Dasara pays an earnest tribute to mother nature with its three pivotal characters Dharani, Vennela and Soori

Written and directed by Srikanth Odela, the film stars Nani, Keerthy Suresh and Dheekshith Shetty

Dasara

How influential is nomenclature in a film? While it’s convenient to dismiss it as a trivial exercise, the way you view a film can change significantly when you focus on the little details. For instance, it’s hard to think of a better name than Bhuvan (that translates to earth) for Aamir Khan in Lagaan - he’s after all the son of the soil who rises to the occasion and secures the future of the village.

When it’s not overemphasised, a character’s name can establish his/her traits effortlessly. Several Telugu filmmakers overdo this exercise, yes, but they’re effective when they work and in Dasara, the nomenclature works to the film’s advantage. Its three pivotal characters - Soori (a.k.a Suryam - Dheekshith Shetty), Dharani (Nani) and Vennela (Keerthy Suresh) - represent different dimensions of nature.

Also read: Dasara Review : Has routine story but Nani's solid transformation makes it worth a watch

Soori, Dharani and Vennela’s names reflect their love lives. If Soori is a representation of sun, Dharani is viewed as a son who’ll stand up for his soil while Vennela symbolises moonlight. Right at the beginning, when Vennela’s blows her candle during a festival intentionally, it is Dharani who comes to her rescue and lights it up again. It directly signifies how when there’s no ‘sunshine’ in Vennela’s life, Dharani will be there for her.

The word ‘vennela’ is also a representation of the rosy times that Dharani and Vennela spend during a festival (Dasara) in the night. Later, when Soori has the hots for Vennela, their names hint they can’t have a future together. It’s hard for ‘sunshine’ and ‘moonlight’ to coexist and the ‘soil’ is the only aspect that binds them together.

Also read: Dasara and Ranarangam: Two different takes on NTR’s alcohol prohibition in Andhra Pradesh

At another critical juncture in Dasara, a character says Soori will rise for a new dawn and there will be better times to come. Smartly enough, director Srikanth Odela keeps these micro-detailing in the subtext and doesn’t overwhelm the viewer. It’s exactly what you would call ‘sone pe suhaaga’ (icing on the cake). Dasara is produced by Sudhakar Cherukuri under SLV Cinemas and has music by Santhosh Narayanan.

Share