Devdas, the son of a zamindar, and Parvati, his neighbour's daughter, are childhood sweethearts. However, class and caste differences prevent their marriage. Devdas is sent off to Calcutta, while Paro is married off to an aged rich widower. In Calcutta, as remorse drives him to alcohol, Devdas meets Chandramukhi, a prostitute. All Indian prints of this Bengali version were destroyed in a fire that ravaged New Theatre’s studios. Today, only one copy of the film survives which belongs to the Bangladesh Film Archives. Of that copy almost forty percent is destroyed.
Acting
Barua's theatrical suffering — mans invented sulking.
Cinematography
Surviving footage glows like damaged memory.
Direction
Barua directing himself to ruin, iconic.
Director
P.C. Barua
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This started the 'Devdas genre' — every major Indian actor has played him. It's basically a rite of passage.
K.L. Saigal's cameo here led him to star in the 1936 Hindi remake, becoming India's first playback singing superstar.
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