Rosshan Andrrews directed the 2013 film Mumbai Police, which starred Prithviraj Sukumaran and told the story of a police officer with memory loss re-investigating a case he had previously solved. The film had a surprising twist and a vulnerable performance by Sukumaran that captivated audiences. Now, 12 years later, Andrrews has adapted the same story for Hindi audiences in a film called Deva, starring Shahid Kapoor.
Deva, however, falls short of the power of Mumbai Police. The remake, written by Hussain Dalal, Abbas Dalal, Arshad Sayed, and Sumit Arora, has expanded and changed the narrative to focus more on Kapoor’s stardom. Kapoor plays the role of police officer Dev Ambre, showcasing his acting range as he portrays two different personas of the character. The screenplay includes unnecessary elements like a love angle and exaggerated action sequences to highlight Kapoor’s leading man status.
While Kapoor delivers a strong performance, the film lacks the depth and complexity of its predecessor. The screenplay fails to address important themes and changes the ending, diminishing the impact of the story. Pavail Gulatie and Pravessh Rana provide solid support to Kapoor, and the background score by Jakes Bejoy adds to the film’s atmosphere.
Despite some striking aspects, Deva struggles to match the original film’s impact. The generic writing and diluted narrative make it less satisfying for fans of Mumbai Police. Overall, Deva may work as a standalone whodunit, but it falls short of the memorable storytelling of its predecessor.
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