Devara: Part 1 Review..!!
Junior NTR is coming back to the big screen after 2 long years after the blockbuster RRR, which had earned him international recognition. It was a surprise when Jr NTR chose Devara as his immediate next, helmed by Koratala Siva whose previous outing with Chiranjeevi was an outright disaster. Ram Charan also played an extended cameo in Acharya. Devara was also announced as a 2 part film, probably to cash in from the newly found Pan India appeal of Jr NTR. Saif Ali Khan & Jhanvi Kapoor were roped in to play crucial roles in the film while music sensation Anirudh was signed up as the music director. The trailer received mixed reactions while the music was an instant hit. Finally, Devara had a gargantuan opening all over the world but did the film live upto the hype.? Was the 2 part division worth it all.?
The opening episodes showed positive signs in terms of the story telling. The audience are introduced to a high-level meeting, that discusses about two wanted men Daya & Yeti. A police officer is assigned to nail them, who are planning something dreadful during the Cricket World Cup 1996, that is set to be hosted in India. Their investigation leads one thing to another and finally they end up at Ratnagiri. Here they learn about the legend of Devara & Red Sea through Prakash Raj’s character Singappa.
Yes,Prakash Raj is the quintessential narrator for every stories. So there is a curiosity factor being generated here, about what could be the connection between Devara & the two fugitives.? Further in the story, the major characters are slowly established alongside the premise. They are the descendants of revered warriors but the current generation are doing illegal jobs to thrive. This is a great premise and had vast possibilities to explore the clan and the people.
But, a few sequences were oddly placed that doesn’t resonate with the emotional aspect of the story. This was more cliched or forced to achieve some kind of redemption arc for the hero. There is a lady and son in the village who hold Devara with high regard. He is the leader of their clan. So, this son gets to study after the death of his father, who would’ve been working for the clan if not for Devara. This sequence was needless. There are several plot elements similar to this episode that are used to create challenges inside the premise. The routine style of execution to drive this film was ruining the enjoyment factor.
Fortunately, the 30 minutes before the intermission block had something to offer despite these flaws. The credit for the high moments in this period lies on Junior NTR & Anirudh. The screen presence and swag of the actor comes as the saving factor while Anirudh shows his skills to elevate those mass episodes to the fullest.
The dramatic and emotional part failed while the mass frenzy found success. This was a serious issue throughout the movie. The dramatic arc of the hero should not have been forced. Similarly, the potential of the antagonist was also wasted. In the latter half, more focus could have been given to Saif’s character development. Instead, it seems like the character itself has lost focus on his intentions. Most of his sequences found repetitive like in the first half in terms of his plans and actions. The antagonist has a major space in the story but it was just like any usual villain who loathes the hero because the former cannot win against the latter at any point of time. Even the reason for his absence in the final moments was absurd and such lazy writing further diminishes the character’s significance. The audience can even predict what Bhaira is going to do in the second part. The actor in Saif deserved a well written antagonistic character, due to which his performance went unnoticed.
Another issue was that, both halves of the movie has episodes that felt disconnected. The second half begins with a new story. As usual, the female lead character was poorly written who has basically nothing to offer in the film. Jhanvi’s scenes were superfluous in the whole movie that further kills the mood of the movie. At least, her scenes were shortened but that could have been avoided. Wonder what a lead lady has to do other romance or duets. The sequences had awful dialogues as well. Even for other characters, there is nothing striking about their characterisation. That being said, the intermediate action sequences hold this film together. The technical aspects were pretty ordinary, especially the colour palettes. The background looked so grim and even the VFX couldn’t generate any fascination. The twists and turns were highly predictable and some of them were even lame. There is another scene in the second half where Devara confronts his ailing mother, which is taken straight out of a 80s/ 90s cinema.
The second part lead was fine but there isn’t any drama or emotional factor to make the intended impression. This is basically due to the underdeveloped character arc and not having a meaningful premise. As soon as the movie ends, you might have started to feel that the climax moment was just for the sake of it.
Finally, Devara is an extremely predictable action flick with ordinary screenwriting, mounted on a spirited NTR
Compiled By Jayaram G