Review of Devdas (2002) by Dannielle A — 24 May 2012

A lavish, colourful spectacle, Devdas tells the story of a great love between a young man, Devdas, and his neighbor, Paro, seemingly fated never to get together but always to pine away for one another. The sets are spectacular, the costumes gaudy, but what impressed me the most was the superb fairy tale-like storytelling and deeply human characters. Devdas is the wealthy son of a landlord, mischievous but ambitious, whose attraction to his neighbor Paro meets with opposition from his father. Paroâ(TM)s family also opposes her interest in Devdas and the two go their separate ways, with Paro marrying a wealthy though cold widower with several children already. Devdas canâ(TM)t get over his loss and turns to alcohol and the company of a sweet courtesan who falls in love with him.

The gorgeous sets of massive and antique South Asian households give the film a timeless quality and the dialogue is sharp, witty, allusive and poetic. The characters banter, scheme, long and rejoice in a manner of speaking which is slightly archaic and formal, conveying the idea that these characters and themes are immortal and timeless. The film packs comedy, romance, tragedy and a great many dance numbers into its almost three hour running time but it never drags or sags because it works on every level, the visual, the emotional and the narrative.