Dev.D
2009 · Directed by Anurag Kashyap
Original language: Hindi
- comedy
- drama
- romance
The story
Dev, after spurning his childhood love Paro due to a misunderstanding, turns to drugs and alcohol for solace. Paro moves on but Dev remains in remorse. He then meets Chanda, an escort navigating her own past trauma, but Dev’s chauvinistic attitude and penchant for self-destruction stands in the way of their developing bond.
What it’s like
Restless handheld camera and jagged jump cuts, shifting between sun-bleached Punjabi fields in bright daylight and smoky, neon-streaked Delhi nights. Colours run hot and saturated, and the soundtrack swings from loud remixed pop and Punjabi folk to sudden hush, so the mood keeps lurching. The vibe is wry, raw and melancholic, a restless heartache that stays bitterly funny at its edges and then turns self-destructive. The pace is brisk and uneven, and the central man's arc is a slow unravelling, with each lover's attempt to reach him bumping against his own damage. Drug and alcohol use is shown matter-of-factly and at length, with frank sexual content, some nudity, and brief, sudden flashes of violence rather than gore. It is not gentle viewing; it leaves a lingering ache. It suits a late night alone or a comfort rewatch for anyone who wants a stylish, modern riff on a familiar tragic romance, and who doesn't mind their melancholy served with sharp edges and an anarchic energy.
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