DEV DEE

I have always hated the inevitable fact that popular characters get transformed into, as in our marketing zubaan, generic names. So, Mr Devdas becomes the epitome of failed love and Mr chaplin the machine churning out slapstick jokes endlessly and mechanically. We chose to ignore the various layers portrayed by the brilliance of this characters. This is exactly where the movie chooses to differ and excels as a result.

(1) Devdas, as much as i know from my limited knowledge of shahrukh's and dilip kumar's man, is pained. But he chooses to cause self harm and thats what is interesting about him. Though the most noticeable quality, this is not what defines him. I feel he is a man who throughout his life wants to beat the ass out of his indecisiveness and his momentary lapse of sanity when he loses paro. This is a situation and not an individual's quality. (An afterthough: The best stories come out of situations and not individuals). DevD builds on this by negating the man's seeming tendency to self infict. Jus one of the many instances to prove this, he gives it back to the servant who claims to have romanced Paro. Thats a shock to the Devdas we know. But to think of it, it clearly defines the context without any cinematic aberrations.

(2) Another interesting thing is the way the characters are projected. When the stakes are low (like at home, with spouse etc.), one gets to know the real person (courtesy: an interesting management seminar). So. on a subconscious level, when a character is shown behaving in a low stakes situation, it is more believable and clear. But, it is totally against the cinema that we have seen from our growing days. Hero introduced in a concert never mind he holds the guitar like a lolly pop. But here, dev tries his shades irreverently in a showroom, throws money at the pimp, takes a case of bottles back to his home without any hysterical crap. These uneventful captures define him in a much more effective manner. Its to the point and crystal clear.

And what do i think of the movie? i think it is gud enuf to excuse the director for his indulgent magnum opus 'No smoking'.