Review : Devil – Watchable Period Action Drama

Nandamuri Kalyan Ram, who is known for his unique script choices, has now come up with a period action drama, Devil. “The British Secret Agent” is the tagline. Abhishek Nama is the director and producer. Let’s see how the film is.

Story:

Set in Rasapadu, British Province, a Zamindar’s daughter, Vijaya (Ammu Abhirami) gets murdered in a mysterious way. The British government orders Agent Devil (Kalyan Ram) to chase the murder mystery. After reaching Rasapadu Devil learns many shocking facts. After a point in time, Devil is given another mission named “Operation Tiger Hunt.” What is this new mission about? Who actually killed the Zamindar’s daughter? What is the connection between Vijaya’s murder and the new mission? Watch the film to know the answers.

Plus Points:

To start things off, Devil’s story is pretty interesting, with subplots, powerful characters, and multiple layers. The murder mystery is well linked with the patriotism concept. There are not one but many twists in the second half, which are neatly integrated into the plot. They don’t look forceful and fit well into the narrative. Some of them are whistle-worthy. Not just the twists but also the way they are revealed makes the movie thrilling.

There is some magic in Nandamuri heroes when it comes to dialogue delivery. The same can be witnessed in Devil, too. The way Kalyan Ram mouths powerful dialogues is just amazing. He does that with utmost conviction and leaves a solid impact. Kalyan Ram neatly showcases the variations present in his character. According to the script, Kalyan Ram plays his role in a subtle manner in the beginning, but when the story takes a shift, he goes all out in a ferocious avatar.

The artwork is meticulous, and the bygone era is neatly depicted. The production values and VFX works are top-notch. Samyukta Menon is pretty good in her role. She isn’t restricted to playing the romantic interest of Kalyan Ram, and her character has prominence in the story. Vassishta Simha is impressive, while Malvika Nair is decent. Others did what was expected of them.

Minus Points:

Though the movie starts on an interesting note, the narration isn’t gripping in the first hour. Things happen at a leisurely pace, and a few unnecessary scenes take down the tempo. There are a few decent moments, but the first half isn’t fully engaging.

There are a couple of songs in the first hour which are very bad. While the first one is totally unnecessary, the second song actually contributes to the plot, but that, too, isn’t impressive and adds to the boredom. Had the screenplay in the first half been watertight, the movie could have gone to the next level.

Technical Aspects:

As mentioned earlier, the songs scored by Harshavardhan Rameshwar aren’t good. His background score is decent, but one would expect even more from him due to his recent outing. The cinematography by Soundar Rajan is neat. The stunning artwork adds more value to the film. The editing could have been better, though.

Srikanth Vissa’s story is the biggest asset of Devil, and his dialogues regarding patriotism and the hero’s character are impactful and clap-worthy. Though the execution in the first half is below par, things are neatly handled in the latter hour.

Verdict:

On the whole, Devil is a watchable period action drama with an interesting storyline and impressive twists. Kalyan Ram is stunning in his role, and once again, the actor has chosen a different script. Samyukta Menon, Vassishta Simha, and Malvika Nair did justice to their respective roles. After a good start, the graph dips in the first half due to flat narration and bad songs. Had the first half been gripping, the movie could have gone to the next level. If you are okay with these flaws, you can give this film a try.

123telugu.com Rating: 3/5

Reviewed by 123telugu Team

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