‘Daku Maharaj’ movie review: Bobby Kolli, Balakrishna’s film has more style than substance

Balakrishna in ‘Daku Maharaj’ Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The revival of Balakrishna in recent films like unbroken And Bhagwant Kesari Credit for this can be given to filmmakers Boyapati Srinu and Anil Ravipudi, who have made the star more relatable to the masses beyond his larger-than-life quirks. While the ethos of a typical Balakrishna film hasn’t changed much, fresh narrative styles have breathed a new lease of life into time-tested templates.

In dacoit chefIt’s clear that director Bobby Colli was keen on a new visual aesthetic in the star-driven vehicle. The action is stylized and simple; There is a genuine effort at charismatic world-building and the ‘punch lines’ are minimal (by the standards of popular Telugu masala potboilers). Hero worship is woven into the narrative rather than appearing forced.

Despite these strengths, the film is weakened by a lack of conviction in the execution. It neither walks in the galleries nor adopts the new theory wholeheartedly. A handful of sequences attract attention and can be said value for moneyBut overall the film is not satisfactory.

Set at a hill station near Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh, the film takes time to establish the context of the Messiah’s arrival. A girl named Vaishnavi, the granddaughter of an influential man, is in danger from a local gangster duo. An escaped convict – ‘Dacoit’ Maharaj – assumes the identity of Nanaji, a driver, to protect the family. What connects Maharaj’s violent past to the goons and the girl?

The film effectively ditches the ego-boosting introduction song to announce the hero’s entry. S Thaman’s upbeat musical score and crisp dialogues between action sequences serve to offer a glimpse into the hero’s aura. Just like Balakrishna’s previous films (Jai Simha, Narasimha Naidu And Bhagwant Kesari)A young girl serves as the emotional link for Star to vent his anger.

When the proceedings get too heavy, there is some comic relief in the guise of humor (Satya gets wasted) and silliness in the romance, where Balakrishna beats up Urvashi Rautela in a song named after his trademark phrase ‘Dabidi Dibidi’ Is performed. Amidst all the gore and bleak lighter moments, the child character brings some innocence (though sometimes sarcastic) into the mix.

However, the spicy action soon turns superficial. There are many irrelevant characters who pose no threat to the hero; The villainy lacks substance and the story meanders around for too long. The uneasiness is somewhat mitigated by a flashback episode, in which a government official turns into a dacoit.

Some of the tropes are reminiscent of 90s and 2000s films. A lion-hearted hero stands up for the people of dry lands untouched by development and builds a dam for them; Every other girl in the area calls her ‘Mamaiya’ or ‘Annaiya’. Within this predictable framework, the equation between the Maharaja and the collector, Nandini (Shraddha Srinath) is a ray of hope.

The entire subplot woven around the water supply in a village and the connection between marble quarries and drug rackets is hastily made and devoid of authenticity. Once the film returns to the present timeline, everything else becomes a formality. What’s surprising is Balakrishna’s restraint in holding the weaker parts together, helped by the action choreography and raw visuals.

Cinematographer Vijay Karthik Kannan’s penchant for visuals comes to the fore in the flashback segments set in Chambal, which take the audience into a chaotic world devoid of hope. In particular, the imagery of the headless statue of a bandit leader merging with Balakrishna’s face stays with you long after the film. The gore is never vulgar or sensual and the technical finesse enhances the experience.

There is also mention of jungle animals in the film. Maharaj’s towering presence in the interval episode has been compared to that of a wounded snow leopard. The dialogue also adds some excitement – ‘When you shout, you bark… When I shout… (referring to roaring)…,’ ‘I am a master of killing,’ ‘When a lion And the deer comes face to face, ‘This is not a fight… this is a hunt’.

There is a noticeable difference between what dacoit chef It has a goal and its end result. Visual artifice and myth-building often overrule the director’s conventional choices. Apart from Balakrishna and Shraddha Srinath’s Nandini, other characters (including the antagonist – Balwant Singh Thakur played by Bobby Deol) do not leave any strong impression.

It is disappointing to see capable actors like Ravi Kishan, Shine Tom Chacko, Rishi, Chandni Choudhary and Sachin Khedekar wasted in unimportant roles. Shraddha Srinath is beautiful as a weak government official, while Bobby Deol plays a typical Mumbai-import villain who gives a strong warning to the hero without doing much. Pragya Jaiswal and Urvashi Rautela’s roles lack agency and serve only as glam dolls. Sandeep Raj’s role starts off well but adds little value to the film.

Bobby Colli’s attempt to present a ‘different looking’ Balakrishna film is a mixed bag. Apart from the performances of Balakrishna and Shraddha Srinath, the action choreography, cinematography and music save it to some extent.