Visual splendour, that’s all there is to see

When the very first scene shows you a turbaned Sikh officer, you think the USP of this Telugu film, dubbed in many languages, lies in its pan-India appeal. After all, apart from NT Rama Rao Jr, the film also boasts of Bollywood stars Janhvi Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan. But let it be said that these are just cosmetic exercises. ‘Devara’ is mounted like a typical Telugu blockbuster. No problem with that; after all, we have loved ‘Baahubali’ and grooved gleefully to ‘Naatu Naatu’ from ‘RRR’. The latter, a Rajamouli directorial, has also warmed us North Indians to superstar NTR Jr’s earnest yet starry charisma and dare we say, he is more than endearing here too.

The problem is that ‘Devara’ is high on visual splendour, but low on emotional connect. More style than substance sounds like a cliche… but the film, despite some awe-inspiring moments, is finally reduced to just that. The setting is undeniably unusual. In how many Indian films do we get to see sea pirates and volatile action in the high seas? After the opening rushes, we are led to four coastal villages and warrior clans with a backstory of how their ancestors fought colonial powers. In one of these villages lives a fearless Devara, who else but NTR Jr. A Good Samaritan, hero-worshipped in his village, what he and his men do for a living is illegal. Before ships can reach ports, he and his brave fauj from all four villages decamp with contraband materials, guns and ammunition in daring missions and deliver it to anti-national forces. In a visually sumptuous cinematography by R Rathnavelu and Sabu Cyril’s exceptional production design, the scenes shot in the seas are truly remarkable. VFX effects, coastal backdrop and the gushing seas, the epicentre of all action, bring a fierce vivacity to this fictional place and story, where the seas turn red with blood. Rituals like shastra puja, in which the winner of hand-to-hand combat gets to take home the throne of weapons, add to the visual allure and verve.

The downer is the endless rite of killings. No doubt, action is executed with finesse and flourish, almost as if a scintillating choreography is at work. Weapons flash in the air, men emerge in crab-like fashion and you can expect the unexpected in the action zone. But seriously, there is only so much kill, kill you can take. Much blood spills, some between the hero and antagonist Bhaira (Saif Ali Khan), head of a different village clan. Machismo as heroism isn’t new to our film industry, particularly from the South. And after a while, since the hero is fighting for the right cause and against the vile guy, our charming Saif Ali Khan grows a menacing and mean bone.

Saif, as Bhaira, makes a dramatic entry and the way he folds up his veshti, he could well be from the same region as his leading co-star. The film, however, belongs all the way to NTR Jr, who plays the double role of father Devara and son Vara. Saif impresses post interval, even if his actions like raising an army of young men as ruthless killers to seek revenge from Devara are less fear-inducing and more off-kilter. Among the battery of actors from various film industries like Murali Sharma as Muruga, Prakash Raj stands tall. As the villager elder Singappa, he anchors the story literally.

Though consummate actress Zarina Wahab has been roped in as the doting mother of Devara, women have no agency whatsoever in this place where men reign and rain terror. Women exist on the margins, either as hapless beings who need protection or as fawning cheerleaders of men’s bravado. Even our lovely Janhvi, who anyway appears after the intermission, is reduced to a stereotype. And, ultimately, so is the mega-budget visual spectacle.

There is a ‘Baahubali’-style twist in the end to whet your appetite for the sequel, provided you still have any left after three hours of persistent body count.

Watch it for ‘visualtronics’ or, if like the villagers in the film who idolise Devara, you too accord demi-god status to NTR Jr. In a double role of seemingly contrasting inflections, the son’s part has a comedic shade; his dual presence alone signals a double bonanza for his fans. For the rest, there is cause for cheer if your heart responds to visuals alone.