Movie: Tantra
Rating: 1.75/5
Banner: First Copy Movies, Be The Way Films & Vizag Film Factory
Cast: Ananya Nagalla, Dhanush Raghumudri, Saloni, Temper Vamsi, Meesala Lakshman, Kushalini, Manoj Muthyam and others.
Music: RR Dhruvan
DOP: Sai Ram Uday & Vijay Bhaskar Saddala
Editor: SB Uddhav
Production Designer: Guru Murali Krishna
Sound Design: Jyoti Chetia
Sound Mixing: Shyamal Sikdar
Producers: Naresh Babu P and Ravi Chaitanya
Directed by: Srinivas Gopisetti
Release Date: March 15, 2024
Ananya Nagalla, better known for films like “Vakeel Saab” and “Mallesham”, has acted in a horror thriller named “Tantra”, which hit the theaters today.
Let’s find its merits and demerits.
Story:
Rekha (Ananya Nagalla), whose mother passed away when she was a young girl, receives the love and affection she desperately needs from her childhood friend Teja (Dhanush Raghumudri). They establish a romantic relationship.
Teja has observed the presence of ghosts, and he suspects that someone has been performing 'kshudra pooja' with the intention of causing harm to her.
Furthermore, it is observed that Rekha is encountering various difficulties upon the return of Vigathi (Temper Vamshi), who has been away from their village for a prolonged period of time.
On the other hand, a ghost visits Rekha every full moon day in an attempt to slake her blood thirst. What is the connection between Vigathi and Rekha, and how does the story of Rajeswari (Saloni) relate to the overall incidents?
Artistes’ Performances:
Ananya Nagalla convincingly portrays the character of a naive woman tormented by supernatural entities. She particularly excels in the concluding sequences. Saloni is the unexpected revelation of the film. She demonstrates her strength in the role.
The performance of male lead Dhanush Raghumudri is satisfactory. Vamshi Temper and Lakshman Meesala have done justice to their roles.
Technical Excellence:
Camera work is reasonably okay. The background score is appropriate to the theme. The editing lacks sharpness.
Highlights:
Pre-climax twists
Drawback:
Weak narration
Boring flashback episode
Lack of thrilling moments
Analysis
The story of "Tantra" begins with a tale from the Ramayana, which recounts that Indrajit, the son of Ravana, possessed exceptional abilities in occult conjuring. But it was Lakshmana who successfully thwarted his tricks. Thus, Srinivas Gopisetti, the new director, has attempted to draw audiences into his horror story.
In addition, he has partitioned this film into six distinct segments, with each episode being assigned a specific title. These techniques would have enhanced the film if the latter portion of the storytelling was more captivating.
Unlike typical horror stories, "Tantra" places greater emphasis on occult practices. But, in the context of a horror drama, it is crucial to include frightening sequences and deliver thrilling moments. This one lacks them completely.
The sequences that depict ghosts roaming around Ananya Nagalla’s character and she screaming at night for her own blood don’t hrill either. Nor create interest. Much of these scenes and proceedings bore us.
Additionally, there is a lengthy episode of a flashback story that fails to be effective. While "Tantra" may have some interesting plot twists towards the end, it suffers from a lack of engaging storytelling. The new director shows potential in terms of ideas, but appears to lack the necessary narrative skills to effectively bring them to life.
In nutshell, the horror drama "Tantra" fails to deliver any frightening or thrilling moments, and its slow storytelling only worsens the overall experience.
Bottom line: Routine Horror