Dhandoraa – A Fair Attempt That Finds Its Strength in the Finale

Dhandoraa is a 2025 Telugu-language social drama written and directed by Murali Kanth Devasoth. The film has Shivaji, Navdeep, Nandu, Ravi Krishna, Manika, Bindu Madhavi, Raadhya & Mounika Reddy playing the lead roles while Muralidhar Goud, Aditi Bhavaraju, Devi Prasad, Rajasekhar Aningi, Kamal, Bhaskar Manyam, Suresh, Sahasra & others are seen in important supporting roles. The music is composed by Mark K Robin, while Ravindra Benerjee Muppaneni produces the film under Loukya Entertainments banner.
Story:
The film is set in Medak, Telangana. One day, an upper-caste man named Shivaji (Shivaji) dies in his sleep. The local sarpanch Seetaram (Navdeep) asks the relatives to inform this news to Shivaji’s son, Vishnu (Nandu), who lives away from his father in Hyderabad, along with his wife Vanitha (Mounika Reddy).
The story centers on a few key characters, each responding differently to the incident. How is this death connected to Vishnu, Seetaram, Ravi (Ravi Krishna), Sujatha (Manika), Sri Latha (Bindu Madhavi) and the whole village’s deep-rooted caste dynamics? Needs to be seen in the film.
What about on-screen performances?
Shivaji is the lifeline of the film. The whole story revolves around his character, and he gives out a solid performance as the man who is driven by caste. He kills it with his act in the courtroom scene and in the pre-interval scene with his daughter’s boyfriend.
Navdeep, who is credited as Navdeep 2.0, has surely turned the tables around with a refreshing character and has given an entertaining performance as the local sarpanch. Though he has limited screen time, he leaves an impact as his character gets a beautiful round off towards the end.
Nandu as Shivaji’s son, Vishnu and Ravi Krishna as the boyfriend, Ravi give out matured performances in their respective roles. Both of them get their share of key scenes in the film, and they both leave a huge mark.
Bindu Madhavi plays a sex worker named Sri Latha, and she pulls off her role with utmost grace. Her character is the reason for the shift in the narrative, and all her scenes with Shivaji will have a lasting impact on screens.
Manika as Shivaji’s daughter and Mounika Reddy as Vishnu’s wife are too good in their parts. While Manika impresses in the love scenes, Mounika does well as the relatable angry wife.
Raadhya, who plays Jr. Sujatha’s role, comes in towards the end and takes away the brownie points with her emotional performance. She gets the best scene of the film in the pre-climax.
Muralidhar Goud, Aditi Bhavaraju, Devi Prasad, Rajasekhar Aningi, Kamal, Bhaskar Manyam, Suresh, Sahasra & all others are adequate in their respective supporting roles.
What about off-screen talents?
The story by Murali Kanth Devasoth is honest. Though the caste-based theme looks like it has been explored N number of times in many films in the past, the drama around the characters is built up neatly.
The screenplay has its share of ups and downs. The main conflict and characters are introduced neatly at the start. The pre-interval and pre-climax portions are spot on with good emotional value, but the scenes in the middle portions of both the halves look pretty half-baked. A few scenes in the village feel routine & unwanted.
The courtroom scene involving Shivaji and Sujatha’s powerful moment, where she gives away her land are both whistle-worthy. The last 20 minutes turn out to be the film’s biggest strength, offering satisfying closures to most key characters with emotional weight.
Director Murali Kanth Devasoth does a passable job with his presentation, but his narration could’ve been a lot better. His attempt is honest, and a little more novelty in building the scenes would’ve made this one of the best films of this year.
A few dialogues related to caste and life are well written. But there are a few conversations that are overwritten, and the Telangana slang looked abrupt at a few places.
The songs by Mark K Robin are good. Pilla song is already doing well and is the best track in the album. Also, the title song adds weight. His background score is also pretty decent, especially towards the end portions.
The cinematography by Venkat R. Shakamuri is excellent. The way he shows the village atmosphere is effective.
The edit by Srujana Adusumilli needs more sharpness. Some scenes look lengthy and could’ve been chopped.
The costumes by Rekha Boggarrapu stand out, while the production design by Kranthi Priyam and the artwork by K.V. Ramana are good.
The production values by Loukya Entertainments are adequate.
What’s Hot?
* Shivaji, Navdeep, Nandu & Ravi Krishna’s Performances
* Raadhya, Mounika Reddy, Manika & Bindu Madhavi’s Performances
* Hard Hitting Climax & Impactful Last 20 Mins
* Whistle Worthy Courtroom Scene
* Pilla Song & Decent Background Score
* Cinematography & Production Values
What’s Not?
* Slow Paced Narrative
* Few Overly Written Conversations
* Unwanted Chiru Remix Dance Bit
* Dragged Out Second Half
* Few Unwanted Subplots
Verdict: Overall, Dhandoraa is a half-decent attempt that discusses the caste dynamics in a village through topics like death, love and marriage at a leisurely pace. Though the theme looks routine, the ensemble cast’s performances, along with the solid climax portions, are the biggest plus points of the film. If you can sit through the slow-paced drama till the end, then the climax will surely leave you satisfied.
Telugubulletin.com Rating: 2.75/5
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