Little does he know that it is a haunted place, and dire consequences follow after three signs are visible. A person's sacrifice is necessary, according to the scriptures, for things to come back to normal.

What are the signs, and why do they occur? What happens when Veerababu turns out to be the one is the movie's basic story.

Performances

Sangeeth Shobhan fits perfectly into Veerababu's part. As a character, it is nothing out of the box for him, but the setting provides the freshness. He has to play the simpleton with punches aplenty and show a little bit of vulnerability. He checks all the boxes and breezes through the part with ease.

Nayan Sarika also suits the part, which doesn't require any typical heroine showcasing. She is a character who helps drive the narrative and is also the heroine with a love track and a song. Nayan Sarika does the needful without breaking a sweat. But, is there anything hard to do? It isn't the case here.

Analysis

Manasa Sharma writes and directs Rakasa. It is a fantasy-horror-comedy in the vein of the Hindi movie Stree. A simple and sweet guy lands himself in a situation that is a mix of fantasy, horror and comedy in equal doses.

The opening, like most of the films in this space, establishes the fantasy element. It should not be missed as the rest of the narrative runs on this foundation.

The proceedings commence once the hero enters the village and is looking to spoil a marriage. The director uses regular comedy to establish the world and the characters necessary for the story to proceed.

However, the fun here misses the punch and feels ordinary to decent at best. A couple of moments land, but the overall feeling is that it's taking time to get to the point. Everyone knows the key development that will happen involving the hero. It's how things reach the point that stretches the narrative. Also, the mystery element and the routine comedy set an uneven tone during the first hour.

Still, the basic fantasy-element-related point intrigues, and one looks forward to the second-half proceedings with a sense of curiosity.

Post interval, the narrative shifts entirely to the deserted fort, where the core interest has been generated from the start. The beginning goes on the expected lines, and just when one thinks what else is going to happen, a twist in the tale occurs. It solidifies the comic moments that are to occur later.

The real fun happens in the last hour, though. It's when the goal is set and well-placed moments drive the plot forward. Yes, a lot is happening that lacks logic, but the fun outweighs it, so it doesn't become bothersome.

The self-aware tongue-in-cheek use of convenience to drive the plot is fine to an extent, but the way the same convenience is used to wrap up the proceedings doesn't have the same impact. The extent of enjoyment of the movie depends on how well one takes the ending involving the key protagonist related to the fantasy element.

Overall, Rakasa offers a unique premise for delivering the laughs. It works during the second half. The first half lacks the same impact and appears flat. Still, for the genuine laughs and fresh setting on offer, Rakasa is a decent one-time for sure.

Performances by Others Actors

Many well-known artists fill Rakasa's supporting-character arsenal. We have seniors like Tanikella Bharani, Brahmaji, Ashish Vidhyardhi, etc., on one hand and Vennela Kishore and Getup Srinu on the other. The latter set is key to the proceedings, and they deliver the laughs and punches in their unique style as expected of them. The rest of the cast, too, is okay in their bit-part roles.

Music and Other Departments?

Anudeep Dev's songs are mostly forgettable, barring the romantic number, which is alright. The background score takes a predictable approach, as is typical of these genre flicks. Nothing stands out, but it serves the purpose. The cinematography is good. Both the village and fort sequences are captured neatly. The editing is also fine. The pace never slackens, even when things go on a predictable path. The writing is good in parts, but the effort is evident overall.

Highlights?

Last Hour

Entertainment

Casting

Unique Fantasy Element

Drawbacks?

Ordinary Beginning

Forced World Building Extending Narrative

Convenience Filled Screenplay

Did I Enjoy It?

Yes. The second half gets it right with a few blocks.

Will You Recommend It?

Yes, it is a harmless watch for those who are frequent viewers of the horror-comedy genre.

Rakasa Movie Reviewed by Kalyan

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