“Deva,” released on January 31, 2025, directed by Rosshan Andrrews and produced by Roy Kapur Films and Zee Studios, arrived as a Hindi remake of the 2013 Malayalam hit Mumbai Police, with Shahid Kapoor stepping into the lead role of Dev Ambre, a volatile cop entangled in a murder mystery. Co-starring Pooja Hegde as journalist Diya and Pavail Gulati as his friend Rohan, the film promised a gritty action thriller but delivered a disappointing, sluggish mess.

The plot follows Dev, a brash Mumbai cop with daddy issues, investigating the murder of his colleague Rohan after a car accident wipes his memory. Alongside his brother-in-law Farhan (Pravesh Rana), Dev unravels a web of deceit, only to discover he’s the killer—triggered by a remote rifle he set up himself. It’s a twist that worked in Mumbai Police thanks to its bold homosexual subtext and Prithviraj Sukumaran’s layered performance, but here, it’s stripped of guts and depth. The story drowns in a bloated 156-minute runtime, with a first half that drags through tedious flashbacks and a second that limps to a predictable, uninspired finish. The amnesia angle, meant to intrigue, feels half-baked, and the romance with Diya is so rushed it’s laughable—leaving no emotional stakes to cling to.

Shahid Kapoor tries hard, flexing his Kabir Singh-esque rage and nailing a few intense moments—like his vulnerable breakdown post-accident—but he’s let down by a script that turns him into a one-note action prop. Pooja Hegde’s Diya is a nonentity, her journalist gig a plot device with no impact, while Pavail Gulati’s Rohan is decent but underserved. The supporting cast—Girish Kulkarni’s slimy politician, Kubbra Sait’s fleeting cameo—fades into the background, victims of a film obsessed with its hero yet unable to make him compelling. Andrrews, remaking his own classic, strips it of soul, bowing to Bollywood’s hero-worship formula with tacky CGI (that opening crash is an eyesore) and a jail fight tacked on for mass appeal.

Technically, it’s a mixed bag. Amit Roy’s cinematography lends a moody Mumbai vibe, but the editing by A. Sreekar Prasad is choppy, amplifying the pacing woes. Jakes Bejoy’s score pumps adrenaline, and Vishal Mishra’s “Bhasad Macha” is a catchy blip, but the music often feels like a desperate jolt to a lifeless corpse. Its Republic Day clash with Sky Force didn’t help, but the real killer was its lack of originality—why watch a diluted remake when the superior original exists ?

“Deva” isn’t a total trainwreck — Kapoor’s charisma and a few slick shots keep it from utter ruin—but it’s a dull, derivative misfire that pales next to Mumbai Police.

Rating: 2/5

A tepid cop-out— “Deva” crashes where it should crackle, a reminder that not every remake deserves a redo.