Adivi Shesh and Mrinal Thakur starrer ‘Daku: Oka Prema Katha’ presents an intense story of romance and revenge against the backdrop of the Andhra-Karnataka border. The film revolves around Hari, an ex-bandit who, after being released from prison, seeks revenge on his ex-girlfriend, whom he believes is responsible for his ruin. Although the first half of the film succeeds in hooking the audience with its suspense and tight script, in the second half it becomes a little weak in balancing action and emotions. Despite Dhanush Bhaskar’s excellent cinematography and strong performances by the lead actors, the urban feel of the story world and the bland heist sequences prevent it from being a great film. Overall, this is a film that falls short in bringing its ambitious story to the screen in its entirety.
Story: Prison, revenge and old love
The story of the film revolves around Haridas alias Hari (Adivi Shesh), who comes out after spending 13 years in jail. He has a burning heart of hatred and revenge for his ex-girlfriend Juliet alias Saraswati (Marunal Thakur), whom he holds responsible for his ruin. Why did Hari go to jail and will he be able to take his revenge? This is the main premise of the film. The story looks interesting on paper and the first half keeps the audience hooked with its tight script.
Distortion: Weak atmosphere and weak in second half
The film’s biggest problem is its atmosphere. The story is set on the Andhra-Karnataka border, but the film’s sets, characters’ costumes, and the atmosphere resemble urban Hyderabad.
Shortcomings in execution: The twists in the second half of the film look good on paper, but on screen they fail to make an emotional connection with the audience.
Ineffective action: Despite the name ‘Daku’, the scenes of heists and robberies shown in the film seem quite tame and risk-free.
Imbalance: As seen in Thalapathy Vijay’s ‘Leo’, here too the film loses its balance while trying to show love and action together.
Acting: Strong performances by Shesh and Mrinal
Adivi Shesh and Mrinal Thakur have shouldered the burden of the entire film brilliantly.
Unique rest: Shesh has done a great job in emotional scenes, though as a ‘bandit’ he looks a little too polished.
Mrinal Thakur: Mrinal as Saraswati is the most reliable link in this film. He has played the ups and downs of his character very easily.
Other artists: Anurag Kashyap’s work is good but the talents of veteran actors like Prakash Raj and Sunil are not utilized properly.
Technical aspects: cinematography and direction
Debut director Shenil Dev directs with confidence and manages to weave some interesting moments.
Cinematography: Dhanush Bhaskar’s cinematography is the biggest strength of the film. He has beautifully captured the chase and action scenes on camera.
Music: Gyan’s background score strengthens the film, but Bheem Ciciroli’s music is a bit weak. The film lacks a powerful love song that can convey the pain of the characters.
conclusion
‘Daku’ is a film that tries to do something different, but it remains an average thriller due to lack of technical and emotional coherence. If you are a fan of Adivi Shesh and Mrunal Thakur’s acting, this is a must watch.