Srikanth Odela: Dasara is more of an intense drama than an action film

The trailer of Dasara has been the talk of the town ever since its online premiere on Tuesday. The promo, which establishes the mood and the world of the film, gives away little about the conflict, leading to numerous theories and predictions among movie buffs. With the Telugu trailer singularly amassing close to 6 million within a day of its release, it is clear to say that expectations and hype are touching the sky. But debutant director Srikanth Odela, however, has chosen to remain oblivious to the outside world as he is occupied in the final stages of post-production. “I have no idea what’s happening outside, to be honest. I have been busy with sound mixing and other post-production activities,” Srikanth says.

While it’s fair to say that the rawness on display in the trailer does remind one of the films like Rangasthalam, Karnan and Pushpa, Srikanth says, “There will be more surprises in the film.” Speaking about the film’s core, the debutant, a man of few words, adds, “More than being an action film or a love story, Dasara is a proper, intense drama.”

Another factor that has generated intrigue and a fair share of apprehension from the trailer is the sheer volume of bloodshed. One particular shot features what looks like a decapitated head wrapped in a gunny bag being thrown against a wall, splattering blood on the poster on it. Is Dasara going to be heavy on violence? Expressing his surprise about reactions to violence, Srikanth shares, “There will be violence, but it won’t be at a level that shocks the viewer. Whatever you have seen in the trailer, it’ll be in that range and won’t go beyond that. The mood will be intense, for sure. But I guarantee that it won’t be disturbing for the viewers. Violence wouldn’t be a problem at all. Likewise, there will be no vulgarity in any form.”

Dasara, also starring Keerthy Suresh, Shine Tom Chacko and Sai Kumar in prominent roles has cinematography by Sathyan Sooryan and music by Santosh Narayanan. The film is set to release in theatres on March 30 in Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Kannada and Malayalam.