Devara: Part 1 (2024)

A diamond ring tossed into the sea kicks off the big flashback in Devara: Part 1, and it’s the subtlest thing in the movie. The rest is loud, long and built to sell Part 2. In 1984, coastal villagers row out at night to unload merchant ships for a smuggler named Muruga, until their chief, Devara, learns what that cargo really is and shuts the whole racket down. N. T. Rama Rao Jr. plays him at full roar, then turns around and plays his timid son Vara, and the contrast is the movie’s best trick. Saif Ali Khan glowers nicely as Bhaira, and Anirudh Ravichander’s music hits like a wave. Then the second half loses steam, the twists arrive on schedule, and Janhvi Kapoor’s Thangam gets little to do besides wishing Vara were braver. It made $5.6 million in North America and holds a 35% on Rotten Tomatoes. A 4.8 because the spectacle is real and the story is mostly setup. $854.96 says you hear the next spooky local legend and ask who benefits from everyone believing it.

What works: NTR Jr. is magnetic in both roles, and the night raids on the water, the action and Anirudh Ravichander’s music give it real size.

What doesn’t: The second half drifts, the plot is predictable, and the cliffhanger ending feels forced, with Janhvi Kapoor stuck in a decorative role.

Who it’s for: NTR Jr. fans and anyone who wants big, loud mass action on the biggest screen they can find.