'Dev' - 'Gripping!'
By Prema K. ©2004 Bollyvista.com


Credits
Producer/s: Govind Nihalani
Director: Govind Nihalani
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Om Puri, Fardeen Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Amrish Puri, Aati Agnihotri, Milind Gunaji, Harsh Chaya, Amruta Subhash, Ehsaan Khan, Pramod Moutho, Masood Akhtar
Music: Aadesh Shrivastava
Lyrics: Nida Fazli


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'Dev' is a real treat for Bachchan fans. After 'Khakee', once again he delights in a cop role. The film has him essaying the title role and probably doing one of his best death scenes on celluloid.

'Dev' is gripping particularly in the second half. Govind Nihalani proves his mettle once more with this film. The maker hasn't lost his touch. Although 'Dev' is a cop film, there is no mindless killing and over-the-top action scenes. Some of our contemporary directors could borrow a leaf or two from the seasoned maker's book.

His previous, 'Ardh Satya' dealt with cops but he has grown since then. In no way has he even attempted to re-create 'Ardh Satya'. While the former dealt primarily with the goings on in a cop station, 'Dev' has gone many levels above. It examines the issues of the communalizing of an institution like the Police Force that is supposed to function in a neutral manner.

It is human drama taking place against the backdrop of contemporary politics. One may say that this topic has been done to death in our films. Yes, it has been but never so effectively and realistically! The maker is not apologetic for portraying the cops and politicians in a bad light.

'Dev' is a story about relationships - Amitabh and his wife, Amitabh (Dev) and Om (Tej) who have been friends for 30 years and are also colleagues, the rift that takes place between them owing to their difference of opinions. It is also Kareena (Aaliya) and Fardeen's (Farhan) love story and how circumstances force them to mature before their time. There is no typical happy ending and the fight against wrongdoers goes on. The film may sound a bit heavy and dry but it also has its light moments. Although the film has a bit of the anti-Muslim and anti-Pak feel in places, it is not based on that.

Now for the performances. Amitabh is superb. There is a scene in which he is helplessly watching people being killed and shops being burnt down as he has been ordered not to take any action. He portrays his helplessness very effectively. At times he is the angry old man and has his emotional outburst but the soft side to his personality is also well displayed.

Om Puri is brilliant as the cop who is easily manipulated by the politicians. He is a typical slimy cop who doesn't care about how many innocent people are killed in the process.

Amrish Puri, and Milind Gunaji make an impact in a brief role. Rati Agnihotri does her part well like a seasoned actor. Fardeen is shaky in the first half but improves considerably later. Kareena is very good right from the first to last frame. Two scenes require special mention- when she is trying to fight off the Hindu rioters who try to rape her friend and her, and the other in which she reveals the names of wrongdoers to Dev. With this film one can confidently say that she has matured as an actress and with the right films and directors could go the Tabu way. But the smooch scene (the one in which Kareena smooches Fardeen) looks out of place considering they are middle class Muslims.

Cinematography is brilliant. Never before has a riot scene been conceived and shot so well in a Hindi film. The bomb blast scene is another one that deserves mention. There is also scene in which an entire building is being burnt down. One couldn't look at the screen for long. It looked so realistic!

This film is no entertainer but definitely one that makes you think. A brilliant film that may not produce immediate results at the box office but one that will gradually pick up by word of mouth.

**** (FOUR STARS)

*poor; **average; ***good; ****very good

Dev: what's the fuss all about?

Vivek Fernandes | June 11, 2004 19:48 IST


Amitabh Bachchan is Dev, a man who chose to walk the razor's edge. Pity this Govind Nihalani-directed film doesn't cut deep.

It would, however, serve as an exemplary case study on the evils of stereotyping, not only in terms of the plot, but also characterisation and the director's vision. Unless, of course, that was the intention.

The film deals with 'formulaic' subjects like Hindu-Muslim friction, communal violence, preachy jingoism, and the police and the political system.

Here's the plot outline: Bachchan is Joint Police Commissioner Dev Pratap Singh, who believes in serving and protecting the interests of the nation above all else. He is suspected of harbouring unpleasant feelings towards his 'minority' (read: Muslim) brethren. But nothing could be further from the truth, even though his only son, aged 5, was a victim of a Muslim bullet (if there was one!) and 'they' have made more than one attempt on his life and that of his wife, Dr Bharati (Rati Agnihotri).

But he is pigeonholed as a 'Muslim-hater', and Muslim politician and terrorist supporter Latif (Ehsaan Khan) perpetuates the stereotype for his own selfish ends.

Enter Farhan Ali (Fardeen Khan), young lawyer and son of a peace-loving Urdu professor, who trades Gandhian philosophy for the gun when his father dies, a victim of a police bullet. Farhan now bays for Dev's blood and is groomed into a life of violence by Latif's henchmen. But when his own turn against him and aim to wipe him out, his only resort is the policeman he has been trying to kill.

Completing the picture, in more ways than one, is Om Puri, playing Special Commissioner Tejinder Khosla. Though he and Dev have been friends for over 30 years, he becomes a victim of the system, doing a classic good-cop-turned-bad routine. When he comes head-to-head with Dev, it makes for very interesting viewing. The scenes involving Bachchan and Puri make for the most riveting parts of the film.

Amrish Puri and Milind Gunaji playing Chief Minister and his sidekick Rao, respectively, manipulate Khosla, Latif and Dev for love of 'the seat'.

In the midst of all this is Aaliya (Kareena Kapoor), Farhan's childhood sweetheart. She is sucked into this whirlpool of violence and anger that reaches its crescendo when riots break out and people are burnt alive.

The seasoned performances of Amitabh Bachchan and Om Puri carry the film. Watch, especially, for the Bachchan monologue as he breaks down after witnessing the gruesome deaths by fire.

But don't write off Fardeen Khan, or even Kareena Kapoor. Both come into their own with this film. She has an author-backed role and lives up to it. Her singing is not too distressing either. Fardeen portrays the transformation of the innocent but troubled youngster to jihadi sharpshooter with conviction. Yes, and the much talked about kiss does tell of the couple's on-screen chemistry.

The other highlights are Aadesh Shrivastava's tunes and Zuben Billimoria's background score that lend themselves well to the goings-on. Ditto for Sharmistha Roy's excellent production design and execution. Nihalani's camera caresses Kareena in her introductory scene and during her song and there are a few more shots of brilliance during the film.

Nihalani endeavours to make a social statement with some hard-hitting art-meets-commercial cinema. But must this reflection in the mirror be a trite, sorry sight?

Don't get me wrong. Dev is not a bad film. Even with the minuses of storyline, a rather vague ending, and its duration, the performances of the lead actors are compensation enough, making it worth a watch.

CREDITS
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Om Puri, Fardeen Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Rati Agnihotri, Ehsaan Khan, Milind Gunaji
Director: Govind Nihalani
Producer: Entertainment One, Aditya Birla Group
Music: Aadesh Shrivastava
Lyrics: Nida Fazli


rediff

http://indiafm.com/reviews/04/dev/index.shtml
Adarsh does it again: I want more fluff. Too realistic. I want more senseless speed. Too slow. I want
bad cinema, not good cinema...

DEV FAILS NIHALANI AS COMMERCIAL FILMMAKER

By Pankaj Shukla

Critic's I-view

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The Triveni of the diverse capabilities and aura of the three shining stars of the Hindi film industry has united in 'Dev' to produce yet another film on the cop's life. Govind Nihalani is the director whose zest for making good cinema has never rested since the day his name appeared on celluloid. For the first time he was known as the captain of the team way back in 1980 in 'Aakrosh'. Amitabh Bachchan, who rose to stardom with the famous 'Zanjeer' in seventies, is still considered as the first and last choice for most of the frontline filmmakers to portray the part of an honest cop.


And, Om Puri who presented himself as a brave police man in Nihalani's film 'Ardh Satya' in 1983 is the third person in 'Dev'. People have witnessed nearly half a dozen films this year where leading men wear Khaki and do or die for their duty. It was Amitabh who rolled the ball in 'Khakee', to be followed by 'Police Force' and 'Aan'. Big B plays Joint Commissioner of Police Dev Pratap Singh in this Govind Nihalani flick. Amitabh has risen like phoenix in his real life many times and now his role does the same on screen in this film.

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A prolific man behind the camera Govind Nihalani has lives about a quarter of his life chasing the dream that one day he will cast Amitabh Bachchan in his film. The titans met last year and the product is in the cinema hall now. 'Dev' is a slow starter for many reasons. If a director makes his name attached to many classy or rather art films in his career (Nihalani has made 10 films of the genre from 'Aakrosh' to 'Deham') then people find it very tough to relate to the same director in terms of commercial cinema. Nihalani burnt his fingers in 'Takshak' where he castAjay Devgan and Tabu to play the lead pair for a story which was set in the turbulence of the modern time. 'Dev' is not very different from 'Takshak'. The catalyst of the film is Farhaan (Fardeen Khan). He is a misguided boy like many who fall prey to greedy politicians.

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Farhaan ignites the spark for the plot points that is meant to be a story of relationship between a dead honest and dedicated cop Dev and a Special Police Commissioner Tejinder Khosla. Amrish Puri plays Bhandarkar, the chief minister of the state, and it is Khosla who makes the bridge between the harsh realties of today's politics and a copybook cop Dev. Farhaan has a horror past. His father dies in such circumstances that his patriotism and non-violence seem fake. If Farhaan ignites the flame in an otherwise smooth relationship between Dev and Khosla, then it is Dev who imparts the wound to Farhaan that makes him take a leap to unwelcome world. In between this tangle is also Aaliya (Kareena Kapoor), a charming and loving lady who turns radically after Farhaan gets caught in a web from where it is very difficult to come back sane.

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If you think there are shades of 'Fiza' in the film, then one can also notice sparks of 'Mission Kashmir' lying here and there in 'Dev'. The film that meant to complete the cycle of cop roles for Amitabh Bachchan eventually falls short of the expectations of the viewers. And, the reason is not that if the film is bad, it is the timing and the selection of the subject that makes the film look stale. In a time when films like 'Kal Ho Naa Ho' or 'Hum Tum' are raking moolahs at the box office it is stupid to make films on the subjects that only bring pain to the heart. People have witnessed enough blood and gory events in the name of terrorism in Hindi films. Now they want some break. They have moved towards more realistic films that deal with day-to-day problems. 'Dev' is a loser on this front.

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Nihalani's all women crew may have worked wonders in terms of technical brilliance in the film but the end result does not excite you. Meenakshi Sharma has written a story that dates back almost 10 years. Nihalani works on a plot that hardly entertains. Sharmistha Roy as the production designer has worked hard to create some fine sets but editor Deepa Gupta goofs up many times in her editing. The film needs to be cut short by at least twenty minutes.

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Aadesh Shrivastav's music provides relief. His music is wonderful but the end result of the film may not work in his favor. Aadesh has come out beautifully and with surprise by composing some very melodious and classy tunes for the lyrics written by Nida Fazli. The music and cinematography part gets ten out of ten marks, but it's the plot of the film and its pace that fails to grasp the viewers throughout. The film may get a better response in metros but will find it very tough to make money in small centers. Moreover people are fed up with so many movies on uniformed men. They need a break, and Kunal Kohli's 'Hum Tum' is the first choice for everybody.


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Producer: Entertainment One & Applause and Udbhav Dreamzone
Director: Govind Nihalani
Starring: Amitabh Bachchan, Om Puri, Fardeen Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Amrish Puri, Rati Agnihotri
Music:Aadesh Shrivastav
Lyrics: Nida Fazli

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Recommended Audience: Parental Guidance
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Released on: June 11, 2004
Reviewed by: Vijay Venkataramanan
Reviewer's Rating: 4 out of 10
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Cumulative Rating: 6.86 out of 10
Rated by: 58 unique users
Enter your Rating: 1 out of 10 2 out of 10 3 out of 10 4 out of 10 5 out of 10 6 out of 10 7 out of 10 8 out of 10 9 out of 10 10 out of 10
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We’ve seen it all before and now we get to watch it again:

1. Amitabh Bachchan as the suppressed law-protector taking on the system - “Zanjeer”, “Khakee”, and more films than I can count.

2. Evil politicians not allowing super-cop to do his job to protect their own interests - again, “Khakee” and every film with Mr. Bachchan as a cop alongside every film with every lead actor trying to play cop.

3. Politicians instigating communal riots between Hindus and Muslims - “Bombay”, “Zakhm” and every movie about communal disharmony.

4. Misled youth opting for violence as an option to combat social oppression - Hrithik Roshan in “Fiza” and every movie with a lead actor playing a truant.

Dev has nothing new to offer other than the very interestingly crafted character of Joint Commissioner Tejinder Khosla played by the exceptional Mr. Om Puri. Any actor of caliber would kill for an opportunity to play such a character, and Mr. Puri leads the way. However, Mr. Nihalani knows better than anyone else that a movie cannot possibly swim in rehashed themes and ideas, and still rely on the sole freshness of one character to see it through. It is indeed a pity then that this sensational director who personified originality with “Ardh Satya”, “Tamas”, and the classic “Droh Kaal” resorts to recycling.

That the director can boast of strong performances is a given with Mr. Bachchan and Mr. Puri heading the cast. To give credit where it is due, kudos to Fardeen Khan and Kareena Kapoor for shedding their star personas and playing their characters with a taut sense of honesty. But whatever happened to imaginative storytelling?

“Dev” fails to captivate simply because Mr. Nihalani serves old wine in an even older bottle. Rather “slower” bottle. Dev Pratap Singh (Bachchan) and Tej Khosla’s (Puri) ideological clash forms the basis of the film. While Dev is focused on eliminating the rotten apples of society, Tej is the kind who would rather trash the entire basket. This clash is so overplayed through the film that the story fails to progress. The two characters remain in the same point on their respective situational curves, while hell breaks loose around them and the audience yawns. Come climax, pessimism takes over Mr. Nihalani’s directorial vision as the audience can only say, “I know the how bad the political system in my country is. Do I really need to pay good money to have that rubbed into me all the more?”

“Dev’s” social topicality, or rather lack of it, is another reason it fails to interest. One certainly cannot deny the parity that exists between Hindus and Muslims in Indian society. But after the numerous films that have beaten the issue black and blue, it simply does not make for engrossing viewing unless done with the freshness that Aparna Sen showed in “Mr. And Mrs. Iyer.” While Mr. Nihalani’s intentions may have been noble, his execution of the Hindu-Muslim conflict oscillates from being chilling, shocking, to downright offensive at times.

While original content on its own can entertain more often than not, the craft of making a captivating film can often save rehashed themes (e.g. “Khakee”). Surprisingly, despite a director like Mr. Nihalani calling the shots, that craft in this recycled product too seems to be missing. Mr. Nihalani, it is time to shut the recycle bin and use the trash can. We don’t want to see what other filmmakers did; we want to see what you can do. And we all know there is a lot to where that comes from.


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Ardh Satya....was great, Om Puri's best performance

I hope Dev is good too....

Saw Dev. It's genuinely interesting, it has a few jaw dropping moments. Bachchan's role and it's motives is an extention of what he was in Khakee(no real compliants though, he very much dons his performance). But the film delude's exceptionally on Nihalani's use of the medium. His treatment to the narrative is very much reduced to habitual Bollywood format. Nihalani is(or was atleast) quite good in building extremely raw, unconventional & unpleast moments in his films that make it bit uneasy or surprisingly shocking for the viewer to keep there eye's glued to. (ie. In Ardh Satya, Om Puri's character frightfully watches through minimal vision his father unstably torture his mother). Dev lacks Nihalani's beautiful use of temperamental visuals and poetic narrative and there purposeful aim to give us the feeling that we are inside this "odd" World of Govind Nihalani. At times, the film felt too perplexed or full of aesthetically blah! dialogues. I wasn't genuinely convinced with everything depicted in the film.

Watch DROHKAL instead!! as I said!! I think I was not even breathing for 2.30 hrs LOL!

Dev fails to overtake Hum Tum in UK

Arthur J Pais | June 16, 2004 15:47 IST


Even Amitabh Bachchan could not make Dev rise above Hum Tum in the two most lucrative overseas markets, especially in the United Kingdom. Many fans felt that since they had recently seen him in a police officer's role in Khakee, they should save money and pass Dev, and watch him in Lakshya instead, where he plays an army officer.

The Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukerji starrer Hum Tum has remained on the top 10 chart in the UK for three weeks, coming down by about 32 per cent each week. Last weekend, it slipped from the sixth spot to the seventh with a $110,000 gross and took its three-week total to about $800,000.





Despite Kareena Kapoor and a melodious score, Dev was an instant flop though it stood at tenth spot on the charts. It is not often that one finds two Hindi films on the top 10 UK charts but the actual figures showed that Dev had a poor opening. Its $70,000 gross on 25 screens was puny by any reckoning. It was significantly less than what Hum Tum had taken in its third weekend. It was more by default -- with many mainstream films doing mediocre business -- that Dev found itself on the top 10 charts.

Director Govind Nihalani's earlier film Thakshak was a no-winner abroad, and Dev follows in its footsteps. Its lacklustre performance comes soon after Aan, which at least had a solid opening in India, grossed less than $200,000 in North America and had a more disappointing UK run.

In North America, Hum Tum started off at number 21 on the charts and slipped near the 40th position, grossing about $750,000 in three weeks. But it may end its run just shy of the $2 million mark in both North America and the UK.

With Lakshya around the corner, Hum Tum's business will dip considerably. And Dev may pass into oblivion. Hum Tum, though, may continue playing on the weekends in a handful of theaters for many more weeks. It has become a popular date movie, especially with young desis and Trinidadians.

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Dev faces problems in Gujarat

By IndiaFM News Bureau, June 16th, 2004 - 1600 hrs IST

After Girlfriend met with problems earlier this week, the week's other release Dev is also facing trouble. However the reason is quite different in this case. While Girlfriend had hurt the cultural sentiments of the Shiv Sena, Dev has wounded the religious sentiments of a Rajkot resident. Sandeep Chandrasinh Revre filed a case against the director of Dev, Govind Nihalani claiming that his film can for provoke communal disharmony in India. The film starring Amitabh Bachchan, Om Puri, Kareena Kapoor and Fardeen Khan is loosely based on the 2001 Gujarat riots.

Revre has asked for a stay order on the film and a stop on its screening throughout the country. The court has even issued a notice to Nihalani and has summoned him in the Rajkot court on Friday, June 18