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Shakti (General Movie ,2002)  Starring
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Synopsis
Nandini (Karisma Kapoor) is a delicate young girl raised like a princess in Canada by her two doting uncles. She finds her ideal man
in Shekhar (Sanjay Kapoor) whom she marries regardless of his family background. Soon, Nandini gives birth to a son, Raja.
Things take a sudden turn after Shekhar visits his native village in India to see his ailing mother. Nandini and Raja accompany him.
The harsh realities of impoverished India strike Nandini and Raja as they undergo a long, roughshod journey through the countryside to
finally arrive in a fortress-like haveli in Shekhar’s native village. But Nandini’s misery is far from over.
While she gets a heart-warming reception from her mother-in-law (Dipti Naval), her tyrannical father-in-law Narsimha (Nana Patekar)
refuses to accept a modern girl as his bahu. However, Narsimha wants to take his grandson Raja under his wing.
Nandini takes stoically Narsimha’s insults and his attempt to separate Raja from her. Her only hope is to return to Canada one day
with Shekhar and Raja. Little does she know that the day she so much longs for will never come and she will have to fight her
father-in-law’s hegemony alone?
Rest of the film shows Nadini’s transition from a vulnerable girl to an audacious mother who is willing to kill to save her only son!
Review
Director Krishna Vamsi has put a strong dose of realism into Shakti with his authentic presentation of country life in India.
He brings about a striking contrast between life in the west and life in the rugged environs of Indian countryside by focussing on the
crude and unrefined behavior of the villagers.
Unlike typical Bollywood kitsch Shakti is based on a sensitive subject that explores the mother-son relationship. It goes into
the heart of a foreign-bred delicate girl and shows her transition into a loving mother who would go to any limit for the love of her
son.
The film boasts of several memorable moments like the murder of Nandini’s husband at the interval point, and her mother-in-law, Deepti
Naval's outburst in the pre-climax scene.
Vamsi has also brilliantly executed Shahrukh’s death sequence in the second half. The scene is very emotional and almost reduces a
viewer to tears.
Karisma Kapoor proves her mettle playing a complex character that keeps growing with the story. With the mien of a veteran actress she
conveys the requisite emotion be it that of a vulnerable young girl or a helpless mother. Particularly her portrayal of a distraught
mother fighting for her son in the latter half deserves all kudos.
Nana Patekar too shows his immense emotive range with a performance that meticulously brings about the expressions and gestures of a
patriarchal despot.
However, the ‘feast for the eyes’ comes from Shahrukh Khan, who lends freshness to the serious narrative with his stylish cameo, and
Aishwarya Rai, who makes appearance for a song.