Meher Ramesh’s screenplay has not done justice to Yandamuri Veerendranath’s socio-fantasy story. In turn NTR (Jr) could neither do justice to his fans nor his image. Sakthi shines in patches, but for the most part collapses under its own expectations.

What’s it about : It is the story of Aishwarya (Ileana) and Shakthi Swaroop (NTR Jr). Aishwarya belongs to a royal family which is the custodian of the all powerful and symbolic shiv lingam and hence her life is under threat from religious fanatics from Egypt! Her parents (Prabhu and Seetha) keep her under house arrest and unknown to her security she escapes on a random trip to Jaipur, Srinagar and Haridwar. In that trip she meets Shakthi (NTR Jr) who becomes her tourist guide cum protector. In the course of the travels Aishwarya falls in love with Sakthi and just as she reveals her love for him, she is attacked by her Egyptian tormentors and is rescued by Sakthi. During the course of the fight we come to know that Sakthi is a NSG Special Ops commando called Sakthi Swaroop who is following Aishwarya as part of an undercover operation. Love blooms and 3 songs, and 2 fights later the customary flashback about Sakthi’s father (NTR jr once again as Rudra) is thrown in by director Meher Ramesh. Rudra is the custodian of a secret temple which protects the Country. In trying to protect the temple from the Egyptian King Mukthar (Sonu Sood), Rudra is killed, but not before he kills the king. The king’s wife Fakthuni (Pooja Bedi) vows revenge and pits her son Raka against Rudra’s son Sakthi. In the end Sakthi vanquishes the evil forces and reigns supreme.

What is Good : Ileana and NTR steal the show. Be it as a damsel in distress or as a coy lover girl she exudes the right amount of sizzle and oomph. NTR as Sakthi the tour guide lights up the screen. He has a few witty one-liners that bring out the laughs and the fight sequences are choreographed well too. Krishna Bhagwan’s comedy brings relief in the first half. Veturi and Mani Sharma have scored well in the lyrics and the music department. The former’s back ground score too is orchestrated well. Sameer Reddy’s photography – especially in the temple settings - draws a few gasps of delight.

What is bad: Unfortunately plenty! To begin with someone has to tell Meher Ramesh how to write a socio-fantasy script. To even think that baddies from Egypt can simply ride into India in horses that too in 1984 is ridiculous. What about visas and passports. And his scripting of characters is rank bad. Nasser and Jackie shroff are wasted. Pooja Bedi as the Egyptian Queen Fakthuna is hideous, And what Egyptian queen that too in mid 1980s. Brahmanandam (as Security expert Avatar) is absurd. You cannot have an artifact like the trishul guarded by someone as comical as Avatar. But the worst offence was committed in the manner in which Rudra’s character is sketched. Telugu audiences in 2009 who have seen Magadheera (and I doubt many who have not seen it) will no doubt draw parallels between Kalabhairava and Rudra. And here is where Meher Ramesh has let down legions of NTR Jr’s fans. NTR as Rudra looks tired and jaded. That perhaps is the biggest drawback of the film.

Final Point : Die hard NTR fans will like it, but the rest will walk away with mixed feelings. Tollywood is still walking down the image path when it comes to heroism. Sooner than later our producers have to realize that the true hero in a movie has to be the script.

Click here for Shakti Review 1

Click here for Shakti Review 3