Devamanus: A Respectable Adaptation of a Flawed Original

The Marathi remake of the 2022 Hindi film ‘Vadh,’ titled ‘Devamanus,’ explores the narrative of a retired school teacher who resorts to killing a corrupt moneylender. While the original film garnered attention, the remake presents a well-intentioned, albeit not exceptionally thrilling, examination of the boundaries of evil and when it becomes intolerable. The core of the moral conflict revolves around a young girl targeted by the villainous loan shark. Keshav, portrayed by Mahesh Manjrekar, the righteous educator, murders the lecherous criminal and buries the body. Keshav’s supporters, including his wife Laxmi (Renuka Shahane), rally around him, creating a protective barrier around the ‘Devamanus’—a man forced to commit murder to eradicate evil. However, ‘Devamanus’ leans into melodrama, and the villain is portrayed in a caricatured manner, resulting in a performance that is poorly executed. Mahesh Manjrekar shines as the morally conflicted protagonist, and Renuka Shahane effectively conveys her disapproval. Unlike the original, the remake lacks the original film’s stark realism. Director Tejas Prabha Vijay Deoskar’s approach seems less committed. The adaptation is more akin to kitsch than commentary and lacks the gripping intensity of a thriller.