Devdas - Nail Biting Facts
Devdas is the Indian entry, Out of Competition, at the 55th Cannes Film Festival May, 15-22 2002.
At Rs 50 crore, Devdas is the most expensive Hindi film ever. For an industry in financial crisis, it's a huge risk. As for the director Sanjay Leela Bhansali and the three stars—Shah Rukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit and Aishwarya Rai—the film will have a major impact on the way their careers progress.
Rs 20 crore were spent on six sets only.
700 lightmen worked with the help of 42 generators to supply 30 lakh watts of power.
1.22 lakh pieces of stained glass were used to make Paro's room.
Chandramukhi's kotha alone cost Rs 12 crore.
Multi-Dimensional set inspired by Dilwara Temples in Rajasthan have been used.
Chandramukhi's kotha was built on the banks of an artificial lake.
Every
Madhuri's Costume Cost around 15
Lakhs and Aishwarya's one 10-12
Lakhs.
Music: Ismail Darbar
Coming from a family of four generation musicians, is Ismail Darbar. An exponent of the violin, he worked for nine years as a session violist for leading music directors. Lady luck's shine increased on Ismail Darbar when he met director Sanjay Leela Bhansali, for whose film Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, he composed the music. With the director's keen ear for music, the result, was sheer magic! Filmgoers were astonished by the exemplary quality, melody and originality of the musical score. Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Ismail Darbar have bedecked Devdas with nine songs that speak not only the story of the film but also the story of melody and passion at their entwined best.
The Lyricist - Nusrat Badr
He indeed knows how to cajole his pen into giving its best. Having created a mark as a poet, he makes a soulful debut as a film lyricist in Devdas. The story of Devdas has passion, pain and pathos as its synonymous companions. The lyrics had to lovingly capture this. And open the route from the ears to the heart so that the musical words of Devdas may stay there forever. Nusrat Badr's simple lyrics complimented the complex feelings that had to be conveyed with much accuracy.
The
Choreograpers
PANDIT
BIRJU MAHARAJ
When he
makes the world dance on his fingers , nothing seems better.His legendary name
has become synonymous with the traditional dance form of Kathak. Born in the
illustrious family of Kathak Dancers of the Lucknow gharana, Pandit Birju
Maharaj was initially trained by his father, Guru Achhan Maharaj and later by
his uncle, Guru Shambhu Maharaj. His dances showcase an admirable blend of the
best of the two greats. An institution by himself, he has not only bedazzled
audiences the world over, but has also groomed a galaxy of young kathak dancers.
As an ode to his unparalleled talent, are many prestigious awards including the
Padma Vibhusan, Kalidas Samman and Soviet land Nehru award.Besides being a
renowned dancer ,he is also a vocalist, percussionist, music composer, poet and
painter. For "Devdas" he has composed & choreographed "Kahe
Ched Mohe...", a 'Mujra' based on Indian Classical dance which is one of
the highlights of the film.Thus ,dance history awaits yet another addition in
its glittering pages.
SAROJ
KHAN
Her
sunshine demeanor, radiance and joie de vivre reflect in her choreography . She
has to her credit ,some of the most pulsatingly popular dance numbers of the
Indian film industry .She holds the distinct honour of receiving the first
Filmfare Award for Choreography for her famous "Ek Do Teen" song with
Madhuri Dixit . She has won a plethora of other awards including the Filmfare
award for the song "Nimbooda" in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Hum Dil
De Chuke sanam". Her magic touch surfaces yet again with her choreography
in "Devdas ".This includes the much awaited "Dola re dola"
song in which she orchestrates the nimble movements of Madhuri Dixit and
Aishwarya who blaze the screen together for the first time.
VAIBHAVI
MERCHANT
Even as
the fervour of her brilliantly choreographed garba dance number "Dhol baje..."
in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Hum dil De Chuke Sanam" was at its peak
,she won the National Award for it. Vaibhavi Merchant, the grand-daughter of
Shri. B. Hiralal, a renowned film choreographer, is trained in Indian and
Western Classical dance.This, compiled with her fresh style leaves enough
opportunity for appreciation to follow. In "Devdas" her delicate and
sensitive touch is palpable in the three songs choreographed by her.
PAPPU
- MALU
When Pappu
met Malu , harmony met symphony yet again .Pappu (Zahur Sheikh) and Malu (Kavita
Gandhi), started very young as dancers and assisted leading choreographers
before taking the plunge as independent choereographers. They formed a group
"Pop Chic", which has to its credit several prestigious stage shows in
India and abroad. With Devdas, they make a spendid debut in film choreography.
Music Reveiws
Planet Bollywood:
Devdas is the highest paid for
soundtrack ever. Its rights were bought at an unheard of 12 crores by Universal.
Well, is it really worth all that cash? Well that’s for Universal to decide.
However, all I know is, Devdas is the best
soundtrack to come out this year, and maybe the best OF the year. Sanjay
Leela Bhansali and Ismail Darbar join hands once again to give us
another awesome soundtrack. Though Devdas may not hold the mass appeal that
HDDCS had, it’s still a great album nevertheless. Devdas is a period film, and
taking that into consideration, Darbar had to really work hard on creating an
ambiance for the songs. He’s very successful at that, with the help of
newcomer lyricist Nusrat Badr. Badr has pulled off something that’s
very hard for ANY lyricist to do. He’s remained simple, yet poetic, and also
come up with songs that will fit like a glove to the situations. It’s true
that I haven’t yet seen the film, but listening to the songs you feel like you
are there, and you know what’s going on the film. Not many lyricists are able
to combine all those aspects and come up with brilliant results. Mr. Badr, take
a bow!
Shreya Ghosal marks her debut with
“Silsila Yeh Chaahat Ka.” The song is about a girl waiting for
her lover, sounds familar na? But thanks to Darbar the songs turns out to
be one of the best on the album. The tabla and the chorus wonderfully
compliment Ghosal’s flawless rendition; notice the way she easily carries off
the part where she has to stretch the “piya” refrain. Shreya
Ghosal’s voice is very similar to Chitra's (a fellow staff member pointed that
out), and she’s done some amazing work for a newcomer in this album.
“Maar Daala” sung by Kavita
K. Subramanium and K.K. is a mujra. When I first heard this
song on the television promos being aired, I quite didn’t like it. Even on the
CD, it took a few listens before I began to like it. Now, it’s one of the best
tracks on the soundtrack in my opinion. The singing by Kavita is flawless. The
slight harmonium touch by Darbar really adds to the flavor of the song. K.K. is
held to the background, and only appears near the end of the song.
If you liked “Aankhon Ki Gustakhiyan”
from HDDCS, I can pretty much guarantee you’ll like “Bairi Piya”.
The song falls in the same genre as the previously mentioned song from HDDCS, a chhed
chhad song, but done with a lot of grace and maturity. Yes, that’s quite
hard to put together. Shreya Ghosal and Udit Narayan render this number.
The singing, like all of the songs in the album is just mind-blowing. The unique
part of the song is the “ish” that Darbar has put in at certain points in
the song, very unique!
Next up we have a pure classical number
“Kaahe Chhed Mohe” written by Pandit Birju Maharaj, who
also sings the song along with Kavita K. Subramanium and Madhuri Dixit.
The song will probably hold appeal only to hardcore classical music lovers. The
highlight of the song is definitely Madhuri Dixit. Madhuri doesn’t sing here,
she’s there just to recite some verses. It’s amazing how elegant she sounds
when she’s rendering her lines. I don’t think this one will find many
listeners on the CD, but on the screen this song will sizzle for Madhuri’s
dancing I bet.
Next up is “Hamesha Tumko Chaha”
sung by Kavita and Udit Narayan. This song is my favorite of the album, simply
for the “preetam” refrains. That’ s one of the highlights of the
song, along with Udit’s and Kavita’s rendition. The way the emotions are
expressed through this song is just beautiful. Lyrics by Nusrat Badr are again,
simple yet wonderful.
“Chhalak Chhalak” is a
song that will probably be picturised on Shah Rukh Khan and Jackie
Shroff at a “kotha”. Udit Narayan and Vinod Rathod lend
their voices here. I don’t think everyone will like this song, but I like it
for it’s playfulness and simplicity. A song fitting this situation could’ve
turned out horrible, but Darbar and Bhansali’s execution is pretty nice. Nice
to hear Vinod Rathod in a good song after such a long time...
The album is dominated by females, alas we
have a male solo in the form of "Woh Chaand Jaisi Ladki"
sung by Udit Narayan. The song will probably be picturised on a drunk Devdas who
is remembering Paro. The composition is very simple, and wonderfully sung by
Udit Narayan, he's emoted really well in his singing. The lyrics also deserve a
special mention.
“Morey Piya” is sung by
Shreya Ghosal and Jaspinder Narula. Those who think that Jaspinder Narula
can only sing Bhangra/Punjabi songs need to get their ears checked. This song is
semi-classical and again may not find many takers, however, I personally liked
it. I hate to keep repeating my self, but the singing is just great here.
Jaspinder really surprised me, she easily carries this number even though
she’s never sung songs such as this before.
Next we have “Devdas - The Theme.”
This is the same music piece that was heard in the first promo. This is not
something that you’d wanna play over and over. Nonetheless, it’s up there
with other themes from other Hindi films such as Moksha, Asoka, etc.
Finally we have “Dola Re Dola”
sung by Kavita K. Subramanium, Shreya Ghosal, and K.K. This song will go down
really well with the masses. It reminds me a lot of “Nimbooda” from
HDDCS. However, the song still holds its own. The singing is very good again,
Shreya tries very hard to keep up with Kavita, and succeeds most of the time.
The opening tabla beats are just remarkable. This song will definitely be
a highlight on screen. Namely because Madhuri and Aishwarya are
supposed to be dancing together during this song, is that reason good enough for
you to await this song during the film?
Devdas could have been a tough assignment
for any music director. However Ismail Darbar has really put a lot of effort
into his work, and it shows. Credit must also be given to the singers, who just
bring out the best of themselves. Rarely have we an album where ALL the songs
are perfectly sung, Devdas is such an album. Bhansali deserves a pat on the back
for taking the risk of bringing in two newcomers (Badr and Ghosal) on such a
huge project. All in all, Devdas is without a doubt, a MUST buy.
India FM:
Over
the last one year or more, if there is one movie that has been
in
news since the day it was launched then it has been Sanjay Leela
Bhansali's
Devdas. First topic of discussion was the movie's theme.
Then
came Bharat Shah's arrest. Close on the heels of this, fire
occurred
on the sets of the movie. But despite all odds, Sanjay Leela
Bhansali
finally completed his magnum opus Devdas that everyone is
waiting
with bated breath. Much is expected from SLB after Khamoshi
and
Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. Enough has already been written about how
this
Devdas would be compared to the two classics on the same subject
made
earlier. But one thing that holds true is that at least in
today's
time, none other can Shahrukh Khan could have enacted the
role
of Devdas with perfection. Bhansali who always had a desire to
work
with Madhuri Dixit finally succeeds in roping her for Devdas.
Aishwarya
Rai will be having her first release after a long time
since
Albela. Jackie Shroff enacts the role of Devdas' friend in the
movie.
All
the compositions by Ismail Darbar are classical based. Lyrics by
Nusrat
Badr are very rich in content whcih are quite appreciable.
Bhansali's
favorite Kavita Subramaniam is Madhuri's voice in the
movie
whereas new find Shreya Ghoshal is Aishwarya's voice. It is a
good
indication to have roped in a newcomer for five tracks in the
movie
and Shreya doesn't disappoint. She has a flawless voice, which
is
quite easy on ears. Listen to her in the dance competition
song
'Dola Re Dola' between Madhuri and Ash and you just can't stop
raving
about her voice. Don't know who wins the dance competition
finally
but at least in the song Shreya does give tough competition
to
Kavita, which is no mean achievement. The best track of the album
that
also features KK.
'Silsila
Ye Chahat Ka' is a solo by Shreya which is about the girl
waiting
for her man to come to her. But it's surprising to see it
featuring
as the first track of the album as there are even better
tracks
like Dola Re Dola, Maar Daala, Bairi Piya and Morey Piya. Maar
Daala
is an excellent song that takes one back to the good old days
of
Pakeezah and Umrao Jaan. Now this is one of those mujras that we
were
waiting for so many years. And Ismail Darbar and Nusrat Badr
give
that to us. Sound of tabla and ghungroo make it a perfect number
to
listen to and Kavita Subramaniam justifies her decision to sing
selected
numbers only.
'Bairi
Piya' is a dute by Udit Narayan and Shreya and is something
on
the lines of 'Ankhon Ki Gustakhiyan' in terms of romanticism. A
sweet
number that should cause a few hearts pounding. 'Kaahe Chhed
Mohe',
which is sung, composed and written by Pt. Birju Maharaj, is
100%
classical. It seems to be dance class in progress where Madhuri
Dixit
is the student to whom Kavita Subramaniam lends her voice.
Madhuri
Dixit too makes a debut behind the mike with rendering a few
lines
as interludes and plays her part quite well.
'Chalak
Chalak' is the number picturized on Shahrukh and Jackie where
they
sing about what happens after a few drinks!! Interesting!! The
number
sniffs of another 'Dholi Taro Dhol Baje' in the making...not
content
wise, but rhythm wise!! Music wise 'Hamesha Tumko Chaha'
(Kavita
Subramaniam and Udit Narayan) reminds of 'Oh Ramji Bada Dukh
Dina..Tere
Lakhan Ne' from Subhash Ghai's Ram Lakhan. Interestingly
that
number too was picturized on Madhuri only. A slow number which
is
good but just for hearing. Won't find too many people really
humming
this one!!
Solo
'Woh Chand Jaisi Ladki' by Udit Narayan is a kind of number that
we
have seen Sonu Nigam singing for so many months now. Well, the
song
is indeed soothing and the lyrics too are worth mentioning. A
good
song. 'Morey Piya' that has lyrics by Sameer and sung by
Jaspinder
Narula and Shreya is another classical based number, which
is
situational.
'Devdas
- The Theme' composed by Monty and rendered by Rashmi Sharma,
Supriya
and Raghav is in one word - HAUNTING which has superb
orchestra
arrangements. It is the very same theme music that we all
heard
in the first promo of Devdas.
Devdas
can be considered to be one of the toughest assignments that
a
composer can get. In fact quite a few composers may even shy away
from
handling such a prestigious project. When writing the review
itself
required so much of understanding and study then it can be
very
well understood that how much of research and hard work may have
gone
in for composing these tracks. But Ismail Darbar who is just two
films
old (Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and Tera Jadoo Chal Gaya) does a
commendable
job here.
When
music of Lagaan was released then even it was accused of being
too
earthy and rural since it belonged to the different era. But the
popularity
of the music and the movie is there for everyone to be
seen.
It is surely to be seen in case of Devdas too. Though the music
is
good, it is quite classical in approach which may appeal only to
purists
in the beginning, but will definitely catch up with the
masses
too once the appropriate publicity is done. Anyway the initial
craze
for the music will give a much needed boost to the album sales
(which
is already quite apparent!!)
WONDERFUL
E Bolly. com:
Review
by Tushar Joshi
The
most anticipated soundtrack is out!! Yes, the music of Devdas is finally out on
the streets. Has Ismail Durbar re-created the magic of 'Hum dil de chuke sanam',
does the music sound contemporary enough for today's listeners, will it burn the
charts and increase the hype surrounding the magnanimously big-budgeted movie.
The answer my friend lies ahead...
Be it
his first film, 'Khamoshi' or his second hit 'Hum dil de chuke sanam', one thing
that is certain about any Sanjay Leela Bhansali movie is that the music of the
film is going to be definitely above average and in keeping with the movies
tone. With 'Devdads' this belief is strengthened all the more, and those who
enjoyed his previous work would definitely want to listen and see how he has
fared this time
Each
track of Devdas, be it slow or fast, classical or non-classical, is in keeping
with the mood and look of the movie. The era and the periodic grandeur have been
created beautifully by the use of instrumental pieces woven with soothing
melodies. The lyrics also add on to the passion and tragedy that is associated
with the story of Devdas. The music of 'Khamoshi' succeeded in showing the
anguish that the girl faced, while 'Hum dil de chuke sanam' was a winner all the
way in expressing the emotions of all the three central characters in a very
effective way. Bhansali has taken care to carry forward the story of Devdas
through the songs, and not keep them as mere 'item songs'. However, on the first
listening there are a few tracks that are immediately pleasing, while some for
the average listener may seem a bit too heavy. Nonetheless, the music has been
created with great efforts and it shows.
The
album opener is 'Silsila Yeh Chahat Ka' which is sung by newcomer Shreya
Ghosal, who was discovered by Bhansali on the popular Sa Re Ga Ma show on Zee
TV. She has a very fresh sound, which is as melodious as Alka Yagnik and as
classical as Kavita Subramaniam. She does full justice to the song, which is a
soft mellow and a slow number that slowly grows on you as you listen to
repeatedly. The chorus is also beautifully used to blend in the main song, which
is the trademark of Ismail Durbar. A track definitely meant for some gorgeous
picturisation.
'Maar
Dala' is picturised on Madhuri and is shown in the promos for a few seconds.
Kavita Subramaniam and K.K lend their voices for this track. There is ample
scope for Madhuri to show her dancing skills in the track as it is infused with
classical beats and thumkas. The song is not very upbeat but slow and takes time
to grow on you. K.K does some crooning towards the end and reminds you of 'Tadap
tadap' from 'Hum dil ..'. The song is in the leagues of those Pakeezah numbers,
perhaps inspired from the timeless classic 'Inhi logon ne' picturised on Meena
Kumari. A good song that will look better on screen for sure, thanks to Madhuri.
Lyrics
like 'Bairi piya bada bedardi..' would have seemed impossible in today's age of
remix,' pappu pager' and 'aati kya khandala..'. However, the lyricists Nusrat
Badr and Sameer have given some really beautiful words for the songs that take
us back to those golden days of the late 70's. The song 'Bairi Piya' is
sung by Udit Narayan and Shreya Ghosal and is a romantic number, which starts
off on a chorus and the sound of a violin, is basically a playful and teasing
number between the lovers. Shreya Ghosal sounds brilliant, and totally
overshadows Udit Narayan in this number. The melody seems like the old school
types but is still haunting and pleasurable to the ears.
'Kahe
Ched Mohe' is a classical dance number composed and sung by Pt Birju Maharaj,
Kavita Subramanian and hold your breath, Madhuri Dixit herself! It seems to be
the much talked about number where there is some jugalbandi between Paro and
Chandramukhi. Those who are all ears for hardcore classical music will be
thrilled to hear this song. Madhuri speaks out some words that seem to be a part
of the dance number, and she sounds as sweet as she looks on screen. Kavita has
the main singing to do, and she handles this difficult song with admirable
courage and enthusiasm. No one but her could have done justice to this number.
This song, which is a treat to listen, is definitely going to be a bigger treat
to see!
'Chalak
Chalak' is a song about boozing and drinking, which is the basic theme of
Devdas, no kidding! Udit Narayan, Vinod Rathod and Shreya Ghosal join in the
party to create a musical ruckus in this joyously intoxicating number. Onscreen
one can actually visualize Shahrukh with the 'madira' dancing and having a
blast. The song has a very A.R Rehmanish feel to it, on the lines of 'Ghanana
ghanana ' from Lagaan with words like 'dhammak dhaamak, chaanan chaanan, and
chalak chalak'. It is a song about sounds, booze and more booze, maybe one needs
to get intoxicated to enjoy it all the more. Try it if you can!
'Hamesha
Tumko Chaha' talks of undying, unconditional, devotional love. Kavita and
Udit Narayan sing this song with the required emotions. The song epitomizes love
and the feelings attached with it with great success. The singers have also done
the job well. The required sympathy is generated and there is the pain in the
voices to match the lyrics.
Udit
Narayan goes solo with 'Woh Chand Jaise Ladki', which is semi-ghazal type
song, very slow with gentle and feeble beats. The song however fits the typical
Devdas character, someone who is intoxicated and singing a song about a girl .
One wonders if the audience will be patient, enough to see this song, as it
exceeds the length of 4 and a 1/2 minutes, which is quite a length for a slow
song. The song is for the classes, and the masses will not take to it instantly.
Those who like ghazals, or slow ballads, and semi-classical numbers will
appreciate this song.
Jaspinder
Narula screeches and Shreya Ghosal sings or should I say speaks on 'Morey
Piya'. Narula sounds at her nascent best, while Shreya Ghosal provides the
much needed respite in the song. It doesn't have a very catchy melody or tune,
but seems to be very situational in the movie. It's like a mixture of a romantic
song and a song with lot of tragedy and sadness. Again, the song is aimed at the
classes, and much hangs on the way it is used in the movie.
'Devdas
- The Theme' begins with birds chirping and some soft music, but soon moves
on to some heavy bass beats and a serious tragic tone. Rashmi Sharma &
Supriya Raghav Chatterjee took the credit for singing and humming on the track.
The track, which is composed by Monty, can be used as a trailer of what the film
is going to be like, something serious, tragic yet full of love, passion and
joy. There is the sound of whips, a child like yelling voice, and distress all
over the theme. It succeeds in sending out the right signals to the people about
the theme of the movie.
'Dola
Re Dola' immediately reminds you of 'Dholi taro dhol baje', with its
starting beat to the use of dholaks and dance instruments throughout. K.K,
Kavita Subramaniam, and Shreya Ghosal give their voices on this track. The tempo
is upbeat and there is melody, however not in the league of 'Dholi taro'. This
track is much more classical based, and mellow in sound and pace. The voices of
Shreya and Kavita compliment each other, and its good and heartening to see a
new voice upsurge on the scene, hadn't we had enough of Alka Yagnik ? This song
sums up the album on a high and upbeat mood.
Here
are a few points about the soundtrack that are required for the album to be a
hit:
On the whole, Devdas is a great step towards creative fulfillment. Both Ismail Durbar and Sanjay Leela Bhansali have taken great pains in giving the film the right sound, in the lines of Mughal-e-azam, Pakeezah, and it works effortlessly. With two years of input just on the music, all the hard work pays off as Devdas churns out songs that are not clichéd, regular mixed and remixed numbers, but offbeat, experimental melodies with classical base. With the release of the movie, the album will have a different sound, and that is another plus point. Initial sales for Devdas are going to hit sky high, what needs to be seen is how the audience responds to this sound. If you are expecting something on the lines of 'Hum dil de chuke sanam' then you will be disappointing. Don't be prejudiced and you will enjoy the sound of Devdas, its melody at its best!!!
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