Dasara Movie: Touch of Nostalgia, Realism, and a Surprising Connection to Silk Smitha

Nani's highly-anticipated project "Dasara" is set to hit theaters in just a few hours, and the film has already generated a considerable amount of buzz. The Telugu-language film is expected to have a strong opening both in India and the United States, and Nani has praised director Srikanth Odela as the next big talent in Tollywood. Throughout the film's promotional materials, the late actress Silk Smitha has been prominently featured.

In a recent interview, Keerthy Suresh asked Srikanth about his fascination with Silk Smitha, and he explained that as a child, he used to bring toddy to his grandfather who had been injured while working in the Singareni mines. It was at the toddy shop where he first saw a poster of Silk Smitha, and he found her appearance to be striking, even though he didn't know she was an actress at the time. The image of Smitha remained etched in his memory, and when he wrote the script for "Dasara," he incorporated his childhood memories of the toddy shop, and Smitha became an integral part of the film.

Srikanth believes that her inclusion added a sense of realism and nostalgia to the movie's overall setting. "Dasara" portrays the socioeconomic conditions, political ambitions, and power struggles of the Singareni coal mines, with Sudhakar Cherukuri serving as producer. The film also features Dheekshith Shetty, Sai Kumar, Shine Tom Chacko, and Samuthirakani.