Sanjay Leela Bhansali is breaking his silence over Shah Rukh Khan’s harsh remarks on the iconic Devdas!
In a recent interview at the Locarno Film Festival, King Khan publicly criticized his character in the 2002 period romantic drama film, and said that he does not like playing characters that demean women which Devdas did in the movie by dissing and not committing to Paro (played by Aishwarya Rai).
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter India in an interview, Sanjay Leela Bhansali discussed the film and defended Devdas’ character stating, "My actors didn't understand why we're telling this story. They said, 'Oh, it's romanticizing alcoholism.”
He continued, “I said 'This is the story of a man who was loved.' What is our biggest duty in this life? To love and give love. Does anyone love Devdas? I wanted to say, 'If you love somebody, that's how you love.’”
Bhansali regarded the character as “the most noble” among all his characters because Devdas loved Paro with all his heart and could even sacrifice himself for her.
In the interview, Shah Rukh Khan called Devdas a “spineless” and “not somebody you should look up to,” and stated that even though Bhansali made the film beautifully, it’s not a character that can be taken 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,” Khan said proudly.
Besides Shah Rukh Khan, Devdas also featured Aishwarya Rai, Madhuri Dixit, and Jackie Shroff in main roles.
