Dasara Review - Nani Goes Wild & Hardcore In This Over-The-Top Action Drama

Srikanth Odela's action drama, Dasara, sees Nani in a never-seen-before avatar, alongside Keerthy Suresh and Dheekshith Shetty. The idea of the current pan-India slate is limited to action-packed entertainment, except for SS Rajamouli, who is really trying to take the filmmaking level much higher with films like Bahubali and RRR. Dasara comes out as another pan-India debacle, which I think might work better in the domestic markets. There has to be something special or unique in your film to attract North audiences, and Dasara has not a single thing that works for that. However, it's packed with a solid bunch of old biscuits with more crunch, and Nani is eating them all like a wild beast. The transformation of Nani from a cowardly man to a fearless slayer is a mass treat for his fans. Barring that, Dasara struggles to find its originality and unique identity. In fanwars language, I would say Dasara is a wannabe Rangasthalam converted into the closest form of Kabzaa.Set in 1995, Dasara is about Dharni (Nani), a young ruffian who steals coal and rum. His close friend, Suri (Dheekshith Shetty), is in love with Vennela (Keerthy Suresh), whom Dharni has loved since childhood. However, Dharni sacrifices his love when he learns that Vennela is in love with Suri and gets them married. Simultaneously, there is havoc in the village since the government has banned liqueur, and political players are ready to take advantage. Suri brings Rajanna (Sai Kumar) on board as a new leader as things are set to get better. However, the trio's lives are affected due to the village politics in the village, and Suri is mysteriously killed on the day of his marriage with Vennela. Baying for vengeance, Dharani sets out to find the killer, while he also has to keep Vennela safe.Dasara's basic storyline might give you vibes of Rangashalam. Instead of a brother, it's a best friend, and instead of being deaf, the protagonist is a little coward. Rangasthalam keeps the suspense alive till the end, whereas Dasara reveals it too soon. Then all you have to do is wait for Dharni to kill the antagonist. It hardly takes a KG-level brain to know that, anyhow, our hero is gonna kill the villain. What's new in that? How did Dasara writers not think about it? Well, they might have thought about the screenplay coming and saving it, but even that doesn't happen here. In the first hour, Dasara takes you into an intolerable zone of low-grade writing that makes you feel like stepping out of the auditorium. The intermission block comes to the rescue, and then a few action sequences in the second half are all you need to keep you awake in the cinema hall.

Seeing Nani in a hardcore action zone like this is somewhat pleasing, but one gotto agree that it's a terrible misuse of his acting skills. This zone doesn't require much acting skills, and an actor of Nani's calibre making the most of it with ease is the best you can expect. Talking about transformation, he is damn good there. Keerthy Suresh's Mahanati showed us her standard; then, why on earth can the same actress be affirmative about a role like Vennela? Of course, you don't get roles like Mahanati every time, but this is so dull and poor. Keerthy, ma'am, you definitely deserve better than this. Never expected you to be a silent doll in a film, but Dasara made it possible. Dheekshith Shetty, Samuthirakani, Sai Kumar, and Jhansi are hits and misses, but Shine Tom Chacko is a knockout. The second big surprise after Nani in Dasara is Shine Chacko. I have seen this man in such roles before, and yet I enjoyed every moment of him being just the same old guy from his previous film. Shamna Kasim, his wife, looks beautiful, but what a terrible insult to feminism it was. Coming back to action, Dasara is stuck in the 1990s. You know that one lying on the ground, 15-20 people getting over him, a minute of silence, and then, "Boom!" All 20 people are flying in the air. Dasara is a festival for those outdated cringes. Moreover, the action scale is too unrealistic to believe even for a superman. The man literally jumped through a burning effigy of Ravana, took on fire, aimed his prey, and yet survived. Holy Smoke! Dasara proves that 2023 is still the same as 2003 for Telugu cinemas. If Hindi dubbing is a crime, then arrest the translator of Dasara. What a horrible piece of writing. Even the free Ginger software on Google could have translated dialogues better than this. What are those rhymes, man? The slumber-bound tone, oh God. Sharad Kelkar has a rigid voice, but that's certainly too much for some occasions, such as emotional breakdown scenes and romantic scenes. Whoever thought of the coal mine theme and Silk Smitha's reference deserves to be hailed by misogynists and slammed by feminists. Those lyrics are instant killers because they kill your faith in words instantly. Those songs were better for somebody who left the auditorium for a work call. Srikanth Odela's direction is raw and ruggish, but I'm afraid only slumdogs have that much patience to understand and enjoy that. Movie critics and smart cinema lovers can wash their hands right after buying the ticket. In short, Dasara is the victory of Nani's wild and barbaric avatar over an unbearable cinema.