DEV D

Film enthusiast as I may be, as I have mentioned before, sometimes important classics and sometimes entire genres pass me by without so much as giving me a jolt. Bollywood was one such genre. Well, it’s rather unfair to call Bollywood a genre as it is one of the biggest film industries in the world, but the point is that I watched very little – if anything – it had ever produced. This situation was about to alter when a good friend of mine brought me Dev D as a present, all the way from India. I was touched by the gesture and excited, Dev D is the modern remake of a classic Indian story apparently, it promised to be a fascinating experience. I am sorry to say as far as Bollywood is concerned, it turns out I am not a fan. (so sorry Kunal!)I have, after some deliberation, decided to include the film in the blog however, mainly because there are A LOT of people who are fans of Bollywood and they deserve to know about this rather brilliant example of the genre. Besides, I have nothing against the film itself, I can completely see its appeal, it just didn’t appeal to me…
So, so. Dev is the son of a rich businessman in the Punjab (that’s India folks, in case you’re not that hot on geography). His childhood sweetheart is Paro, the daughter of one of his father’s servants. Cast and creed do not matter to them, their love is true and their hearts are pure and they dream of marrying one day. However, they are torn asunder when Dev is sent to boarding school in London by his father. They keep in touch via the internet, though it is terribly hard of course. Time goes by and Dev, now an adult, returns to India, still dreaming of his beloved Paro. Once there however, evil tongs will not leave the two lovers in piece. Doubt is cast about Paro’s chastity (yes this is important in a lot of places in the world) and Dev, disgusted and betrayed because Paro didn’t wait for him, rejects her completely. Heart-broken Paro goes ahead and marries a rich suitor, Dev will understand his mistake but it is far too late… With Paro married, life has no meaning for him and he trails around the back streets of New Delhi, discovering drinking holes, bad men and loose women… On one such a night fate introduces him to Chandra, a young prostitute. Now, Chandra also suffered from slurs against her name when she was young, society rejected her leaving her no other option but prostitution. Will these two wounded creatures be each other’s salvation? Is there a way for Dev and Paro to be reunited? You will have to watch the film and find out…
This is basically a love story, something exciting (to a degree) and emotional. Bollywood songs are plentiful although the much- mocked massive dancing crowds do not show their faces much. Leaving the whole story completely to one side, the photography was interesting to watch. Not necessarily world-class performance but there is a lot of brilliant and colorful footage of rural India and the big city. And it is of course a cultural experience to watch the film and see the way the characters “traditionally” interact.
The trouble is that it is assumed (and in India at least this is often the case) that you watch a lot of this sort of film and you sort of “know” the characters already (luckily I come from a part of the world where similar storylines are plentiful so I recognized a lot of the characters too). However, character development is non-existent and some of the storylines (especially the dwelling emphasis on virginity) will be hard to “empathize” with in the West… I mean it is one thing to take something as it is and not think too much about it – which is precisely what should be done – but if, like me, you take to analyzing and mentally dissecting every film you watch, you might find it a tad tough to go through to the end. So, like I said, an acquired taste. Or something you have to watch when you’re NOT in the mood to think at all… That was possibly my mistake…