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FOR hundreds and thousands of people across the world, Devdas was a fine movie-watching experience. Many have described it as one of the bes...

FOR hundreds and thousands of people across the world, Devdas was a fine movie-watching experience. Many have described it as one of the best films they8217;ve seen in recent years. A film they can go back and watch over and over again. For me, however, the film came a big disappointment from a filmmaker whose unabashed fan I claim to be.

To me, Sanjay Leela Bhansali is one of the country8217;s best directors my other favourites being Ramgopal Varma, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, and, yes, yes8230; David Dhawan, and to me, Bhansali8217;s first film, Khamoshi is the best film I can remember seeing since I began watching movies with more than just a passing interest.

The failure of Khamoshi, to me, was evidence of the shortsightedness of the Indian movie-going public. Evidence of the fact that the audience doesn8217;t always know best. Evidence that good films aren8217;t always hit films. Khamoshi is one of those films, in my opinion, that will go on to be remembered long after it was dismissed by the audience. One of those rare gems that will long outlive everyone associated with the film. One of those films future generations will study, and wonder why it didn8217;t work when it was released.

No wonder I regard Bhansali8217;s second film, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam as a good film, but a distant second to his first. Devdas, sadly, takes bottom position on that list. I could blame it on the redundancy of the concept, or on the fact that what was meant to be an intimate tragic story was turned around into a lavish, epic saga. But the bottom line is that for me, Devdas has neither the soul of Khamoshi, nor the emotional sweep of Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. It8217;s beautifully crafted and wonderfully performed, but it just doesn8217;t hold.

Nobody would be happier than myself if Devdas goes on to shatter box-office records, because Bhansali probably deserves all the success he can get. He8217;s one of those manic obsessive filmmakers who immerse themselves into their every job. One of those guys for whom the phrase 8216;8216;eat movies, drink movies, sleep movies8217;8217; was coined. I don8217;t agree with that filmmaker who called to congratulate me on my less-than-flattering review for Devdas last week, and described Bhansali as a 8216;8216;fraud8217;8217;. I don8217;t believe that Bhansali embellished his film with unnecessary fluff breathtaking sets, gorgeous costumes, etc instead of concentrating on the limp-as-a-noodle plot. I do believe that Devdas has turned out exactly the way Bhansali had intended it to. Clearly, he sees something in the story that I don8217;t. But we can8217;t knock him for that.

It8217;s more or less the way I felt while watching Karan Johar8217;s Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham. The filmmaker had himself raised the bar so high with his first film Kuch Kuch Hota Hai that he made it virtually impossible for himself to match those standards the second time round. K3G may have gone on to make potloads of money, but ask any discerning movie-buff and he8217;ll agree that the star-studded opus lacks the unbridled romance and the spirit of Johar8217;s Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. Ditto for Aditya Chopra, the only difference being that Mohabbatein came nowhere close to the genius of Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge.

I have my fingers crossed that Bhansali8217;s next will be a film even the harshest critics and his biggest detractors will be embarrassed to assault. A film there won8217;t be any divided opinion over. A film that will finally recognise the genius that he is.