Dictator (2016 film)

The film begins on Chandu (Nandamuri Balakrishna), an employee at Dharma Mart as a special in charge and lives along with his wife Kathyayani's (Anjali) family in Hyderabad. Everyone assumes that Katyayani is working in Delhi. Once, an aspiring actress named Indu (Sonal Chauhan) befriends Chandu as she is in quandary from a few gangsters who are hunting her brother (Rajiv Kanakala). One day, she is kidnapped when Chandu locks horns with them and gets indirect enmity with Minister Goverdhan Rao (Madhusudhan Rao) and a corrupt police officer Prabhakar (Ajay), but he ceases them. Parallelly, Babji (Y. Kasi Viswanath), one of the co-employee of Chandu, steals some money for his daughter's marriage when Chandu indicts on himself and arrested. Right now, the attention of company Chairman Rajashekar Dharma (Suman) thrusts on him when his father-in-law Lakshmi Narayana (Nassar) seeks for the truth.

Here, as a flabbergast, the true identity of Chandu is revealed as Chandrashekar Dharma The Dictator, Chairman of the Dharma group of companies. The flashback is shown where Chandrasekhar Dharma is one of the big shots in India who fights against the mafia and aegis businessmen in Delhi as a Dictator. Once,he gets acquainted with Katyayani, one of the employees in his company, and they fall in love. Since Lakshmi Narayana is against rich men, she introduces him as her co-employee and they get married. After some time, Chandrasekhar battles with a tyrant woman named Mahima Roy (Rati Agnihotri) for slaughtering Chandrasekhar's fatherly figure Hari Prasad (Kulbhushan Kharbanda), by her malicious son-in-law Viswambhar (Nawab Shah). Right now, Mahima kidnaps the family members of Chandrasekhar and demands him to fall at her feet. At that juncture, Mahima receives frequent calls from her relatives from the entire world, affirming that Chandrashekar has kidnapped all of them, proving his network. Later, Chandrasekhar eliminates Viswambhar. Knowing this, Mahima attacks Chandrasekhar in which Katyayani gets stabbed when on her requests, Chandrasekhar leaves Delhi and changes his identity. At present, Chandrasekhar learns that Viswambhar is still alive because of the betrayal of his men, so he lands back at Delhi. One of Chandrasekhar's family members, Sivaram (Sayaji Shinde), backstabs and informs Viswambhar that Chandrasekhar is going to conduct necessary rites for the dead Hari Prasad. Being cognizant of it, Viswambhar decides to knock him out and arrives at the spot when Sivaram takes the side of Chandrasekhar claiming it as a trap to bring Viswambhar out. At last, Chandrasekhar slays Viswambhar and behests Mahima to leave the country. Finally, Chandrasekhar returns as Chandrasekhar Dharma, The Dictator.

Music composed by S. Thaman. Music released on EROS Music Company. The music of the film was launched on December 20, 2015 at Amaravati, the new Capital city of Andhra Pradesh. This movie was the first to release its audio at Amaravati. As this movie is 99th film in Balakrishna's career, the association of 'Balayya Helping Hands' organised a rally from KBR Park, Hyderabad to Audio Launch Venue at Amaravati with 99 cars with the permission of Government of Andhra Pradesh.[6] First Audio CD copy was released by Rayapati Sambasiva Rao and presented it to Balakrishna. Anjali, Andhra Pradesh's Agriculture Minister Prathipati Pulla Rao, Ravela Kishore Babu, Sonal Chouhan, Korrapati Ranganatha Sai, Anil Sunkara, Ram Achanta, Ramajogayya Sastry, Shyam K. Naidu, Brahma Kadali, Ambika krishna, Sreedhar Seepana, Kona Venkat, Gopi Mohan, Raghu Babu and others were present at this event.[7]

Reception

Music Review

Review scores
Source	Rating
IndiaGlitz	[8]

Indiaglitz in its review states that "Dictator is an album that is for the mass and class audiences alike. Chura Chura.. stands out and is sure to be on the chartbusters. Gana Gana works lyrically."[8]

Production of this action drama film began at Ramanaidu Studios in Hyderabad on 29 May 2015. Telugu actress Anjali and Balakrishna will star in this film, to be produced and directed by Sriwass (Loukyam fame).[9] In early July 2015, actress Sonal Chauhan was signed as one of the female lead in the film.[10][11] This movie is the first Telugu film produced by Eros International Media Limited. Regular shooting for this film commenced on 20 July 2015.[12] The lead actor Nandamuri Balakrishna lost 12 Kilograms of weight for the role in this movie. A wonderful set was built in Ramanaidu Studios, Hyderabad for this movie. First schedule of the movie with few action sequences was shot in this set for 25 days.[13] Introduction song written by Ramajogayya Sastry titled Gam Gam Gam Ganesha... Gouri Tanaya Sarvesha... with theme on Lord Ganesha was shot in a big set designed by Brahma Kadali at Chithrapuri Colony, Hyderabad with 99 dancers and more than 2000 junior artists under the choreographer Prem Rakshith.[14]

On 24 August 2015, Eros International Media Ltd released a press note saying that the movie had completed its first schedule in Hyderabad.[15] Second schedule of this movie was planned in Europe where some talkie part, few fights and songs was shot. In the end of August 2015, the movie unit started shooting in Bulgaria at exotic locations.[16] The movie unit completed another schedule at Delhi on December 2, 2015; and the final schedule with heavy mass, fight sequences in the second week of December at Hyderabad.[17] On 18 December 2015, the film director Sriwass announced that shooting part was complete except for one song.[6] The last song Tingo Tingo under choreography of Prem Rakshith, was shot at Hyderabad completing the shooting part of the film. Shraddha Das [18] and the popular Item song dancer Mumaith Khan paired up with Balakrishna in this song.[19]

Dictator collected ₹ 10 crore gross at the worldwide box office on its first day, and fetched its distributors ₹ 7.5 crore. It has beaten the record of Lion and become the second-biggest opener for Balakrishna after Legend.[20] It has collected ₹18 crore gross at the AP/Telangana box office in its four-day-extended first weekend.[21] The film was declared a box office failure.

• Dictator at IMDb
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