Dev

I have always enjoyed movies from this director. Thakshak was excellent as well. Dev is no different. Many intelligent, thought provoking conversations between Mr. Bacchhan and Mr. Puri (sadly, director felt that they needed alcohol to speak their minds). Both were excellent, by the way. Acting from the two vets was of highest standard. Kareena and Fardheen were okay in comparison. I did not feel that the story presented only one side of the story or that what it presented was "ardh satya"- Dev and Tej are narrators who present the two sides of the story.

A rare break from the overdose of formula movies from Bollywood.

8/10

I generally don't watch movies these days, due to the age (68) and not very good health. But when on very rare occasions, I get a chance to watch a movie and to my luck, it turns out to be a master piece. In this process, first I watched Page 3 (by Madhur Bhandarkar), and then Satta (again by Bhandarkar) and after viewing these movies, I realised that I indeed was missing some thing in life. Last night (8 July), I happened to watch Dev (starring Amitabh Bachchan, Om Puri and Kareena Kapoor) and realised how great director Govind Nihalani was. After watching such great movies, one feels that there is no dearth of good talent in the country. Amitabh Bachchan and Om Puri are great assets to the film industry in India and their work needs no introduction or word of praise. Om Puri is such a versatile actor that to compare him with the acting skills of Amitabh would surely be doing injustice to both of them. After watching the movie, one feels ashamed to be living in India where religion always plays a dirty role. But India is not the only country to suffer from this malice. The late Amrish Puri (as Chief Minister of the state), exhibits his acting skills in great style, though his role is very small. Kareena Kapoor though still very young, plays the role of a matured person and quite admirably. I wish every one who has not watched this movie, to do so at the earliest.

One of the best films of Kareena Kapoor and Amitabh Bachchan their acting skills are just awesome only bad thing is Fardeen Khan he was bad while others around him stole the show.

I was completely taken aback by watching this movie. A film like this comes once in a blue moon. This film explores the convoluted politics and conflicts between Hindus and Muslims, who are like puppets being "handled" by the corrupt national government. For the first time, I am seeing a movie whose subtext doesn't label each character as good or bad. All shades of gray are present in almost every character and in each event. Most of each character's decisions are partially justified and partly immoral, yet they all increase tensions and further flare up the fighting. Misunderstandings pile up on one another and result in absolute chaos. With each subsequent effort comes near certainty of death and destruction and a hint of optimism as the characters struggle for justice. Amongst so much violence and anarchy, I found it very interesting that the fighting's strength lied not in the muscle. Rather, the true valiant heroes were the city's women who stood up for their rights. Govind Nilhani did an excellent job directing. All the artists performed extraordinarily. Pointless songs were not forced into the movie, and the few short ones that were there further enrichened the movie. The aftermath/"ending" in this film is very realistic. It is not clear or definite by any means, but it does not need to be. Amitabh, one of the best speakers ever, gives a beautiful monologue that displays the theme of the movie: It does not matter whether we win or lose. We must be true to ourselves and not give up our struggle for the pursuit of justice.

Dev review :

'AMITABH BACHCHAN IS DEV' screamed the posters of Govind Nihalani's first film with Bachchan. They were to do Ardh Satya (1983) earlier but things didn't work out then.

Amitabh played a honest and sincere joint police commissioner (JCP) for whom law and justice is above everything else...politics and religion included!! Om Puri was his friend cum senior colleague who doesn't subscribe to this secular ideology and is particularly biased against Muslims. Fardeen Khan was cast as the educated Muslim who is misguided to become a terrorist but soon realises he is being merely used as a political pawn...Nihalani utilised his innocent face perfectly here.

Dev brings back the nostalgia of Amitabh's Zanjeer (1973) and Om Puri's Ardh Satya (1983) where both the actors played the central character of an angry young cop. It is as if the film is a continuation of these two cops after they aged...

Govind Nihalani's execution was hard hitting as ever and Dev lay bare the dirty politics behind the Hindu Muslim divide. The riot scenes were effectively choreographed and the performances were expectedly first rate. Fardeen-Kareena shared a crackling chemistry and their passionate smooches were much talked about in those days. I always loved this jodi and they invariably created a certain sparkle together in all their films including the twisty zany Fida (2004) and the over the top hammy (!!) Khushi (2003).

Surprisingly, Dev didn't achieve the success it deserved and was declared a box office flop. The audience found it overlong and those serious conversations between Amitabh and Puri over a couple of drinks made the aam aadmi bored. A pity indeed as those scenes capture the essence of communal disharmony and offers its solutions so very effectively. Unfortunately, the audience wasn't interested!!

Regards, Sumeet Nadkarni.