By: Rakesh Budhu
Undoubtedly one of the biggest releases this year, if not amongst the many for the past few, Devdas cannot be classified amongst the big releases we’ve seen recently. The re-make of a classic tragedy has already surpassed the budget of Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (a common film for comparisons thanks to its magnanimous factors) without arguably doing half as much in terms of actors, promotions, and will finally hit the marquee this June. Can one consider Devdas as a normal big film? When it’s not a typical romance, not a family drama, but a re-make of a classic tragedy, one thinks not. On the 31st of March, Universal, the biggest audio company today, is scheduled to release the audio of Devdas with no festivities. Apparently, there will be no parties, no previews for a selected few; it will be just a simple release on to the market. Starkly differing from K3G, there is no taster to this film’s soundtrack, even though the caliber of this project now seems ten times more than that of K3G. Should Sanjay Leela Bhansali have approached such marketing strategies prior to releasing his film, one wonders, but the case in point is that Bhansali was too busy with the project itself to even consider the options. The audio rights, again, acquired by Universal, were fought for amongst the top of the top. The soundtrack has been said to have been sold for a whopping 12 crores!
Perhaps the factor that Bhansali is the most proud - and stern- about is that everyone involved has given the film their strict attention. Ismail Darbar, the music director, stated in an interview that he is more concerned with quality than quantity, and is probably one of the only music directors who can vouch for that with his small list of projects (his most recent after Devdas will be Boney Kapoor’s Shakti after which he disappears again). Each of the main leads had to finish off loose projects (ironically, all three of them were finishing off the same project, Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam). The lyricists, specifically Nusrat Badr, spent all of his time on this project and this project alone, and it was a great deal of work. Sanjay Leela Bhansali has placed in months of research into the subject of the film, as has Ismail Darbar, and the lyricists Nusrat Badr and Sameer. The lyricists have worked endlessly to come up with the perfection in every penned word, though Sameer has only contributed one song. Bhansali has also included an old tune composed by Birju Maharaj. The perfectionist attitude lied within every member of the production including its dazzling cast. Madhuri Dixit enlisted in dance lessons to ensure that her dance styles would match those of Chandramukhi, the character she portrays, perfectly. Aishwarya Rai supposedly lived her character, Paro, during the production, stating that she has now modeled her life around the character. Shah Rukh Khan has stated that Devdas, the character, has taken most of the life out of him. Perhaps it is the determination of Bhansali that has brought out this stark vigor in everyone for Bhansali always insisted that one of the problems in the industry is that everyone has too many commitments and not enough time to devote to them. This is one of the reasons his project has taken so long, but is one of the reasons his soundtrack and [film] will stand out. On another note, the costumes are exquisite, quite visible from the trailers released and ensure that they match the time period to the tee. A team headed by Neeta Lulla and Abu-Sandeep has designed the unique outfits. The soundtrack of the film naturally has gold written all over it. Since the inception of the project, Darbar and Bhansali were ready to create a soundtrack, which would match the time period and the drama that the film portrays. Now, as it readies for release, Bhansali awaits the audience’s response to what is a "classical piece of modern day music". One would wonder why this classical piece does not include classical
singers such as Lata Mangeshkar or Asha Bhosle. Rather, it features Kavita
Krishnamurthy and introduces an excellent singer from Kolkata, who will sing
specifically for Aishwarya Rai. The singer, Shreya Ghosal, had been in
the eyes of Bhansali for quite some time and will be setting to life five of
the songs on the soundtrack. It is an effortful project with excellent talents as a major contender for its success. Madhuri Dixit, Ismail Darbar, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Aishwarya Rai and the ever so popular Shah Rukh Khan- these are talents proven in Bollywood already. It embodies in an equal set of introduced talents as well; yet something seems a midst amongst this talent filled production. The most pertinent of them all: Can the film live up to the magic that once was- Devdas? |
The most
intriguing thing about 
Again, the importance
in this project arguably isn’t because of the film’s necessity to become a
hit (which obviously thanks to its big budget- is a big factor). It’s for the
film to get the recognition that everyone has worked for. These players want
to know that they have created a modern day classic, and the efforts they
have put into prove no less.
Darbar says that the reason for
leaving two of Bollywood’s best singers out of the soundtrack was because of
the aptitude that he required for each song, he does say that he will use
them when it is right. They have also mentioned that the soundtrack, while
classical, has a mass-appeal to it, they are fully aware that if there is
nothing for the masses the soundtrack will probably go un-noticed. Other
singers in the soundtrack include Udit Narayan, Jaspinder Narula, Vinod
Rathod and KK.