Given the present mindset of Kannada filmmakers, a section of the audience and the powers-that-be, remakes seemed a godsend to revive the fortunes of an industry suffering from indigestion and wrong diet of subjects. But ‘Devru’ proves that the innate strength of the filmmakers is waning - they can’t even make a decent remake anymore!
True, there is Vijay, all-rounder in acting, dancing and fighting. There is Sadhu himself, whose raised eyebrow is enough to bring out a giggle. There are Ravi Kale, Ashish Vidyarthi and Shobhraj. But none of their characters settles with the viewers, with Sadhu running a swift race, all the while ignoring bystanders substance, cohesion and credibility. The screenplay has a disproportionate mix of scenes from ‘Thalai Nagaram’, ‘Athadu’ and other films. The screenplay also accommodates ‘changes to suit local tastes.’ Tushar Ranganath’s dialogues reflect on the degeneration of a society. The Censors and Jo. Ni. Harsha’s scissors deserve full credit for containing this mayhem on senses and sensibility. Sadhu must stop multi-tasking as only his score passes muster.