Dia (film)
| Dia | |
|---|---|
_film_poster.jpeg) | |
| Directed by | K. S. Ashoka |
| Written by | K. S. Ashoka |
| Produced by | D Krishna Chaitanya |
| Starring | Kushee Ravi Pruthvi Ambaar Dheekshith Shetty |
| Cinematography | Vishal Vittal Sourabh Waghmare |
| Edited by | Naveen Raj |
| Music by | B. Ajaneesh Loknath |
Production company | Sri Swarnalatha Productions |
| Distributed by | KRG Studios |
Release date |
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Running time | 136 minutes[1] |
| Country | India |
| Language | Kannada |
Dia is a 2020 Indian Kannada-language romantic drama film written and directed by K. S. Ashoka, and produced by D Krishna Chaitanya under Sri Swarnalatha Productions. It stars Kushee Ravi, Pruthvi Ambaar and Dheekshith Shetty, with a score by B. Ajaneesh Loknath. It was released on 7 February 2020 and was a box office success. It was re-released in 2021.
The plot follows the titular character who falls for her crush Rohit. When they get into an accident and Rohit dies, Dia tries to move on with another man named Adi only to find out that Rohit is still alive.
Dia was released on 7 February 2020 and was a success. The film was remade in Telugu as Dear Megha (2021), in Hindi as Dear Dia (2022) and in Marathi as Sari (2023).
Plot
[edit]Dia Swaroop, an introverted biotechnology college student who lives in Bengaluru, has a crush on Rohit. She does not express her feelings for him before he moves out of the country. Three years later, Dia encounters Rohit in Mumbai, where she has moved and is now working. The two gradually begin to develop a bond, and Rohit proposes his love for her. One night, as they are returning home from a movie, they get into an accident after a car hits them. When Dia wakes up in the hospital and asks for Rohit, her father's friend tells her that Rohit has died. Unable to accept Rohit's death, Dia becomes severely depressed and leaves to Bengaluru, where she decides to kill herself at a railway crossing. Facing an oncoming train, she is interrupted by a phone call from Adi, who has retrieved Dia's bag from a thief. Annoyed, she tells him to keep it and not to call her again. Dia and Adi then run into one another several times, and Dia reveals her past to him. Adi charms Dia out of her depression; they become friends and eventually fall in love.
Dia returns to Mumbai, where she is shocked to find Rohit waiting for her. Rohit explains that he was declared brain dead, and that it was uncertain that he would regain consciousness, causing her father to tell his friend to lie to her with the hope that she would move on. Dia calls Adi and tells him that Rohit is alive. Adi, heartbroken, tells Dia that she should be happy with Rohit. Despite his mother forbidding him to see Dia, Adi goes to see her one last time. He finds Dia disheartened and Rohit happy, wishes them well and returns home. While away, Adi's mother has died from a heart attack, and he learns that she could have been saved had someone been there. Meanwhile, Dia confesses her college love, how she thought he died and how she met Adi to Rohit. A distressed Rohit tells her to return to Adi so that she will be happy. Elated, Dia goes to Adi's home and finds an auto driver who tells her that he is missing. She and the driver search for him until another auto driver reveals that Adi has gone to the railroad crossing where she attempted to kill herself. Adi has decided to kill himself at the railway crossing because he feels immense guilt over his mother's death and believes that he will be unable to live without his mother and Dia. He prays to God one last time for Dia's happiness and waits for the train. Dia reaches him and calls out; Adi turns to her, surprised, and is hit by a train as a startled Dia watches.
Cast
[edit]- Kushee Ravi as Dia Swaroop "Soup"
- Pruthvi Ambaar as Adi
- Dheekshith Shetty as Rohit
- Pavithra Lokesh as Dr. Lakshmi "Lucky", Adi's mother
- Arvind Rao as Dia's father[2]
- Rajesh Rao as Dia's father's friend[3]
- Jyothi Rai as Rohit's sister[3]
- Chandan Ravandur N as a train passenger[4]
- Gokul Chakravarthy as an auto driver[5]
- Rakesh Srinivas as an auto driver[5]
- Darshan Apoorva as Rohit's friend[4]
- Rudwin as Rohit's friend[4]
Production
[edit]K. S. Ashoka's initially worked on this film's script before making his directorial debut with the low budget horror film 6-5=2 (2013) but left the film due to budget constraints.[6] Production for the film officially started in 2016.[7] The film featured then newcomers Kushee Ravi, Pruthvi Ambaar, and Dheekshith Shetty, who went on to star in various other works prior to the film's release.[6][8][9]
Ashoka broke up every dialogue of the film into svaras.[10] The film was shot at various places in Karnataka including Bangalore, Karwar, Mangalore, and Udupi District (Kapu and Padukere Beach) apart from Hyderabad and Mumbai.[11][12]
Soundtrack
[edit]| Dia | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by | ||||
| Released | 2020 | |||
| Recorded | 2020 | |||
| Genre | Feature film soundtrack | |||
| Length | 3:35 | |||
| B. Ajaneesh Loknath chronology | ||||
| ||||
B. Ajaneesh Loknath composed Dia's score. Ashoka decided to use an instrumental score with no songs, similar to European romance films.[13] The film was promoted with a song, "Soul of Dia" due to the producer's demand although Ashoka was against using songs since he wanted to break the stereotype that every Indian romantic film has to have songs.[14][6]
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Soul of Dia" | Dhananjay Ranjan | Chinmayi, Sanjith Hegde | 3:35 |
Critical reception
[edit]Reviewing Dia for The Times of India, Sunayana Suresh gave the film four out of five stars, praising the realism of the story, the three main performances, the cinematography, and the score. Suresh noted that the story centers on the external and internal experiences and dialogues of the eponymous female protagonist. Suresh said that "the film is for those who want to experience cinema in a brave new style sans the commercial staples".[1] In a review for The Hindu, S. Shiva Kumar praised the direction, acting, writing and score, but criticised the conclusion as abrupt. Kumar said: "The acting is first-rate particularly Kushee and Pruvthvi. Pavithra Lokesh is all grace and poise in a beautifully written role".[15]
In the Deccan Herald, Vivek M V praised the direction, score, and Shetty and Ambar's acting, while criticising the plot as predictable, as well as Kushee's performance.[16] Asianet News, on the other hand, praised Kushee, as well as the screenplay, but noted that the beginning was slow.[17] For The New Indian Express, A. Sharadhaa rated the film four out of five stars, praising the screenplay, direction, performances, music and cinematography. Sharadhaa said: "With a skillfully told love story - one that is not generic - the director creates a unique kind of euphoria with heartbreaks".[18] Manoj Kumar R., also writing for The New Indian Express, said that although the film's title is "dia" (transl. lamp), the film is "dark, gloomy and a tragedy of errors".[19]
A critic from 123telugu rated the film three-and-a-half out of five and wrote that called Dia "one of the most well-made romantic dramas in the last few years in south [Indian] cinema" and praised the performances, emotions and romance in the film.[20] A critic from Behindwoods rated the film three-and-a-quarter out of five stars and wrote that the film's journey was a "bitter sweet ride".[21]
Box office
[edit]This film was one of the few commercially successful Kannada films in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.[22] Ashoka expressed joy of the film's reach across different audiences through OTT platforms.[23]
Accolades
[edit]| Award[a] | Date of ceremony[b] | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chandanavana Film Critics Academy Awards | 21 February 2021 | Best Film | D. Krishna Chaitanya | Won | [24] [25] [26] |
| Best Director | K. S. Ashoka | Nominated | |||
| Best Screenplay | Nominated | ||||
| Best Dialogue | Won | ||||
| Best Actor | Pruthvi Ambaar | Nominated | |||
| Best Actress | Kushee Ravi | Won | |||
| Best Supporting Actor | Dheekshith Shetty | Nominated | |||
| Best Supporting Actress | Pavithra Lokesh | Nominated | |||
| Best Music Director | B. Ajaneesh Loknath | Nominated | |||
| Best Background Music[c] | Won | ||||
| Best Lyricists | Dhananjay Ranjan – (for "Soul of Dia") | Nominated | |||
| Best Female Singer | Chinmayi – (for "Soul of Dia") | Won | |||
| Best VFX | Nominated | ||||
| Best Editing | Naveen Raj | Nominated | |||
| South Indian International Movie Awards | 19 September 2021 | Best Film – Kannada | Sri Swarnalatha Productions | Nominated | [27] |
| Best Director – Kannada | K. S. Ashoka | Nominated | |||
| Best Actress – Kannada | Kushee Ravi | Nominated | |||
| Best Supporting Actor – Kannada | Dheekshith Shetty | Nominated | |||
| Best Male Debut – Kannada | Pruthvi Ambaar | Won | |||
| Best Music Director – Kannada | B. Ajaneesh Loknath | Won | |||
| Best Lyricist – Kannada | Dhananjay Ranjan – (for "Soul of Dia") | Won | |||
| Best Female Playback Singer – Kannada | Chinmayi – (for "Soul of Dia") | Nominated | |||
| Best Cinematographer – Kannada | Vishal Vittal, Sourabh Waghmare | Won | |||
| Best Actress in a Leading Role (Critics Choice) – Kannada | Kushee Ravi | Won | |||
| Filmfare Awards South | 9 October 2022 | Best Film | D Krishna Chaitanya | Nominated | [28] |
| Best Actress | Kushee Ravi | Nominated | |||
| Best Female Playback Singer | Chinmayi Sripaada for "Soul of Dia" | Nominated |
Rerelease and remakes
[edit]After Dia's success, it was re-released on 14 February 2021.[12] It was initially supposed to re-release on 23 October 2020 with the new version reported to include the song "Soul of Dia" and have a different climax.[29] It was also released on Amazon Prime.[30] It was remade in Telugu as Dear Megha (2021),[31] in Hindi as Dear Dia (2022) and in Marathi as Sari (2023). Both the Hindi and Marathi remakes were directed by Ashoka and featured Ambaar reprising his role of Adi.[32][33]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Dia Movie Review: A heartwarming tale that leaves you misty eyed". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 29 March 2020. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
- ^ Lokesh, Vinay (31 October 2020). "Arvind Rau Talks About His Favourite Actors". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 4 October 2022. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
- ^ a b "Producers Make A Beeline For Remake Rights Of Kannada Hit Dia". The Times of India. 15 April 2020. Archived from the original on 21 December 2020. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
- ^ a b c Dia (motion picture) (in Kannada). Sri Swarnalatha Productions. 2020. Closing credits, from 2:13:18. Archived from the original on 17 May 2024. Retrieved 12 February 2024 – via SL MovieFlix.
- ^ a b "Dia completes two years of it's [sic] release". The Times of India. 7 February 2022. Archived from the original on 12 May 2024. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
- ^ a b c Sharadhaa, A. (1 February 2020). "Following success formula is just a myth: Director KS Ashoka". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 11 May 2024. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
- ^ Film Time | Chit-Chat With Dia Movie Team | Pruthvi Ambaar, Dheekshith, Kushi. Public TV (in Kannada). 6 February 2020. Event occurs at 8:11-8:50. Archived from the original on 16 May 2024. Retrieved 17 May 2024 – via YouTube.
- ^ ಹಾರೊದ್ದು, ಪ್ರದೀಶ್ (4 December 2018). "ಪ್ರಯೋಗಮುಖಿ ಪೃಥ್ವಿ ಅಂಬರ್". Prajavani (in Kannada). Archived from the original on 4 December 2018. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
- ^ Nachiyar, Nalme (25 March 2023). "An actor prepares: Dheekshith Shetty on 'Dasara' and a career of experimentation". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 11 August 2023. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
- ^ Film Time | Chit-Chat With Dia Movie Team | Pruthvi Ambaar, Dheekshith, Kushi. Public TV (in Kannada). 6 February 2020. Event occurs at 6:17-6:30. Archived from the original on 16 May 2024. Retrieved 17 May 2024 – via YouTube.
- ^ Film Time | Chit-Chat With Dia Movie Team | Pruthvi Ambaar, Dheekshith, Kushi. Public TV (in Kannada). 6 February 2020. Event occurs at 7:48-8:05. Archived from the original on 16 May 2024. Retrieved 17 May 2024 – via YouTube.
- ^ a b "In Pictures: Pruthvi Ambaar spends a serene moment at one of his favorite 'Dia' spots". The Times of India. 14 June 2021. Archived from the original on 11 August 2023. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
- ^ "Dia, a love tale from the director of 6-5=2". Cinema Express. 29 June 2019. Archived from the original on 13 July 2023. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
- ^ "Dia, a love story by director Ashoka, to have 2 songs". The New Indian Express. 21 November 2019. Archived from the original on 10 August 2023. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
- ^ Kumar, S. Shiva (13 February 2020). "A look at K.S. Ashoka's 'Dia', the most interesting Kannada film of 2020". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 19 February 2020. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
- ^ "Dia Review, A Pleasing Feel Good Romance Drama". Deccan Herald. Archived from the original on 15 February 2020. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
- ^ "ಚಿತ್ರ ವಿಮರ್ಶೆ : ದಿಯಾ" [Film Review: Dia] (in Kannada). Asianet News. 17 February 2020. Archived from the original on 16 February 2020. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
- ^ "Dia movie review: Director Ashoka delivers a heart-warming, unique love story". Cinema Express. 7 February 2020. Archived from the original on 15 February 2020. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
- ^ R., Manoj Kumar (20 March 2020). "South Stream: KS Ashoka's Dia". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 20 March 2020. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
- ^ "Lockdown Review : Dia – Kannada film on Amazon Prime". 123telugu. 14 May 2020. Archived from the original on 23 February 2024. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
- ^ "DIA MOVIE REVIEW". Behindwoods. 7 February 2020. Archived from the original on 23 February 2024. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
- ^ "2020: A flop show". Bangalore Mirror. Archived from the original on 10 August 2023. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
- ^ Sharadhaa, A. (12 May 2020). "Dia has given me an identity: director KS Ashoka". Cinema Express. Archived from the original on 11 August 2023. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
- ^ "Chandanavana Film Critics Academy Awards: Love Mocktail, Dia, Gentleman Dominate Nomination List". IBTimes. 13 February 2021. Archived from the original on 27 February 2021. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
- ^ "Winners: Chandanavana Film Critics Academy 2020: Dia, Popcorn Monkey Tiger, Gentleman Walk Away with Maximum Honours". IBTimes. 23 February 2021. Archived from the original on 26 April 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
- ^ "CFCA Awards 2021 – Dhananjaya and Kushee win Best Actors award in lead role". cinimirror. 22 February 2021. Archived from the original on 26 February 2021. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
- ^ "The 9th South Indian International Movie Awards Nominations for 2020". South Indian International Movie Awards. Archived from the original on 24 August 2021. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
- ^ "67th Parle Filmfare Awards South 2022 with Kamar Film Factory". Filmfare. Archived from the original on 9 October 2022. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
- ^ "Dia releases on October 23 with a new climax and bonus song". The Times of India. 15 October 2020. Archived from the original on 11 August 2023. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
- ^ "After popularity on Amazon Prime, 'Dia' remake rights in demand". The News Minute. 17 April 2020. Archived from the original on 11 August 2023. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
- ^ "Pooja Hegde launches first single from 'Dear Megha'". Telangana Today. 16 July 2021. Archived from the original on 18 July 2021. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
- ^ "Dear Dia Movie Review : This mushy fare will give you warm fuzzies". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 21 May 2023. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
- ^ "Writer-director KS Ashoka helms the Marathi remake of 'Dia' - The New Indian Express". The New Indian Express. 9 March 2022. Archived from the original on 17 May 2024. Retrieved 11 August 2023.