06/10/08 ~ Early Tollywood

6.10.2008

MANTRA 2007

Cast:
Charmme
Sivaji
Kausha
Karuna Sri
Chitram Seenu
Vijay
Jeeva
Mallikharjuna Rao
Rallapalli
Punchline: it scares you
Genre: Horror/Thriller
Type: Straight
Banner: Gen Next Movies
Music: Anand
Cinematography: Sivendra
Choreography: Prem Rakshit
Screenplay & Direction: Tulasi Ram
Producer: Ravi Prakash & Kalyan Ram
Release date: 14 December 2007
Thrillers and Horror films are picked up well with the telugu audience occasionally. this was proved by the film titled “A Film By Arvind” which was successful film according to the box office.

With the movie Mantra’s success it has been proved that horror & the tolly audience are welcoming thriller films, which have some substance in them.
What sets mantra apart from earlier said film is that it maintains the suspense through out the film and sheds its story revealing about a supernatural element or a human hand that kills people in a spooky villa called Mantra Nilayam

Story
Mantra Mantra’s (Charmme) parents die when she was young and she lives with her friend Vinny (Karuna Sri). She inherits an ancestral property called 'Mantra Nilayam' in the outskirts of Hyderabad. Mantra Nilayam is called as haunted house because of two untimely deaths in that farm house few years back. She wants to sell it off, but no body comes forward to buy the property due to its reputation. A professor comes forward to buy that house with a condition that somebody should stay there for three months. Hero (Sivaji) is a small time goon who looks after land settlements. Hero wants to stay in the house so that he would get a commission of the sale once 'Mantra Nilayam' is sold. The rest of the story is all about how Hero demystifies everything.
Performances:

Charmme is extremely good in a shot where she acts like as if she has seen the ghost. She is very good in the title role. She exposed liberally in the film. She has put on a bit of excess weight and it shows up in certain odd angles. The dubbing provided by Sunita should also be commended.
Sivaji is the man for all the seasons in Telugu film industry. He is just amazing and fits into any role effortlessly. He did a typical role of a Pokiri in this film. His comedy timing is excellent. He brings credibility to his character.
Others: The fine thing about this film are characterizations. All the characters in the film are well defined. Chitram Seenu is good. Vijay creates humor. Jeeva is excellent. Kausha did a special role in this film. Mallikharjuna Rao and others are adequate.

Other stuff:
The picturisation of the songs is a huge disappointment though. When you listen to the audio, you tend to imagine exotic locales and saucy visuals, but what you get is a rather cheesy number, shot tackily with unknown faces. Even the Maha maha number, does not go beyond what was shown in the promos.
To put it short and sweetly, Mantra is a film you wouldn’t regret watching. However, don’t try to find out what the climax is. Charmee is at her courageous best, both in terms of her character and her career.
Background music by Anand is excellent. Cinematography, Color grading and sounds play vital role in any horror films. And all these three departments are good in this film. Since it is a horror film, the director preferred to shoot the most of the film is dark rooms and during the night. Dialogues are adequate.