As Sanjay Leela Bhansali's magnum opus Devdas turns 19, here are some lesser-known facts about the iconic film.
#1 The most expensive Hindi film, until 2002
2002 film Devdas was the most expensive Hindi film that was ever made till that year. The film was made with a budget of around ₹50 crores
#2 The sets cost ₹20 crore
The film’s intricate sets played a huge role in its rising cost. The most expensive set was that of Chandramukhi's Kotha that cost around ₹12 crores while the set of Paro’s house was created by using ₹1.2 lakh pieces of stained glass and cost around ₹3 crores.
#3 Every outfit of Madhuri Dixit cost ₹15 lakh
It was widely reported that every ensemble Madhuri Dixit wore cost approximately ₹15 lakh. Designed by Abu Jani-Sandeep Khosla, Madhuri Dixit’s outfits in the film were nothing short of exquisite.
#4 Aishwarya Rai had a wardrobe of 600 sarees
Designer Neeta Lulla and director Bhansali shopped for around 600 sarees from Kolkata and thus, the look of Paro was born.
#5 More than 700 lightmen were used in 'Devdas'
Cinematographer Binod Pradhan used 2500 lights & over 700 lightmen for the film. The film set also used over 42 generators because of the number of lights that were required for the film.
#6 Film’s music was created over a span of two years
Ismail Darbar took two years to create the music of the film. Reportedly every song’s recording lasted around 10 days and then it was mixed 8-9 times.
#7 Devdas was the highest grosser of the year
The film became the highest grosser of the year and earned a whopping sum of ₹40 crores at the domestic Box office.
#8 Devdas' music right sold for ₹12.5 crore
Devdas premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and had a gala time in the overseas market. The film's music rights were sold for a whopping ₹12.5 crore