Dhandoraa Review: A Social Drama That Falls Short of Its Potential
Sarkar Rating : 2/5 Release Date : Dec 25, 2025
Cast
Sivaji, Navdeep, Bindu Madhavi, Mounika Reddy, Nandu Vijay Krishna, Rajasekhar Aningi, Ravikrishna, Manika Chikkala, Radhya, Aditi Bhavaraju, Muralidhar Goud and others
Crew
Director – Muralikanth Devasoth
Producer – Ravindra Benerjee Muppaneni
Banner – Loukya Entertainments
Music – Mark K. Robin
After delivering a powerful performance earlier this year in the social drama Court: State vs A Nobody, senior actor Sivaji returns with yet another socially relevant film titled Dhandoraa. Directed by debutant Muralikanth Devasoth, the film attempts to tackle sensitive issues like caste, inequality, and social conditioning through an intense rural drama. With actors like Navdeep, Nandu, and Sivaji playing pivotal roles, Dhandoraa arrives with decent expectations following its impactful teaser and trailer. Does it live up to the promise? Let’s find out.
What Is the Film About?
Sivaji (Sivaji) is a middle-aged man from a remote village in the Medak district of united Andhra Pradesh and a staunch believer in caste hierarchy. He firmly believes that marriages must happen strictly within one’s caste. Trouble brews when his daughter falls in love with a boy from a lower caste, while his son gets involved with the daughter of a powerful MLA.
How does Sivaji react to these developments? How do deeply rooted caste equations affect his family and the people around him? The answers to these questions form the crux of Dhandoraa.
Performances
Sivaji once again proves why he is one of the finest performers when it comes to intense, author-backed roles. He delivers a commanding performance, with at least four standout sequences that rank among the best of his career. His emotional outbursts, internal conflict, and eventual transformation are portrayed with remarkable conviction.
Navdeep is impressive as the village sarpanch, effortlessly blending humour with emotional depth. His performance during the climax, in particular, stands out. Nandu gets a layered role and does full justice to it, especially in the last thirty minutes, where his performance leaves a strong impact.
Radhya Suresh plays a crucial role that demands both vulnerability and strength, and she excels in portraying both shades convincingly. Bindu Madhavi delivers a decent performance, though her character arc feels stretched. The remaining supporting cast members perform satisfactorily, even when inconsistencies in writing limit their scope.
Technical Aspects
Mark K. Robin’s background score complements the film’s theme, though it feels overly loud at times. A strong romantic chartbuster could have elevated the emotional quotient, but the song provided fails to leave a lasting impression.
Venkat R. Shakamuri’s cinematography is functional and suits the film’s rural setting, given the limited resources. Editing by Srujana Adusumilli needed tighter control, particularly in the first half, as the film tends to drag despite a runtime of around two hours and fifteen minutes.
Producer Ravindra Benerjee Muppaneni deserves appreciation for backing a serious and bold social drama. The use of classic songs like “Oye Raju Kannullo Nuvve” and “Anitha O Anitha” in key sequences works effectively and adds emotional depth.
Analysis
Socially driven, hard-hitting dramas are more common in Tamil and Malayalam cinema, while they remain relatively rare in Telugu cinema. However, recent successes like Court: State vs A Nobody and The Girlfriend have proven that Telugu audiences are open to meaningful, realistic storytelling. Dhandoraa joins this league by addressing caste discrimination, untouchability, and societal inequality.
Director Muralikanth Devasoth deserves credit for choosing such a sensitive subject and narrating it without being overtly preachy. The film works best in its second and third acts. The pre-interval sequence delivers a shocking emotional punch, while the last thirty minutes pack strong drama and impactful performances. Sivaji’s courtroom outburst, Navdeep’s payoff moment, Nandu’s realization, and Radhya Suresh’s climax scene are among the film’s biggest highlights.
However, the first act—particularly the romantic track—emerges as the film’s weakest link. Despite decent performances from Ravikrishna and Manika Chikkala, the poorly written romance fails to establish emotional depth. The lack of meaningful romantic moments results in weak empathy when tragedy strikes. Additionally, the film suffers from too many subplots, most of which do not receive proper closure. Bindu Madhavi’s episode feels unnecessarily prolonged, while characters played by Aditi Bhavaraju and Mounika Reddy lack a satisfying payoff.
Styling is another drawback, especially for Ravikrishna’s character, which feels unrealistic for a rural setup. The polished costumes and makeup, particularly for Manika Chikkala, appear out of sync with the film’s grounded tone.
Verdict
Dhandoraa is a hard-hitting social drama that succeeds in parts, driven largely by strong performances—especially from Sivaji—and a powerful core theme. While the film falters due to weak writing in the romantic track, excessive subplots, and inconsistent execution, its emotional high points and social relevance make it worth a watch for fans of realistic, issue-based cinema.
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