So true a fool is love, that in your will;
Though you do anything, he thinks no ill.
Love is not love which alters, when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove.
William Shakespeare
Sir Shakespeare relished Love. In all its forms. Hues. Shades. Seasons. And what he said 400 years ago, is convincing today as well. But when Sanjay Leela Bhansali sketches a visual poem, he falters now-n-then. His canvas is Opulent, yet the smudged colors of vast emotion fails to inspire.
A lamp of love, lit in cold winter night
Flickers faintly, While the wind blows;
Naked hopes pledge That elusive sight
As night dances, and the darkness glows.
The Weak inebriated with empty arrogance,
Wallows in Pleasure-Pain, ah the Thorns of Love;
Care succumbs; Time does have a value sense;
Vultures descend, where is that saintly dove!
Honour of worthlessness tenders a kindly heart
But the loser defends a battle never won;
Shallow society smeared with a wart
Robs mortality, and the job was done.
Death, like shadow, scampers endlessly.
Life wakes up, a new morning, that too soullessly.
Now guys, I am tempted to write this sonnet. It is not really in praise of Devdas, the film. The idea of love is all encompassing. I am sure it must have affected you as well.
I must say, Sanjay Bhansali has a glorious sense of beauty. He also has a splendid understanding of human nature. Though, I feel he was better off tackling ’’Feelings’’ far better in his first film Khamoshi. Devdas, the subject, ’interpreted’ from the well known novel of the same name by Sarat Chandra gets lost somewhere in the visual wizardry, Spellbinding sets, imperious-n-scintillating dresses and a Brilliant music score.
In the first place I am not in favour of glorifying an arrogant, weak, demented loser. We are living in desolate times when the egocentric leaders can trigger off a nuclear weapon, where prejudices are being sown and watered with live blood. Don’t we need a Lagaan more than a tragic story depressing we with its treacherous stupidity!
An Oxford returned (Devdas, Shahrukh)) is sharing amorous moments with the binocular weilding beauty (Paro, Aishwarya) next door. The zaalim zamaana intervenes, Paro is married off to a man double her age, while the Oxford-returned hooks on to wine and a courtesan (who says they don’t have a heart of gold) takes a platonic liking for the fledgling loser.
I-can’t-believe-it storyline does have its moments. But they don’t involve the lead cast. The volatile diatribe exchanged between Kiron Kher and Smita Jayakar are far more tantalising than the ’Expensive’ romance on superficial sets.
Shahrukh is good, so is Aishwarya. And whenever Madhuri tends to be herself, she is magnetic, but the moment she tries to do a Pakeezah(Meena Kumari) or a Umrao Jaan (Rekha), she falters inconsequentially.
The music by Ismail Darbaar is one of the best scores I’ve ever heard. Eessh, Bairi Piya, Dola Re, Chalak Chalak, are gems. For the orchestration is royal. The blending of classical with the modern arrangements is a treat. Though, I feel, lyrics could have been far better.
I don’t recommend this movie as a whole. The reason being, that when a movie afficiando like me couldn’t wait till the end, then how can I say yes, just because, apparently it is creating waves (The latest reports indicate there’s a sudden slump). I am looking forward to the English version of Bend it like Becham. For it promises to be good fun. And movies are about Fun-n-entertainment. Realism can stay at home. Isn’t it!
Cheers! And be happy......!!!!