When it was announced that Samantha would play the lead role in Gunasekhar's Shakunthalam, many believed that the movie would become a sensation. Despite comments that Gunasekhar mishandled Rudramadevi, it was hoped that Shaakunthalam would cover up for its shortcomings.
However, the movie turned out to be a complete disappointment. Samantha herself has stated that Mohan Babu's casting in the film is not suitable for a mythological movie. Others have commented that the story, dialogue, and songs all seemed melodramatic, but the emotions between the characters failed to connect with the audience. Even the VFX work was criticized for looking amateurish.
Despite Gunasekhar's reputation as a director, some have suggested that he should stick to making social movies and avoid historical mythological projects. The decision to release the movie pan-India seems like an attempt to capitalize on the success of previous Telugu movies that have had pan-India releases, such as Baahubali and Pushpa Part 1.
However, the release of such a poor movie may harm the image of Tollywood as a whole. It is important for directors to budget their projects accordingly and avoid making low-quality films in an attempt to tap into the pan-India market. Shakunthalam serves as a warning to Telugu cinema and its craze for pan-India releases.
