Devdas in Pakistani Frame: FILMS, LITERATURE & SHARAT CHANDRA
Devdas now in Pakistani frame: FILMS, LITERATURE & SHARAT CHANDRA
By MOHAN SAHAY
That Devdas – the legendary lover of Sharat Chandra’s novel by the same title is now being filmed in Pakistan is a tribute to the author. Why of all noted writers of Bengal, it is Sharat Chandra who still catches the imagination of the Hindi film industry? Not only that, even some all time great writers of Hindi literature including Munshi Premchand and his works failed to attract film makers compared to Sharat Chandra.
May be, susceptibility of Sharat Chandra’s writings is what that sustain interest in his works even among the non-Bangla readers or to be more precise among a vast majority of Hindi readers for over hundred years and so. If one considers who is best and vastly read non- Hindi writers, among the Hindi readers, I am afraid, even Tagore has not been read as much by Hindi speaking population as Sharat Chandra.
The success of Parineeta in its third film version made in 2005 tells all about the writer’s draw to his character and the work. Parineeta means vihahita in Hindi- that is a married woman. It is the author’s credit for carving out an image of woman that is captivating and the story woven around Parineeta is absorbing – a love story of course. The adaptation of Sharat Chandra’s novel as script of the film under the same title is a visual delight.
The writer’s description and presentation of Parineeta as a tender woman; full of love and charms is easy to capture the imagination of the reader. That the imagination of the girl becomes a reality - the visual effect makes the difference. And it is here that the filmmaker was able to successfully spot and exploit Vidya Balan in the lead role of Parineeta on the celluloid. May be the charms of Parineeta as described in the novel were too true to imagination that attracted viewers to theatres. Before going further on the film let us briefly take up what makes Parineeta so special and why Sharat Chandra’s works still attract film world.
Critics of Bangla literature never held Sharat Chandra as an acclaimed writer and novelist. Yet, his novels were popular and were great box office success on screen – Devdas, Parineeta and Biraj Bahu. Mind you, all these films on Sharat Chandra’s novels have been made and remade for second and third time that goes on to prove the index of his popularity.
Unlike the English speaking world, where novels and fictions both pulp and classic, are adapted in their screen versions giving some all time great films, Indian cinema in general and Hindi film world in particular have few parallels to Europe and America in chronicling great works of letters in the film cans. Few novels and works of Hindi literature have found place in film.
Some other Bangla writers like Bimal Mitra and Bankim Chandra Cbatterjee too found place in Hindi cinema but not to the extent of Sharat Chandra. For instance, Bankim Chandra’s Anand Math too was a successful film based on his novel. A black & white film on freedom movement was a trendsetter then on films with patriotic theme.
Guru Dutt adapted Sahib Bibi aur Ghulam – a classic of Bimal Mitra for his film under the same title in the backdrop of 19th century feudal Bengal. This film also was a big success.
However, great novel or a novelist who is read by thousands may not necessarily become a hit when his work is depicted in film. By all accounts, Munshi Premchand was and is an all time great Hindi writer. He had mass readership and drew rave applause from the literary world. Yet, some of his works adapted as films like Godan and Gaban failed to draw audiences to theatres. Noted film maker Satyajit Ray made Shatranj Ke Khiladi – a story of Munshi Prem Chand. Though the film was highly acclaimed by critics, it failed to draw audience in great number.
Premchand’s works reflected rural living conditions. The social themes were too strong; the socio economic milieu was grasping as it provided glimpses of the social order – that of the oppressors and the oppressed in rural India of the gangetic belt. The cruelty and oppression of Zamindars and the inherent ills of society that made poor people sharing the sufferings during the period when India was struggling for freedom.
Love and romance was not Premchand’s theme though subtleties were always there. His best social satire Kafan is a classic. The story tells the nadir of human behaviour - how low some people can stoop even in hour of death – that too of mother. It is a story of the son and the husband of a woman who dies. There is no money even to buy ‘kafan’. The two men collect money to buy the wrap for cremation. But on way to bazaar they stumble upon a pub and drink the money while the body awaited in the state of rest for cremation.
This story has no buyer in the film industry to make a film on the subject. (Over the past 15 – 20 years poor and middle class of Indian society have just vanished from the scripts and stories of films today as if this class does not exist in India now ).
Premchand is now a subject of research and his works not only in India but also in some prestigious universities and Seats of Learning world over. May be absence of love as a theme in Premchand’s works is a reason why people of new generation don’t read him. This does not undermine the greatness of the writer and his contributions to the Indian literature.
Diminishing interest in the works of Premchand and even Rabindra Nath Tagore today reflects shift in reading habits of the literate Indians who switched over to English literature and fiction.
Vast majority of the middle class who constitute the segment of Hindi and Bangla readership are bilingual and have the choice of selecting the subject and the language they prefer to read. This shift is more discernible among the Hindi readers than among the Bangla readers who still read Bangla works though in lesser volume and degree.
Coming back to Sharat Chandra, the writers popular novels always had a woman as central character. His works too had strong social message for the people of Bengal as his writings tell the evils of social order during 19th and 20th Century of pre independence days. Sharat Chand was a gifted writer who blended love with social order in a style that was lucid, the narrative simple yet absorbing. In Parineeta, for instance, the writer has woven a web around a tender girl who is ready to cast spell of her charms on anyone and everyone who meets her. Her love for the man and the man’s love for her are subtle and not pronounced till the two consummate their love after a dramatic marriage by exchanging garland in a bedroom.
Being rich and a zamindar meant abusing women in the land where shakti is worshipped. What the director Pradeep Sarkar has done in Parineeta is to give a visual and emotional appeal to the viewers that are haunting. May be more forceful than Bimal Roy’s Parineeta (1954) in which it was Meena Kumari who was cast in the title role.
Vinod Chopra, the producer of the film, and Pradeep Sarkar, the director of the film, who share the credit of rewriting the novel for the film’s script have changed the film’s backdrop to Calcutta of 1962 from the original period of Calcutta of early 20th century. The film is an a adaptation and not the original work of Sharat Chandra novel has not minimized the impact on the screen. On the contrary, Parineeta carries the imprint of the novelist when seen on the screen. In contrast,
Sanjay Leela Bhansali whose remake of Devdas four years ago not only distorted the theme and role of the main characters of the novel but gave a bad treatment to Devdas although Bhansali was lucky to pick up millions from the box office.
One hopes and expects that the Pakistani producer of Devdas would refrain from vandalizing the spirit of the legendary love story and the character of Devdas.
About Sharat Chandra, it must be kept in mind that the writer spent his early years of his life in Bihar that once formed part of the undivided Bengal then. It comes naturally to the writer to use certain nuances and names that are common and even typical to Bihar. Bhagalpur where the novelist spent his some early years has a long history of Bangla speaking people, home and heritage. In Parineeta, Grishbabu, the role played by Sanjay Dutt arrives on the scene from Bihar and not in London as shown in the film.
That apart, it is thematic love in Sharat Chandra’s novels that attracted readers and film makers to his works. His narratives are simple and devoid of cliches. With due apology to my Bangla speaking fellows, I must confess that I have not read the original works of Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay in Bangla since I don’t know the language. Yet, this writer rate him as a great novelist for the simple reason that his works communicate in a language that goes into readers’ mind and heart.
New Delhi, July 25, 2006
Ends.
By MOHAN SAHAY
That Devdas – the legendary lover of Sharat Chandra’s novel by the same title is now being filmed in Pakistan is a tribute to the author. Why of all noted writers of Bengal, it is Sharat Chandra who still catches the imagination of the Hindi film industry? Not only that, even some all time great writers of Hindi literature including Munshi Premchand and his works failed to attract film makers compared to Sharat Chandra.
May be, susceptibility of Sharat Chandra’s writings is what that sustain interest in his works even among the non-Bangla readers or to be more precise among a vast majority of Hindi readers for over hundred years and so. If one considers who is best and vastly read non- Hindi writers, among the Hindi readers, I am afraid, even Tagore has not been read as much by Hindi speaking population as Sharat Chandra.
The success of Parineeta in its third film version made in 2005 tells all about the writer’s draw to his character and the work. Parineeta means vihahita in Hindi- that is a married woman. It is the author’s credit for carving out an image of woman that is captivating and the story woven around Parineeta is absorbing – a love story of course. The adaptation of Sharat Chandra’s novel as script of the film under the same title is a visual delight.
The writer’s description and presentation of Parineeta as a tender woman; full of love and charms is easy to capture the imagination of the reader. That the imagination of the girl becomes a reality - the visual effect makes the difference. And it is here that the filmmaker was able to successfully spot and exploit Vidya Balan in the lead role of Parineeta on the celluloid. May be the charms of Parineeta as described in the novel were too true to imagination that attracted viewers to theatres. Before going further on the film let us briefly take up what makes Parineeta so special and why Sharat Chandra’s works still attract film world.
Critics of Bangla literature never held Sharat Chandra as an acclaimed writer and novelist. Yet, his novels were popular and were great box office success on screen – Devdas, Parineeta and Biraj Bahu. Mind you, all these films on Sharat Chandra’s novels have been made and remade for second and third time that goes on to prove the index of his popularity.
Unlike the English speaking world, where novels and fictions both pulp and classic, are adapted in their screen versions giving some all time great films, Indian cinema in general and Hindi film world in particular have few parallels to Europe and America in chronicling great works of letters in the film cans. Few novels and works of Hindi literature have found place in film.
Some other Bangla writers like Bimal Mitra and Bankim Chandra Cbatterjee too found place in Hindi cinema but not to the extent of Sharat Chandra. For instance, Bankim Chandra’s Anand Math too was a successful film based on his novel. A black & white film on freedom movement was a trendsetter then on films with patriotic theme.
Guru Dutt adapted Sahib Bibi aur Ghulam – a classic of Bimal Mitra for his film under the same title in the backdrop of 19th century feudal Bengal. This film also was a big success.
However, great novel or a novelist who is read by thousands may not necessarily become a hit when his work is depicted in film. By all accounts, Munshi Premchand was and is an all time great Hindi writer. He had mass readership and drew rave applause from the literary world. Yet, some of his works adapted as films like Godan and Gaban failed to draw audiences to theatres. Noted film maker Satyajit Ray made Shatranj Ke Khiladi – a story of Munshi Prem Chand. Though the film was highly acclaimed by critics, it failed to draw audience in great number.
Premchand’s works reflected rural living conditions. The social themes were too strong; the socio economic milieu was grasping as it provided glimpses of the social order – that of the oppressors and the oppressed in rural India of the gangetic belt. The cruelty and oppression of Zamindars and the inherent ills of society that made poor people sharing the sufferings during the period when India was struggling for freedom.
Love and romance was not Premchand’s theme though subtleties were always there. His best social satire Kafan is a classic. The story tells the nadir of human behaviour - how low some people can stoop even in hour of death – that too of mother. It is a story of the son and the husband of a woman who dies. There is no money even to buy ‘kafan’. The two men collect money to buy the wrap for cremation. But on way to bazaar they stumble upon a pub and drink the money while the body awaited in the state of rest for cremation.
This story has no buyer in the film industry to make a film on the subject. (Over the past 15 – 20 years poor and middle class of Indian society have just vanished from the scripts and stories of films today as if this class does not exist in India now ).
Premchand is now a subject of research and his works not only in India but also in some prestigious universities and Seats of Learning world over. May be absence of love as a theme in Premchand’s works is a reason why people of new generation don’t read him. This does not undermine the greatness of the writer and his contributions to the Indian literature.
Diminishing interest in the works of Premchand and even Rabindra Nath Tagore today reflects shift in reading habits of the literate Indians who switched over to English literature and fiction.
Vast majority of the middle class who constitute the segment of Hindi and Bangla readership are bilingual and have the choice of selecting the subject and the language they prefer to read. This shift is more discernible among the Hindi readers than among the Bangla readers who still read Bangla works though in lesser volume and degree.
Coming back to Sharat Chandra, the writers popular novels always had a woman as central character. His works too had strong social message for the people of Bengal as his writings tell the evils of social order during 19th and 20th Century of pre independence days. Sharat Chand was a gifted writer who blended love with social order in a style that was lucid, the narrative simple yet absorbing. In Parineeta, for instance, the writer has woven a web around a tender girl who is ready to cast spell of her charms on anyone and everyone who meets her. Her love for the man and the man’s love for her are subtle and not pronounced till the two consummate their love after a dramatic marriage by exchanging garland in a bedroom.
Being rich and a zamindar meant abusing women in the land where shakti is worshipped. What the director Pradeep Sarkar has done in Parineeta is to give a visual and emotional appeal to the viewers that are haunting. May be more forceful than Bimal Roy’s Parineeta (1954) in which it was Meena Kumari who was cast in the title role.
Vinod Chopra, the producer of the film, and Pradeep Sarkar, the director of the film, who share the credit of rewriting the novel for the film’s script have changed the film’s backdrop to Calcutta of 1962 from the original period of Calcutta of early 20th century. The film is an a adaptation and not the original work of Sharat Chandra novel has not minimized the impact on the screen. On the contrary, Parineeta carries the imprint of the novelist when seen on the screen. In contrast,
Sanjay Leela Bhansali whose remake of Devdas four years ago not only distorted the theme and role of the main characters of the novel but gave a bad treatment to Devdas although Bhansali was lucky to pick up millions from the box office.
One hopes and expects that the Pakistani producer of Devdas would refrain from vandalizing the spirit of the legendary love story and the character of Devdas.
About Sharat Chandra, it must be kept in mind that the writer spent his early years of his life in Bihar that once formed part of the undivided Bengal then. It comes naturally to the writer to use certain nuances and names that are common and even typical to Bihar. Bhagalpur where the novelist spent his some early years has a long history of Bangla speaking people, home and heritage. In Parineeta, Grishbabu, the role played by Sanjay Dutt arrives on the scene from Bihar and not in London as shown in the film.
That apart, it is thematic love in Sharat Chandra’s novels that attracted readers and film makers to his works. His narratives are simple and devoid of cliches. With due apology to my Bangla speaking fellows, I must confess that I have not read the original works of Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay in Bangla since I don’t know the language. Yet, this writer rate him as a great novelist for the simple reason that his works communicate in a language that goes into readers’ mind and heart.
New Delhi, July 25, 2006
Ends.
posted by MOHAN SAHAY at 10:31 PM
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