Shakti

Shakti
2011
4/5 stars

 Aishwarya (Ileana D'Cruz) goes on a road trip with friends, without realizing that she is carrying a magical diamond. A small, throw-back sect of Egyptians is trying to get the diamond and an equally magical trident that goes with it to gain the power these possess.  Shakti (N. T. Rama Rao, Jr.), a tour guide hired by Aishwarya, becomes involved in the protection of both her and the two artifacts.

The plot verged on ridiculous sometimes, with the scenes involving the Egyptians being the weak link of the movie.  The rest of the story, though, had some nice surprises and was entertaining.  Jr. NTR, who radiates energy and charisma, is a good actor and excellent dancer.  D'Cruz was mostly convincing.  The leads had good chemistry together during the music sequences, but not as good during the plot.  The supporting cast was solid.  The fights were nicely choreographed, but the CGI was not always believable.  The songs were great, as were the accompanying choreography, staging, and costumes. Despite the occasional silliness, it was enjoyable and I expect to watch it again.