Dev.D (2009)

This is a technical genius of Indian Cinema. One of the best films ever made. One film I personally can even think of parallel y in terms of quality would be Omkara. Dev D is not a film but a reflection of Indian youth as it is in the new century. If there was something called a psychedelic film this would definitely be the one. The soundtrack itself through out the film creates a unparalleled atmosphere. Blended superbly is the story and the characters. I am not a movie critic but I have seen IMDb top 250 and exhaustively Korean, french , Italian and Brazilian movies. This movie stand apart from the rest. There will never be another Dev D like there will never be another Avatar or Schindler's list. The only reason this film did not get worldwide recognition it deserves because it is an Indian film maybe and there should be more exposure of Indian films.If you are not from India, and you are reading this review, watch this film once. Please make a point of watching it with headphones on or good loudspeakers. Watch it at a time, when you are most relaxed and trust me, you will never forget this film. I can personally guarantee that any Indian worth his taste in films, have not watched this movie less than a couple of times.Enjoy the film. I don't write much review, but I like sharing the happiness i get from watching great films. More so, if i can share it with someone not from my country. Dev D is a reflection of India of the 21st century. A India you may have not seen or thought off. This will change your perception of the country to a large extent and will definitely be one of your favorite movies of all time. Blurays are available with subtitles. But trust me, except for some dialogues, the film will reach you beyond the barriers of language.If you are in your 20s, or early 30s, and if you have not watched Dev D , you cannot say you have watched world cinema.I think Schindler's list should be IMDb's no. 1 film and i think Dev D definitely would deserve a place in that list's top 15 if it was watched by the world at large. So watch the film, you will love it, share it with your friends. After-all that's what watching movies is all about. Enjoy with a drink or whatever makes you feel good. :) Adios..

"The path towards self destruction has fancied all men but all do it in a quiet corner of their day dream or with a peg of whisky along a buddy's weekend. But what if someone is really on a confused path of self destruction? Well then you are a DevD. The film came to Anurag via Abhay when Abhay was in Las Vegas and heard the story of a regular Romeo who used to visit a strip club in vengeance of a lost relation. Anurag agreed almost instantly when Abhay proposed and the duo decided to film it with a modern tango of the "Sarat Chandra" classic "devdas". Anurag decided to use Punjab to set up the childhood context of Dev and Paro while shifting the youth to Pahargang in Delhi. Both turned out to be a great move as Paro here is a lady from the village. She is rustic yet sexually provocative. Dev retains the flavor of a rich US return man who is indeed driven by his desire of lust and his tall ego of the riches just adds to his long list of weakness. The result was that Paro dumps him as she saw no future in her relationship. Enter Chandra, when a school girl discovers her transition to adulthood and does a blunder of a mms that goes backfire and viral. A sorry state to be family disowned and hence finally shifts in underground escort services in Delhi. Chuni plays a role of a story catalyst and helps and disowns Dev as his needs. A parasite who plays his cards with the chemistry of Dev and Chandra and then just vanishes. The film was cult and a trend setter in camera work where Anurag used a point to shoot 11 frame camera imported from Amsterdam to shoot Dev's hallucinations while drunk. The "twilights players" are a real bunch who played cons as the story progressed. The song "Saali Khushi" was actually a mistaken take for "Saari Khushi" and the wrong take was finally selected for the punch. The story paces very fast as the film hits delhi and one can see Dev getting trapper more in the state of confusion of love and addictions. His destiny goes against him when he gets in a hit and run case and loses his rich father. Dev's final attempt to seek truth about his love takes him to the northern hills which sets the climax and his ground touch. Frustrated, weak, poor Dev takes a rebirth along the same old momo galli in delhi when Chandra rescues him. The sudden end of the film adds to end the loop that audience goes through and a clear depart from the classic. Anurag thankfully ends it on a high note and this is what the film stands out from the numerous prior devdas films. DevD for sure would remain one of the best works of Anurag and Abhay, no doubt this film is a collector's item and I am sure you dnt mind watching it again tonight. Just a word of caution Devdas is and will always be a looser. His sorry state of affairs make him a legend, so dnt take him too seriously. Just enjoy the film".

When I first saw Dev D, I was a little put off by the rawness, the realness of the movie. But when I watched it again (and again…) I realized that this was a great movie. Not just because it's a different take on the old Devdas story, but because it is one film which puts a spotlight on women's sexuality and the uneasiness of most men (and society) with it. And for that I salute Anurag Kashyap for bringing in front of us a movie which actually depicts this hypocritical attitude both subtly (Dev and PAro) and in an in-your-face style (Chanda). When Dev overhears two assholes talking in typical locker room boasting about how one of them had sex with Paro, he breaks up with her in a frenzy of disgust and humiliates her by spurning her advances and listing all her shortcomings as offensively as he can. When I first saw it, I was pretty disgusted, I mean they knew each other from childhood and they chatted and all it took was one measly slanderous conversation to completely change his opinion of her? But when I saw it the second time, I realized that Dev and Paro's attitude towards sex is completely different. When Paro sends the topless photo of herself to Dev, when she gives herself over to his love making – for her, it's all about giving herself to the man she loves. But Dev? Deep down, he cannot help but feel that a pure woman would not let him do these things to her, that maybe her boldness with him means that she may be just as bold with others. He does not see that her boldness with him is her freedom with him, that she believes that they love each other, will marry each other and that is why she permits him liberties with her person. It's all about the girl you have the fun with and the girl you bring home to see your parents – in the minds of most men, they are not the same girl. The guy who goes around with a lot of girls is a rake, a PLAYA, but a girl who does the same is a sl** and cheap, and as such it is permissible to use and discard her without regarding her feelings and emotions. In Chanda's case, she was betrayed by the guy she was with, who posted the video of her online. SHE is the victim, SHE is a school kid for God's sake, she made a mistake, all teens do. But the attitude of people around her – if it was a guy who had been caught on camera, no one would have said a word, but because it's a girl doing something privately with a guy whom she is in love with, it's like she's evil incarnate the way they try to shame her. Like she says, her name was never mentioned anywhere, but everyone knew who she was, publicly denouncing her while privately getting off on the clip. Hypocritical. While Paro wrecks vengeance on her accusers and promptly marries someone else, Chanda becomes a prostitute and decides to make men pay for what they need. Both women are strong characters who fight back whatever way they can. As for Dev, he's a brat, immature and not really likable, his whole descent into drinking and self-destruction is self-indulgent to say the least. But he does grow and by the end while he's not all that endearing, he's grown up enough that I couldn't help but have a faint respect for him in the end. Dev D is a great movie. Not perfect, mind you, but great. The acting is brilliant, especially Abhay Deol who never tried to soften his portrayal of Dev, but still conveys each layer of change in his character's mentality. The direction was great, the music loud – maybe too loud sometimes – but setting the mood to perfection. I would recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys a story with flawed characters and feminist themes.

Insanity finds a new avatar in this celluloid flux that moves like a vagabond. Erratic from the word go, the most audacious display of characterization, brazen , bold, and in your face...from the rustic fields of Punjab, to the mean streets of Delhi with a detour to London and some snow-capped destination, this voyage of voyeurism is deftly told by Mr. Debonair director , Anurag Kashyap. The message comes in Vodka bottles, in smokes and fumes, and in graffiti drenched dark dingy rooms and sometime in pink papers.We have all hell breaking loose here...with a no holds barred , dare to bare,pervert look at the contemporary Devdas...complete with Paro , Chandramukhi and Chunni Lal!God Must Be Crazy ? Otherwise, Paro is not a damsel Chandramukhi is not just a hooker...and Chunni Lal is ain't no booker ?!And what about Devdas...the quintessential lover boy who looses it all in the bottle? Well, well, well....he is out there...a Punjabi munda on the rocks! He doesn't care a damn about love...what matters is whats on the platter...Groundbreaking Music (hikknaal, mahi menu, Pardesi ), earth shattering lyrics (Emotional Attaychar, Saali Khushi), Mindbending screenplay, Earthy cinematography and topnotch performances by Abhay Deol (Dev), Mahie Gill (Paro) and Chanda (Kalki Keochlin)....this is heady cocktail of modern sociology.Mind it....the flavor is strong. Incredibly Intoxicating!