Devara: Not a ‘Dreamy Debut’ for Janhvi Kapoor

With the popularity of Telugu films at the pan-India level, many Bollywood heroes are displaying their interest in acting in South films, especially Telugu. Similarly, many leading ladies in Bollywood made their way to Tollywood and tasted hits. There are a few who could not make the mark, and unfortunately, Janhvi Kapoor’s much-talked-about debut also joins this list.

As the daughter of the late Sreedevi and Boney Kapoor, Janhvi entered the film industry. Sreedevi needs no introduction to the Telugu audiences, and she has enjoyed a big fan base for decades in Indian cinema. Her popularity and stardom in Telugu cinema is unparalleled. When her daughter enters the cinema, the Telugu households usually have curiosity and attention towards her. But she picked Devara, and the public opinion is that it is not a dreamy debut for her.

For instance, Murnal Thakur debuted with Sita Ramam, where she got a chance to showcase her performance and dominated the entire film. She enjoys a big fan base in Telugu now. When it comes to Alia Bhatt, she waited and picked the opportunity to work with SS Rajamouli in RRR. Alia cleared the debut test with distinction. And then, we have Deepika Padukone, who debuted with Kalki in 2898 AD. She played her part so well and her role is very crucial in the film. Her performance already won appreciation from one and all in the first part.

Likewise, Janhvi is also an established heroine in Bollywood, and naturally, she attracts attention because of her film background. Multiple attempts were made to bring her to Telugu cinema earlier, but Janhvi picked Devara for her debut. In the film, she plays Thangam, a village belle, as a romantic interest for Vara (played by NTR). Although her look resembles Samantha from Rangasthalam’s, she clearly failed to make a mark.

When a star kid like Janhvi is marking her debut, we usually expect it to happen in a properly written character. Although she checked the box of debuting alongside a star hero, under a big production house, and with a pan-India film that carries a huge buzz, she could not check the boxes of having a performance-oriented role. The character she played hardly made an impression.

Everything about Janvhi’s dialogue delivery and body language seems odd. Her screen presence is also not arresting. Janhvi could easily deserve a biggie, but she should have been wise in picking a role that would define the rest of her career. At least, we expect a meaty role for her in the part 2.

As a matter of fact, there were rumors earlier that K Raghavender Rao and Ashwini Dutt wanted to do the sequel of Jagadekaveerudu Atilokasundari with Ram Charan and Janhvi Kapoor. Janhvi was also considered for a couple of other films but she finally landed in Telugu with Devara. On the other side, she has a film with Ram Charan and Buchi Babu Sana which will release next year.