Shaakuntalam (2023) Telugu Movie Review

Cast & Crew: Gunasekhar(Director), Samantha Ruth Prabhu(Actor), Dev Mohan(Actor), Sachin Khedekar(Actor), Kabir Bedi(Actor), Prakash Raj(Actor), Madhubala(Actor), Gautami(Actor), Aditi Balan(Actor), Ananya Nagalla(Actor), Jisshu Sengupta(Actor), Neelima Guna(Producer)

A grand cinematic experience with underwhelming storytelling. Based on Kalidasa’s Abhijnana Shakuntalam, this is the love story of King Dushyant and sage Vishwakarma and Menaka’s daughter Shakuntala. Sage Durvasa’s curse makes Dushyant forget all about Shakuntala until the spell breaks and the two reunite.

In this movie, one of the most revered poems by ancient Indian poet Kalidasa is retold on a grand scale. Whether the dreamlike milieu when Shakuntala (Samantha Ruth Prabhu) and Dushyant (Dev Mohan) romance or the stark backdrop of war sequences, the production and visual appeal have been dialled up in a big way. The film quickly displays its CGI and action prowess when Dushyant valiantly saves a village from wild beasts, including tigers and wolves. The viewers are then introduced to Shakuntala and Dushyant’s love story in the high dynamic range, with an uber-colourful forest replete with butterflies, peacocks, deer and flora. The film does not lose its grip on grandiosity, including in the stop-motion animation of mythological backstories.

While you marvel at the visuals, the VFX, Ashok Kumar’s art direction and Joseph V Sekhar’s cinematography in creating the mythological world, the overall storytelling is a tad underwhelming. It covers a series of events, but director Gunasekhar does not venture too boldly in terms of the narrative. The chronicle is a bit too straightforward for all the grand scale and cinematic experience. Mani Sharma’s rich melodies, from the soothing ‘Mallika Mallika’ to the romantic ‘Madhur Kal Tu,’ are in tune with the film’s cinematic experience.

Samantha Ruth Prabhu looks divine as the flower-laden girl and in all the finery as the queen. Whether an innocent, doe-eyed beauty, a hapless and helpless wife being targeted or an indignant woman, her expressions are on point in each scene. Dev Mohan delivers a powerful performance as a righteous king, a fearless warrior and a pining lover. He aces the action sequences as adeptly as he slips into a gentle lover’s garb. Madhoo has a cameo as Menaka and in the short screen time, she looks exquisite and has an impactful role.

In the film, one also gets glimpses of many anecdotes from our bountiful mythology. Although this is primarily a love story, much is said about the divine purpose in Shakuntala’s agony. Besides seeing her as a lovelorn woman, it would have been interesting to see her single-handedly raising their son in the sage Kashyap’s (Kabir Bedi) hermitage.

Releasing in Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil and Kannada, Shaakuntalam’s cinematic experience will be best enjoyed in theatres. The opulent sets, elaborate war sequences, and ostentatious costumes will transport you to the abundant world of mythicism.

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