Shaakuntalam - something's fishy

Shaakuntalam 

2023, Telugu 

Director - Gunasekhar

Stars - Samantha, Dev Mohan, Sachin Khedekar, Prakash Raj, Gautami, Aditi Balan, Ananya Nagalla, Gautami, Madhoo

Mohan's Movies ⭐

 “If you wish to enjoy the fragrance of spring flowers and flavours of summer fruits together, or wish to see something that enthralls, bewitches, entices and satiates you, all at the same time, then you must savour the Abhigyan Shaakuntalam.”

The words of Von Goethe are obviously not about this current Disney adaptation of Kalidasa's famous play.  Sadly, the spring and summer fruits, along with the rest of the flora and fauna, are artificial, the results of CGI going back to the days of Blue's Clues. 

Lifeless too is the acting, a stoic, constipated facial expression being the only reaction from Samantha in moments of passion or pain. The feminine beauty of Kalidasa's imaginings could better be offered by the maidens who accompany the lead character. Ms. Samantha has offered apologetics for such a performance to the pain and sorrow of her recent divorce. But one would think it would have only added to the pathos. 

Mr. Dev Mohan cannot offer any excuse for his futile attempt at being a gallant king. He makes all the right moves, but fails to offer little but a brief soliloquy for exiling his pregnant bride. 

Offering emotion, if one call it that is Prakash Raj as a boatman. Perhaps by making him lip sync a song, they spared us from hearing him say ''praama.''

If there can be credit offered it should to four-year old Allu Arha, who is so adorable as the little Bharatha, she gives reason to watch this film. 

The Tamil poets call it ''eeram'' meaning wetness. It is the sensitivity to the bittersweet nature of life that makes us teary-eyed and soulful. The lead characters in this movie are obviously as dehydrated as the fish that swallowed the ring.