This is only the 3rd Bollywood film I have seen, and the 3rd staring Shahrukh Khan, and I have loved all 3. The first was DIL SE, the second MOHABATIEN and this obviously the 3rd. Actually this one seemed to have less music to it than the others, and like DIL SE this film is more of a tragedy. This is a wondrous 3 hour journey, and about the tragedy and downfall of a man because of a love he spurns for family.

Devdas (Shahrukh Khan) has returned from England after 10 years, now a lawyer. He was always a playful and light boy, and he returns first to see his beautiful next door neighbor Paro (Aishwarya Rai). Paro and Debdas were childhood friends and sweethearts, but Paro is from a lower class family, and Devdas’s father is a lawyer and landowner. Devdas wants to marry Paro, but his sister-in law hates him and Paro, and turns Devdas’s mother against them, and Paro’s mother swears to marry her to a richer family. Paro is married, but told she will only be the head of the household and the mother to his already grown up children, because the man still loves his dead ex-wife. Devdas has spurned Paro’s love stupidly, and can’t win her before she is married. And he falls into despair, literally drinking himself to death. He lives with a beautiful courtesan who loves him, but won’t let her touch him. Devdas promisses Paro he will show up at her door before he dies so she can serve him, and he on his death bed drinking himself to death. He shows up outside the door, dyeing, unable to speak, and she tried to get to him but can’t, so he dies alone on her front steps having fulfilled his promise.

This film is very much greek or shakespearian tragedy. You watch Devdas drink himself to death and tear his family apart. This is an amazing 3 hours that just flies by. My only complaint is the subtitles drop out on some of the songs. Other than that it is a great disc.