'Dasara' hit the screens today. In this section, we are going to review the latest box-office release.

Story:

Dharani (Nani) has been secretly in love with Vennela (Keerthy Suresh) since childhood. He conceals his true feelings for her because she is in love with Suri (Dheekshith Shetty), their common friend.

In another track, two step-brothers (played by Sai Kumar and Samuthirakani) are political rivals vying for the same position in the Sarpanch elections. The latter's son Nambi (Shine Tom Chacko) gets aggressive with his political ambitions. The ownership of the local liquor outlet becomes the epicenter of ego tussles. How Dharani and Suri are sucked into this feud and how their lives get affected is what the story is all about.

Analysis:

'Dasara' follows two tones. In the first, everybody in the village seems to be dancing and boozing all the time. This becomes obvious when Keerthy Suresh's happy days are on display. This becomes apparent when the wedding song 'Chamkeela Angeelesi' arrives. Santhosh Narayanan's songs, including the childhood song rendered by Anurag Kulkarni, let the audience soak into this mirthful world that is filled with the soot of collieries.

The other tone is poignant. Everybody looks sad here. The joy of Dharani, Vennela and Suri gets snapped overnight. The main villain is simmering within. His wife is pensive. A father is regretting that his son has taken to evil ways. Even Sai Kumar's character, who is not shown as a direct victim for the most part, has his share of political sorrows.

Amidst all this, the only character who is joyous is dead and gone: She is Silk Smitha, whose painting on the wall is shown at random. The film also finds other ways to entertain the audience. A robbery scene is stylized. A cricket match is stylized. Even a tragedy song like 'Ori Vaari' is semi-playful.

The film would have benefited had it adopted the path of non-linear narration. Had the narration oscillated between two different timelines, debutant director Srikanth Odela would have had the opportunity to toy with some narrative devices.

Nani's performance is best captured in elevation scenes. The slow-motion shots are effective. While a lot of people speak in a rather mundane language around him, the sense of intrigue around what is going on in his mind is maintained. Keerthy Suresh looks natural. In terms of evoking pathos, she does a fine job. Dheekshith Shetty is good, while Shine Tom could well become a busy artist in Telugu cinema.

The film tries to project its plot as some sort of epic tragedy but the plot is pretty average. Besides being predictable, the film is also prosaic if you take out the performances. Even Sathyan Sooryan's cinematography and the BGM can do only so much to salvage the film. There is a touching scene where Dharani explains his problematic act to Vennela. 'Dasara' surely needed a couple of more such moving scenes.

The action scenes could have been staged in a much better fashion. The goods rail scene in the first half and the climax fight testify to the talent of the action directors. However, the rest of the action lacks inventiveness.  

Verdict:

'Dasara' is an engaging film. Watch it for the performances, the climax, and some other merits.