Envision a film production of such monumental proportions that it significantly impacts the wedding industry in a vibrant city like Mumbai. This may seem implausible, yet it occurred precisely as described over twenty years ago, with Sanjay Leela Bhansali at the helm. The filmmaker's grand project, Devdas, led to the postponement of numerous weddings in Mumbai in 2001.

Devdas, an adaptation of Sarat Chandra's renowned novel, featured Shah Rukh Khan in the lead role, alongside Aishwarya Rai and Madhuri Dixit. Recently, Binod Pradhan, the cinematographer of the film, shared his insights with Friday Talkies regarding his experiences during the production and the extraordinary scale of the project.

How Devdas got weddings postponed in Mumbai

Pradhan discussed the nearly one-kilometer-long set of Chandramukhi's kotha, which was constructed in Mumbai. He remarked, “My team and I visited the site to observe the construction process, and we were taken aback. We contemplated the lighting arrangements. I circled the set from the lakeside and instructed my assistant to place a 100-watt bulb at the far end. This was the beginning of our lighting setup. It is said that I utilized all the generators available in Mumbai for this project.”

Pradhan stated that numerous weddings were delayed as a result of his 'monopoly' on the generators. "The area was so extensive that we required a significant number of generators. People claimed that Binod ji was responsible for the cancellation of many weddings due to the unavailability of generators for those events," the cinematographer disclosed.

All about Bhansali's Devdas

Devdas was made on a budget of ₹50 crore and was the most expensive Indian film made at that point in time. After a premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in 2002, it was released worldwide in July 2002. The film was a blockbuster, earning ₹168 crore worldwide.

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