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

3/5

Story

Dasara is set in the coal mines of Veerlapally village in Telangana. Dharani(Nani) and Suri(Deekshit Shetty) are childhood friends who rob coal for a living. Dharani loves Vennela(Keerthy Suresh) but she likes Suri. On the other hand, the village is dominated by a powerful family headed by Nambi(Shine Tom Chacko). The people of Veerlapally are addicted to alcohol and a popular Silk Bar is the place for local politics. In a turn around of events, Suri and Dharani get involved in the political battle related to the bar and receive a massive setback. The rest of the story is as to how Dharani takes things in his hand and handles the powerful Nambi and his men.

Review

Dasara is Nani's biggest film to date in terms of budget, release, and opening. The village drama has been hyped a lot for the last few weeks and does it live up to the hype, well, only to an extent. The setup, characters, and mentalities of the villagers are nicely established in the first half. What draws your attention is the captivating camerawork that takes you into the world of Dasara. Not one location looks like the film is entirely shot in a set. First time director, Srikanth Odela gets full marks in the way he creates the realistic world of Dasara where people are only bothered about alcohol and nothing else.

The entire first half shows the friendship between Dharani and Suri and how the former sacrifices his love for his close friend. There are no great scenes that justify their friendship but the action scenes and the way Nani is introduced look quite interesting. Things get interesting only when the actual story kick starts from the solid interval bang. Director Srikanth Odela makes sure that he introduces his characters well and sets the conflict point clearly. The writing is crisp and the world of Dasara is clearly established with the entry of Shine Tom Chacko, the main villain.

Dasara is filled with some fabulous performances and first in line is Nani. He makes a U-turn from his regular boy next door roles and transforms superbly. Be it his look, dialogue delivery, and the body language of a drunkard, Nani aces it completely. This is the first time he has gone all mass and makes sure that justifies his action packed role. But Nani shines in the emotional department as the heartbreak he showed in the first half or the guilt he carries in the second, he dominates the show. Deekhit Shetty makes a striking Telugu debut and is amazing as Suri. He gets more screen space than Nani in the first half and impresses with his eyes.

Keerthy Suresh is a surprise package of the film and is superb as Vennela. Her hyperactive behaviour, the Telangana dialect she speaks and the emotional outbursts in the second half, Keerthy is superb in Dasara.  Sai Kumar and Samthurakani get very limited roles and are okay in their part. Malayalam actor, Shine Tom Chacko plays the baddie and he looks menacing. Though he impresses and suits his part in the first part, the director does not elevate his role in the latter half. The makeup is superb and so were the massy costumes.

Dasara is one of the most technically rich Telugu films in recent times. The makers have spent a bomb and that showcases in every frame of the film. Santosh Narayan's music is spot on but his BGM could have been a lot better in key areas. Dasara has one of the best visuals in recent times and credit should go to cameraman Sathyan Soorya who lights up the world of Dasara in a rustic manner. The best part of Dasara is the production design. The film is a period drama and the logistics are spot on when it comes to the village atmosphere. The Telangana dialect is neat and so were the dialogues. Editing could have been a tad better as the film has excess length and is slow in the second half.

Dasara is Srikanth Odela's debut film and for a first time director, he has done an impressive job. Though his storyline is simple and does not have standout moments, the manner in which he sets the film in a unique world and creates rustic characters is the best part. He extracts superb performances from his cast and designs the action in a very raw and uncut manner which is one of the highlights. If he would have enhanced the second half with hero-villain drama, things would have been even better.

Also Read: Makers of Nani's Dasara not happy with the censor cuts

Dasara has a very good first half and comes to a breakpoint with a predictable but solid interval bang. There are not many scenes which give you a high but the emotions and journey of the characters are handled well by the director. The second half has issues as not many confrontation scenes between the hero and villain deviate the film's seriousness. As there is not much to showcase, the film gets into a family drama mode. But things ended well with a power packed climax and a message that is neat.

Also Read: Dasara box office prediction

Verdict

On the whole, Dasara lives up to the hype created only to an extent. The backdrop, characters, action, and hit music are top notch and will be a major attraction for the masses. Nani's new avatar will surely wow the fans but the needed drama in the latter part is missing. If you ignore the slow pace and predictable storyline, Dasara has some gritty visuals and great performances that make the film worth a watch.