DNK Review: Is Mouli's Latest Film Worth Watching in Theatres?

Release Date: November 13, 2026

Starring: Mouli Tanuj Prashanth, Sushmitha Shetty, Ali, Raghu Babu and others

Director: Sreenu Kambala

Producers: Naveen Yerneni, Y. Ravi Shankar

Music Director: Sinjith Yerramilli

Cinematographer: Surya Balaji

Editor: Sreedhar Sompally

Story:

DNK, originally titled Donga Naa Koduku, is a crime comedy drama featuring Mouli Tanuj Prashanth in the lead role. The story revolves around Eeshwar (Mouli), a careless young man from Visakhapatnam who loses a huge amount of money through online betting. Unable to repay his growing debts, he comes up with an unusual plan that creates unexpected problems for him and his family. The film revolves around how Eeshwar deals with the consequences of his decisions and manages to escape from the difficult situation.

Plus Points:

Mouli delivers a decent performance and fits the lead character well. His comic timing works in several sequences, and he manages to entertain audiences even during emotional and serious moments. Babloo, who plays his sidekick, adds some entertaining moments to the narrative. Ali and Rajitha deliver satisfactory performances, while Gundu Sudarshan does a decent job. Nanda Gopal brings seriousness to the story, and Bhadram makes a pleasant impression. The interval twist creates curiosity about the second half, which offers a better combination of comedy, suspense and unexpected turns. The background score also supports the important sequences effectively.

Minus Points:

Despite having an interesting premise, DNK struggles with its execution. Since Mouli is the lead, the film focuses more on comedy than crime drama. However, viewers expecting an engaging crime thriller may find the narrative disappointing. The first half offers only limited entertainment, while the second half has pacing issues in certain portions. The climax twist fails to create the expected impact, leaving the conclusion somewhat unsatisfactory. Sushmitha Shetty looks good on screen but receives limited screen time, giving her little opportunity to make an impression. The combination of Priya and Raghu Babu could have generated more comedy, but their characters are not utilised effectively.

Technical Aspects:

Director Sreenu Kambala makes a sincere attempt to deliver an entertaining crime comedy but falls short in execution. The film would have benefited from more natural humour instead of relying on forced comedy. Editor Sreedhar Sompally could have trimmed certain sequences to improve the overall pace. Surya Balaji's cinematography is adequate, while the production values are decent. Sinjith Yerramilli's background score is one of the film's better technical aspects, adding energy to several important scenes.

Verdict:

Overall, DNK (Donga Naa Koduku) is a crime comedy that fails to deliver the expected impact. Mouli entertains with his familiar comic style, and Babloo provides a few enjoyable moments. However, weak writing, forced comedy, uneven pacing and underdeveloped characters affect the overall experience. Although the second half offers some entertaining sequences, the film remains inconsistent and fails to leave a lasting impression. It is better to skip this one and explore other options.