Devil: The British Secret Agent
Theatrical release poster
Directed byAbhishek Nama
Written bySrikanth Vissa
Produced byAbhishek Nama
Devansh Nama
Starring
CinematographySoundararajan
Edited byTammiraju
Music byHarshavardhan Rameshwar
Production
company
Release date
  • 29 December 2023 (2023-12-29)
Running time
144 minutes[1]
CountryIndia
LanguageTelugu
Box office22.59 crore[2]

Devil: The British Secret Agent is a 2023 Indian Telugu-language period spy film[1] written by Srikanth Vissa and directed by Abhishek Nama and Naveen Medaram (uncredited).[3] Produced by Abhishek Nama and Devansh Nama under Abhishek Pictures,[4] it stars Nandamuri Kalyan Ram, Samyuktha Menon and Elnaaz Norouzi.[5][6] The film was theatrically released in India on 29 December 2023.

Plot

In pre-independent India, Devil is an officer of the British Secret Service who is sent undercover as a police officer to investigate the death of Vijaya, the daughter of a landlord in Rasapadu. Vijaya’s father is arrested as the killer owing to his shame in Vijaya falling in love with Bhuma, a domestic worker in their house. Devil’s investigation almost immediately leads him to believe that the landlord is innocent and that Vijaya’s death is part of a much bigger conspiracy. Bhuma is revealed to be missing and a cook in the house, Rani, is also discovered to be dead.

Simultaneous to the investigation, Devil falls in love with Nyshadha, the niece of the landlord who resides with the family. Nyshadha however, is hostile towards Devil. Based on accounts by the landlords neighbor and business partner, Patwari, and his wife Rosy, Devil discovers that Patwari informed the landlord of his daughter’s affair after discovering his own wife’s affair with the landlord. However, Patwari had witnessed no murder take place and that rather, Vijaya subdued her own father, rendering him unconscious and asked Bhuma to go some place far away. However, Bhuma and his father are soon discovered to be dead as well. Devil finds Nyshadha having a rendez-vouz with a stranger in her room and confronts them. The stranger is revealed as a man named Samudra and Nyshadha reveals that she and Samudra are a part of the Azad Hind Fauj, colloquially referred to as the INA. Devil discovers that Netaji Subhash Candra Bose is due to land in India soon and the whereabouts of his landing are to be known only to Trivarna, Bose’s closest ally. Clement, a British officer, is later assassinated by Trivarna, revealed to be Congress leader Manimekala.

Nyshadha begins to fall in love with Devil after he is successful in acquitting the landlord from Vijaya’s murder. It is revealed that Devil was sent undercover to Rasapadu to investigate Nyshadha as she was revealed to have decoded and sent out the message which specified details of Netaji’s landing. The codes were leaked and bought to General Kenneth Bracken, who assigned Devil to go behind Nyshadha should his team be unable to crack the codes. After the first part of the codes, which specifies the time and location of the landing, are cracked, Bracken deems Nyshadha useless to them and has orders sent out for her to be raped and killed by tribals. However, she is saved by Devil. The latter tells Bracken that he managed to crack the second part of the code, which says Nyshadha has to meet Trivarna and exchange the “All Clear” message for Netaji to land in India and therefore, Nyshadha must remain alive. Nyshadha is arrested but is rescued by Devil, rendering her a fugitive and leaving her unable to contact Trivarna. She entrusts Devil with the task of contacting Trivarna. Devil posts a letter with the decoded message, which is attained by Manimekala.

INA allies in Rasapadu, including Samudra, are captured and brought to Bracken, who then discovers that Manimekala is Trivarna. An attempt to capture her is made and she is brought to Bracken by Devil. However, in a turn of events, Devil kills all of the soldiers who were handed the task of killing Manimekala and the other allies, revealing himself to be the actual Trivarna. It is revealed that he took up work in the British Secret Service on Netaji’s orders and arrived in Rasapadu not to investigate Nyshadha but to find out who leaked the codes. After solving the death of Rani, the landlord’s cook, Devil realizes that Samudra is Agent Trojan, a British spy working with the INA. Samudra simultaneously reveals Devil’s identity to Bracken and goes to Nyshadha, revealing to her that Devil is not a police officer but a British spy and has been working against their organization. He takes her and heads to the location where Netaji is to land, but is stopped enroute by Devil, who is shot by Nyshadha before he can reveal the truth. At the location, Bracken intercepts Nyshadha and Samudra, who reveals his identity as Agent Trojan. However, Nyshadha reveals that Devil had communicated to her in Morse Code that he is in fact, Trivarna and warned her to divert Samudra. Devil arrives, taking down all of Bracken’s troops and eventually killing Bracken. Netaji successfully lands in Mahabalipuram and Devil, his true identity unrevealed to the public, resumes his work for the British Secret Service.

Cast

Production

The film was announced in July 2021.[7] Naveen Medaram, of Babu Baga Busy (2017) fame, was the initial director of the film and even shot for 105 days in Karaikudi, Visakhapatnam, and Hyderabad.[8] However, owing to creative differences he was replaced with Abhishek Nama.[8] The filming was wrapped up in April 2023.[9]

Soundtrack

Devil: The British Secret Agent
Soundtrack album by
Harshavardhan Rameshwar
Released19 September 2023 (2023-09-19)
GenreFilm soundtrack
LanguageTelugu
LabelICON Music
Harshavardhan Rameshwar chronology
Animal
(2023)		 Devil: The British Secret Agent
(2023)

The soundtrack album and film score of the film was composed by Harshavardhan Rameshwar. The music rights of the film were acquired by ICON Music. The first track from the album, "Maaye Chesi", released on 19 September 2023, followed by the second track, "This is Lady Rosy", on 27 November 2023, and followed by the third track, "Doorame Theeramai", on 18 December 2023.

Telugu
No.TitleLyricsSinger(s)Length
1."Maaye Chesi"Satya RVSid Sriram4:07
2."This is Lady Rosy"Sri Harsha EmaniRaja Kumari4:08
3."Doorame Theeramai"Sandeep BharadwajSameera Bharadwaj4:23

Release

Devil: The British Secret Agent was expected to be released theatrically on 24 November 2023,[10] but postponed to 29 December 2023.[11]

Reception

Raghu Bandi of Indian Express gave the film 1.5/5 stars in his review.[12] Abhilasha Cherukuri of Cinema Express gave the film 2.5/5 stars in her review.[13] Suresh Rachamalla of News18 gave the film 3 out of 5 stars in his review.[14] Suhas Sistu of The Hans India gave the film 3 out of 5 stars in his review.[15] Hindustan Times also reviewed the film.[16]

References

  1. 1 2 "Devil". British Board of Film Classification. An agent working for British Intelligence in pre-Independence India is asked to solve a murder case in this intense Telugu language action drama, which contains scenes of torture and bloody violence.
  2. ↑ https://twitter.com/AbhishekPicture/status/1742101383237472364?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet
  3. ↑ "Devil Explores A Novel Idea". Archived from the original on 25 December 2023. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
  4. ↑ "Censor Clears Nandamuri Kalyan Ram's Spy Thriller Devil with U/A Rating". 22 December 2023. Archived from the original on 26 December 2023. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
  5. ↑ "Devil teaser: Nandamuri Kalyan Ram is a formidable British secret agent in his next film". 6 July 2023. Archived from the original on 6 July 2023. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
  6. ↑ "Devil Trailer: డెవిల్ ట్రైలర్ వచ్చేసింది.. సీక్రెట్ ఏజెంట్‍గా అదరగొట్టిన కల్యాణ్ రామ్: చూసేయండి". Archived from the original on 13 December 2023. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
  7. ↑ "Kalyan Ram is British secret agent in director Naveen Medaram's pan-Indian period film 'Devil'". The Hindu. 6 July 2021. Archived from the original on 24 November 2022. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
  8. 1 2 "Devil director Naveen Medaram addresses his name getting dropped from credits: 'I am deeply disheartened'". 27 December 2023. Archived from the original on 28 December 2023. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
  9. ↑ "Nandamuri Kalyan Ram's Devil wraps up its shoot". 11 April 2023. Archived from the original on 11 April 2023. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
  10. ↑ "Telugu action 'Devil- the British Secret Agent' to release on Nov 24". DT Next. 6 August 2023. Archived from the original on 26 December 2023. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
  11. ↑ "Nandamuri Kalyan Ram-starrer Devil: The British Secret Agent to Release on This Date". 8 December 2023. Archived from the original on 16 December 2023. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
  12. ↑ "Devil movie review: Kalyan Ram film lacks punch". 29 December 2023. Archived from the original on 29 December 2023. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
  13. ↑ "Devil Movie Review: Intelligence meets independence in this high concept, low stakes entertainer". Cinema Express. Archived from the original on 30 December 2023. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  14. ↑ "డెవిల్ మూవీ ఎలా ఉంది.. కళ్యాణ్ రామ్‌‌కు మరో హిట్ పడినట్లేనా.. రివ్యూ". 29 December 2023. Archived from the original on 30 December 2023. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  15. ↑ "'Devil' review: Kalyan Ram entertains in spy-thriller". 29 December 2023. Archived from the original on 29 December 2023. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
  16. ↑ "Devil review: Kalyanram, Samyuktha's period actioner tries way too hard to be interesting". 29 December 2023. Archived from the original on 29 December 2023. Retrieved 29 December 2023.


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