Dharmasthala Niyojakavargam Review: Suman & Sai Kumar Impress
Sarkar Rating: 3.25/5 Release Date : August 26, 2026
Cast
Suman, Sai Kumar, Rajeev Kanakala, Rayamcha Kokkura, Vithika Sheru, Kasturi Shankar, Shafi, Shivakumar Ramachandra, Nataraj Peri and others
Crew
Director: Jai Gnana Prabha Thota
Banners: PVR INOX Pictures, Moving Dreams India Private Limited
Producer: Meram Bhaskar
Presenter: Gangadhar Bollu
Music: Mahaveer Yellander Rao
Lyrics: Chandra Bose
Cinematography: Venkata Hanuma Narashetti
Editor: Saibabu Talari
What Is the Film About?
Bairaju (Sai Kumar), a seven-time MLA from Dharmasthala constituency, has complete control over the region and rules it with an iron fist. Meanwhile, Eeshwaraiah (Suman), who runs a small tea stall, leads a simple life along with his college-going son Badri (Nataraj).
With the MLA’s support, Vasudev (Rajeev Kanakala) and Vishwa (Shivakumar), along with their gangs, operate a drug network in colleges and promote several anti-social activities. Lecturer Arundhathi (Vithika Sheru) raises her voice against the growing drug menace and complains to MLA Bairaju.
However, after Badri attempts to expose the drug racket, he becomes a target. The gang associated with Vishwa, Vasudev and Bairaju eventually murders him.
After learning that his son’s death is linked to the powerful MLA, Eeshwaraiah decides to fight for justice. He enters politics with the sole intention of taking on Bairaju and challenging his political dominance.
How does Bairaju operate his political conspiracies? What is Vasudev and Kasturi’s connection to the larger conspiracy? How do Arundhathi and Badri try to stop the drug activities in the college? What happens after Arundhathi complains to Bairaju? How is Badri eliminated by the drug mafia? Most importantly, how does an ordinary tea-stall owner take on a powerful MLA and teach him a lesson? The film answers these questions through its political-crime drama.
Review
Director Jai Gnana Prabha Thota chooses an interesting political and crime-based storyline with a strong social message. The basic premise has enough potential to deliver an engaging political action drama, and the filmmaker makes a sincere attempt to build the story around drug abuse, political corruption, crime and social issues.
The film has several strong sequences that work well within the central storyline. The director also succeeds in extracting decent performances from the principal cast. However, the narrative occasionally falls back on familiar scenes and a conventional treatment. A more fresh and unpredictable approach could have made the film considerably more impactful.
The first half focuses on the drug mafia operating around educational institutions, a larger conspiracy involving foreign elements, and the social circumstances surrounding the characters. Badri’s murder becomes the major turning point and gives the narrative a new direction.
The second half shifts towards Eeshwaraiah’s entry into politics and his battle against Bairaju. The election-based confrontations, political strategies and attempts to counter Bairaju form the core of the latter half. While the political drama has some effective moments, tighter pacing and a more gripping screenplay could have elevated the overall impact.
Performances
Sai Kumar, who has played several memorable negative roles in the past, once again makes his presence felt as the corrupt and ruthless politician Bairaju. He fits comfortably into the character and delivers the powerful dialogues with his trademark intensity.
Rajeev Kanakala and Kasturi Shankar are effective in their respective roles and add weight to the negative side of the story.
Suman is one of the film’s major strengths. His emotional portrayal of a father who loses his son and then decides to fight against a powerful political system gives the story its emotional core. His performance adds credibility to the character’s transformation.
Shivakumar Ramachandra, Nataraj Peri, Rayamcha Kokkura and Vithika Sheru also play important roles and contribute effectively to the progression of the story.
Technical Aspects
Director Jai Gnana Prabha Thota deserves credit for staying focused on the central theme and delivering the intended message without unnecessary diversions. Despite being a debut filmmaker, he handles the political-action drama with reasonable confidence and manages to keep the narrative moving. With stronger writing and more innovative treatment, he could have made an even bigger impact.
Mahaveer Yellander Rao’s music is effective, while his background score supports the emotional and dramatic moments. The songs penned by Oscar-winning lyricist Chandra Bose are another positive. The contextual lyrics add meaning to the narrative and encourage the audience to think about the issues addressed in the film.
Venkata Hanuma Narashetti’s cinematography is one of the highlights. The visuals are handled well, particularly in the emotional and dramatic sequences, and the camera work helps enhance the mood of several scenes.
The editing by Saibabu Talari could have been sharper. A tighter cut would have reduced the lag in a few portions and made the screenplay more engaging.
Producer Meram Bhaskar deserves appreciation for maintaining good production values. The film has been mounted with quality without compromising on the visual presentation.
Verdict
Dharmasthala Niyojakavargam is a decent political action drama that combines political corruption, crime, drugs and a father’s fight for justice. While the film relies on a familiar narrative template and could have benefited from tighter editing and a more innovative screenplay, the performances of Sai Kumar and Suman, along with the cinematography, music and social message, work in its favour.
Overall, audiences who enjoy political dramas and films driven by strong performances can give Dharmasthala Niyojakavargam a watch.
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