’’Most splendid looking and elaborately crafted opus, Devdas, makes for a great eye-feast, never mind its wafer-thin plot and super sluggish pace. Devdas give you a Shakespeare In Love meets Moulin Rougue feeling.
Jackie Shroff is comme ci comme ca, while Kiron Kher is phenomenally effective. Of the main cast, Shah Rukh is about adequate as ’Devdas’ and performs with sufficient competence.
Aishwarya Rai looks absolutely exquisite and dances with grace, though in the department of spontaneity, expressions and kinetics, Madhuri Dixit positively steals the thunder.
The Madhuri vs. Aishwarya debate is a subjective issue, but for me, ’Devdas’ belongs to Madhuri hands down; the supremely gifted actress expectedly embellishes the product with a striking performance that has gone down in the gallery of greats.
Clocking at more than three hours, ’Devdas’ can get heavy and tiresome after a point. Many might argue that the razzmatazz (in plenty) is a ruse to prop up an otherwise emaciated and archaic storyline. Some others might call it a wasteful costume extravaganza, and yet some others, a glossy saga sans soul. Opinions will be justifiably diverse.
But I suggest you watch it at least once with an open mind. It may not be a masterpiece, but it certainly kicks up a visual frenzy, besides dexterously unleashing the dark, tender and musical side to love.’’