The great debate between science and superstition continues, and Ram Gopal Varma's (RGV) new film Raksha examines the consequences of brushing away the supernatural as silly.

Whether you're superstitious or not, you may have heard tales/ experiences concerning black magic. Who can honestly resist stories of 'what happened to a friend of a friend of a friend' when black magic is involved?

Phoonk was one of RGV's finest works and it holds your attention all through. Now that Raksha has hit theatres, we have to see if the same effect can be conveyed to Telugu audiences. The film has been suitably modified to cater to Telugu tastes. Directed by Vamsi Krishna Akella (RGV's assistant), Raksha looks at the practice of sorcery and an atheist's fight against such acts popularly known as 'chetabadi'.

Rajeev (Jagapathi Babu), a successful construction engineer, has the perfect family: a loving wife, Kalyani, two children, Rahul (Atul) and Raksha (Neha) and his mother (Radha Kumari). He is an atheist to the core and looks down on people who believe in the dark forces. But his wife and his mother are god-fearing and believe in things supernatural. 

Rajeev and his friend Venu (Rajeev Kankala) along with Venu's wife Madhu (Sathya Krishna) run a successful construction company. But Rajeev sacks them when he discovers that his so-called friends are cheating him. This naturally irks Venu and his wife, who approach a sorcerer Veerendra Chauhan, who weaves his evil supernatural web around the unsuspecting family. As a result, Raksha is affected and starts to behave in a weird fashion. Her rational-thinking father, thinking this to be a psychiatric ailment, takes her to one of the top psychiatrists in the state. Even the doctors are stumped by the symptoms exhibited by Raksha and unable to provide a solution for her condition. But his wife and mother see the signs of exorcism and summon a tantrik who can fight back against the sorcery.

Rajeev too agrees to meet Baba (Pradeep Rawat) as his friend Subba Raju convinces him that it is for his daughter's welfare. The Baba informs Rajeev that his daughter is a victim of black magic that Venu and Madhu have unleashed on his family. The concerned and angry father hunts down the sorcerer and puts a stop to his black magic just in time to save his daughter's life.

Jagapathi Babu has excelled in his role of a concerned father and rationalist who starts to question his own beliefs. A very intense performance by this seasoned performer makes the audiences leave the theatre shaken by the emotions that Jagapathi exudes on screen. Of course, Baby Neha has taken the cake in her portrayal as the possessed Raksha. At that tender age, to give such a scary, involved and above all, convincing performance speaks of a great talent that needs to be nurtured carefully for it to reach maturity. 

Kalyani has given a good performance as the mother who is convinced that her daughter is a victim of black magic; she complements Jagapathi with her neat portrayal.

Pradeep Rawat's role as the Baba is quite a departure from his usual villainous characterizations. Melkote has given some comic relief in keeping with the mood of the movie. Jeeva, Jayasudha and Rajiv Kanakala have given seasoned performances with the exact results that were required by the director.

Amar Mohile's music sets the mood and carries us along on the inevitable flow of events. Vamsi's screenplay is good and holds the viewers' interest. Raksha, unlike Phoonk, is not so steeped in horror but is an open-ended debate on black magic and psychological disorders.