The Horror –Thriller revolves around Mantra (Charmme Kaur), a software programmer who lives the life of a loner in a Hostel. She shifts to Hyderabad and starts staying with Rama Rao (Tanikella Bharini) - Padmini (Padmini)’s Mansion, thanks to office driver Prasad (Uttej). For next couple of days, she jubilates her stay in the Mansion and meets her college mate – ACP K. Viay (Chethan Cheenu). But things turn around, when Mantra gets attacked by the unknown. ACP Vijay brings her home and takes care of her. During the course of time, Vijay finds out the issue with Mansion and takes a group of 4 people (TV Programmers) to investigate the case. On their way, while nabbed by the unknown in the mansion, strange haunting sounds start to emanate and TV group gets killed. Why are they seized inside the Mansion? What it had to do with Mantra (Charmee)? Whats her relation with Ramarao & Padmini couple forms the rest of the storyline.
Charmme Kaur comes as the icing on this already uneatable cake. Can’t decide which is worse, Stone faced ghost or never working programmer. And there were forced dumb looks and emotions that made some Charmme scenes look out right silly. This is easily one of the worst performance in Charmme’s career. Debutant Chethan Cheenu (Indrudu fame) needs to start at the basics- let him work on dialogue delivery to start off with. Tanikella Bharini and Padmini make a sincere effort. Rahul Dev is extremely superficial in expressing himself. Rest of the characters are restrained and confused, yet they gave their best in short roles.
Filmmaker S V Sateesh may have just gone against the surge with the emotional horror tale by involving new relations to the antagonist, but that doesn’t ensure that they will keep any logical element under check. There’s almost everything in this horror film from love, item song, revenge, drama and small amount of humor, unwitting of course. In the process to tire you completely, the director go completely haywire with hilarious back story of spirit. Not even a single spooky moment manages to terrify you, neither does the thriller/suspense keep you edge of your seats.
Mantra 2 doesn’t have the novelty factor, which works really well as the film begins showcasing sizzling Charmme Kaur’s beauty in Boom Boom song. The point like “morning dreams come true” and the weird attacks on Charmee from unknown people successfully generates the desired interest in the viewers and one becomes hugely involved in the film what will happen next? But regrettably nothing happens and entire first half keeps moving around mansion and pesky stalking scenes with loud background score. The second half purely fails due to its fickle writing and characterizations which was not able to deliver the expected right from the word go. For instance, if a group of individuals are inside a Mansion with big glass windows, no one tries to break out rather stays in and get killed. Similarly, Company provides a vehicle and never try to accommodate the new jonnie and believing in drivers words, female settle down in an unknown place. The film keeps building at an uneven pace with many repetitious scenes due to which one loses the interest long before the pre-climax. Director Sateesh tried to add to many things to the story and ghost backstory, which were unable to provide the kind of momentum to the film needed. There is also an unneeded song that suddenly inserted into the script. Music composer Sunil Kashyup deserves to be applauded, for his promising background score.
The biggest problem with Mantra 2 is that its one hour too long. The film serves very little purpose. It doesn’t entertain, doesn’t thrill nor does it gives you the chills it promises. Even the transition between the scenes are uneven and unrelated. The cinematography work is nice. The production values of “Teja Films” are appropriate.
Tollywood has steadily been bunging us with different genre films – purportedly horror but super giddy to the point of mirth films. Mantra 2 perfectly fits into this category. The sequel does nothing to further the franchise nor does it feature talented cast (other than charmee) enough to help the film succeed on dramatic merit alone. All in all, Mantra sequel was purely made to cash on the genre fan base and on the name of the successor. Nothing much.
