Part 1 Review of Devara: Impressive visuals but lacking in depth

NTR's most recent film, Devara, was split into two parts. The film was directed by Koratala Siva after the Acharya and Chiranjeevi fiasco. Today saw the release of the first installment of Devara, which stars Janhvi Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan in pivotal parts. To find out if the movie is worth all the hype, read this review.

Star Cast Jr Ntr, Jhanvi Kapoor, Sai Ali Khan

Director Koratala Siva

Producer Sudhakar Mikkilineni, Kosaraju Harikrishna, Nandamuri Kalyan Ram, Abdullah Al Sajid

Music Anirudh Ravichander

Run Time 2 hr 42 Mins

Release 27 Sept 2024

Narrative

The dominant force is Devara (NTR), who is the leader of a clan of four, one of which is led by Bhairaa (Saif Ali Khan).

These people are thieves who steal items off ships and give them to dishonest politicians. One day, Devara finds out that the weapons and explosives he had been smuggling were meant to harm innocent people.

After the robbery, he steps back, but Bhairaa vows to overthrow Devara and attempts to kill him. However, a sad sequence of circumstances results in Devara disappearing. Vara, Devara's son, develops into a coward over time and learns that Bhairaa is still holding out for Devara to return and murder him.

What happened to Devara? how did Vara manage to save his dad? That is how the tale is told.

And what about performances on screen?

NTR is an amazing actor who never lets his fans down. He plays two roles in the movie and does a good job in both of them. However, it is the older NTR, with his intensely emotional avatar, who gives a strong performance.

Janhvi Kapoor appears in just two scenes along with a song. She exudes beauty and exudes a great deal of masala to the masses. She only appears in the second part of the movie. Saif is talented, but the director doesn't use him enough. In the second part of the movie, he barely gets any screen time and is overshadowed by actors like Janhvi and NTR.

Prakash Raj is extremely uninteresting in the movie and doesn't add anything new, while Ajay has a wonderful role. It's alright with Zarina Wahab as NTR's mother in the movie. In his role, Srikanth is ok.

What about skills not on screen?

Because he composed the film's thrilling background score, Anirudh is the major attraction. It's amazing to see how he has improved both the bouts and NTR's role. The conversations are orderly and don't cause any disruptions. The film's Telugu dubbing is also done rather effectively.

Not to be overlooked are the realistic-looking costumes. The sets are stunning, and the well-executed visual effects don't deceive you. The director Koratala has done a great job of showcasing each of the water sequences. The movie moves slowly, and the second half is particularly tedious.

Nothing new is shown in the second half, and the writing is a complete mess. The tale of Devara is not novel, but Koratala Siva does a wonderful job of creating an imaginary universe and creating clans inside it. The film was done with great sincerity by Koratala Siva.

He focused more on the images than the drama to make things work, and that's where Devara really falls short. The picture lacks an emotional connection between its characters, and its second half falls flat in terms of conflict. There aren't many scenes with NTR and Saif, and the way NTR is portrayed as a coward is weak.

In the second half, Devara has pacing problems as well. The movie didn't require a sequel, and it wasn't a very enjoyable viewing when it concluded on a weak note. The conclusion is uninteresting and does not leave the audience feeling satisfied. This is due to Koratala Siva's cynical narration in the movie, when he narrowly misses the bus.

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

Conclusion

Devara is essentially NTR's one-man show. When he is on screen, the movie flows. He looks good when he performs action scenes, dances, and romances Janhvi. However, the second half drags and is boring. NTR aficionados will like Devara, but despite its stellar cast and high production standards, the movie is only worth seeing for the general public.