Shaakuntalam movie review- Each time a South Indian film arrives on the Hindi belt, Pan India has started to become the flavour. Stars from the South have all of a sudden begun speaking Hindi in press conferences in Mumbai. It is an Indian film; there is no such thing as a South or North film. We are exposed to such claims. Some people talk about variety but frequently follow the same sentence with the phrase “We are all one.” The ever-smiling media applaud, but few people seem to catch the irony in the statement. We need to stop stating that we are one before we can enjoy our diversity.
Movie Details:
Director: Gunasekhar
Adapted from: Shakuntala
Language: Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada.
Cast: Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Allu Arjun, Dev Mohan, Aditi Balan, Ananya Nagalla, and Madhoo.
Run Time: 2 hours 29 minutes.
Dialogue by: Sai Madhav Burra
Music by: Mani Sharma
Genre: Drama, Romance.
Where to watch? – At the theatres!
Shaakuntalam movie review:
Recently, the ‘pan India film’ Shaakuntalam (2003), produced by Dil Raju, was promoted in Mumbai by actors Dev Mohan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, and the reclusive Gunasekhar. Although it is criticised at every press conference, the definition of a pan-Indian film has not yet been established. To be honest, the ‘pan India’ concept is really a gimmick. Various sensitivities are part of diversity. The issue that should be asked before any movie is dubbed into a non-native tongue is not whether it will appeal to all of India, but rather whether it will do so.
Shaakuntalam film insider:
67 years of secular governance were instituted after 700 years of independence. Perhaps India has progressed too far to return to its old, Bharateeyan foundations. The decision to present mythology in a conventional manner is a bold one. The mythological story of Shakuntala, who initially appeared in a chapter of the Hindu epic Mahabharata and was then transformed into a Sanskrit play called Abhijnakuntalam by the playwright Kalidas in the 4th century CE, was confidently told by director Gunasekhar and producer Dil Raju. The much-loved Shakuntala was originally portrayed on screen in the 1940 Tamil film Shakuntalai, which starred the late, great M.S. Subbulakshmi. In 1943, renowned filmmaker V. Shantaram created a Hindi costume drama based on the same. The lead part was played by Jayshree.
Samantha’s statement at the Mumbai press conference that she liked Disney and believed Shaakuntalam will provide a comparable experience caught everyone’s attention. Although Shaakuntalam contains certain fable-like aspects, comparing it to Disney is, to put it mildly, absurd. Based on a play by Kalidas called Shaakuntalam. It is commendable that Gunasekhar and his Hindi author Naresh Namdev respected the time’s lingo. The strange Urdu word is excusable. For those who are unfamiliar with the famous play by Kalidas, the movie is educational. The Telugu movie faithfully adheres to the original text. Shaakuntalam doesn’t lose its meaning in translation, but its tone does.
Hindi dub:
The Hindi dialogues also appear to have been dubbed by Samantha. Simply said, she is making life unbearable for herself and frustrating for the supporters by being all over the place. While Samantha wears this dismal appearance for the best portion of the movie, Neeta Lulla’s outfits are period-appropriate. She also uses a meticulous tone, which reflects that. Contrary to the Adipurush [2022] teaser, Gunasekhar and Neeta Lulla’s costume designs are hard to criticise. Perhaps in ancient times, women did dye their lips with ochre. Samantha, on the other hand, seems to have worn the glitziest lipstick currently available.
Gunasekhar’s Shaakuntalam-Dushyant romance appears manufactured and lacks passion while being largely a love story. The chemistry between Samantha and Dev Mohan is nonexistent. The youthful actor appears to be intimidated by his seasoned co-star. Samantha is incredibly unimpressive. However, Dev Mohan might compete with Prabhas in this ham fest. They are not alone in this, as almost every actor accepts responsibility. Even seasoned performers Madhoo and Gautami may fool with flattery. Although it might appeal to local audiences, hamming isn’t very popular in the Hindi belt.
Storyline:
Shakuntala is cursed by Durvasa, a vengeful sage, who is portrayed by veteran actor Mohan Babu. Ancient sages would frequently hurl holy water while cursing. Here, after the swearing is finished, the splash appears. A popular villain in the South is Kabir Duhan Singh. He doesn’t contribute anything to his asura [demoic] character other than brute force. The writing for Shaakuntalam is tedious, despite the fact that the Hindi dialogues are great. There is rarely any engagement. The Hindi lyrics and the corresponding backing voices are more difficult to stomach than the performers, who are underwhelming. Evidently, the translation lost the tune. Although lip-syncing is never easy, the editor should not be shown any sympathy if they are unable to sync a single ‘hoho’ in an audio-visual song.
The shoddy visual effects are Shaakuntalam’s major shortcoming. A swarm of butterflies surrounds the lovely forest splendour as Shakuntala is first introduced. They appear to be more like paper sparklers than butterflies. A howler is a VFX that includes animals. A fake white tiger seems to be emerging in the corner of the screen for a split second. Poor production designs never provide an authentic period experience.
Last Word:
Shaakuntalam, despite being a love story, also features a good vs. evil conflict. Gunasekhar makes mistakes with the action, which is typically the USP of South Indian movies, in addition to the lacklustre love narrative. As a viewer, you anticipate an epic battle, but what actually happens is an epic failure. During the action sequences, Dev Mohon appears vacant. The child artist who makes an appearance at the near end of the movie is its lone saving grace. The charming little girl speaks with supreme assurance in big, traditional talks.
The youngster does her part, but the adults—both in front of and behind the camera—fail to do the tale credit. Dil Raju promised Disney to Samantha but ended up giving her a Shockuntala. So, this was all about the honest Shaakuntalam movie review. Bollywood Hush rates the film 1 star out of 5. Click here for the honest Bholaa movie review.
