LOCARNO: Film ‘Devdas’, is etched in the memory of its audiences till now after over two decades of its release and is considered Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s one of finest works. The lead actor, of the romantic drama, Shah Rukh Khan, who captivated fans with his performance, revealed how he said “no” at first to the story.
Speaking about ‘Devdas’ at the 77th edition of the Locarno Film Festival on Sunday, Shah Rukh said, “It’s a very special film. Devdas was the movie that mother loved watching, my dad also used to talk about it. It’s one of the greatest classic films with Dilip Kumar. It’s been remade in the country many times and it’s about a guy who’s an alcoholic, doesn’t commit to a girl, goes away. I could not find any essence in it at my age. Many years later, when Mr Sanjay Leela Bansali, who I think is one of the most talented filmmakers of our times, he came down and he said, I want you to do Devdas.”
SRK revealed that his initial reaction was a no to the role.
He added, “I said, no, he’s a loser, an alcoholic. I’m too cool to be Devdas! So, it kind of petered out, and then before leaving, he just said one thing, which still sticks with me. He said, ‘I’ll not make this film if not with you, because your eyes are like Devdas.’ So I said, okay. He said, ‘I would not cast anyone.’ And for a year he didn’t. Then we met again, and I said, ‘Okay, if you can’t find eyes like mine, I’ll do the film. Again, I was privileged to work with Aishwarya Rai and Madhuri Dixit, Jackie Shroff. It was one of the most wonderful experiences of my life to play that character.”
Shah Rukh also said that he doesn’t want anyone to look up to Devdas, even though the enactment was nice.
He stated, “I don’t like to play characters which demean women. I’ll be honest. I didn’t want him to be liked for the reason in the film that he, you know, sort of, this is a woman and doesn’t commit to her. I wanted him to come across as a person who’s a bit of a spineless person. It’s not somebody you should look up to. Yes, enactment might be nice. I think Bansali made the film really beautifully. You get taken in by the drama and everybody will enjoy it when they see it. I don’t think anybody wants to be Devdas. It’s enjoyable but it’s not the character that you take back home.”
As part of the Locarno tribute, the festival is also screening Khan’s 2002 hit Devdas from director Sanjay Leela Bhansali.
Adapted from novelist Sarat Chandra Rai’s renowned book of the same name, Bhansali’s ‘Devdas’ had a star-studded cast which comprised superstar Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, and Dhak dhak’ girl, Madhuri Dixit Nene. Unlike movies which have a happy ending, the main crux of ‘Devdas’ was its tragic ending. The sheer longing of a lover to see her beloved for one last time as he dies on the streets just to catch a glimpse of his ‘Paro’ lives rent-free in the hearts of people. The tragedy of ‘Devdas’ was something completely unforgettable.
SRK as Devdas, Aishwarya as Paro, and Madhuri as Chandramukhi, the trio gave a flawless performance which tugged at the heartstrings of audiences. Apart from the lead actors, Kirron Kher, Jackie Shroff, Smita Jaykar, and Jaya Bhattacharya all did a commendable job in the movie. (ANI)
Also Read: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan celebrates 20 years of ‘Devdas’
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