First a confession – I did not really want to see this movie. I was curious because of the totally disparate views I got on it. Anyone over 45 thought it was total trash and everyone in their 20’s loved it. Since I’m somewhere in the middle I was interested to know what my reaction would be. Have I crossed the threshold of youth or am I still there? Actually at the end of it I still don’t know the answer – because I enjoyed the movie in parts, but in totality I didn’t!
Right at the outset, director Anurag Kashyap absolves himself of all sins by saying that this story is very ‘loosely’ based on the novel Devdas by Saratchandra Chattopadhyay. And loose it is – as it is completely devoid of the simplicity, purity and depth of emotions that the original Devdas feels for his Paro. Perhaps it is a reflection of our times. Our youth are obsessed with self and sex. They mistake lust for love. They take so many beautiful gifts for granted - like parental love, love of partner and money to name just a few. As a nation we are losing our morality. If we accept that, we might sit back and enjoy this movie.
The casting is excellent. Abhay Deol is fantastic. He is rude, egoistic, self-fixated, sex obsessed and has no regard whatsoever for his parents or anyone for that matter. Abhay plays this part so well, that you forget to dislike him and almost love him for the lost puppy that he is. The two leading ladies Mahi Gill - as egoistic and self-centric as Devdas and Kalki Koechlin – the innocent teenaged victim of an mms scandal - have both done a wonderful job of it. Kalki with her innocent face and her bright bunny smile certainly is the brightest spot in the movie.
Music is yet another highlight of the movie. Amit Trivedi has excelled and provides us such a fascinating variety from bhangra remix to classical to rock. You just succumb to the emosanal atyachar!
Choreography, camera work, script, screenplay, everything is above average. And yet – for me the movie somehow failed to hold together. While Devdas went on his endless, self imposed, egoistic journey of self pity through the sleazy Delhi streets, I was squirming in my seat and wanted to walk out long before the end was near! Perhaps a little too much of Delhi’s neon nights, shady drug dens, bars and brothels. The length of the movie is what tires one out. The director could have easily cut about an hour of it and made a slick movie – considering we all know the story even before we leave home to watch it.
And when finally our hero realizes that he is wasting his life, he understands his true worth and his true love (ah yes I said love not lust – so there’s still hope!) – the end happens abruptly. You are like “What!” but still it’s a relief that the movie is over and you eagerly walk out.
My suggestion – enjoy the music and watch the movie on video if you must!