Dragon Teaser review: I got the first look at Dragon, the eagerly awaited project by Jr NTR and director Prashanth Neel and felt a combination of excitement, curiosity and some degree of optimism. The anticipation generated by this project since its announcement has been enormous and seeing the teaser a couple of times, I can say with great certainty that this project has everything fans would hope for in a combination of scale, intensity and larger than life.
However, looking at it from a superficial level, I couldn’t help but feel like I’m going back to KGF and Salaar. The visual vocabulary instantly conjured up my mind Prashanth Neel’s signature filmmaking approach. The dusty landscapes, the muddy brown colour palette, the rugged production design, the dark and gritty texture, and even the background score all have a familiar taste to them. These are all things that will be familiar to anyone who has seen Neel’s previous films. But, despite the similarities in style, the plot seems to be going in a different direction.
The most dramatic aspect of me was definitely Jr NTR’s transformation. I’ve seen him looking soft and full in his looks, but he looks really lean, hardened and threatening in this picture. The actor is very much in to it. His look is quite sharp, it adds to the menace of the character. Though his screen presence is unmatched, this is a much bolder, intense and dangerous version of Jr NTR. I had to watch it a number of times before I got used to this striking physical change.
The most fascinating thing for me was the world as it was being formed. The story appears to be about a large criminal network associated with the growth of narcotics and traces of the old colonial rule. The teaser alludes to two strong factions running this underground network. One looks like the Afghan Trading Company (also known as ATC) and the other is the Golden Triangle. The names evoke immediately curiosity and a sense that this story had an international flavour, big war and complex power struggles.
The history and mythology converge into larger-than-life stories of which 1967 is a hallmark of sorts in Prashanth Neel’s narration of history. The brief footage also shows veteran actor Ashutosh Rana playing a major role, as one of the key characters of the ATC. It’s just his fleeting presence that gives gravitas and authority to the story.
I also enjoyed having some familiar faces from Hindi cinema for the supporting cast, as the script did have a strong supporting cast. Other actors such as Ashutosh Rana, Anshuman Pushkar and Siddhant Gupta appear to have a big role to play in the movie. But the biggest surprise is Anil Kapoor. His appearance alone makes the project more of a star project. Interestingly, during the entire flashback he seems to be in the spotlight, seemingly distinguished from the many morally questionable and villainous characters that circle him.
I really like Prashanth Neel’s filmmaking style – he makes all the main characters in the film feel important. Much like Dragon, where even secondary antagonists had significant importance, Dragon appears to be in the process of creating a whole world of strong personalities, rather than depending on its main character. This can add to the richness and feeling of immersion in the world.
When it comes to Jr NTR’s character, he is clearly revealed in the teaser to be an assassin in the employ of the ATC. The name “Luger” is the name of the character and it was immediately striking me. The most apparent connection is the famous German Luger pistol that is widely used in military history. It’s not clear if there’s a deeper meaning to that connection, but it’s definitely intriguing.
The teaser doesn’t really provide a clear-cut reason for the Dragon in the title of this film, which is quite interesting. My take is that if the character of Jr NTR is in the villain mode initially, he’s going to slowly turn to an Anti Hero or a Transformative one. Maybe the title is more aptly descriptive as the story progresses. Now, it’s just speculation, but the mystery is a blessing in this case.
I am quite excited, but I have one concern. I sincerely hope that Dragon will not have the same coherent structure and plot as KGF and Salaar. It’s healthy to be familiar with something, but it’s also a downside if you are repeating the same thing all the time. The look, ambiance and stars do the rest in the glimpse but the completed product needs something of its own to be completely unique.
I was overall impressed with what I saw. The tantalizing preview is chic, sexy and full of mystery. Jr NTR looks awesome, the cast looks good and Prashanth Neel again proves himself to be a giant in making huge film sets. I saw some familiar patterns, but they certainly didn’t take my interest away. If the film can manage the balance between Neel’s signature film aesthetics and a new story-telling voice, Dragon has the potential to be one of the biggest releases in its year.
