Minor Assignment

For Crime Culture and Media

(CBCS SWCB03)

Analysis of Dev.D

Submitted By
Kandharaj M
M2016HRM025

15/03/2017
I have chosen to analyse the movie Dev D. Though Im a Tamilian and there was a reference
to the movie Anniyan both in the classroom and the coursework (on Moodle), I chose Dev
D for a very honest reason this movie actually left me questioning myself about whats
ideal, whats good and whats not ! This was around the time when I actually developed a
taste for movies -especially ones with non-conventional and critical content.

Dev.D (2009)
The movie revolves around three main characters Paroo, Chanda, and the namesake Dev.
Dev, an affluent narcissist who gradually becomes a rage-fueled drug addict for reasons that
are of his innate nature, gets involved with two women of totally different background and
upbringing and finally realizes what his true nature is and what he felt for both the women.
While one story began in the conventional environment (Paroo, Childhood home) the other
one kicks off in a very non-conventional setup (Chanda in a brothel). This is not just a story
of how a man finds his partner match but a story of the means that took him to the end. While
one can discuss at length about the storyline, plot, actors, characters and the social milieu of
various classes of people, I wish to analyze it from a viewpoint that points out the cultural
clichs, conformity, and some outliers.

Some of the broad themes in the movie that can be listed:

1. Harsh Parenting

Dev grew up in an ideal family, with normal parents and a brother life could have been much
more different (may be better) had Dev grew up in his house with his parents. Parents tend to
be very strict and serious with their children mostly with good intentions to make them
successful, well mannered, educated and value conscious. However, the conditioning that
parents adopt in order to achieve their intended result most often doesnt lead to the same.

It is very clear from the glamorous lifestyles and effortless and guiltless consumption that
Dev was spoilt and he got away with whatever mistakes (and later on crimes) he committed.
His parents lost control over his attitude & activities and can only react to his actions.
Sending Dev abroad for their inability to discipline him possibly could have been a platform
to this series of unfortunate events. Later into the movie, when Devs father is ailing he
encourages Devs selfish, lackadaisical and self- destructive nature though he loves his son
and only wishes him only happiness.
Chanda, or Leni who was brought up with love and affection in an elitist environment,
suddenly was exposed to all the negative vibes a child can get from her parents. Though the
circumstance upon which their equation with Leni changed was dire and devastating, their
treatment towards Leni post the MMS scandal was detrimental to not just Leni but their
family as a whole. They did not just fail to help her heal over the calamity but also added to
her emotional baggage and woes.

2. Patriarchy Male dominance and Double Standards

In spite of being educated in the UK, which is definitely a progressive society than India,
Dev throughout the movie has exhibited Male dominance and double standards. Exempting
his childhood behaviors to his age and immaturity, one would definitely note that his
interactions with Paroo would always have been one sided to her disadvantage. Though they
were both in an implied and not expressed relationship (closed, one to one), Dev doesnt
second guess his conscience when he leads Rasika and eventually gets physical with her,
despite Paroo being in the vicinity the entire time but he is not ready, or his male ego doesnt
tolerate the idea of Paroo having bedded another man(Sunil). He not only breaks a bottle over
Sunils head on hearing this from him(though he doesnt even know it for sure) but also slaps
Paroo when she took him to the field to get physical. Also, when Rasika and Dev had an
intimate moment at the Poultry, he abruptly pushes her away unapologetically when it was
during the middle of a consensual act.

3. Slut-Shaming

Over the movie, innumerable times the lead female characters Paroo and Chanda have been
judged, called names especially Slut for various reasons ranging from talking out of turn to
exploring ones own sexuality. Dev calls Paroo a slut and criticizes her eligibility to become
his wife under the assumption she had slept with Sunil when he himself has indulged with
Rasika. Also, when the MMS scandal breaks out, Chanda (or Leni) is faced with a lot of
humiliations from her friends, classmates, Media, and even her own parents. Whats even
hypocritical is, even other women (like a fellow schoolmate) called her a slut when the
misfortune occurred. After the demise of Chandas father, she visits her native place where
she was again demeaned by her grandmother and an uncle when her mother had totally
decided to abstain from contacting her she gives up on her family and relations. She was
ostracized the whole time. This shaming eventually paved the way for her becoming a sex
worker, which in a way is ironical.

4. Sexuality of women

This movie has broken all the stereotypes and has gone to great lengths to depict women
exploring their sexuality. Where conventional movies simply show two people are in love
using a song sequence with a dozen junior artists dancing together, the film has chosen to
take the most common but not openly talked about way. Dev and Paroos intimate
conversations, including a transfer of her naked picture, must have been a shocker for most
people.

Moreover, Paroo willingly sending that (the naked image scanned) though she knew it
involves other people knowing what shes sending is something not very commonly done
within this relevant cohort. Normally, in most movies the role of a sex worker will be
subdued or portrayed as a negative act committed out of lack of choice for sustenance, but in
this movie it is not downplayed but rather has been portrayed as if the people in this trade
may actually do this with some amount of liking or at the least without any regret. The option
of a woman using her body or her sexuality, which was often attached to a social stigma, has
often not been depicted or denied plausibility in some cases. This was evident when Dev and
Chanda had a conversation about their past, wherein she frivolously calls herself Randi,
Slut and other similar words.

5. Outside the movie perspective:

The movie, though appearing very fictitious, from a macro level has actually had a lot of real
life references. The seemingly very high drug abuse or emotional dilemma with respect to
love, sex and relationships are very much real. Maybe the mainstream media has been a
moral police in itself all along and has been showing utopian stories and screenplays, adding
even the tiniest level of reality may be disappointing to many.

This movie inevitably attracts comparison with Devdas (the original Novel and the Shahrukh
Khan starer movie) for the core of the original plot is retained. Though the modern day
Devdas i.e. Dev succumbs to substance abuse and a relationship with a courtesan like his
predecessor, he doesnt perish and so does his relationship with his new found love
Chanda(Chandramukhi). Similarly, the modern Paroo, unlike Parvati has made a conscious
choice to live with her husband, not just for the sake of being together but has actually moved
on with her life, she also insists Dev do so too. The movie ends on a positive note, but with
the assurance that Dev doesnt throw his life under the bus for all the sufferings endured by
him especially with his near death experience towards the end post which he not just reunites
with Chanda but actually realizes his love for her.

Two infamous acts of Crime have been depicted in this movie - Chanda's MMS scandal
while in school is a reference to a similar scandal that took place at Delhi Public School, R.K.
Puram in 2004.And when Dev is depressed after losing both Paro and Chanda, his car
accident in newly bought BMW is a reference to the Sanjeev Nanda BMW hit-and-run case
in 1999. While the former is about the malice of a young man who tricked a school girl into
indulging into sexual activity in front of a camera, the society that holds the woman more
accountable, or rather punishes the woman more than the man is a criminal at large. The
perception and treatment of the public in such cases often is against the victim, adding to the
physical and emotional trauma faced by the victim.

In both reel and real life, the car accident was handled in the most unjust way. The judiciary
system let the criminals walk away with fine amounts and minimum prison sentence. This
reinforces the notion that the law does not apply equally for all there is a price for
everything and those affluent enough to live lavish and ruthless can actually afford to buy
their way out of Claw of Law

Another sociological perspective to this movie, actor Kalki Koechlin who played the role of
Chanda has not been getting many offers in the industry in spite of a stellar critically
acclaimed performance. This is just a reflection of the social stigma attached to the sex
worker profession.

About the Movie:

Written & Directed by Anurag Kashyap

Based on Devdas by Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay

Starring Abhay Deol, Mahie Gill, Kalki Koechlin

Movie available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILr6UDGs0Ms