‘Daku Maharaj’ is a grand and interesting period action drama film, releasing on the auspicious occasion of Sankranti in 2025. The film is directed by Bobby Kolli and produced under the banner of Sithara Entertainments, Fortune Four Cinemas and Srikara Studios. This film is Nandamuri Balakrishna’s 109th film, in which he appears as a strong and sensitive character ‘Sitaram aka Daku Maharaj’. Bobby Deol has made his Telugu film debut with this film, and he has given a brilliant performance in the role of the villain ‘Balwant Singh Thakur’.

The story of the film is set in the backdrop of the 1990s, showing the intricacies of social injustice, illegal trade, family relationships and revenge. The visuals, background score and action sequences have taken the film to new heights. Also, Thaman S’s music and Vijay Karthik Kannan’s cinematography bring alive the soul of the film. ‘Daku Maharaj’ is not just an action film but a story of emotions and struggle for justice that keeps the audience captivated till the end.

Daaku Maharaaj Story

This is the story of “Daku Maharaj”, an action-packed, emotional and social justice story. In 1996, Krishnamurthy lives a peaceful life in Chittoor district with his granddaughter Vaishnavi. He reports the illegal wildlife trade going on in his tea plantation, which angers the corrupt politician Trimurthulu. Meanwhile, a bandit Govind, who works as Krishnamurthy’s servant, informs his jailed leader Sitaram (Daku Maharaj) about the danger. Maharaj escapes from the jail and comes to Krishnamurthy’s house posing as “Nanaji” to protect him.

Sitaram’s past is shown in 1992, when he was an honest engineer. When Balwant Thakur tortured the villagers and destroyed Sitaram’s wife and village, Sitaram vowed revenge and became Daaku Maharaj.

The story returns to the present, where Balwant attacks again. While trying to save the injured Maharaj, many people lose their lives. Finally Maharaj regains consciousness, rescues Vaishnavi and kills Balwant.

The film ends with Maharaj’s release from prison and the inauguration of a dam named after Nandini. The film is an inspiring story of courage, sacrifice and justice, showing how a man, even as a bandit, does good for society.

Movie Review

Daku Maharaj is an action-packed, high production value Telugu film that rides on Nandamuri Balakrishna’s powerful acting style and Thaman S’s impressive background score. The film is made specifically for theatres, where its grandeur, cinematic experience and emotional impact are fully felt by the audience.

According to Mr. Uday Kiran, watching this film on OTT cannot make its true impact felt. It is a ‘masala entertainer’, dominated by Balakrishna’s charisma. The story of the film is reminiscent of old times, such as films like Samarasimha Reddy and Chennakesava Reddy, in which the hero has a heroic, just and emotional face. The direction is good, the music is ordinary, but Thaman’s background score is amazing – it gives the audience a hair-raising experience. Overall, the film gives a bang-on experience in theatres, especially when the theatre is housefull and the sound system is great.

On the other hand, another reviewer has focused on some social aspects of the film. He called the film good, particularly praising its screenplay, but found the Hindi dubbing to be weak. The quality of the dialogues in Hindi was not impressive enough, which lessened the original impact of the film. He also expressed concern that the film repeatedly portrayed characters with the surname ‘Thakur’ in a negative light.

He also mentioned that such a trend has been seen in other South Indian films, such as Pushpa, where the villains are often from a specific caste or background, such as the Rajput community. This can be a worrying social trend, as it can create a negative perception of a community. The reviewer made it clear that the Rajput community has made innumerable sacrifices for the democratic foundations and unity of India and thus it is unfair to portray any community in a negative light. He urged the filmmakers not to associate characters with particular castes or surnames, but to create a portrayal that does not generalise or denigrate any social group.

Movie Public Review

Conclusion

Daku Maharaj is a pure commercial entertainer that rests on the strong performance of Nandamuri Balakrishna and the superb background score of Thaman. This film is meant to be watched in theatres, where its grandeur and impact completely captivate the audience. Though there is some repetition in the story and lack of Hindi dubbing, the direction, music and presentation of the film are commendable. Some social issues need sensitivity, but overall, the film delivers a powerful cinematic experience that proves to be quite entertaining, especially for fans.