Dacoit review: Adivi Sesh and Mrinal Thakur headline a gripping romance-action heist drama that balances emotion and thrill that mostly engages
Review by Rajeshwari Kalyanam
A jilted lover wrongly serving jail time plans a heist with his former girlfriend in order to make money to run away from India, and as part of his revenge plan. Dacoit movie with Adivi Sesh as Hari and Mrinal Thakur as Saraswathi, his Juliet is part- romance-part-action movie. Produced by SS Creations and Annapurna Studios & directed by Shaneil Deo, the film effectively banks on Sesh’s penchant for story backed films and non conformist choice of roles and Mrunal’s strength in performance backed emotional characters.
Dacoit – Romance or action?
The film starts with the super fit Adivi Sesh flexing his six pack as he does push ups. The location is what sets the story rolling. He is in a jail and looks quite settled and shares a vibe with other inmates. Yet there is this angry side to him, which he tries to hide behind a mask of nonchalance. The anger is what forces him to run away from the jail and go looking for his former lover to take revenge.
The rest of the story is about how he instead ends up working with her, and how that pans out with other noted actors Atul Kulkarni, Prakash Raj, Sunil and Anurag Kashyap coming in to do what they are designated to do.
Why Dacoit works – Where it falters
Dacoit is primarily an emotionally charged romance with a tight yet well paced script that slows down just enough during sensitive and heartful moments and quickly gathers speed to thrill. Between thrill and romance you somehow stay invested in the story.
Yash Eshawari and Abburi Ravi who was earlier on the writing team for the film Major with Adivi Sesh, co-wrote Dacoit with the director. A big congratulations to them for a job well done. A script that is elegant and mostly works. The flip side of the script is that while alternating between different scenarios we end up with scenes where neither audience are allowed to dwell in any emotion nor the character is allowed to emerge fully well for that matter. This creates a certain disconnect that doesn’t bode well.
Yet with more than less well executed scenes, especially the action sequences supported by good camera work and background score, the film Dacoit works despite the lapses.
Dacoit Film Review
Cast: Adivi Sesh, Mrinal Thakur, Atul Kulkarni, Prakash Raj, Sunil, Anurag Kashyap
Director: Shaneil Deo
Writers: Yash Eshawari, Abhuri Ravi, Shaneil Deo
Music: Songs by Bheems Ceciroleo – Background score by Gyaani.
Cinematographer: Danush Bhaskar
Producers: SS Creations, Annapurna Studios
Genre: Romantic Action Heist Drama
Language: Telugu
Core Theme: Love, betrayal, revenge, emotional conflict within a heist narrative
Highlights: Strong performances, emotionally driven storytelling, well-executed action sequences, effective background score
Concerns: Transitions feel abrupt; character depth occasionally underdeveloped
Rating: 3/5
