Naveen

Dhakshina (2024) dives straight into the tangled mess of family, tradition, and that nagging sense of duty you just can’t shake, no matter how much you want to. At the center is Naveen, a guy who probably imagined his life going a whole lot differently, but ends up swept back to his roots after the sudden death of his father. The story doesn’t just tiptoe around grief—it stomps right through it, bringing all the awkward family reunions, old secrets, and simmering resentments into the spotlight. Naveen’s got baggage, and not just the emotional kind. He’s saddled with the responsibility of performing the “dhakshina”—a traditional ritual that’s way more loaded than anyone lets on. Relatives crawl out of the woodwork, each with their own agenda, and there’s a constant push and pull between doing things “the right way” and just surviving the chaos. The movie doesn’t shy away from poking fun at the rituals, either—expect some sharp dialogue and moments that’ll have you cringing or laughing, sometimes both at once. Underneath all the drama, there’s this undercurrent of questioning—what’s the point of these traditions, really? Are they just empty gestures, or do they actually mean something? Naveen wrestles with these questions, clashing with elders who see things in black and white while he’s stuck in shades of gray. And as the days drag on, the line between honoring the past and forging your own path gets blurrier. Dhakshina isn’t just another family drama—it’s messy, funny, and painfully real.