Joined: Mon Dec 03, 2001 11:01 pm
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'This is what great cinema is all about'
Ram Gopal Varma on Devdas
Sweeping masterpiece or over-the-top kitsch? Devdas has divided opinion amongst film-goers and film-makers as few films have in recent times.
While the audience has delivered its verdict, there is one film-maker who feels so strongly about the movie that he wishes to join the debate publicly. "I want to speak about Devdas," declares Ram Gopal Varma.
How did you go into your first viewing of Devdas? And what prompted you to see it twice?
It was really not my kind of film to begin with. But obviously I was swayed by the size, the budget, starcast and Sanjay Bhansali's passionate approach to film making.
I wasn't very sure that such a theme could work with today's audience. But when I saw it, I was taken aback by Bhansali's interpretation of the story. It isn't literary but operatic. More like a lush Broadway play than a straightforward movie.
Bhansali has proved that we in Mumbai can make a film as big in design as any Hollywood epic, that if you have the vision you can pull anything off.
Every aspect of our cinema has been upgraded after Devdas. It's an achievement far, far superior to anything I've seen or made. When I came out of the theatre I felt I had never undergone such an experience. Which is what great cinema is all about.
Do you think Rs 50 crores is too much to spend on any film?
We keep hearing about so many films that cost Rs 30-40 crores anyway. The production cost is directly related to box office returns. With Devdas, the money is coming back. So what's the fuss about?
As for the money being well used, I firmly believe that Devdas looks like a Rs 75 to 100-crore film. Which means he has delivered full value for money, and then some more. There are moments in Bhansali's Devdas when we're simply overawed by his visual grandeur.
And mind you, his intention is not to create beautiful sets for their own sake. The really interesting part of Bhansali's narration is what his characters do within that grandeur. His direction shook me up completely. I honestly feel that if he had made it on a realistic level it wouldn't have worked at all. If the characters, sets and music are larger than life, then I'd say, that's what a true cinematic experience is all about. I think a lot of people are getting caught up with what Devdas should have been instead of what it is.
I think some people don't want to go beyond the spectacular visuals. I've heard it said that any film-maker with Rs 50 crores could make Devdas. That's as stupid as saying anyone with Rs 100 crores can take George Lucas' place and make Star Wars. I think Sanjay Bhansali is one of the best craftsmen we have in Indian cinema. His understanding of the medium is astonishing.
"I've heard it said that any film-maker with Rs 50 crores could make Devdas. That's as stupid as saying anyone with Rs 100 crores can take George Lucas' place and make Star Wars"
But doesn't Devdas represent the opposite of what your cinema stands for--you believe in restricted budgets, tight schedules and prolific output.
Budgets are flexible. I don't think that's an issue in my cinema or anyone else's. The film-maker's vision is what makes a film.
And Bhansali has the vision. I can't visualise the scale of grandeur in Devdas. But when he pulls it off, I can appreciate what he has done. I don't think I've seen such an impressively staged film in a long time. Devdas has added to my cinematic experience. And I'm grateful for that.
While there are many who have loved the film, opinions have been mixed within the industry.
We film-makers are filled with frustrations and insecurities. We've no idea of what the box office wants every Friday.
When someone defies every rule and convention of mainstream moviemaking, we hate him for his guts. We can't bear to see him get away with it. We want him to fail because his success is our failure.
Many have compared the film with Bimal Roy's version and found it inadequate.
I haven't seen Bimal Roy's film. But from whatever I know of it, I don't think it would've worked today if Bhansali had attempted to make it the same way.
Since I didn't carry the baggage of pre-conceived notions, I reacted to Devdas on its own terms. I honestly feel that if this film were called David instead of Devdas, people would judge it on its own terms.
By carrying your own expectations into Bhansali's Devdas, I feel you're missing the point. It's like looking at a beautiful woman and concentrating only on the pimple on her cheek. In looking at the flaw you miss the overall beauty.
What did you think of the performers?
I thought Shah Rukh Khan was brilliant. Even if I didn't like him in a couple of scenes. (My friends loved him in those very scenes. But that's just fine.)
As for Madhuri Dixit and Aishwarya Rai, looking so beautiful isn't the issue any more. It's the way they've been presented by Sanjay Bhansali that makes them so special.
Do you see no flaws in the movie?
Well, there're things that don't work for me. The film has its flaws. But no work of art would be interesting or even complete without some. For me the greatest problem was that I couldn't identify with Devdas, Paro or Chandramukhi as characters. I couldn't relate to their emotions. But I could still experience their trauma and I think that's quite an achievement on the director's part.
But I do think that in looking too intently at the so-called flaws in Devdas, people are missing its greatness.
Would you wish to make a film on the scale of Devdas?
To expend so much time and energy on one film isn't my scene. I have neithr Bhansali's patience nor temperament. At the end of the day, if a film-maker compromises, as I do, then I don't think he can be called intensely passionate. My compromises may not be conscious. But they're there.
In Devdas there's no compromise. Take the music score. I can't imagine the director sitting with the composer and saying, "Chalo hit gaana banaate hain jo disco aurGanpati mein chalega." Not one song in Devdas is out of place. The music, like everything else, comes straight from Bhansali's vision. Whether it's the music or the costumes, everything is intensely passionate.
What impact do you think Devdas will have on Hindi cinema?
Devdas has taken our mainstream cinema a huge step forward. Its true impact will be felt three to five years from now.
Right now, it will raise all-round cinematic standards. Its perfection will become a desirable goal. I think Devdas tells us not to take the audience for granted, and to treat their aesthetic sensibilities with the utmost respect.
Subhash K Jha
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o:
THAT"s bloody amazing!!
:O