Dhamarukam is riveting

Nagarjuna’s latest film Dhamarukam is an ambitious film which rides high on the wave of an interesting premise and laces mythology with fantasy.

Movie : Dhamarukam

Cast : Nagarjuna, Anushka, Ravishankar, Ganesh Venkatraman

Director : Srinivas Reddy

Rating : 3.5/5

Dhamarukam starts with a bang. It begins with an interesting narrative about the war between gods (Devas) and demons (Asuras). We are told that the gods manage to kill all the asuras, except one named Andhakasura who in turn vows to avenge the death of his clan and once again resurrect the age of asuras. Thousands of years later, Andhakasura (Ravishankar), who’s still meditating and waiting for the right moment, is told by his confidant that a new born girl is the one he’s looking for. So, he sets out on a mission to find this girl and kill her to regain his power and end the supremacy of the gods. Right from the outset, Dhamarukam banks on this premise and embarks on an ambitious journey which involves sorcery, divine intervention and one man’s bravado which is the only thing standing between the asura’s vicious plans and world’s harmony.

Nagarjuna, who plays Mallikarjuna in the film, eases into his role with élan and it’s only in the end that he gets a chance to flex his muscles against the demons. Dhamarukam is the latest entrant on the growing list of Telugu films where VFX is an important component and the film wouldn’t have been as thrilling as it was, at least for most part, without the effective usage of VFX. While there are several scenes where the visual effects are in your face and lack the finesse of most VFX loaded films, it adds an extra dimension to the characters, especially for Andhakasura, in the film. Anushka does a good job as the damsel in distress and Ganesh Venkatraman catches you by surprise. But the actor who walks away with all the laurels in the film is Ravishankar. His portrayal of Andhakasura is magnificent and Ravishankar adds a tinge of villainy which is reminiscent of some of the finest antagonists from the 50s and 60s.

This is Srinivas Reddy’s biggest project ever and the film is bound to take him to the next level as a director who has the potential to execute such an ambitious film. Devi Sri Prasad’s background score is brilliant and the dialogues in the film, especially those written for Ravishankar, are good.

There are several instances where the logic goes for a toss, but the pace at which the story unfolds doesn’t leave you with anytime to ponder over the film’s shortcomings. It’s an ambitious film with an interesting premise. Just go with the flow of its narrative. It might just catch you by surprise.

Tags: Anushka, Dhamarukam, featured, full-image, Ganesh Venkatraman, nagarjuna, Ravishankar, Srinivas Reddy

Category: Cinema, Tollywood