Review Of Shaakuntalam Movie

Samantha is back in the film Shaakuntalam, directed by Gunasekhar. From the outset, there have been high hopes for the picture, as well as a lot of excitement surrounding it. The film was officially released today, so let's see how it turned out.

Movie Shaakuntalam

Star Cast : Samantha, Dev Mohan, Allu Arha

Director : Gunasekhar

Producer : Neelima Guna

Music : Mani Sharma

Rating: 2.25/5

Story:

Shaakuntala, who ends up in Kanva Maharshi's ashram and falls in love with King Dushyant, is the protagonist of Shaakuntalam. Everything appears to be normal until Dushyant leaves Shakuntala and then completely forgets about her. The rest of the novel is around why Dushyant forgets Shakuntala and what she does to make him recall her.

Performances on the big screen:

In the film, Samantha gives her best as Shakuntala. In the sequences where she confronts Dushyant after their separation, she comes across as quite genuine and at ease. She stands her ground and exudes self-respect, which is essential in this day and age.

While Samantha has provided an excellent portrayal, she falls short of capturing Shakuntala's softer, more feminine side in the first half, when she falls in love with Dushyant. Dev Mohan, who made his Telugu debut with the film, did an excellent job as King Dushyant. He's also terrific in action sequences and has a regal appearance.

The main complaint here is that he didn't have much screen time in the film. With her cameo near the end of the film, Allu Arha has undoubtedly impressed everyone. She is sweet and adorable as Prince Bharata, and her dialogue delivery is excellent. The remaining supporting cast, which includes Mohan Babu, Kabir Bedi, and others, has done a good job but does not have much screen time.

Off-Screen Talents:

Guneskhar has certainly attempted to modernise Shaakuntalam while remaining faithful to the original. Shaakuntalam has already been adapted for the movie multiple times, therefore the director doesn't have much to do here. Despite this, he managed to add a few action sequences, for which the filmmaker should be applauded. A few fit the tale, while others, particularly the war, appear out of place. Gunasekhar attempted to remove the melodrama from the film, which is commendable, but a few sequences suffer as a result. The film would have been better if the drama scenes that added to the plot had been kept.

The second half of the film is superior to the first, as the first leaves you wanting more. The filmmaker might have taken more care in bringing out Shakuntala's more feminine aspect, which is one of the key attractions of Kalidasa's Abhignana Shakuntala. The lead couple's chemistry is lacking. The climax, which reunites Shakuntala and Dushyant, has a lot of potential but falls short. Shaakuntalam was billed as an epic love story, yet the epicness is lacking in the film. Mani Sharma's background score is also subpar, being repetitive and unimpressive.

It could have been so much better, which would have aided the rest of the picture. The tunes are topical, but not particularly impactful. The outfits are good in spots yet feel out of place and overly trendy in others. The cinematography is excellent. The editing might have been far superior. The visual effects are subpar and could have been so much better. It would have had a much more favorable impact on the picture as a result.

Plus Points:

Samantha

Allu Arha

screen presence

Negative Points:

Lack of emotional connect

Poor climax

Bad VFX

Overall Verdict:

Shakuntalam is a partially entertaining love drama with a mythological concept. Samantha/Allu Arha have excellent performances, and the film is kept interesting by a few emotional passages. On the other hand, the visual effects should have been better.