D for Dopidi - Telugu Movie Review

D for Dopidi

The movie has this irreverent sense of humour that makes up for the apparent lack of finesse in the filmmaking. There's a scene in which Raju, Vicky and Bannu are at their wits' end when Harish is missing on the morning they're supposed to hit the bank, only to find that he'd stepped out to wish his girlfriend a happy birthday.

Later, after they regroup and are about to enter the bank, a police jeep arrives on the scene at the precise moment, forcing them to abort the mission. Next, they decide to time their loot minutes before the closing time, only to discover that the manager has left early. After they defy all odds and pull off the robbery, Harish throws a fit, protesting against looting double the money they needed. In come another set of unlikely robbers, armed with real guns this time. 

For most part, the movie offers a bizarrely funny spectacle arising out of half-baked attempts by a bunch of loony characters trying pull off a bank heist. Raju is a junior artiste who needs Rs 10,00,000 to land his maiden hero role. Vicky's Casanova lifestyle lands him in huge debts, Harish needs to make a fortune to win his lover's hand and Bunny needs money to get the six-pack that his dream girl fancies. Tanikella Bharani and his sidekick, who lead the other gang, need to pay up a farm labourer Rs 10,00,000 because they are fooled into thinking so. We also have a joint-smoking wannabe script writer, Chevaula Pilla, an eccentric bank manager who would do anything to hold on to his impeccable career record etc. 

The acting is adequate, with Sundeep and Varun dominating the rest. But Naveen and Bannu hold their own with their roles, as does Tanikella Bharani. However, trouble arises when the filmmaker tries to unnecessarily dramatise the proceedings in the second half in a bid to dish out a social message to the youth that there can be no substitute for hard work. It's unfortunate because the film stays relatively clear of the usual commercial elements until that point. The writing and humour also veer a little too much towards the slapstick brand as the movie progresses. 

The camera work and screenplay are patchy at best, but the music makes the cut. Guess the inexperience of the debutante director and the intention to pander to a wider audience messed up what could have been a much better final product. 

Note: It's an absurd comedy bereft of commercial elements. You'll need to have a predisposition to wry humour to enjoy this one.