The time has come, the years most awaited film is finally releasing. Post all desi-web-reviews in this thread PLUS your 2 cents (esp. from the early-birds of the UK peeps, since you mates get a day early viewing). Will this film be the year's biggest disater OR the years best film OR will it carry mixed reviews?! The time clock is ticking.

I'm watching it tonight!!!!!!!! will report back tommorow morning Sir!

i am watching it in an hour..

damm i watching it leicester square peak time cost me 10.50

3.80 is ajoke was that leicester square or lecester?

watched it.. walked out.. nothing spectacular.. C'mon gimme Kaante!!

u sure u watched devdas. the devdas i saw is modern day classic.

I have to agree with Prince Naz. The Devdas I saw lived up to my hopes of being a great film.

Shah Rukh Khan the greatest actor of my generation, has made the role his own. The first half of the film SRK was Okay but it took the second half plus numerous bottles of alchool for Shah Rukh to come in to his own and carry the film on his shoulders.

The two leading roles were great but I thought Madhuri should have had greater time on the screen. Ms Rai just had to stand on the screen and it made you watch.

The sets were a eye sore but in a good way, but for me the high light of the film was the "Dola Re Dola" song. It had the visuals set pieces to match the best song in the film.

Okay I may have gone on too much but IMHO i can say Devdas will stand the test of time and whether Kaante does I very much doubt it. :blush: :tounge:



Edited By shamrat on July 11 2002 at 16:59

i am with u first half srk was ok but second half was something special and i have recorded people reaction which i will upload later but people were weeping at the end. it is the saddest ending i have seen..

tsk tsk. Now I dont even know if I should beleive th review.

Just got back from the cinema, wow what a film.
One of the best I have seen in a long time. It won't get all the teens in like k3g and KKHH excited but anyone who loves a proper story of intellegence will love it. I did. Shahrukh is great as are the girls. The first 2 hours flew past, the second half is the better half don't get me wrong both halfs are great. The songs fit the movie, the sets are lavish and bhansalis use of red is all over the place. Film looks great, a few plot points seemed a little silly and rushed but overall the film was great. Shah rukh resisted playing his normal sssssss-self too.

8/10 wont watch it again in the cinema, but will be thinking about it for some time and waiting for the DVD.

Actually now that i think about it the cinema print seemed kinda dull and had lots of artifacts on it, the subtitles were blurred in places too.....this at the odeon leicester square on day 1 with a new print too. There was a guy in there with a video camera too!!!!!

Anyway watch the movie, love the movie.



Edited By Awaaz on July 11 2002 at 19:21

was this version of devdas the full version or was it the shorter 2.5 hrs version for the international audience???? i cannot wait to see this movie

ok here is a lil review I wrote for my English friends, the film i saw was 3 hours btw.



Ok I finally got to watch the long awaited Devdas last night, what I can say. It was superb.

The last film that we waited for this much was Khabhi khushi khabhi ghum (came out last November) and although Bollywood churns out loads of films very few are actually any good.

Devdas is the 3rd film directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, his second film Hum dil dey chucke sanam is one of my all time favs, and I have just bought a second version of the DVD (which now has English subtitles and the making of etc). Sanjays films are lavish with fantastic cinematography, he uses rich red and autumn colours. This new film Devdas is the most expensive Indian film ever and it shows, each shot is exquisite. The expense has not gone on designer clothes and fast cars, but really lavish sets and costumes.

Devdas is a costume drama based on a book written in 1917, which to date has been made about 4/5 times into a movie. Its the film that all producers keep revisiting like a Shakespearean piece of text. I don't want to say it is the Indian equivalent of xyz, as that would give away part of the story - which is totally Indian, yet far more human that touches a chord with everyone. Devdas won a special mention at Cannes and got rave reviews, for the first 15 minutes or so of the film, I was wondering why a non Asian audience would like it so much, by the end of the film I knew why.

The atmosphere in the audience was electric a real buzz, lots of English people in the audience - groups of women, couples and a guy in suit who you would never think watches Indian films came on his own. In front of us a group of about 8 English people came and sat, one of whom my little recognised as "the hairdresser from this morning". The film started to cheers from the Indian audience, something I've never seen and ended with applause again something that never happens. The 8 English people in front stood to applaud the movie they had obviously loved it. In the foyer afterwards the guys were subdued, the women were wiping away the last of the tears. This is Indian cinema at it's very best.

Everyone was talking about what they had seen in a daze, no one was questioning if the film was good or not, instead they were asking each other if it was the best film they had ever seen. As we walked out of the theatre a young English chap could be overheard saying "awesome" and that just about sums up the movie.

The film is for grown ups it has a real story, unlike other Indian hits like khabhi khushi this isn't aimed at the teen market, there isn't a cheap comic relief - just an amazing story. Shah Rukh khan excels and resists playing the same stuttering character he plays in every other movie, Ashwaria Rai and Madhuri look amazing. Khabhi Khushi Khabhi Ghum and kutch kuch hotha hai, the biggest hits in recent years are great pop corn movies, but Devdas is a spectacle with a story that is complicated yet so humanly simplistic. This is the film that will remain in your head for many years to come long after you have forgotten the others.

If you only ever watch one Indian film in the cinema, this is the one to do it. The film is of epic proportions and deserves the biggest screen. Every generation has one Indian film that they talk about for years to come this is ours.

very bad reviews from taran and rediff

Devdas

By Taran Adarsh

Top of the line star cast.
Gargantuan budget.
Lavish mounting.
Big-time director.
Tremendous hype…

Bharat Shah's DEVDAS, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, is a saga of mammoth proportions, but it lacks the power to stimulate, mesmerise, captivate and enthral the viewer.

Son of an affluent zamindar, Devdas (Shah Rukh Khan) opened his eyes to a world where wealth dominated his existence. Indulged he was by his lovely playmate Paro (Aishwarya Rai). It was a special childhood and it seemed only Devdas and Paro seemed to exist for each other.

The reverie was broken when elders sent Devdas to London for education. When Devdas returned, Paro's mother (Kiron Kher) proposed Devdas and Paro's marriage. But it was met with condescendingly.

Heart-broken Paro entered into a chaste marriage with a wealthy, much older man, Zamindar Bhuvan (Vijayendra Ghatge), while a shattered Devdas took refuge in anguish, alcoholism and Chandramukhi (Madhuri Dixit), a stunning courtesan.

Strange was the fate of Devdas. Intensely loved by two women, who were never meant to be his. One, whom he could never love and the other, whom he could never stop loving…

DEVDAS, one of the keenly-awaited flicks of the year, has finally released. And the hype and hoopla associated with the film has translated into tremendous craze for this mega venture. However, unfortunately, all that shimmers in not gold!

Innumerable directors have tackled the story of two childhood lovers facing parental opposition, going separate ways, yet loving each other. In that respect, the story of DEVDAS holds no charm or novelty for the cinegoer of today.

But the difference lies in the fact that the person at the helm of affairs is none other than Sanjay Leela Bhansali. A craftsman par excellence. A great story-teller.

DEVDAS has the budget, the canvas, the mounting that no Hindi film can boast of to date. The opulent sets, the grandiose look, the mounting and the ambience makes you gape in astonishment.

Technically too, the film is a superior product. The shot execution, the sound quality and the cinematography bowl your mind as you embark on a journey that promises the world as far as entertainment is concerned.

Bhansali also deserves bouquets for handling several sequences with aplomb. The Kiron Kher – Smita Jayakar fiery confrontation (first half) deserves distinction marks. Ditto for the scene between Madhuri Dixit and Milind Gunaji, when the latter throws a challenge at her.

The Madhuri – Aishwarya confrontation and the dramatic sequence soon after 'Dola Dola', when Madhuri confronts Milind, are a few instances that endorse the fact that Bhansali is amongst the best in the business.

But the film lacks the grip in totality to keep the viewer's attention arrested, which factually was a strongpoint of Bhansali's previous effort HUM DIL DE CHUKE SANAM. It is evident that Bhansali has, this time, taken extra care to make the frame look brilliant, but the screenplay abounds in glitches and clichés.

The first half has an enjoyable mix of light moments and dramatic scenes and the interval point raises the expectations of a better and much bigger second half. But the post-interval portions fail to hold your attention and there are several reasons for it.

One, the Chunnilal track (Jackie Shroff) comes as a major hindrance in the plot. Although his significance is imperative in the script, somehow you don't take to Chunnilal's character and his presentation. He's been used as a mere prop to further the story and the lines mouthed by him grossly irritate.

Secondly, the sequences between Madhuri and SRK are far from magical. Why does Madhuri fall in love with SRK instantaneously, without any reason whatsoever, baffles the viewer. Later, Paro and Chandramukhi's friendship and making them dance together ('Dola Re Dola') seems forced.

Moreover, the second half is too lengthy and needs to be trimmed by at least 20 minutes. The 'Sheeshe Se Sheesha Takraye' song, for instance, was just not needed. Besides, the film moves at a snail's pace in this half.

Most importantly, will a theme like this – a tragic love story of yore – find flavour and identification with the cinegoer of today and more specifically with the youth and the hoi polloi, remains a pertinent question while watching the film.

Ismail Darbar's music gels well with the mood of the film. Nusrat Badr's lyrics are lyrical gems. Binod Pradhan's cinematography is dazzling. Dialogues are brilliant at places. The sets, props and the overall look deserve special mention. Costumes and finery are exquisite.

And now to the performances!

Shah Rukh Khan excels in a couple of sequences, but seems like replicating himself in the others. Madhuri Dixit looks bewitching but lacks the fire to carry off such a role. She goes through her role mechanically. It is Aishwarya Rai who steals the show with a performance that takes you by surprise. She dominates the film with a performance that is sure to win her accolades. Jackie Shroff hams. Kiron Kher is first-rate. Smita Jayakar is alright. Ananya, as Devdas's scheming sister-in-law, is superb.

On the whole, DEVDAS belies the expectations that one has from a film of this magnitude. Expectedly, the much-hyped film has taken a historic start all over, but it lacks in merits and most importantly, repeat value, which is so very vital to recover the colossal investment that has gone into its making.

Rating:- * ½.

Why Faddy, you feel insecure now that SRK has done a good job?

I have already said I enjoyed Devdas but think the general public need more films like this. With the recent releases of films like Lagaan and Asoka which in my view, have catered for a wide variety of people. These films have instilled some credibility into Hindi cinema on the world stage.

If only more film makers were willing to make and produce different stories instead of peddling the same old shit like Yash Raj Films :alien: