Dev.D- Profound,honest and outrageously brilliant.
Dev.D – Profound,honest and Outrageously brilliant.
My joy knew no bounds when I saw Dev.D get 5 star rating in TOI review yesterday. And then, last night I saw another review in Timeout Mumbai which I didn’t like. So, finally, when I went to Inox today, at 10 in the morning, to catch the first day, first show of Dev.D, there was a lot of trepidation. Is the movie really the dream stuff the 5 star rating suggests? Will Anurag finally get the huge commercial hit? Will it alienate the audience the way people said “No Smoking” did? Will the popular media reviewers kill this movie too?
After watching Dev.D, I still don’t know some answers. Time will tell them. Like, for a major part, will it alienate the average audience? If at all people alleged “No Smoking” to be arrogant and self indulgent, then what Dev.D is? At least to an extent? Even this movie bears testimony of Kashyap’s deep love for the medium, the virtuoso non linearity of narration, arrogance of technique and content. What is not there in Dev.D which people few days back held against No Smoking as cardinal sins? We all know who those people are and I’m still scared what they’ll do to Dev.D. But probably, some one scared has no right to make this movie, it needs someone with absolute and total faith in oneself and his values and zero fear for outcome to come up with this kind of output. You can’t teach anyone how to make this movie, this movie would chose its maker. This movie has broken the Bollywood genetic. It has freed Bollywood from its self imposed mediocrity. Dev.D is the future in present.
Yes, let me break the news to you, Dev.D has Anurag’s wizardry of narration, almost Memento like, in the particular sequence where Dev comes to Chanda for the first time. Dev.D has Anurag’s incalculable love for the medium. So much so, that he doesn’t care whether it makes the movie so complex in terms of layering and content that it intimidates the average audience. Dev.D has some kickass sequences, some out of this world cinematography, scene conception and editing.
But above all, and that’s the sole reason I liked this movie much more than No Smoking, Dev.D has incredible honesty, truth and profoundity deeply ingrained in it, which is also very relatable, In every single scene. As a human being, as a thinking entity, as a writer, from a non cinematic and non technical point of view, Anurag has gone forward, and this movie is the cinematic resultant of that movement. Dev.D is so honest and so true that audiences belonging to any social strata can identify with the content in it. And if they can’t, then they’ve already crossed the point of empathy or never reached there in the first place.
For people who have loved and/or lost, Dev.D is a movie, they’d relate automatically to. There’s just so much of social observation which has gone in construction of Paro and Chanda’s characters, it’s incredible. It’s infinitely real. Kalki’s story more or less is the corner stone on which Dev.D’s story of tittering to the brink and getting back is based on. Kashyap has handled emotions mathematically, without ever going for the emotional sensationalism. There’s so much of deft touch and understated care which has gone in the two love stories and the story of the two lady protagonists, it’s very easy to not acknowledge it in the apparent portrayal through sexuality.
The eternal bollywood prototype for women has been broken. And feminism has been liberated on Indian celluloid.
I don’t want to divulge any details here about the movie since I want it to be the same unexpected ride that it was for me, for all of you who read this and haven’t seen this movie yet.
I’ll only say that Abhay Deol gives his best on screen performance till date, Kalki and Mahi are perfectly cast and exceed all expectations. Dev.D as a movie in totality is just world class. If I had to mention a negative, I’d say, in the second half, a bit of repetitiveness could have been edited.
Technical brilliance and quality of product aside, just in terms of even mere content, this movie is like a mirror of truth held on to your face for your brain to see.
Dev.D is a story of anger, of inaction, of loss, of weakness, of addiction. But Dev.D is also “The” story of strength, of dreams and of redemption. Please see Dev.D, but be ready to remember or learn some truths about yourself unless your ego is so bloated that there’s no permeability left for the truth to enter.
Tags: Abhay Deol, Anurag Kashyap, Bollywood, Dev.D, Kalki, Mahi Gill, Review
Anurag Kashyap
Abhay Deol
Dibakar Banerjee
Hansal Mehta
Khalid Mohamed
Kundan Shah
Anish Kuruvilla
Jaideep Verma
Manish Gupta
Navdeep Singh
Bhavani Iyer
D. Santosh
Onir
Ashvin Kumar
Ramu Ramanathan
Sudhir Mishra
Pankaj Advani
Revathy
Saurabh Shukla
Shilpa Shukla
Sujoy Ghosh
Suparn Verma
Santosh Sivan
Shashank Ghosh
Shivajee
Pavan Kaul
Partho Sen-Gupta
Prroshant Naryannan
Sam Langoria
Satish Kasetty
saw it. loved it, felt stoned coming out of the darkness. hv to watch it immediately once more to see the objectivity. in the first watch, i was just too awed by the overall unfolding of the magic.
Can hardly wait. I guess I got my Saturday plans decided.
Well I’m finding it difficult to wait till sunday to watch it
Jha- aaj chutti le liya kya?how did you watch the movie already?
Dev.D…
Invisible…
Unavailable…
Outrageously Not Showing Here!!
Thanks a bunch, UTV!
Grrr!
Came to office very early in the morning. Like, at 7 am. And then left for a long shower and lunch
Came back after 1.
I was working late last night you know
Awesome film. It went beyond my expectations by miles.
For those unanswered answers, I suggest watching the film more than once. It needs it anyway, I missed so much the first time around… It’s brilliant and I am glad that it’s getting the attention it truly deserves. Oh, and looking forward to seeing it for the third time tonight ;-)
hmm another 4 hours 10 minutes to go! 2 shots of tequilla followed by Dev D :-)
Well, I’m going tomorrow once again.
great movie.Don’t miss it.All songs are brilliantly placed.Minor complaints though,dialogues should have been better.Even though the girl who plays Chanda has done well, don’t get it why AK opted for a Gori for this role
A good review by Shubra Gupta at Expressindis
http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Movie-Review-Dev-D/419996/
No release in Uk as far as my knowledge.. :( real bad… but that doesnt make me feel good n giggle reading all the reviews for this film n listening Emosanallllll Atyachar…
just out from Sathyam cinemas…. people are going crazy…several people clapped and whistled… what else one can expect…I couldnt listen to emosanal athyachar song…because people were screaming :-)
Take a bow…Anurag ji… got my tickets for tomorrows night show too…taking a bunch of 10 :-)
Lovely Movie!!!
Congrats Anurag
Just came back! Totally blown away by the movie. Smashing soundtrack! Brilliant visuals! Wow! Feel aa gayi!
And yeah, watch out for Gulaal trailer at the atrt of the movie!
out of curiousity, i checked what Mr.KNOWITALL MORON No.1, Mr. TARAN ADARSH has said about it. he says, its NO SMOKING II.
http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movies/review/13812/index.html
stupid idiot probably didn’t get this one too. his reviews are beyond ridiclous, anyways.
I am sure the movie is brilliant and I most definitely am looking to watch it asap.
will write more, once i have seen it.
congrats on mostly gr8 reviews to AK !!!
wat a movie ! mindblowing ! superb direction,music,acting especially by mahi gill.
Anurag has worked hard n it shows.Its his superb direction n editing that makes Delhi(Pahadganj) look like Bangkok.
Scorsese n The Wall movie STYLE.
People were singing emotional attyachar.
I liked the ending also
Anurag, anurag anurag….PFC has started its favorite bhajan again. I remember Anurag Kashayp saying about Khalid Mo’s review of NS “he reviewed me and not my movie”. The same thing is happening again on PFC. People are reviewing AK more than his movies. But this time it’s in the direction he would prefer it to be. People are finding more solace in praising him than talking about movie. Everything he does is stroke of genius and a glimpse of his brilliance. I will wonder what Anurag has to say about it.
For few days to come, it will be AK and DevD all the way on PFC.
well this is what my Facebook status says right now…’dev.d=killer=dev.d=gulaal on 13th march’…but ya b4 that i will b watching dev.d couple of more times again..totally stunning!..as i said killer!
havnt seen the movie yet, but well, about Taran Adharsh, in his review for Rang de Basanti he said “the music is weak”. lol yup he is a moron alright!
According to Taran Adarsh, Dil Chahta Hai was sure to not work
He’s the embodiment of everything thats wrong with Bollywood.
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/masands-movie-review-dev-d-not-for-fainthearted/84673-8.html Well, Masand wrote probably one of his most evolved reviews. But look at the rating. He’s given it two.
Going through his text, anyone will think he’ll give at least 3 stars. It’s duplicity. He knows most people won’t read. They’ll just look at the stars. So he chose the best way. Write a good review and give a bad rating. Everybody is happy.
good movie, but i think on this forum it’s really over-rated. Not really a surprise because it comes from the darling of PFC, Mr AK. The first half was out of this world kind of an experience but the second half let me down completely.
Its absurd that someone who calls himself an analyst can say that this movie is No Smoking 2. God Help us… these dumbasses are the people who influence cine-goers.
what a wonderful post you’ve written
ndtv review: http://movies.ndtv.com/reviews.asp?lang=hindi&id=376&moviename=Dev+D
2.5* out of 5…
go AK!!!!!
i was absolutely sucked into the movie! the first half is sheer genius; the second half is a tad slow but it is one hell of a ride… The music of the movie is simply outstanding and every single song boosted the narrative. The visual imagery, the graffiti and the whole atmosphere was delightful! i never felt higher, its as if i was on the stuff Dev was On!
AK you rock!
I have often wondered if it is possible to make a subversive film which is also regressive at the same time. Well, Dev D is definitely one such venture. One needs to understand in what way the transposition of Dev from Bengal to Punjab a politically well-thought out transposition? In what way Anurag Kashyap’s departure from the stereotypic representation of the Sikhs giving way to the creation of yet an other stereotype of the Sikhs in particular and Punjab in general. A closer look at Dev D reveals how disturbingly regressive, despite all its avowed subversions, the film is. Its music is a shameless rip off of Kamal Swaroop’s Om Dar-b-Dar – a film that was made more than 20 years ago. But whereas Kamal’s Om was a brilliant tour de force and well ahead of its time, Anurag’s Dev D is a clever and media savvy attempt at packaging the apparently unconventional. Critics are unlikely to appreciate that since they are easily led by the nose.
An awesome, brilliant movie!
This is first time I am posting a comment on PFC and must say that I used to get put off by the constant chant of AK and Dev D, so went in to the cinema hall fearing the worst, but man, doesn’t it work and work well!
It kept me hooked for all of 2 and half hours, absolutely hooked. And after a long time (last time was while watching Chak De) that I felt the audience really enjoying a movie: Whistling, clapping you name it and that too in a Delhi Multiplex! Awesome acting by AD but the surprise package was Mahi Gill, hope she gets more opportunities and doesn’t fade away, she is a powerhouse talent.
********* SPOILER ALERT *****************
My grouses: the ending, I personally would have liked to finish the film a few reels early when he is in that cab with sardar driver…and …. too much emphasis on sex and drugs esp. in second half…somehow it was taking the focus away from the emotional issues facing the actors
*************** ALERT END******************
Here is an anecdote(note: THe guys in question are haryanavi jats!) – during interval
Haryanavi Jat 1(HJ1): Saala so-so movie hai
HJ2: Kya be, itni first class movie hai, bahut maza aa raha hai..
HJ1: haan par saala BC hero ko to nashedi (drunkard) bana diya hai ,BC mar jayega
HJ2: tu end tak wait to kar tabhi pata cahelga
HJ1: Uski BC, tab tak to us MC ka daru pee pee ka liver khatam ho jayega…AIIMS wale saale haat khade kar denge..end kya uski BC ka dekhenge!
Kickass movie.Anurag rocks, so does UTV ..
I wonder who are these people who praise AK to the skies. Like he’s the biggest gift to Bollywood. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone builds a temple in his name. And what has this genius made so far? Wrote Satya? Made Black Friday? And that greatest self-indulgent film of all, No Smoking? It’s clear that the man relishes the dark negative thoughts that fill his mind and just puts them across on film. Dev D is just another outlet for his emotions to be sprayed on the public. Sure,it’s all Emotional Atyachar. Can he make anything that’s not dark? Can he make an exciting adventure flick? A side-splitting comedy? An edge-of-the-seat crime caper? I doubt it. Did I hear someone say Hanuman Returns? Hah!Genius, I believe, isn’t a Charlie Kaufman whom audiences don’t understand one bit. Just because you see his movie 10 times and try to ‘take out’ meanings doesn’t make him a genius. It just makes him ‘weird/vague/incomprehensible/obscure/bizarre/freakish (pick any).
Genius is making things simple for even the common man to understand and get the message, if there’s any. That doesn’t mean spelling things out or insulting the viewer’s intelligence like a David Dhawan. Or manipulating and making a melodramatic khichadi like a Karan Johar. Heck, no! Genius is taking a subject and making a film that the audience will melt into. So they forget the real world and feel they’re “in the film”. Like Coppola’s Godfather & Apocalypse Now. Like Spielberg’s Schindler’s List & Saving Private Ryan, The Duel, Jaws.. Talking about Jaws, I have seen ‘ganwar’ villagers jumping in their seats each time the John Williams score starts when the shark approaches a victim – “aa raha hai re, aa raha hai…”. Imagine, the film doesn’t even show the shark for half the film and these villagers ‘got it’! That’s the genius of simplicity. In India, I haven’t found anybody who can be called a genius, except maybe Satyajit Ray. But he belonged to a totally different era, so I wonder how he’d have fared in today’s times. Still, even Satyajit Ray had variety to show in his portfolio. If he made a grim Pather Panchali, he also made the rollicking Gupi Gyan Bagha Byan. He never poured out his emotional atyachar on the public, expecting to be put on a pedestal.
Hmm i agree the only problem is bit later is second half, but climax makes up for it.
A Special thamks for Amit because dev.d would not be half good without his music.
“Dev.D” is just too good. A perfect mirror to oneself and the most honest and realist adaption of the all the characters. Absolutely brilliant music. I loved “No Smoking”, “Blackfriday”. Now waiting for “Gulal” and hoping that “Paanch” too is released soon. Anurag! you are the next best thing happened to Indian cinema.
kinda disappointed by the movie.. saw it at sterling last nite after getting a ticket in black..its long, gimmicky and to some would look like 14 music videos one after another..I could relate to Abhay’s character..but one thing which killed his character was Abhay’s lack of energy.. That guy cant act..im from punjab and have seen plenty of such “puhkras”..hes always deadpan even in the scenes before the supposed “break up”..comeon now don play the devdas eternal tragic shit..show some verve..i got the impression he has limited range as an actor..
Chunni was wasted..”the billi dialogue” over used..
THE BIGGEST problem is if u are going to base ur entire movie on Dev D’ addiction..his “emotional atyachaar”..then make the audience engage more with the character..let the audience connect either with Paro or Dev..yahan dono hi chutiye the..the movie is shallow and the MMS and BMW cases gimmicky..
Now the good things…
Mahie gill is da bomb..da bomb..wo sach mein hi jatti hai but Abhay nahi hai..he is too bandra type..
Her scenes are amazing..i the hotel, before the break up..the breakup cud have been handled better..
The trio in Pardesi.. who the fuck are they..
The tripping..
Chanda’s bucktooth..shes cute..
AK aint a story teller..he is a very very good director and a motherfuckin psycho brain..but i din feel any emosion in dev’s atyachar..
Kickass movie. Anurag rocks, so does UTV.
Anurag Bhai, dont get mad, but u can do better, much much better.
Pllllls stop being different for the sake of it… Gud movie BUT….
A good review
http://www.khabrein.info/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=19871&Itemid=57&limit=1&limitstart=0
@ Mohanlal – REALLY? What is there that is so difficult to get about Dev.D? I think all of us know or are – in some way – that character. It’s the darkness of being an emotional coward and even when I saw it in Hindi, without subtitles, I GOT the film. I can’t imagine anyone with a pulse not understanding it deep in their heart.
@Praneet – again, one word, REALLY?
@Mohanlal
Why do u think Dev D is a dark film?It ends on a positive note.Of course every one knows the basic story,but how it is interpreted to modern times and there AK has done well in his version.Whether AK makes action flick or comedy to prove himself is not the point.In future if he makes films of that genre of course I will judge it and say whether it is good or bad.Right now he has made a film called Dev D which is a superb film with top notch acting by 3 principal actors,great cinematography and editing,an awesome music track,yes minor issues are there but then no one can make a 100% perfect film
let down..
i cud only think AK attempted another ‘Head On’ minus the same impact
Definitely not a pramod bhai 23 or black friday that u might come 2 expect frm the director
a *note* here…foll. may contain spoilers
was drawn instantly with the cinematography, trippy sequences of paharganj undrground..particularly the pardesi part…n I still say that part is one of those rare cinematic geniuses you see in contemporary indian films….but weigh it against:
the overdose – in the humour..gusalkhana…the kind of jokes tht might hav got some laughing at the spur, b4 even they realize..wait a minute…where was the humour!…paresh rawal/rajpal yadav might carry it off…but coming frm the much celebrated anurag ji kashyap??
the overdose – of abhay rolling joints every next scene in punjab…1 baar ho gaya…2 baar ho gaya…we get the msg…
the overdose – of music..i swear by the songs written for this film, but after a while it ends up looking like a looooong music video…cant help but think heavy music was used to subdue some weaker parts..
the story just dint establish…4 me if i may say…paro, dev…dev, chanda…wasnt convincing…perhaps dev taking few lesser tokes on screen cud’ve helped use the screenspace for this?
repetitive…the paharganj kitsch wears off after too many similar sequences…aerial traffic view…similar grafittis, neons used in too many scenes..not saying it wasn’t well done…but even an avg cinegoer like me can tell that u just cant use the similar sequence too many times …isnt that a rule of the game?
+ some avg dialogues made to sound intelligent…cliched bollywood routes taken to establish london using the london eye, piccadilly circus etc…left me unimpressed.
with all the wizardry of filmcraft that deserves its due credit…still feel this 5 star rating is gonna do more damage to the film than promoting it…it might just raise the gap between the expectation while entering the theater and wot you take away from the film..
Watched it last night..Going to watch again tonight. BTW, when is DVD coming out?