Dev is a film that treads a familiar path. Religion and politics resulting in communal violence, the inherently corrupt nature of the government or the power of politics is not a new subject, nor has it been ignored in the past. However Nihalani’s film seeks to thread the story of politicians trying to manipulate and indeed corrupt constitutional institutions like the judiciary and the Police which are supposed to be independent and totally non-partisan. Therefore, even if Dev treads familiar ground, it is actually dealing with contemporary issues and Nihalani ends up with a devastating critique on India which commands your attention and demands to be seen.

The protagonists are two senior police officers at the Joint Commissioner level. One is Joint Police Commissioner Dev Pratap Singh, an upright police officer who believes in his duty above all else. With a series of almost black and white vignettes flashed before the titles, the impression that one gets is that he is less sympathetic to the minorities and this is further cemented when he invites three eminent muslims into his office to speak to them about “terrorism” being fomented in the madrasas run by many Muslims. It is only but natural to take offence to something like that but the fact is that whether it is in India or in Pakistan, this is a sad truth that is not known to the common man and hence should not be taken as anti-muslim sentiment. However, a Muslim politician Latif (Ehsaan Khan) takes this a huge insult and quietly threatens trouble. Dev could have been a bitter man, having lost his 8 year old son to terrorists almost 20 years ago. But he and his Bharati (Rati Agnihotri) have used their loss to be more compassionate, more forgiving and more understanding.The other police officer is Dev’s best friend of 30 years Tej (Om Puri) and superior, the the Special Commissioner of Police who views life differently from Dev. Although his philosophy on life is diametrically opposed to Dev’s, they are both the best of friends.

We now enter the environs of Noor Manzil, a predominantly muslim area. Farhan Ali (Fardeen Khan) has just returned from qualifying as a lawyer, and is the son of a peace-loving Urdu professor who propounds the word of Gandhi and dismisses the notion of India being only for the Hindus. Yet, Farhan’s views on India, that the Muslims are being railroaded or persecuted are relevant as it is very much a feeling that has been perpetuated by recent politicians or terror groups like the Shiv Sena. Farhan’s father is asked to lead a demonstration which he agrees to on the grounds that it is a peaceful one. Unknown to him, Latif has manipulated the demonstration to disintegrate into a violent clash which results in police firing into the crowd and the death of Farhan’s father. Disillusioned by the police and the government, he goes to Latif to eliminate JCP Dev, whom he believes to be responsible for his father’s death, to make him an example for the future, that such atrocities should not be carried out in the future on Muslims. A facile argument and which is ultimately shown as one when Farhan turns to his supposed aggressor thereby making him his protector. Still Latif sees this as a chance to eliminate Dev and trains Farhan to ready him for the assassination.

Also living in Noor Manzil is Aliyah (Kareena kapoor) who is in love with Farhan but begins to see his downward spiral towards a becoming a jihadi. The assassination attempt is foiled and Farhan is found at a raid on Latif’s premises but divulges no information. Dev sees in Farhan, intelligence which has been manipulated and lets Farhan go. He also feels a paternal link to Farhan.

Latif now finds himself threatened by Farhan’s survival and plots his demise. Aiming to deflect attention, he plants a bomb at a mandir in which Farhan was also to be killed. He survives and realizes that there is a connection between Latif and the bombing. Seeing this opportunity Rao (Milind Gunaji), the Chief Minister’s political sidekick sets about wreaking havoc on the muslims and devastating communal riots take place. Once the devastation is over, Latif and Rao come to a deal wherein all muslims are to remain silent about the atrocities committed. It is at this point that Aliyah stands up and files a report, actions which lead to devastating consequences.

Stripped down to the core, Dev has nothing new in terms of subject but Nihalani’s masterful direction makes this a contemporary and riveting tale of corruption, bigotry, betrayal and of friendship. He crafts a film which is intensely emotional and yet devoid of melodrama. At times it is an uncomfortable film and at times, simply harrowing. Images remain long after you leave the cinema with the knowledge that the film translates on film, incidents which are very much a part of present history. The Gujarat riots were in the recent past. As ever, the issue of religion seeps into these riots but what this film seeks to show is that there is no such religious fever which causes atrocities of the kind that we have seen time and time again. It’s the murky world of politics, of power and corruption that fuels communalism and hatred. The sight of policemen watching whilst people are being burnt alive, or indeed asking names of people and finding them to be of the “wrong” religion, pointing them on a path to inevitable death is a frightening and yet very real vision. Tej’s inaction when Noor manzil is attacked shows the eating away at the base of structure which does its duty with the idea that “no one is above the law”. The film leaves you with the very real and uncomfortable thought that this is far from the truth. The initial feeling is that of darkness, where any form of good cannot survive. Yet, the film is also one that offers some hope, that there may be a way forward. Nihalani, known for his off-beat and stark films in the past (Ardh Satya) triumphs with Dev in all departments.

Amitabh Bachchan as an actor has no parallel. This year itself, he has given a superb performance in Khakee but manages to surpass that with a yet another riveting performance as the humane yet devoted police officer, who lives his life by the book. Bachchan as Dev is simply mesmerizing. Om Puri is another actor who commands a great presence and the scenes between these two actors form the crux of the film. Fardeen Khan almost becomes a narrator of sorts of the film, the man who is sucked into the story right at the start and with whom, the story almost ends. His is a difficult role but done with a great deal of composure. He never over reacts and underplays the role of Farhan beautifully. After Yuva, Kareena Kapoor comes up with yet another stunning performance. Devoid of all make up, she has a strong role and does it exceptionally. Rati Agnihotri is also excellent as Dev’s wife. The film’s music is very much kept in the background and complements the film.

This is a stunning film, and one which must be seen.