KD: The Devil TamilYogi Review: The flicker of dimly-lit streets, old cars floating along smoky windows, heavy thud of boots stepping over gravel establish the mood even before the story finds footing. KD: The Devil feeds on this kind of texture to submerge the viewer into a stylized Bangalore of the 70s and 80s where peril seems to be a part of the film and bigger than life. Prem is overloaded on atmosphere and Dhruva Sarja is equally matched with a physically imposing presence that is authoritative. It is ambitious, ambitious in size, in the curves of character, in the endeavor to integrate the emotion with brash action. However, impressive as it is in spurts, the movie has difficulty holding onto that, lapsing up and down into engrossing peaks and into prolonged stretches that require patience of the viewer than is necessary.
Ranging against a gritty background of the Bangalore underworld of the 1970s and 80s, the film opens with a powerful premise, a mysterious figure is coming out of jail, and the whole underworld is shuddering at the thought. Prem sets the tone in a good way, bending into his trademark drama. When the story is reversed we are presented with Kalidas, a normal young man who becomes the feared Devil as the central theme of the story. What ensues is not merely a story of violence and strength, but a multifaceted one influenced by political undertones, rivalries and the dynamics that drive a man towards rowdyism.
The screen presence of Dhruva Sarja is instantly noticeable. His long hair, rugged beard and the elegant bell-bottom outfits convincingly make him look like a rowdy in the 70s. His body gives some gravity to the action scenes, which are one of the strongest elements of the film. To his credit, this is not handled as a one-man show by Prem. Supporting characters are allocated their own arcs and significance in the story.
V. Ravichandran, in the role of Annayappa, offers a sense of both earthy and fashionable performance, which is both grounded and elegant. After a successful appearance in KGF, Sanjay Dutt gives a new twist to the concept of danger here, with the help of voice and presence. Ramesh Aravind comes into the scene in a twist and comes as a real surprise, which adds layers to the story. Reeshma Nanaiah is refreshing and graceful although there are emotional lapses between her and Dhruva in the direction of over the top loudness. It works sometimes and it is a bit wearying at other times.
Although the film is anchored by the performances, technical craft is also important in the film. Arjun Janya provides a good soundtrack, some of which linger even after the movie is over. Nevertheless, the picturisations of the song are not always as high as in the previous work by Prem. The film is, visually, however, impressive. The reconstruction of 1970s Bangalore, including periodically correct roads, old-fashioned cars, old movie theatres, is immersive. Special mention should be made of cinematographer William David who managed to shoot the low-light action sequences in a clear, delicate manner. With the support of KVN Productions, the movie appears clean and well-detailed.
With that said, some sets are sometimes unnaturally laid down, temporarily disrupting the illusion of realism. The process of establishing an effective period world is never an easy task, and though the movie is mostly effective, it stumbles in some areas. On the positive aspect of it, costume design whether it be bell-bottoms or printed shirts and the unique hairstyles contribute greatly to the visual credibility of the film.
The movie is slow in narrating the motivations of Kalidas. His process of going into crime is intriguing and passionate. Nonetheless, the path to that change is lengthy. The first half, specifically, is very slow. Although the promotional material gives high hopes, some aspects of the storyline are not very clear and could have been more tightly edited.
The latter half is much more captivating. The narration becomes more vivid, the oppositions become more definite and the plot of the story moves much better. Sudeep plays a cameo role as Kalabhairava, which makes it more intriguing and energetic. The ending provides an unusual twist, which is one of the highlights of the movie. But the choice to leave the film hanging, to obviously establish the following part, does not allow the movie to provide a wholly satisfying conclusion.
In a bigger sense, KD: The Devil is a raw, action-packed period drama that is visually appealing and dedicated acting. To the fans of Dhruva Sarja, it provides a few whistle worthy scenes and beautifully designed fan service scenes. In the case of general audiences, though, the disjointed rhythm, especially at the beginning of the first half, can be a source of impatience.
Ultimately, KD: The Devil is a great movie that succeeds and fails in numerous aspects, particularly in its acting, action, and design. Meanwhile, it falters with consistency in narrating. Some parts and others tiresome, it leaves one with a feeling of wondering what is next to happen and not utter content with what has just happened.
Rating: 3/5
