Devdas

Devdas is one of the most popular Book of Saratchandra Chattopadhyay.

Saratchandra Chattopadhyay is a Bengali legendary Novelist of 20 Century.
He was Born in 15 September 1876, India and died in 16 January 1938. His
famous books are Devdas, Porinita, Srikanta, Borodidi, Choritrohin, Shrikanto
etc. Saratchandra Chattopadhyay was born on 15 September 1876
inDevanandapur, a village in West Bengal. His childhood and youthwere spent
in dire poverty and he received very little formaleducation. But he began
writing as a teenager and was soon tobecome one of the best-loved Bengali
novelists of all time.Saratchandra came to maturity at a time when the
nationalistmovement was gathering momentum together with an
awakeningof social consciousness. Much of his writing bears the marks of the
resultant turbulence in society. In his hands, the novel becamea powerful
weapon of social and political reform. Sensitive anddaring, his novels
captivated the hearts and minds of thousands of readers not only in Bengal
but all over India.Apart from Devdas (1917), some of Saratchandra's best-
knownnovels are Palli Samaj (1916), Charitraheen(1917),Nishkriti
(1917),Grihadaha(1920),Pather Dabi(1926),Sesh Prasna(1929)andSrikanta(in
four parts, 1917, 1918, 1927 and 1933).Saratchandra Chattopadhyay died in
1938.Sreejata Guha has an MA in Comparative Literature from
StateUniversity of New York at Stony Brook. She has worked as atranslator
and editor with Stree Publications and Seagull Books inKolkata, and now
works with Jacaranda Press in Bangalore. Shehas previously translatedPicture
Imperfect,a collection of Byomkesh Bakshi stories, and Taslima Nasrin's
novelFrench Lover for Penguin.
summary;-Devdas (Bengali: , Debdas; Hindi: , Devds) (also
called Debdas) (1917) is a Bengali-language romance novel by Sarat Chandra
Chattopadhyay written when he was only seventeen years of age.Plot
summary[edit]
Devdas is a young man from a wealthy Bengali Brahmin family in India in the
early 1900s. Paro (Parvati) is a young woman from a middle class Bengali
family. The two families lived in a village in Bengal, and Devdas and Paro
were childhood friends.
Devdas goes away for a couple of years to live and study in the city of
Calcutta (now Kolkata). During vacations, he returns to his village. Suddenly
both realise their easy comfortability in each other's innocent comradeship
has changed to something different. Devdas realises Parvati is no longer the
small girl he knew. Paro looks forward to their childhood love blossoming into
their lifelong journey together in marriage. Of course, according to the
prevailing social custom, Paro's parents would have to approach Devdas'
parents and propose marriage of Paro to Devdas as Paro longed for.
Paro's mother approaches Devdas's mother with a marriage proposal.
Although Devdas's mother loved Paro very much she wasn't so keen on
forming an alliance with next door neighbours. Also, Parvati's family had a
long-standing tradition of accepting dowry from the groom's family during a
marriage rather than sending dowry with the bride, which was the
established custom (and still is, in many parts of India). This alternative
custom influenced Devdas's mother's decision of not considering Parvati as
Devdas' bride, because she considered Paro's family to be "trading low caste"
(becha-kena chotoghor) family, despite the fact that Parvati (like Devdas) was
a Brahmin. The "trading" label was applied in context of the marriage custom
followed by Paro's family. Devdas's father, who also loved the little Paro, did
not want Devdas to get married so early in life and wasn't very keen on the
alliance. Paro's father, feeling insulted at the rejection, finds an even richer
husband for Paro.When Paro learns of her planned marriage, she stealthily
meets Devdas at night, desperately believing that Devdas will accept her
hand in marriage. Devdas had never previously considered Paro that way. He
feels surprised at Paro's bravery of visiting him alone at night and also feels
pained for her. He decides he will tell his father about marrying Paro. Devdas'
father disagrees.In a confused state, Devdas then flees to Calcutta, and from
there, he writes a letter to Paro, saying that they were only friends. Within
days, however, he realizes that he should have been bolder. He goes back to
his village and tells Paro that he is ready to do anything needed to save their
love.By now, Paro's marriage plans are in an advanced stage, and she
declines going back to Devdas and chides him for his cowardice and
vacillation. She makes, however, one request to Devdas that he would return
to her before he dies. Devdas vows to do so.Devdas goes back to Calcutta
and Paro is married off to the betrothed widower with three children. He is an
elderly gentleman, a zamindar. He had found his house and home so empty
and lustreless after his wife's death that he had decided to remarry. He spent
most of his day in Pujas and looking after the zamindari.In Calcutta, Devdas'
carousing friend, Chunni Lal, introduces him to a courtesan named
Chandramukhi. Devdas takes to heavy drinking at Chandramukhi's place, but
the courtesan falls in love with him, and looks after him. His health
deteriorates because of a combination of excessive drinking and despair - a
drawn-out form of suicide. Within him, he frequently compares Paro and
Chandramukhi. Somehow he feels betrayed by Paro, never realizing that she
was the one who had loved him first, that she had said it out loud first. He
doesn't realise this, but Chandramukhi does, and tells him so. When sober he
would hate Chandramukhi and loathe her presence. So he would drink, to
forget his prejudices. Chandramukhi saw it all, felt it all and suffered silently,
but she had seen that real man behind the fallen, aimless Devdas he now
was and couldn't help but love him.Sensing his fast-approaching death,
Devdas returns to meet Paro to fulfill his vow. He dies at her doorstep on a
dark, cold night. On hearing of the death of Devdas, Paro runs towards the
door, but her family members prevent her from stepping out of the door.The
novella powerfully depicts the prevailing societal customs in Bengal in the
early 1900s, which are largely responsible for preventing the happy ending of
a sincere love story.
Summary:-Devdas and Parvati (A.K.A Paro) have been lovers since
childhood. The only difference between the two is that Devdas is the son of a
rich businessman, while Paro is from a middle class household. When the two
express their desire to get married, Paro's mother goes to Devdas's house to
discuss the marriage, where she is humiliated, and told to get out. Paro's
mother challenges Devdas's family, and says that she will get her daughter
married into the richest family. When Devdas finds out about the humiliation
that Paro's family had suffered, he leaves his house in rage, and goes to an
old friend named Chuni, who is drunk almost all the time he is awake, and
hangs out in bars. When Devdas accompanies him to a bar one day, he
meets one of the dancers there named Chandermuki, who immediately falls
in love with him. Devdas on the other hand doesn't reciprocate, especially
after he finds out that Paro just got married. Now in deep sorrow, Devdas
makes alcohol his best friend in an effort to forget the one he loves most.
Eventually, the amount of alcohol in his body reaches such a high point, that
Devdas obtains cancer. Now that he knows that he has a short time to live, he
wishes to see Paro just once before dying. But the question is; will Devdas be
able to meet her, especially when time is running out.
Devdas is a hindi novel written by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhya which is a
love story of a young man named Devdas and girl named Paro (Parvati).
Devdas and Paro family are neighbours and they know each other from their
childhood. But as Devdas grown up, he was sent to Calcutta by his Zamindar
father. However, when devdas attain age of 19, he return back and Paro
asked him to marry her.But Devdas was not able to take the stand in front of
family and Paro has to wed a widower who has children with his previous
wife. He become helpless as he was unable to handle that Paro has married
to someone else and try to convince her to elope with him, but Paro refused.
While you might also like to read about Aadavan Ki Kahaniyan by Indira
Parthasarathi Hindi Book.So, heartbroken and helpless Devdas find a way to
relieve his pain by indulging himself in alchohol. Devdas by Sarat Chandra
Chattopadhya hindi book deals with the sufferings of Devdas and Paro after
being parted from each other. The novel is very emotional and definitely will
shed your tears. At the end due to liver ailment, Devdas died in front of Paros
door. A very heart-tearing and emotional love story by Sarat Chandra
Chattopadhya. summary:- There was a
couple by the name of Narayan and kaushanliya who had a young son
Devdas who was coming home from England to India. On that day of his
turn every one was very happy that is coming home after along time.His
mother said that everyone in the family close their eyes so that she would be
the first person to see him. But unfortunately instead of coming straight
home, Devdas went to see Paro, his childhood friend and sweetheart.Paro and
Devdas were neighbors and childhood friends. Devdas mother became very
angry that his son saw first Paro. After their friendship they fall in love with
each other. Mother of Paro knew that Paro and Devdas fall in love, and she
was agreeing that Paro and Devdas would get married. Paros mother went to
Devdas house to talk with them about children wedding, but Devdas mother
rejected and humiliated her in a public. Devdas mother said that youre a
very middle class people and we are very rich and known.On that time
Devdas father also fight with Devdas, Paro and Paros family, than this
relation became very serious. Devdas leaved home and said to Paro that he
couldnt take her because he had homeless.One day Devdas met one of his
old college friends, and on that time he had no place to stay so his friend took
him to a courtesan there was a good hearted girl her name was
Chandramuki. After some days she fell in love with him.ONE DAY Paros
mother said that Devdas would never comes back and she forced her to
marry an old man. When Devdas went back home Paro was married off to a
betrothed widower with children, who was still in love with his previous wife
and he was not interested in Paro.Devdas was so heartbroken from losing
Paro and his familys love, that he moved back to Chandramuki, and became
an alcoholic. Day by day Devdas became so sick that the slightest dose of
alcohol could kill him.Chandramuki tried to get Paro to convince him to stop
drinking. Paro attempted to persuade him, but she didnt succeed. Devdas
promised Paro that before he died, he would come to see her one last
time.One day Chandramuki visited Paro in the father in laws home and there
was a big party. At the party was a man who was the brother in law of Paro ,
and he knew Chandramuki. He knew that she had a bad background, then he
said in front of guests that Chandramuki is not Paros friend she is a
courtesan girl, he told also about the Paros relationship with Devdas. Paros
husband punished her by permanently banninsha.Devdas had very bad
health, he was very serious. At that time he remembered his promise to see
Paro one last time. He traveled to her house and when he reached the house
he was close to death, collapsing in front of the main gate.When Paro knew
that Devdas was there, she ran out of the house and attempted to reach him.
Her husband ordered that closed the gate so that she couldnt get out.
Devdas saw that Paro was running towords him, but the gate closed before
she could reach to him and Devdas died.Some people say that Paro was also
dead on that time, but some people say after that they hadnt seen her.
Devdas, Paro and Chandramukhi - The eternal love story;-The
Immortal Lover;-Devdas is a household name throughout India. If someone
grows a beard, they ask, Why have you become like Devdas. If someone
starts drinking too much, they ask, Have you become devdas.Devdas is a
Novel written by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay in 1917. Since then, there
were many movie adaptations in many languages. Nobody loves Devdas or
Nobody looks forward to become a Devdas. Still, that character has managed
to touch everyone's hearts and it is a character that cannot be ignored. It has
become a timeless Classic.Like any timeless classic, even Devdas has a
timeless story and timeless characters. This hub is to mainly compare few
key scenes from four different adaptations. But, before we do that, lets us
take a look at the original story.
SETTING;-Devdas is a young man from a wealthy family and Parvathi (Paro)
is a young girl from a middle class family. Both families are Brahmins,
Neighbors in a Bengali village and both are childhood friends. Devdas had to
go to Calcutta for a couple of years. With some difficulty, the friends depart.
Devdas returns after two years to his village for vacations. When the friends
meet, they, especially, Paro realizes that their innocent friendship has grown
into something different. Paro longs for Devdas and wants to share her entire
life with him. As per the custom, Paro's grandmother takes this marriage
proposal to Devdas's parents. Devdas's parents reject this proposal reasoning
that though Paro's family is a Brahmin family, they are from lower caste
comparatively. Paro's father takes this to heart and decides to get Paro
married to a wealthier family. CONFLICT:-Paro's father
manages to find a wealthier zamindar who is a widower with three children.
Knowing this, Paro comes to meet Devdas secretly. Devdas is surprised by her
bravery. He decides to convince his father. His father stays stubborn and
rejects the proposal. Devdas is confused and leaves the village to Calcutta. In
calcutta, he decides to write a letter to Paro. In that letter, he lies that he has
never loved Paro and she should try to forget him. Later he realizes that he
has made a mistake and goes to meet Paro and asks her to elope with him.
Paro denies as the marriage arrangements are in advanced stage. She
expresses her anger on him for he being a coward. However, she takes a vow
from him that he has to meet her before his death at least once. Devdas
agrees and he hits Paro on her head to leave a love mark like a scar on the
moon. Devdas goes back to Calcutta. He feels betrayed by Paro as she was
the one who loved first. At the same time, he knows about his cowardice.His
ego doesn't accept his cowardice and at the same time he is unable to
convince his heart that Paro betrayed him.
RESOLUTION:-In this state of internal conflict, the only person with him is
his friend Chunnilal. Chunnilal is a easy going guy who doesn't have
principles. He indulges himself in various pleasures. Meanwhile, Paro is
married to the zamindar and solves various problems in the house while
sacrificing all her pleasures. Seeing his friends agony, Chunnilal offers alcohol
as a medicine. Devdas eventually becomes a slave to alcohol. Chunnilal also
introduces Devdas to a beautiful Courtesan called Chandramukhi.
Chandramukhi falls in love with Devdas for his innocence and honesty. She
shows Devdas his mistake of not accepting to his ego and tries to bring him
out of this alcohol slavery. But, Devdas doesn't give up. His health eventually
deteriorates. When he understands that he is going to die, he makes his way
to the village and dies in front of Paro's house. Paro understands this and runs
to see Devdas. However, to keep up the prestige of house, Zamindar ensures
that the gate is closed and doesn't let Paro go out.
THE POWER OF THIS STORY LIES IN The four key characters - Devdas, Paro,
Chunnilal and Chandramukhi. These four characters are so believable and
depicts the people we meet in real life.Love story - Paro and Chandramukhi
loves Devdas. But, what touches the heart is the internal conflict of Devdas
who is crushed between family prestige, his cowardice and love.Social
Pressure - This story also beautifully shows how the social customs bring
distress to personal lives. THE KEY PLOT
POINTS ARE:-Devdas and Paro realizing that their friendship has grown into
something else.
Devdas writing a letter of lies to Paro which destroys the last chance of they
being together.
Chandramukhi's introduction.
The inevitable climax
THIS STORY HAS BEEN ADOPTED INTO A MOVIE 16 TIMES,
One silent film ,Five times in Bengali out of 2 are from Bangladeshi film
industry,Three times in Hindi,Two times in Telugu,Two times in Urdu. Both are
from Pakistani film industry,One time in Assamese and Malayalam,One
modern take called Dev.D
Devdas - An eternal story of Love:-Devdas is a young man from a wealthy
Bengali Brahmin family in India in the early 1900s. Paro (Parvati) is a young
woman from a middle class Bengali family belonging to the merchant caste.
The two families lived in a village in Bengal, and Devdas and Paro were
childhood friends. Devdas goes away for thirteen years to live and study in a
boarding school in the city of Calcutta (now Kolkata). When, after finishing
school, he returns to his village, Paro looks forward to their childhood love
blossoming into their lifelong journey together in marriage. Of course,
according to the prevailing social custom, Paro's parents would have to
approach Devdas' parents and propose marriage of Paro to Devdas as Paro
longed for. When Paro's mother makes the proposal to Devdas' mother, the
latter insults her, plainly saying that the marriage is not possible in view of
her own higher caste and financial status. To demonstrate her own social
status, Paro's mother then finds an even richer husband for Paro. When Paro
learns of her planned marriage, she stealthily meets Devdas at night,
desperately believing that Devdas will quickly accept her hand in marriage.
Devdas meekly seeks his parents' permission to marry Paro, but Devdas'
father agrees with his wife. In a weak-minded state, Devdas then flees to
Calcutta, and from there, he writes a letter to Paro, saying that they were
only friends. Within days, however, he realizes that he should have been
bolder. He goes back to his village and tells Paro that he is ready to do
anything needed to save their love. By now, Paro's marriage plans are in an
advanced stage, and she declines going back to Devdas and chides him for
his cowardice and vacillation. She makes, however, one request to Devdas
that he would return to her before he dies. Devdas vows to do so. Devdas
goes back to Calcutta and Paro is married off to the betrothed widower with
children, who is still in love with his previous wife and is therefore not
interested in an amatory relationship with Paro. In Calcutta, Devdas'
carousing friend, Chunnilal, introduces him to a courtesan named
Chandramukhi. Devdas takes to heavy drinking at Chandramukhi's place, but
the courtesan falls in love with him, and looks after him. His health
deteriorates because of a combination of excessive drinking and despair of
lifea drawn-out form of suicide. Within him, he frequently compares Paro
and Chandramukhi, remaining ambivalent as to whom he really loves.
Sensing his fast-approaching death, Devdas returns to meet Paro to fulfill his
vow. He dies at her doorstep on a dark, cold night. On hearing of the death of
Devdas, Paro runs towards the door, but her family members prevent her
from stepping out of the door.The novella powerfully depicts the prevailing
societal customs in Bengal in the early 1900s, which are largely responsible
for preventing the happy ending of a genuine love story. Every society has
such some true love stories that dies due to social injustice, racism, social
discrimination and religious objection. Due to French revolution, Scientific
advances, and globalization, all those social deformation, bigotry and
delinquencies are subject to justification. Don't you think that this is the right
time to raise your voice against those discriminations for future humanity?
*Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, alternatively spelt as Sarat Chandra
Chatterjee (15 September 1876 16 January 1938), was a prominent Bengali
novelist and short story writer of early 20th century. Most of his works deal
with the lifestyle, tragedy, struggle of the village people and the
contemporary social practices that prevailed in Bengal. He remains the most
popular, most translated, most adapted, and most plagiarized Indian author
of all time.Biography[edit]
Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay was born on 15 September 1876,[2] in
Devanandapur, a small village two miles northwest of Bandel in Hooghly,
West Bengal.Birthplace of Sharat Chandra, Debanandapur, Hooghly His father
Motilal Chattopadhyay was an idler and dreamer who held irregular jobs. He
could not finish novels and stories that he had started writing, but passed on
his imagination and love of literature to Sarat Chandra. He, wife
Bhuvanmohini, and their five children lived for many years in his father-in-law
Kedarnath Gangopadhyay's house in Bhagalpur, Bihar.Sarat Chandra was a
daring, adventure-loving boy. Most of his schooling was in informal village
schools called pathshalas.[3] He was a good student and got a double
promotion that enabled him to skip a grade.[4] He passed his Entrance
Examination (public examination at the end of Class X) but could not take his
F.A. (First Arts) examination or attend college due to lack of funds.[5]
Sarat Chandra started writing in his early teens. After finishing his formal
studies, he spent much of his time interacting with friends, acting in plays,
and in playing sports and games. Several of his famous novels and stories
were written during this period.[4]In 1893, Sarat Chandra moved to Burma.
He got a temporary job in Burma Railway's audit office and later worked for
many years in Burma's public works accounts office. While living in Rangoon,
he married his first wife Shanti. He was deeply hurt when his wife and one-
year-old son died from plague. He married his second wife Mokshada (later
renamed Hironmoyee) also in Rangoon and taught her to read and write. She
outlived him by 23 years.In 1916, Sarat Chandra moved backed to India and
settled in Howrah, near Kolkata. He devoted himself to writing and
established himself as one of India's major novelist and story writer. He was
involved in India's freedom struggle and served as the president of Howrah
district branch of Indian National Congress (1921-1936). University of
Calcutta awarded him the prestigious Jagattarini medal. University of Dacca
awarded him an honorary doctorate (D.Litt.). On 2 Magh 1344 or 15 January
1938 he died, from cancer of the liver.Works[edit]Sarat Chandra wrote novels,
novellas, and stories.[10] He came to maturity at a time when the national
movement was gaining momentum together with an awakening of social
consciousness. His novel 'pather dabi' played an important role in the
National Movement (jatio andolon).Much of his writing bears the mark of the
resultant turbulence of society.[11] Sensitive and daring, his novels
captivated the hearts and minds of innumerable readers both in Bengal and
in the rest of India. His best known novels include Palli Samaj (1916),
Choritrohin (1917), Devdas (1917), Nishkriti (1917), "Datta" (1918), Srikanta,
Griha Daha (1920), Sesh Prasna (1929) and Sesher Parichay published
posthumously (1939).