‘Dev D’ to re-release on April 24; Anurag Kashyap keen on Gen Z response

Dev.D is set to return to the big screen on April 24, with a re-release in select theatres through PVR INOX.

The cult classic, directed by Anurag Kashyap, originally released in 2009 and starred Abhay Deol, Mahie Gill, and Kalki Koechlin.

A modern retelling of Devdas, the film broke away from traditional storytelling with its raw, unconventional narrative and memorable soundtrack. Over the years, it has earned a strong cult following. The re-release offers longtime fans a chance to revisit it in theatres while introducing it to a new generation.

Kashyap on revisiting ‘Dev.D’

Reacting to the re-release, Kashyap said he is curious to see how younger audiences respond to the film today.

“When we made Dev.D, it came from a place of rebellion,” he said, explaining that he wanted to strip away the romanticism associated with Devdas and explore the character’s flaws more honestly.

“This Dev isn’t a romantic hero. He’s entitled, impulsive, and often deeply unlikable. His self-destruction isn’t noble; it’s reckless and painfully real,” Kashyap noted.

He added that the female characters were also reimagined with greater agency. Paro is no longer just a passive lover, while Chanda represents survival and reinvention rather than sacrifice.

Calling the theatrical return “special,” Kashyap said the film is meant to be experienced collectively, highlighting Amit Trivedi’s music and Rajeev Ravi’s cinematography as key elements of its impact.

Abhay Deol on the film’s journey

Deol recalled that when he first shared the idea of Dev.D, many dismissed it as too “arty” to be made. When he approached Kashyap, he initially pitched it simply as a love story without revealing its connection to Devdas.

“When I finally told him it was a contemporary Devdas, he went quiet for 20 minutes, imagining it. Then he was hooked,” Deol said.

He added that his original idea followed the classic tragic ending, but Kashyap chose a different path to challenge the romanticisation of self-destruction.

Rethinking the ending

Kashyap explained that he deliberately avoided glorifying Dev’s downfall.

“The original Devdas myth romanticises a man drinking himself to death. Dev in Dev.D didn’t deserve that kind of poetic martyrdom,” he said.

At the same time, he noted that the film avoids a neat, feel-good resolution. “The ending isn’t about closure—it’s about discomfort. It forces the audience to confront their own ideas of forgiveness and accountability.”