Mother-son bond remains strong

Chatrapathi
Kannada (U/A) **
Director: Dinesh Gandhi
Cast: Bhanupriya, Siddhanth, Jaidev and others

Chatrapathi is action director Thriller Manju’s 400th film.

It is the film where the beautiful Bhanupriya is again seen on Kannada screens. Also seen is Siddhant, who debuted in Minchu many moons ago. And producer Dinesh Gandhi, flush with the success of Sudeep’s Kempe Gowda turns director with Chatrapathi.

Is there a difference? Yes, there is. The animated shark stands almost upright in water a la chimpanzee and tries out a few feints on Siddhant, like a seasoned martial artist.

It is then time for cameraman Dasari Srinivasa Rao to take over, projecting a rocking fight on board an almost rocking boat in calm waters.

Rajesh Ramnath's background score goes boom, boom, boom with each punch punctuated with sword slicing sounds.

The rehabilitation camp turned colony set is beautiful. And little else.

There is an excuse to have a ‘heroine’ in this testosterone-addled jumble. She happens to be the case worker looking for the hero’s estranged Sri Lankan mother!

Then there are the hero’s friends, a turncoat minister, a half-brother and the henchmen, whose muscles are perfect advertisement for even a shanty-run  gym. Keeravani’s music makes little impact along with dialogues.

Thanks to a strong story, the first few scenes are gripping. Post the entry of the heroine, there’s little to appreciate, with Mitra’s comedy track grating on the nerves and not taking the story anywhere.

Chatrapathi scores in action, with a grim-visaged Siddhanth, looking the part of a brooding, upright man.

But the one who steals the show is Jaidev, with his mean streak making the role interesting. Sadly, the director’s ineptitude doesn’t help the film’s cause.

But Manju’s fans can rejoice for the slick, violent fight pieces. Elsewhere, this Chatrapathi stumbles bad.