Movie: Dacoit
Rating: 2.5/5
Banner: S.S. Creations & Suniel Narang Production
Cast: Adivi Sesh, Mrunal Thakur, Anurag Kashyap, Prakash Raj, Sunil, Atul Kulkarni, Zayn Marie Khan, Kamakshi Bhaskarla and others
Story, screenplay: Adivi Sesh, Shaneil Deo
Dialogue: Abburi Ravi
Music: Bheems Ceciroleo
DOP: Dhanush Bhaskar
Editor: Kodati Pavan Kalyan
Production Designer: Sri Nagendra Tangala
Stunts: A Vijay, Maibam Nabakanta , Rabin Subbu , King Solomon , Jeevan Botimala , Naba
Producers: Supriya Yarlagadda
Directed by: Shaneil Deo
Release Date: April 10, 2026
Adivi Sesh has built a strong reputation for choosing distinct, concept-driven films. “Dacoit” generated similar curiosity with its intriguing promotional material and pre-release buzz. But does it live up to his brand of cinema?
Let’s find out.
Story:
Haridas (Adivi Sesh), a man from a Dalit community in the Madanapalle region, falls in love with Saraswathi (Mrunal Thakur), who belongs to an upper-caste, affluent family. Their relationship faces strong opposition due to caste differences, eventually forcing her into a marriage within her community. A lie told by Saraswathi lands Haridas in prison for several years.
Cut to the COVID-19 period. Haridas escapes from jail with plans to flee to Dubai, for which he needs money. He devises a plan to steal funds being transferred from a hospital. There, he unexpectedly crosses paths with Saraswathi again: now a mother, with her husband hospitalized and in urgent need of Rs 1 crore for a heart transplant.
Sensing her desperation, Haridas involves her in his plan by making her the driver for the heist. What follows forms the crux of the story: Will he seek revenge? What led Saraswathi to betray him? And how will their past shape their present choices?
Performances:
Adivi Sesh attempts a rooted portrayal as a man from a marginalized background, even adopting the regional dialect. While his effort is evident, his polished screen presence feels somewhat misaligned with the rawness the role demands. His act looks odd at many places.
Mrunal Thakur delivers a convincing performance as a conflicted housewife and mother. She gets more scope in the latter half and particularly shines in the climax portions.
Prakash Raj is surprisingly underutilized in an inconsequential role. Anurag Kashyap, appearing as a police officer in Ayyappa mala, has a couple of impactful moments. Zayn Marie Khan, playing his daughter and a cop, is given a poorly written character with little substance.
Sunil is wasted in a trivial role, while Kamakshi is adequate. Atul Kulkarni delivers a routine performance in a predictable role.
Technical Aspects:
Music has never been a strong suit in Adivi Sesh’s films, but Bheems’ “Rubaru” manages to stand out as a catchy number. The item song “Chichhubuddi,” featuring Jonita Gandhi, is a total fail on screen.
The background score by newcomer Gyaani is a major highlight, effectively elevating several sequences. The background score with superb sound mixing gives the film a sound technical output. Dhanush Bhaskar’s cinematography is also solid.
The action stunts are neat. Editor Kodati Pavan Kalyan shows competence in parts, though the film could have benefited from tighter editing, especially in terms of runtime.
The production design is rich and appropriate for the setting. Abburi Ravi’s dialogues are just okay.
Highlights:
Last 20 minutes
Background score
Drawback:
The story itself
Adivi Sesh’s characterization
The unconvincing scenes and convenient setup
Lack of strong emotional connection
Analysis
“Dacoit” positions itself as a love story wrapped in an action setup, but it does not fully commit to either. The romance between Adivi Sesh and Mrunal Thakur is confined largely to the opening stretch. Within the first fifteen minutes, their relationship is established and quickly transitions into a past connection. She is shown as a married woman, while he becomes a fugitive. As a result, the emotional core does not get enough space to develop, making it neither a compelling love story nor a gripping action drama.
The first half unfolds in a fragmented manner, moving between flashbacks, parallel incidents, and the central heist involving stolen hospital money and an ambulance escape. While it sets up the premise and introduces the characters, it struggles to engage and feels more like an extended setup than an involving narrative.
The second half is where the film shows some improvement. The story begins to unfold in layers, with twists and connections gradually emerging. The narrative links back to earlier moments and ties together various threads in a more cohesive manner. The final twenty minutes, especially the climax, stand out as the film’s strongest portion, resolving the plot and delivering a few effective twists.
However, the portions leading up to this payoff remain underwhelming.
Much of the film feels predictable and lacks emotional depth. Despite dealing with serious themes such as caste-based oppression, inter-caste relationships, and exploitation during the COVID-19 hospital crisis, these elements do not leave a strong impact. The mismatch between the story’s intent and its execution weakens the overall effect.
Several characters suffer due to weak writing. The track involving Anurag Kashyap and his daughter feels underdeveloped, as if parts of their story were trimmed. Prakash Raj’s role appears one-dimensional.
The extended action sequence on a hill towards the end, reminiscent of “Sholay,” looks formulaic and overstretched.
On the positive side, the film scores well technically. The background score and sound design, especially in Dolby Atmos, elevate several moments. The overall production values are solid and give the film a polished look.
Overall, “Dacoit” does not quite live up to the promise suggested by its title or Adivi Sesh’s recent track record. The narrative relies too much on convenient developments and lacks consistent engagement. While the climax works, the journey leading to it falls short.
Bottom-line: Underwhelming
