Devara: Part 1 Review: Jr NTR’s action drama has majestic visuals, nail-biting action, marred by a predictable plot

There is something about Jr NTR which makes him come across as an endearing man on-screen. He is cute so he aces the sentimental scenes. But at the same time, he is ferocious when it comes to hand-to-hand combat. Jr. NTR oscillates somewhere between a soft boy and a badass. This dichotomy was on full display in RRR where he and Ram Charan fought the British and also in Devara: Part 1 , where Jr. NTR fights a formidable Bhairava (played convincingly by Saif Ali Khan).

The first 15 minutes of Devara: Part 1 are shaky. The groundwork is laid for what’s about to come—a police-led crackdown of a group of villagers who loot the ships despite the watchful eye of the coast guard. A group of four villages that lie in Ratnagiri near the Red Sea live together in harmony. They have a Sangram (an inter-village competition) where the winner gets to keep the shastras (weapons) for a period,

Devara: Part 1 Movie: Plot

Devara (Jr NTR) and Bhairava (Khan) start off as friends. The two loot the ships with the men from their village. Bhairava and Devara have conflicting ideals—while Devara is in touch with his emotional side, Bhairava is ruthless. On discovering that the consignment has illegal weapons used for terror attacks, Devara refuses to participate in the activity, much to the dismay of Bhairava. Devara turns into a vigilante who colludes with the Indian coast guard and stops Bhairava’s men from looting the consignment, Devara is then reborn as Vara (played by Jr. NTR, in a double role). Vara, unaware of his father’s legacy, is led astray by Bhairava, until he finds his true calling. Janhvi Kapoor plays Thangam, Vara’s love interest who already had a thing for his father (when she was a teenager!). What follows next is a neck-to-neck battle between Devara and Bhairava. Who will emerge victorious?

Also Read: Devara fever: A fan from Tokyo flies to LA to watch Jr NTR's latest blockbuster and meet him

Devara: Part 1 Movie: Performances

While Jr. NTR is on the top of his game, Saif Ali Khan as the antagonist is the dark horse of the film. He plays to perfection, the crazy, psychotic antagonist who sees nothing beyond greed. Both Jr. NTR and Saif have good screen presence. Janhvi Kapoor is underutilized at best, forgettable at worst. Her role isn’t as substantial (she is entirely absent pre-interval block) and has minimum screen time. While the first half does a good job with the build up (we also get an intense pre-interval fight sequence), the second half dips in momentum.

Srikanth plays Rayappa, the man from Devara’s village who betrays Devara and leads him to the ambush. Murali Sharma plays Muruga, the man who is the head of this smuggling operation. The supporting cast, including Shruti Marathe (Devara’s wife and Varadha’s mother), do a decent job in their respective roles.

Devara: Part 1 Movie: Writing And Direction

The film makes good use of its coastal setting. The sea breeze, majestic shots of the ocean, and celebrations on the beach are a treat to watch. Rarely do the songs in action dramas work well but Devara is an exception. The songs ‘Daavudi’ and ‘Ayudha Pooja’ give the film a festive vibe. Seeing Jr NTR shake a leg to these songs are ‘Naatu Naatu’-esque.

The action set pieces, though majestic, are marred by choppy VFX which comes across as cartoonish. In fact, Jr NTR’s entry scene is very underwhelming. He springs out of water and climbs out of the ship in super slow motion, which doesn;t come across as impactful. In some places, the VFX is cartoonish—particularly the part where Devara lights his hand on fire—you can see through chinks in the metaphorical VFX armour.

Devara: Part 1 Movie: What Works, What Doesn’t

What doesn’t work for the film is its length. I saw no reason why the first fifteen minutes of the film were essential—the story would have practically remained the same if it started with Devara’s introduction. At 2 hours, 57 minutes the film is a drag, even if it is immensely watchable. At no point do you lose interest but you aren’t as engrossed in the film and its world either.

Besides this, the film also suffers from a predictable plot. You know Vara is Devara’s son and that eventually he will take Bhairava to task. The plot is also simplistic, with little room for sudden plot twists and unexpected cameos. Directed by Kortala Siva, Devara: Part 1 is a decent big event film. It isn’t as exceptional as, say RRR or even KGF, but stands its ground as a somewhat breezy watch.

Star rating: 3 / 5 stars

Devara: Part 1 is now playing in theaters.