Title: Devara
Rating: 2.5/5
Cast: NTR, Saif Ali Khan, Janhvi Kapoor, Shruthi Marathe, Prakash Raj, Srikanth, Shine Tom Chacko, Talluri Rameshwari, Murali Sharma, Abhimanyu Singh, etc.
Cinematography: R. Rathnavelu
Editing: Sreekar Prasad
Music: Anirudh Ravichander
Produced by: Sudhakar Mikkilineni, Kosaraju Harikrishna
Direction: Koratala Shiva
Released On: 27 September 2024
Devara is the biggest film this year after Kalki. There has been much hype surrounding this film for various reasons. It marks NTR's return after the globally recognized film RRR, Janhvi Kapoor's Telugu debut as the heroine, and Saif Ali Khan's Telugu debut as the villain.
Let’s see what the film offers and whether it lives up to the expectations.
Story:
The story begins in 1996, where a cop (Ajay) is on the hunt for a criminal and happens to learn about Errasamudram and Devara (NTR) from Singappa (Prakash Raj) as part of his operation.
The narrative then goes back to the 1970s, where Devara (NTR) is the leader of a group of pirates who work as a team to loot cargo ships. They do this for their livelihood, taking contracts from Muruga (Murali Sharma).
However, after a certain incident, Devara decides to stop robbing cargo ships and helping criminals like Muruga. This decision doesn't sit well with other members of the team, including Bhaira (Saif Ali Khan). Their clash with Devara sets the stage for the rest of the story.
Artistes' Performamces:
NTR's dual-shaded performance is impressive, and there is nothing negative to say about his abilities. He is one of the finest actors, and directors should use his talent appropriately when the opportunity arises. NTR did his part well, but could have delivered something more.
Janhvi Kapoor made a brief appearance in this Telugu debut. Her character is poorly written and seems to exist only for the sake of having a heroine. She appears only in the second half, and even then, for a limited time.
Srikanth's role is too small, with only a couple of dialogues. Chacko is not properly utilized, and Prakash Raj serves as a voiceover artist to narrate the flashback.
The female characters may not be well known to Telugu audiences, but they did their parts well. Shruthi Marathe is good as Devara's wife, while Talluri Rameshwari reappeared after a long time in the role of Jogula.
Tarak Ponnappa, as Bhaira's son, is a good choice. Murali Sharma and Abhimanyu Singh appear more like guest artists, with minimal roles to play.
Ajay is good as the cop who listens to the story narrated by Prakash Raj.
Hariteja and Getup Srinu in second half were expected to deliver good comedy, but they have no scope to contribute much in this lengthy film with too many characters.
Technical Excellence:
The major part of the story takes place against a water and village backdrop, where the visuals are impressively captivating. The CGI work is also adequate.
The background music is good and effectively elevates the mood whenever required. However, the songs are insufficient. Out of the four songs in the album, one was completely deleted and wasn’t even played during the end credits, as mentioned.
Chuttamalle is the only song that is visually appealing. The much-hyped Ayudha Puja song is very disappointing, with unclear lyrics and cacophonous tunes.
The title song is good throughout and is extensively used as BGM.
Highlights:
NTR's dual-shaded performance
BGM
Drawbacks:
Poor writing
Too many characters
No standout moments
Lack of originality in the narrative
Analysis:
The main problem with this film is that it has many characters, but their characterizations are not well developed. When all the characters behave the same, what is the point of having so many of them? What is the purpose of casting talented actors like Chacko but limiting them to just one or two dialogues?
Additionally, the storyline is thin, and the entire film relies heavily on visual treatment and buildups. When the content on screen is weak, the visual richness or the BGM hardly add anything significant to the overall experience.
There isn't a single "goosebumps" moment in a film of this scale. The first half of the film runs with character introductions and action episodes and the actual hook point is felt just before the interval. Until that point, the story moves slowly with only action episodes related to the pirates at sea.
The interval scene is decent, and the second half provides a slight sense of relief as a different layer of the story unfolds. However, that doesn’t mean this part is highly entertaining or engaging. It's like being on a frying pan after spending time in direct fire. Even characters like Getup Srinu in the second half are not used effectively for comic relief.
Janhvi Kapoor’s role appears only in the second half, and she is limited to three or four trivial scenes and a song. Her character has no depth and doesn’t even offer any engaging entertainment. She didn't live up to the hype.
The second half revolves around NTR’s second character, which is fine to an extent. However, the climax is clichéd and seems directly lifted from the first part of Bahubali. If "Why did Kattappa kill Bahubali?" was the end of Bahubali: The Beginning, here Devara: Part 1 ends with a similar question.
The entire film appears to draw inspiration from several other films. Janhvi’s traditional attire in the village scenes resembles Samantha's look in Rangasthalam; the fighting sequences in the ring in the second half are reminiscent of scenes from HanuMan, and the characters of Devara and Bhaira resemble the dynamic between Bahubali and Bhallaladeva.
The conflict point in the film is good, but the way it is handled fails to evoke the right emotions. Whatever happens on the screen appears more like information rather than affecting the audience deeply. This speaks to the insufficient homework done in crafting the script.
Overall, the film suffers from a lack of originality and freshness in its characters and narrative. Comparatively, this film is slightly better than Acharya in terms of content, though on the flip side Acharya at least had good songs. The songs in Devara are a major disappointment. It may only appeal to those who can endure an emotionless action drama. The impact of the film focuses more on fights and bloodshed than on other elements.
Bottomline: Not up to the hype
