Dia is a Kannada romantic drama written and directed by KS Ashoka of '6 - 5 = 2' fame. It has Kushi Ravi, Pruthvi Ambaar and Dheekshith Shetty in the lead roles while Pavithra Lokesh, Aravind Rao and others play crucial supporting roles. The film is produced by D Krishna Chaitanya under the banner Sri Swarnalatha Productions.
It is 2020, and we have already seen plenty of romantic films that have a love triangle like Premam, Minnale, Raja Rani and more. But what if a director decides to time travel back to the 80's, make a love triangle film, and yet keep it up to date? That's when you get a film like Dia, that has the plot resembling any 80's Tamil romantic drama, with modern sensibilities.
The way he adapts a cliched love story to present times is not gimmicky in nature. That is, it's not about the costumes of the lead pair, or the nature of songs, and the backdrop at which the romance takes place. It has more to do with the mood, and the cleverly timed twists that come when you least expect it. The shock value of the twists is also extremely high... enough to jolt you from the seat.
Dia (Kushi) is an introvert, who comes across Rohit (Dheekshith) in her college and they both fall in love. However, he meets with an accident and is declared dead. Time passes by and Kushi falls in love with Adi (played by a charming Pruthvi), their love for each other grows stronger. One day, she gets to know that Rohit is still alive, and how Dia handles this twist in events, is what the rest of the story is about.
What is surprising about the film is that the audience is already familiar with what is going to happen, except the climactic twist. But still, the film sucks you in and you forget everything around you. KS Ashoka, the director, makes it a point to drop sweet surprising moments at regular moments, for you to cherish the romantic portions. At the same time, the gloomy portions surrounding a breakup is also handled maturely, and the way the above-mentioned portions are staged is brilliant.
Apart from these romantic tracks, there is a nuanced subplot involving Adi and his mother Lakshmi (a) Lakki (played by Pavithra Lokesh), which blends beautifully with the romantic tracks, increasing the emotional connect with the characters. Ashoka's vision is strongly supported by the cinematographers Vishal Vittal and Sourabh Waghmare, while Ajaneesh Loknath’s background score offers life to the film at various points. It amplifies the film's mood and at the same time doesn't go overboard anywhere.
Another big positive in the film is that the lead characters have been fleshed out really well. This helps us connect well with their emotions and feelings. The writing is solid, and at times, the film makes you think if you're rooting for the wrong person, which is where the beauty lies. Overall, the film takes you on a bitter sweet ride for more than two hours, and leaves you wanting more. But to quote Adi from the film, "All good things must come to an end."