Mumbai witnessed an unusual crisis when Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s 2001 film Devdas took over the city’s power supply, leading to the postponement of hundreds of weddings.
The grand production of Devdas was so massive that all available generators in Mumbai were rented for the film’s shoot. Starring Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai, and Madhuri Dixit, the film was based on Sarat Chandra’s novel and became an iconic hit.
Cinematographer Binod Pradhan recently shared in an interview how challenging it was to light up the extravagant sets. He revealed that Chandramukhi’s kotha alone spanned a kilometer, requiring thousands of 100-watt bulbs. To meet the lighting demands, the entire city’s generator supply was booked, leaving wedding planners struggling for backup power.
Pradhan recalled being told that due to Devdas, Mumbai faced a generator shortage, forcing several weddings to be postponed. Jokingly, he added, “People would say that because of Binod Ji, so many weddings got canceled.”
Made on a ₹50 crore budget, Devdas was India’s most expensive film at the time. After premiering at the Cannes Film Festival, it was released worldwide in July 2002 and became a blockbuster, grossing ₹168 crore globally—the highest for an Indian film back then.
