Dashavatar (2025) :
Movie Review -
Dashavatar stars veteran actor Dilip Prabhavalkar in a heroic role that deserves to be experienced by everyone. Watching someone play the lead hero at the age of 81 is nothing short of astonishing. Interestingly, two decades ago, Prabhavalkar had played a villain in Pachadlela, where Bharat Jadhav was the lead hero. In that film, Bharat's character kills Prabhavalkar's character. Now, the roles have reversed. In Dashavatar, Prabhavalkar plays the hero while Bharat Jadhav appears as one of the villains, eventually meeting his end at the hands of the very actor he once killed on screen. Time surely has its ways of rewriting stories, but this twist feels almost poetic. The film attempts to blend spiritual elements, social issues, and local art forms into a cinematic revenge drama, a genre we have seen many times before. The idea itself is fascinating, but the problem lies in the execution. The screenplay often feels scattered and, at times, illogical, leaving the film loose and uneven. Still, the subject matter and emotional weight keep the viewer interested.
Dashavatar tells the story of Babuli (Dilip Prabhavalkar), a respected Dashavatar artist who lives with his son, Madhav (Siddharth Menon). Madhav lands a job at a local mine and urges his father to give up acting in the Dashavatar art form. Babuli reluctantly agrees. On Mahashivratri, however, he decides to perform one last time before retiring. His performance remains unfinished when tragedy strikes-Madhav is found dead, with the police claiming it to be suicide. Babuli, convinced that his son could never take his own life, begins to uncover evidence suggesting murder. When he confronts the authorities, he is brutally beaten and left for dead. But Babuli rises again, channeling spiritual powers, and returns in various forms to avenge his son's death while also highlighting a larger social cause. Will he succeed in his mission?
Subodh Khanolkar has crafted a mystical and engaging script, merging Lord Vishnu's avatars with a revenge-driven narrative. The concept itself is intriguing-you almost wish all ten avatars were explored fully, but practically, the number of villains does not allow for it. Using an old Dashavatar artist to perform those high-stakes, larger-than-life sequences is a masterstroke. Unfortunately, the screenplay fails to support these big ideas convincingly. For example, Babuli is left for dead by the villains, yet they never bother to confirm his death. Later, the 81-year-old hero miraculously survives swimming, fire, chases from trained officers, their bullets, and dogs. Can a 81-year-old guy realistically endure all of that? The climax too raises questions. In the final scene, Sarmalkar shoots Babuli right in front of Inspector D'Costa, but the officer takes no action. Instead, a group of villagers suddenly appears and surrounds the villain with flambeau in hands, with no clear plan or logic behind it. Countless murders take place in the film, yet no arrests are made, and Madhav's case is conveniently closed with a snap of fingers. These loopholes make the writing difficult to believe, though the emotional and spiritual layers still manage to hold the viewer's attention.
On the performance front, Dilip Prabhavalkar delivers a top-notch act. He is a legend, and there is no second thought about it. Hindi audiences know him for his award-winning role in Lage Raho Munna Bhai, while Marathi audiences cherish his memorable work in Moruchi Mavshi, Gangadhar Tipre, Chaukat Raja, and many others. Dashavatar is yet another shining gem in his career. Siddharth Menon portrays his role with conviction, and Priyadarshini Indalkar lends good support. Mahesh Manjrekar, with his commanding presence, works well in his image-driven part. Bharat Jadhav is effective, while Lokesh Mittal, Ravi Kale, Sunil Tawde, Vijay Kenkre, Abhinay Berde, and others deliver decent, if not standout, performances.
Technically, the film has its ups and downs. The music is underwhelming, but the background score provides the right atmosphere. Cinematography offers some stunning frames, especially in the forest sequences, adding realism to the drama. However, editing in the second half feels weak, stretching certain portions unnecessarily. The production design of the stage scenes also leaves much to be desired. As a director, Subodh Khanolkar shows more strength than as a writer. Keeping audiences engaged for over two and a half hours with a flawed screenplay is no easy task, yet he manages to hold attention till the end. In conclusion, Dashavatar is far from perfect. Its screenplay has gaping holes, and logic is often sacrificed for drama. Yet, it remains watchable because of its spiritual core, emotional depth, and above all, Dilip Prabhavalkar's towering performance.
RATING - 5/10*
