Movie Review - Dev D

Powered by: Chakpak.com	Dev D

Everything about this movie whether its the conceptualization by Abhay Deol, the music by Amit Trivedi and the loving strokes of superb direction by Anurag Kashyap is off beat. After a no go “No Smoking” he has struck back and how. Man, its mind blowing. Sarat Chandra’s classic has been given a contemporary look and interpretation which I thought was pretty near to my idea of the kind of guy Dev Das was namely a weak, self centered, addictive loser. And Abhay Deol has done enormous justice to the lead role. While the principal characters of the original classic remain the same, their backgrounds and events affecting their lives have been cleverly changed. The Bengali feudal has been replaced by a Punjabi industrialist. The rural backdrop remains the same. Paro assumes the avatar of the classic Punjabi belle freely mouthing abuses and completely obsessed with her childhood sweetheart. For a first timer Mahie Gill, a Chandigarh lass, has done a classy portrayal of Paro. Her total submission to her lover receives a rude jolt when the object of her affection spurns her on suspicions of promiscuous conduct. Of course it’s another matter that he has no problems sowing his wild oats at the first available opportunity. She tries to prevent the shattering of a lifelong dream but consents to marry a widower following the obdurate attitude of Dev. He on the other hand becomes a prisoner of his suspicions and his desire for Paro whose marriage triggers his descent into the abyss of alcoholic stupor and drug induced hallucinations.
Anurag Kashyap then uses the DPS MMS episode to introduce the character of Leni who is disgraced by public opprobrium, abandoned by her family and finally becomes a high priced escort Chanda, played by Kalki Koechlin who is really the surprise package of the movie. A beautiful girl of French stock with a pronounced pout a la Brigitte Bardot she took my heart away, crooked teeth and all. A drunken Dev who after abandoning the mustard fields of Punjab is exploring the depths of despair in the dark underbelly of Delhi literally falls into her arms. Initially Dev’s single minded indulgence in drinking marathons in between fantasizing of a reunion with Paro comes in his way of crystallizing any kind of relationship with Chanda. But after Paro tells him off he comes to realize that there is more to Chanda than just fancy costumes designed to titillate her customers. But then he mows down seven people under his car driving under the influence of Vodka and his demons. It also jolts him back to reality.
While the performances of all the actors are amazing a special mention needs to be made of the music. This is Amit Trivedi’s second film after Aamir but this new kid on the block has composed some exemplary music and has a great deal of promise. Each song has a different kind of sound. It’s a delightful pot pourri of Sufi music, Punjabi folk and western drum rolls. While the soulful rendition of “Pardesi” by Toshi takes your breath away the retro classic dance by the trio of Sinbad Phgura, Ammo 'Too Sweet' and Jimi 'The Quiff’ could be one’s sole reason to watch the movie again. “Emosanal Atyachaar” with the music by Chandigarh’s very own Harish Band is another riot. It’s the watered down censored version which has been used in the movie. The original which is available on the Net is guaranteed to make your ears go red and I must warn that only those who can stomach the classic Hindi profanities may venture forth in listening to it.
The movie is a modern interpretation of a timeless classic story and it has been crafted with good performances, slick editing and set to great music. The language may not appeal to everyone’s sensibilities but apart from that it’s nearly flawless. It’s outstanding stuff and eminently watchable but of course without your kids or parents along. The ‘A’ rating is more than justified.