After a long hiatus comes yet another whodunit flick in Telugu titled Mantra, the last being a film by Arvind, which was a box office hit.

Such films require not just a strong story line but also guts, which director Tulsiram has managed to do. There is enough suspense to keep you on the edge of your seats. The only weak point is the motive, otherwise the film has all the masala required for a suspense thriller.

The title Mantra is a bit misleading, as it has nothing to do with voodoo or black magic. Rather it is the name of the building where all the action is as well as the name of the heroine (Charmee).

Besides spinning a tight yarn full of incidents, the director has also minimised the comedy track and songs to keep the suspense intact.

The story goes like this: Mantra, who stays with her sister in the city, is the sole owner of a huge mansion called Mantra. She wants to sell it off but is unable to do so because the house is haunted. To declare to the prospective buyers that the house is not haunted, Mantra takes the help of "Settlement" Shankar who sends Shivaji to stay in the place for a month along with three friends. Predictably, a series of incidents follow making the film a good suspense thriller.

However, the motive for the house being haunted is never established.

This is Charmee's comeback film after Anukokunda Oka Roju, and she has done a good job. Shivaji is good too.

The background score, by newcomer Anand is good and adds to the suspense.

In a nutshell, after watching all the mushy love flicks and violence-ridden films, Mantra is a breather.

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