Devdas (1955 film)

Devdas
DVD release cover
Directed by	Bimal Roy
Produced by	Bimal Roy
Written by	Rajinder Singh Bedi Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay
Starring	Dilip Kumar Vyjayanthimala Suchitra Sen Motilal
Music by	Sachin Dev Burman
Cinematography	Kamal Bose
Release date(s)	1955
Running time	159 min.
Language	Hindi

Devdas (Hindi: देवदास, Urdu: دیوداس) is a 1955 film directed by Bimal Roy, based on the Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay novel, Devdas.

In 2005, Indiatimes Movies ranked the movie amongst the Top 25 Must See Bollywood Films.^[1]

Plot

Set against the backdrop of rural Bengal during feudal times, Devdas is the story of a doomed love affair between Devdas (Dilip Kumar), son of the local zamindar, a high-caste Brahmin, and Parvati (Suchitra Sen), the daughter of their neighbour, also a Brahmin, but belonging to a slightly lower status in terms of caste, affluence and status. They grow up as childhood sweethearts. But when they decide to marry, Devdas' father puts his foot down, packing his younger son off to Calcutta for higher studies. Parvati's marriage is finalized with a wealthy zamindar, a widower with children older than his young second wife. Learning about Parvati's marriage, Devdas rushes back to his village and tries to stop the marriage, in vain. Parvati is prepared to elope with him but Devdas refuses and Parvati leaves his room in the middle of the night, castigating him for his cowardice. In Calcutta, Chunilal (Motilal) introduces him to an attractive and strong-willed courtesan, Chandramukhi (Vyjayanthimala), and initiates Devdas into the darker corridors of the city. Devdas finds an easy escape in drink and though he insists that he hates Chandramukhi, he keeps coming back to her for moral support. Chandramukhi falls in love with him. He meets Parvati once more, when he returns to the village to perform the last rites of his father. He bequeaths his share of the family wealth to his older brother, ear-marking a part of it for his mother during her lifetime. Parvati pleads with him to give up drinking. He evades a direct reply and instead, promises to see her at least one last time before he dies. Back to the city, he drowns himself in drink. Chandramukhi gives up the life of a professional courtesan and concentrates on nursing Devdas back to health. He gives up drinking for some time and is advised to go on a holiday. He embarks on a train journey across the country, destination unknown. He stealthily runs away one night, leaving his faithful family retinue Dharamdas in the train when he chances upon a junction station that will take him to Manikpur where Parvati lives. He treks along in a bullock cart to see Parvati one last time. He dies a tragic and painful death under a tree outside her house before Parvati can see him.

Cast

• Dilip Kumar as Devdas Mukherjee
• Vyjayanthimala as Chandramukhi
• Suchitra Sen as Parvati Chakraborty / Paro
• Motilal as Chunni Babu
• Nazir Hussain as Dharamdas
• Murad as Devdas' father
• Pratima Devi as Devdas' mother
• Shivraj as Parvati's father
• Iftekhar as Brijudas
• Pran as Chandramukhi's patron
• Johnny Walker as Chandramukhi's patron

Soundtrack

The Soundtrack of Devdas was composed by Sachin Dev Burman and the lyrics were penned by the veteran poet/lyricist Sahir Ludhianvi.

Song	Singer
"Mitwa Lagi Yeh Kaisi"	Talat Mehmood
"Kisko Khabar Thi"	Talat Mehmood
"Jise Tu Kabool Karle"	Lata Mangeshkar
"Ab Aage Teri Marzi"	Lata Mangeshkar
"O Jaan-e-Wale Ruk Ja"	Lata Mangeshkar
"Woh Na Ayenge Paltkar"	Mubarak Begum
"Aan Milo Aan Milo"	Hemant Kumar & Geeta Dutt
"Sajan Ki Ho Gayi Gori"	Manna Dey & Geeta Dutt
"Manzil Ki Chah Mein"	Mohammad Rafi & Chorus

References

1. ^ Kanwar, Rachna (3 October 2005). "25 Must See Bollywood Movies". Indiatimes movies. Archived from the original on 22 August 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080915022116/http://movies.indiatimes.com/Special_Features/25_Must_See_Bollywood_Movies/articleshow/msid-1250837,curpg-23.cms. Retrieved 8 November 2010. 

External links

• Devdas at the Internet Movie Database
• Devdas review