A Familiar Premise With A Fresh Face. Let me be honest with you.
I walked into Dacoit expecting a slick, fast-paced thriller in the Goodachari zone. Adivi Sesh has built a reputation for smart, twist-heavy screenplays. His fans expect tight writing and unpredictable moments.
So when the title card read “Dacoit: A Love Story,” I felt a little confused. A dacoit film. With a love story. From the guy who wrote Major and Goodachari?
That is either genius or a mess.
The film released on April 10, 2026, and the verdict is already in. Critics are split. Audiences are divided. And somewhere in the middle lies a film that tries very hard to be something special .
Here is my honest breakdown.
Release Date And Where To Watch
Let me start with the basics.
Dacoit hit theaters on April 10, 2026 . The film runs for 155 minutes (2 hours 35 minutes) . That is a serious runtime commitment.
The budget reportedly sits between ₹70-100 crore, making it a significant production . The makers shot the film simultaneously in Telugu and Hindi, aiming for pan-India appeal .
If you missed it in theaters, here is some good news. Amazon Prime Video has acquired the OTT rights for a fancy sum . Expect a streaming release in late 2026 or early 2027.
The Plot: Betrayal, Prison, And A Heist
Let me walk you through the story without spoiling too much.
The film follows Hari (Adivi Sesh), a man serving time in prison for a crime he did not commit. His former lover Saraswati aka Juliet (Mrunal Thakur) betrayed him 13 years ago, leading to his wrongful conviction .
Hari escapes prison with help from a friend (Atul Kulkarni) . Instead of fleeing the country, he tracks down Saraswati. He finds her married with a three-year-old daughter. Her husband needs a heart transplant, and she desperately needs money .
Here is where things get interesting.
Hari discovers that the local hospital exploits vulnerable patients and sells organs to private buyers at inflated prices . He needs funds to start a new life in Dubai. So he involves Saraswati in a plan to rob the hospital, all while hiding his true motives for revenge .
What follows is a cat-and-mouse chase involving corrupt hospital management (Prakash Raj), a relentless cop (Anurag Kashyap), and a heist that goes sideways.
Does he forgive her? Does the betrayal have a reasonable explanation? Does the hospital get what it deserves?
The film answers all these questions. Whether you care about the answers depends on how invested you feel by the second half.
The Cast: Who Delivers And Who Disappoints
Adivi Sesh As Hari
Sesh sheds his urban polish to play a rugged, emotionally torn convict . He underwent a physical transformation for the role, and it shows. His intensity in action sequences feels genuine.
But here is the problem. The script does not give him enough room to breathe emotionally. One critic notes, “His performance stops short of being emotionally resonant. He brings the intensity and shines in the action-packed scenes, but fails to capture his character’s inner turmoil, largely due to the hare-brained script” .
You see Sesh trying. You want to feel for Hari. But the writing keeps pulling you out.
Mrunal Thakur As Saraswati
Mrunal Thakur anchors the film’s emotional core. She plays a morally gray character—part victim, part betrayer, part desperate mother .
One critic calls her performance “top tier” . Another notes, “Mrunal Thakur’s sincerity keeps the film afloat despite bad writing” .
The character’s arc leaves you confused about whether she is the villain or the victim. That confusion might be intentional. But the execution feels messy rather than layered.
Anurag Kashyap As The Cop
Anurag Kashyap makes his Telugu cinema debut as CI Rambabu, the cop chasing Hari .
Here is the thing about his role. He essentially exists to decode mysteries and establish Hari’s innocence for the audience . That is fine. But he does not get much else to do.
Kashyap jokes that his prefix should be “North Star” . The joke lands. But his character needed more screen time to make a real impact.
Prakash Raj, Sunil, And Atul Kulkarni
Prakash Raj plays the head of Karuna Hospitals. The role is underutilized. He barely gets screen time and leaves almost no impact .
Atul Kulkarni appears as Hari’s prison friend. Decent. Not memorable. Sunil and others exist in the background without adding much value.
Zayn Marie Khan
Aamir Khan’s niece appears in an inconsequential role . You will forget her scenes by the time you leave the theater.
The Good: Where Dacoit Shines
Let me give credit where it is due.
Technical Brilliance
The film looks stunning. Danush Bhaskar’s cinematography captures the gritty, sepia-toned world of rural Andhra Pradesh with real artistry . The production design gives the film a grand, cinematic scale.
One scene stands out: the shootout in a wet, muddy fruit and vegetable market. The action inside the elevator. The prison-break sequence before a possible train wreck . These set-pieces show real craft.
Background Score
Bheems Ceciroleo’s background score elevates the tension during action blocks . The remix of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s “Dam Mast Kalandar” adds a nice touch .
However, I must warn you. Some critics found the score “too loud and jarring,” placed “overwhelmingly in almost every scene” . Your mileage may vary.
First Half Pacing
The first half builds momentum effectively. The interval block works for most viewers . You leave the intermission genuinely curious about what happens next.
Unexpected Twists
Sesh is known for tightly woven scripts. The second half does feature a couple of well-designed twists that catch you off guard just when the plot starts to feel predictable .
The Bad: Where Dacoit Stumbles
Now let me be critical.
The Second Half Falls Apart
Almost every critic agrees on this point. The first half earns your attention. The second half spends it unevenly.
One review puts it bluntly: “The first half itself doesn’t quite hit it, but it’s still manageable. However, the second half goes haywire and fails to recover until the very end” .
Another critic writes, “The real interval bang comes 10 minutes after the interval. This is the first bad film from Adivi Sesh since DONGAATA (2015)” .
Weak Writing and Predictable Screenplay
Here is the biggest problem.
The story feels redundant and predictable. Several sequences remind you of Sesh’s previous films like Kshanam and Goodachari . That familiarity works against the film.
One critic describes the plot as “paper-thin and over-the-top” with “melodrama that becomes too much to handle” by the second half .
The title itself misleads viewers. You expect a dacoit’s story. Instead, you get a love story with some amateur robberies thrown in .
The Climax Twist Is Over-The-Top
Multiple reviews call out the climax twist as “way too over the top” . The emotional ending that the director hoped would “leave all in tears” turned out “dragged and silly and forced” .
Hindi Dubbing Issues
For a film shot simultaneously in Telugu and Hindi, the Hindi dubbing is problematic. One critic says it “takes you out of the cinematic experience if not inducing a headache” .
If you understand Telugu, watch it in the original language.
Unnecessary Song
The first 30 minutes feel flat, with an “unnecessary song” that adds nothing to the story . The love story portions remain “mostly ineffective” early on.
The Rotten Tomatoes Verdict: Mixed To Negative
Let me give you the numbers.
As of April 10, 2026, Dacoit holds a 6.2/10 rating on IMDb based on early user reviews .
Professional critics are split:
The consensus? Technically strong. Emotionally uneven.
What Netizens Are Saying On X
Social media reactions capture the split perfectly.
Positive takes:
- “Solid first half with strong build-up. Interval bang. Engaging second half with a gripping climax. Outstanding performance by Adivi Sesh”
- “A visually stunning film with excellent shot-making. Top-tier performances from Mrunal Thakur”
Mixed takes:
- “An average action love story that is technically strong, but the screenplay only works in parts”
- “One-time watch. Storyline is old but treatment feels fresh”
Negative takes:
- “What a garbage. If this takes 3-4 years, then good luck brother”
- “Predictable first half followed by a disappointing second half. This is the first bad film from Adivi Sesh since 2015”
The Director’s Debut: Shaneil Deo
Let me talk about the man behind the camera.
Shaneil Deo makes his directorial debut with Dacoit. He previously worked as a cinematographer .
Deo and Adivi Sesh co-wrote the script over two years, aiming for a “neo-Western” aesthetic reminiscent of Sholay and The Magnificent Seven .
The ambition is visible. The execution, unfortunately, falls short.
One critic writes, “Shaniel Deo failed to do justice to the direction. The weak writing and spineless screenplay played the spoilsport. The makers should have worked on the script and the story before proceeding with the project” .
For a first-time director, Dacoit shows promise. But promise does not fill theater seats.
The Budget And Box Office Reality
Let me give you the business picture.
The film cost ₹70-100 crore to produce . That is a significant investment.
Day 1 box office collections came in at ₹6.50-13.57 crore worldwide . Those numbers are moderate. The film faces competition from Dhurandhar: The Revenge .
The OTT deal with Amazon Prime will help recover costs . But a theatrical hit? Probably not.
Given the mixed reviews and word-of-mouth, Dacoit will likely end as an average performer at best.
Should You Watch Dacoit?
Here is my honest take.
Dacoit is not a bad film. It is also not a great film. It sits somewhere in the middle – watchable but forgettable.
If you are an Adivi Sesh fan, you will appreciate his effort. The man commits fully to every role. His intensity in action scenes carries the film through its weaker moments.
If you enjoy technically strong cinema with beautiful visuals and solid background music, Dacoit delivers on that front.
But if you expect the tight, unpredictable screenplay of Goodachari or the emotional depth of Major, you will feel disappointed. The writing lets down the production value.
My Rating: 2.5/5
Watch it if: You love Adivi Sesh. You enjoy action-romance hybrids. You want to see Mrunal Thakur in a morally gray role. You have a soft spot for Telugu commercial cinema.
Skip it if: You demand tight screenplays. You hate predictable twists. You cannot tolerate uneven pacing. You expect every film to be a masterpiece.
Dacoit Movie
- Rating5
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