Devara is NTR’s new film that has been made in two parts. Koratala Siva directed the film post the debacle of Acharya with Chiranjeevi. The first part of Devara was released today and has Janhvi Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan in key roles. Read this review to know if the film lives up to all the hype or not.
Story
Devara(NTR) is the dominating force and leads a clan of four that also has Bhairaa(Saif Ali Khan) as a key member. They are thugs who smuggle goods from a ship and hand them to corrupt politicians. One fine day, Devara comes to know that the goods that he smuggled were guns and bombs that were used to kill the innocent. He then takes a backseat from the robbery but Bhairaa decides to dethrone Devara and tries to kill him. But in a tragic turn of events, Devara goes missing. As time passes by, Devara’s son, Vara grows up to become a coward and comes to know that Bhairaa is still waiting for Devara to come back to kill him. Where did Devara go? and how did Vara save his father? That forms the story.
What about on-screen performances?
NTR is a terrific actor and does not disappoint his fans one bit. He is seen in a double role in the film and has delivered a solid performance. But it is the elder NTR who delivers a solid performance with his emotion-packed avatar.
Janhvi Kapoor is there only for two scenes and a song. She looks gorgeous and gives a lot of masala to the masses. She makes her entry only in the second half of the film.
Saif is good but he is underutilized by the director. He has hardly anything to do in the second half and gets sidelined by the likes of NTR and Janhvi in the film.
Ajay gets a good role and Prakash Raj is so boring in the film and does now bring anything new to the film. Zarina Wahab as NTR’s mother is okay in the film. Srikanth is okay in his role.
What about off-screen talents?
Anirudh is the mainstay of the film as he has given an electrifying background score to the film. The way he has elevated the fights and elevated NTR’s role is so good to see.
The dialogues are neat and do not create any disturbance. The Telugu dubbing is also done well in the film. The costumes need a mention as they look realistic as well.
The sets laid are amazing and you do not get cheated by the lazy VFX as it is done well. All the water sequences have been showcased quite well by the director Koratala.
The pace of the film is slow and things get bogged down in the second half. The screenplay goes for a toss and there is nothing new that is showcased in the second half.
The story of Devara is nothing new but how Koratala Siva has set the film in an imaginary world and created clans out of it looks good in the film.
Koratala Siva has made the film on a sincere note. To make things work, he concentrated more on visuals than drama and that is where Devara falters in a big way.
The emotional connection between the characters is missing in the film and the conflict point in the second half goes for a toss. NTR and Saif hardly have any scenes and the way NTR is showcased as a coward looks weak.
Devara also has pacing issues in the second half. There was no need to have a sequel for the film and the way the film ends on a simple point is also not that great to watch.
The climax is dull and does not make you leave the audience with a high. This is because the film the narration by Koratala Siva is jaded and he missed the bus by a margin.
What’s Hot
- NTR’s performance
- Janhvi Kapoor’s glamor
- Action blocks
- First half
What’s Not
- Routine Story
- Dull Second half
- Weak emotions
- Dragging the film to the second half
- Dull climax
Verdict
Overall, Devara is NTR’s one-man show. The film works when he is on screen. The way he does action, dances, and romances Janhvi looks good. But the second half is dull and drags for no reason. Fans of NTR will love Devara but for the regular audience, the film is just a passable watch only for its star cast and production values.
Telugubulletin.com Rating: 2.75/5
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Devara: Part 1 is an action drama film written and directed by Koratala Siva. It is jointly produced by Yuvasudha Arts and N. T. R. Arts. The film stars N. T. Rama Rao Jr in dual roles, alongside Saif Ali Khan and Janhvi Kapoor in their first Telugu film. Shruti Marathe, Prakash Raj, Srikanth, Shine Tom Chacko, Narain, Kalaiyarasan and Murali Sharma appear in supporting parts. The film has music composed by Anirudh Ravichander, cinematography handled by R. Rathnavelu and editing by A. Sreekar Prasad.
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3:50 EST Devara Started with an intense scene, police discussing on to avoid nonsense by goons during world cup cricket matches. Bhairaa introduced as smuggler in the imaginary coastal village.
4:00 PM EST: Tarak gets introduced, he is also from the same village as Bhaira. Tarak is against smuggling and wants everyone in the village to stay away from it.
4:50 PM EST : Tarak says no to people who is exploiting villagers and he will stop any bad doings. Powerfull scene followed by fear song.
Interval Report:The first half of #Devara is decent with some notable moments. It gains momentum just before the interval, culminating in an impactful interval scene. NTR delivers a strong performance in his subtle role as Devara. Anirudh’s music is on fire 🔥🔥, the night scenes suffer from dull cinematography
5:30 PM EST: Vara is introduced as a faint hearted person, Janhvi Kapoor gets a glamorous introduction.
5:50 PM EST: Vara participates in Ayudha Pooja and beats other 3 villages. He brings back the weapons to his village.