Devaki Movie Review : the dark and dingy side of Kolkata, with trafficking, prostitution and lonely lanes

Story/Premise

Devaki is a single parent living in Kolkata, who is raising her daughter Aaradhya. One evening, Aaradhya goes missing after she goes for auditions at a radio station. Devaki, helpless, sets out to find her, while stumbling upon some horrific sights and truths about child trafficking in Kolkata.

Review

There are some films that speak the language of the heart. Devaki is one such. After a while, a heroine-centric film in Sandalwood arrives that is high on emotional quotient and not just the usual jamboree that one sees when you have a woman at the helm of affairs. There are no cliches that one finds in films that call themselves women-centric, instead this ends up being a gritty thriller that also happens to have a female protagonist, which is commendable.
One may find the film a little slow in the start, but the director has nicely tried to tie the loose ends through the second half and justified some of the abrupt scenes in the opening. The trailer suggested that the film is about a young girl who goes missing in Kolkata and her mother searching for her. Though, there are a lot more layers that are added in the film, which is what one discovers in the cinema hall.
The film shows the dark and dingy side of Kolkata, with trafficking and prostitution and lonely lanes. The makers have retained a bit of Bengali and Hindi to keep the nativity of the film. The cinematography and background score add as the two main pillars that carry forth a novel, realistic film. If Kamal Haasan's Mahanadhi showed a father in search of his daughter in Kolkata in the 1990s in a tale replete with drama, Devaki has a more gritty and appealing undertone to the story.
Priyanka Upendra carries forth the film with elan, adding restraint in her performance that bring out poignant moments. Aishwarya Upendra shows promise in her first outing, with good screen presence. Kishore is praiseworthy as always, while the ensemble cast that includes many names from Mumbai and Kolkata do their bit.

Verdict

Devaki is not the usual outing that one would go to. It can leave one teary-eyed, especially towards the end of the film. If you're looking for a hatke experience that brings in something new, then this is for you.