9 months ago
2002: Devdas Baroque vs. Company Grit in Bollywood
In 2002, two big movies came out that were very different.
One was called Devdas, made by Sanjay Leela Bhansali.
It was like a giant, fancy musical with beautiful costumes and huge sets, telling a sad love story.
The other movie was called Company, made by Ram Gopal Varma.
This movie was the opposite, showing a tough and gritty story about gangsters, inspired by real criminals.
Another movie, Saathiya, was a romantic story about a couple, and Makdee was a spooky fairy tale.
These films showed how Bollywood could tell many different kinds of stories in one year.
2002 saw the release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's opulent 'Devdas' and Ram Gopal Varma's gritty 'Company'.
'Devdas' featured lavish sets, costumes, and a tragic love story with Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai, and Madhuri Dixit.
'Company,' a spiritual successor to 'Satya,' depicted the lives of real-life mobsters and was noted for its polished execution and grit.
Other notable films from 2002 include the romantic drama 'Saathiya' and Vishal Bharadwaj's fairy tale 'Makdee.'
Bhansali's signature style of grand visuals continues, while Varma's reputation for gritty cinema was cemented by 'Company.'
- Who
- Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Ram Gopal Varma
- What
- Released contrasting films, 'Devdas' and 'Company', showcasing opulent drama versus gritty realism.
- Where
- Bollywood
- When
- 2002
- Why
- To explore different cinematic narratives and styles within the Indian film industry.
Key facts
- Year
- 2002
- Notable Films
- Devdas, Company, Saathiya, Makdee
- Director of Devdas
- Sanjay Leela Bhansali
- Director of Company
- Ram Gopal Varma
- Devdas Stars
- Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai, Madhuri Dixit
- Company Stars
- Vivek Oberoi, Mohanlal, Ajay Devgn, Manisha Koirala
Quotes
Author
The author of the article discussing Bollywood films from 2002.
“Devdas isn’t my favourite SRK film, not by a mile, but I have to admit that he looked good in that clean-cut good-boy Bengali bhadralok attire of kurta and dhoti, accessorised with that booze bottle, mooning over his Paro and Chandramukhi, while making everyone, not just himself, thoroughly miserable.”
indianexpress.com
“The buzz around Bhansali’s iteration of Devdas, funded by one of Bollywood’s then fave jeweller-financier Bharat Shah, told us to expect everything the filmmaker was known for, and more: big stars, opulent sets, even more opulent costumes — the weight of Aishwarya and Madhuri’s lehengas in their ‘Dola Re’ dance-off became a talking point — and, of course, SRK in full-male-lover-victimhood mode.”
indianexpress.com
