Devara: Part 1 Review - Epic Action or Empty Spectacle?

In a coastal hamlet where the sea is both lifeline and graveyard, Devara (Jr. NTR) is the man who stands between his people and the tide of violence. He’s a fisherman by trade, a protector by instinct-fearless, revered, and carrying a quiet storm inside him. His younger brother, Bhaira (Saif Ali Khan), seethes with envy, plotting a conspiracy that threatens to drown the village in betrayal. The first half revolves around Devara’s perilous sea voyage, a literal and metaphorical descent into the treacherous underworld of smuggling and political rot. But the storm doesn’t break here. Instead, the narrative pivots to a generation later: Devara’s legacy is inherited by his son Varada, a young man who is the polar opposite of his father-mild-mannered, timid, burdened by a name he feels he cannot live up to. The story then becomes a quiet, often painful study of a son struggling to carry a weight that isn’t his own, while Bhaira’s long shadow grows darker.

Let’s begin with the heart of the film: Jr. NTR. Playing both Devara and Vara is no gimmick-it’s a masterclass in contrast. As Devara, he is all coiled tension, a man whose gentleness masks a capacity for brutal violence. There’s a scene where he stands on a beach, back to the sea, and his eyes seem to hold the ocean’s endless sadness. Then, in the second half, he transforms into Varada-shoulders hunched, voice softer, eyes that flicker with anxiety. It’s a performance of remarkable range, and the actor deserves far more than a 6.9 rating for this alone.

Saif Ali Khan, as Bhaira, is a slick, poisonous presence. He doesn’t shout or rage; he smiles, calculatingly, and lets the venom drip. The chemistry between him and Jr. NTR is electric in their few shared scenes, but those scenes are maddeningly scarce. Bhaira’s conspiracy-which should be the spine of the plot-is often pushed to the background, replaced by long stretches of village life, fishing rituals, and a romantic subplot with Janhvi Kapoor’s Thangam that feels like it was cut from a different, sunnier movie. Janhvi does what she can with a thankless role, but her arc (a love interest who mostly waits and worries) is a wasted opportunity in an already sprawling runtime.

Koratala Siva’s direction leans heavily into grandiosity. The cinematography by R. Rathnavelu is breathtaking-coastal landscapes, monsoon-lit skies, and a climactic sea sequence that genuinely stirs the blood. The music by Anirudh Ravichander is stirring, though some songs feel like interruptions rather than organic story beats. The problem is that the film’s ambition outpaces its pacing. At 175 minutes, Devara: Part 1 feels every minute of its length. The first hour is a meditative setup that could have been trimmed by 20 minutes; the second hour builds genuine tension, only to pull back from the precipice, leaving the third act feeling like a prologue to the real climax. When the end credits roll, you’re left with a feeling of “That’s it?” rather than “I can’t wait for Part 2.”

The supporting cast-Prakash Raj as the elder statesman Singappa, Srikanth as the pragmatic Rayappa, and Kalaiyarasan as the loyal Kunjara-do solid work, but they’re often reduced to reacting to Jr. NTR’s presence. Shruti Marathe, playing Devara’s wife, has a powerful scene midway that reminds you what this film could have been if it trusted its quieter moments more. But too often, the screenplay veers into melodramatic voiceovers and explanatory dialogue, as if afraid the audience won’t grasp the mythic weight.

Pros

• Jr. NTR’s dual performance is a career highlight, showcasing raw vulnerability and volcanic intensity
• Outstanding cinematography that captures the sea as a character-threatening, beautiful, indifferent
• Saif Ali Khan’s villainy is refreshingly subtle and menacing
• A few genuinely breathtaking action set pieces, particularly the underwater sequence
• Anirudh’s score elevates emotional beats, even when the script struggles

Cons

• Bloated runtime that tests patience, with several scenes that could have been cut
• Janhvi Kapoor’s character is underwritten and feels like an afterthought
• The story ends on a cliffhanger that feels less like a setup and more like a halt
• Pacing is sluggish in the first half, with too much exposition and not enough propulsion
• The conspiracy plot lacks teeth until the final act, robbing the film of sustained tension

Devara: Part 1 is an audacious, imperfect, and often moving experiment in myth-making. Koratala Siva has a clear vision-a generational saga about cowardice and courage, legacy and shame-but the execution is uneven, weighed down by its own self-importance. Jr. NTR’s dual role is worth the price of admission alone, and the film’s best moments (the sea voyage, the father-son confrontation, the final shot) are genuinely haunting. Yet, as a standalone experience, it feels incomplete, more like a beautifully filmed chapter than a film. For those willing to invest in a slow burn and trust that Part 2 will deliver on its promises, this is a worthwhile watch. For others, it may feel like waiting for a wave that never crashes-on the shore, but not yet. A brave, flawed, and visually stunning beginning.