Boney Kapoor and Sridevi Kapoor's SHAKTI – THE POWER is inspired by the Hollywood flick NOT WITHOUT MY DAUGHTER (1990), starring Sally Field and Alfred Molina. SHAKTI – THE POWER has been directed by Krishna Vamsi.

Nandini (Karisma Kapoor) and her two uncles (Tiku Talsania, Jaspal Bhatti) live happily in Canada. She meets and marries Shekhar (Sanjay Kapoor) and they soon have an adorable son, Raja (Master Jai Gidwani). One day, Shekhar suddenly informs Nandini that they are going to India to visit his ailing mother (Deepti Naval).

And so they arrive in India. The heat, the dust, the crowd… Nandini and Raja are dumbstruck. Before they can catch their breath, they are herded into a train by Shekhar. A long and exhausting journey later, Shekhar, Nandini and Raja finally set feet upon a platform. But their misery is far from over. There's still a harrowing ride in a dirty, crowded bus through harsh and dusty terrain.

To Nandini's absolute horror, their bus is attacked by a frenzied mob welding swords and Shekhar is singled out and beaten black and blue. Nandini is terrified and assumes the end is near, when miraculously Shekhar's attackers are shot dead.

Shekhar, Nandini and Raja are driven to a fortress like 'haveli' where Shekhar's father, tyrant Narsimha (Nana Patekar), reigns supreme. Treated insolently by her father-in-law, Nandini is given a loving welcome by her mother-in-law (Deepti Naval).

Even as she grows to love her gentle mother-in-law, with every passing day, Nandini is revolted by the savage and ruthless ways of Narsimha, for whom killing is a way of life.

One day Nandini sees Narsimha teaching her little son, Raja, to throw a country-made bomb and goes crazy. Shekhar pacifies her and promises her that they will return to Canada soon. Even as she starts dreaming of a peaceful life again… Nandini's whole world is shattered – Shekhar is killed!

Overnight, she and her beloved son are at the mercy of the man she hates most in the world – Narsimha. Alone in an alien land, surrounded by cruel and ruthless people, Nandini has to fight her most important battle – for her son.

Director Krishna Vamsi has treated an intriguing story with utmost realism and poise. What sets this film apart from those of its ilk is that it is set in a realistic environment and the characters behave/act exactly the way they do in certain areas. The crude behaviour, the unrefined environment they live in, the aggressive lifestyle… the story takes a peep into the darker side of a segment that stills exists in the country. In that respect, SHAKTI – THE POWER succeeds.

But the film does have its share of downers. The realism depicted in the film, at places, will disturb the ladies in the audience. Although these sequences are of paramount importance, considering the fact that the film is set in a rural atmosphere, yet the impact of the provocative comments/scenes is so sharp that it wouldn't gel with the womenfolk.

Another aspect where the film suffers is its length. The film needs to be trimmed, especially towards the second half, by at least fifteen minutes. Shah Rukh's death sequence in the pre-climax, for instance, is well executed, but the impact gets diluted because it has been stretched too much.

Even otherwise, the much-hyped Shah Rukh track should've been presented with much more élan. His part looks patchy and the song – 'Ishq Kameena' – comes without any valid situation.

Despite the shortcomings, there's no denying that SHAKTI – THE POWER lives up to its title. It has a powerful script and power-packed performances that keep you on tenterhooks most of the time.

Director Krishna Vamsi deserves kudos for projecting the lifestyle to perfection and leaving a hammer-strong impact in several sequences. The mother-son bond (Deepti Naval-Sanjay Kapoor and Karisma Kapoor-child artiste Jai Gidwani) works in a very big way. The emotional undercurrent is maintained throughout, which is laudable.

The director's genius can be pointed out in several sequences, like:

* The Karisma-Nana clash, when Nana makes his grand-son (Jai Gidwani) throw a country-made bomb.
* Sanjay Kapoor's murder at the interval point.
* The child's (Jai Gidwani) effort to fetch water for his unconscious mother (Karisma).
* Deepti Naval's outburst in the pre-climax.

Ismail Darbar's music is plain mediocre. None of the songs actually contribute in elevating the goings-on one bit. Anu Malik's 'Ishq Kameena', which has caught in a big way, is well shot and choreographed.

Dialogue (Kamal Pandey) are a major asset. Most of them have an earthy feel and have been penned in keeping with the mood of the film. Cinematography (S. Sriram) is breathtaking. The dusty terrain and the sand dunes have been captured with utmost perfection on celluloid. Action is alright.

SHAKTI – THE POWER clearly belongs to Karisma Kapoor. Breathing fire and venom to win back her son from the clutches of a despot, the actress gives it all to the character of a helpless mother and proves what a virtuoso performer she is. Playing the part of a wounded tigress, this is one performance that overshadows all the performances the year has seen so far.

Nana Patekar is extra-ordinary in a role that seems tailormade for him. Conveying a lot through expressions and gestures, the actor with the infinite range is back in form after a long time.

Sanjay Kapoor is extremely likeable and stands up in front of two powerful performers – Karisma and Nana. He's definitely matured as an actor. Deepti Naval is simply fabulous. The oppressed look and the lone outburst sequence in the pre-climax will be greeted with a thunderous applause. Master Jai Gidwani is adorable.

Shah Rukh Khan's character provides the much-needed relief in a narrative that tends to get very heavy at times. Although the actor plays to the gallery with gusto, the character is not as impactful as one would've expected it to be.

On the whole, SHAKTI – THE POWER has the power to satiate the appetite of those looking for meaningful entertainment. The hype surrounding the film and the presence of several powerhouse performers should generate a power-packed opening for the film, which in turn should augur well for its investors.