The opening stretch of Dacoit: A Love Story drops us straight into the Chambal badlands, where the dust hasn’t settled and neither has the violence. It’s a confident, grimy opening that announces Shaneil Deo’s intent, this is not your polished Telugu action romance, but something rawer, meaner, and far more interesting.
Adivi Sesh Commits to the Physical Grind, and It Shows
Haridas “Hari” is a role that demands a body-first performance, and Sesh delivers with a wiry intensity that suits the terrain. His injury during an action sequence delayed the film’s release, and you can feel that physical commitment in every chase and scuffle, the man is not coasting on charisma alone.
What impresses is the restraint. Sesh lets the silences do the talking, particularly in scenes opposite Mrunal Thakur where the romance is allowed to simmer rather than explode. He’s clearly reaching for a grittier register, and for the most part, he lands it.
Shaneil Deo’s Direction Has Grit, But the Screenplay Stumbles
Deo’s strength is atmosphere, the film’s sense of place is palpable, and he shoots the Chambal ravines with a documentary-like immediacy. The staging of action sequences is muscular and legible, a rare quality in a genre that often settles for shaky-cam chaos.
The flaw is in the pacing. At 2 hours 32 minutes, the middle act sags under repetitive conflict beats, and the screenplay by Deo and Sesh struggles to find new notes after the first hour. A tighter edit could have turned a good film into a great one.
Genre-Core Execution: Action That Bites, But Romance That Blurs
The action is the film’s strongest suit, with a chase sequence through the ravines that ranks among the year’s best Telugu setpieces. The stunt geography is clear, you always know where the bodies are, who’s winning, and what’s at stake. It’s old-school in the best way.
The romance, however, is where the film loses its nerve. The chemistry between Sesh and Thakur is adequate, but the script keeps interrupting their emotional arc with plot mechanics that feel borrowed from a dozen other films. The Juliet-Saraswati dynamic needed more room to breathe.
The thriller elements are serviceable but predictable. The cat-and-mouse game with the police is competently staged, yet the twists don’t surprise, they merely confirm what you’ve already suspected since the interval.
Anurag Kashyap and Prakash Raj Elevate Every Scene They Touch
Kashyap as CI Rambabu is inspired casting, he brings a feral unpredictability to the antagonist role that the film desperately needs. His scenes crackle with menace, and he never once slips into the cartoonish villainy that plagues this genre.
Prakash Raj, as Solomon Reddy, delivers his expected gravitas, but it’s Atul Kulkarni’s brief appearance as Ishaq Bhai that lingers. The man can do more with a raised eyebrow than most actors can with a monologue, and his presence signals the film’s ambition to be taken seriously.
Sunil, as the cop Prasad, provides welcome comic relief without undercutting the tension, a tightrope walk that few performers manage. Zayn Marie Khan and Sai Kamakshi Bhaskarla fill their smaller roles with enough texture to register, even if the script gives them little to do.
The Delayed Release and the Box Office Question
Moneycontrol reported an opening day India net of Rs 6.55 crore, a solid number that reflects Sesh’s star power and the film’s strong trailer. The injury-induced delay clearly didn’t dampen audience curiosity, though whether the film holds in week two remains the real test.
There’s no controversy here beyond the production setback, which is refreshing in an era of manufactured outrage. The film’s politics are murky, it romanticizes outlaws while also condemning them, but that ambiguity is more interesting than a clean moral stance.
For those who crave more from this world, our Telugu Thriller reviews cover the genre’s finest and most flawed entries.
I left the theatre impressed by the craft but frustrated by the screenplay’s refusal to trust its own instincts. The film works best when it’s dirty and dangerous, and worst when it reaches for familiar melodrama.
Watch it for the setpieces and the performances, but adjust your expectations for the romance. Dacoit: A Love Story is a solid, occasionally thrilling action drama that earns a 3 out of 5, worth your time in theatres, where the ravines deserve to be seen large.
For a quieter exploration of silence and trust, IRUL VAAN review offers a different kind of restraint.
If political gambles are your interest, Karathey Babu verdict takes similar risks with its narrative stakes.
