Devara Part 1 Review: Koratala Siva’s much-acclaimed film Devara: Part 1 hits theaters this Friday. Even though Jr NTR plays a dual role, Saif Ali Khan is constantly brooding and plotting, and Janhvi Kapoor looks like a peach and doesn’t have much to do, the film struggles to live up to the legend it tells. (Also Read: Devara Twitter Reactions: Fans Call Jr NTR’s Film ‘Next South Indian Blockbuster’; Others Are Less Impressed)

Devara: Story Part 1

To Koratala’s credit, Devara: Part 1 somehow starts well if you put all logic aside and suspend disbelief. In a place called Yerra Samudram (Red Sea) near Ratnagiri, which consists of four clans, there are people who live without fear. Their ancestors were warriors who fought colonizers in their own way, but now the men there are forced to use their skills for illegal activities.

Bhaira (Saif), the leader of a clan, is more than happy to do this, but Devara (Jr. NTR), the leader of another clan, starts to resent what they are doing. After developing a conscience overnight, Devara wants the men to earn money through honest means. And when things escalate, he gives them an ultimatum.

Devara: Part 1 Review

If you paid close attention to the trailers for Devara: Part 1, this is a story you can predict from a mile away. The first half of the film takes time to tell the legend of the title character and how he became the protector of the seas. Anyone who dares to get in his way will be marked and left almost to die. The men who never knew fear now know it.

And even if you take this legend at face value without questioning it much, the second half of the film simply topples over like a house of cards. Bhaira is suddenly on a silly mission like a toddler who can’t take no for an answer, and Thangam (Janhvi) vacillates between the idea of ​​a duet number with Vara (also Jr NTR) and disliking him for supposedly not being that brave is like his father Devara. There is too much exposure for little success.

The campiness of it all

Oddly enough, the funny moments in Devara: Part 1 happen when Koratala decides to act so over the top that you can’t help but be entertained. Devara jumps out of the water like a smooth dolphin in his opening scene. In another case, he single-handedly keeps a man from falling while simultaneously trying not to fall. Even gravity is on his side as he lands on a boat like a superhero. Anirudh Ravichander’s background music and Fear Song complement the whole thing.

It all sounds like a long story told to a child to teach him the value of morality – because it probably is. Koratala tries to achieve the same campiness in the second half of the film by introducing a new story that almost negates something he has already planned. The problem is that anyone who is paying attention already knows this is coming, so this is not the moment when they think it is. The outstanding 40 minutes at the end of the film that Jr NTR had promised in numerous interviews never materialized.

An outstanding cast wasted

Devara: Part 1 boasts of names like Shruti Marathe, Prakash Raj, Srikanth, Shine Tom Chacko, Narain, Kalaiyarasan and Murli Sharma apart from the main cast, but none of them are given concrete characters. Especially the characters of Kalaiyarasan and Srikanth could have been more important as they are also leaders.

Jr NTR’s performance and Koratala’s writing style fall short in Vara, especially when compared to Devara. The actor manages, even if the director doesn’t entirely focus on bridging gaps with the title character. Especially in the song Ayudha Pooja and a penultimate scene at a wedding. However, he falls short when portraying the son because his wide-eyed appearance is unconvincing.

Saif is decent as Bhaira, with his brooding face and body language doing most of the work. But his character also needs gravitas to be seen as a formidable enemy for Devara. Unfortunately, Janhvi’s big debut in Telugu is more of a whimper than a bang. Thangam is described as someone who has nothing better to do than fawn over men. She does her best with what she is given.

In conclusion

At the beginning of the film, Prakash’s character Singappa tells Ajay’s Sivam, “Bhayam ante ento teliyali ante Devara katha vinala. (You have to hear Devara’s story if you want to know the fear)” Soon one realizes that the legend of Devara is bigger than reality.

The same goes for the film, which turns out to be disappointing. Koratala can’t help but write characters who want to save the world, and while that might not be a bad thing, it still feels repetitive. With a Baahubali-style ending setting up the story for a sequel, we hope even better things are ahead.