Devara Part 1
Starring: Jr NTR, Saif Ali Khan, Janhvi Kapoor, Shruti Marathe, Prakash Raj, Srikanth, Shine Tom Chacko
Direction: Koratala Siva
It must be stated categorically that Sreekar Prasad lets you down completely with his editing. A near three-hour film by Koratala Siva is more than what one bargains for, unless you are a never-satiated Jr NTR fan or have not come to terms that grandeur is not always about longevity.
Minutes into the film you grow conscious of the style and genre of the film which is high adrenaline and cinematically well-invested. Indian cinema has come of age, technically speaking. We are willing to invest heavily on the crew and its skill sets. However, the creative elements are still unfortunately template-driven. The marginalisation of artistic honesty and emotional story-telling are often grotesque and rarely humane, much less human.
Ravi treads the stated path. This, too, in an historic perspective could be a milestone. Development and progress, after all, carry hidden price tags and Ravi is carried away by grandeur. Southern cinema has seen ‘Baahubali’ and ‘Ponniyan Selvan‘, ‘KGF’, ‘Kantara’, have not only presented a pan-Indian audience backed by a matching budget but also heralded a monetary scale that matches global standards. The Hollywood stereotype is obviously easier to emulate than the Korean software.
Tollywood has always built its taste in and around its matinee idols. The Friday barns encouraged by unique cultural fan clubs are propagative of the belief that stars tell stories not actors. Notwithstanding their stardom, the era of NTR and ANR and even of Sobhan Babu and Krishna carried flashes of storytelling primordial, with star value taking the hind seat. Perhaps, Chiranjeevi got the bull into the China shop. Now, the dust-raising thigh-thumping muscle-flexing hero is central to what often is euphemistically referred to as creative art. Nuanced story-telling is the first victim.
Unpretentious and brazenly, Jr NTR is what ‘Devara’ is about. At least, that appears to be the screaming intent. Is that the writing on the wall or is it haloed graffiti is a matter of conjecture or depends on whether you are or not a Jr NTR fan. However, beyond question is the fact that Devara showcases Jr NTR who moves about with the agility of a leopard. He works in perfect tandem with the action in-charge in presenting the central character of Devara. He carries tremendous grace in executing most of his action scenes. Interestingly, as the seemingly-hesitant and timid Vara, he is amazingly honest and balanced. He does not disappoint when called to dance, he balances his emotive and correlated skill sets to present a very polished final product which by design is the central factor to this grotesque mounting.
Interestingly Saif, as the main villain Bhairava, shows great character. He is solid without predictable mannerisms or the usual over-the-top scream-and-shout stereotypes. In fact, in the aquatic backdrop of ‘Devara’, he is rock solid. It has been a while that a villain in Tollywood has been as controlled, yet clear as the anti-hero. The chocolate boy of ‘Mai Anadi Tu Khiladi’ has surely walked the distance. Even ‘Omkara’ showed him in a more contrived positioning. Perhaps, the ‘Vikram Vedha’ villain has rubbed off a suave yet deepened evil in the Saif character-interpretation capacity. The rest of the cast don’t matter except that Srikant as Rayyappa and Prakash Raj as Singappa have typical roles, screen presence and interpretations.
Yet another point of interest is the debut of Janhavi Kapoor in Tollywood. Nondescript. In fact, it is much ado about nothing. For one who has consciously chosen her cinema in Bollywood and moved away from strait-jacket roles, it is indeed worth noting that in Tollywood she plays the proverbially inconsequential heroine. The decorated flowerpot may have the right paint or may even have the right flower, but flowerpot she remains.
Devara and Bhairava are pirates constituting representatives of a quadlet of territories in Ratnagiri in the post-independence era. While Bhairava has no moral compunctions, Devara has a conscience. That is uncomfortable in his grey attire. The conflict therefore between the law and the lawless among chieftains in the hilly backyard leads to an attempted murder of Devara – the courageous and the lion-hearted.
The village is dumbstruck by his absence after his lieutenant Rayappa (Srikant) plays Judas. His son Varda may resemble papa physically but grows seemingly timid. The Tom and Jerry battle among chieftains for the annual Ayudha Puja constitutes the crux of ‘Devara’.
Why did Kattappa kill Baahubali Sr, was the question that everyone asked. The curiosity quotient was sufficient for money bags to dig deep into their packets for their sequel. Will it be an encore with Devara, is the question in time will answer.
For a one-time see, Devara is pleasant on the eye, not-too-demanding on your nerves, not challenging your mental faculties and is entertaining as popularly perceived.