Shaakuntalam (2023) [Hindi -Telugu]

Shakuntala, daughter of Shaakuntalam Meneka and Rishi Vishwamitra lives in forest with her teacher, Rishi Kanva. In the forest she meets King Dushyant, falls in love with him and the two get married. After she has their baby (Prince Bharata), Dushyant leaves her in the forest with a promise to come back for her soon. However, due to a sage’s curse, Dushyant forgets all about Shakuntala, until destiny brings them together again.

Samantha Ruth Prabhu celebrates her birthday today but her fans are in for a treat. A new poster from her highly anticipated film Shaakuntalam has been unveiled. The upcoming mythological saga directed by Gunasekhar is an adaptation of Kalidasa’s classic play.

It’s going to be a while till we see Samantha Ruth Prabhu as Shakuntala on the big screen, but the makers of the upcoming film have been sharing glimpses of the magnum opus. Today, the production house behind the film dropped a stunning photo of the actress along with birthday wishes. In it, Samantha can be seen looking gorgeous in a white saree.

Earlier in February this year, the actress had shared the first look poster that looks like a scene straight out of a painting. It has Samantha sitting on a rock in a forest surrounded by animals and birds. The previous poster also depicted the character Shaakuntalam dressed in white and floral accents.

In an interview with Filmfare, Samantha Ruth Prabhu opened up about the role. “I have always liked choosing films that are completely different from my previous work. Shakuntalam is the extreme opposite, the other side of the spectrum from Raji,” she said. “I’ve always been obsessed with mythology, period dramas, and this princess world. I really loved my dream role with Shaakuntalam. I’ve been a Disney fan all my life and Shaakuntalam is everything I could have wished for,” she added.

Shaakuntalam will feature Samantha in the titular role while Dev Mohan will star opposite her as King Dushyanta. Mohan Babu, Aditi Balan and Ananya Nagalla will also appear in pivotal roles. Production for the film began at the beginning of 2021.