Devdas

A monumental film with colossal sets, costumes and budget, Devdas, adapted from an early 20th century novel, could be seen as Bollywood's Romeo and Juliet.

The film's grandiosity is carried by two of India's greatest movie stars: Shah Rukh Khan, considered a demigod in his homeland and Aishwarya Rai.

Their characters indulge in mirror games and longing gazes in sumptuous palaces. Director Sanjay Leela Bhansali is one of Bollywood's leading auteurs. His latest opus, Gangubai Kathiawadi (2022), is currently enjoying international success thanks to streaming platforms.

Bhansali's films are characterised by "chromatic tone". In this case, cold, pearly whites reflecting the harsh nights endured by the young lovers, are counterbalanced by explosions of passionate, sumptuous reds.

A huge success in India, this melodrama marked the (short-lived) return of Indian cinema to Cannes in 2002, which, like many major Western festivals, tends to denigrate this type of film.

It's a grand spectacle, with lavish dancing and singing scenes reminiscent of the best 1950s musicals, more frequently seen on our screens...

Carine Bernasconi (CEC, UNIL)