‘Devara Part 1’ Movie Review: Jr NTR Is Terrific, Saif Ali Khan Is Decent and Janhvi Kapoor Is Gratuitous in Koratala Siva’s Overstretched Actioner (LatestLY Exclusive)

Devara Part 1 Movie Review: Dear filmmakers, I apologise if I seem sceptical when you present a movie with "Part 1" in the title. Yes, I understand you're inspired by SS Rajamouli's Baahubali as an epic example. Mani Ratnam's Ponniyin Selvan also succeeded, as did KGF to some extent. But more often than not, it feels like a gimmick—or that you're unable to contain the story within the traditional feature-length runtime(Salaar Part 1, where is the sequel?). This is precisely the main issue I had with Koratala Siva's Devara Part 1, which marks Jr NTR's first big-screen appearance since RRR. ‘Devara-Part 1’ Review: Jr NTR, Janhvi Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan’s Film Receives Mixed Response From Netizens; Actioner’s Climax Scene Gets Praised.

Devara Part 1 tells the story of Devara (Jr NTR), a fearless chieftain upholding a legacy of valour, and his seemingly timid, lookalike son, Vara (also Jr NTR). Devara leads four villages in a coastal region where the mountains meet the sea. The ancestors of these villages fought the British on the open seas and plundered their ships. However, in Devara's time, much to his chagrin, he and his men are reduced to stealing from cargo ships for a smuggler, Muruga (Murali Sharma), and a corrupt DSP (Abhimanyu Singh). Devara cares for the welfare of the four villages, though his non-violent approach to smuggling is frowned upon by some, particularly Bhaira (Saif Ali Khan).

During one such raid, when his men resort to violence, Devara ends the smuggling operation, increasing the ire of Bhaira and other disgruntled followers. After a bloody encounter, Devara leaves his village but promises to continue guarding the seas, preventing Bhaira and his men from further smuggling. It's another fact that he turns a blind eye when Bhaira kills or maims his own men.

Watch the Trailer of 'Devara Part 1':

Then there's Vara, who resents his father for abandoning him and the family for a greater cause. Seen as a coward by others, including Bhaira and his childhood friend, Thangam (Janhvi Kapoor), Vara struggles with his father's legacy. Bhaira raises an army of fearless young men to conquer the seas, but the fear of Devara continues to haunt them.

By the way, this entire story is told in flashback by Sigappa (Prakash Raj), an elder in Devara's village, to a visiting cop (Ajay).

'Devara Part 1' Movie Review - The Action Scenes and Anirudh's Score

Now, let's start with the positives. From a visual standpoint and in some of the action scenes, Devara improves upon Koratala Siva's previous film, Acharya, though it lacks the fluidity and consistent engagement of his earlier work with Jr NTR, Janatha Garage. I intended to focus on the positives, but here's the issue: each positive comes with a caveat. The elevation scenes for the protagonist(s) are visually appealing on the big screen, but they lack the "goosebumps" effect that they should evoke.

The action sequences are a strength, though they, too, have moments weighed down by unnecessary elements. I appreciated the director’s vision for the scenes, and the setting of the open seas added a unique flair. The bloody beach fight before the interval is, in my opinion, the best sequence in the movie. Assassins crawl like crabs on the sand to ambush the hero, and Devara spills blood that completes a circle around the moon’s crescent—a thrilling, if overly gory, moment for family audiences.

However, the action choreography doesn't always hit the mark. While the open sea sequences are a highlight, they occasionally feel artificial, especially since it's clear these were shot in a studio (no matter how much the night-time setting tries to mask it). The use of rope stunts also felt clunky, as did some of the close-combat scenes.

This brings me to the climactic fight. It’s an incredible setpiece shot at sea, with a scene that has the hero riding a shark, no less. The visual of the hero, cloaked and holding two daggers, standing against a flaming boat is stunning. But the underwater, first-person stabbing scenes came across as unintentionally comical. Hopefully, the sequel will improve on these fight scenes. R Rathnavelu's cinematography is impressive, making every scene visually striking, while Anirudh's background score amps up the mass appeal and enhances the action sequences. However, his songs are hit or miss, with one track in particular reminding me too much of the trolly-worthy "Come Back Indian" song from Indian 2.

'Devara Part 1' Movie Review - Jr NTR, The Saviour

Jr NTR elevates every scene with his screen presence. He is formidable as Devara and makes a valiant effort to portray the weak-willed Vara, though the latter performance is less convincing—perhaps intentionally so.

Nevertheless, Jr NTR keeps Devara watchable, even during the film's slower moments, bringing plenty of verve and panache to the dialogue delivery that you can't help but wonder why the villains even thought of revolting against the man hearing that baritone.

'Devara Part 1' Movie Review - Cumbersome in Many Parts

Now, let's move on to what I didn’t like at all. Between the action scenes, the film feels ordinary, even dull. The screenplay is formulaic, with few surprises—unless you count forced twists, like the "Why did Kattappa kill Baahubali?" type of ending twist, which exists purely to justify the sequel that felt unnecessary at this point.

There’s another early twist, which is also predictable, more so because Devara Part 1 doesn’t do a great job of convincing you otherwise. At least the first half is more engaging beyond the action scenes, as I was intrigued by the lore before it devolved into a one-man worship fest, turning Devara into a superhuman figure capable of pushing crates of ammunition, presumably weighing hundreds of kilos, into the sea. If he’s that strong, why does he even need a crew? ‘Devara – Part 1’: Did You Know Jr NTR and Janhvi Kapoor’s Film Features 3000 CG Shots and 30 Minutes of Underwater Action?

'Devara Part 1' Movie Review - Janhvi Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan

The second half has its moments, particularly when Jr NTR gets to showcase his comedic flair, but it loses momentum quickly. The romantic subplot with Janhvi Kapoor is tedious and utterly unnecessary. There's a wrestling competition where women and children are asked to leave the arena—this sums up Janhvi’s role in the film. She’s a decorative flowerpot, with no real relevance to the plot. Worse, her character has a cringe-worthy childhood crush on an adult man and is later forced to spout awkward lines about how something hot should erupt within her upon meeting the macho love of her life. Yikes. More so, she completely disappears from the movie after the "Chuttumalle" song.

Fortunately, Saif Ali Khan has a more substantial role, but it still pales in comparison to his previous negative characters. Most of the time, he’s reduced to making hard faces at the camera, although he does shine in a mid-forest chase sequence.

Finally, the most frustrating aspect of Devara is the "Part 1" element. It’s tiresome to see films trying to replicate the Baahubali and KGF storytelling formula without fully justifying it. Several scenes, such as the entire Janhvi subplot, could have been cut, allowing for a more concise narrative that might have merged the plots of both films. The ending, delivered with a dramatic flourish, didn’t evoke a strong emotional response. Instead, it left me more annoyed than curious about the mystery to be solved in the sequel. Filmmakers should avoid treating their films like extended intermissions.

'Devara Part 1' Movie Review - Final Thoughts

In Devara Part 1, Jr NTR’s commanding screen presence and the impressive technical aspects are threatened by a screenplay that lacks depth and pacing.  The movie struggles to justify its existence as a two-part saga, leaning heavily on formulaic storytelling and a reliance on stylish execution over substance. While Devara Part 1 boasts some visually striking moments and a few standout action sequences that may work for the Jr NTR fans, the overall narrative feels padded and unnecessarily drawn out.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 27, 2024 01:18 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).