Sanchita
Dange Movie Review, Read Full –
Rating: 3/5
Director: Bejoy Nambiar
Cast: Harshvardhan Rane, Ehan Bhat, Nikita Dutta and T.J. Bhanu
Runtime: 2 hours 34 minutes
Storyline:
Dange unfolds against the vibrant backdrop of a college fest and General Secretary elections, delivering a complex and tumultuous action drama. The narrative revolves around the intense rivalry between Zee and Yuva, two hot-headed individuals with a painful history.
Zee is a kind-hearted but aimless loafer, and his girl best friend Rishika (Nikita) is hailed as the campus drug lord. Their friend, bahujan activist Gayatri (TJ Bhanu) is fed up with their shenanigans and has her sights set high – in amplifying the reach of their college’s activism group Awaaz. Zee has feelings for Gayatri, who’s determined to not give in to him until he makes something of himself.
Enter Yuva – a charismatic college fresher who has a bone to pick with Zee, for not standing up for him in the face of injustice. He has only one goal – to make Zee pay for past wrongs. Zee believes Yuva has been toying with Rishika just to mess with him.
As tensions escalate between Yuva and Zee, the campus becomes the battleground for their personal feud. Yuva instigates a juniors vs seniors clash which gets dangerously out of control, and turns into a riot-like situation.
Meanwhile, an upper-caste politician’s daughter Siddhi (Zoa Morani) has been competing with a Dalit student for the college’s General Secretary post. She, along with her goons, tries to piggyback on the utter chaos caused by the riots to eliminate their opponent.
Dange Movie Review:
Dange promises a gripping watch as the madness unfolds and personal conflicts intertwine with campus politics and activism. It makes for a visually striking film.
But this Bejoy Nambiar directorial fluctatuates between almost poetic, captivating shots and cringe content. Dange is an angry, machismo-filled ride with hurt, raw characters.
While the plot is compelling enough for the most part, too many cooks spoil the broth in Dange. It introduces some unnecessary characters and subplots and ends up doing nothing with them. The pacing is off – the story manages to hold your attention well in some parts and meanders about at times.
From drugs, mental health, casteism to dirty campus politics, testosterone-filled aggressive fights and redemption – Dange dabbles in it all. The film’s main conflict centers around the volatile dynamic between Harshvardhan’s Zee and Ehan’s Yuva. In the process, some of the social messaging gets sidelined.
That being said – the tension is perfect in Harshvardhan-Ehan’s destructive, confrontation scenes. The lengthy finale action choreography is poetic and gripping in its incoherent chaos and firecrackers galore. But the constant in-and-out of focus shots in the climax sequence come across as irritating rather than aesthetic.
One of Dange’s strong points is its immersive, electrifying soundtrack and the main BGM theme which helps in elevating the scenes.
The acting is a little uneven, with the actors being earnest and intense in some scenes and hamming their way through others. Harshvardhan gets a meaty role and does justice to it for the most part. TJ Bhanu steals the show with her stern, compassionate and perseverant Gayatri. Ehan Bhat is charming, confident and convincing as the troubled Yuva. Nikita Dutta ends up being the weak link amongst the four.
Hit Or Miss:
Go watch the film in the theatres if you’re in the mood for some inflammatory action and raw drama!
(Also Read: 9 Bollywood Movies Releasing In March 2024; See LIST)
