Tamil cinema in the year 2008 is back with yet another blockbuster hit. "Mantra" is a Tamil movie which has received rave reviews from everyone and has grossed $7 million dollars in just 10 days. The film is directed by ace director Mani Ratnam and stars Karthi and Anushka Menon in lead roles. It also features actor Santhanam, Rajinikanth's daughter Soundarya, Nasseruddin Shah's son-in-law Jeyamohan, and veteran actor Nassar in supporting roles. The film is produced by Mani Ratnam's home banner Madras Talkies. "Mantra" is the story of a young man named Arvind (Karthi). When his father passes away, he returns home to his family in the village after years of living in Faridabad. His wife tells him that she can't live with him because he doesn't love her anymore and she has fallen in love with someone else. Arvind then meets Radha (Anushka), a TV reporter who lives near his house and later marries her. Their marriage however, is not a happy one as Radha does not talk much and Arvind treats that as a sign of disrespect. The two then decide to get divorced. Radha then meets another man named Manikandan (Santhanam) and falls in love with him. Arvind however, is against this relationship because he doesn't want her to be hurt like she was in her previous marriage. The story follows the trials and tribulations of Arvind's life.The music was composed by A. R. Rahman; while the audio rights were sold to Sony Music India. Sify wrote:"Mantra" belongs to Mani Ratnam's stable of films that are well made technically but suffer from a weak script". The Times of India wrote :"Mantra" has too many problems to be a success, but it's a good watch for all the fans of down to earth cinema". Rediff wrote : "The film is notable for its sharp edges, which are so finely polished that one believes the story is actually true". The New Indian Express wrote : "Mantra has got everything right. It’s not pompous, laughable or boring. It’s just straight forward and straightforward and that’s how it should be" and gave the film 3 stars out of 5. Sify wrote: "A quality product considering the hype and expectations that surrounded it. "Mantra" is a strong return to form". The film had a poor opening and unable to break the theatrical records of Mani Ratnam's previous films, grossed just $1.9 million in the first three days. It ended up earning $7 million in its first ten days and received mixed reviews from critics and audience at the box office. Sify wrote:"It’s an entertaining film but you’ll walk out of Mantra without much satisfaction". The Times of India wrote : "An ordinary story directed by an erratic filmmaker does not usually do well even with big stars like Karthi, Anushka or Santhanam involved. 81eaaddfaf 16
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