Unique in its love story, and equally unique in its depiction of banditry, the Adivi Sesh and Mrunal Thakur-starrer is also brave in its activism. What it lacks, though, is a cohesive screenplay and astute direction.
Rating: 
(2 / 5)
By Mayur Lookhar
In 2001, we had a cross-border love story in Gadar: Ek Prem Katha. In 2017, Toilet: Ek Prem Katha gave us a ‘clean’ love story. Now, in 2026, comes Dacoit: Ek Prem Katha. In this extended season of dacoits, what does Adivi Sesh’s romantic action thriller have to offer?
Story
For starters, it’s unique in its love story and equally unique in its banditry. Here’s a dacoit who has probably held a gun for the first time. Forget a gun, he is among those unfortunate souls who could not even figure out how to drive. And it is this lack of skill that leads him to reunite with his ex, someone with whom he had a bitter falling out.
Ten odd years ago, Andhra boy Hari (Sesh), a lowborn, fell in love with the privileged Saraswati (Mrunal Thakur). He fondly called her Juliet. After few months of dating, the girl accepted his marriage proposal, but this love story did not have a happy ending. Things turned so ugly that our hero is convicted for murder and attempted rape and sentenced to jail.
In the present day (2021), Covid‑19 works to Hari’s advantage, as he succeeds in his jailbreak and soon sets out to confront Saraswati. Though strange, the former lovers are designed to work as a tag team for a sinister mission.
Screenplay and direction
Most Indian film trailers tend to reveal a bit more, but Dacoit bucked that trend, carefully crafting a trailer that didn’t give much inkling of its story. With a proven track record in films like Major (2022), HIT: The Second Case (2022), and Goodachari (2018), expectations from Adivi Sesh – possibly India’s finest action hero – were fair, if not high.
Unique in its love story and equally unique in its depiction of banditry, the Adivi Sesh and Mrunal Thakur starrer is also brave in its activism. The 152-minute film is highly intriguing and engaging in its first half, but director Shaneil Deo loses the plot in the second half. It would be easy to pin that down to a maiden feature, but having directed a few shorts before and drawing on his experience in cinematography, Deo himself would surely be honest in his assessment of Dacoit’s second half. The Hindi writing in the bilingual isn’t the problem per se; an unconvincing second half is perhaps down to the director failing to do justice to a promising tale.
With Anurag Kashyap disclosing how Adivi and Deo cajoled him at the wedding of Sobhita Dhulipala and Naga Chaitanya and narrated the Dacoit tale, this is a film that was shot only in the last 12–15 months. Well, the Covid‑19 setting suits the film’s larger medical activism outreach. However, Deo and writer Adivi are overly ambitious in the film’s activism message.
Performances
Adivi Sesh has earned great goodwill both on and off screen, particularly for his humility while making Major and for how he embraced the parents of the martyr Major Unnikrishnan. Given the social barrier and caste conflict, Hari is an apt name for our poor Romeo. He loved Saraswati dearly, fondly calling her Juliet and even having the letter J tattooed on his forehead. The tragic events of the past have left him with bitter scars, and he has carried that rage for years. It’s the first time we’re seeing Adivi display such rage. You anticipate a 90s‑style jilted lover, but it isn’t long before the heart begins to melt. Phew, well, destiny is surely playing around with poor Hari, but never forget: this is, after all, a love story. Sesh is fairly competent for the most part, but he drops the intensity just a wee bit in the business end. Nevertheless, he is still a delight to watch.
The same goes for Mrunal Thakur. Having impressed in her early film Love Sonia (2018), Thakur has since struggled for consistency. Sita Ramam (2022) had its admirers, but this writer isn’t one. Thakur, though, impressed us as the Pakistani Punjaban in Son of Sardaar 2 (2025). She carries that good form into Dacoit: Ek Prem Katha, finely emoting the tumultuous journey of her character. Yes, logical thinking will be hard to miss, given her present‑day condition, but Saraswati earns your respect.
Much to everyone’s surprise, Anurag Kashyap lands himself a unique positive role. Inspector Swamy (Kashyap) though is more appealing in his outlook. In the past, Brahmin men with tilak, jaap malas (beads) were often cast as villains – much to the chagrin of Hindu nationalists. Now comes a film where the hero is a Hari, while the chasing cop is a tilak sporting, bead wearing devout, and he isn’t the bad guy.
Mansoor Khan’s daughter, Zayn Marie, plays Inspector Swamy’s daughter, who has emulated her father. That the duo seems to be operating from the same police station is creative license. Whether slipping into the uniform or policing, Zayn Marie doesn’t quite fit the bill here.
Be it film or social media, Prakash Raj often courts controversy. It’s no different in the film, but perhaps for the first time he courts it in a white coat. Raj is his usual, competent self, but Dr. Reddy (Raj) is unlikely to amuse the medical fraternity much.
Music and Technical Aspects
Saiyaara‑fame singer Faheem Abudullah doesn’t quite repeat the same magic with Rubaroo. Touched by its rooted tale, Bhojpuri icon Pawan Singh agreed to lend his voice and even makes a song appearance. Touch Buddy, the Pawan Singh-Jonita Gandhi duet, isn’t quite melodious, but Adivi Sesh surely charms you with his dance moves.
Acting, writing, direction – Sesh is gifted with different skills, but equally striking is his ability to pick maverick technical minds. Gyaani’s BGM is a real delight, helping convey the various emotions across critical scenes. One standout is the use of the palpitating tune in a critical scene. While the action choreography isn’t up to typical Adivi standards, a climax fight sequence set in the Rocky Mountains justifies the Dacoit billing.
Final word
Not too long ago, the country – and the continent – was raving about Akshaye Khanna’s portrayal of the Lyari gangster Rehman Dakait. Well, in this extended season, Adivi Sesh has delivered a dacoit of a different kind. He may not get the adulation that Akshay Khanna received, but this dacoit surely has a heart of gold.
Video review below.
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