Literary Exploration of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's "Devdas"

“Devdas is not satisfactory, not satisfactory at all. I do not want it to be published.”

Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay

Gripping and Cinematic Examination of Love and Separation in "Devdas" 

Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay explores a gripping and cinematic examination of love and separation in "Devdas."  The book holds the reader's interest from start to finish and presents a distinctive viewpoint on love and pains (viraha). Naturally so, the story was adapted into a number of well-liked films. It was originally written in Bengali. It's an interesting study to find out why the book is so well-liked, grabs readers' attention, and receives glowing reviews from everyone.  As an English literature student, you should research the novel's key components to create a parallel study of the other English novels in your study curriculum.

Writing Style of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay 

One of the most popular Bengali authors of the 20th century is thought to be Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay.  His writing is renowned for being straightforward, realistic, rural and emotionally complex. He is regarded as a master of Bengali prose and is renowned for his ability to capture the nuanced nature of interpersonal relationships , human emotions and kaleidoscopic Bengal. Most of his works deal with the lifestyle, tragedy and struggle of the village people and the contemporary social practices that prevailed in Bengal. He is a Thomas Hardy or a Guy de Maupassant of Bengal.

Straightforward & Unadorned Style

His writing is distinguished by its straightforward, unadorned style; he refrains from using showy, babu language and intricate literary devices. Instead, he concentrates on developing believable, relatable characters, and he employs straightforward language to convey their feelings and thoughts. His writing is frequently praised for its capacity to accurately and relatedly capture the essence of daily life and the complexity of human emotions. these are ture to his major novel publications like "Srikanta", "Choritrohin", "Devdas", "Parineeta", "Pother Dabi".

Social & Psychological Realism

As he frequently wrote about the lives of people from various social classes, castes, and religions, Chattopadhyay's writing is also remarkable for its social and psychological realism. in his short stories, he meets such realism at ease. His "Aalo O Chhaya"( Light and Shed) , Abhagir Swargo (Heaven of A Poor Woman), Bindur Chhele, (Bindu's Son) are beautiful examples. He realistically depicts the characters' thoughts, feelings, and behavior. His Kashinath, Haricharan, Harilakshmi, Lalu Mejdidi proves such reality. Again, Chattopadhyay is not averse to highlighting the darker aspects of human nature. His writings shed light on the social issues of the day by highlighting the struggles of women, the plight of the poor, and the complexities of human relationships. Chattopadhyay’s works challenged the religious and caste orthodoxy prevalent at the time. He was also considered to be a feminist, due to the strong female characters that he built in his story. Simply, Chattopadhyay is straightforward , realistic, and emotional while portraying his characters.

Story details of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's "Devdas"

The Bengali novel "Devdas" by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay was first released in 1917. In it, a wealthy young man named Devdas falls in love with a woman named Parvati but is unable to marry her because of social norms. The book, which has been adapted into several films both domestically and abroad, explores themes of love, class, and societal expectations. It is considered one of the greatest works of Bengali literature and one of the most popular novels in South Asia.

A Love Triangle

The story is a love triangle. Devdas is the son of a wealthy family, and Parvati is the daughter of a poor family. They grow up together and become childhood friends, but as they grow older, their friendship turns into love. However, Devdas's family objects to the match because Parvati's family is of a lower social status. Devdas becomes an archetypal lover in viraha (separation); Paro, and Chandramukhi, a reformed courtesan becomes his attraction. Chunnilal, his cousin helps his this way to overcome the pains. But he is unable to forget Parvati and turns to alcohol to numb his pain. Parvati, meanwhile, marries another man and tries to move on with her life, but she is unable to forget Devdas. The tragic death of Devdas at Par's in-law's door steps are really pathetic.

The novel explores the themes of love, class, and societal expectations of the 1900s, and the characters' emotions and motivations are well-developed, making them relatable to the audiences. The novel could have been a romantic ending if it happens in modern day India.

Cinematic Qualities of the Novel 

The novel "Devdas" is renowned for its cinematic elements and adaptability to the big screen. The book is written in a way that makes it simple to directors to picture the scenes playing out on screen, with thorough descriptions of the characters, environments, and feelings. The plot's clear conflicts and resolutions, along with its well-organized structure, make it simple to adapt to a film format.

Strong, complex characters from the novel that frequently appear in film adaptations are also present. Devdas, the main character, is a tragic figure who must choose between his devotion to Parvati and his responsibilities to his family and society. On the other hand, Parvati is a strong, independent woman who is also constrained by societal norms. Chandramukhi and Chunnilal are also drawing much attractions. Audiences can relate to the characters because of their fully developed and understandable emotions and motivations.

The novel also has melodramatic and tragic elements, which are frequently seen in movie versions of the book. The story is filled with powerful feelings and dramatic events, which keeps audiences interested and makes it simple to adapt to the big screen.

Overall, the novel's strong character development, clear plot structure and cinematic writing style, as well as its strong emotional elements and dramatic events, make it a prime candidate for film adaptations.

Film adaptation 

Numerous movies have been made based on "Devdas," both domestically and abroad. Pramathesh Barua's 1935 Bengali film adaptation of the book was the first of its kind. It has since been translated into a number of other Indian languages, including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and others.

The 2002 Bollywood film "Devdas," which was directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and starred Shah Rukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit, and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, is the most well-known and lauded adaptation of the book. This movie was a commercial hit and received numerous accolades. It is renowned for its lavish sets, ornate costumes, and use of classical Indian dance and music.

So many directors have tried their hands at Devdas. Many of these film version of "Devdas," contain a contemporary interpretation of the book, oftentimes set in modern-day India and explores the themes of love, class, and societal expectations in a modern setting. Most of these movies are renowned for its strong performances.

The film adaptations, like the original novel, portrays the emotions and motivations of the characters in a way that is relatable to the audience. Both viewers and critics found these movie to be an inventive interpretation of the well-known book.

In general, the novel has been a popular choice for film adaptations because of how well-suited it is to the big screen and because of its popularity. All of these adaptations have been successful in bringing the novel's plot and themes to life on the big screen.

English novels parallel to Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's Devdas

Some English novels have similar themes and motifs to Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's "Devdas". Here is the list:

"Wuthering Heights" by Emily Bronte

"Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens

"Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen

"Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Bronte

"The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald

"The Picture of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde

"Madame Bovary" by Gustave Flaubert

"A Rose for Emily" by William Faulkner

"The Age of Innocence" by Edith Wharton

"The House of Mirth" by Edith Wharton

All of these novels deal with complex relationships, societal expectations, and class differences, which are also central themes in "Devdas." Additionally, the protagonists of these novels, like Devdas, struggle with personal demons and inner turmoil.

Main characters are struggling here with societal expectations, unrequited love, and the consequences of their actions. They also feature strong commentary on the class and societal mores of the time, similar to "Devdas"

One English novel that has similar themes and motifs to Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's "Devdas" and has a love angle is "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green. The novel features a young couple, Hazel and Gus, who fall in love despite their illnesses and the knowledge that their time together will be limited. The novel deals with themes of love, loss, and mortality, similar to "Devdas" which also has a tragic love story at its core. Additionally, like "Devdas," "The Fault in Our Stars" explores the power of love to both uplift and destroy.

Conclusion

The Power of Love has the ability to both uplift and destroy. Now, I can't say that all of the English novels I've described are parallel to or based on "Devdas", but I can argue that the globe contains analogous stories. I have discovered that the types of works or novels.  I have described those that are fairly similar to Devdas' narrative. So, while you're reading those works, why not peek at "Devdas" and do a type of reading of it? There are various English versions available on the platform, which you may easily modify for your comparative literature reference studies. Although "Devdas" in English translation is not as well-known as other translations in other languages, it is still a worthwhile adaptation to study in order to comprehend the cultural context of the original book and how it can be translated into other languages and time periods.

So, reading Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's unique novel "Devdas," I discovered a wonderful enactment of Bengali culture, caste, and avarice. But there is also a global theme, a universal topic of Love, suffering, the tug of war between societal norms, cultures, and how all these Panoramas of cultural ethos or cultural ethics are destroying or making so many stories of love. And if we bring this type of classic into your studies, if we bring this type of classic literature and its voices into your studies, you will find your literary studies productive and yielding. and it will garner a lot more critical acclaim. It will get a far more critical respect in your overall knowledge of the literature. 

Note: So many points I've mentioned, so many points I've overlooked. If you wish to add a few extra points, please make a healthy proposal below.

Ardhendu De

Reference

1. Devdas - Wikipedia. (2018, December 24). Devdas - Wikipedia. Retrieved

January 20, 2023, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devdas

2. https://indiancinema.sites.uiowa.edu/devdas The DEVDAS Phenomenon by Corey K. Creekmur

3. Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay - Wikipedia. (2015, April 9). In Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarat_Chandra_Chattopadhyay