"Kannada Hit movie - Aapta Rakshaka - Vishnuvardhana, Dwarkish, Avinash, Komal"

Aapta Rakshaka, a sequel to the mega hit Aapta Mitra, is a treat to watch. P Vasu, who directed Aapta Mitra, is successful in delivering the sequel with suspense, fantasy and spirits forming the theme.

Vasu, who has written the story for Aapta Rakshaka, takes off from where he left in Aapta Mithra. Nagavalli's spirit returns to torment a family. But this time, the spirit is searching for a different chieftain to take revenge. There are a lot of twists and turns in the story. The plot becomes clear only towards the end. There is a subtle connection between Aapta Mitra andAapta Rakshaka. The plot holds the audience glued to the seat as some of the characters from Aapta Mitra have been retained.

The late Vishnuvardhana is the psychiatrist in the film and Avinash is the powerful priest. Both join hands to uncover the mystery surrounding Nagavalli. But unlike Aapta Mithra, spirits and magic are part of the movie, making it not just fiction but a fantasy movie.

Every character in the movie gains prominence at a particular point of time. Vishnuvardhana, who plays a dual role, has delivered a sterling performance. Lakshmi Gopalaswamy, Bhavana and Vimala Raman are at their best. But the surprise package of the film is Sandhya. The actress reveals her talent only towards the climax. Avinash's screen presence is amazing. Komal provides comic relief to the movie.

Vasu has relied on graphics to add value to the movie. There are traces of Hollywood blockbusters Harry Potter (appearance of a snake) and Matrix (stunts) series in the movie. PKH Dass' has done an excellent job behind the camera. The only drawback of the movie is the music. Gurukiran's music pales in comparison with his score for Aapta Mithra.

Overall, the film is a wholesome entertainer with plenty of plots and sub-plots. The only person missing from the sequel is actor-cum-producer Dwarakish.