Here are some interesting facts on the three versions in discussion:
Devdas in 1955: It was while working as cinematographer on P C Barua's Devdas featuring K L Saigal in the titular part that filmmaker Bimal Roy got excited about making his own vision. Today, it's an undisputed classic.
Devdas in 2002: Devdas, which was released a year after the Oscar-nominated Lagaan was selected as India's official entry for the Academy awards. Despite reasonable international buzz and exposure, it failed to qualify.
Dev D in 2009: The idea to re-create Devdas in its modern-day avatar was Abhay Deol's brain wave. He bounced ideas with director Anurag Kashyap. Soon after, they were on board making the film.
Also See: Abhay Deol takes on Dilip Kumar, SRK