Film scholar P.K. Nair wrote in his book about how Indian filmmakers return to the subject of Devdas every alternate decade with the intention of looking at it afresh, giving it a fresh interpretation and reaching a new audience. Yet again the timeless classic inspired a film maker and how. Arun Matheswaran, a Tamil director has a penchant for emotionally charged revenge sagas and shockingly violent action sequences and has confessed to have been inpired by global all time legends like Akira Kurasowa. His Devdas pines for Parvathi, but refuses to drown his sorrow in alcohol. He is angry, and the outlet is to fight it out and kill. He would rather take revenge than dwell in sadness.
What happens when his madness meets yet another madness? More mayhem is unleashed, giving ample scope for the technical crew. Be it the art director Kannan S, who created the streets of the 90s, or the red-light-lit brothel, or the stunt master PC Stunts, who crafted some of the stunning action sequences, including the one in the brothel, and the master musician Anirudh Ravichander, who simply lifts them up with his uniquely crafted compositions – Arun’s latest film DC dazzles despite its raw, grey, melancholic, gruesome undertones.
Lokesh Kanagaraj debuts as an actor in DC. He is cast as Devdas, whose mother is killed in his childhood, and this haunts him even as his father asks him to forget the tragedy and move on. Even as a young kid, Devdas chooses to kill his mother’s killers rather than concentrate on education. His father stops speaking to him. This is one of the many grievances he harbours with the world around him. In the world of crime, he encounters a ruthless police officer out to catch him.
He also meets Chandra, a sex worker, whom he rescues, and it turns out that Chandra, who was sold into sex work at a very young age, is evidently a broken soul. In Devdas, she finds hope. And in her, you see courage, anger and an unconditional regard for him. And together they set out on a killing spree.
The film DC is built on a thin line of story and lacks the emotional depth or validation. But the craft and finesse in handling the scenes glue the audience to their seats. Even as the screenplay moves from one action sequence to another, especially in the second half, when it transforms into a chase drama. While Lokesh gets the brooding character and stylised action right, Wamiqa Gabbi gets the more demanding role. From a reluctant sex worker to a woman who becomes free and chooses her own path, she gets ample opportunity to display her acting skills in full glory. She claims her screen space and leaves a lasting impression.
DC demands your attention with its excellent screenplay that refuses to slow down or distract you and is technically sound, with the crew working in complete tandem with the director’s vision. The downside is that it gets tedious to watch so much violence, and at some point, you stop making sense of it all. But Anirudh’s original tracks won’t let you get look away either. Perhaps that is the intention of Arun Matheswaran after all.
DC Review : DC is worth watching for its technical craft, stylised action, performances and Anirudh Ravichander’s music, even if the relentless violence and relatively thin emotional core may test your patience.
DC is Arun Matheswaran’s violent reinterpretation of Devdas, starring Lokesh Kanagaraj in his acting debut and Wamiqa Gabbi as Chandra. Rather than drowning his heartbreak in alcohol, this Devdas turns to revenge and violence. The film’s strongest aspects are its stylised action, art direction, technical execution, performances and Anirudh Ravichander’s music, while its thin emotional core and relentless violence are its main drawbacks.
