Papa preaches, son displeases

Lang: Kannada (U)
Film: Dev, son of Mudde Gowda
Cast: Diganth, Charmi Kaur, Ananth Nag, Sudha Belawadi
Director: Indrajit Lankesh

The movie title is a misnomer. Be guarded against being misled into a false sense of belief by the title that it is a rural vaudeville. Indrajit’s Dev, on the other hand, a sniping, snarling and satirical urban-centric flick that takes a tongue-in-cheek look at the goings-on around us your typical multiplex cinema. Like his earlier Aishwaraya, Indrajit’s latest do at turnstiles, too is glizty and glossy tittle-tattle tosh served with the panache of a man who knows the picky palate of his film buffs.

However, Dev, narrated in as laidback manner as its lead man, only drives you into a noon siesta than have you engrossed in its loony, lullaby saga. Dev is to the manor born and living life kingsize. Bestowed with silverspoon our beau, with bikes and buddies for company, does not believe in sweating it out like his darling, dotting dad who aspires that his (way)ward boy becomes educated achiever.

Dev harbours celluloid dreams though showing no signs of working towards it than sponging on his father’s kind-hearted largesse doled out in dollops even before being asked for much to mamma’s misgivings. A much more pragmatic mama forewarns her hubby that by pampering he is leading his son on the primrose path to perfidy and turning him into a spoilt brat, which anyway he turns into. The father, though, who has come up the hard way to becoming proud undies businessman believes his boy will come good when the time comes. Touche!

Meanwhile, our Mr Spendthrift blissfully goes about his wild and wanton ways nonchalantly caring two hoots to dad’s desires and dreams. For soul mate he has Hubli lass in choreographer Kavya who, in turn, is chasing the chimera of becoming a cinema director. Peopled and peppered with as many turns and twists, Deva plods on ad nauseum plummeting one and sundry to ennui.

Still Indrajit’s Dev, with all its warts, works bringing a sniggering smiles at the snorty and sassy smart-aleck attitude he can have audiences chewing out of his hands. Go with blinkers tightly on your expectations and Dev, which is dud as a dodo, is sure to tickle your funnybones. Ananth Nag, Diganth and Charmi weave their charm on their fans with ease and elan. Enjoy maadi.