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.

Dev explores the age-old communal riots between the Muslims and the Hindus. Fardeen Khan plays a rebellious unemployed youth who is outraged by the death of his father in a violent peace demonstration. A corrupt politician takes advantage of the situation and sets Fardeen against the Hindus, telling him that an upright police commissioner played by Amitabh Bachchan was the cause of the death of his father. Therefore, Fardeen takes on the path of violence, trampling on the values of his father who taught him the lesson of non violence and peace. Dev tests a topic that has been tried numerous times in Bollywood. We know that parity exists between the Hindus and Muslims as shown earlier in Bombay but Dev lacks the novelty to carry off the topic well. I mean what new is shown in the movie that will engross viewers to be able to keep glued to their seats till the last frame?

The script of the film is so contrived. Much of the film's time is employed in developing the tensions between the two religions and the resulting violence. Amitabh Bachchan as usual is brilliant. His chemistry with Om Puri is mesmerizing as it is the first time that these two veterans have shared screen space. Fardeen Khan is and always will be a bad actor. Only can hardly see the spark of anger in his eyes and his anglicised voice only makes the situation worse. An actor like Bobby Deol or Hrithik Roshan would've made a much greater impact in the role of an angry young man. The only actor who puts her best effort in an otherwise boring movie is Kareena Kapoor. I always wondered whether this girl can ever be big in this industry. After Chameli, Kareena proves once again that she has what it takes to be a commanding personality in Bollywood. Her emotional scenes in Dev truly stand out, especially the scene where she openly points out a corrupt cop responsible for the death of her family in the riot. Om Puri is in his terrific form once again. Rati Agnihotri fulfills what she has to do in her short role. Amrish Puri had nothing to do.

Overall, Dev is a one time watch! I give it 3.5/10.

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.

Must watch movie, shows the Nexus of police and politics.