'Dalapathi' movie review: A twisted tale
Film: Dalapathi
Cast: Prem and Kriti Kharbanda
Director: Prashanth Raj
Rating: 2.5
Director Prashant Raj believed that he had a winning script with Dalapathi But belief and reality are two different aspects, often with different personalities. Unfortunately for Prashant, the belief was pleasant, the reality not so. Loaded with twists, the film gets entangled in its own intentions, taking time to come out. The story is about Ram (Prem), who meets Vaidehi (Kriti Kharbanda), tries to woo her and succeeds. Vaidehi even goes to extent of rejecting a marriage proposal chosen by her parents, and takes a decision of eloping with Ram. But, love is cut short for her, when she finds out that Ram had trapped her to please his boss, Adipathi (Sharath Lohithaswa).
A twist near the interval reveals Ram is Dalapathi, the right hand man of Adipathi, involved in many crimes. Why Dalapathi acts upon the instruction of his boss is one part of the story. Another twist comes when it is revealed that Ram also happens to be Vaidehi’s mother’s (Padmaja) brother, whom she had lost at a young age. Why Ram becomes a Dalapathi and will he change for Vaidehi gets to the rest of the story.
The film could have shown much better ability to segue from one twist to the other, but fails to flow. There are no sermons, but it would have been easier to get a spark by keeping the pace intact.
Dalpathi is Prem's 25th film and the actor who is known for his lover boy image, shows that he can shine as an action hero too. Kriti Kharbanda brings the glam side but her character of a damsel in distress does not have much scope. Sharath Lohithaswa is unconvincing as the villain, while Chikkanna’s comedy come as mild relief. Presence of Padmaja Rao and Srinivas does not create any impact.
With its length, the film wobbles treading the long hours, making it watchable only for those who have a liking for Prem. As for Prashanth, he might just see the landscape of filmmaking much clearer as he progresses.