Nani kicks up a bloody storm in the raw and uneven action-drama Dasara
Telegu star Nani shines in his first mass appeal role but Dasara suffers from a sluggish screenplay and tiresome violence.
Starring: Nani, Keerthy Suresh, Dheekshith Shetty, Poorna, Shine Tom Chacko, Zarina Wahab, Samuthirakani
Gruesome bloodshed and violence have become so normalised in mainstream Telegu cinema that filmmakers, critics, and the audience don’t even bat an eye while watching macabre scenes. Dasara, too, features eye-watering violence, with fire and blood splattered on the screen. This is the hiccup in a film that is otherwise a solid, engaging action-drama featuring a spirited and transformative performance by Nani.
YS Life watched the film in Hindi, and Sharad Kelkar does a fine job of dubbing for natural star Nani.
Debut director Shrikanth Odela has built an authentic, visually immersive world in the village of Veerlapalli, which is dependent on coal mining for its livelihood. The coal mines have no role to play beyond featuring in songs, with everyone doused everyone in a layer of soot and dirt. The only exceptions to this visual standardisation are Keerthy Suresh as an Anganwadi teacher Vennela who steals eggs and groceries from the school stock, and Shine Tom Chacko as Chinna Nambi, the villain.
The story begins with a rather funny song about men in this village losing all purpose when the state government bans alcohol. At the centre of their lives is the Silk Bar, which is controlled by the elected representative; also the boss of the village.
Nani as Dharani and his best friend Soori (Dheekshith Shetty) are alcoholics like the rest of their gaggle of buddies. He is so loyal to his buddy that he gives up his childhood love for him. He is also someone who scares easily. When his grandmother tells him that she drinks alcohol to find her courage, he gets hooked on the heady pint. But alcoholism is called a tradition rather than an addiction here. Even though caste lines come into play to differentiate between those that can drink inside and those that can only drink outside the bar, alcohol is a great leveller and no one seems to mind. The sufferers, however, are the women who lose their husbands and their sons to the all-consuming drink. Yet, there is no recourse as it’s the politician who sustains himself by feeding the village’s drinking habit.
All That Breathes review: The Oscar-nominated documentary makes a compelling case for nature in urban chaos
As circumstances change around them, the happy-go-lucky bunch of Dharani, Soori and company have to take sides. They draw the ire of Chinna Nambi (Shine Tom Chacko), the powerful and twisted village headman. Violence takes over and tragedy strikes.
For once, Dharani has to take charge without the help of his best buddy or alcohol. He shows strength of character when he tackles the social evil impulsively. He also swears revenge for the violence that killed many in the village. As Chinna Nambi also builds his forces to show Dharani his place, the climax becomes an all-out, surreal, blood-soaked and fiery kill fest.
Dasara stands tall in its performances. Nani is brilliant in his first massy role, where he is barely recognisable till he gets a wash and a shave. His actions and stunt performances are also on solid display. Dheekshith Shetty is an equally compelling second lead and Shine Tom Chacko is effective in his villainy. Keethy Suresh mostly pulls through but she has little agency to deliver on key moments in this story. In fact, the treatment of her character, or that of Chacko’s wife (Poorna), is symptomatic of the film’s structural storytelling flaws.
The screenplay is confusing as it tackles multiple issues but never resolves one. While there are pivots into caste politics, treatment of widows, and alcoholism—none are given a solid conclusion or evolution. Nani is a likeable character despite his weaknesses and he does his best to etch a character journey till he finds his heroic side amid the unending violence. But the story plods along without leading its characters to take decisive action, slowing down the film’s second half.
The women tend to speak up but do very little in terms of following up with action. And endemic to some Telugu films, romancing a girl involves some amount of coercion, which is never pleasant to watch. Love blossoms; it doesn't need to be tugged by its hair.
Dasara ends dripping with fire and blood, and leads to a peaceful epilogue only for some more violence to conclude the alcohol dependence of its village. Given its screen time of two-and-a-half hours, there was definitely room for better conversation, more negotiation and some character evolution. It is a mainstream action-entertainer that could have become a moving drama with finessed writing.
Rating: 3.5/5
Edited by Kanishk Singh