Set in the 1990s, Dasara follows the story of politics brewing in a village amidst the ban on alcohol. And that is all I can reveal about the plot as the story does have a couple of easter eggs up its sleeve. The story here is cliched but presented in the most unassuming way possible and kudos to the writers for the same. The screenplay standing at 150 odd minutes does make for a compelling watch which did not seem the case when I first started.

First things first, my skepticism was put to rest straight away. Dasara is not another Pushpa! The key to getting the mass masala entertainers right is to have its core emotions in place. And the writers do a marvellous job here keeping that in mind. I was amazed at the time spent in world building here that had many interesting characters and their dynamics to play with. What this period did was allow the viewers to be sucked into the drama. The leisurely pace ensured that the drama was textured and really well balanced. You are tactfully introduced to the politics of the area involving alcohol and the ban of it where the prime conflict was that of the caste. So to address the issue of caste here was refreshing in this fascinating world building.

The proceedings are engaging and engrossing particularly with respect to the character dynamics. So if the drama does have an undercurrent of the politics related with caste, there is a love triangle that is brewing amongst a few characters along with the essence of friendship. And that is the core emotion in play which is so well established. And once that is done right, the drama would generally have smooth sailing going forward. The tensions slowly escalate with every passing scene leading up to a fabulous interval block that will leave you shocked and dazed.

The second half is nicely setup and it does open with a huge twist and thus begins the transformation of the protagonist. So there is thought to the drama here and not just bare minimum fan service that we are used to otherwise. My small criticism related to the second hour would be that it does get repetitive in nature although it is extremely watchable. But on the plus side, the organic nature of the drama in tackling the dynamics between various characters was good to witness. The final act too where all hell breaks loose makes for a satisfactory watch although I really did want to witness a final showdown between the protagonist and the antagonist. But overall, the screenplay is well written with all the emotions intact.