Sudhir Mishra dedicates 'Aur Devdas' to Saratchandra, Shakespeare

Filmmaker Sudhir Mishra, who has completed a long schedule of "Aur Devdas" in Lucknow, says he has decided to dedicate the film to Bengali novelist Saratchandra Chatterjee and English playwright William Shakespeare.

"I'm dedicating the film to both Saratchandra and Shakespeare. Though my film is a take on Saratchandra's 'Devdas', it moves completely away from the original text. Still my film is born out of Saratchandra's novels.

"It then moves into Shakespearean territory, no particular play, but all the Shakespearean tragedies about the virus of ambition and the lust for power," Mishra said.

In truth, adds Mishra, the film has little connection with either Saratchandra or Shakespeare's works, and yet there's a very deep-rooted connection.

"If they were to see my film, they may not recognise their work in 'Aur Devdas'. But I know where I've been inspired by them," he added.

Curiously, this is the first occasion when Mishra has referenced his cinema to literature. "I have never done a literary adaptation before. It's a new experience and one that I enjoyed."