Deva Movie Review: Shahid Kapoor’s Performance Stands Out in a Weakly Written Thriller

Deva Movie Review: After playing a fun, mischievous character in Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya, Shahid Kapoor returns to the big screen in a serious role as a cop in Deva. Directed by Rosshan Andrrews, this Bollywood thriller had potential but fails to deliver a gripping experience. While Shahid’s performance is engaging at times, the film suffers from weak execution, underutilized characters, and a predictable narrative.

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Story

The movie starts with Deva (Shahid Kapoor), a rebellious police officer, getting into an accident. This accident leads to memory loss, which only his senior and close friend Farhan Khan (Pravessh Rana) is aware of. Deva had previously solved the murder case of his close friend Roshan D’Silva (Pavail Gulati), but now he must retrace his own steps without remembering anything.

Despite this intriguing premise, the film quickly turns into a slow-paced drama. The first half feels stretched with repetitive flashbacks and unnecessary sequences. While the second half picks up some momentum, the climax falls flat, lacking the impact expected from a gripping crime thriller. The confrontation between Deva and the mole feels rushed, and several plot points are left underdeveloped.

Direction & Writing

The weakest part of Deva is its writing. Though the makers deny it, the film appears heavily inspired by Prithviraj Sukumaran’s Malayalam film Mumbai Police. However, unlike the original, Deva struggles with poor screenplay execution.

Despite being penned by a team of writers including Sumit Arora, Bobby, Abbas Dalal, Hussain Dalal, Sanjay, and Arshad Syed, the script fails to create suspense. The dialogues and character arcs feel predictable, and the film wastes too much time building up an underwhelming payoff.

Performances

Shahid Kapoor transitions well between his two shades of Deva – before and after the accident. His intensity in action sequences and dance performance are highlights, but his overall role feels repetitive compared to his past characters in Kabir Singh and Bloody Daddy.

Pravessh Rana as Farhan Khan stands out with a strong screen presence.
Pavail Gulati does a decent job but doesn’t get much scope.
Pooja Hegde, unfortunately, is barely present in the film, making her casting seem unnecessary.
Kubbra Sait adds intrigue but doesn’t get enough depth in her character.

Music & Background Score

The background score by Jakes Bejoy adds tension to key scenes and is one of the film’s strong points. Vishal Mishra’s music also works well in a few moments, enhancing the film’s mood.

Final Verdict

Despite an interesting premise, Deva doesn’t live up to expectations. While Shahid Kapoor delivers a commendable performance, the film’s weak script, underdeveloped characters, and lack of suspense make it an average watch.

⭐ Rating: 2.5/5

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