A remake of Rajamouli’s 2005 hit film with the same title, the Hindi version marks the Bollywood debut of the Telugu actor and also director VV Vinayak.
Telugu actor Bellamkonda Sreenivas is debuting in Bollywood 2005 remake of Telugu film 'Chatrapathi'. (BSaiSreenivas/Twitter)
Telugu actor Bellamkonda Sai Sreenivas is all set to conquer the North audiences with his forthcoming flick Chatrapathi, a remake of director SS Rajamouli’s 2005 Telugu hit with the same title starring Prabhas.
Chatrapathi also marks the debut of Telugu director VV Vinayak in Bollywood. It features Sreenivas alongside Nushrratt Bharuccha of Pyaar Ka Punchnama (Hindi, 2011) fame.
The action drama also casts Amit Nair, Rajendra Gupta, Bhagyashree, Sahil Vaid, and Shivam Patil in key roles. Ravi Basrur is composing the background score and Tanishk Bagchi is composing the music.
It’s produced by Pen Indian Limited and is hitting the screens on 12 May.
In an exclusive chat with South First, Bellamkonda Sreenivas reveals why he couldn’t find a better film than Chatrapathi for his Bollywood debut.
The dubbed versions of Bellamkonda Sreenivas’ works are quite popular in the North. Indeed, a couple of big production houses offered to launch him in Bollywood as a pan-Indian actor.
Bellamkonda Sreenivas and Nushrratt Bharuccha in a still from ‘Chatrapathi’. (Twitter)
When there are many Telugu writers and fresh content available, why did he opt for a remake for his Hindi debut?
“I have a decent market up North. My Telugu films are being dubbed regularly into Hindi. Also, I have good relations with the Bollywood producers who wanted me to work in a straight Hindi movie,” he said.
However, Bellamkonda Sreenivas couldn’t turn down the offer to remake the Prabhas-starrer.
“When the doors opened for me in Bollywood, I thought why not with Rajamouli’s 2005 film (Chatrapathi)? And guess what? Screenwriter-director V Vijayendra Prasad who wrote the original made necessary changes to the new script to suit the tastes of today’s audiences.”
He recalled that his cousins born in 2005-2006 watched Prabhas’ Chatrapathi and loved its content.
“It was one of the reasons that emboldened me to do the remake. At least people from two decades ago who haven’t watched the original would get an opportunity now to watch its remake,” he quipped.
Kickstarted #chatrapathi promotions 🔥💥🚀
✌🏼weeks to go !!#ChatrapathiOnMay12th pic.twitter.com/v30lQaBV3x— Bellamkonda Sreenivas (@BSaiSreenivas) April 29, 2023
When asked why VV Vinayak has been picked as the director, Bellamkonda Sreenivas asserted that he is the best choice.
A poster of ‘Chatrapathi’ Hindi film. (Supplied)
“Vinayak sir already knows the content (in the original) and would know how to present it in the best way possible to appeal to the present generation. Also, he knows the audience’s pulse and is a master in delivering commercial action dramas.”
Interestingly, Sreenivas debuted in Telugu with VV Vinayak’s Alludu Seenu (2014) which won him Filmfare for Best Male Debut – South. “When he launched in Telugu, why not in Hindi,” the 30-year-old questioned.
The actor believes that his attempt at remaking Chatrapathi is only for the love of God and the Hindi-speaking people. “I wanted to take up the challenge and the risk,” he shrugged.
While the original version was two hour-forty-five minutes long, the latest is of two-hour-one-minute duration.
“We only increased the scale of the film. We made a lot of changes like removing certain tracks, but retained the soul intact. We shot the movie in Gujarat,” Bellamkonda Sreenivas explained.
Gear up for non-stop action with #Chatrapathi in cinemas on 12th May 2023 👊#ChatrapathiTeaser out now: https://t.co/rl6WH6j9dZ
Written by #VijayendraPrasad, directed by #VVVinayak.@BSaiSreenivas @Nushrratt @bhagyashree123 @SharadK7 #JayantilalGada #PenStudios #PenMarudhar pic.twitter.com/MtYCRqCnaS
— PEN INDIA LTD. (@PenMovies) April 10, 2023
A poster of VV Vinayak’s ‘Chatrapathi’. (Twitter)
When asked if he is worried about the comparison, the actor said: “When you tell the same story to a different actor, he would do it differently. I have tried to do it my way and don’t want to take anything away. Prabhas is a big actor. Once the film is released, the audience will tell if I have at least matched his work or surpassed it.”
Regarding the USP of his project, the Alludu Seenu-actor pointed out that there are many few films that worked out at the box office. Several straight films are termed as pan-Indian versions which, however, didn’t work out.
“I’m happy I made this decision. No one will say that I made the wrong choice. Audiences will connect with family emotions. There are tons of examples and Chatrapathi will be the latest addition to the list,” Sreenivas signed off.
The actor’s next is a multilingual project with director Sagar K Chandra under the banner of 14 Reels Entertainment.
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