3 Review(s)

Devdas is the title of a 1920s novella by the famed Bengali writer Saratchandra Chatterjee. It became so popular that 15 film versions were made in various Indian languages and periods. Bimal Roy’s 1955 film is considered the finest as it sensitively tells the tragic love story between Devdas (Dilip Kumar), the son of a Brahmin landlord and Parvati (Suchitra Sen), his childhood sweetheart. Caste and class difference keep the lovers apart. Parvati is married off to a rich older man and Devdas, who allows Chandramukhi (Vyjayanthimala), a selfless prostitute, to help him at first, but ultimately finding no meaning to life, he takes to drink. The Dialogue of Devdas will be presented in a four language format: Hindi, Urdu, Romanised Hindi/Urdu, and an English translation. Forewords by Bimal Roy’s family and an extensive commentary are also featured.