DINASARI MOVIE REVIEW
Cast: Srikanth Krishnamachari, Cynthia Lourde, MS Bhaskar, Meera Krishnan, Vinodhini Vaidyanathan, Premgi Amaren, KPY Sarath, Radha Ravi, Chaams
Director: G Sankar
For a film about modern relationships, Dinasari sure loves its old-school sermons. Shaktivel (Srikanth) has mapped out his life like a business plan – stable job, good salary, and a future wife who must earn more than him. The universe, with its sense of humor, sends him Shivani (Cynthia), an American-raised Tamil woman whose dream is to be a full-time homemaker. Their marriage, built on a foundation of little white lies, sets up what could have been a smart take on contemporary Indian marriages.
The film gets its heart right but trips over its own eagerness to preach. Every scene comes packaged with a message, as characters sit down for yet another chat about life’s priorities. Srikanth brings warmth to Shaktivel, particularly when his character’s materialistic facade begins to crack. Cynthia, making her debut, shows promise in a role that deserved more screen time. The ever-reliable MS Bhaskar and Meera Krishnan add depth to what could have been stock parent roles.
Ilaiyaraaja’s score, while not his most memorable, has its moments of charm. Director Sankar knows his subject matter – the pressure to constantly upgrade one’s life, the obsession with salary packages, the price of ambition. He just needed to trust his audience more and his dialogue sheets less.
Dinasari works best when it lets its characters breathe between their life lessons. There’s a good film somewhere in here, trying to break free from its self-imposed responsibility to enlighten.