Lesser known facts about the magnificent film 'Devdas'

There are some movies in Indian cinema that are not just limited to screen entertainment but have become legends. One such special movie is "Devdas" directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. This movie was released on 12th July 2002. Although "Devdas" is a love story with a mix of ego and self-respect and it is indeed a magnificent creation. It is as if a poem has been written on screen, which has been presented so beautifully that it has become unforgettable for everyone who saw it.

Devdas Film Was Bhansali’s Lifelong Cinematic Dream

According to reports, the making of "Devdas" was a dream of the director. Sanjay Leela Bhansali read the Bengali novel "Devdas" written by Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay and was inspired to bring it to the big screen once again. Several films had been made on this story before, including classic films of 1936 and 1955. But Sanjay Leela Bhansali wanted to make a version that people would remember forever.

He did a lot of research for this. According to his imagination, the sets should look like they were during the British rule in India. Nitin Chandrakant Desai built these grand sets between August 2000 and May 2001, and spent more than Rs 20 crore on the sets alone. He got more than 600 saris made for the character of Paro. He wanted every little thing to look perfect. All the pillars , lamps and every window was created with a lot of research and care. The film took about three years to shoot and give it shape. It took years to complete the film. He also hired 42 huge generators to provide enough electricity for the grand sets. This caused a lot of inconvenience to people getting married in the vicinity, as so many generators were used just for "Devdas". No one in Bollywood had ever attempted to build such a huge set before.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali put in hours of effort to plan every dance and every scene. He was so dedicated that it took him a whole week to write the song "Dola Re Dola" because he knew that two legendary actresses, Aishwarya Rai and Madhuri Dixit, would be dancing together and he wanted the song to be perfect.

"Devdas" is an emotional story of love, pride, loss and pain. Devdas Mukherjee is the beloved son of a rich Bengali family. As a child, he was very close to his friend Parvati, fondly called Paro. As they grow up, their friendship turns into deep love. When Devdas returns from London after completing his studies, Paro hopes that he will marry her and live together forever. But Devdas' family doesn't agree to their marriage as Paro's family is not that rich or high ranking in the society. Due to family pressure, Devdas doesn't marry Paro. Feeling humiliated by this, Paro marries a very rich but old widower with two children, arranged by her family. She becomes the mother of two young step children of her age.

Broken from all sides, Devdas cannot bear this pain and goes to Calcutta (now Kolkata) where he meets his friend Chunnilal. Through Chunnilal, Devdas meets Chandramukhi, a soft hearted dancer. Chandramukhi falls in love with Devdas. But Devdas cannot forget Paro and Paro, who is also heartbroken, can never forget Devdas. Devdas drowns in alcohol, his life becomes full of heartbreak and sorrow. He embarks on a path full of pain. But he meets Paro once and promises that he will definitely come to meet her before he dies. Eventually, due to the pain of love and drinking too much alcohol, Devdas falls ill and comes close to death. Before dying, he somehow goes to Paro's house but dies at the door of her house, due to which Paro herself is drowned in the grief of his departure forever.

To make a film like "Devdas" you needed the best actors, the best music directors and a team that was ready for anything. Starring: Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai, Madhuri Dixit, Jackie Shroff and Smita Jaykar - Kaushalya (Devdas' mother), Manoj Joshi - Dwijadas, Milind Gunaji - (Kalibabu), Vijayendra Ghatge - Bhuvan Chaudhary.

The film was  written and directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and produced by Bharat Shah. The music was composed by Ismail Darbar and Monty Sharma. The lyrics were written by Nusrat Badr and Sameer and the dances were choreographed by renowned choreographer Birju Maharaj. He ensured that the dances were as beautiful as the sets in every frame.

Ask anyone who has seen "Devdas" and they will tell you about its heart-touching songs. It took more than two and a half years to compose the music for the film. Each song is full of emotions and the lyrics speak of love and yearning.  Here are some of the most popular songs from "Devdas": "Silsila Yeh Chahat Ka", sung by Shreya Ghoshal, composed by Ismail Darbar and lyrics by Nusrat Badr, this song made Shreya Ghoshal a famous singer in Bollywood overnight.

• "Hamesha Tumko Chaha", sung by Udit Narayan and Kavita Krishnamurthy.

• "Dola Re Dola", sung by Kavita Krishnamurthy, Shreya Ghoshal and K.K., a great dance number performed by Paro and Chandramukhi.

• "Mar Daala", sung by Kavita Krishnamurthy and K.K., and filmed on Madhuri Dixit as Chandramukhi.

Monty Sharma composed the background score of the film. He spent six months making sure that every piece of music was spine-chilling and made the film magical. Every song and background music fit the story so deeply that it became a part of the heartbeat of the film.

Behind the camera anecdotes and unheard facts

There are many interesting stories behind the camera. Let us tell you some: Before Shah Rukh Khan was chosen for the role of Devdas, the role was offered to Salman Khan, but he did not accept it. Jackie Shroff's role of Chunnilal was first offered to actors like Govinda and Saif Ali Khan, but finally Jackie Shroff played the role.

Madhuri Dixit had to face a lot of difficulties while shooting for the song "Kahe Chhed Mohe". The costume she wore for that song weighed 30 kg. Just imagine, dancing and acting for hours with that much weight. But she never gave up and the song became a memorable one.

Shah Rukh Khan worked very hard to perform a drunk scene. There were also reports that he had to drink some real alcohol to act drunk. But the most difficult thing was to wear the traditional "dhoti" attire for a long time, which was called the "dhoti" dress. They practised and perfected it.

It is said that Salman Khan was present on the sets for the famous scene where Devdas removes the thorn from Paro's foot. He even performed the scene for Shah Rukh, which made it all the more emotional as Salman and Aishwarya Rai's real-life relationship was ending at that time.

Around 42 electric generators were used on the sets of the film. This led to a power shortage in the area, especially during weddings, where electricity was needed for lighting. No film before this had required so much electricity.

- "Devdas" was the most expensive Indian film of its time, with a budget of Rs 50 crore. The makers took care of every detail and left no stone unturned to make the film look royal and magical.

According to reports, the rights of the film are now with Shah Rukh Khan, under his own company Red Chillies Entertainment.

Shreya Ghoshal, who sang "Silsila Yeh Chahat Ka", made her Bollywood singing debut with this film, and This made him very popular.

"Devdas" was a worldwide hit. When "Devdas" was released on 12 July 2002, it made a tremendous impact in India and around the world. The film 'Devdas' became the highest grossing Indian film of that year. Critics in the Western countries also praised its beauty and storytelling. "Devdas" won many awards - five National Film Awards and ten Filmfare Awards.

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