Despite its promising premise and star-studded cast, Jr. NTR and Saif Ali Khan's highly anticipated 'Devara: Part 1' has left audiences with mixed feelings. While the Koratala Siva-directorial is backed by a strong star cast ( including Jr NTR, Saif Ali Khan, Janhvi Kapoor, Prakash Raj, Srikanth, Shruti Marathe, Murali Sharma, Abhimanyu Singh, and others), it was ultimately overshadowed by a lacklustre narrative, predictable plot twists, and underdeveloped characters. However, amidst the mediocrity, there were fleeting moments of genius that left viewers wondering what could have been. In this article, we'll delve into the key reasons why 'Devara: Part 1' fell short of expectations, while also highlighting the saving graces that prevented it from being a complete write-off.

But before we get to the reasons why it didn’t quite hit the mark, let’s bring you the few factors where it redeemed itself from being a total disaster.

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Saif’s act as the saving grace added with Anirudh Ravichander’s BGM: 

While Jr. NTR has delivered a good performance that was received by whistles and cheers by the audience inside the theatre, the actor who truly stood out in the film is its antagonist, Saif Ali Khan as Bhaira. This psychotic and power-hungry villain is a worthy character for Saif’s Telugu debut. It’s also one of his finest performances. The film’s music composer, Anirudh Ravichander also deserves applause for the background score, and the track, ‘All Hail.’ He is undoubtedly one of the youngest and brightest musically-blessed minds we have.

However, the highs of performances and the music can’t entirely compensate for the headache-inducing film that ‘Devara: Part 1’ is.

It’s too lengthy a film:

One major misstep for me was the film's exhausting length. Clocking in at three hours, 'Devara: Part 1' feels like an endurance test. The interval, which arrives only after two hours, provides brief respite. The three songs, particularly the romantic track between Jr. NTR and Janhvi Kapoor, contribute to the bloated runtime. Furthermore, the opening 15 minutes feel entirely superfluous and could have been easily trimmed, streamlining the narrative.

Janhvi Kapoor comes and goes like a flash:

Fans of the actor are going to be left hugely disappointed because Janhvi barely has a role to play. In fact, she is limited to being an eye candy in the movie, who appears in the second half, and that too for a brief period. She plays Thanga, the most beautiful girl of Ratnagari who is every man’s fantasy, but wants to marry only a macho man, and thus, makes sure that no other woman is getting married before she does by enticing their prospective partners. She comes, dances around a little, and disappears in thin air. Janhvi, who gained appreciation for her performances in titles such as ‘Mr. & Mrs. Mahi,’ has unfortunately been underutilised and how.

It has ‘Baahubali’ feels, but worse:

Remember how we all were left with the question “Kattappa ne Baahubali ko kyu maara? (Why did Kattappa kill Baahubali” at the end of the movie? ‘Devara: Part 1’ is no different. Here, it’s “Vara ne Devara ko kyu mara (Why did Vara kill Devara)?” Not only this, the way the film’s story unfolds in a backlash, and the introduction of a righteous and a larger-than-life hero, will also remind you of the Baahubali franchise. However, unlike SS Rajamouli’s directorial, both parts of which were blockbuster hits, ‘Devara: Part 1’ is nothing but a disappointment.

A predictable plot with no punch:

One of the most significant drawbacks of 'Devara: Part 1' is its crippling predictability. As the narrative unfolds, anticipating what's next becomes almost effortless. Compounding this issue, the film fails to generate suspense, leaving viewers uninvested. Unlike successful multi-part films like 'Ponniyin Selvan,' 'Salaar,' and 'Baahubali,' which masterfully utilised cliffhangers to build anticipation for their sequels, 'Devara: Part 1' falls short. Although it concludes on a cliffhanger, the impact is muted, failing to ignite excitement for the next instalment.

It’s marred by gravity-defying action sequences:

In a movie, anything is possible, even if it means one man killing 50 odd men with just one dagger-like weapon. This is what ‘Devara: Part 1’s action is all about. The two major action sequences involving Jr. NTR shows him killing 50 men first before the interval and some 20 men in the second half -- all by himself. It seems like logic had died while writing such a scene. In another scene, he is shown pushing two huge shipping containers from a cliff while some four-five men try to stop him. Result? He pushed them with ease, obviously, and that none could match his power. I’m reminded of one more scene where he jumps from a huge cargo ship and lands straight on his toes at a small boat, with his hands on his waist. All these scenes and many more, are indigestible to the core!