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‘Daas Dev’: Meticulously mounted in a convoluted plot (IANS Review, Rating: **1/2)
By Troy Ribeiro
Film: “Daas Dev”; Director: Sudhir Mishra; Cast: Richa Chadha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Rahul Bhat, Saurabh Shukla, Vipin Sharma, Anurag Kashyap; Rating: **1/2
Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, the author of “Devdas”, must be cringing every time an adaptation of his simple romance novel hits the big screen.
This time, Sudhir Mishra, in his retelling of the classic novel, literally spins the title to offer us “Daas Dev” – a romantic triangle set in power dynamics in a small incongruous town of Jahana UP.
And going by the original text, we expect a revolutionary story of a brooding, self-destructive Dev who pines for Paro while being in the arms of Chandramukhi.
Here, Dev Pratap Chauhan (Rahul Bhat), the scion of a politically strong family is perennially knocked off his senses, either on drinks or drugs. But he is emotionally and utterly dependent on his childhood girlfriend Paro (Richa Chadha). So after a bad night out in Delhi, she coaxes him to return to their native Jahana, which he reluctantly agrees to.
In Jahana, he immerses in politics and she in social service. But fate tears them apart, when they fall prey to the political motives of Dev’s uncle Avdesh (Saurabh Shukla).
On the other hand, Chandni aka Chandramukhi is an unscrupulous, political strategist who helps Dev build a strong political image. She inadvertently falls in love with Dev, but Dev’s heart is all Paro’s.
So, needless to say, the actual film comes as a shock, for the off-kilter romance though meticulously constructed, is set in a convoluted plot where the centre-stage is retrograde politics. The romance is lost in the political maze. Also, the story seems to be set in some bygone era, for today’s rural India is not as how it is portrayed here. The characterisation too, seems forced and fabricated.
Also the direction in some scenes appears amateurishly mounted. Case in point is witnessed when, Paro after being shot, lands in the driveway of the hospital wounded. There is no reaction from her co-actors.
On the performance front, Rahul Bhat offers a fairly decent portrayal of Dev but you fail to empathise with him, simply because of his poorly chalked character graph and his equally weak onscreen chemistry with both the leading ladies. His performance fluctuates from forceful to hamming, at regular intervals.
Richa Chadha as Paro, is equally lacklustre. Adding no nuances to her character, she walks through her role unenthusiastically. As Chandni, Aditi Rao Hydari does offer a bit of intrigue to her character, but her poorly etched role does not help her make the part memorable.
The trio is aptly supported by; Saurabh Shukla as Dev’s chacha – Avdesh, Vipin Sharma as Paro’s husband and member of the opposition – Ram Ashray, Dalip Tahil as the industrialist – SK, Deep Raj Rana as Avdesh’s party worker – Prabhunath and Sohaila Kapur as Dev’s mother – Sushila Devi. But their performances, by no stretch of imagination elevate the viewing experience.
While the film boasts of decent production values, overall it fails to engross you.
–IANS
troy/vd
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.
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