Dasara (2023) User Reviews

Commercial movie with singareni coal mine back drop

[mudumalathomson · 6/10 · 1 April 2023]

Dasara is a high adrenaline action, revenge drama that is set in the backdrop of singareni coal mines. The movie, the characters and dialogues are all out and out Telangana.

The story is simple and as you have seen in many commercial movies, but screenplay and mass elements never let the pace of the movie down. But there is a unexpecting twist which changes the entire course of events and sets up tone for the latter part of the movie.

The way the director deals with the story and characters is fresh. Even though the movie has good entertainment, there are certain parts which are lagging and slow.

The village sets and props are amazing and well made. The songs are great. The action part is the king of this story, combined with high emotions.

This is Nani's one of the best performance in his career. Watch it for Nani.

Poor Story and Content

[rajnnair · 6/10 · 29 April 2023]

I watched expecting it to be good based on the trailer and hype however was disappointed.

There was hardly any story though there were moments here and there. The movie is inconsistent and does not have that wow factor.

The locales and some of the scenes are shot nicely. The songs are different and couple of them are good.

From performance point of view, Keerthy Suresh does a superb job and is the best of the lot. She gives her character Vannela life and is one of the shining points in the otherwise dull movie.

Nani has his moments but is let down by the script. He is exceptional in some of the emotional moments. Some of his scenes with Keerthy are good.

Nanis career best performance

[navachythanya · 8/10 · 31 March 2023]

Nani's acting is top-notch, and the director's debut is impressive...... Ultimately, Nani selected the finest script... He is at this very moment. Simple, interesting, and energy is the story. You'll get goosebumps for sure . Santosh narayan Songs are good and bgm is excellent. You may recall a few scenes from the movie Rangasthalam. Other actors performed well . Just experience in theatres, .

You and your family can watch together.

The tale is predictable, but drama at its finest. Although the second half is a little sluggish, the overall film is excellent. There won't be a 2nd part. Rating 8 out of 10.

Meh 2nd half

[vibhus-17780 · 6/10 · 3 April 2023]

Brilliant 1st half to Meh 2nd half .

Pros - 1st half was totally good . Character establishment and world building were great . Story moves like a rural political drama like Rangasthalam till 2nd half . Srikanth Odela in his debut direction , his staging and making style with Sathyan Sooryan's camera work were incredible . Performance wise Nani and Keerthy did a great job . Asusual SaNa never disappoints with his composing , back ground scores and songs were good .

Cons - Main antagonist of the movie was 2nd half . The way they established the plot in 1st half literally created some excitement , but in second half it was totally shattered . The reason for the conflict happening in the movie was totally meh . The only thing that makes 2nd half watchable was making and climax action set pieces , even 3rd act was pretty to long and exhausting .

Overall , movie had great potential to be a good commercial entertainer , but due to huge let down in second half it falls under average entertainer . Lower your expectations .

A Mass Masala Movie with Flaws, but Nani Shines!

[Siddusaik · 7/10 · 30 March 2023]

Nani and Keerthi deliver top-notch acting in this violent yet thrilling movie that will leave you on the edge of your seat. The first half is excellent, but the slow narration and predictable second half might be a letdown for some. The cinematography and songs are outstanding, while the technicalities and screenplay make it a must-watch.

However, the excessive violence and abusive language, along with some unnecessary melodrama, might not be suitable for some audience. Despite its flaws, Dasara is definitely worth watching once, especially for Nani's performance. The dark room simulation ambience adds to the film's suspense, but some might find it overwhelming.

In summary, Dasara is a mass masala movie that showcases Nani and Keerthi's exceptional performances, accompanied by Santhosh Narayanan's music and bgm.

One thing is very clear Tollywood needs more and better BGM composers. Tollywood is really lagging behind in this area.

Overall, Dasara has its flaws but is still a decent mass masala movie that's worth watching for Nani's performance and some well-executed action sequences.

Emotional Rollercoaster with a ting on Adrenaline

[sandeep-settipalli · 10/10 · 30 March 2023]

Dasara is an emotional rollercoaster with a ting on adrenaline and ton of extraordinary acting. Amazing performance by Nani and Keerthi. Fantastic cinematography and realistic score. Director Sreekanth proved a story from the heart can be commercial without adding unnecessary comedy or item songs and silly cliches. Nani's choice of movies is always unique and will never miss on emotional part of a story. He is BANG ON this time with his choice. It is dark and as close as it can get to the reality as the production design needs a special mention. Overall it is worth a watch in theaters. Tamil audience and Hindi audience may connect more.

unexpected visual treat from Nani

[Kulin33 · 7/10 · 2 April 2023]

Dasara movie review:

A Surprising Visual Treat

The movie had me with it from the start till the very end, the theme of alcoholism was very funny and than suddenly the movie tells us a story of love and friendship, which later changes to Ramayana spin off which was just totally unexpected. Nani the lead actor does a fabulous job in acting, his eyes speaks volumes to us while watching him.

Regrettably, the films sound track sucked and was not up to the mark which really could have made a lot more impact on the movie. The songs are not greatly dubbed in Hindi which is very sad on the part of a viewer going for a Hindi version. The climax would've been more engaging than your typical South Indian movie, which wasn't that bad either to be honest.

Super

[businessarpith · 10/10 · 30 March 2023]

Super movie, had he clutched for the entire time, the emotions, directions all oscar worthy. Nanis super acting has changed the movie so much. The progression of the character and all the bad things that happened is so good climax is really good and is a must watch for anyone. There's a lot of blood but it was all made up for the insane character and plot. Srikanth did a amazing job when making the film and all the cast such as suri and all the friends, keerthy Suresh and all characters should be given a standing ovation. Please if anyone is a fan of movies go to this, amazing movie overall and I give it a 10.

Gritty Action Drama

[IPyaarCinema · 6/10 · 5 September 2023]

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. The power dynamics in the village of Veerapally keep you hooked. The film's cinematography is the first thing that stands out because the film is entirely set in a coal mine. The dark color palette of the color scheme works so well with Sooryan's imaginative camera work.

Nani is outstanding in his role as Dharani. His rustic makeover and massive massy transformation are major highlights of the film. Keerthy Suresh is impressive in his village belle role. Her dialogue delivery adds a realistic tone to the proceedings. Dheekshith Shetty is no lesser than the other two leads. His performance is quite natural. Malayalam actor Shine Tom Chacko gets a good role and he justifies it with his impressive performance.

Director is confused in his approach

[manojkris-04216 · 5/10 · 1 April 2023]

Movie on paper is good movie, acting wise, story wise and screenplay. But director not able to get the feel on screen. He has lost between what he wants to show to people. Each scene he want sto show something but it has not reach his own expectations we can see that. He wants to show Nani too stylish like Pushpa but there is Attempt but he is not successful. Dialogs also not have much punch. Music is ok nice but so great. Acting from each is wonderful.

I feel technically he could have made it better for the set he has put up and due to technically quality output is low on screen it can be right coloir grading , editing,graphics and good camera captures.

Nani and Srikanth odela's combined rampage!!

[thottempudikiranprasad · 9/10 · 30 March 2023]

Excellent revenge drama with it's own unique way of raw & rustic making and presentation without any textbook templates format!!

Entire first half of the movie focuses on characters intro, backdrop setup and emotional connect b/w the cast along with few exciting & entertaining sequences, nothing much of conflict is introduced here... The interval block leaves audience in a dilemma by ramping up the tension and holding the intensity!!

Screenplay enters the main plot in second half by bringing together all the pieces required for the conflict... character progression and pay off sequences are well incorporated in the narration!!

Every ounce of high in the movie is saved for second half quite satisfying and impressive in recent times!!

The massy climax portion couldn't get any better than this... true masterpiece!!

Background score composition is at it's best, elevates the moment to a greater level!!

Top notch production values, and technically flawless!!

Tollywood should reinvent itself...!!!

[PANDIAN120621 · 6/10 · 27 May 2023]

Looks like their are few directors down south raising the standard of the cinema and now a herd of poachers try to steal the the show and end up in a mess,one such cinematic blunder is "DASARA"... While the stars did their justice to the respective role it's the writing that keeps the pace study in this old wine story... And the major credit goes to cinematographer for his all-round hardwork which holds the movie,captures the the raw and hotness of the village and their people with halfbaked mindset...without which the movie wouldn't have achieved this victory...Santosh did a pretty god job worthy for every penny paid for him... Overall an above average film that is misfired with a tag called Pan India trend.

Over hyped and no content

[JakDexxter · 4/10 · 20 April 2023]

There is really no new content in this movie. I was expecting at least a mediocre movie as the reviews were a bit mixed on social media. The first half is watchable and it met my expectation.

The real struggle started after intermission. The placement of song "chemkeela angeelesi" gave me instant disaster vibes. I liked Nani's previous outing ante sundharaniki but this character didn't really suit him. The entire effort went into cinematography and set pieces. Music is okay. Villain's character is under written and routine. Keerthy is forgettable. Climax is forced. Overall, I don't really remember at least one good scene in this movie.

Dasara- Which is bigger love or lust ??

[kiran353 · 7/10 · 31 March 2023]

The movie is a proof of old wine in a new bottle. If the story is same, but the director or cinematographer or script writer has a different way of putting forward the same story then it will connect with the audience. The director of Rangasthalam started on the same note- Caste issues much prevalent in our society and added booze to the story yet managed to draw the audience to the theatres. The background music was different so was the acting of Naani and some key dialogues when Keerthy Suresh asks Naani as to why did he marry her. The ending was totally stylish and unexpected too. Some very good dialogues to be remembered for a long time are - Which is important - Lust or Love. ?? I am scared of the love Dharani has for you - classic dialogues. Few songs were good too. It may not connect well with audience who love popcorn romance like in Yash Chopra movies and typical Telugu movies but O. Srikanth did a very good job in this movie.

NANI's MASS!

[santoshrammohan · 7/10 · 30 March 2023]

Nani comes back after Ante Sundaraniki with a Mass Movie which resembles Rangastalam and Pushpa which is fairly reasonable because Srikanth Odela is an assistant of Sukumar. Srikanth Odela skills shine while Nani killed it with his performances so does every cast in the movie. Keerthi Suresh is amazing in her character World building, Heroism scenes are top notch. Cinematography looks amazing. Special Mention to the editor who made it looks great with the hidden cuts which reminds of Hollywood scenes. Songs felt great while BGM gets low which couldn't create that impact. Overall a decent one time watch.

Only for natuRAWl star

[tejakasi · 9/10 · 30 March 2023]

Pure Mass,Raw,Rustic with some flaws...

We all know nani as a great actor but now people are gonna know how terrific and dangerous actor he is, literally he just acted like it is now or never. And we should really appreciate the director "Srikanth Odela" he directed the movie like a pro even though this is his debut.

Coming to flaws the story itself is predictable and some lengthy drama which is adjustable.

In interval scene the director will put us in a shock/dilemma (we don't know how to react and express).

In climax the screens will set on fire and whole auditorium/theatre vibrates and leaves us a trance experience. One of the best climax in Telugu Film Industry (TFI).

Last but not least Background score is ultimate

""Overall a Must theatrical experience movie and it's an eye feast for you if you are a NANI fan seeing him in dharani character.""

We can all agree to the tag - PAN INDIAN STAR NANI.

I came only for Nani and he didn't let me down!

[SoumikBanerjee1996 · 6/10 · 28 April 2023]

What sets Dasara apart from other commercial movies is its drastic tonal shifts in the middle. The two halves of the movie differ not only in terms of their tonality but also in overall pace and approach. It's like seeing two different movies in quick succession;

The pre-interval segment is on comparatively lighter note as it is all about establishing these characters and the respective places they are coming from, whereas, post-interval, the movie takes a dark turn as now the story finally starts creating the much-awaited human drama and confrontations that subsequently pave the way for an electrifying, action-oriented conclusion with Nani, our lead protagonist, at the heart of the matter.

Now, speaking of Nani, he embodied Dharani with utmost sincerity and utter conviction; he became so engrossed in his role that he was at times unrecognisable. Keerthy too warrants some commendation for her effortless and unwavering depiction of Vennela, Dharani's romantic interest. I found myself liking both their chemistry and the tragic story they happen to share.

In spite of all the above, the film failed to reach its fullest potential for three key reasons: first, the villain here is weak, untenable, and there is hardly any build-up given to him; secondly, the music numbers, or the way they were placed, seemed unjustified and functioned as pointless distractions, thereby disrupting the flow of the narration; and last but not the least, the script itself, which was all too routine, lacking any real twists or turns! Even the anti-alcohol message in the last minute felt forced & inconsequential.

Blockbuster movie 🔥

[bandreddymanasnaidu · 9/10 · 30 March 2023]

Nani's best movie in his career the first half was good and second half was also awesome the climax was the best climax of this year 👍🔥 Trust me you will enjoy the movie for sure The movie totally about the friendship , mass and love 🙂

I am telling you will definitely enjoy the movie.

Best performance was of Nani he was Rocking in movie 🔥🔥🔥

The positive thing:- 1. The climax 2. Nani's character 3. Best roles for supporting characters 4. The songs and bgm are best 👍👌

The negative thing:- 1. The second half can be more nice

Overall, the movie is best movie in Nani career you enjoy it damn sure you can watch this movie with your friends and family 👍

One time watchable because of Nani and Keerthy only

[abhishekraj-19602 · 7/10 · 2 May 2023]

Just to keep it simple listed out pro's and cons: Pro's: 1. Nani and Keerthy Suresh nailed their character even though character doesn't look good on Nani he gave his best.

2. Usage of regional raw telugu looks good in movie.

3. All main supporting characters gave good performance.

Cons: 1. Story line is easily predictable more like a routine story of two friends at start and one will die after half of the movie. Director hasn't done good with story telling.

2. Casting of Villain is major setback for movie. They got some junior artist to play Villain who failed to deliver miserably and director is forcing viewers to see him as villain.

3. Not using talent of samuthirakani, shamana , sai kumar. They were in the movie for no reason.

To sum up the review watch the movie only for Nani and Keerthy Suresh their is nothing else interesting than this two.

Very slow and boring.

[rvmukeshg · 4/10 · 6 April 2023]

I Don't know why other users given it high ratings!!

First of all theater was fully empty only max 10 person was came to watch in Theater and every one was using there smartphones to get some entertainment from there not from movie as movie was too slow .

First half was not a single action scene only coal mine and silk bar's drunkard drinking all time alcohal .

Unnecessary boring hindi dubbed songs and only two good action scene was there.

Littlebit suspense there in movie and acting was good.

All actors have done good job but script is not good.

For me not as expected. West of time and money.

A Visual Feast.

[thefilmophile · 8/10 · 30 March 2023]

Nani's most recent cinematic offering, "Dasara," is a veritable feast for the eyes, replete with deftly employed flares and backlit shots that wonderfully enhance the visual experience for the audience. The film is marked by an impressive character development that bears testament to the director's consummate skills, while the camera work is nothing short of breathtaking. Regrettably, the film's soundtrack, though not ineffective, is not prominent enough, and the story could have been more engaging. Although the visual effects are not without merit, they would have benefited from greater refinement. In sum, "Dasara" is a cinematic experience that, while enjoyable as a one-time watch, leaves one marveling at Nani's acting prowess and the director's deft visual storytelling.

A lackluster film

[cmcilm · 6/10 · 9 August 2023]

Dasara directed by Srikanth Odella is a lackluster film while having a few positives made in the film. The film is about political dynamics and relationships that take place in a fictional village, Andhra Pradesh. The writing was an absolute letdown to the film. The plot was cliche and predictable, giving the same scenes that have been already explored in many other movies. The screenplay has also given the cliche experience, not giving new changes to the already cliche script. The direction was an aspect that was done good, exploring the village and characters well and fleshing them out. The world-building has been really good, giving time to explain the traditions within the place. The dialect done by the actors has been improvised well. The performance done by Nani as Dharani has been outstanding, he has really lived in the actor and brought a rustic character to the audience. The performances done by Keerthy Suresh have also been really good, giving a good experience of the experience. The characters have been really fleshed out in the movie, giving an arc. Shine Tom Chaco's character has been another letdown because of his routine villainous character that has not been a new arc or plot point to the movie. The action sequences are one of the highlights of the movie, giving a high-octane experience. The sequences were giving raw and rustic energy to the audience and the film, as a whole. The music and score were also benefitting the movie, giving the right vibe to the film. The cinematography was another highlight of the film, giving a bright and rustic visual feast to the audience. The editing was a good aspect of the film, as well, giving a good dynamic to the film. Overall, the film is a lackluster drama but gives a highly energized experience technically.

3/4 Baked Rustic Village Drama Which Fumbles in Second Half

[IdlyViswanath · 5/10 · 1 April 2023]

Srikanth Odela's Dasara is basically dealing with two major plot threads. One is of the village of Veerlapalli and the political conflict there and how Silk Bar is important to that political conflict. And the other one is a romance thread which is what the director ends up focusing on and forgets the other plot thread in second half.

First half was quite good. The interval was quite well designed in a rustic fashion. You can tell what will happen, though it's executed novelly, but you hope it doesn't occur. But second half was dragged on unnecessarily and the plot threads so nicely set up in the first half are not properly conlcuded. Action set pieces were good and technicalities were quite good, kudos to director for designing such beautiful action scenes.

I was so engaged with first half and the characterizations. It was impressive to see all those characters and the village itself became a character in the film. I was sucked into the world and forgot about the snacks I brought. Second half overall did not meet my expectation. Post certain reveals in the second half you know where it's going and your wondering why the movie isn't ending because the setup is done for the climax but it just drags on unnecessarily. Even more of an issue as there are a few major plot points and only one of them is focused on in second half, the rest are forgotten and a rushed scene occurs in the neck end to shoehorn in a short conclusion which doesn't work or give impact.

But Nani acting was wonderful and a major asset to the film, can be considered as one of this best performances. He lived as Dharani! Deekshith was really good and you will love his friendship with Nani. Shine Tom Chacko has a meaty role and he is good in it, not award worthy but good. Samuthikarini and Sai Kumar had pretty good characters but their lack of screen time and threads were inconclusive which lacked impact. Poorna appears as Chacko's wife and she is set up in a good role but she also doesn't get enough screen time or writing for us to fully understand her, although her character seemed to have potential much like Sai Kumar's.

The screenplay is quite good in the first half. The director sets up all the different issues and plot points really well. However, he focuses only on one of those in the second half which causes the main issue and its dragged out as there isn't enough meat to last til climax for that thread. So screenplay can be said to have faltered in second half.

The director attempts to create some high moments which is noticeable but he fails in delivering those highs. There are multiple scenes and important changes that certain characters make and they lack in impact because the director doesn't emphasize them enough in my opinion. Same with the final scene at Silk Bar, which whole thread was what I was most invested in but got lost.

Srikanth Odela does quite well for being a debutant. Very impressive talent, especially in the action scenes and his vision for creating this connect with the village. He makes the village a character which is his major success. He lost my interest as second half progressed as despite the climax being setup he drags the movie for extra 20 min and forgets about the other plot lines which I personally was more invested in during the first half. Apart from that he did good, if he learns from these mistakes he can deliver greater films in my opinion.

Cinematography is bang awesome. Some scenes had issues with green screen. But the cinematography and sets were a major plus point and was the saving grace for me in all those boring scenes in second half. They truly sucked me into the world of Veerlapalli. The music by SaNa was also awesome. Chartbuster music before itself and it took the movie to next level in some scenes. Except for one rap music scene, it was quite authentic. And the Telangana dialect and dialogues were all so intriguing. I don't know much about culture their so I felt like I learned a lot.

Overall it's a mixed bag which has potential but the director fumbled in the second half causing it to be left as a mediocre attempt. Some of the scenes which were dragged could have been chopped to add more to the story and tie off certain plot threads.

Visually Striking Masala Action

[tbhuyan56 · 7/10 · 27 April 2023]

An entertaining and brutal masala action movie that has a lot of style. Loved the visual presentation. In terms of story there isn't anything new, it is similar to most films in this genre. The film tries to touch on various social issues as well like alcoholism, domestic violence and voting rights.

The story or the concept has been used a lot in various films of this genre, one can find some similarities with many films; I was reminded of rangasthalam and asuran a lot. The visual style is very similar to Asuran. But nonetheless the emotional beats of the story do work mainly due to the amazing acting performances. There are two spectacular action sequences. One in the middle and the other during the climax.

The extreme graphic violence might be too intense for some viewers. The pacing of the film is quite good, doesn't feel overly long. There are scenes featuring decapitations and lot of stylised over the top action. There is also a lot of thematic reference to the ramayana as the film is set around dusshera/dasara. The visuals, acting and action makes it a touch above than the generic action movies that come out. There are running chokeslams, flying headbutt, leaping clothesline attacks. All in all it was an entertaining watch.

A regular story with awsome performance & setting

[vineelbhupathi · 6/10 · 9 October 2023]

This movie casts Nani as a 'Naatu'-ral (raw) star, opposed to his normal role of natural star. The movie is raw & I think this is Nani's first A-rated film. The film is an average one with a regular story & picture being drawn without connecting all the dots. The villian looked dumb towards the end, as it looked like he didn't really have a motive but was just trying to finish the movie faster.

But, I like the direction, the way film is shown & the excellent performance of the cast👌🏽. The climax fight looked a little exciting. But, on a whole this would be an avg one falling below the ranks of 'kfg' & 'pushpa' (comparing with similar genre one's😉)