Aptha Rakshaka Movie Review

Story: When dancer Nagavalli''s spirit haunts a family and causes mysterious deaths, it''s time for tantrik Acharya and Dr Vijay to get to the bottom of things

Movie Review: This is the 200th, and sadly, the last movie of Vishnuvardhan. Yet, it''s a masterpiece by director P Vasu. With a brilliant script, screenplay, excellent narration and apt sequences, Vasu presents the sequel of Aptha Mithra in a phenomenal manner, commendably weaving drama, romance and action. All this makes for a riveting experience. Nagavalli (Vimala Raman) returns here too, and then there''s Avinash, who carries the story on his shoulders through his role as a tantrik. However, Vishnuvardhan towers over others, giving a smooth, lively and powerful performance. Be it a Dr Vijay or Vijayarajendra Bahadur, the `Sahasa Simha'' gave his heart and soul to the roles.

The story revolves around a family haunted by Nagavalli''s spirit. A painting of hers seems to cause mysterious deaths in the family headed by Srinivasamurthy and Vinaya Prakash. How do tantrik Ramachandra Acharya (Avinash) and Dr Vijay (Vishnuvardhan) ward off the evil? Who in the family is haunted by Nagavalli''s spirit? The climax is memorable.

Lakshmi Gopalaswamy, Vimala Raman, Sandhya and Bhavana deserve special mention for their lively performances. Ramesh Bhat gives a comic touch to his role. Komal impresses. Avinash is amazing as the tantrik with his excellent dialogue delivery. Hats off to P K H Das for brilliant camerawork. Music by Gurukiran is melodious.