Rajasekhar plays his age, and scores a hit with ‘Shekar’ Movie

Director: Jeevitha Rajasekhar

Cast: Rajasekhar, Shivani Rajasekhar, Posani Krishna Murali, Abhinav Gomatam

Unlike regular remakes in Telugu cinema, Angry Star Rajasekhar’s new film at the box office ‘Shekar’ has been borrowed heavily, almost frame to frame, from the Malayalam original ‘Joseph’.

The story is about Shekar, a retired policeman, who often helps his superiors in the department in cracking unsolved crimes and high-profile cases. Undergoing uneasy pain and suffering, Shekar has a troubled married life stemming from a tragic past. On being largely aloof from his family responsibilities, Shekar gets separated from his wife.

However, he dedicates himself to serve the department and earns a name. He is the go-to person when it comes to busting crime mysteries in town. There is another side of Shekar who enjoys little pleasures in life, watching his daughter grow, and living on the joyful moments of his past. One day, Shekar’s wife is critically injured in an accident. Before recovering from the shock, he loses his daughter Geeta in a similar road accident. Were these mere accidents or was there an invisible hand behind those — is the story.

Actor Rajasekhar, by playing his age as a cop nearing retirement is something no top actor would dare on the silver screen. He said in an interview recently that he had never thought that he would come back again before the Telugu audience after he fell sick during the pandemic. ‘Shekar’ is another resounding success in his career.

His daughter Shivani Rajasekhar, though with limited screen space, gives her best. The rest of the cast, Posani Krishna Murali, Sameer and Abhinav Gomatam to mention a few, all perform well. Prakash Raj appears in a cameo as an advocate.

The background score is another talking point. Though ‘Shekar’ does vary from the Malayalam styke of making, the Telugu version is a stimulating drama. Jeevitha deftly steers the film to perfection by staying true to the original.