Devadas is all about a doctor (Das), who is fresh from college, waiting for a chance to prove himself and an invincible gangster (Das) who is thriving to banish a syndicate gang who is responsible for the death of his mentor. Deva is a ruthless menacing mafia head. When he gets shot by the police, he finds the aid of Das who runs a hospital that doesn’t attract any patients. What happens when a doctor befriends a gangster? That forms the crux of Devadas.
Age-wise Nagarjuna must be in his late 50’s, but as a performer, he is absolutely ageless. He is someone who is constantly giving his best no matter what role he is asked to play. He can be a menacing don in one film and play a bed-ridden middle-aged man in another. He will end up doing a convincing job in both the roles.
If one actor can touch the viewer with his performance using just facial expressions and dialogue delivery, then you are talking about Nani. He has the capability to shine and impress everyone even while delivering a few mediocre no-brainer dialogues.
Though Rashmika Mandana’s character has minimal scope in the tale, she makes sure not to overdo any part and understands the demand well. Special mentions to Sarathkumar, Vennala Kishore, Kunal Kapoor, Mano Bala, Naveen Chandra are due for their sincere work irrespective of the leeway their character holds. You will find a lot of logical loopholes and melodramatic moments but the performance of the leads makes you forget all those drawbacks.
There are a few high points in the course of the narration of this film and that is sure to bring a smile of contentment to the viewer, thanks to Nani’s innocence and Nagarjuna’s screen presence. The film travels in a familiar terrain with no major twists or turns. The first half is more half-baked while the second half is filled with some intense scenes. Funny moments between Nani and Nagarjuna will make you roll on the floor and laugh.
The film has a serious core plot and a fun subplot, seamless cuts from Pudi Prawin desk make sure that there is a proper balance between both. Shamdat Sainudeen shows what a camera can do beyond just capturing actions. In a genre like this the orbit for music is wide, but in the case of Devadas, you might feel it wasn’t utilized completely.