Shaakuntalam trailer: Samantha Ruth Prabhu stuns as mythical diva in epic saga, fans call her 'biggest female superstar'

The trailer of Samantha Ruth Prabhu’s upcoming mythological epic Shaakuntalam was released on Monday afternoon. The pan-India Telugu film is being released in dubbed Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, and Kannada versions as well. The trailer received praise from fans for its grandeur and Samantha’s look but some criticized the amateurish visual effects.

The trailer opens with a narrator talking about Shakuntala, the first abandoned child in human history and the daughter of Menaka and Vishwamitra. The story sets up her importance in Indian history before the scene shifts to a grand Baahubali-esque kingdo of Hastinpaur where King Dushyant (Dev Mohan) reigns. During a hunt in the forest, Dushyant comes across Shakuntala, draped in a white saree, and the two fall in love.

The story then follows their love, separation, and drama amid a curse by Rishi Durvasa, which makes Dushyant forget his beloved. There are grand shots of forests, kingdoms, and a CGI war where Dushyant leads his armies against an Ausra king (played by Kabir Duhan Singh). The parting shot gives a glimpse at Allu Arjun’s daughter Allu Arha as Prince Bharat.

Reacting to the trailer, one fan wrote, “Samantha looks like a divine vision in white.” Another echoed the sentiment and added, “She never disappoints. Eagerly awaiting.” Others dubbed the actress the 'biggest female superstar of India'. Some, however, were not convinced by the visual effects. “This is good but VFX could have been better for a story of this scale,” read a comment. Others, however, defended the visuals saying they were an improvement considering some of the recent releases.

Shaakuntalam, based on Kalidasa’s epic Shakuntala, will be releasing in theatres on February 17, 2023. The film was earlier slated to be released in November but was delayed but was postponed due to post-production 3D work.

The pan-India film was initially supposed to be released in Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, and Kannada on November 4, 2022. A poster with the release date had been shared last year. However, the release was postponed after the makers decided to convert the film into 3D. The time taken in the conversion process led to the three-month delay.