Meanwhile, we have to agree that Shah Rukh was just unbelievable with the art of portraying his role of Devdas. Yes, we can say that the standard set by Dilip Kumar was unattainable but Shah Rukh Khan was nothing less than a perfect competitor of that.
When Sanjay Bhansali capitulated on the idea of making another version of the hit Novel, it was the most expensive movie in the history of Indian cinema with a star-studded cast of Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai, and Madhuri Dixit making it fancier.
There were mixed reactions to Shah Rukh as Devdas, some said it was below expectations while others felt emotions with the King of Bollywood whenever he appeared on the screen.
Expectations and stakes were high as previously many of the biggest superstars of the Indian cinema have done this role, such names are K.L Saigal, Dilip Kumar, and Soumitra Chatterjee. Hence, it was obvious to the audience to expect more.