Seventeen years after its original release, Anurag Kashyap’s cult classic Dev D (2009) is set to make a return to the big screen. The Abhay Deol, Kalki Koechlin, and Mahie Gill starrer will re-release on April 24, 2026, but only in select theatres, giving fans and a new generation of viewers the chance to experience the film in cinemas once again.
In an interview with Bombay Times, members of the cast and crew reflected on the significance of Dev D and its impact. Director Anurag Kashyap shared his excitement, saying:
“To see Dev D return to the big screen feels special. It’s a film meant to be experienced collectively, with Amit Trivedi’s music and Rajeev Ravi’s cinematography powering the narrative. I am curious to see how the new generation responds to it.”
Kalki Koechlin, who made her debut with the film, reminisced about her early struggles on set:
“I remember being so nervous about my Hindi lines that every morning on set, I would practise all my vowels and consonants in Devanagari to get the pronunciation right. The best part about shooting the film was not knowing anything about filmmaking, because it meant I didn’t care about the camera angle or how I looked on camera.”
Lead actor Abhay Deol revealed how the idea for Dev D came to life:
“I remember when I would narrate the idea of Dev D, the most common reaction I got was that it was ‘too arty’ to be made. When I narrated it to Anurag, I didn’t tell him it was a contemporary treatment. I just narrated a love story. When I revealed that it was a contemporary Devdas, Anurag went quiet for 20 minutes, imagining it in his head. He loved the idea of using a musical score to take the story forward, one song at a time.
Although he went with a different ending (my idea was Dev dying in the end), my intention was to call out Devdas’ misogyny and highlight the women’s resilience. It’s my only idea that got made into a movie.”
