Cast: Nani, Keerthy Suresh, Sai Kumar, Samuthirakhani, and Anant Singh
Director: Srikanth Odela
Producer: Sudhkar Cherukuri
Natural Star Nani is preparing for what may be his biggest career move yet with the release of “Dasara,” a village drama set in rural Telangana and directed by Srikanth Odela. The film features Keerthy Suresh as the female lead and has a highly successful musical score by Santosh Narayanan. Produced by Sudhakar Cherukuri’s SLV Cinemas, “Dasara” premieres in theaters today, and here is a review of the film.
Story:
Dasara tells the story of Veerlapalli, a village surrounded by coal mines, where politics and alcohol addiction has a firm grip on the residents. Childhood friends Dharani (Nani) and Suri (Deekshith Shetty) find themselves at the center of the village’s turmoil. While Dharani falls in love with Vennela (Keerthy Suresh), she only has eyes for Suri.
As the power struggle between the village’s bigwigs intensifies, Dharani and Suri become unwittingly entangled in the web of politics. Dharani’s life takes a shocking turn, and he must fight back amidst a series of surprising twists.
In summary, Dasara portrays the struggle of two childhood friends as they navigate their way through the chaos of a village rife with politics, addiction, and unexpected challenges.
Analysis:
Dasara movie had high expectations but only partially met them. Although village-based films are not new, the Telangana village setting added a unique touch to the film. The rustic setup was well-executed, and the characters blended into the story effectively. Despite being a debut director, Srikanth Odela did well in several aspects but missed the opportunity to make the film great. The story had its moments, particularly around the interval and post-interval scenes. The storyline involving the sarpanch Nambi was well-handled, and the friendship and sacrifice between Dharani and Suri worked for a while. However, the potential for emotional impact was lost as the narration focused solely on revenge drama instead of exploring Dharani’s crucial decision in a pivotal scene.
The song “Chamkhila Angeelesi” fails to have the intended impact at a crucial point in the film. The story is overly simplistic and loses momentum midway. Although the climactic fight scene may appeal to the masses, the ending where Nani returns falls short of expectations.
The film stands out for its commendable dialogue in several scenes, showcasing the director Srikanth Odela’s prowess in crafting engaging Interval block and climax moments. However, the introductory train sequence falls short with its subpar graphics. Santhosh Narayanan’s music and background score elevates the film’s overall quality. Additionally, Suryan’s exceptional cinematography skills shine through, effectively capturing even low-lighting scenes. Thus, the film receives high marks in the technical department.
Positives:
Nani’s performance
New backdrop
Action scenes
Dialogues
Drawbacks:
Emotions did not work
Slow narration
Predictability
Verdict:
Dasara is a film with a realistic setting and unpolished scenes. Despite the slow pace, Nani’s exceptional natural acting and the debut director Srikanth’s impressive handling of certain scenes and action sequences make up for it to some extent. However, the second half can be a bit trying at times. Overall, it is a decent movie worth watching.
Rating:3/5