Dasara: Nani-starrer is rooted in logic and still has consistent ‘mass’ moments, says Shine Tom Chacko | Exclusive

The past few years have catapulted actor Shine Tom Chacko as one of the leading character actors in Malayalam cinema. It was only a matter before the other film industries also took notice. While Shine forayed to Tamil with Vijay’s Beast last year, his role in Nani’s upcoming movie Dasara could be the one that further elevates his career.

In an exclusive chat with OTTplay, Shine, who is gearing up for the release of his film Boomerang, talks about the Nani-starrer and why it was a different experience for him.

“Dasara is Nani’s biggest movie yet. Even the teaser has got a huge response and people are looking forward to its release,” says the actor. “The producers are planning a wide release in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi, and that definitely comes with the price. It’s a movie that’s being made on a budget of around Rs 100 crore.”

Does he rate his experience in Dasara over Nelson Dilipkumar’s Beast? “Yes, in terms of the character,” Shine says. “Telugu ‘mass’ films require your performance to be a notch higher because visually too, they are different.”

The actor says that Dasara “has consistent ‘mass’ moments but they are also backed by logic and rootedness”. “For instance, the director used to tell me when I say my Telugu lines, I didn’t have to over-emote and had to keep real. ‘Your lips don’t have to move as much,’ he would say. He wanted the performances in the film to be subtle. Dasara is a movie that has a story rooted in logic but it’s shot in a massive, cinematic way,” he explains.

The filmmakers in Telugu are now trying to ensure that the content is realistic, while tweaking its presentation in their own styles, says the actor, who is also part of Maharani. “The Telugu ‘mass’ films of yore, where you 10 people fly when the hero throws a punch, has reached a saturation and the new crop of filmmakers are coming with different content to cater to the masses,” says the actor.

Directed by Srikanth Odela, Dasara, which is set against the backdrop of Singareni coal mines, also has Keerthy Suresh, Samuthirakani, Dheekshith Shetty and Shamna Kasim as part of the cast. The film is slated to release on March 30, 2023.