Devadas

Sriram Adittya's 2018 Telugu film, despite its title, tells a story of friendship unconnected to the familiar Devdas. Das, an honest doctor, treats Deva, a crime boss who arrives at his clinic wounded, and an unexpected closeness forms between them. The mismatch is the source. Das keeps to rules while Deva makes his own; the narrative produces its comedy by holding the two in the same scene and shows the violence in a light register. Nagarjuna and Nani lead, and the whole weight of the film rests on how they fit together. The narrative turns serious in the final section; when Deva's past comes out the friendship is tested. Who it's for: those who like commercial Telugu action comedy. Who it's not for: viewers expecting a consistent tone; the film shifts often between humour and crime.