Much as I hate politics, I hate movies based on politics, politicians or political ‘khandaans’ but since it’s the ‘papi pet ka sawaal’ I had to go and watch Daas Dev since my ‘roti kapda and makaan’ runs on the money I get paid for watching films!
Ok, maybe I am being a bit too dramatic and over filmy but don’t blame me it’s the after-effects of watching Dev and the Dass (es!) in the modern day retelling of Sarat Chandra Chatterjee’s Devdas.There have been several films which have been made based on this book and the only one I have enjoyed watching was Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s film by the same name, starring Shah Rukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit, and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.
Since I enjoyed Sanjay Bhansali’s Devdas and Daas Dev was said to be a contemporary take on the same book, I was hopeful that I would enjoy this one too. But it was sorrowful and depressing! ( As if the Mumbai heat wasn’t depressing enough!) No matter how much the makers have claimed in their interviews that the film is different from the novel, the basic premise of the story is the same, it has the same brooding lover Dev (Rahul Bhat), who is in love with Paro(Richa Chadda) and then there’s Chandni (Aditi Rao Hydari) who is head over heels in love with Dev.
The only difference here is that instead of the zamindars, the backdrop in Daas Dev is politics and all the filth, betrayal, lies etc. that come with power. This Dev, like all the Devs in the other adaptations, also likes to drown his sorrows in ‘sharaab’, but Paro manages to change him and Dev sobers up and starts taking his life and politics seriously until things take a turn and he goes back to his old Dev ways (predictable).
credits- movie- Daas Dev
There are so many unnecessary layers to the film that after a point of time you kind of get a bit confused and wonder what’s happening; kiska beta, kaun chacha, kaun bhatija…. To a point where you almost feel like tearing your hair! The film completely loses focus and you wonder where the story is headed. There are too many plots that keep unfolding and you lose direction of the film.
credits- movie- Daas Dev
Rahul as Dev is at times promising but then there are certain scenes where you feel he is trying too hard to act. There is nothing new about Richa, she’s just being Richa, Aditi Rao’s pretty face is refreshing amidst all the gloom that surrounds the film.
credits- movie- Daas Dev
The other characters like Saurabh Shukla, Vipin Sharma, Dalip Tahil, Vinit Kumar etc. are real actors and we’ve seen them play such roles earlier too, so there’s actually nothing different to look forward to from them in this film.
By the end of the film, I really didn’t care what was happening or what would happen to the characters, I just wanted it to all get over! What you just might need by the end of it is a nice tall glass of Mojito or Beer or Rum or Whiskey or…….whatever it is you like to down!
Read Also: Nanu Ki Jaanu Movie Review; It’s All About A Ghost Who’s More Like A Homemaker!
