Deva (Action, Thriller) ★★★★
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Pooja Hegde, Pavail Gulati, Pravessh Rana, Kubbra Sait
Direction: Rosshan Andrrews
Duration: 2 hours 36 minutes
Language: Hindi (UA)
Director Rosshan Andrrews sets the stage for a tripping whodunit right from the opening scene. Dev Ambre (Shahid Kapoor) calls his boss, DCP Farhan Khan (Pravessh Rana), to declare that he has solved a murder case and knows the identity of the killer. Just as you settle in for a murder mystery, the intrigue deepens—Dev loses his memory after a major accident. Over the course of 156 minutes, the screenplay team—Bobby-Sanjay, Abbas Dalal, Hussain Dalal, Arshad Syed, and Sumit Arora—takes you through the various layers and shades of Dev and the unraveling of the mystery.
The film’s first half focuses on building the backdrop of the film and the characters’ world, keeping the pace slow yet engaging. The dynamics between Dev and his friend Roshan D’Silva (Pavail Gulati) slightly overstretch, but their collective pursuit of powerful mafia dons keeps the momentum alive. As the mystery thickens in the second half, the tonality shifts from action to dark and intense emotions. Dev struggles to navigate his world while dealing with memory loss, turning the movie into a slow burn. However, the well-maintained suspense ensures you stay invested.
Amit Roy’s cinematography, combined with action and stunts by Anal Arasu, Supreme Sundar, Vikram Dahiya, Parvez Shaikh, and Abbas Ali Moghul, makes for an entertaining watch. Jakes Bejoy’s background score is a banger, particularly when paired with the action sequences, giving the film a raw and intense edge. However, some visual effects feel gimmicky. Vishal Mishra, along with Bejoy, delivers the songs Bhasad Macha and Marji Cha Maalik, which enhance the film’s mood.
Shahid Kapoor delivers a brilliant performance as Dev Ambre, balancing menace and vulnerability. There are moments where his actions are unpalatable, yet you find yourself rooting for him in others. His portrayal of Dev before the memory loss (Dev A) and after (Dev B) showcases his range as an actor. His rugged persona intermittently resurfaces within the milder, confused version of himself. However, there are instances where his performance veers into over-the-top territory.
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Pooja Hegde is effective as his girlfriend, journalist Diya, though her character remains largely unexplored despite being the first to hint at a possible mole in the police department. Kubbra Sait delivers a powerful performance in her brief role as a cop, Deepti, but is frustratingly underutilized and appears out of the blue. Pavail Gulati and Pravessh Rana lend solid support.
That said, the film isn’t without flaws. The narrative has several loopholes and moments that feel unconvincing—a sniper shot, for instance, seems far-fetched. Some loose ends remain unexplained (avoiding spoilers here). Dev’s childhood hardships and his motivation to become a cop to arrest his abusive father are referenced multiple times but never fully explored. The overall pace remains slow, yet it manages to keep you engaged and entertained. The film has inconsistencies; however, its intensity, raw appeal, and slick execution make it worth a watch.