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Dasara Movie Review : Nani delivers a memorable performance in this slow burn

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‘Dasara is more of an intense drama than an action film’

The trailer of Dasara has been the talk of the town ever since its online premiere on Tuesday. The promo, which establishes the mood and the world of the film, gives away little about the conflict, leading to numerous theories and predictions among movie buffs. With the Telugu trailer singularly amassing close to 6 million within a day of its release, it is clear to say that expectations and hype are touching the sky. But debutant director Srikanth Odela, however, has chosen to remain oblivious to the outside world as he is occupied in the final stages of post-production. “I have no idea what’s happening outside, to be honest. I have been busy with sound mixing and other post-production activities,” Srikanth says.

While it’s fair to say that the rawness on display in the trailer does remind one of the films like Rangasthalam, Karnan and Pushpa, Srikanth says, “There will be more surprises in the film.” Speaking about the film’s core, the debutant, a man of few words, adds, “More than being an action film or a love story, Dasara is a proper, intense drama.”

Another factor that has generated intrigue and a fair share of apprehension from the trailer is the sheer volume of bloodshed. One particular shot features what looks like a decapitated head wrapped in a gunny bag being thrown against a wall, splattering blood on the poster on it. Is Dasara going to be heavy on violence? Expressing his surprise about reactions to violence, Srikanth shares, “There will be violence, but it won’t be at a level that shocks the viewer.

Whatever you have seen in the trailer, it’ll be in that range and won’t go beyond that. The mood will be intense, for sure. But I guarantee that it won’t be disturbing for the viewers. Violence wouldn’t be a problem at all. Likewise, there will be no vulgarity in any form.” Dasara, also starring Keerthy Suresh, Shine Tom Chacko and Sai Kumar in prominent roles has cinematography by Sathyan Sooryan and music by Santosh Narayanan. The film is set to release in theatres on March 30 in Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Kannada and Malayalam.

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Dasara Movie Review: Fiery Nani is brilliant in this predictable revenge drama

Director srikanth odela’s dasara, starring nani, keerthy suresh and deekshit shetty, is a visually stunning revenge drama. with some clichés, dasara has its heart in the right place, says our review..

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• Nani's Dasara graced the screens on March 30.
• The film is directed by Sirkanth Odela.
• Keerthy Suresh, Deekshit Shetty, Shine Tom Chacko and Samuthirakani play pivotal roles.

Release Date: 30 Mar, 2023

Nani has been everywhere for the past few weeks. Be it promotional events or social media, he went all out in promoting Dasara as a pan-Indian venture. When the trailer of Dasara dropped, many felt that it reminded them of Pushpa and KGF. However, Dasara was neither Pushpa nor it was KGF. It had Srikanth Odela’s stamp despite the predictable storyline.

Dharani (Nani), Suri (Deekshit Shetty) and Vennela (Keerthy Suresh) are childhood friends. They hail from a village called Veerapally, where men take the bottle. Their alcoholism affects the women in their lives. Dharani and Suri are best friends. So much so that Dharani will give up his love for Vennela, who is in love with Suri. As Suri and Vennela take their relationship to the next level, it does not go down well with Chinna Nambi (Shine Tom Chacko). The village, where coal mining is a way of life, is divided because of Rajanna (Sai Kumar) and Shivanna (Samuthirakani).

Srikanth Odela is a debutant filmmaker, but he is a promising talent. With Dasara, he has built a semi-fictional world and has successfully transported us to the village of Veerapally. He shows Dharani as a vulnerable underdog. For a hero, he cries on screen, has no bladder control and shakes up in fear when trouble knocks on the door. In contrast, Suri, his friend, is his strength. While Dharani is naïve, Suri is practical. Meanwhile, there’s a feisty Vennela, who is a breath of fresh air.

Dasara is a film that relies on its drama. Srikanth Odela is in no hurry to dive into the story the right way. In fact, it looks like he knew he had a predictable storyline in hand and decided to build a world around it so he could create an immersive experience for everyone. Dasara has so many layers. The film talks about women and how they are exploited, rampant caste politics and superstition.

While the world-building, and characterisations of the lead roles and music make Dasara enjoyable, certain tropes hold the viewers back from completely enjoying this brilliantly shot revenge drama. In a scene, Dharani takes a decision which affects Vennela’s life. However, Dasara has another scene where Vennela questions whether she has a say in her life because she was never asked! And the hyper-masculine hero apologises.

The power dynamics in the village of Veerapally keep you hooked. However, some of the initial stretches of Dasara could test your patience. Nani’s Dharani holds back for the most part of the film, while Deekshit as Suri takes the cake. It is probably because of this that the interval sequence leaves you in a state of shock.

Nani is the soul of Dasara. From expressing his vulnerabilities to crying his heart out and emoting in silence, he has given his career-best performance. Keerthy, too, has a meaty role in the film. It is actually Suri who stole the show with his effortless acting.

Something that Srikanth Odela could have worked on is the characterisation of the villain, Shine Tom Chacko. It treads on a wafer-thin line and after a point, it does not create an impact.

Santhosh Narayanan’s music and Sathyan Sooryan’s visuals make Dasara what it is. The film could remind you of Dhanush’s Asuran and Rishab Shetty’s Kantara. While the film deals with a predictable story, it does have enough meat to hold onto its own.

Dasara Review: A De-Glammed Nani Makes Film A High-Voltage Affair

Dasara review: even in the most melodramatic of moments, keerthy suresh retains control of her faculties and the scene..

Nani and Keerthy Suresh in Dasara . (courtesy: nameisnani

Cast: Nani, Keerthy Suresh, Dheekshith Shetty, Shine Tom Chacko and Samuthirakani

Director: Srikanth Odela

Rating : Three stars (out of 5)

Popular movies often fall prey to the second half curse. The power-packed and engaging Dasara , directed and co-written by first-timer Srikanth Odela, does not. It treats its first half essentially as a springboard for a successful post-interval leap to a meaningfully higher plane. And that is where the film stays perched all the way to an impressively executed finale.

Other significant attributes set the Telugu-language film apart from blockbusters like Baahubali and Pushpa . Its exploration of entrenched caste dynamics, bitter political rivalries and debilitating social ills in a coal mining village in Telangana pushes it closer to Tamil films from the Pa. Ranjith, Vetrimaaran and Mari Selvaraj stables.

Dasara remains steadfastly within the parameters of mass-oriented cinema and employs familiar Ramayan -centric analogies to carry the story forward. It still manages to break free at crucial junctures from its stylistic inspirations to dress an old, even perhaps trite, construct in fresh, eye-catching attire.

Dasara is a rustic love story-cum-bromance dovetailed into a revenge drama with a strong emotional underpinning. The composite is presented with a directorial vision that suggests that Odela could, and should, produce works of greater originality and distinction. This film testifies to his skill - and the vision - to tap massy, easy to grasp methods to tell important stories.

The denuded landscape reflects the state of the lives that Dasara depicts. The film is set in Veerlapally village, a speck on the map. It is a place that swarms with men who drink themselves silly and the women bear the brunt of their unruliness. At the centre of the village is a bar - it is named after Silk Smitha - that is out of bounds for all but upper caste drunks.

The narrative straddles a decade and a half from mid-1995, the final year of NT Rama Rao's third term as the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, to 2010. The film's two principal male characters - Dharani (Nani) and Soori (Deekshith Shetty) - pilfer coal from running goods trains when they are not sloshed.

They are in love with the same girl, Vennela (Keerthi Suresh). The three have been friends since childhood. The altruistic Nani, who is meek-natured and believes in staying off confrontations, steps back and lets his best friend profess his love to the girl.

Several years on, the love triangle is aggravated by unseemly power politics between Rajanna (Saikumar) and Shivanna (Samuthirakarani), two half-brothers at war for control of the village and the bar. The latter has a son, Nambi (Shine Tom Jacob), whose aggression triggers a tragedy at the film's halfway mark.

A blood-curdling act of violence throws Dharani's life into disarray. He is a cowering mess until he gathers the courage to plan a retaliation. The timid, responsibility-shirking man is forced to make a choice between being resigned to his fate and taking a stand.

The first half, expended on creating a context for what is follow, takes its own time to pick up momentum. Parts of it meander a tad and even feel somewhat wayward. But the turning point just ahead of the interval gives the deliberate and staccato pace a rationale.

The troubles that confront Dharani, whose name means Earth, Soori (meaning Sun) and Vennela (alluding to the Moon) are caused by one man. The villain's motives are hackneyed and the threats that he makes spring from the power that he wields on account of his political and caste clout.

One wishes Dasara had pushed the caste divide envelope a little further and also stressed upon the relationship between the three main characters with some more clarity in terms of its wider societal implications. Is it possible that Dharani's suppression of his love for Vennela has something to do with where he stands in the caste hierarchy? The film does not raise that question, let alone devote a minute or two to answer it.

Another point at which Dasara slips up a touch is in the manner in which the key female character is deprived of agency when it comes to deciding her own future? Dasara makes amends of sorts when the woman demands an explanation why her consent wasn't sought before a life-altering choice was made on her behalf. The man spells out why he did what he did. While his defence of his action isn't entirely convincing, his apology is.

In the matter of plotting and pacing, Dasara isn't perfect, but Sathyan Sooryan's lensing and lighting and Santhosh Narayanan's lush and phenomenally effective musical score are both of the highest order. The latter lends the film a propulsive rhythm with its blend of the earthy and the electronic.

Sooryan's camerawork creates a palette that alternates between the inky and the auburn and is skilfully illuminated by the muted glow of non-electrical sources of light.

A de-glammed Nani makes Dasara a high-voltage affair. The screenplay and his own acumen allow him to ease himself into the character arc and capture the man's evolution from a feckless, evasive youth to a man of action after fifteen Dasara celebrations have come and gone with him letting his life drift aimlessly.

Dasara also gives Keerthy Suresh a wide range of emotions to convey. Even in the most melodramatic of moments, she retains control of her faculties and the scene. Deekshith Shetty operates within a more limited bandwidth but makes a lasting impression. On the flip side, the force of evil that Shine Tom Chacko embodies does not convey the requisite menace.

The rousing climax is invested with great power in term of of both visualisation and execution. The weapons used in the final act as well as earlier in the film tell their own story. To begin with, the villain's henchmen wield sharp scythes and sickles, which are farming appliances-turned-arms.

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In the violent climactic clash culminates in tree-cutting axes, digging shovels and rock-breaking hammers making an appearance - a not-so-subliminal metaphor for a once agricultural community that has been forced into mining as a way of life.

A few wobbles notwithstanding, Dasara is a triumph because it achieves a delicate balance between the flashy and the essential and, in the process, delivers a piece of highly dramatic fiction that frequently seems to have emerged from the real world.

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Dasara Movie Review: A surprising reimagination of mass cinema

Rating: ( 4 / 5).

The coveted pan-India label is used loosely in Indian cinema, and culturally rooted stories that are infused with larger-than-life heroism seem to be the go-to themes for such films. Nani's Dasara had the potential to become the next big pan-Indian film originating from the Telugu states. In fact, it starts off as a compendium of multiple pan-India films. Veerlapalli, the hamlet Dasara is set in is abutted by coal mines and the thick layer of black dust everywhere takes you back to the mines of KGF. We see Dharani ( Nani) make a living with his friends by pilfering coal from moving trains, with his parkour jumps reminiscent of the action choreography in Pushpa. At the heart of Dasara is the jigri dosti of Soori (Dheekshith Shetty) and Dharani and there are no points for guessing which recent successful Telugu film comes to mind when we talk of male friendship. However, what makes Dasara a film that truly expands the definitions of what passes off as a pan-India film is director Srikanth Odela's unique and rousing voice that ensures the film assuredly dodges comparisons. There are a lot of 'a-ha, I got you!' moments in the film that makes us smile thinking of how quick we were to judge Dasara as just a byproduct of the successes of a KGF/RRR/Pushpa/Kantara , and not as a highly effective, and deeply engrossing mass entertainer that is its own beast.

Director - Srikanth Odela Cast - Nani, Keerthy Suresh, Dheekshith Shetty, Shine Tom Chacko Alcohol is the primary leitmotif of Dasara’s first half, which is used to establish the caste and power dynamics of Veerlapally. We see how the stronghold of Shivanna (a buck-toothed Samuthirakani) shifts to Rajanna (Sai Kumar), creating a ripple effect in the lives of Dharani, Soori, and Vennela (Keerthy Suresh). It is beautiful how Dharani, Soori, and Vennela form a subversive love triangle, which has a refreshing eschewal of jealousy that paves the way for a tender gaze on male vulnerability. Srikanth Odela’s vision finds a perfect match in Nani’s acting prowess, as the actor lays his heart bare in scene after scene to heartbreaking effect. This vulnerability is used as a platform from which the film makes giant strides in the second half where the plot steadily burgeons into mythical proportions, which is kickstarted by a bone-chilling interval banger that injects adrenaline into the proceedings and gives Dasara a new sense of urgency. Dasara , at its core, is the coming-of-age story of Dharani, who suffers a personal tragedy before taking up the cudgels for a righteous fight. Unlike the usual big-ticket revenge sagas, where rage and violence are de rigueur, Dasara actually makes way for a debate on the necessity of violence. Though the film quickly resumes the originally scheduled plan of bloodshed, it was an interesting detour nonetheless. Srikanth shows glimpses of being a filmmaker who wants to reinvent masala cinema, and he starts off by changing the way the genre generally treats its women. Keerthy Suresh gets a great role, of a woman who goes from being confident and sassy to one coming to grips with a tragedy. Poorna, who plays the role of Chinna Nambi’s wife is an interesting casting choice as she makes an impact despite her limited presence. But the same can't be said of Shine Tom Chacko, who isn't supported by the writing, which gives him poorly dubbed, expository lines that only make him less scary with every line. The place where Dasara truly succeeds is in the makers' attention to detail. Visuals of hooch and mutton curry, displayed as hallmarks of Telangana culture feature prominently, and the presence of people with dwarfism is a depressing but pertinent detail thrown in to show the congenital issues people living amidst coal mines are susceptible to. It is a world cut from the cloth of reality, of lived experiences and memories finding their way from the script to screen. However, the film does falter a bit with some creative choices, and the discord between writing and editing. Why should a weapon have the visual of a villain superimposed upon it when the film's strength lies in its subtlety and strong emotions? What truly is the takeaway from Nani's Dasara is the voice of a potentially important filmmaker. The pre-interval action sequence and the portions involving Dharani and Vennela’s marriage are resounding proof of Srikanth Odela being the real deal. Of course, there are places where he needs to pick up the slack, especially in the staging of the action sequences among others. But points to Srikanth for developing a core and a narrative that rises above its shortcomings and manages to create a visceral, immersive experience where the sum of the emotions elicited prove to be larger than its moving parts.

Dasara Movie Review (2023)

• 30 Mar 2023

Srikanth Odela's 'Dasara' is a solid, subdued star vehicle that favours emotions over "mass" moments

Dasara Movie Cast & Crew

"Everyone drinks the same alcohol, but our caste determines whether we drink inside the bar or outside." This is something we get to know early on about the situation in the village Srikanth Odela's film is set in. Most men (and even some women) begin their day with drinks and are content to remain alcoholics. Even Nani's hero-introduction shot (he plays Dharani) includes a bottle of booze. And this bar, with an image of Silk Smitha and named after her, is the centre of local politics: it's a sort of prize. The person who wins the elections takes control of the bar, and gets to nominate who becomes the treasurer. That post makes someone a big shot in the village. For a while, Dasara just wants to immerse us in these local politics, these local colours, these local flavours. We get character-establishing scenes, of course – but we also get world-establishing scenes, magnificently shot by Sathyan Sooryan. A coal mine is the centre of economy, and every frame seems dusted with soot. 

Why do these people drink? When a young Dharani asks his grandmother, she says alcohol gives her courage. Cut to a few years later, when Dharani is an adult, he may give the same answer. By numbing his senses, he gets the courage to deal with his dead-end existence and also the fact that the girl he loves (Vennela, played by Keerthi Suresh) is in love with his best friend Soori (Dheekshith Shetty). All three actors are in top form, though Nani gets the meatiest role and bites into it with every fibre of his being, giving a performance that is as much physical as emotional. The film does something interesting with Vennela. She becomes the fulcrum of not just a love triangle but also an unexpected lust angle, courtesy the villain named Nambi (Shine Tom Chacko, in one of the rare times he feels out of sorts). When – in a super-effective scene – Nambi kills Soori, we think it's because of the caste wars. But the real reason is that Soori has married Vennela, who Nambi lusts after.

This is a superb twist, because it paints Nambi (and the screenplay) in more than one shade, and it takes the second half in an unexpected direction. Nambi is not just someone who does not want the oppressed to get ahead, he's also a womaniser whose lust is painted in fetishistic terms. So the film's first half tackles the alcohol and caste angle, and the second half goes into Vennala's plight and how responsibility makes Dharani a better man (i.e., how he turns from zero to hero). He knows that he can no longer numb his senses with alcohol. He needs to be alert, alive. He needs to complete the transformation from loser to saviour. The depiction of the villain as Ravana (see the film's title) is an age-old screenwriting cliche, but here, there's a "Sita" in the form of Vennela. The metaphor works. The plot point of a love triangle that involves two best friends is another cliche, but it's written and handled well – with minimal melodrama. This is assured writing, assured filmmaking.

A plot point most famously used in Swathi Muthyam is used brilliantly here – and Santhosh Narayanan does beautiful work, subverting a lot of background-score cliches. For instance, during a chase sequence, we just get a few minimalistic cello lines, while most of the background is filled with thunder and lightning and the cries and the panting of the attackers and the people being attacked. Dasara is not groundbreaking cinema, but it has a certain integrity to it. It takes time to build scenes, to set up the reveals. There may not be many "mass" highs, but there's a sense of steadiness in the emotional graphs and in the narrative. Anyone who has seen a masala movie knows that the hero will kill the villain, but Dasara makes the hero earn this machismo. Dharani undergoes a lot of mental trauma, and he has to shake this off before becoming the inevitable superhero. This is one of the most subdued star vehicles I have seen.

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Baradwaj Rangan

National Award-winning film critic Baradwaj Rangan, former deputy editor of The Hindu and senior editor of Film Companion, has carved a niche for himself over the years as a powerful voice in cinema, especially the Tamil film industry, with his reviews of films. While he was pursuing his chemical engineering degree, he was fascinated with the writing and analysis of world cinema by American critics. Baradwaj completed his Master’s degree in Advertising and Public Relations through scholarship. His first review was for the Hindi film Dum, published on January 30, 2003, in the Madras Plus supplement of The Economic Times. He then started critiquing Tamil films in 2014 and did a review on the film Subramaniapuram, while also debuting as a writer in the unreleased rom-com Kadhal 2 Kalyanam. Furthermore, Baradwaj has authored two books - Conversations with Mani Ratnam, 2012, and A Journey Through Indian Cinema, 2014. In 2017, he joined Film Companion South and continued to show his prowess in critiquing for the next five years garnering a wide viewership and a fan following of his own before announcing to be a part of Galatta Media in March 2022.

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Dasara Movie Review: Nani Nails It In This Revenge Feast, Keerthy Suresh Shines

Updated Mar 30, 2023, 04:59 PM IST

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Dasara on Netflix Review: Nani and Santhosh Narayanan Excel In A Distracted Film

Director: Srikanth Odhela

Cast: Nani , Keerthy Suresh , Shine Tom Chacko , Dheekshith Shetty

Here are some film pitches:

A coward who hides behind his macho best friend has to come of age when his best friend is unfairly murdered. Will this coward find the courage?

A young boy finds out that his best friend and the girl of the boy's dreams are in love. Will he get them together? Will he sacrifice his love? What happens when they all find out about each other’s love?

A bar in a remote village in Telangana becomes a site of contention between a Sarpanch and two young men belonging to an oppressed caste. Will the addiction to alcohol consume them as they chase the high given by power? 

Ten friends must form a motley crew of assassins to avenge the deaths of those who were unfairly killed by the powerful men in a village. This is juxtaposed against the metaphor for Dasara in which a man with ten heads was killed by one man. 

Each one of these ideas can become an outstanding film by itself but writer-director Srikanth Odela’s Dasara packs all these ideas into one film and therefore what we get is an exciting world of Veerlapalli that we know thoroughly.

We know the village has a clear demarcation of caste. We know that even in the bar, the one place where men claim to drown their sorrows and boredom, they cannot drown their differences. Like gossip, we learn that Padma who lives a few houses away from the protagonists is a widow whose husband was killed and the Sarpanch nominee might be involved. We know which grandmother loves to drink a lot. We know that coal mining is the primary livelihood and that the black soot that most would gawk at is viewed as an ornament worn with pride by the villagers. We know that the Sarpanch’s wife has a comfortable life but lives with an uncomfortable truth. We even know that the local priest is the umpire in a cricket match - take that for a metaphor about India’s villages and how caste claws into everyday life. 

This world-building exercise by Srikanth Odela is immersive and he makes us feel the spice in the boti curry. We smell the stench of the bar, but we also want a sip of the alcohol they are consuming. The coal mines look exhausting to work at but Odela makes us want to dive in and dance to doom dhaam dostaan with everyone. 

But Srikanth Odela struggles because he’s chosen a love triangle to explore this world. Dasara tells the story of Dharani who is in love with Vennela (Keerthy Suresh). But she and Dharani’s best friend Suri are in love and as a child, Dharani “sacrifises” his love. Things take a turn for the worse when a bar and an evil Sarpanch get in the way and the two men turn towards politics. 

This love triangle feels the least interesting among the many little stories in the world of Veerlapalli not just because of the similarity in its premise to Sukumar’s Aarya 2 (2009), but also because of how weakly Suri is written. He’s supposed to be the “classic” hero — stronger, braver, nobler, and amiable. And Dharani is the coward, the addict, and the man-child. So Suri’s presence should have been like that of Julius Caesar — imposing despite not being present in the scene. But sadly, his presence ends up propelling the plot and the action scenes forward rather than leave a mark.

It’s not the predictability of his fate but rather how immemorable the character is that makes the triangle least interesting. In Aarya 2 , Ajay was at least cunning - he had flavour. When he took advantage of Aarya, his presence was felt even when he wasn’t in the frame. Here the odds are so heavily tilted in favour of Dharani, the character and Nani, the star that Suri’s eventual fate never registers as a trauma but it is rather a convenient way to skip the line to reach Vennela. By setting up a weak vortex in a love triangle what we get is a straight line and this linearity in such a non-linear complex world feels cumbersome. 

Similarly, Odela wants to flex cinematic moments that leave the audience spellbound. The climatic action sequence (watch out for the one where Dharani is underneath a heap of bodies), the cycling sequence near the interval, and even the opening stretch show that this debutante has the imaginative muscles to creatively show masculinity and machismo on screen. But what about image-making in emotional sequences?

A song around a funeral seems to match a similar scenario in Rangasthalam (2018). There is a scene in which Vennela finds out an important truth and Odela chooses a bizarre straightforward approach that seems out of character for the person telling her the truth. More creativity and imagination here would have the thawing of a relationship between Vennela and Dharani seem more natural. Even when Dharani barges into the villain’s house (reminiscent of Rangasthalam ) a twist is revealed to him in the least imaginative and convenient of ways.

It is to Odela’s credit that in his debut film, more is expected of him than most could expect from filmmakers in their third or fourth films. But maybe to appreciate his strengths in world-building, which make him feel like an experienced director, his weaknesses in writing needed to be spelt out.

But where the writing falters, Nani and Santhosh Narayanan push the screenplay forward. I can’t think of the last film in which Nani was disappointing and this film proves that we might have to wait longer. Never before has machismo looked so easy on a person's shoulders. Even cheesy scenes where his face lights up at the sound of Vennela’s anklets become lovable because of him. Keerthi Suresh as Vennela, after shining so brightly in the first half, struggles to bring freshness in the second half, but that is because the writer chooses to make her passive.    

Similarly, Santhosh Narayanan seems to be at home driving home points when the frames struggle to convey the same. A poorly framed cricket match sequence leading up to a “hero shot” is saved once the rap music kicks in. Similarly, a melodramatic sequence right at the end is saved by a simple background score that reduces the general pitch of the scene. 

Srikanth Odela knows his world inside and out. The bars, the gullies, the politics, and even the best recipes for food found in Veerlapalli. But having chosen a love triangle, he falters in doing justice to all ends of the triangle. Luckily for him, Nani and Santhosh Narayanan bridge most of those gaps making Dasara an exciting film to watch, discuss, and dissect. 

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Dasara Movie Review: Raw and Rustic

Movie: Dasara Rating: 2.75/5 Banner: Sri Lakshmi Venkateswara Cinemas Cast:  Nani, Keerthy Suresh, Dheekshith Shetty,  Samuthirakani, Shine Tom Chacko, Sai Kumar, Poorna and others Dialogues: Thota Srinivas Music: Santhosh Narayanan Director of Photography: Sathyan Sooryan Editor: Navin Nooli Production Designer: Avinash Kolla Stunts: Real Satish, Anbariv Producer: Sudhakar Cherukuri Written and Direction: Srikanth Odela Release Date: March 30, 2023

Nani had never spoken so confidently about a film or toured across India to promote it before 'Dasara.' The film has received a lot of attention in recent weeks. Nani's promotion of the film gave the impression that it would be a major milestone. Is it really that good?

Let us look into it.

Story: Set in the 1990s in a village called Veerlapally in the Singareni coal mine area, the film begins with the story of three childhood friends, Dharani (Nani), Soori (Deekshith Shetty), and Vennela (Keerthy Suresh).

The villagers are always drinking and spend most of their time at Silk bar. Local politics between Rajanna (Saikumar), Shivanna(Samuthirakani) and the latter's son Chinna Nambi (Shine Tom Chacko) threaten to disrupt their lives.

What effect does a political leader's game plan have on the lives of the three friends?

Artistes’ Performances: For this film, Nani reinvented himself. He played a rustic character for the first time, which was unlike any of his previous roles. He sinks into the role and delivers an amazing outcome. The effort he has put in for the role is evident throughout, and he is the film's main pillar.

The award-winning actress Keerthy Suresh delivers another believable performance in the author-backed role. She is the central character around whom the plot revolves.

Deekshith Shetty, who plays the hero's friend, gives an effective performance. Malayalam actor Shine Tom Chacko has also given a good performance. There are many actors, but none of them receive adequate recognition.

Technical Excellence: The film's cinematography is the first thing that stands out because the film is entirely set in a coal mine. The dark color palette of the color scheme works so well with Sooryan's imaginative camera work.

The music by Santosh Narayanan yields mixed results. The production design is flawless, and the production values are excellent. The dialogues are neat.

Highlights: Nani’s performances Keerthy Suresh Interval bang Villain reveal scene

Drawback: Slow pace Predictable sequences Loses the steam at many places

Analysis "Dasara" makes its intentions clear from the start, with the hero entering the scene in a coal mine area and his friend assisting him. The scene establishes the story's theme of friendship, and gradually introduces the lives of the two friends, as well as the villagers addicted to alcohol in the coal mine area. It is also quickly established that the two friends are in love with the same girl, Keerthy Suresh. So, the first sections are predictable and move at a slow pace.

However, the film is more about creating atmosphere and focusing on characters than it is about plot. The design of the hero's character is impressive. He's timid and only gains courage when he consumes alcohol. And when he drinks, he loses control and can do whatever he wants. This characteristic trait of the protagonist is used so effectively in the later portions of the film, including the interval twist.

Additionally, there are cultural and social references that are properly established, such as women in Telangana performing Bhatukamma during the Dasara festival and Ravana's effigy being burnt on the festival day. The director effectively employs these cultural aspects in his storytelling.

If we take these elements out of the film, it becomes more or less a typical revenge drama. Srikanth Odela, the new director, has prioritized mood and visual palette over story.

The film's biggest surprise is the interval bang. The pre-interval chase sequence and the intermission bang are handled expertly, revealing the villain's true intentions at the start of the second half. As a consequence, the remainder becomes more predictable, and many sequences are bland. The running time is also too long, and the film definitely needs sharp editing.

Furthermore, the film, whether intentionally or unintentionally, attempts to follow the template of "Rangasthalam," but lacks the gripping screenplay that the Sukumar movie had. Caste politics are also mentioned in the film, but they are not properly established.

Additionally, the period (probably set in the 1990s) is shown as if it happened in the 60's or 70's, even though most villages had more modern facilities by the 1990s, even in remote coal mine areas.

Overall, "Dasara" is a regular revenge drama that relies more on visual style and grand making than the plot. It is watchable because of its ambition and Nani’s performance.

Bottom line:  DasaRAW

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The coveted pan-India label is used loosely in Indian cinema, and culturally rooted stories that are infused with larger-than-life heroism seem to be the go-to themes for such films. Nani’s Dasara had the potential to become the next big pan-Indian film originating from the Telugu states. In fact, it starts off as a compendium of multiple pan-India films. Veerlapalli, the hamlet Dasara is set in is abutted by coal mines and the thick layer of black dust everywhere takes you back to the mines of KGF. We see Dharani ( Nani) make a living with his friends by pilfering coal from moving trains, with his parkour jumps reminiscent of the action choreography in Pushpa. At the heart of Dasara is the jigri dosti of Soori (Dheekshith Shetty) and Dharani and there are no points for guessing which recent successful Telugu film comes to mind when we talk of male friendship. However, what makes Dasara a film that truly expands the definitions of what passes off as a pan-India film is director Srikanth Odela’s unique and rousing voice that ensures the film assuredly dodges comparisons. There are a lot of ‘a-ha, I got you!’ moments in the film that makes us smile thinking of how quick we were to judge Dasara as just a byproduct of the successes of a KGF/RRR/Pushpa/Kantara , and not as a highly effective, and deeply engrossing mass entertainer that is its own beast.

Director – Srikanth Odela

Cast – Nani, Keerthy Suresh, Dheekshith Shetty, Shine Tom Chacko

Alcohol is the primary leitmotif of Dasara’s first half, which is used to establish the caste and power dynamics of Veerlapally. We see how the stronghold of Shivanna (a buck-toothed Samuthirakani) shifts to Rajanna (Sai Kumar), creating a ripple effect in the lives of Dharani, Soori, and Vennela (Keerthy Suresh). It is beautiful how Dharani, Soori, and Vennela form a subversive love triangle, which has a refreshing eschewal of jealousy that paves the way for a tender gaze on male vulnerability. Srikanth Odela’s vision finds a perfect match in Nani’s acting prowess, as the actor lays his heart bare in scene after scene to heartbreaking effect. This vulnerability is used as a platform from which the film makes giant strides in the second half where the plot steadily burgeons into mythical proportions, which is kickstarted by a bone-chilling interval banger that injects adrenaline into the proceedings and gives Dasara a new sense of urgency.

Dasara , at its core, is the coming-of-age story of Dharani, who suffers a personal tragedy before taking up the cudgels for a righteous fight. Unlike the usual big-ticket revenge sagas, where rage and violence are de rigueur, Dasara actually makes way for a debate on the necessity of violence. Though the film quickly resumes the originally scheduled plan of bloodshed, it was an interesting detour nonetheless. Srikanth shows glimpses of being a filmmaker who wants to reinvent masala cinema, and he starts off by changing the way the genre generally treats its women. Keerthy Suresh gets a great role, of a woman who goes from being confident and sassy to one coming to grips with a tragedy. Poorna, who plays the role of Chinna Nambi’s wife is an interesting casting choice as she makes an impact despite her limited presence. But the same can’t be said of Shine Tom Chacko, who isn’t supported by the writing, which gives him poorly dubbed, expository lines that only make him less scary with every line.

The place where Dasara truly succeeds is in the makers’ attention to detail. Visuals of hooch and mutton curry, displayed as hallmarks of Telangana culture feature prominently, and the presence of people with dwarfism is a depressing but pertinent detail thrown in to show the congenital issues people living amidst coal mines are susceptible to. It is a world cut from the cloth of reality, of lived experiences and memories finding their way from the script to screen. However, the film does falter a bit with some creative choices, and the discord between writing and editing. Why should a weapon have the visual of a villain superimposed upon it when the film’s strength lies in its subtlety and strong emotions?

What truly is the takeaway from Nani’s Dasara is the voice of a potentially important filmmaker. The pre-interval action sequence and the portions involving Dharani and Vennela’s marriage are resounding proof of Srikanth Odela being the real deal. Of course, there are places where he needs to pick up the slack, especially in the staging of the action sequences among others. But points to Srikanth for developing a core and a narrative that rises above its shortcomings and manages to create a visceral, immersive experience where the sum of the emotions elicited prove to be larger than its moving parts.

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Dasara Movie Review & Analysis | Nani, Keerthy Suresh, Shine Tom Chacko | Srikanth Odela