DEVDAS RECEIVES GOOD UK REACTION
Film Is A Ravishing Soap Opera

Now that Sanjay Leela Bhansali's much-awaited 'Devdas' (starring superstars Shah Rukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit, Aishwarya Rai and Jackie Shroff) has hit the big screen, what does the foreign media make out of it? Do they love it or loathe it? Do they think its trash or a masterpiece? Radio Sargam has searched high and low for the best quotes from reviewers from all over the British Isles, and here is what we have come up with…

"Watching the latest Bollywood sensation Devdas is a bit like clearing the pudding trolley at one go: the flaring colours, elaborate song-and-dance sequences and opulent locations are so full-on that you feel sated after an hour - and there are still two more to go. What the film hasn't much of is subtlety: its story of golden boy Devdas returning to India after 10 years in London and being caught between the love of childhood sweetheart Paro and courtesan Chandramukhi apparently reflects a celebrated love triangle of Indian mythology, but for all its pedigree it does little to catch at the heart. It may, on the other hand, give you indigestion."
Anthony Quinn (The Independent)

"The most expensive Bollywood spectacle to date is based on India's romantic anti-hero, Devdas - an ancient byword for love-sick Asian Romeos. The pride of his wealthy parents prevents Devdas from marrying his sweetheart Parvati. Unable to change his father's mind, Devdas leaves the family palace and holes up in a brothel to drink himself to death. Scorned and humiliated, Parvati marries a rich widower. A feast of music, dance and romance, this is a ravishing soap opera."
JC. (Times)

"The most expensive Hindi epics ever made. Not, however, one of the best, since the glitz, glamour and slightly tacky luxury on display almost strangles the life out of its relatively simple story of a high-caste family ruining the life of their favoured son by refusing to let him marry the girl who was his childhood sweetheart. This adaptation has the whole thing on garishly luxurious sets that may dazzle the eye, but have very little to do with the much more intimate psychology of the story. Those who think Bollywood is always like this should reflect that some of the greatest of Indian film-makers worked there and cut through the cliches considerably better than this."
Derek Malcolm (The Guardian)

"There's an awful lot of blubbing, an awful lot of boozing (although most of it seems to slosh onto the floor) and awful lot of Bollywood-style dance sequences. It's also a bit on the loud side but there's a stirring story to be told even though you do need the intermission to help you last the three hours plus. Devdas is surprisingly accessible and you don't have to go along armed with a wealth of knowledge about Indian movie protocol. Just sit back and enjoy."
Tim Evans (Sky TV)

"When Bollywood movies regularly find themselves in the U.K. box office top ten and themed exhibitions are popping up across the country, it's time to stop treating these movies as curiosity items and start enjoying them as the pure cinematic experiences they so often are. Everything looks absolutely gorgeous, from the ornate sets, to the intricate costumes, to the lead actors themselves. After Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham and Asoka, Shahrukh Khan is set for his third U.K. hit in a row, while former Miss World Aishwarya Rai proves she has the acting talent to back up her flawless looks. It's a long haul, of course, but every inch of the screen is packed with detail. This is cinematic spectacle to the power of ten."
Alan Morrison (Empire Magazine)

"The story is as much to Bollywood what The Sound Of Music is to Hollywood - a seminal exercise in musical kitsch. At two hours and 45 minutes, Devdas tells the story of two sweethearts who are separated by a family feud. Its sumptuous sets are hard to equal. Fantastic palaces, vibrant song-and-dance sequences, panoramic market settings - India is transformed into a kaleidoscopic dreamscape."
Victor Oliver (Teletext)

"Will the lovers ever get to be together? And will you care? Well, you'd be heartless not to. The film is colourful, to say the least, with some stunning photography and beautifully choreographed song and dance pieces. Being the most expensive Hindi film ever made, the costumes and sets are suitably exquisite - from the grand scale of the family mansions down to the detail on the women's saris. Beneath this façade is an exploration of passion, lost love, and social restrictions which, although it's treading familiar ground and gets repetitive in the middle section, leads to a genuinely moving conclusion. This is definitely not your usual multiplex fare, which is precisely why "Devdas" deserves your attention."
Laura Bushell (BBC)

WRITTEN BY ROBEEL HAQ