TWENTY FACTS ABOUT THE 2002 FILM AND LEGACY OF THE TIMELESS NOVEL THAT INSPIRED IT
This week marks the 20-year anniversary of the Sanjay Leela Bhansali directed Bollywood film Devdas, which released globally on July 12, 2002, and became a blockbuster success.
The highest grossing Bollywood film of that year starred Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai, and Madhuri Dixit in iconic lead roles, which brought the classic 1917 novel to the big screen in a larger-than-life way never seen before.
To mark two decades of the musical about a lovelorn alcoholic, Eastern Eye presents 20 fun facts about the film and the enduring legacy of a novel that has had so many cinema adaptations across the decades.
1. Bengali romance novel Devdas was written by Sarat Chandra Chatterjee and first published on June 30, 1917, and according to legend, it was based on his own life.
2. There have been 20 film adaptations of the novel in various languages, with the first being a 1928 silent movie.
Dilip Kumar
3. The first talkie version of Devdas was made in Bengali with PC Barua directing and playing the title role in 1935. A year later, Barua would direct the first definitive Bollywood version with KL Saigal playing the lead role. Bimal Roy, who did the cinematography for that 1936 film, would later direct the 1955 version with Dilip Kumar playing the title role.
4. The first Telugu film adaptation of the classic novel was Devadasu (1953), which extraordinarily spawned the direct sequel Devadasu Malli Puttadu (1978), which picks up where the original story ends and imagines what happened next. It has Parvathi staying alive, while Devdas and Chandramukhi get reincarnated so they can unite.
5. Look carefully at all-time classic Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959), and there is a sub-plot where the character played by Guru Dutt is directing a film titled Devdas, with Waheeda Rehman playing Paro.
6. The first Pakistani version of Devdas was made in 1965 with Habib, Shamim Ara and Nayyar Sultana playing the three main protagonists. There was another Pakistani version made in 2010, which is available in full on YouTube.
7. Director Prakash Mehra had wanted to make a version of Devdas in 1976 with Amitabh Bachchan in the title role but shelved the idea. He instead produced Muqaddar Ka Sikandar (1978) with Bachchan in the lead and took multiple elements from the story. In fact, Madhuri Dixit compared her role in Devdas to the courtesan played by Rekha in that film.
Dev.D
8. In the 1970s, writer-director Gulzar commenced shooting his own version of Devdas with Dharmendra, Hema Malini, and Sharmila Tagore in the lead roles, but the film was abandoned shortly after it commenced shooting due to financial problems. In 2009, Dharmendra’s nephew Abhay Deol played the role in contemporary version Dev.D.
9. Salman Khan had starred in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s first two films Khamoshi: The Musical (1996) and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999) and was reportedly upset at not being given the title role in his third directorial outing Devdas.
10. Manisha Koirala and Sushmita Sen were both considered for the role of Chandramukhi, which eventually went to Madhuri Dixit. It would be her last role before a long sabbatical from Bollywood.
11. Manoj Bajpayee, Saif Ali Khan, and Govinda were offered the role of Chunni Babu, but all of them declined and Jackie Shroff was eventually signed.
12. Kareena Kapoor screen tested for the role of Paro, but first choice Aishwarya Rai was given the role.
Kaahe Chhed Mohe
13. The 2002 Devdas had some of the most expensive sets and outfits in Hindi cinema history. The outfit worn by Madhuri Dixit in the song Kahe Chedd Mohe weighed 30 kilograms, which caused obvious problems in the dance choreography, but she managed.
14. Bollywood’s greatest singer of the modern era, Shreya Ghoshal made her debut with Devdas. She had been spotted on a reality TV show and was brought in to sing five tracks. The then teenage sensation became the first singer to win both the Filmfare and National Film Awards for a debut song (Bairi Piya).
Dola Re Dola
15. Dola Re Dola is widely regarded as one of the greatest dance numbers in Bollywood history. Choreographer Saroj Khan used the dance form Nautwary, which included steps of Kathak and Bharatnatyam for the eye-catching song picturised on Aishwarya Rai and Madhuri Dixit.
16. Devdas was the first big commercial Bollywood film to have a huge red-carpet premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on May 23, 2002. That moment would open the doors for Indian celebrities to attend the annual festival in a big way, including lead star Aishwarya Rai Bachchan attending a record-breaking number of times.
17. Devdas was India’s official entry in the foreign-language film category of the 2003 Academy Awards, but it didn’t receive a nomination. It did however get nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
18. A low budget Bengali version of Devdas was released the same year as Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s lavish epic, where no expense was spared.
19. The 2002 version of Devdas swept the boards at all the major award ceremonies. This included 11 trophies at the Filmfare Awards and five National Awards.
20. Hollywood star Tom Hiddleston said he had watched Bhansali’s Devdas at his local cinema: “I remember I going to see that at my local cinema, and it was so extraordinary. I would say that I have never seen anything like that. So, yeah I remember that very much.”
ACTOR Raj Ghatak praised the enduring appeal of The Producers as he takes on a role in the hit Broadway show, now playing in the West End.
Ghatak is the first person of colour to portray Carmen Ghia, the flamboyant partner of eccentric director Roger DeBris (Trevor Ashley) and, consequently, his character is dressed in the south Asian attire of sherwani (tunic) and kurta pyjama.
In an interview with Eastern Eye, he said, “The world was arguably a happier place when it was first written.
“But what we’re finding now is that audiences are so grateful to laugh. They sit down, immerse themselves in the story, and forget everything else. That’s the power of theatre.”
Describing the show as a kind of “therapy” for modern times, Ghatak said, “Audiences tell us how welcome it is to laugh so hard again”.
It is the first major London revival of American filmmaker and actor Mel Brooks’ classic, which earned an unprecedented 12 Tony Awards, and has transferred from a sold-out run at the Menier Chocolate Factory to the Garrick Theatre.
Based on Brooks’ 1967 cult film, the story follows two desperate Broadway producers who scheme to get rich by producing a flop, only for their plan to go hilariously wrong.
Trevor Ashley as Roger DeBris and Ghatak as Carmen Ghia in The Producers
Teeming with Brooks’ signature wit, the show delights in its irreverence, sending up everything from show business to politics. Ghatak said, “It’s massively exciting to be part of it. And this time around, they’ve leaned in to my ethnicity. I wear a kurta pajama and a sherwani – things that have obviously never been done before. It gives us visibility.”
Two decades ago, Ghatak starred in Bombay Dreams, AR Rahman’s West End musical produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber, that became a cultural turning point for British Asian performers.
Ghatak recalled how the show “broke the glass ceiling for south Asian actors”.
He said, “At the time, it was just a job – a very high-profile one. But, years later, people tell me they were taken to see that show as children, and because of it, they felt they had permission to be an actor. That’s something that was never the case in my day.”
That generational shift is something Ghatak takes pride in. “When I look back, it feels like we’ve come a long way. But we still have a long way to go.”
Being part of The Producers brought Ghatak face to face with one of his heroes. Brooks himself, now 99, had to approve his casting.
The actor said, “They filmed my meeting. I met the team on a Friday afternoon, and on Monday morning they said, ‘Pending Mel Brooks’ approval, we’d like to offer you the role.’ I remember thinking, if I don’t get his approval, does this mean I can’t do the job?”
The cast had four weeks of full-time rehearsals. “For that production, I watched both films,” Ghatak said, referring to the 1967 original and the 2005 version with Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick.
“I wanted to understand the source material. I’m a firm believer that if it’s not broke, don’t fix it. Otherwise, you’re changing something for the sake of it. But rehearsals are where you experiment and play.” He credited both Brooks’ writing and Patrick Marber’s direction for the show’s humour.
“Our director comes from a background of plays. My own background is in plays, TV and film. So, we both approached this with the idea that, however heightened the situation or character, it must be grounded in truth,” he said.
Ghatak trained at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and Queen Mary University in London and has worked with Emma Thompson, Nicole Kidman, Riz Ahmed, Sir Derek Jacobi, Ewan M c G r e - g o r, Hugh Jackman and Benedict Cumberbatch. His stage credits include The Kite Runner, Life of Pi, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie and The Father and the Assassin. He has worked with some of the most respected directors in theatre, including Dominic Cooke, Indhu Rubasingham, Rufus Norris, Kerry Michael and now Marber.
Despite his achievements, the actor is conscious of the ongoing struggles for representation. He said, “As much as the situation has improved, we’ve still got a long way to go. Roles that challenge me, excite me. There are so many stories from the Asian subcontinent and diaspora that deserve to be told.
“When I started, there were very few people I could look to as role models. That’s why I’ve become such a champion for diversity and inclusion.”
Born and raised in north London to Bengali parents from Kolkata, he grew up surrounded by music and culture.
“My father was a doctor, and my mother was a chemistry teacher,” Ghatak said, adding, “But there was always music at home. My father sings Rabindra Sangeet, my mother plays guitar, and my sister is a classical singer.” Initially, he didn’t see acting as a viable career. “I went to a very academic school.
My interests were split between medical sciences and the performing arts.”
Eventually, he followed his childhood passion and trained as an actor.
He said, “A show like The Producers challenges me in a different way - it makes me laugh and it makes me think. That’s what keeps me passionate about the work.”
Asked what continues to excite him about musical theatre, Ghatak said, “Being in this show and telling this story. The comedy, the chaos, the craft… it’s such a joy. And to be the only person of colour among the six principal cast members, representing our community on such a stage, that’s something I’m proud of.”
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