Bhavna Pani: 'We make choices as human beings; Amidst the darkness you have a choice to choose hope'

FRANCE 24 English

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00:00Now, the classic Indian novel, Dev Das, published in 1917, was adapted to the big screen a number of times.

00:06Most recently, the 2002 Sanjay Leela Bansali production starring Shah Rukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai premiered at the Cannes Film Festival.

00:14Dev Das is a love story. It's about a young man, Dev Das, who's in love with his childhood sweetheart, Paro.

00:19But the pair are kept apart due to family pressures.

00:22He spirals into alcoholism and finds comfort in the arms of a courtesan.

00:26But his love for Paro continues.

00:27Now, the stage adaptation is taking the French capital by storm.

00:57Now, Dev Das, the musical made its debut at the Rex in Paris last week and runs through the 11th of May.

01:11To talk more about how audiences have been responding, we can bring in Bhavna Pani, actress and director of Dev Das, the musical.

01:18Thank you so much for joining us on the program today.

01:20What's the response been like so far?

01:22It's been incredible.

01:25It feels almost like a rock concert by the end of the show because the audiences want to dance with you.

01:33They want to interact.

01:34And also the show is constructed in a way where there's a lot of we break the fourth wall and there's a lot of interaction with the audience.

01:42And I think the French audience really enjoys that.

01:45And it's an explosion of energy on stage, explosion of colors, explosion of movements.

01:51And I think the French audience really loves that.

01:55But I see that you've taken Dev Das, the musical, to places like Mauritius.

01:59Mauritius is familiar with Bollywood and the musicals, how India does things.

02:07France is not.

02:07But how do you transcend that, break that barrier with the French audience?

02:11You know, Dev Das is a story that has the backdrop of Bengal.

02:16The Bengalis of India are like the French of the world.

02:20I always say that.

02:21Culturally very similar.

02:22They're in love with the finer things in life.

02:24Poetry, dance, music.

02:26Being intellectual.

02:28Extremely and opinionated and very passionate about everything.

02:34So the story is like that.

02:36And I think they connect to the story, even if you don't know it.

02:41And the way also I'd like to believe that the way we invite people into the show, like from the opening act,

02:48I think they're ready to come on this journey with us.

02:53But I also believe that Dev Das was a very popular film in France.

02:58And actually it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival with Shah Rukh and Aishwarya.

03:03So a lot of people, you'd be surprised, know about the film, know about the story.

03:09In fact, there's something funny I can share with you.

03:12Just when I'm about to enter on stage, there are about 50 people yelling from the audience,

03:20Chandra Mookie!

03:20Like they know I'm about to enter on stage.

03:23So I was shocked, actually pleasantly shocked, to see how familiar they are with the whole idea, the story.

03:33Let's talk about Chandra Mookie, because you play Chandra Mookie, who is this courtesan,

03:38who becomes part of this love triangle between Dev Das and Paro.

03:42Where did you get your inspiration from?

03:45Oh, okay.

03:47Of course, from the book, because we researched it extensively.

03:53But of late, there have been so many films and series that are being made on courtesans of India.

04:02It's been recently, it's become a popular fact that the courtesans were not just there to please men.

04:10They were actually extremely influential and politically connected, very well-to-do, very rich.

04:18But still, you know, this woman, although she's one of the most powerful women of Kolkata,

04:25she is, at the end of the day, a woman in love and therefore a vulnerable human.

04:31You know how a place like India is?

04:34When the 2002 film came out, everyone was like, oh, the Bengali version is better.

04:39How do you, as a director, tend to drown out the noise?

04:43Oh, yeah, that's a great question, because I was a bit intimidated by the idea of the comparison.

04:51And so right from the beginning, I avoided looking at the screenplay of the film

04:57or trying to take inspiration from either of.

05:00There are actually three films.

05:01Before the Bim El Roy film, there has been another one, a black and white.

05:05I did not look at them.

05:08I did not read them, study them.

05:11In fact, after writing my script, I went back to those films and made sure that it isn't too similar

05:18so that there are no comparisons drawn.

05:22And this is based primarily on the book.

05:26And yes, it is a tall order.

05:27So I can't refute that.

05:30What are some of the challenges of acting and directing in a musical production like this?

05:37Oh, yeah.

05:38I didn't expect it.

05:39I didn't expect to.

05:40It was actually, it just so happened that I had to direct it.

05:45The circumstances were such.

05:47I had no ambitions of being a director ever.

05:50But theatre is something that I have thrived and enjoyed since I was a child.

05:57And it came very naturally to me.

05:59And I surprised myself.

06:02So it's not been easy.

06:03But before, I was always playing Chandra Mukhi from the first version.

06:08This opened in India in 2019.

06:14And then it had to shut down because of COVID.

06:16So the new version that came up, I had to direct.

06:21And so I was familiar with playing Chandra Mukhi because I was playing Chandra Mukhi in the previous version as well.

06:26So it was just a natural progression that I started to direct it.

06:30Now, Devthas, the book came out in 1917.

06:33What do you think it is about this story that manages to stand the test of time?

06:37Oh, it's a story about love.

06:39And love is the universal language.

06:40So, especially unrequited love.

06:45That kind of, you know, most films, stories, musicals talk about happy endings.

06:51This one's a tragic one.

06:53And Romeo and Juliet goes to prove that the tragic love stories are always successful.

07:00Although this is, at the end of the day, a spectacle, a musical.

07:04And we've given it a spin.

07:06We don't make the audiences cry and go back home.

07:09They do dance and they do laugh with us before the show ends.

07:14But it is definitely the love story.

07:18The story, per se.

07:20You know, of how we make choices as human beings amidst all the darkness.

07:28You have a choice to choose hope.

07:31You know, you can always make that choice.

07:33And Devthas doesn't.

07:34But you can.

07:35So, that's the kind of lingering emotion we leave the audience with.

07:40You said that, you know, you've been surprised by the audience reaction.

07:44What do you think it is about Devthas and the production that is resonating with audiences here in Paris?

07:49Apart from the visual opulence, I think it is the story.

07:53I'm sorry, I'm repeating myself.

07:57But it definitely is the pathos of this character of Devthas who's suffering, who's in so much pain, who's heartbroken.

08:06And we've all been heartbroken.

08:07Who's drinking himself silly.

08:08Yeah.

08:09What do you hope audiences take away from your telling of Devthas?

08:16Yeah, I think they take back a lot of hope because in these dark times that we live in also, we do have a choice to look at the positive side.

08:25And that's the message we're trying to leave the audiences with.

08:28And we see people going back dancing and smiling.

08:32So, they definitely, I'd like to believe they go back with a lot of hope and happiness.

08:37So, you're putting on a show and you're giving people a good time and you're giving them, leaving them with a message of hope and happiness.

08:42Thank you so much for coming in and speaking to us about the production.

08:45And Devthas is on at the Rex until the 11th of May.

08:50Thank you so much for joining us and thank you very much for watching.

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