Chatrapati: Not worth a watch

After a hat trick of hits, hotshot filmmaker Rajamouli teams up with action star Prabhas with a promise to deliver a slick action film called Chatrapati. He delivers an actioner alright but with a few gaping holes in the script. The director exploits the physique of the muscled actor'by canning few breath-taking shots but completely loses track in the second half.

Prabhas looks good as an action hero but he has to improve his emoting skills while Shreya does another done to death glam role. Shafi of Khadgam fame is brilliant as a disturbed personality while Banupriya plays stereotyped tearjerker role. Few tunes by Keeravani are impress.

Young actor Prabhas became an action star with smashing hit Varsham but lost his place with a dud Chakram. Determined to regain his stardom, Prabhas flexes muscle to crush his opponents but looks `stiff' in emotional scenes. The six-footer aptly fits into the role of a hapless refugee who turns against the don and seizes the empire. His dancing skills have improved considerably. The angry image that he portrays in the film could propel him into big league of action heroes.

The plot goes like this: Banupriya brings up her two kids in Sri Lanka and younger brother envies his step-brother since his mother dotes on him. Riots break out and the elder brother Prabhas gets separated from his folks and gets himself into a boat to carry him to safety. The younger brother Shafi, meanwhile, lies to his mother that the elder one is dead. Prabhas grows up in a refugee camp with his friends. Once he takes on the mafia don and seizes his position. He wins the love of Shreya. He also comes to know that his mother is alive. At this juncture, Shafi drives a wedge between them with his lies. What happens next? See the film for an answer.

Despite duds like Subhas Chandra Bose, Shreya opts for a glam role again. She provides oomph and nothing else. Shafi impresses as a psychic brother. Veteranas Kota and Banupriya see just cut out for their roles. Comedian Venu Madhav evokes laughs with his parody on Aparchitudu and Chakram. Baddies Narendra Jha and Pradip Rawat too look good.

Drawing inspiration from Scarface, director Rajamouli makes a mockery of it. His inappropriate blending of action and sentiment is the film's major drawback. However, one can't possibly ignore his taste for slick action, crisp takes and well-mounted songs. He could deliver better films had he paid more attention to content than form.

Veteran writer Vijayendra Prasad should have plugged the loopholes in his script but he too believed his son and director would hoodwink the audience with his technical wizadry. Senthil scores in highly in cinematography. Keeravani's compositions are hummbale, including chartbuster A vachi B py vale.

Producer B V S N Prasad spent lavishly for the film and he could scrap through since the film has evoked enough hype for sustenance.