Study of pc Barua'S Bengali celluloid version of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay'S Novel Devdas

Devdas, the most filmed non-epic story of India, was authored by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, the versatile Bengali novelist and story writer of 19th century. The saga of the making of films based on the tragic romantic hero Devdas, who was a victim of prevailing social norms and customs narrated in the novel, started from the silent era of India cinema. The celluloid version of Devdas has been re-incarnated more than a dozen times in more than half a dozen languages across time, place and culture in different socio-economic and political situations and the commercial demand of the story. The story of the novel even adapted in Bangladesh and Pakistan twice to produce films in Bengali and Urdu language respectively. Although, Sarat Chandra's Devdas enjoys the reputation of being the most adapted novel for films in Indian history, but Pramathesh Chandra Barua's acting and direction in the Bengali version of Devdas produced in 1935 has been still appreciated in different circles even when later versions in other languages earned more money and exposures. Pramathesh Chandra Barua, popular known as PC Barua, who directed and played the role of Devdas made the character of Devdas a cult figure and the film a milestone in Indian film industry. Even many film critics of different periods anonymously had the opinion that Barua did not create Devdas-indeed he was Devdas. This paper focuses on the critical study of the significance of acting, direction, editing, dialogue and treatment of the creative elements of PC Barua's’ Bengali version of Indian cinema.