'DC' marks the acting debut of Lokesh Kanagaraj. The movie is directed by Arun Matheswaran, well-known for his work in 'Saani Kaayidham' and 'Captain Miller.'
See more of our coverage in your search results.
Add BollywoodShaadis on GoogleAfter directing the biggest superstars of Tamil cinema, Lokesh Kanagaraj has finally decided to face the camera himself with DC. Arun Matheswaran hands the lead to a filmmaker and turns Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s Devdas into a brutal Tamil action drama.
Backed by Sun Pictures and driven by Anirudh’s score, the 142-minute A-rated film follows a gang on the run after taking on corrupt police. What starts as a chase becomes a story about justice, loss and choices. Violence is constant, but emotion holds it together. Powered by committed performances and sharp technical craft, DC aims to be more than just carnage.
Arun Matheswaran returns with DC after Rocky, Saani Kaayidham, and Captain Miller. The film keeps his trademark tone. It is brutal, raw, and does not soften its edges. The story takes a familiar character from Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s Devdas and places him in a Tamil Nadu setting where police excess and exploitation are routine.
‘Devadas,’ played by Lokesh Kanagaraj, leads a small group that includes ‘Arasu,’ ‘Sebastian,’ ‘Karuppu,’ and ‘Kitty.’ They begin by stealing discarded police weapons in a Tamil Nadu town. When a police officer robs and kills a poor man, the gang intervenes. The money was meant for a child’s education. The officer is killed, and the group is forced to go underground in Chennai. From there, the police launch a manhunt, and the film moves into a sustained cat-and-mouse track.
Matheswaran does not ask the audience to pick a side immediately. The gang is labeled as extremists, gangsters, and rowdies by the police. The film shows two separate crimes and how both the gang and the police respond. That structure keeps the narrative moving even while it sets up the world. The director is interested in process. He shows how decisions are made under pressure, and how violence becomes a consequence rather than a set piece.
The second half widens the chase. ‘Chandra,’ portrayed by Wamiqa Gabbi, becomes part of the conflict, and the screenplay adds twists, betrayals and emotional turns. A pre-interval action block is staged with a wedding in the background, and the sound design shifts to match the setting instead of defaulting to standard action cues.
Cinematographer Mukesh G works with a gritty palette where red dominates during fight sequences. Editor GK Prasanna keeps the 142-minute runtime tight. Every sequence is built to push the story forward, so the film does not feel stretched despite the continuous action.
PC Stunts designs the action to look physical and grounded. The film does not rely on slow-motion hero shots. It prefers close, messy confrontations. The writing team of Arun Matheswaran, Arun Ranjan and Franklin Jacob balances those moments with quieter beats so the characters do not get lost in the noise.
This is Lokesh Kanagaraj’s acting debut. He plays 'Devadas' as a serious, mostly stoic man. The performance lands because his body language fits the role. He is comfortable in action and also holds the emotional scenes. One moment in particular breaks his restraint and shows a different register from the actor. Having directed actors like Kamal Haasan, Vijay, Vijay Sethupathi and Fahadh Faasil, he brings that first-hand understanding to his own screen presence.
Wamiqa Gabbi plays ‘Chandra,’ a woman trapped in a brothel for 18 years. She communicates a lot without dialogue in early scenes. Her transition through the film is gradual, and by the climax she is central to the action. The sequence where she fights alongside ‘Devadas’ is staged as a key set piece.
Sanjana Krishnamoorthy appears as ‘Parvathi,’ a bar singer. Her screen time is limited but her presence registers. Thalaivasal Vijay as ‘Arasu’ anchors the group’s motivation. ‘Kitty,’ played by Avinash Raghudevan, and ‘Bhojraj,’ played by Krish Dayal, add weight to the supporting track.
The film credits Chattopadhyay for the core story. In this version, the destruction moves outward. ‘Devadas’ still drinks, but the focus is on how he responds to injustice around him. He helps ‘Chandra’ escape, and she stays with him. Their pairing drives several later developments.
Technically, Anirudh Ravichander is the biggest pull. He composes 15 tracks and a background score that shifts tone with the scene. The Rage of Revenge piece lifts a major action block. In the wedding fight, the music uses a celebratory tone instead of the usual elevation, and that choice keeps the sequence from feeling repetitive. The score moves between intense action and softer moments in the first 40 minutes without a jarring break.
DC does not try to make the audience comfortable. It presents violence as a result of the situation the characters are in. At the same time, it keeps an emotional core, so the film works as more than an action exercise. For viewers who want a hard-hitting theatrical experience with clear stakes and strong technical craft, it delivers exactly that.
BollywoodShaadis Rating: 3/5
Have you watched Arun Matheswaran’s DC in theatres? Let us know.
Also Read: Are Harshvardhan Rane And Sanjeeda Shaikh Dating? Fans Spot Major Clues In Vacation Post