First published in Bengali in 1917, Saratchandra Chattopadhyay’s tragic tale of Devdas has enthralled readers and filmgoing audiences alike for the better part of a century. It is the story of Devdas and Paro, childhood sweethearts who are torn apart when Devdas is sent away to Calcutta by his father, the local zamindar. When Devdas returns to his village, now a handsome lad of nineteen, Paro asks him to marry her. But Devdas is unable to stand up to parental opposition to the match and rejects the proposition. Stunned, Paro agrees to marry an elderly widower. Devdas returns to Calcutta, but every waking hour of his is now filled with thoughts of Paro and his unfulfilled lover for her. He runs to Paro days before her marriage and asks her to elope with him, but she refuses. Heartbroken, he seeks to solace in alcohol and in the company of the courtesan Chandramukhi. Chandramukhi falls in love with Devdas, but even when he is with her he can only think of Paro. It is now his destiny to hurtle on relentlessly on the path to self-destruction. This new translation brings the classic tale of star-crossed lovers alive for a new generation of readers.
There are no reviews yet.