Devdas(2002)

Plot Summary

• In the 1900s, Kaushalya (Smita Jaykar) hears that her younger son, Devdas (Shah Rukh Khan), is about to return home after leaving ten years ago for law school in London. Devdas has father Mr. Narayan Mukherjee (Vijay Crishna) and brother Dwijdas Mukherjee (Manoj Joshi). grandmother Badi Aapa (Apara Mehta) and house servant Dharamdas (Tiku Talsania).Kaushalya tells her neighbor, Sumitra (Kirron Kher), who is overjoyed. The latter's daughter, Parvati (Aishwarya Rai) aka Paro, and Devdas share a deep friendship rooted in childhood. When Devdas was sent to London, Paro had lit an oil lamp to prompt his return and never allowed it to extinguish. Manorama (Jaya Bhattacharya) is Paro's best friend. When Devdas returns (he goes to meet Paro first, which hurts Kaushalya as she was waiting anxiously for 2 days for his arrival). But Paro angers Devdas by making him wait to see her face. Devdas leaves saying that now he will see her face only in full moon light to compare who is more beautiful. Devdas is very possessive about her. Mr Narayan was always tough and strict with Dev and he was not at home to welcome him even after 10 yrs. Dev and Paro's friendship turned into love (they meet at night when Paro shows him her face in a full moon light). Devdas teases Paro that he never remembered her in London and Paro cries saying that she read his 5 letters, at least 5 times a day and lit an oil lamp that she didn't let extinguish for 10 yrs.Everyone believes that Devdas and Paro will get married, but Devdas' scheming sister-in-law Kumud (Ananya Khare) reminds Kaushalya of Paro's maternal lineage of professional dancing girls and festival performers, which is inappropriate for Devdas' family. From the beginning Kumud poisons Kaushalya's mind that Sumitra is sending too many sweets to their house and now Paro doesn't even greet anyone before she goes to meet Devdas. Kumud insinuates that Paro is luring Devdas. Kumud is really angry about how Devdas makes fun of her in front of everyone, and she is determined not to let his love succeed. Neelkanth Chakraborty (Sunil Rege) is Paro's father and warns Sumitra not to expect a "yes" in response to a marriage proposal. But Sumitra is very confident of the love between Paro and Devdas. Devdas gifts Paro a family jewel. Kumud makes Kaushalya see this and Kaushalya asks Sumitra to meet her re: Paro's marriage proposal (it is Kumud's ceremony for getting pregnant). Neelkanth again asks Sumitra not to make the proposal herself.Kaushalya tells Sumitra that Paro's wedding expenses will be shared and that she will also do the giving away of the bride. Sumitra is delirious and Kaushalya asks her to perform a dance for the assembled guests. Sumitra publicly announces her desire for Devdas and Paro to marry (by offering a ceremonial coin to Sumitra), but Kaushalya rejects and humiliates her in public by saying that she is from a lower-class family. while this was happening, Paro and Dev were having young flirty fun at the lake. Sumitra begs Kaushalya not to reject the proposal of the love birds, who will be devastated. After the insult, she promises to get Paro married within 7 days. Paro goes to meet Dev in the dead of the night. Dev tells Paro to return and promises to talk to his dad about her. Sumitra knows this and tells Paro that she wouldn't have objected to Paro having sex with Dev for a night, as she knows the love she has for her. Devastated, Sumitra hastily arranges Paro's marriage to a man, named Bhuvan (Vijayendra Ghatge), a forty-year-old widower aristocrat with three grown children, who is wealthier than Devdas' family.When Devdas' father also rejects Paro, Devdas leaves his parents' house and takes refuge at his college friend Chunnilal (Jackie Shroff) house. He leaves a letter for Paro, falsely stating that love had never existed between them. he wants Paro to forget him. Chunnilal introduces Dev to drinking and brothels, to forget Paro. At the brothel, he meets a good nature courtesan named Chandramukhi (Madhuri Dixit), who falls in love with him (he sees Chandramukhi as more than a whore). Soon, Devdas realizes his mistake in abandoning Paro. He returns to her during her wedding and asks her to elope but Paro refuses, reminding him of the way he had discarded her so easily. Paro tearfully is married off to Bhuvan (Devdas himself gives her away). Paro learns from her new husband that he has married her only to be a mother to his children and lady of the estate, but that his love is only for his late first wife. She dutifully fulfills her responsibilities, taking care of Bhuvan's mother (Dina Pathak). Yashomati (Radhika Singh) is Bhuvan's eldest daughter and is angry with Paro. Paro wins her over by setting her Mother-in-law straight when she comes to meet Bhuvan and her with Yashomati. Paro considers Yashomati as her friend and not a daughter. Kalibabu is Yashomati's husband and a womanizer and a creep.while the heartbroken Devdas permanently moves to Chandramukhi's brothel and becomes an alcoholic. Chandramukhi takes care of Dev and has a lot of confidence in his love for her. Dev gets drunks daily and expresses his love for Paro, which Chandramukhi tries to talk him out of. Dev does not like this form of a women as a whore and doesn't like Chandramukhi to even touch him. When Devdas' father is on his deathbed, he asks to see Devdas. The latter arrives later at his father's funeral (fully drunk), causing a scene and eventually passes out.Devdas returns to the family home. Paro urges Devdas to stop drinking (She had also come to attend Dev's fathers funeral and Dharamdas had begged her to speak to Dev to give up drinking), but he remains stubborn. He promises Paro that before he dies, he will come to her doorstep one last time. Devdas discovers that his sister-in-law has stolen his mother's keys to the family safe. He confronts her but Kumud tells his mother that Devdas had stolen the keys to fund his drinking and whoring ways. His mother believes her and Devdas leaves, banished. Paro (learns from Dharamdas where Dev is spending his time) arrives at Chandramukhi's brothel, accusing her of driving Devdas to drink, but quickly realizes that Chandramukhi loves Devdas. Paro invites Chandramukhi to a celebration of Durga Puja at her husband's home and introduces her to her in-laws without revealing Chandramukhi's profession. However, Bhuvan's ill-nature son-in-law Kalibabu (Milind Gunaji), a frequent visitor to the brothel, reveals Chandramukhi's background and tries to humiliate her in front of the guests, but Chandramukhi reveals that he is the ones who visit her place and the reason why her brothel is still successful. She slaps him and leaves disheartened. Kalibabu tells Bhuvan and his mother about Paro's relationship with Devdas. As a result, Bhuvan permanently forbids Paro from leaving the mansion.Eventually, Devdas becomes so ill that the slightest dose of alcohol could kill him. Devdas tells Chandramukhi (after admitting that he loves her) that she must let him go, and decides to travel the country; on a train, he meets his old college friend Chunnilal (Jackie Shroff), who urges him to drink in the name of friendship. Devdas drinks, knowing full well it will be fatal. On the verge of death, Devdas travels to Paro's house to honor his promise, collapsing under a tree in front of the main gate. When she finds out that the man who is lying outside is him, she runs through the mansion, attempting to reach him. Bhuvan sees this and orders the servants to shut the gates. Devdas sees a blurred image of Paro running towards him, but the gates close just before she can reach him, leaving her sobbing inside. Devdas whispers Paro's name with his last breath as he slowly dies, and immediately Paro's lamp flickers out..

Storyline

• Devdas Mukherji is black-listed by his multi-millionaire Zamindar father, Narayan. After completing 10 years of study, Devdas returns to his hometown where his family prepares to welcome him, but their happiness changes when Devdas prefers to visit his childhood sweetheart, Parvati alias Paro, before paying respect to his mother. After so many years, Devdas finds he is still the black spot in his father's life, especially when he is prevented from marrying Paro, who happens to be a lower-caste girl. Eventually time passes with Paro's family arranging her marriage to a much older man, Bhuvan Choudhry, whose children are in her age group. This sadness not only breaks Devdas' heart but shackles him to alcohol in a big way. Soon Devdas starts to frequent a brothel and catches the eyes of a courtesan named Chandramukhi. Step by step, Devdas trudges down a path of self-destruction. — gavin (racktoo@hotmail.com) This is the sweeping tale of two soul mates, childhood sweethearts Devdas and Paro, whose love is thwarted by India's rigid class structure. Young Devdas is sent to study in London by his wealthy father. On his return, love blossoms again, but the families oppose the romance. The son of Zamindar Narayan Mukherjee, Devdas (Shahrukh Khan) was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He grew up in the lush village of Taj Sonapur, where he spent his childhood, indulged by his lovely playmate Paro (Aishwarya). They grew up sharing a special relationship, in which they existed only to each other. Oblivious of all the differences in status and background, an unbreakable bond grew between them. It slowly changed to love--still unsaid. But the reverie was broken when his family sent Devdas to London for education. Paro's world crashed knowing that her Devdas would be gone and she lit a diya, for it signified the fast return of her loved one. Years passed and Devdas returned. Devdas was besotted by her stunning beauty and longed to have her back. But Zamindar Narayan Mukherjee (Vijay Crishna), Devdas' father, met Paro's mother Sumitra's (Kiran Kher) marriage proposal with condescending arrogance. It caused a rift between the families and although Devdas tried to convince his father, only antagonism came his way. Finally, he moved away from Paro and wrote her a letter asking her to forget him. Only, he didn't realize that he would never be able to forget her ever. And much later, when he reached out to her, it was too late as she was far too humiliated. She scorned him for not standing by her and they parted forever with a heart-broken Paro entering into a chaste marriage with a wealthy, much older man, Zamindar Bhuvan (Vijayendra Ghagte), while a shattered Devdas walked towards anguish, alcoholism, and Chandramukhi (Madhuri Dixit). Chandramukhi, a stunning courtesan instantly lost her heart to Devdas. A unique bond was formed between both as he could share with her the intense pain of his unfulfilled love for Paro. Meanwhile, Paro performed her worldly duties sincerely, but inside her heart, she could never forget Devdas for a moment. Strange was the fate of Devdas. Intensely loved by two women, who were never meant to be his. One whom he could never love and one whom he could never stop loving. — Anonymous Not his dad's favorite, Devdas Mukherjee is a slacker, though sensitive and talented. Daily he spends time with his childhood friend Parvati, the Mukherjees' neighbor, who belongs to a middle-class family. Devdas is sent abroad so that he can improve himself. Several years, upon his return, things have not changed, his dad still regards him as a slacker, though Devdas is welcomed by the rest of his family, the welcome could have been warmer had Devdas chosen not to visit Parvati (Paro) before his own mother. Devdas and Paro are in love and hope to marry, but Devdas' dad has other plans, vehemently opposing marriage to a lower-caste family, so Paro marries a much-older widower whose children are her own age, and Devdas leaves home, becomes an alcoholic womanizer, who is unable to get Paro out of his mind, loving and hating her at the same time. Devdas meets with courtesan Chandramukhi, and ends up falling in love with her also, thus getting her a bad reputation. Then Paro decides to talk Chandramukhi into getting Devdas away from alcohol, to which Chandramukhi agrees, but the question remains whether they will act in time to stop Devdas before he self-destructs. — rAjOo (gunwanti@hotmail.com)