Jr NTR’s big ticket to pan-India fame Devara has proved to be not so successful in Hindi. Director Koratala Siva has done some blockbusters with some of the biggest superstars of Telugu cinema. His earlier collaboration with NTR Junta Garage had some sass and humor. It looks like Devara is not getting the numbers in Hindi that the NTR-Koratala combo should have.
Technically, Devara is a terrific showcase of talent, with R. Rathnavelu’s cinematography sweeping across the roaring seawaves, capturing the fury of Nature with a poetic flourish otherwise denied to the endeavour.The film is seriously epic in visual terms. The crux and the redeeming factor are the NTR-Saif combats. The action is absurdly riveting, almost animalistic in its fury. The stunts here are far better choreographed than they were in Animal or any other recent combative cruise.
ALSO READ: Devara Movie Review: Jr NTR And Saif Ali Khan's Action Thriller Is Not Engaging Enough
Says Akshaye Rathi, “Devara is huge in Telugu. In Hindi, it is more reliant on word of mouth. I see Devara taking the trajectory of Baahubali Part 1 in Hindi, where people discovered the film’s magic and then turned it into this huge hit that it was. Koratala Siva is a solid director, and Tarak (NTR) is a hero of the masses. And Saif Ali Khan as the villain is a powerhouse. So I really see no reason why Devara won’t grow in Hindi.”
Adds producer and trade insider Girish Johar, “Devara is a massive release down South and in the overseas region, and their respective openings are also fantastic. Unfortunately, so far, the Hindi market has not responded in a similar manner, despite big Hindi actors Saif and Janhvi attached to it. Further, the buzz is presently low, more so in top metro cities, and the cinemas in tier 2 and tier 3, Hindi belt, are quite excited. For them, it’s a commercial film, after Stree 2 for their audiences. The primary reason for the low opening in Hindi is the low marketing push and promotions within the Hindi belt. Luckily, the tides can easily and quickly turn with positive reports, good WOM (word of mouth), and audience feedback.”