DEV D – Bold… but not engaging

Anurag Kashyap doesn’t belive in conventional cinema and he has proved this once again in Dev D. Dev D is sure an experimental cinema which is mainly targeted towards multiplex audience. Kashyap takes the basic premises of Sarat Chandra Chatterjee's original Devdas, but updates much of the film's narrative to set in the present world, and makes the characters' actions and motivations more relatable to the today’s audience.

Dev D is story revolving around three characters namely Dev (Abhay Deol), Paro (Mahi Gill) and Chanda (Kalki Koechlin). Dev is the son of a rich Businessman from Punjab. He and Paro are childhood friends cum sweethearts. However, Dev leaves Paro after he hears rumours of her alleged affairs with another men. Dev goes to Delhi after Paro is married off to a rich widower. In Delhi, he indulges himself completely in drugs, alcohol and sex. Dev meets the prostitute Chanda but despite an apparent emotional connection, remorse drives him to excesses. He is not able to forget Paro and thus not able to come out from his frenzied lifestyle. However, the climax deviates from the traditional Devdas and Dev ultimately unites with Chanda.

On the whole, movie is average with the first half being pacy and engaging while the second half of the movie dragging a bit. One gets bored a bit after repeatedly seeing the boozing and smoking in the second half and the film loses its momentum gathered in the first half. Use of music instead of dialogues is a refreshing and interesting tool for narration, but song-after-song; one’s patience is bound to die. Personally speaking , second half of the film was non bearable and on the whole film is not able to keep one interested through the long 150 minutes.

Positives

• Abhay Deol is effortless as an actor and is simply superb as Dev.
• Emotional Atyachaar song is highlight of the film
• Paro is perfectly casted for her role

Negatives

• Second half of the movie is repetitive to the point of being excessive. This being the major drawback of the movie
• Excess of songs.
• Kalki Ghosh as Chanda - leaves much to be desired as an actor


Rating : **