Devil's Double Next Level
| Devil's Double Next Level | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | S. Prem Anand |
| Written by | S. Prem Anand |
| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Deepak Kumar Padhy |
| Edited by | Bharath Vikraman |
| Music by | OfRo |
Production company |
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Release date |
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Running time | 133 minutes[1] |
| Country | India |
| Language | Tamil |
| Box office | est. ₹14.95 crore[2] |
Devil's Double Next Level (previously known as DD Next Level) is a 2025 Indian Tamil-language action horror comedy film written and directed by S. Prem Anand. Produced by The Show People and Niharika Entertainment, the film stars Santhanam, Selvaraghavan, Gautham Vasudev Menon and Geethika Tiwary in the lead roles.[3] It is the fourth instalment in the Dhilluku Dhuddu film series.
Devil's Double Next Level was released on 16 May 2025 in theaters to mixed to negative reviews from critics.
Plot
[edit]Krishnamoorty "Kissa" is a sharp-tongued YouTube film reviewer known for his brutally honest critiques. One day, he receives an invitation from Hitchcock Iruthyaraj, a mysterious filmmaker, to attend a private screening of his latest horror-comedy film, DD Next Level. Kissa, thinking it’s just another publicity stunt, agrees to go—bringing along his family and girlfriend, Aasai Harshini.
However, as soon as the screening begins, Kissa and his family find themselves sucked into the movie itself. They wake up inside a haunted cruise ship, where the passengers—including Kissa’s own family—no longer recognize him. Hitchcock appears as a ghostly figure and reveals the terrifying truth: they can only escape if they survive until the end credits roll.
As Kissa navigates the eerie ship, he realizes that the film is a twisted revenge story—Hitchcock was once a failed filmmaker who was ridiculed by critics, and now he seeks vengeance by trapping them inside his cursed film. Kissa must outsmart the supernatural forces, solve cryptic puzzles, and battle terrifying ghosts, including his own girlfriend, who has transformed into a vengeful spirit.
The film takes a meta approach, poking fun at Tamil cinema tropes, film criticism, and the horror genre itself. As Kissa fights to escape, he begins to question the ethics of film reviewing—is criticism justifiable, or does it destroy the dreams of creators?
The climax unfolds in a mind-bending sequence, where Kissa must rewrite the film’s ending to ensure his survival. But will he succeed, or will he become just another forgotten character in Hitchcock’s cursed movie?
Cast
[edit]- Santhanam as Krishnamoorty "Kissa"
- Selvaraghavan as "Hitchcock" Iruthyaraj
- Gautham Vasudev Menon as Inspector Raghavan
- Geethika Tiwary in a dual role as
- Aasai Harshini, Kissa's girlfriend
- Jessica Sebastian, a vengeful spirit
- Nizhalgal Ravi in a dual role as
- Captain Mc Donald
- Auto Baskar, Kissa's father
- Kasthuri Shankar in a dual role as
- Devaki, Kissa's mother
- Shilpa,
- Yashika Aannand in a dual role as
- Devi, Kissa's younger sister
- Maya, the film's female lead
- Rajendran as "Veen Pechu" Babu
- Lollu Sabha Maaran as "All Language" Arumugam
- Redin Kingsley as Gopal
Production
[edit]In 2024, Arya and Santhanam announced the sequel of DD Returns (2023) on 7 July 2024, written and directed by S. Prem Anand.[4] The film is produced by Venkat Boyanapalli under his Niharika Entertainment and presented by Arya under his The Show People banner.[5] The film was officially announced on 20 January 2025, titled as DD Next Level.[6] The film also stars Gautham Vasudev Menon, Selvaraghavan,[7] Geethika Tiwary, Yashika Aannand, Kasthuri Shankar,[8] Nizhalgal Ravi,[9] Maaran and Rajendran in key roles.[10] The technical team consists of music composed by OfRo, cinematography by Dipak Kumar Padhy, editing by Bharath Vikraman[11] and art direction by AR Mohan.[12] In 28 April 2025, during the trailer announcement, the film's title was revealed to be Devil's Double Next Level.[13][14]
Principal photography began in early-July 2024 and was wrapped on January 2025.[15][16] On 13 February 2025, it was officially announced that the dubbing process had begun.[17]
Music
[edit]| Devil's Double Next Level | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by | ||||
| Genre | Feature film soundtrack | |||
| Language | Tamil | |||
| Label | Think Music | |||
| Producer | OfRo | |||
| OfRo chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Devil's Double Next Level | ||||
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The soundtrack and background is composed by OfRo[18] in his second collaboration with Santhanam and S. Prem Anand after DD Returns (2023). The first single "Kissa 47" was released on 26 February 2025.[19] The second single "Cinemakaran" was released on 4 May 2025.
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Kissa 47" | Kelithee | OfRo | 3:07 |
| 2. | "Cinemakaran" | Thamizh Aadhavan | Vangal Pulla Vicky | 2:22 |
Marketing
[edit]The film's trailer was released on 30 April 2025.[20]
Release
[edit]Theatrical
[edit]Devil's Double Next Level was released theatrically on 16 May 2025.[21]
Home Media
[edit]![[icon]](/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion with: May 2025. You can help by adding to it. (May 2025) |
Reception
[edit]Akshay Kumar of Cinema Express gave 3/5 stars and wrote "Self-awareness is the biggest strength of DD Next Level and it is also a risk taken by the director.[...] The screenplay is largely breezing through one humour trope after the other. There are well-written, enjoyable and elaborate sequences that effectively overshadow the wafer-thin plotline of the story."[22] Abhinav Subramanian of The Times of India rated with 2/5 stars and wrote "When the most memorable parts of your comedy are the awkward silences where the jokes were supposed to be, it’s a clear sign that the script might have needed a few more levels of refinement."[23] Janani K of India Today rated with 2/5 stars and wrote "Barring a few fun gags, the film is replete with outdated fart jokes."[24] Latha Srinivasan of Hindustan Times rated with 1/5 stars and wrote "Fails to capitalise on its unique premise of film reviewers, devolving into a confusing mix of horror and comedy."[25]
Controversy
[edit]The makers took down the "Srinivasa Govinda" and "Govind Govinda" chants from the "Kissa 47" song after receiving criticism and condemnations for their inclusion in the song. Earlier, Santhanam and Niharika Entertainments received a defamation notice from Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams member Bhanuprakash Reddy, who demanded that the song be taken down or that they pay ₹100 crore (US$12 million) in damages.[26] Furthermore, Kiran Royal, the in-charge of the Janasena Party, filed a complaint against the filmmakers with the Tirupati One Town Police Station, claiming that they had offended Hindu feelings and harmed the deity's reputation. In order to emphasize the broad opposition, the party also asked Edappadi K. Palaniswami, the leader of the Tamil Nadu opposition, for support.[27]
References
[edit]- ^ "Devil's Double Next Level". Central Board of Film Certification.
- ^ "Devil's Double Next Level Tamil Nadu Box Office: Santhanam starrer holds strong, closes 1st week at Rs 15 crore". PINKVILLA. 23 May 2025. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
- ^ "'DD Next Level': Makers release first look of Santhanam from horror comedy". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 3 February 2025. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
- ^ "Santhanam's 'DD Returns' gets a sequel; Arya to present film". The Hindu. 8 July 2024. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 5 February 2025. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
- ^ "DD Next Level update: Santhanam's horror comedy wraps filming | See pics". OTTPlay. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
- ^ "Santhanam's 'DD Returns' gets a sequel, title and first look revealed". The Times of India. 22 January 2025. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 12 February 2025. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
- ^ M, Narayani (20 January 2025). "Santhanam, Selvaraghavan, Gautham Vasudev Menon to join hands for DD Next Level". Cinema Express. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
- ^ ""டிடி நெக்ஸ்ட் லெவல்" - கஸ்தூரியின் கதாபாத்திர அறிமுக போஸ்டர் வெளியீடு". Dina Thanthi (in Tamil). 12 May 2025. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
- ^ ""டிடி நெக்ஸ்ட் லெவல்" - நிழல்கள் ரவியின் கதாபாத்திர அறிமுக போஸ்டர் வெளியீடு". Dina Thanthi (in Tamil). 13 May 2025. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
- ^ "After Madha Gaja Raja success, Santhanam unveils DD Next Level first look; to release in May". OTTPlay. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
- ^ Features, C. E. (22 February 2025). "First single from Santhanam's DD Next Level to be unveiled on this date". Cinema Express. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
- ^ "Story Of Santhanam's DD Returns Sequel Takes Place On An Island!". Times Now. 8 July 2024. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
- ^ "DD Next Level trailer drops on this date". Cinema Express. Retrieved 28 April 2025.
- ^ "'Devil's Double Next Level' trailer: Santhanam is a film critic stuck inside a quirky horror film". The Hindu. 30 April 2025. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
- ^ "Shooting of Santhanam-starrer DD Next Level wrapped up; Film to release in May this year". The Times of India. 29 January 2025. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
- ^ Features, C. E. (29 January 2025). "It's a wrap for DD Next Level". Cinema Express. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
- ^ "Santhanam starts dubbing for 'DD Next Level'". The Times of India. 14 February 2025. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
- ^ Kumar, Akshay (11 July 2024). "Horror, humour, and an island seen in Santhanam & Arya's next". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
- ^ ganesh.perumal. "சந்தானத்தின் டிடி நெக்ஸ்ட் லெவல் படத்தின் மெர்சலான 'கிஸா 47' பாட்டு வந்தாச்சு". Asianet News Tamil (in Tamil). Retrieved 26 February 2025.
- ^ "Devil's Double Next Level - Official Trailer". The Times of India. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
- ^ "DD Next Level release date out: Santhanam's film to hit theatres for summer". OTTPlay. Retrieved 9 April 2025.
- ^ Kumar, Akshay (16 May 2025). "DD Next Level Movie Review: Surface-level storytelling helped by next-level jokes". Cinema Express. Retrieved 16 May 2025.
- ^ Subramanian, Abhinav (16 May 2025). "Devil's Double Next Level Movie Review: Trapped in a punchline purgatory". The Times of India.
- ^ K, Janani (16 May 2025). "DD Next Level review: Few gags aside, Santhanam's film is mostly torture". India Today.
- ^ Srinivasan, Latha (16 May 2025). "Devil's Double Next Level movie review: Starring Santhanam, this meta horror comedy is an excruciating watch". Hindustan Times.
- ^ Features, C. E. (15 May 2025). "DD Next Level: 'Govinda, Govinda' track from 'Kissa 47' song removed following backlash". Cinema Express. Retrieved 16 May 2025.
- ^ "Controversial 'Govinda… Govinda…' song from Santhanam's 'DD Next Level' removed amid protests". The Times of India. 15 May 2025. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 16 May 2025.