‘Dacoit’ movie review: A simmering old-school romance led by Adivi Sesh and Mrunal Thakur

Dacoit: A Love Story keeps its biggest surprises under wraps, even as its team amped up pre-release promotions. Directed by Shaneil Deo and led by Adivi Sesh and Mrunal Thakur, the Telugu-Hindi bilingual is, at its heart, an emotional love story with an Indian ethos, told through a Western lens. The emphasis on “at its heart” is deliberate — embedded within is a distinctly old-school romance that nods to cinematic tropes of the past, hoping to resonate with a swipe-era audience.

For that to land, the writing of both characters and subplots needs to hold. Sesh and Shaneil, who share screenplay credits, pack the film with layered, often complex characters. Threads of possible deceit and double-crossing keep the narrative engaging at key moments. While a few characters verge on being one-note, the complexity of the central figures ultimately works in the film’s favour.

When the film reveals all its cards towards the end, some of the early lines in the love story, initially seeming routine, acquire new meaning. Screenplay supervisor Abburi Ravi, who also writes the Telugu dialogues, revisits certain lines through the film, allowing them to gather emotional weight as the narrative unfolds.

More than the thin plot, it is the non-linear storytelling that lends Dacoit its intrigue. The 152-minute film wastes little time, building momentum from the opening credits. The whir of windmills across the Andhra–Karnataka border, captured in ultra-wide frames by cinematographer Danush Bhaskar, contrasts sharply with the gloom of a prison cell where Hari Das (Adivi Sesh) is introduced. The camera lingers on his ‘J’ tattoo — a nod to his Juliet, Saraswathy (Mrunal Thakur) — as he holds back tears. What follows establishes Hari’s duality: irreverent in public, yet vulnerable in solitude or among those he trusts.

Set in 2021, in the aftermath of the second lockdown, the narrative travels back to 2005. The sun-scorched landscape becomes a character in itself. Much like last week’s Telugu film, Biker, Dacoit benefits from staging its drama in real locations rather than relying heavily on sets or VFX.

The film interweaves Hari and Saraswathy’s love-hate dynamic with action. A standout sequence places heat, dust, trains and guns against a remix of the popular song ‘Kannepettaro’ from Hello Brother, starring Nagarjuna Akkineni. Crucially, the sequence avoids glorification of the hero; it subtly underscores that while Hari may have toughened in prison, he is no hardened criminal. That vulnerability makes him believable.

When the story shifts to an unlikely partnership between Hari and Saraswathy, attempting a series of heists, it is this vulnerability that draws the audience in. They are novices — fumbling, improvising, racing against time. The amateurish quality of some heists is intentional. Alongside their personal struggles, a subplot on pandemic-era medical exploitation — black fungus, Remdesivir, and mounting hospital bills — adds emotional heft, evoking a collective memory many would rather forget.

The film’s social commentary, particularly its undercurrent of caste hierarchies, adds further layers. Even the names, Hari and Saraswathy, alongside their nicknames Romeo and Juliet, feed into this discourse.

However, after building strong momentum, the film falters in its later stretches. The heist sequences begin to overstay their welcome, and some key revelations feel predictable. It is not difficult to anticipate why someone gets framed. It is also not tough to connect the dots when a child appears on screen.

Yet, the caste discourse lands effectively. When a character questions why some escape consequences, the film resists easy answers.

The characters played by Anurag Kashyap and Zayn Marie Khan emerge as a pleasant surprise. Referring to Anurag’s character as Swami and situating him within the context of Ayyappa deeksha adds another layer to the film’s commentary.

The supporting cast, featuring Atul Kulkarni, Prakash Raj, Kamakshi Bhaskarla, Sunil, Jhansi and Zarina Wahab, is impressive. However, some of them are unevenly utilised. One wonders if the mid-escape dance number (despite Jonita Gandhi’s presence) was necessary.

At its core, the film rests on Mrunal and Sesh. This marks another strong addition to Mrunal’s Telugu filmography after Sita Ramam and Hi Nanna. As the emotional anchor, she delivers a nuanced performance, elevated further by Chinmayi Sripada’s dubbing.

For Sesh, known for his tightly written thrillers, this film tests his acting range, and he rises to the occasion. Shedding his urban polish, he convincingly embodies a man torn between love and hurt. His dialect, thought, is uneven.

The technical team also deserves mention. Bheems Ceciroleo’s songs, especially ‘Rubaroo’, and Gyaani’s background score complement the narrative, occasionally nodding to Westerns through string arrangements. At times, however, the music overwhelms the dialogue. Rekha Boggarapu’s costume design and Sri Nagendra’s production design keep things grounded, without distracting attention from the characters, while editor Kodati Pavan Kalyan ensures narrative fluidity across timelines, especially in the first half.

Dacoit is not an easy film to instantly celebrate or dismiss. It offers much in terms of character arcs, structure and writing. Its old-school approach to romance, even teasing a spoiler in a song’s opening lines, is a bold choice. Does it fully land? Not quite. With tighter action and fewer predictable turns, it could have been a sure-shot winner.

Published – April 10, 2026 02:57 pm IST