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Karthi has teamed up with Pranitha for the political entertainer ‘Shakuni’ and the movie has released today across the world in both Telugu and Tamil versions. Shankar Dayal is the director of the film and Gnanavel Raja has produced this project on Studio Green banner. Music has been scored by G.V.Prakash. With a big Telugu release, expectations are high on this film so Let us see how it is.

Story :

Kamal Krishna (Karthi) is a simple guy from the town of Samarlakota. He comes to Hyderabad to seek the help of political leaders in a bid to save his ancestral home which is scheduled for demolition for a Railway track. But he faces insults and abuses from all the leaders, especially the corrupt and cruel Chief Minister Bhupathi (Prakash Raj) . A dejected Kamal decides that gaining political power is the only way to save his property. He comes across a local auto driver Rajini a.k.a. Appalraju (Santhanam) and with his help, he sets out to achieve his objective.

He first meets a local money lender cum Don Ramanakka (Radhika) and convinces her to file a nomination for the post of Corporator. With his schemes and intelligence, he makes her the Mayor of Hyderabad. Next in line is the rustic Sanyasi B.D.Baba (Nasser). Kamal polishes and packages him into a powerful and highly revered Godman. As Ramanakka and B.D.Baba become extremely popular, Kamal starts gaining recognition and he comes across an old political leader named Perumal (Kota Srinivasa Rao). Perumal is the head of the Opposition Party in the state and Kamal once again uses his intelligence and schemes to make Perumal popular.

But the evil CM Bhupathi is not going to take things lying down. He strikes back at Kamal in unexpected and severe ways. In between all this is a romantic track with his maradalu Sridevi (Pranitha). Will Kamal survive these attacks? Will he be able to save his property? That forms the rest of the story.

Plus Points :

Karthi looks handsome and he employs his killer smile to great effect in the movie. He has natural charm and his performance is relaxed. His efforts to dub in Telugu are worth appreciating and it actually works very well. He shoulders the movie admirably and gives a very convincing performance. Full Marks!

The second half of the film is quite entertaining and the pace is good. The satires on the political system and the schemes between the opposing political parties will work well with the audience, given the current political climate in the state. Prakash Raj is good as the evil CM Bhupathi. This performance is a cakewalk for him. Santhanam brings a few laughs at Auto Driver Rajini and his scenes with Karthi are good in places.

Radhika delivers a good performance as Ramanakka. Kota Srinivasa Rao and Nasser are pretty decent. Anushka and Roja have small cameos and it is good to see Anushka after a long time on the big screen.

Minus Points :

Pranitha is not very impressive as the lead heroine. She does not have the glamour to match Karthi and her role is actually quite small. Her romantic track with Karthi has been handled poorly. The first half of the film is a big let down and the story does not move forward much. The non linear narration can actually get a little boring in the first half.

The actual plot is not too impressive and if not for the entertaining political satires in the second half, the movie would have had a tough time. Though Karthi’s ancestral property is at stake in the film, the emotional conflict about this is not portrayed very well. A stronger emotional motive would have helped.

The songs act as mere speed breakers and their placement in the movie could have been better.

Technical Aspects :

Cinematography is quite good and the visuals are pleasing. Editing is not upto the mark and it could have been better. Music and background score provided by G.V.Prakash is a big letdown for the movie. Dialogues are entertaining, especially the political lines in the second half.

The director showed good skills in the second half, but his grip on script and screenplay could have been better in the first half, as mentioned already.

Verdict :

Shakuni is a political entertainer that is worth watching once for a sparkling performance from Karthi and an entertaining second half. The movie’s first half is disappointing and so is G.V.Prakash’s work. Overall, Shakuni will work if you love watching political satires. The movie will have a decent chance at the Box Office because of the present political climate and the lack of new big releases.

123telugu.com Rating : 3/5

Reviewed by Ashok Reddy M.
(Translated by Emmess)

Legend:

5 – Flawless

4 – Must Watch

3 – One Time Watch

2 – Wait for the DVD

1 – Stay Away