Anurag Kashyap boasts an impressive filmography and ‘Dev D’ is hailed as one of his best works. The film emerged as his first hit, pivoting his journey in the film industry. Inspired by the classic novel ‘Devdas,’ Anurag Kashyap developed a modern-day retelling of the tale. Contrary to the original story and its various adaptations, Kashyap’s version was the polar opposite of the glitz and glam. More rooted in the alleyways of Punjab and Delhi, the film received critical acclaim. While several viewers criticised ‘Dev D’, the youth and critics lauded Kashyap’s iteration of the story.
Years after the film’s release, Kashyap reveals that making the film wasn’t exactly a cakewalk. In a live conversation at this year’s Marrakech International Film Festival, the filmmaker reveals the tribulations faced by the film. Anurag Kashyap revealed that several actresses refused to even audition for the roles of Paro and Chandramukhi. Moreover, an actress’ boyfriend even slapped him for sending the script. During the conversation, Kashyap also revealed his dislike for the source material.
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Talking about one of his best works, Kashyap said, “I was sitting with my friends and wondering, ‘How will this country let me be a filmmaker? They like love stories and they like songs. I’ll give them the biggest album they’ve ever seen; 19 songs!’. India’s favourite love story is a book called Devdas, which I think is a terrible, terrible book, made into 20 films. It’s a very bad book, written by a great author who wrote it when he was 19. It was his first book, but somehow, it became his most popular. His personal life story was more interesting, so I borrowed more from his personal story, and picked up contemporary issues for Dev D.”
As the conversation progressed, the ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’ revealed the hurdles he encountered while casting for the film. Notably, the film didn’t hold back on language or any other aspect. This didn’t sit well with a lot of potential actors. Kashyap revealed that actresses refused to even audition for the film after reading the script. Moreover, “I got slapped by one actress’ boyfriend, who said, ‘How dare you send the script to my girlfriend?’. I was like, ‘Okay, sorry.'” Additionally, Kashyap revealed that his producer threw the script down and called it vulgar. However, the producer’s wife loved the film and that’s how ‘Dev D’ got made. Subsequently, Mahie Gill and Kalki Koechlin starred in the film with Abhay Deol.
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As the conversation progressed, the filmmaker also talked about the subversions ‘Dev D’ featured with reference to the original text. Revealing his rationale, he said, “I took the three characters of Devdas, and subverted every expectation that the audience might have. What really shocked people was that the two female characters in the most misogynistic book had agency. They had more agency than the guy; the guy had nothing. I had women fighting for the film, standing by me, but men told me that I’m spoiling the culture of the country. There was a two-way fight… I changed the famous ending of Devdas, because the book thrives on creating empathy for this despicable character, who dies, so you’re supposed to feel sad. I said, ‘I’m not going to kill him.’”
‘Dev D’ released in 2009 and became a hit with critics and the younger audience for its contemporary rendition. Developed with a budget of 11 crores, the film racked up 20.82 crores. Additionally, the film’s soundtrack became a hit for its peppy music and captivating lyrics.