| Director | Anurag Kashyap |
|---|---|
| Genre | comedy film, drama film, erotic film, film based on literature, romance film |
| Runtime | 144 min |
| Country | India |
| Budget | ₹11 crore |
| Box office | ₹20.8 crore |
The film is structured into three distinct segments, each focusing on the perspective of one of the three central characters.
Paro
Paro is a young, idealistic middle-class girl raised in Punjab who is deeply in love with her childhood sweetheart, Dev, the son of a wealthy businessman. Dev, however, routinely takes her affection for granted, developing into a spoiled, arrogant, and lazy young man. His behavior prompts his father to send him to London to finish his education. Though separated by distance, Paro's devotion deepens, while Dev grows increasingly entitled and egotistical. Upon completing his studies, Dev returns to Chandigarh, where the two rekindle their romance. The relationship shatters when Dev unthinkingly believes scandalous, unverified rumors regarding Paro's reputation and sexual history. Shocked by his blatant chauvinism and hypocrisy, Paro denounces him. When Dev continues to judge and insult her, she cuts ties with him and rashly agrees to an arranged marriage with a man named Bhavan. On her wedding day, Dev discovers the rumors were entirely fabricated, but his stubborn ego prevents him from apologizing. He watches her marry Bhavan before collapsing in a drunken stupor.
Chanda
Leni is a college student in Delhi of mixed European descent. Her life is upended when a sexual encounter with her older boyfriend is secretly filmed and leaked online, resulting in a highly publicized MMS sex scandal. Devastated by the public shame, her father commits suicide, and Leni is sent by her mother to live in her late father's conservative ancestral village. Unable to endure the isolation and constant ridicule, she returns to Delhi. She begins balancing her daytime university studies with a nocturnal life as a high-class sex worker, adopting the pseudonym "Chanda" after watching a television broadcast of the film Devdas. Her distinct looks make her a highly sought-after, premium commodity for elite clients, allowing her to carve out financial independence and personal dignity. Her path crosses with the narrative when a heavily intoxicated, semi-conscious Dev is brought to her room as a client. Despite Dev's lingering obsession with Paro, Chanda finds herself falling in love with him.
Dev D
Tormented by Paro's marriage, Dev spirals into a destructive pattern of severe alcohol and drug abuse. During a heavy drinking binge, he meets a cynical pimp named Chunni, who guides him directly to Chanda's brothel. While Dev finds temporary solace in Chanda's company, he remains unable to purge Paro from his mind. In a drug-induced haze, he makes a erratic late-night phone call to Paro's husband, prompting a concerned Paro to track him down at his dilapidated lodge. Though she demonstrates her enduring care by cleaning his room, she firmly rejects his physical advances. The meeting ends bitterly when Dev confesses his love, only for Paro to command him to move on with his life before returning to her husband.
Dev initially resolves to commit to Chanda, and the two begin falling in love. However, his deep-seated prejudices regarding her sex work catch up to him, causing him to abandon her. He plunges back into a lethal lifestyle of narcotics and reckless behavior, eventually causing a horrific drunk driving accident that kills seven people. The news causes his ailing father to die of shock. Months later, hit by absolute rock bottom, a broken Dev attempts to salvage his life. He tracks down Chanda once again, and with her forgiveness and support, sets out to rehabilitate himself and start entirely afresh.