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THDEVDAS 🪔 (2002)
In the West, there’s Romeo & Juliet. In the East, there’s Devdas and Paro.
Originally a 1917 Bengali novel, DEVDAS was reimagined for the big screen in 2002 by acclaimed Bollywood director Sanjay Leela Bhansali. The film even made its way to the Cannes Film Festival—and for good reason. This movie is breathtakingly beautiful.
From the opulent, regal set designs to a powerhouse cast featuring Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai, and Madhuri Dixit, every frame feels indulgent. Add in the sweeping music and mesmerizing dance numbers, and the film becomes a lush tapestry of elegance, longing, and unfortunate restraint.
That elegance is constantly undercut by the ugly, brutal weight of upper-class societal expectations and suffocating family obligation. At its core, DEVDAS is about an ambitious son forced to choose between the woman he loves and the life carefully mapped out for him by his parents.
I am a sucker for forbidden love, especially when it ends in tragedy—so this film was right in my wheelhouse.
On one end, DEVDAS is a poetic tale of an undying love that never gets to see the light of day. On the other end, it’s two outrageously good-looking people eye f*cking each other for three hours—and for the most part, I was here for it.
Let’s be honest: most of their problems stem from aunties who are doing too much. There’s something uniquely destructive about people whose favorite hobby is making other people’s business their business. They are the worst.
The film leans heavily into stage-play theatrics, not just in the performances but in how the sets are framed. Whether built from scratch or shot on location, there are moments where the world itself completely steals the spotlight, pulling your eyes away from the story simply because it’s that stunning.
As a quick aside, this is the kind of movie that makes you want to travel to the places it exists in. It’s exactly why I’m making an effort to watch more films from around the world this year.
Enjoy!
7.1/10 🎥 🍿
Runtime:3hrs05mins
Where: Prime Video
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The Richmond Reviewer Devdas Review.
#Devdas #ShahRukhKhan #SRK #Madhuri #AishwaryaRai #Bollywood #Cinema #MovieReview #Movie
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