'We Used Up All Of Mumbai’s Generators,' Cinematographer Recalls Working On SLB's Devdas
Devdas (2002) is iconic for its lavish sets. Cinematographer Binod Pradhan revealed it used all Mumbai's generators. Directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, it starred Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai, and Madhuri Dixit.
It’s been over two decades, but Devdas still holds a special place in Bollywood’s history as well as in the hearts of fans. The lavish sets, dreamy lighting, and visuals looked straight out of a painting. But what went on behind the scenes was just as mind-blowing as what we saw on screen. Cinematographer Binod Pradhan, who worked on the film, recently shared a core memory about the sheer magnitude of Bhansali’s vision.
In an interaction with Friday Talkies, Binod said, “There was a time when it was said that marriages in Mumbai had to be stopped or rescheduled because we had used up all the generators in the city. It was a huge area, and I had to use a lot of generators to light the place up. If there is a director who backs you, you can give your best."
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With those grand havelis, shimmering chandeliers, and that iconic soft glow lighting up every scene, it’s no surprise that Devdas needed every bit of electricity it could get.
“Honestly, I didn’t realise the sets were going to be so big," said Binod. “In fact, we weren’t in a hurry to shoot either. That is, in other films, we used to can 15-20 shots a day, sometimes even 40, and here in Devdas, we were only doing 3-4."
The film is said to be one of the most-expensive Indian film to be made at that time. Binod said, “One of the main reasons for the delay was in getting the lighting right. For instance, Paro’s house was filled with glass. It isn’t easy to light such a set. Also, I don’t work very fast, and I need to take the time it takes to light a scene well. We had to devise techniques to achieve the right lighting, and it was the same in Chandramukhi’s place too. It was a kilometre-long set, and when I first saw it with my team, I was shocked. We took a whole round of this set wondering how we were going to film the scenes here."
Binod concluded, “Sanjay once asked me to not compromise, and just do good work. In fact, there was a time when Devdas faced financial issues, and even then, Sanjay asked me to not compromise on anything. I was taken aback because I thought he’d ask me to finish shoot early, or not take too long to fix the shots, etc… But I like him for what he said, and it is unfortunate that we haven’t worked on any other film after Devdas."
Released in 2002, the film—featuring Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, and Madhuri Dixit-Nene—was produced by Bharat Shah and adapted from Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s 1917 novel of the same name.
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