Both the book and the yesteryear films on DEVADAS became famous and popular. Even today, the name Devadas evokes feelings and sort of empathy in most Indian men. The literary figure of Devadas has become an icon, mm.. an icon of Alcoholism, popular, nevertheless!
The story is all about Devadas, a feudal lord's son, falling in love with a poor girl Paro. Due to differences in class and wealth, the weak-willed youth is not able to marry his childhood playmate and sweetheart and Paro marries an old man. However Devadas cannot forget Paro and to dispel his frustration he succumbs to the bubbly bottle. A golden-hearted prostitute, Chandramukhi, befriends him and tries to make him forget his past. But soon he runs away and goes to meet Paro... Heart-broken he dies in front of her house.
Many thanks to ‘The Hindu’ newspaper and Mr. Randor Guy for the story line given above.
On one side, the youth and the older men and women with youthful feelings identify with the lover in Devadas who fails against the patriarch, casteist, class oriented society in winning his love. Even today, even in these days of so called modernistic and progressive society, the reprimands against the runaway couple are heavy. ‘Honour killings resorted to’ make periodic headlines and breaking news in the newspaper and the media. There come up huge outcries against this barbarism in the name of honour killings, and hopefully, some day we may get rid of this barbarism.
But taking to bubbly bottle…., well, this needs to be seriously looked into! The youth identify with this also in queer manner. Is Devadas able to forget Paro temporarily and the fact that he is not able to marry her, thus booze acting as sleeping pills? Or, does it lead to fantasies and imaginations that suits Devadas’s likes.
Practically viewing in real world, the answer is ‘No”. It is more an expression of anger and frustration against the reality and also against his inability. And torturing himself in retaliation and portraying himself as victim. Many people identify with this situation.
Many people take to Drinking as an expression of defiance against failures in many walks of life! It also helps them resort to escapism from the problems all around them. Though temporarily, they do understand! They need more and more of it over time, they become addicts, they spend all their money on it, their health goes haywire, and over the time they lose their productivity, they become totally useless and become burdens to their familes and the society.
Some people take to Drinking for they feel manly and adventurous, none of it in reality because of drinking though! Here again Escapism plays its part. Joy of making a beeline to liquor shops on salary day and spending fortunes on it cannot be explained any other way! They give a damn to the family running, or, to their children’s’ education!
Then the fancy of it! The elite class feels as a rule that consuming liquor is an essential part of any celebration. Here, they make a person or two get high in the game, and then enjoy the ramblings and stupid acts of the person/s.
One thing I cannot understand though! Many manual workers who put in hard physical labour every day need a ‘quarter’ to gulp the pain and ache down!! One cannot question the genuineness of it! They sincerely believe in it! How to get over this??
Education, continuous education is the answer for abolishing alcoholism and saving millions of people, may be crores. Remember how the nation succeeded in spreading Family Planning among masses?? By continuously educating the people on it. Some villages have succeeded in abolishing alcoholism and smoking within their boundaries.
And may be by enacting a State law abolishing liquor as they brought one for abolishing smoking!
This subject needs immediate attention and urgent action.
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