'Deva gave me the chance to push myself as an actor after a long time.'
Rediff.com's Mayur Sanap, Hitesh Harisinghani and Afsar Dayatar report from Deva's trailer launch.
After his romantic detour in Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya last year, Shahid Kapoor does a brooding action hero in Deva that puts him in a police uniform.
"Deva gave me the chance to push myself as an actor after a long time. The character has a significant presence and aura, also an overwhelming personality. That gives him that charisma and star quality," the actor said at the trailer launch of Deva ahead of its January 31 release.
Shahid's most celebrated work has seen him playing edgy characters in films like Kaminey, Haider, Udta Punjab.
"This is the most complex character I've played. Having said that, I've played a few. But if there's any character that has challenged me again, it is Deva," the actor said.
The trailer introduces Shahid as Dev Ambre, a rowdy cop with anger issues, who resorts to violence while dealing with criminals. The fast-faced trailer also offers glimpse into Deva's stunning action and some intense moments.
Director Rosshan Andrrews, known for Malayalam blockbusters like Salute and Kayamkulam Kochunni, makes his foray into Bollywood with Deva.
"I am a movie buff. I still am learning cinema. Whatever I learn myself, I implement and device that in my films," the director said.
"Deva is my love to my brother Shahid. I have seen a lot of people come and promise a lot of things but this promise is from my heart: This will be another Shahid Kapoor for sure."
WATCH: Shahid Kapoor talks about his intense role in Deva:
Deva sees Shahid being paired opposite Pooja Hegde, who plays an investigative journalist named Dia.
Pooja, whose last Hindi film was Salman Khan's Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan, was all praise for her co-star and said audiences will witness a "new Shahid" in Deva.
"Shahid has done it outstandingly well. When I watched the trailer, I called him and asked, 'How have you done it? I could literally see every vein on your forehead.' Even in the first half, when he delivers his lines, I thought it was dubbed, but he said it wasn't. You're definitely going to see a new Shahid in this film. You've seen him play different characters before but this one is so intense and amazing," Pooja said.
WATCH: Pooja Hegde calls her character "alpha female" and a "perfect takkar" to Deva.
The film also stars Pavail Gulati playing a role of a cop alongside Shahid Kapoor. The actor, known for his work in Made In Heaven, Thappad and Faadu: A Love Story, said he has always been a fan of Shahid and even followed his footsteps by joining Choreographer Shiamak Davar's dance academy.
WATCH: Shahid Kapoor's 'ghar ka dabba' for Pavail Gulati
When quizzed about the possible box office outcome for Deva, Shahid admitted that the pressure is always there but it never hampers his choices as an artist.
"We make films for the audience and if they don't come to watch the movie, then it does hurt and we fail," he says.
"But if you make a film thinking about how many people will watch it, then you will be limited as a creative person. So you can run in a 100-metre race where you make only those films that are working at the box office but if you want to be in for the long run, you have to evolve and do different things."
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