Raksha 2008

Rajeev is the pragmatic owner of Raksha Construction Company, living a comfortable life with his wife Aarthi and their children Rahul and Raksha, with a father’s deep affection for his daughter Raksha shaping many of his choices. At his side is his close associate Venu, who works in the company, and his wife Madhu, a pair who help sustain the family’s everyday ease. Though Rajeev identifies as an atheist, his wife and mother hold steadfast to faith, and they lean into beliefs and rituals such as Chethabadalu, a realm tied to divine power and protective magic.

On a routine day at the construction site, Shyam, Rajeev’s manager, uncovers an ancient Ganesh idol and urges the family to honor it by building a temple there, warning that neglect could bring misfortune. Rajeev, ever practical, remains deaf to this superstition, choosing progress and modern logic over ritual.

Soon after, Rajeev discovers unsettling discrepancies in the behavior of Raksha, while his wife and mother beg him to look past the strange occurrences. Raksha’s health begins to decline, pushing him to seek help from a psychiatrist, Dr. Rangarajan, who struggles to articulate what is happening. As the events intensify, Rajeev’s skepticism frays, and he finds himself wavering between his secular stance and a growing belief that the temple plan might bring relief. In this moment of crisis, Vinay, Rajeev’s friend, points him toward a black magician, Baba, as a possible solution, while the shadow of manipulation hints at deeper scheming within the circle.

The mystery deepens when Vinay’s trail reveals that the dark magic is being orchestrated by Venu and Madhu, with the quiet backing of Rajeev’s driver Mani. This realization blurs the line between faith and deceit, fear and reason, as the family clings to whatever explanation brings them relief. Meanwhile, Dr.Seema, a perceptive professional, identifies the crisis as an obsession rooted in the credulity of Rajeev’s mother, offering a psychological lens that sits beside the more mystical interpretations of the events.

In the culmination, Rajeev locates the conspirators and dismantles the black magic, bringing an end to the turmoil that has upended his household. Dr.Seema steps in again to help Raksha recover, employing hypnotism to restore her equilibrium. The film closes on a contemplative note that contrasts belief in God with scientific inquiry, leaving the audience to weigh the coexistence and tension between faith, psychology, and empirical understanding.