Deva movie review: Memories of a Murder

Deva movie review: Memories of a Murder

What: ‘Deva’ - soars as a dense investigation thriller with Shahid’s surefooted aggression, arrogance and attitude.

Deva review

This is probably the third film of Shahid Kapoor, after Kabir Singh and Jersey, remade from a south Indian original by the same director in each of the cases. And I must say, the choice of the protagonist couldn't have been better!

Adapted from Roshan Andrews’s 2013 Malayalam film Mumbai Police which starred Prithviraj Sukumar in the lead role, Deva stars Shahid Kapoor as the eponymous protagonist – playing a badass cop, Dev Ambre. Observing the modality and tonality of the character, you can call him as Kabir Singh in beast mode.

He breaches protocols, doesn’t wear the uniform, drinks on duty and puffs cigarettes endlessly. His complete disregard for rules and establishment germinates from a disturbed childhood and daddy issues, and the perpetual societal discrimination between the privileged and the penniless. The camera lensing over an imposing poster of Amitabh Bachchan sitting on a chair with legs crossed one over the other from the iconic scene of Deewaar is a subtle reminder of Dev’s anti-establishment sentiments.

Director Rosshan Andrrews transplants the story in the throbbing landscape of Mumbai city rigged by mafia, gangsters and corrupt politicians, while employing few tweaks. It is largely an engaging narrative suffused with a solid background score and meticulous cinematography (Amit Roy) that keeps you hooked in the maze of the mystery.

Shahid's intensity and rage, manifested from the social and systemic turmoil, coupled with the masculine bravado placed on a Royal Enfield infuses solid weight to his cop character grappled with a twisty investigation of the murder of his best friend and colleague, and a loss of his own memory. You will also notice a hangover of Kabir Singh with the depiction of his arrogance, attitude and aggression. The second half, which invests in the sober Dev cracking the puzzle and finding out the mole in the police department, could have been trimmed for the drag portions.

The memory loss plays a formidable part in the narrative – it almost looks like two different films, largely because of Shahid’s contrasting personas – Dev A vs Dev B. Compared to the volatile predecessor, Dev B is a mellowed down version who respects uniform and his fellow men. And Shahid approaches that aspect of his character quite intuitively. I remember him donning a Khakee in Phata Poster Nikla Hero 11 years back where he bumbled through in a comic avatar, but Deva gives him the wings to expand his ‘macho’ and ‘muscle’ horizons.

Andrrews surrounds Shahid with a talented ensemble – Pavail Gulati is earnest in his part, Girish Kulkarni is unmistakable as the wicked politician and Pravesh Rana (Radhe, Ram Setu) does justice to his character and Upendra Limaye is crackling as the sniper specialist. His cameo reminded me of Animal – does he really have a strong fascination for weaponry!

In the fest of this sturdy masculinity, women have little to do. Still, you find a Kubbra Sait in the cop team joining the men in their mission, and Pooja Hegde, the lead female actor of the enterprise, as a fierce crime journalist determined to to expose the culprit in the department.

 

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