Epic battles, breathtaking natural beauty, beautiful people in love, euphonious music — Gunasekhar’s Shaakuntalam ticks off the skeletal needs of a love story. But the challenge is multifold when one wants to adapt Kalidasa’s iconic play Shakuntala. Sadly, this attempt, starring Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Dev Mohan, is a grand misfire.
The visual effects-dominated film was made in Telugu and dubbed in different languages including Hindi. I saw the Hindi dub. It was shot both in 2D and 3D.
How close the film is to its source material is for the literature buffs to decide but the kind of language used for the dialogues, to suit the setting of the period drama, creates little to no impact. While it may have worked in Telugu, hearing phrases like ‘tan ka taap’ or ‘shareer mil gaye hai’ are jarring, to say the least.
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A rushed love story
Shaakuntalam is the love story of king Dushyant (Dev Mohan) and Shakuntala (Samantha Ruth Prabhu), daughter of apsara Menaka and sage Vishwakarma. Their meet-cute takes place in the middle of a forest surrounded by CGI animals with prey (deers) and predator (tiger) sitting together.
After their marriage, he leaves for his kingdom with a promise to return. Once he leaves, Shakuntala finds out she’s pregnant. Summer, autumn, winter and spring pass, Shakuntala is still pregnant and Dushyant is yet to return. On her foster father’s insistence, the heavily-pregnant Shakuntala embarks on a journey to meet her husband. But due to a sage’s curse, Dushyant doesn’t recognise Shakuntala and humiliates her in front of the packed court. Later, as he regains his memory, Dushyant sets out to woo her back.
The screenplay rarely pauses for the audience to process what has happened. Dushyant defeats a deadly demon, confesses his love for Shakuntala and marries her — all in a span of a day. The film jumps from one event to another, often with no context or enough time to let the moment brew.
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Technical let-down
The visual effects by Alagarsamy Mayan rarely create a lasting impression. The production design by Ashok Kumar oozes grandiose but it never feels authentic. When both the technical elements and screenplay lack depth, it becomes harder to buy into the love story.
Gunasekhar, who has some hits, like Ookadu and Rudhramadevi to his credit misses the mark here.
Samantha and Mohan play their part well but there is no spark. The only moment that might stay with you by the end of the 142-minute period drama is Allu Arjun’s daughter Arha’s debut performance. The six-year-old plays Shakuntala and Dushyant’s son. In a scene where she opposes hunting down a tiger, she skillfully conveys her character’s belief and determination.
The elaborate battle sequences, flamboyant costumes by Neeta Lulla and palatial sets might charm you but it is not enough to write home about.
(Edited by Theres Sudeep)