BOTTOM LINE
Superficial but Watchable Genre-Bender
PLATFORM
Jio Hotstar
Run Time
3 hours (7 Episodes)
What Is the Show About?
Devika (Ritu Varma), a music teacher at a school in a village, is under pressure to get married. She reluctantly gives her nod to marry Jaggi (Subbaraju), an insecure man who constantly keeps a check on her movements. Meanwhile, she bumps into a stranger Danny (Surya Vashistta) and romance is in the air. Before the relationship goes further, a shocking revelation about him and an unfulfilled wish changes the course of her life.
Performances
Ritu Varma, in only her second Telugu OTT show after Modern Love Hyderabad, continues to chase worthy roles where the character has a good graph and the story gives her agency too. While Devika and Danny is a walk in the park for her and doesn’t exactly test her mettle, she does a decent job. Butta Bomma fame Surya Vashistta has some distance to go to establish himself as a capable actor.
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Shiva Kandukuri, as the innocent Subbu who falls for Devika, is comfortable in his own shoes, delivering an assured performance.
It’s refreshing to see Kovai Sarala making a mark in an author-backed role. Abhinaya Sri’s part needed more meat whereas Mounika Reddy shines despite her brief screen time. Subbaraju, Goparaju Ramana, Sivannarayana don’t have anything new to offer.
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Analysis
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Devika and Danny is an unusual genre bender, though, in broader terms, it could be categorised as a supernatural drama about a friendly ghost. Yet, it is as much a coming-of-age tale of woman, who learns to live life on her terms through an encounter with a spirit. It makes space for romance, situational humour, slapstick jokes and low-stakes drama too.
Though the storytelling isn’t exactly fresh, the female lens in the narrative infuses new life into its world. It stands out to an extent because it has a purpose; there’s a reason it exists, going beyond passive, staple entertainment. The episodes are compact and straightforward, most characters evolve over time and strike a chord, even as they’re bathed in familiarity.
The show starts with Devika, a woman who has no voice in her house, mechanically goes about her daily routine – saying yes to whatever her father says, going to a nearby school to teach music – without protesting much. She’s set to tie the knot soon with Jaggi, a man with a questionable attitude, against her wishes. A meeting with a school alumnus Danny springs new joy in her life.
Danny makes Devika feel special. However, as they spend more time together, she realises that he’s in touch with her for a specific reason. The story soon ventures into Danny’s past, a promise he’s made to a woman and how he needs her help to fulfil it. She takes help of Subbu, the uncle of a student at her school, in pursuit of her goal. Through the experience, she learns to stand up for herself.
For all the good it does, Devika and Danny is structured more like a film and less like a show. It tries to be a crowd pleaser, accommodating diverse elements into a simple story to cater to all types of audiences. It aims to be funny, tense, dramatic and feel-good, all at once, taking lazy, convenient choices with the writing. Devika’s going is superficial, hardly made to struggle for her accomplishments.
It neither fleshes out its threads with any elaborate detail nor lends freshness to the characterisation; they’re generic as if derived from similar products in the market. Annie, for instance, is nothing more than a spunky colleague. Subbu is just the cute boy who develops a liking for Devika. Danny is a good-hearted orphan with a wish and Jaggi is a chauvinistic male, who tries to control women.
Even with the romance segments, especially the one between Devika and Danny, the writing and the execution are so run of the mill – he keeps on complimenting her for no reason, makes up excuses to spend time with her before discussing his true intentions. His flashback is quite typical for a staple Telugu film; rushed, with no emotional impact. The story of the crooked goon too comes a cropper.
Various threads in the story are tied together loosely and easily; the superficiality is disappointing, especially with an idea that had potential to be developed better. Mainstream film directors, while approaching the digital medium, could do well to tweak their stories with a fresh perspective and better detailing, without leaning on popular faces, established tropes and easy writing choices.
Devika and Danny makes for an okayish watch. It has a bit of everything – comedy, romance, emotion and drama – though the blend is only satisfying in parts.
Music and Other Departments?
Jay Krish’s music works in tandem with the story, decent but nothing special either. Venkat C Dilip’s use of bright colours, the vibrant exterior makes the show more watchable. The crisp episodes are easy to digest, though they don’t let the story flourish to its fullest potential, preferring a rushed screenplay over impact. The production design, costumes stay true to the spirit of the show.
Highlights?
Decent core story
Generally entertaining
Ritu Varma’s presence
Drawbacks?
Lazy writing
Superficial execution
More like a formula film than an OTT show
Did I Enjoy It?
In parts
Will You Recommend It?
If you don’t mind a superficial but watchable supernartural drama
Devika & Danny Web Series Review by M9
