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Anger issues, again

When the lead hero, Shahid Kapoor, talks of the relevance of ‘Deewar’, should we pay attention to the subtext? Indeed, ‘Deva’, like many of Amitabh Bachchan’s films as the angry young man, is about a man seething and bristling from...
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A gifted actor that Shahid Kapoor is, he undeniably holds his own in ‘Deva’.
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film: Deva

Director: Rosshan Andrrews

Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Pooja Hegde, Pavail Gulati, Pravesh Rana, Girish Kulkarni, Kubbra Sait and Aditi Sandhya Sharma

When the lead hero, Shahid Kapoor, talks of the relevance of ‘Deewar’, should we pay attention to the subtext? Indeed, ‘Deva’, like many of Amitabh Bachchan’s films as the angry young man, is about a man seething and bristling from within. His fractured relationship with his father (not seen in the film though) too is an important leitmotif. Clearly, the ‘Deewar’ connect is not restricted to Bachchan’s huge cutout alone. But before we touch base with Deva’s vulnerabilities, Shahid Kapoor in the titular part emerges as a heroic figure. He bashes before he speaks, smokes like a chimney, drinks while on duty; in short, he is the quintessential bad good guy. The Kabir Singh syndrome manifests and persists in this police avatar.

“I am the cop,” he thunders, only one who does not wear the police uniform, nor abides by any of its rules. The rogue that he is, an article in the newspaper even questions whether he is the police or mafia. Anyway, he is after this gangster and when he finally finds and kills him, he gives the credit to his bhai-like friend, ACP Rohan Dsilva (Pavail Gulati). Only, soon after, Dsilva is shot dead. Deva, actually Dev Ambre, is bound to be furious. Thus begins his relentless chase for the killer whom Dev claims to have seen running down the stairs of a dilapidated building close-by. The locales that cinematographer Amit Roy settles on are perfect and unique.

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Till the interval, with brisk editing by A Sreekar Prasad, Malayalam director Rosshan Andrrews, who makes his Hindi film debut with ‘Deva’, keeps us invested in the proceedings. Flashbacks add to the whodunit mystery. In fact, the film begins with a key moment where Dev, minutes after confessing he has found the killer, meets with an accident. Is there a mole in the police? Dev’s girlfriend Diya Sathaye (Pooja Hegde), also a crime reporter, is positive there is an enemy within. Who could it possibly be? Is it Dev’s other bhai-samman friend, also his sister’s husband, Farhan Khan (Parvesh Rana)?

Suspicions build around Dipti Singh (Kubbra Sait is royally wasted). Heroine Pooja Hegde, too, exists on the margins but is effective even in a small part. A gifted actor that Shahid is, he undeniably holds his own. Be it as the unhinged man let loose like a cannon or as one who has lost his memory. A therapist gives us gyan on muscle memory and his fellow colleagues claim he has changed after the accident. And even he likes to call himself Dev A and Dev B. But A or B, rest assured, he will find the killer.

Kaun, kab, kyon are significant markers of an investigation. Only, the killer’s identity stumps you. Until the beans are spilled, Andrrews’ favourite writers Bobby and Sanjay keep the cards close to their chest and we are all agog for the big reveal. But once the cards are laid on the table, you are neither convinced by the unexpected turn of events, nor empathetic enough towards the motives.

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One could argue that the film, a remake of Andrrews’ own film ‘Mumbai Police’, does subvert a couple of familiar tropes of Bollywood. Hero-anti-hero, much is turned on its head. The song and dance routine is kept to the minimum. Apart from the catchy ‘Bhasad’ (music by Vishal Mishra and lyrics by Raj Shekhar), there are bits of the song ‘Marji Cha Maalik’ written and sung by Shreyas Sagvekar with music by Jakes Bejoy, who has also given a solid background score.

Climax and anti-climax are unusual for a Hindi film. For a long time, you keep hoping and do feel that this is finally the action-entertainer which truly rocks. Action is intense but not our final reaction to the film, which despite a racy start stumbles to the goalpost.

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