'Gautamiputra Satakarni' arrives to tell a story that admittedly was never told. That's the legend of the Satavahana king for you. He is royalty personified, valour manifested, born to conquer, a patriot par excellence, a Bharatiya lover the land's enemies won't be able to defeat.

Krish has asked Sai Madhav Burra to pen such lines that will do justice both to the Emperor and the hero Balakrishna. The line 'Desam meesam tippudam' is hair-raising Balayya babu at his best.

"Mee veera khadganni maa rayabaraniki swadheenam chesi maku samanthulu avtharani ashistunnanu.. Samayam ledu mitrama! Sharanama? Ranama?" so goes the heroic line. Come January, you will know that those who were foolish to choose the latter of the two were vanquished by the great king.

Shriya Saran as the Emperor's wife is a mother concerned about the fate of her children in the hands of Satakarni. In contrast, the 'veera matha', played by Hema Malini, is assured of the destiny of her born-to-rule son.