Devdas Re-release: Aishwarya Rai's 600 Sarees To Opulent Set Causing Wedding Decor Shortage, 9 Lesser-Known Facts About Bhansali Directorial

It is only a handful of times in a decade that a Bollywood movie hits the big screens and gets forever etched in the minds of cinegoers. Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Devdas is one such movie. Released in 2002, the period romantic drama is a moment in cinema. The movie is familiar to those who watched it on celluloid, those who caught it on TV and even to the modern audience who stream it on Prime Video. From the opulent set and the grand costumes to the truly dramatic dialogues and timeless songs, Devdas has the potential of going houseful even in its reruns and will not need to run elaborate social media campaigns to do so. 

The romance saga featuring Aishwarya Rai, Madhuri Dixit and Shah Rukh Khan is all set to release in select PVR theatres again on February 6, ahead of Valentine's Day. Before you flock to the halls to watch your favourite stars do what they do best again, take a look at the lesser known facs about the movie that will make you aware of exactly how legendary Devdas really is.

Aishwarya Rai's grandiose wardrobe

Somewhere between Bridgerton and Emily in Paris lies Aishwarya Rai's styling in Devdas. The actress, who played the role of Paro, shifted from a girl-next-door living her best life in pre-Independent India to Thakurain, the wife of aristocrat Bhuvan Choudhry. Her sartorial choices evolved accordingly. For the film, the actress had an extensive collection of nearly 600 sarees. Not just this, the sarees did not measure the usual 6 metre sarees, but had 9 metres of fabric to give it a heavy, dramatic flair. Consequently, it took 3 hours to drape each saree.

The original choice for Chunni Babu

Jackie Shroff left a remarkable mark as Chunnilal, the good friend of Devdas, who accompanied him in his final days and showed him the way to Chandramukhi. However, the role was initially offered to Saif Ali Khan, Govinda and Manoj Bajpayee before Shroff.

The title that was…

The rights of the title Devdas were owned by a producer called K Chopra. Despite several negotiations, Chopra was unwilling to let go of the rights, prompting Sanjay Leela Bhansali to title his film Aaj Ka Devdas. However, ultimately, the filmmaker got the desired title after paying a hefty price for it.

Beauty that came at a price
 

Aishwarya Rai's earrings in the song Dola re Dola are too shiny to be missed by the naked eye. While exquisite, the jewellery piece weighed quite a lot, making the actress's ear bleed. Despite the difficulty, she completed the shoot without informing anyone of the problem.

Madhuri Dixit's ₹15 Lakhs lehenga 

Madhuri Dixit, too, struggled with the grand costumes of Devdas. Her green lehenga in the song Kahe Chhedd Mohe weighed 30 kilos and cost nearly ₹15 Lakh (in 2022).

Kareena Kapoor's infamous war of words with Bhansali 
 

Devdas also incited one of the biggest controversies in Bollywood. Kareena Kapoor claimed that she was initially signed to play the role of Paro. She even gave a screen test for the same. However, she was later replaced by Aishwarya Rai, causing her to never work with Bhansali again.

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The set that caused power outages

Sanjay Leela Bhansali has a reputation for his grand sets and opulent creations. Without the modern-day resources, the creation of such sets was even more difficult. As per reports, for the lighting on the shoot, the director used 42 generators at the same time, causing power fluctuations in nearby areas.

The Devdas set caused the great wedding shortage

Not just electricity, the creation of Devdas caused a shortage of glass and other decorative materials used in weddings. The grand and lavish sets used light and decor that were sourced for weddings.

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Two and a half years for music 

Apart from its flawless storytelling and iconic performances, Devdas is also known for its timeless songs. Reports suggest that Sanjay Leela Bhansali took two and a half years with composer Ismail Darbar to perfect the album for the movie.

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