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Dev D – movie review

Prepare yourself for the Emotional Atyachar

  


Dev D, movie review

Dev D is a modern-day interpretation of the classic novel “Devdas” by Sarat Chandra. Dev, Paro and Chanda of Dev D reflect the sensibilities, conflicts, aggression, independence, free thought, exuberance and recklessness of the youth of today. A generation that is jammed between eastern roots and western sensibilities.

Director Aunrag Kashyap has shown the lead character Devdas as a spoilt, obsessive, addictive and a hypocritical sensualist, who is self destructive without knowing he is destroying himself. Dev D movie review…

Dev D is set in the rustic and colourful Punjab and also explores the dingy, morbid, dark underbelly of Delhi. From sprawling mustard fields to a riot of neon. It is written and directed by Anurag Kashyap and produced by UTV Spotboy.

Son of a rich Punjabi Businessman, Dev (Abhay Deol) and Paro (Mahi Gill) are childhood sweethearts. But Dev, being an insecure arrogant youth, rather than acknowledging Paro’s affection and care, he nudges her over frivolous things.

Dev is sent to London for higher studies when his father senses how spoilt his son is. Instead during the separation bewteen Paro and Dev love blossoms even more. Dev rushes to Chandigarh to meet Paro. Here, their attempt to make love intensifies during some comic moments.

The seeds of suspicion are sown here, despite the indestructible faith in Paro’s love for Dev. That faith is shattered in a major turn-of-events and she is resigned to marry an older man with children. Paro picks up the threads of her life and moves on with a lot of grit and dignity and she hopes Dev can do the same.

On Paro’s wedding day, Dev realizes that his suspicion was false. But his ego doesn’t let him accept his mistake, and he lets her marry someone else. But more than separation it’s the thought of Paro making love to somebody else that’s the cause of agony for him.

Dev, tormented by Paro’s wedding, seeks alcohol and drugs and comes in touch with Chunni (Dibyendu Bhattacharya), a pimp and a parasite. Chunni operates in the dark and dingy underbelly of Delhi, with a modus operandi of catching the rich and the distressed and exploiting their vulnerability by pushing drugs and pimping skin. A designer watch from a customer, a phone from another, he is always on the hunt for the next big kill. Chunni finds a tailor-made catch in the rich and heart-broken Dev. He supplies Dev with drugs and unleashes his biggest and most expensive addiction – Chanda.

Chanda / Leni (Kalki Koechlin) who likes to live on the edge. Leni is a rich student with hyperactive hormones and a penchant for adventure. After a devastating MMS scandal she’s abandoned by her family and is forced into isolation. As a runaway she finds shelter with Chunni a pimp. With great determination and inner strength she adopts an alter ego – Chanda. As Chanda she gets to be a high profile escort by night while Leni remains a college student by day. With coke in her head and money at her disposal, Leni/Chanda lives life on her own terms… no holds barred.

In the end he realizes that he was wrong and that maybe he never really loved Paro. He goes back to Chanda and lives with her thereafter.

Dev D is a path breaking film, challenging the concept of contemporary Bollywood. Dark almost in the second half, it has “out of this world” special photographic effects.

Cast of Dev D:
Devendra Singh Dhillon (Dev.D) – Abhay Deol
Parminder (Paro) – Mahi Gill
Lene`/Chanda – Kalki Koechlin
Rasika – Parakh Madan
Chunni – Dibyendu Bhattacharya
Bhuvan – Asim Sharma

Credits & Crew of Dev D:
Produced by UTV Spotboy, Bindaas
Produced by Ronnie Screwvala
Based on the novel Devdas by Saratchandra Chatterjee
Concept – Abhay Deol
Directed by Anurag Kashyap
Writers – Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwane
Associate Producer – Vikas Bahal
Original Music – Amit Trivedi
Cinematography – Rajeev Ravi
Film Editing – Aarti Bajaj
Casting – Gautam Kishanchandani
Assistant Directors – Vasan Bala, Anubhuti Kashyap, Anand Vijayraj Singh Tomar
Special Photographic Effects – Gagan Gopal, Rajiv Joseph
Dev D, movie review