Daaku Maharaaj, produced by S Naga Vamsi and Sai Soujanya, was released in theatres today. In this section, we are going to review the latest box office release.
Plot
In a tea plantation somewhere in Chittoor district, an evil politician named Thirumala Naidu (Ravi Kishan) has illicitly established a cocaine operation. Krishna Murthy (Sachin Khedekar), the owner of the plantation, objects to it, inviting the politician's wrath. Enter Nanaji (Balakrishna), a seemingly ordinary driver who enters Krishna Murthy's life, becoming a guardian angel for his granddaughter, Vaishnavi (Veda Agarwal). But Nanaji is more than he appears. Encounter specialist Stephen Raj (Shine Tom Chacko) is hot on Nanaji's trail. What is the connection between him and the ruthless Balawanth Singh Thakur (Bobby Deol), a mining baron? How are the past and present connected? How is Nanaji connected with the girl's destiny?
Performances
Balakrishna's acting is top-notch and is the film's greatest benefactor. As a crusading civil engineer and a mythical saviour, he redeems a regular story. Bobby Deol's acting is good but he doesn't get to raise the bar. The Bollywood actor is better than the old-fashioned villains Telugu cinema has fashioned over the decades, and his talent remains largely utilized.
Pragya Jaiswal has a predictable character arc in the flashback, staying true to our expectations from her character. Shraddha Srinath gets a role with a respectable screentime. The film is packed with a roster of artists who make varying impacts. Sachin Khedekar and Chandini Chowdhary are seen in plain roles on the good side. Shine Tom Chacko is effective as a mercurial cop. Makarand Deshpande doesn't do over-the-top acting, thankfully. Aadukalam Naren and Sandeep Raaj are good as bad guys. Ravi Kishan as the evil MLA is routine.
Technical Departments
Thaman's background score, despite drawing obvious inspirations from the works of Anirudh Ravichander and AR Rahman, is splendid. The songs (Chinni, The Rage of Daaku, and Dabidi Dibidi) are good in that order. The placement of the item song could have been sensible, though.
The cinematography by Vijay Kartik Kannan is flawless. Art Director Avinash Kolla shows talent in getting the best from barren lands as well as the hill station. V Venkat's action choreography is nothing out of the ordinary; it is Balayya's alluring heroism that makes the difference.
Post-Mortem
A lot of what transpires in Daaku Maharaaj is the stuff of formulaic cinema but the spectacular treatment is immersive. Writer-director Bobby Kolli executes a saviour complex story with stylization. The flashback is packed with mass elements. The entry of a noble Civil Engineer, the antagonist thwarting his mission in the most ruthless fashion, a melodramatic treatment of the travails of the downtrodden, exploitation p0rn follow. Balakrishna's magnetic screen presence and Thaman's innovative background score are among the biggest merits.
The mythification of Daaku Maharaaj is remarkable. The influences of filmmakers like Prashanth Neel is palpable. If you compare this film with his movies released in the 2010s (be it Lion, Dictator, Paisaa Vasool or Jai Simha), Daaku Maharaaj would seem like a masterpiece. This one should also be seen as one of the better mass masala movies in recent years.
The trope of a girl child in danger has been over-exploited for decades. But this film gives it a nice edge. The bandit-type treatment to the titular character's gang is engaging. Warnings and furious conversations on the phone are multiple. The male lead enters the scene at the precise time to save the needy.
The screenplay is convenient here and there. Take the example of Daaku's soldiers entering the fray to save a key character. If they were always informed, what stopped them from saving Nanaji from Stephen Raj in the first place?
Closing Remarks
Daaku Maharaaj is a Balakrishna movie all the way. It is a Thaman child too. Sithara Entertainments ensures classy production values. Watch it for its studied tempo-building, action sequences and punchy dialogues.
