BOTTOM LINE
Sincerely Made But Boring
OUR RATING
2.5/5
CENSOR
‘U/A’ Certified, 2 hrs 18 mins
What Is the Film About?
Raju aka Ramakanth and Devaki, known to all as Dorasani fall in love with each other. Their emotion is pure and straightforward but divided by caste and culture. What happens when the people who shouldn’t know about their love come to know about it and how it ends is what the movie is all about?
How Is Debut Actors Performance?
The lead pair of Dorasani, Anand Deverakonda and Shivathmika Rajasekhar makes their debut with the love story. It is a predictable affair, so a lot depends on their acting. Have they lived up to the expectation?
Well, the good news is the lead pair delivers. There is no awkwardness on-screen and even that is present works as part of the narrative. Anand Deverakonda and Shivathmika Rajasekhar fit their roles to the T. They seem to be born for these parts and live the roles respectively.
Anand Deverakonda plays an average regular guy from the villages with zero swag of swashbuckling nature. It is the simplicity that is the highlight, along with sincerity and earnestness. Half of the job of conveying those emotions is done with the looks itself. The rest is done by dialogue delivery and a couple of emotional moments.
The scene in the second half while applying balm after getting beaten up is neatly done. It is a part that is perfect for him. However, if he intends to continue as an actor, we have to see which sort of roles is taken up as based on the presence in Dorasani, the choices might be limited.
Shivathmika Rajashekar is fine looks-wise (she is a split image of her mother) but she is good performance-wise. She has got the best deal among the two leads. There are a proper character arc and an emotional graph that is peppered with neat acting moments. It helps her show her capabilities as an actress.
The first direct interaction with Raju and the subsequent portions, the confrontation with father after the revelation of love and then the police station sequence during the pre-climax, are some examples of the scenes given to her to show acting talent. She leaves a positive impression with all those. The first step into the films, therefore, is a positive one, and we look ahead to what she has on offer next.
Direction by K V R Mahendra?
KVR Mahendra has picked a very routine and ordinary story. The difference in the story is brought up by the period set up in a village. It is the long-forgotten Gadhi culture of Telangana. The backdrop, along with the innocence in romance is what makes the predictable love story tick.
The first half of Dorasani is sprinkled with heart-warming romantic moments of the yore. There is no lust. It is a pure and simple love that says more without words than otherwise. The way the passion is brought alive between the couple with symbolical imagery thrown in between is brilliant. The girl in the window and the boy interacting from the outside through poetry and eyes only is excellently done. Seen alone, the love story generates a classic feel.
Another major deciding factor is the palpable tension in the narrative, and subtlety in drama. We feel and understand that the love story of the lead pair is doomed from the start itself. Most of it is implied rather than shown. The fear is always there, and it gives the proceedings its edge. The first half, therefore, is rightly set up in all ways even though nothing really happens.
However, the same backdrop, which helped in creating a classic love story, also brings it down in the second half. The naxalite element is not inserted correctly, and also the ‘Dora’ culture takes a predictable route. The proceedings can be second-guessed and also the ‘innocence’ of the love story has ended at this point.
The brilliant making still keeps us engaged, but the expectations are a killer as we expect something more after the excellent first half. The middle portions of the second half are a bummer in this regard as nothing much happens, and things appear to be repetitive. The narrative feels dragged. A couple of sequences showcasing the drama involving the lead pair would have been good.
However, the climax once again delivers the killer punch even if it’s highly predictable. The whole build-up and the final moments are executed with high precision.
Overall, Dorasani offers a tender love story that has a decent first half. But, the extreme predictability and lack of passion for most of the second half doesn’t let the emotions soar. Still, it is an okay one time watch if one doesn’t mind the predictable old school romance. If that is not what you want, avoid it.
Other Artists?
The casting of the movie is pitch-perfect. Apart from the lead actors, the Kishore and Vinay Varma has critical roles. Both actors do a terrific job. The former is on expected lines, but the later comes as a surprise. The rest of the actors have small parts, but some do get critical moments to own like the maid in ‘Dora’s house when she interacts with Devaki. The actor playing Seenu, a friend of Raju, has also done his limited role well.
Music and Other Departments?
The songs by Prasanth R Vihari are good. They look good onscreen with excellent picturization. However, it is the background score that stands out. It is extraordinary. It lifts the whole mood of the film to a new level. It is without any doubt, one of the best works in recent times and probably the best in the career of the musician.
The rest of the technical departments, too are superb. The cinematography and artwork are exceptional and helps to add a lot of feel to the narrative. All the sequences involving rain are amazing. The editing is sharp. Probably too sharp to let the emotional flow in an organic manner. The writing is another major highlight and helps tremendously in generating the feel.
Highlights?
Old school romance
BGM
Writing
Climax
Technical Departments
Drawbacks?
Predictable Story
Second Half
Repetitively in parts
Alternative Take
A few more dramatic moments between the lead pair showcasing the deep love between them.
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes
Will You Recommend It?
Yes
Dorasani Review by Siddartha
