Cast: Nandamauri Balakrishna, Anjali, Sonal Chauhan, Vikramjeet Virk, Nassar, Rati Agnihotri, Suman, Kabir Duhan Singh, Aksha Pardasany, Vennela Kishore, Prithvi, Posani Krishna Murali
Banner: Vedhaaswa Creations
Music: S Thaman
Cinematography: Shyam K Naidu
Editor: Gautham Raju
Distributor: Eros International
Story-Screenplay: Kona Venkat-Gopi Mohan
Writers: Sreedhar Seepana (scenario), M Ratnam (dialogues)
Producers: Kishore Lulla, Sunil Lulla, Arjan Lulla, Sriwass
Director: Sriwass.
A routine Balayya mark Film!
Plot:
Chandu alias Chandrasekhar Dharma (Balakrishna), a big shot in Delhi living in the disguise of an employee in Dharma super market store has to lock horns with local MLA Govardhana Rao (Chakravakam Madhu) & gang for Indu (Sonal Chauhan). In a series of unexpected events, Chandu’s true identity and the actual reason for his undercover in the city is revealed. How did Chandu turn into a Dictator, why did he do so & how did he end his enemies forms the rest of the plot.
Performances:
Nandamuri Balakrishna: This power house of energy has once again given his best. But honestly, his makeover in the film deserves more attention which is missing in the film.
While Sonal Chauhan is a glam doll restricted to the first half, Anjali is hero’s love interest who plays a cameo in the second half.
Rati Agnihotri: She plays the lead villain in the film with gusto. Amidst the pack of male baddies, she is in a way a change for sight. Had her character given more content and power, the game would have been more exciting.
Prithvi alone shines in the brigade of comedians in the film. And the rest of the cast including Suman, Nassar, Giridhar, Raghubabu, Hema, Rajeev Kanakala, Virkramjeet Virk, Kabir, Kasi Viswanath and others play their part in this commercial potboiler.
Analysis:
Sriwass, a promising commercial director and producer of the film chose to play a safe game. Especially with a mass star like Balakrishna, this can be regarded a smart move.
A hero who is an underdog in the first half when provoked by the bad gang reveals his true identity, powerful past and ends the game (that he alone plays all the way). With an age old storyline like this, any optimistic cinegoer would feel vindicated if he’s given a refreshing treatment (guess a legitimate assertion) but Sriwass again impresses by preferring masses to the abovementioned section of audience.
What do an average fan expects from a Balayya’s film?
“Loud and powerful dialogues, performances, action and anything given beyond are just a bonus” – this is the most possible and expected reply and Sriwass gives us exactly the same.
The first half is an engaging affair with Balayya Babu playing the underdog and a powerful pre-interval episode gives some momentum to the film and gives hopes to the fans. Right when you are expecting the big game to begin in the second half, the director punctures your bubble with a slogging past, repetitive attacks and counter attacks between the protagonist and antagonist. Except for a bunch full of dialogues and few songs, the second half has nothing exciting to talk about.
In a nutshell, the first half is better than the second half!
Merits:
- Balakrishna’s dialogues and overall performance.
- Sonal Chauhan’s glamor
- Engaging first half
De-merits:
- Age old treatment
- Bland second half
Music:
Thaman’s songs are catchy, peppy & might be chartbusters too but Chinna’s background score for this run-of-the-mill entertainer went largely unnoticed.
Others:
The item song by Shraddha Das & Mummaith Khan is also a passing cloud – no expectations please!
Verdict:
Dictator is a Balayya mark commercial film - strictly for hardcore fans, the rest can give it a miss!