It has been quite some time since we saw Adivi Sesh in a big film. His latest movie Dacoit has hit the screens today with huge hype. The film is directed by Shanil Deo and has Mrunal Thakur as the female lead. Read our review here.
Story: Hari, played by Adivi Sesh, belongs to a lower-class background in a small village. He falls in love with Saraswati(Mrunal Thakur), and just when he is about to propose, things take a drastic turn as he gets involved in a murder case. The twist is that Saraswati also betrays him, leading to his imprisonment for 14 years. After serving his sentence, Hari returns, seeking revenge and devises a plan to trap Saraswati. Did he succeed in his revenge? This forms the crux of the story.
Performances: Adivi Sesh is a talented actor and proves it once again. He surprises with a more massy avatar, dances well, and delivers strong dialogues. However, he truly shines in emotional scenes. Mrunal Thakur is a perfect fit as Saraswati and delivers a powerful performance, especially in the second half. Anurag Kashyap is decent but has limited scope. Prakash Raj is underutilized, while Sunil is just okay.
Technical Aspects: The film has solid technical values. The background score by Gyaani is impressive and elevates the narrative well. Cinematography is strong, and action sequences are well choreographed. The production design is neat, though the dialogues are just average. The writing could have been a lot better when it comes to the love story.
Analysis: If you look at Dacoit on paper, it is a very simple story. A woman cheats on her boyfriend, and he decides to teach her a lesson. But when he plans and tries to get her involved, there comes a twist which manages to create solid drama in the setup. There are three major twists in the film that have been established quite well and are placed nicely at regular intervals.
However, the drama in between is not that great. Things are not elevated properly in the second half, and this is where the film gets bogged down a bit. But as the twists keep coming and the action is quite stylish, it makes for a decent watch. The action blocks need a special mention as they are stylish.
If the director had elevated the drama between the lead pair even more and clarified a few aspects as to why the lead pair got separated, and why the heroine cheated the hero, things would have made a lot more sense. The emphasis is more on thrills rather than clarity in the film. This is where Dacoit bogs down a bit, especially in the second half.
But the climax is so good that it brings a smile to the face. The emotional baggage that the hero carries is justified properly. Overall, the film manages to bring in solid thrills at regular intervals and clicks mainly because of this.
Verdict: Overall, Dacoit is a romantic action drama with engaging twists. While the second half drags and lacks emotional connection, the strong climax and thrills make it a decent watch. Lower your expectations, and the film will entertain you reasonably well.
Bottom Line: Good twists save the day
Rating: 2.5/5
