Debutant Srikanth Odela’s Dasara is a mixed bag and there’s no two ways about it. On one hand, the film is visually gripping, the characters seem like they’ve more to offer and the atmosphere feels like everything is about to come undone at any second. On the other hand, Srikanth sets up themes he never fully explores, or worse, wraps them up with hasty conclusions. Due to that, the sucker punches hit you hard and the rest…they just don’t. The setting is Veerlapally. Drinking at the Silk Bar (an ode to the owner’s love for Silk Smitha) here isn’t an addiction, it’s tradition. Despite everyone pumping money into the bar, not everyone is allowed inside due to casteism running rampant. But the men don’t seem to mind, much to the chagrin of the women in the village. Everyone seems covered at all times in a layer of soot due to the coal mining in the village. Rajanna (Sai Kumar), Shivanna (Samuthirakani) and the latter’s son Chinna Nambi (Shine Tom Chacko) tussle for power, but the one in control of the liquor always wins. Dharani (Nani) fears a lot of things since childhood. He’d rather not speak up in uncomfortable situations and as a child, he loses bladder control if he hears a cat shriek nearby. One day his grandma tells him that she drinks to keep fear at bay, to no one’s surprise, Dharani is always found with bottles hanging off his waist at any given time. Suri (Deekshith Shetty) is his best friend and Dharani will do anything for him. Even if it means 'giving up' his love for Vennela (Keerthy Suresh), who also has eyes for only Suri. As much as Dharani and his tribe of underdogs want to steal coal off trains, drink themselves to an early death and be left alone in their tomfoolery, they’re dragged into something bigger. An issue snowballs, hidden agendas revealed, body count racked up till Dharani will have to learn to face his fears without the help of his trusty friends – alcohol and Suri. Srikanth spends most of the first half of the film setting up the world of Veerlapally and the characters that reside in it. He spends ample time on the small moments. After something major upends everyone’s lives, you expect Srikanth to go full throttle in the second half. Instead, he lets his characters sit with their emotions. This doesn’t necessarily translate to scenes that keep you fully engaged. Some don’t hold your attention, some are too heavy, and the much-hyped song Chamkeela Angeelesi just comes out of nowhere. He also doesn’t dig deep enough into some of the topics he explores. However, when Srikanth delivers, he does it with full assuredness. Few scenes in Dasara stay with you long after the film is done. The pre-interval is chilling, it’s not your usual ‘interval bang,’ you really don’t know where it’s going to go from here. The climax is cathartic and bloody, with the director going full throttle and refusing to hold back. The massy, elevation scenes work, so do the emotional ones for the most part. Women in this universe suffer due to the men’s choices, but they also sometimes get their say. Nani gives his sweat, blood, and tears to playing Dharani. After Jersey, this is probably his heaviest film till date and he carries it on his shoulders. Keerthy Suresh excels in some scenes and not so much in others. She’s a delight to watch when she’s dancing at a baraat but you feel frustrated when she acts hammy in a key scene. Shine Tom Chacko gets the chance to be unhinged in a scene, but he feels wasted otherwise. The same holds true for Sai Kumar and Samuthirakani. Poorna and Deekshith play their parts well. Sathyan Sooryan’s cinematography is a major plus for the film, so is Santhosh Narayanan’s music. Dasara is not the film that leaves you with a smile at the end of it all, it also doesn’t reinvent the wheel. Could it have been better? Sure. But Srikanth Odela and Nani make this slow burn work. So, credit where credit is due.Read more

Nani has been everywhere for the past few weeks. Be it promotional events or social media, he went all out in promoting Dasara as a pan-Indian venture. When the trailer of Dasara dropped, many felt that it reminded them of Pushpa and KGF. However, Dasara was neither Pushpa nor it was KGF. It had Srikanth Odela’s stamp despite the predictable storyline. Dharani (Nani), Suri (Deekshit Shetty) and Vennela (Keerthy Suresh) are childhood friends. They hail from a village called Veerapally, where men take the bottle. Their alcoholism affects the women in their lives. Dharani and Suri are best friends. So much so that Dharani will give up his love for Vennela, who is in love with Suri. As Suri and Vennela take their relationship to the next level, it does not go down well with Chinna Nambi (Shine Tom Chacko). The village, where coal mining is a way of life, is divided because of Rajanna (Sai Kumar) and Shivanna (Samuthirakani). Srikanth Odela is a debutant filmmaker, but he is a promising talent. With Dasara, he has built a semi-fictional world and has successfully transported us to the village of Veerapally. He shows Dharani as a vulnerable underdog. For a hero, he cries on screen, has no bladder control and shakes up in fear when trouble knocks on the door. In contrast, Suri, his friend, is his strength. While Dharani is naïve, Suri is practical. Meanwhile, there’s a feisty Vennela, who is a breath of fresh air. Dasara is a film that relies on its drama. Srikanth Odela is in no hurry to dive into the story the right way. In fact, it looks like he knew he had a predictable storyline in hand and decided to build a world around it so he could create an immersive experience for everyone. Dasara has so many layers. The film talks about women and how they are exploited, rampant caste politics and superstition. While the world-building, and characterisations of the lead roles and music make Dasara enjoyable, certain tropes hold the viewers back from completely enjoying this brilliantly shot revenge drama. In a scene, Dharani takes a decision which affects Vennela’s life. However, Dasara has another scene where Vennela questions whether she has a say in her life because she was never asked! And the hyper-masculine hero apologises. The power dynamics in the village of Veerapally keep you hooked. However, some of the initial stretches of Dasara could test your patience. Nani’s Dharani holds back for the most part of the film, while Deekshit as Suri takes the cake. It is probably because of this that the interval sequence leaves you in a state of shock. Nani is the soul of Dasara. From expressing his vulnerabilities to crying his heart out and emoting in silence, he has given his career-best performance. Keerthy, too, has a meaty role in the film. It is actually Suri who stole the show with his effortless acting. Something that Srikanth Odela could have worked on is the characterisation of the villain, Shine Tom Chacko. It treads on a wafer-thin line and after a point, it does not create an impact. Santhosh Narayanan’s music and Sathyan Sooryan’s visuals make Dasara what it is. The film could remind you of Dhanush’s Asuran and Rishab Shetty’s Kantara. While the film deals with a predictable story, it does have enough meat to hold onto its own.Read more