Friday 6 May 2011

Make May Musical #2 - Maar Dala from Devdas

I picked this song just to show how extravagent Bollywood can be. When Devdas came out back in 2002, it was the most expensive film ever produced in Bollywood history, and just watching this video you can see why.

Maar Dala from Devdas <<< click the link.

Devdas is one of those films which has had a few remakes, and this is the one of my generation, and yes the man in the video is the same one as in the last video I posted. His name is Shah Rukh Khan, and he is one of the top actors in India, you may recognise him from the posters of 'My Name is Khan,' which did become popular outside of the usual Indian cinema-goers.

Devdas tells the story of two childhood sweethearts - Devdas and Paro. They hadn't seen each other for many years because Devdas was away at law-school. Paro meanwhile, had kept a diva candle alight all those years which she had never allowed to go out, in honour of her friend. When he comes back to his home, his mother hopes that he will go to visit her first, but instead he goes to visit Paro, and the family realise that their childhood friendship has blossomed into something more. They were initially very happy about the match until Devdas's sister in law doesn't hesitate to tell her family that a match between the two would not be suitable, because Paro comes from a family of dancers. This pushes the two families apart, and Paro is made to marry a widowed man who has no interest in falling in love again, instead he just needs someone to be the lady of the house. She keeps her candle alight, still in memory of her love.
Devdas gets into an argument with his family, and takes refuge in a brothel. He tries to convince Paro to run away with him and she refuses, because of the way that he treated her. He moves into the brothel permanently and his depression leads to alcoholism.
One of the courtesans, Chandramukhi, falls in love with him, and that is where the song Maar Dala appears. His alcoholism then leads to being disowned by his family and extreme health problems. When Paro hears about this (after accusing said courtesan of pushing him towards drink), she begs him to stop drinking, he refuses but promises to return to her doorstep one last time before he dies.

That's not the end, it's a very famous story, and I don't want to give too much away.

Beginning of the song ....

"Whose footsteps are these? Whose shadow is this?
There was a knock at my heart? Who is it?
Who has spread this vibrant colour all over me?
I have died from happiness"

Hindi lyrics are very metaphorical, and not everything translates well into English.

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