The Devil Review: Mixed Buzz on Darshan’s Controversial Comeback

The Devil Review: Mixed Buzz on Darshan’s Controversial Comeback

Bengaluru's Lavish Cinemas buzzed with a cocktail of cheers and controversy on December 10, 2025, as the grand premiere of The Devil unleashed Darshan Thoogudeepa's long-awaited return to the silver screen. The Kannada action thriller, directed by debutant Prakash Jagadeesh and produced under Sri Jaimatha Combines, rolled out its red carpet amid a phalanx of 2,000 fans waving "D Boss" banners, their fervor undimmed by the star's ongoing legal shadows. Darshan's portrayal of Shiva, a brooding vigilante unraveling a web of corporate corruption and personal vendettas, dominated the 2-hour-20-minute runtime, drawing a polarized ovation that split the 1,500-strong audience between ecstatic applause and uneasy whispers. "Darshan's back, and he's fiercer than ever—but at what cost?" murmured a critic in the post-screening scrum, encapsulating the mixed buzz swirling around this controversial comeback. With the film hitting 1,200 screens across Karnataka on December 11—backed by a Rs 100 crore budget and a teaser that amassed 75 million views—the release tests Darshan's enduring mass appeal against the scars of his 2024 Renukaswamy murder case conviction.

The premiere, a spectacle of strobe lights and sandalwood stars, featured guest spots from Sudeep and Yash, who flanked the absent Darshan—currently serving time in Bengaluru Central Prison—with messages of solidarity. Producer Umapathi Sriram, beaming amid the melee, touted The Devil as "a phoenix rising," shot pre-arrest in 2023 across Hyderabad and Mysore. Yet, the evening's undercurrent was unease: protests from women's rights groups outside the venue decried the film's glorification of a "flawed hero," while fans countered with chants of "Free D Boss." Early box office whispers predict a Rs 25 crore opening day in Karnataka alone, but the mixed reception—70 percent positive on BookMyShow previews—hints at a polarized path ahead, where Darshan's magnetic machismo clashes with calls for accountability.

Darshan's Demons: A Comeback Cloaked in Controversy

Darshan Thoogudeepa, the 47-year-old "Challenging Star" whose box office brute force has bankrolled 50-plus films since his 2001 debut in Majestic, steps back into the spotlight with The Devil amid a maelstrom of moral ambiguity. Convicted in June 2024 for the abduction and murder of fan Renukaswamy—linked to online trolling of Darshan's rumored affair—the actor was sentenced to life, a saga that tarnished his "D Boss" deity status and sparked debates on celebrity impunity. Filmed before the scandal erupted, The Devil positions Darshan as Shiva, a former cop turned rogue avenger exposing a pharma racket preying on the poor—a role laced with vigilante valor that mirrors his real-life redemption quest. His performance, a brooding blend of brooding stares and brutal ballets, commands the screen: a rain-soaked rampage through a godown, fists flying in fluid fury, evokes his Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna glory days. "Darshan's duality dazzles—hero or heel, he hypnotizes," praised critic Y Maheshendra of The Times of India, awarding 3.5/5 stars for the actor's "raw, riveting return."

Yet, the buzz buzzes with caveats. Darshan's dark charisma, once a cinematic salve, now sours for some: his Shiva's "alpha aura"—smirking through interrogations, seducing allies—feels forced, a shadow of the scandal's stain. Social media splits: #DBossIsBack racks 1.2 million posts with fan edits of Shiva's slow-mo slashes, while #BoycottTheDevil trends at 800,000, activists like Kavita Krishnan decrying "glorified goons." The film's dubbing in Telugu and Hindi—aiming for pan-India pull—amplifies the divide, with Telugu previews in Hyderabad hailing Darshan's "mass messiah" mode, while Mumbai's multiplex murmurs question the "tone-deaf timing."

Devilish Details: Plot's Perils and Production Polish

The Devil, Prakash Jagadeesh's maiden directorial venture after assisting on Yash's KGF: Chapter 1, is a 140-minute masala thriller that mashes corporate conspiracy with cathartic carnage. Penned by the director himself, the narrative unfurls in rain-lashed Bengaluru: Shiva, haunted by his sister's pharma-trial death, infiltrates a biotech behemoth led by sleazy CEO Vikram (Ravi Shankar), unraveling a plot of poisoned pills and political payoffs. Darshan's Shiva is the story's sinew—a silent storm of suppressed rage, his arc from undercover operative to one-man militia punctuated by pulse-pounding set pieces: a high-octane highway heist with 20 bikes in balletic ballet, a warehouse warehouse brawl lit by flickering fluorescents.

Jagadeesh's flair for flair shines in action choreography by Anbariv, the stunt duo from Master, delivering Darshan-directed duels that blend John Wick wirework with Kantara's kineticism. The score, a thunderous threnody by Ajaneesh Loknath, throbs with tribal taiko drums underscoring Shiva's savagery. Visuals, lensed by Siddharth Karthikeya, capture Bengaluru's underbelly—neon nights bleeding into neon nightmares—with a 4K polish that belies the Rs 100 crore budget. Twists tantalize: a mid-film mole reveal flips alliances, while the climax's courtroom coup—Shiva testifying in tattered triumph—tugs at telegu tears.

Supporting cast catalyzes: Rachita Ram as Shiva's fiery foil, a journalist with jabs that jab, sparks chemistry that crackles. Ravi Shankar chews scenery as the cackling CEO, his villainy a cartoonish counter to Darshan's depth. Vinod Prabhakar, as Shiva's grizzled mentor, grounds the gore with gravitas. At 2 hours 20 minutes, The Devil dithers in its second act— a subplot on Shiva's lost love lags like a lagging love letter—but roars to redemption.

Buzz Breakdown: Fans Frenzy, Critics Cautious

The Devil's reception is a Rorschach test of Darshan's divided fandom. Sandalwood superfans, 5,000 strong at Bengaluru's Garuda Mall premiere, erupted for FDFS (first day first show) bookings—Rs 15 crore advances in Karnataka alone, per producer estimates. "D Boss delivers dhamaka—haters hush," trilled a fan reel with 500,000 views, splicing Shiva's swordplay with Salman-style slow-mo. Telugu territories teem: Hyderabad's Sudigali Sudheer dubbed praise, predicting Rs 50 crore Day 1 across AP-TS. Hindi heartlands hum: Mumbai previews at PVR draw whistles for Darshan's "Dabangg daring," eyeing Rs 10 crore northern nett.

Critics carve caveats. Deccan Herald's Supraja Prasanna awarded 3/5: "Darshan's dominance dazzles, but the script stumbles—vigilante vibes feel vintage." The Hindu's Sangeetha Devi Dundoo noted "potent performances in a pulpy plot," 3.5/5, lauding Khanna-esque Khanna's intensity but lamenting "lazy love tracks." Social sentiment skews 75 percent positive on Twitter—#TheDevilRoars with 2 million mentions—but boycott brigades bite, women's groups picketing 20 theaters with "Justice First" placards. OTT whispers: Amazon Prime eyes a March 2026 stream, post-theatrical run projected at Rs 200 crore worldwide.

Comeback Calculus: Darshan's Divide and Deliverance

Darshan's Devil dive is a high-wire act on a house of cards. Post-2024 conviction—life term for the June murder, out on Rs 20 lakh bail pending appeal—his screen sabbatical sparked sympathy swells and scorn storms. The film, wrapped in 2023's pre-prison haze, sidesteps scandal with Shiva's "sister's honor" hook, a nod to Darshan's "family man" facade. Box office barometer: Karnataka's 1,000 screens signal stronghold, but pan-India push—Telugu with Nani's narration, Hindi with Akshay Kumar cameo voiceover—tests tainted tides.

Producer Sriram vows "uncompromised unspooling," dubbing dates locked despite Darshan's December 15 court date. Fans fortify: "DBoss's devil is our deliverance," chants a viral vlog with 1 million likes. Skeptics skewer: "Artistic absolution?" queries a Film Companion op-ed, rating the ethics 2/5.

Verdict Vortex: Devil's Due or Darshan's Doom?

The Devil dazzles in doses—Darshan's dark dynamo drives the drama, a comeback cocktail of catharsis and controversy that captivates and confounds. In Sandalwood's stormy seas, Prakash's debut delivers daggers, but Darshan's divide dictates destiny. Verdict: 3.5/5—devilishly diverting, daringly divisive. As screens light up December 11, Darshan's devil dances on—will fans flock, or foes flock out?