Deva Movie Review: Shahid Kapoor has always been a very earnest performer. Despite how problematic the film is (Yes, I mean Kabir Singh), Kapoor's performance has always stood out. In his latest film Deva, helmed by Rosshan Andrrews, Kapoor's tough, rogue cop act is truly worth all the praise, but can one performance lift a very average film?
Deva Movie Review
A remake of Prithviraj Sukumaran starrer Mumbai Police which was released in 2013, Deva is high on action and testosterone. A lot of time is spent to establish tough cop Dev Ambre's (unnecessary) swagger. Dev only knows how to pelvic thrust, wield the gun, and be violent. Rugged to the core, he is almost like a cop version of Kabir Singh.
Plot of Deva
A promising good cop is killed in the middle of a Police investiture ceremony in broad daylight in Mumbai. Dev Ambre, Deputy Commissioner Of Police, takes on the case as its personal. The slain cop is his childhood friend and he must now put the pieces together to find out who is the killer.
The twist comes when Dev meets with an accident and loses memory just when he is about to unravel the mystery. Is Dev able to resolve the case finally forms the rest of the story.
Dev shares brotherhood with fellow police officers Farhan and Rohan and their brotherhood runs deeper than the bloodlines. Deva also shares a romantic relationship with journalist Diya Sathe, (Pooja Hegde), whose father, a police constable, is left handicapped during a police raid led by Deva. Diya tells Deva that there might be a mole in the force who is going one step ahead to inform criminals about the police activities and investigations.
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Performances in Deva
Apart from Shahid Kapoor, no other actor gets any scope to perform. Neither are any of the characters well fleshed out. While a lot of time is spent in establishing how much of a thug Dev Ambre is, writers never go deeper into his back story. A fleeting mention of a temper issue and a criminal father is all that we get about Deva. The rest of the characters, especially the women- Pooja Hegde and Kubra Sait- are grossly underutilised. Why are women even needed in the narrative that is all about bhaichara and male machismo is a question that will remain unanswered.
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The film rests on Kapoor and he delivers to his part of a mad, rule-breaking, gun-wielding man well. I did have a problem with the way Dev is in general. A problematic man, deeply flawed and yet he is glorified to no end. Bollywood has in recent years developed a fondness for such flawed characters and goes to great lengths to glorify them and present them in larger-than-life characters. Deva follows the same route and makes you recall portions from Kabir Singh, Animal, and films in the same genre.
The second half of Deva stands out
I was almost about to write off Deva when I began watching it. So many unnecessary plot points, a very unoriginal song to showcase Kapoor's dancing skills, a terribly shot- VFX induced opening scenes- Deva's first half felt aimless without a cohesive story. But in the second half, the film becomes engaging when Dev finally starts putting the pieces together.
Final verdict
Deva could have been a great masssy entertainer but it follows a predictable course making the film feel and look very familiar. Actors like Pavail Gulati, Pravesh Rana and Kubra Sait are wasted with limited screen time and Shahid Kapoor alone cannot salvage a very middling film with his good performance.
Deva, helmed by Rosshan Andrrews, has released in theatres on January 31.
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