Movie: Dasara
Rating: 3.25/5
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
Before “Dasara,” Nani had never spoken so confidently about a movie or travelled all over India to promote it. The movie has gotten a lot of attention lately. It appeared from Nani’s film advertising that it would be a significant accomplishment. Really, is it that good?
Let’s investigate.
Story:
The movie opens with the tale of three childhood friends, Dharani (Nani), Soori (Deekshith Shetty), and Vennela, set in the 1990s in the Singareni coal mine region (Keerthy Suresh).
The Silk bar is where the majority of the locals hang out and drink all the time. Local politics involving Shivanna (Samuthirakani), Chinna Nambi (Shine Tom Chacko), and Shivanna’s son Rajanna (Saikumar), pose a danger to their way of life.
What impact does a political leader’s strategy have on the three friends’ lives?
Artists’ Performances:
Nani transformed himself for this movie. For the first time, he portrayed a rural character, which contrasted with all of his prior performances. He completely commits to the part and produces a fantastic result. He is the film’s key support because of the effort he has put into the part.
In the character supported by the author, award-winning actress Keerthy Suresh turns in yet another realistic portrayal. She is the main figure around whom the story is centred.
The actor Deekshith Shetty, who plays the hero’s companion, performs well. Shine Tom Chacko, a Malayalam actor, also had a strong performance. Although there are several actors, none of them are given enough credit.
Technical Excellence:
Since the entire movie takes place in a coal mine, the cinematography of the movie immediately jumps out. The colour scheme’s dark colour palette complements Sooryan’s creative camera work beautifully.
Mixed results can be found in Santosh Narayanan’s music. The production values are outstanding, and the production design is faultless. The conversations flow well
Highlights:
Nani’s performances
Keerthy Suresh
Interval bang
Villain reveal scene
Drawback:
Slow pace
Predictable sequences
Loses the steam at many places
Analysis
With the hero approaching the scene in a coal mine area and his friend assisting him, “Dasara” makes its aims obvious right away. The scenario starts the friendship concept of the movie and gradually shows the two friends’ lives as well as those of the locals who are alcohol dependent in the coal mine region. Also, it becomes clear very immediately that the two pals share a crush on Keerthy Suresh. So, the earliest parts are predictable and progress slowly.
The story, however, is less important in this movie than atmosphere and character development. The hero’s character has a stunning design.He lacks confidence and turns to booze to help him. He also loses control after drinking and is free to act however he pleases. The final parts of the movie, especially the intermission twist, make excellent use of this defining attribute of the protagonist.
Additionally, there are established cultural and social allusions, such as Telangana women dancing Bhatukamma at the Dasara festival and the burning of Ravana’s effigy on the festival day. These cultural elements are skillfully incorporated into the director’s tale.
If we take these aspects of the movie out, it pretty much just becomes a standard revenge drama. The new director, Srikanth Odela, has given more importance to the mood and colour scheme than to the plot.
The film’s intermission bang is its biggest surprise. The chase scene before the break and the bang during the break are handled with finesse, revealing the villain’s actual motivations at the start of the second half. The rest becomes more predictable as a result, and many of the sequences are boring.Also, the film’s running time is excessive, and the editing might need some sharpening.
The movie also makes an effort to emulate “Rangasthalam,” whether on purpose or accidentally, but it falls short due to the screenplay’s lack of tension compared to that of the Sukumar film. The movie also makes mention of caste politics, but it doesn’t really develop them.
Moreover, the time period (likely set in the 1990s) is depicted as though it occurred in the 1960s or 1970s, despite the fact that by that decade, even isolated coal mining locations had more up-to-date amenities in most villages.
Essentially, “Dasara” is a typical vengeance drama that places more emphasis on magnificent production values and visual flair than on the plot. Because of its ambition and Nani’s performance, it is watchable.
