Producer: Ronnie Screwvala
Director: Anurag Kashyap
Writer: Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwane
Stars: Abhay Deol, Mahi Gill, Kalki Kochlin, Dibyendu Bhattacharya
Rating: Four stars
Plot: Modern interpretation of the literary classic Devdas.
Verdict: Aesthetic assembly of a mature sex drama.
Box Office Prospects: Skipping out multiplex chain may not prove helpful for this film meant for the discerning cinefiles.
Creative Quotient:
Anurag Kashyap's fourth cinematic foray following Black Friday, The Return of Hanuman (animation film) and No Smoking is by all means unusual and 'hat ke'. This time he trains his pen and lens on Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay's classic novella and lends it a modern dimension.
When rich industrialist Satpal Singh, from a small town in Punjab, decides to send his errant teenaged son Devendra (Dev) to London for higher son, young Dev takes leave of his childhood sweetheart Parminder (Paro) rather reluctantly. But the two remain in touch over the phone and net and when Dev (Abhay) demands a nude picture from Paro (Mahi), she obliges and as the attachment of her buff picture pops up on his monitor - he rushes back to India. So far so good, but soon the village men put the blossoming romance off gear by gossiping about Paro's sexual prowess. Incensed, Dev spurns Paro's advances. Scorned, she marries a rich widower businessman. Hit by ground reality, Dev hits the bottle with a vengeance and soon goes spiraling down the abyss with drugs and alcohol. Wandering through Delhi where Paro is now married, Dev becomes an easy target for Chunni (Dibyendu), the local pimp purveying 'white' call girls. Dev gets involved with Chanda (Kalki), a rich kid embroiled in MMS scandal and thereafter abandoned by them. Dev mows down seven people with his drunken driving and is now on the run. Can Chanda get Dev back on track in the new and improved Dev D? Well, very cleverly the writer-director leaves much to imagination.
Well knit plot with appropriate dramatic turns, this is one romantic adventure that goes beyond titillation. It entertains and enthralls. Smart writing by the ace writer and his associate Vikramaditya Motwane. Scoring high in terms of creative flight, this is scintillating film writing.
Technical Expertise:
As a director, Kashyap is in total command of the emotional status of his lead players. The scenes and lines are well crafted, revealing the obvious and concealing the rest. He leads the viewer through the dark alleys of desire and lust and unravels the plot adroitly. Ably supported by director of photography Rajeev Ravi who captures Dev's meandering mind through his innovative takes and frames. Amitabh Bhattachrya Shellee's modern verse - Emotional atyaachar... gives the narrative an entirely new perspective. Amit Trivedi's music and The Twilight Players' well choreographed act only add to the mood of the film. The film owes it's coherence to editor Aarti Bajaj,
Abhay Deol gives himself up to the part and becomes Dev like a chameleon. Newcomers Kalki and Mahi make self-assured debuts. With sincere performances and neat narrative skills, Kashyap redeems himself as a maker of modern cinema.
Rating: Topping form of writing, editing, and music and performances notch up a star each for the film.