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Shah Rukh Khan’s comments about Devdas being ‘spineless’ disputed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali: ‘He’s not a loser’

Shah Rukh Khan had previously said that he doesn't like playing characters who 'demean women'. Sanjay Leela Bhansali has now defended Devdas against criticism of being toxic.

Shah Rukh Khan in a still from Devdas.

Actor Shah Rukh Khan has often spoken about his opinion of Devdas, the iconic self-destructive romantic that he played in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s film. There has been a debate about whether the film glorifies his perceived toxic behaviour, and Bhansali admitted in a recent interview that ‘some actors’ working on the film also had their reservations about how the character was being portrayed. But, Bhansali said, he viewed Devdas as the ultimate romantic hero. He spoke about these differences in a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter India.

He said, “What is the story of Devdas? That he’s a loser, he doesn’t do anything, he gets upset… My actors didn’t understand why we’re telling this story. They said, ‘Oh, it’s romanticising alcoholism’. I said, ‘This is the story of a man who loved.’ What is our biggest duty in this life? To love and give love. Does anyone love like Devdas. I wanted to say, ‘If you love somebody, that’s how you love’. Devdas is a story of a man who loved. People have been making Devdas (for years). Why? They say he’s a loser. He’s not a loser. He’s the most noble of any of my characters. He loved Paro. You ask him anything, he would say, ‘Paro’. That is love. That is a love story.”

Also read – ‘Aishwarya Rai and Madhuri Dixit will be dancing…’: Shah Rukh recalls drinking on Devdas sets, was told later ‘you put in hard work’

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Shah Rukh had voiced his reservations about playing the character in a recent interview at the Locarno Film Festival. He said, “I don’t like to play characters that demean women, I didn’t want him to be liked in the film for the reason that he disses a woman and doesn’t commit to her, I wanted him to come across as a person who is spineless and not somebody you should look up to. Bhansali made the film beautifully, but I don’t think anybody wants to be Devdas, it is not a character you take back home. I just didn’t want a character who has commitment issues with women to become popular in a different sense, I think I achieved that.”

Sanjay Leela Bhansali recalls Shah Rukh Khan nailing the operatic, high pitch acting in Devdas. (Express Archive Photos)

Even though Shah Rukh and Bhansali haven’t worked together since, the actor announced at Locarno that his company now owns the rights to the film. He also touched upon the many difficulties that they faced while making it. He said, “It was the most expensive film being made in India so it went through its own share of troubles. Money issues, and producers vanishing, we had to complete the film in a few days. It went overtime, over budget, but I had a great time doing the film because I felt it kind of was a tribute… memory to my mother who loved the film.” He said that he was advised not to do the film because it would go against his image, but said that he did it for his mother, who loved the story.

At a News18 event, Shah Rukh said had also spoken about the morality of the characters that he plays. He said, “I am a guy who is hopeful and tells happy stories. The heroes I play do good things, they give hope and happiness. If I play a bad guy, I make sure he suffers a lot, he dies a dog’s death, because I believe goodness begets goodness. And I believe badness deserves a kick in the back side.” The actor will next star in a film titled The King.

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