Cast: Balakrishna, Shriya Saran, Hema Malini, Tanikella Bharani, Kabir Bedi and others
Cinematography: Gnanasekar
Music: Chirantan Bhatt
Producer: First Frame Entertainments
Direction: Krish
One of the main contenders of Sankranthi race, Nandamuri Balakrishna’s most prestigious 100th film, Gautamiputra Shatakarni has hit the screens worldwide today. Directed by Krish, this film is based on the life of Satavahana emperor Shatakarni. We bring you the exclusive review of it:
Synopsis:
Shatakarni (Balakrishna) promises his mother Gautami Bala (Hema Malini) in his childhood that he would bring down all the kingdoms of India under one shelter by conquering all of them. He successfully captures whole Southern region. To beat Nahapana (Kabir Bedi), who has northern territory under his control, Shatakarni even accepts to fight along with his kid for which his wife Vashisti Devi (Shriya) rejects. Meanwhile, few other Greek invaders also try to kill Shatakarni to get control over India. How did he overcome all these odds? Did he rule whole Indian territory? Or Did Greek invaders win over him? To know these answers, you should watch the film.
Performances:
This film totally belongs to Balakrishna. He can be seen in almost every frame of the movie. He should be appreciated for taking up such a story as his 100th film. After a long time, one could see the acting ability of Balayya. Shriya is equally good in the role of Rani Vashishti Devi. Her expressions in few crucial are spot on. Veteran actress Hema Malini is excellent in the role of Rajamatha Gautami Bala. Rest of the cast did complete justice to their roles.
Technical and overall analysis:
Director Krish is known for making sensible stories with a soul in them. With Kanche, he also proved that he can handle war scenes well. Even in this movie, he handled multiple war scenes quite brilliantly and none of them will bore the audience. Music by Chirantan Bhatt is good and his thumping background score elevated the war scenes to next level. The cinematography by Gnana Shekhar is stunning. Special mention should go to Sai Madhav Burra for penning such a brilliant dialogues. In fact, dialogues are the major asset of this movie. VFX could’ve been better, though.
The first half of the film moves at a brisk pace while second half moves a bit slow. The scene where Balakrishna names himself as Gautamiputra Shatakarni is one of the best scenes in the film. Also, the way both pre-interval and pre-climax scenes were shot is good. Overall, both Balakrishna and Krish should be lauded for conveying the story of a great Telugu Warrior. Must watch for this festive weekend.
One-line verdict:
Jaya ho Gautamiputra Shatakarni.
Rating: 3.5/5
