Devotional tinge to socio-fantasy

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After essaying the role of a pontif in Shirdi Sai, seasoned star Nagarjuna returns as a raging atheist in Damarukam. He plays the street-smart Mallikarjuna with ease and is convincing when he transforms into a larger-than-life saviour of the world.

Damarukam’s story is essentially a fantasy tale involving a demon, a god and a surly-burly man in love with a damsel under the evil eye.
Evil rakshasa Andhakasura (Ravi Shankar) has been waiting for ages to destroy the gods. He gets to know that he will become invincible if he marries a blessed girl, and figures that beautiful doctor Maheshwari (Anushka) was, in fact, born at an “auspicious” time. Andhakasura, whose main aim is to annihilate the gods, goes into a penance and when Lord Shiva (Prakash Raj) gives him darshan and grants him a boon, he asks Shiva not to disturb his plans to marry the blessed girl, and not to interfere if he choses to destroy anyone who comes in his way.
Sadly for him, Mallikarjuna has fallen in love with Maheshwari while she was treating his ailing sister. She likes him too, for his philanthropic activities.
Realising that Anushka is in love with Mallikarjuna, Andhakasura (now in human form and played by Ganesh Venkatraman) begins to terrify Maheshwari’s family and puts the entire blame on Mallikarjuna and Lord Shiva. Maheshwari decides to marry Andhakasura’s human form.
Kindly note here that Mallikarjuna was a worshiper of Lord Shiva as a child, but he turned away from his god when he lost his parents and his sister was left severely injured.
So, will Lord Shiva descend on earth to help his former devotee and bless the lovely couple, or will he remain a beleaguered spectator?
Director Srinivas Reddy has taken a risk by blending a love story with a contrived plot involving an asura and “pancha boothas”. To make the film suitable for family viewing, he has packed in a comedy track and two chartbusters. And though the climax may look exaggerated and over-stretched, CGI-work like nandi, shiva roopam besides aghoras and chants give the socio-fantasy a devotional tinge.
Actors Ravi Shankar and Ganesh Venkatraman are impressive. Anushka looks pretty but has nothing much to do in terms of performance. But the famed onscreen jodi — Nagarjuna and Anushka — do sizzle once again.