What makes a “Part 1” satisfying, the ride itself or the promise of what’s next? Devara: Part 1 wants both. It arrives as a large, star-led Telugu action drama with ocean-spray mood, pounding music, and a hero built like a local legend.
Directed by Koratala Siva and led by Jr NTR in dual roles, the film also brings Saif Ali Khan and Janhvi Kapoor into a high-stakes coastal story. It hit theaters on September 27, 2024, with a wide multi-language release, then moved to Netflix later that fall.
This spoiler-free review covers the basics that matter to most viewers: the story setup, performances, action, music, pacing, and who the film is best suited for.
Devara: Part 1 at a glance (cast, release, watch now)
Devara: Part 1 is built as a nearly 3-hour “mass” entertainer with drama, action blocks, songs, and a sequel setup baked into its design. For US viewers, it played in theaters the same week as India, with dubbed versions available depending on the location and chain.
| Quick detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Director | Koratala Siva |
| Genre | Action drama |
| Lead cast | Jr NTR (dual roles), Saif Ali Khan, Janhvi Kapoor |
| Theatrical release | September 27, 2024 |
| Runtime | About 3 hours (roughly 175 minutes) |
| Languages | Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada |
| OTT release | Netflix (November 8, 2024) |
Main cast and key characters to know
Jr NTR as Devara and Vara: The central hook is the dual role. One character carries the weight of a feared name, the other reflects what happens when a legacy becomes a burden. The film depends on the contrast between them, even when the plot gets busy.
Saif Ali Khan as Bhaira: The main antagonist is positioned as a serious threat, not a comic-book villain. He brings a colder energy, the kind that works best when the script gives him clean, direct motivations.
Janhvi Kapoor as Thangam: Thangam adds a softer tone to an otherwise hard-edged story. Her role is more about emotional color and presence than major plot control.
Supporting players help fill out the village and seafaring world, with familiar Telugu cinema faces used for loyalty, rivalry, and community pressure. The film likes group dynamics, especially in scenes where fear and pride spread through a crowd.
Story and screenplay review (spoiler-free): what works and what feels weak
Devara: Part 1 is set in a coastal world where the sea isn’t just scenery, it’s livelihood, danger, and power. Smuggling and control over routes become a kind of shadow economy. At the center sits a name that carries authority, and a younger figure who has to live under that shadow. The conflict grows as loyalties shift and violence becomes a language people understand too well.
What works is the setting and mood. The coastal backdrop gives the film a gritty texture, salt-air tension, and a sense of rules that don’t match city life. When the story focuses on the community, the code they live by, and the way fear travels, it holds attention.
What feels weak is how often the writing leans on familiar beats. The film uses standard “rise of a feared man” shapes, then repeats ideas to make sure they land. Some scenes play like they’re designed to cue applause first and push the plot second. That can be fun in a packed theater, but it’s less effective at home, where repetition stands out.
The emotional line also lands unevenly. It has strong moments, but it sometimes rushes past the quieter connective tissue that makes big drama hit harder. The result is a film that looks huge, sounds huge, and often feels huge, while still leaving the sense that a sharper draft could’ve made the same story hit with more force.
Pacing and runtime: Does the nearly 3-hour length earn its time?
The runtime is the film’s biggest gamble. The first stretch does a lot of setup, building the world, the reputation around the lead, and the social rules that keep people in line. That foundation helps the action later feel “earned,” at least on a surface level.
The middle portion is where patience gets tested. Some scenes circle the same point, and a few dramatic beats take longer than needed to reach their outcome. Songs and slow-motion hero shots can add flavor, but they also slow forward motion when used too often.
A clear takeaway for different viewer types:
- For fans of big star action and theatrical punch, the length is easier to forgive, especially when the set pieces arrive.
- For viewers who want tight storytelling, the film can feel stretched, like a strong two-and-a-half-hour cut expanded to justify its “Part 1” status.
The villain and stakes: how strong is the central conflict?
Bhaira works best when the film treats him as a real threat, not just a stepping stone to hero moments. Saif Ali Khan’s presence helps, since he doesn’t play every beat loudly. His calmer approach gives certain scenes a sharper edge.
The stakes are generally clear: control, survival, and the cost of reputation. Where the conflict softens is in the way tension is sometimes repeated instead of raised. Some scenes build fear well, then follow with scenes that restate the same fear with slightly different blocking.
For readers who like comparing reactions, the film’s critical reception has been mixed, and the review collection on Rotten Tomatoes for Devara: Part 1 reflects that split, with praise often aimed at scale and performance, and criticism aimed at story and payoff.
Performances, action, music, and craft: the big reasons to watch
Even with script issues, Devara: Part 1 has several strong craft elements that make it easy to recommend to the right audience.
Action and staging: The fight design favors impact, group brawls, and “hero in the center” framing. When it commits to physicality and clear geography, it’s exciting. When it slips into familiar slow-motion beats, it can feel like a highlight reel rather than a scene with rising tension.
Visuals and production scale: The film looks expensive, with a lived-in coastal atmosphere and large set pieces that aim for legend-like scope. The sea portions add a different kind of pressure than the usual city or faction settings.
Sound design and mix: The audio is meant to hit hard. Some viewers will love the full-body rumble; others may find it loud, especially in action peaks where music, effects, and crowd noise stack up.
Performances overall: Jr NTR anchors the film, and the supporting cast often works well in group scenes where the community feels like a character. Janhvi Kapoor brings warmth, though the screenplay doesn’t always give her enough space to leave a deeper mark.
Jr NTR’s dual-role performance: presence, emotion, and mass moments
Jr NTR’s biggest win here is clarity. The two roles don’t blur together, even when the film cuts quickly between tones. He uses changes in posture, gaze, and energy to separate them. One role feels heavier and more grounded, the other feels more exposed, like someone carrying a name that doesn’t fit comfortably.
The emotional beats are strongest when the film lets him sit in silence, or when it shows the cost of being “the strong one” in a place that only respects strength. The crowd-pleasing moments are built to spark whistles, but his performance keeps them from feeling empty.
For viewers who show up mainly for the star, this is the kind of dual-role turn that gives fans plenty to hold onto, even when the script takes the scenic route.
Songs and background score: are the tracks memorable and placed well?
The music is a major ingredient, both in songs and in the background score, that pushes scenes forward. Tracks like “Chuttamalle” drew attention with their styling and replay value, and the film uses music to sell mood as much as plot.
Placement is a mixed bag. Some musical moments lift the film, adding relief or romance in a story that can be heavy. Others interrupt momentum right when tension should keep climbing. Viewers who enjoy Telugu commercial structure will accept that rhythm more easily than viewers used to leaner action dramas.
Still, when the score and visuals sync during the biggest sequences, the film becomes exactly what it wants to be: loud, emotional, and larger than life.
Final verdict:Shouldd viewers watch Devara: Part 1, and what to expect from Part 2
Rating: 3/5
Devara: Part 1 is worth watching for viewers who want Jr NTR in full star mode, big action blocks, and a coastal setting that feels different from standard faction stories. It’s less satisfying for viewers who want a fresh plot with tight pacing and clean payoff.
Pros and cons, in plain terms:
- Pros: Jr NTR carries the film with clear dual-role work, the action set pieces are designed for theaters, and the production scale sells the world.
- Cons: The writing leans predictable, the nearly 3-hour runtime can drag in the middle, and the “Part 1” structure means the story’s closure feels limited.
Reception lines up with that split. As of January 2026, available data shows an IMDb user rating of around 6.0/10, and Devara: Part 1’s Rotten Tomatoes page reflects a more critical stance overall.
As for Part 2, the ending tone clearly signals continuation rather than completion. A sequel has been announced, but there’s no confirmed release date as of January 2026. That matters because Part 1 plays like a long setup, and many viewers will judge it based on whether the next film delivers the sharper story turns and emotional payoff that this one saves for later.
Conclusion
Devara: Part 1 is a big-screen film at heart, driven by star power, scale, and music that hits like a drumline. When it focuses on mood, community tension, and physical action, it’s easy to enjoy. The main trade-offs are the familiar story path and the stretches where pacing slips. For viewers who like “mass” entertainers, it’s a solid watch, especially with a crowd. For viewers who prefer tighter scripts, it may feel like a long first chapter.
Should Part 2 go bigger, or should it get leaner and smarter with the story?