘Kabir Singh'. The protagonists of both the blockbusters were monsters that softened only before the women they passionately loved. However, in the latter, the eponymous character exploded quite often even in front of his girlfriend. The debate that their story sparkled aside, Shahid Kapoor took on a questionable role and was unquestionably sincere and solid throughout.

So was Salman Khan as the ticking time bomb Radhe, a man who's left mentally ill after a mishap. This happened after the woman he was madly in love with finally reciprocated after months of relentless pursuit. It doesn't matter which sagas have perfectly happy endings, tragic lovers often catch the fancy of the audiences and what follows is massive cash flow at the ticket windows. More than comedies, it seems tragedies make the people and producers smile. What irony!

Also Read: 18 Years of Devdas: Sanjay Leela Bhansali's drama is all about opulence