Bellamkonda Sai Sreenivas' Chatrapathi remake goes on floors

It's official! After much speculation, the Hindi remake of the Telugu hit Chatrapathi commenced on a grand note in Hyderabad. The yet-to-be-titled film marks the Bollywood debut of filmmaker VV Vinayak and stars Bellamkonda Sai Sreenivas in the lead role. The latter will reprise the role essayed by Prabhas in the Telugu version. The muhurat ceremony of the event was held amidst the presence of directors SS Rajamouli, Sukumar, writer Vijayendra Prasad, leading producer AM Rathnam to name a few.

The remake is being shot at a set erected in the same location as the village portions of Ram Charan's Rangasthalam in Hyderabad. The extensive schedule will last a few months. Vijayendra Prasad, the writer of films like Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Baahubali, Manikarnika and Thalaivi, had penned the story of Chatrapathi. He is also on board for the Hindi remake and will be tweaking the script to suit the sensibilities of a wider audience base. Dhaval Jayantilal Gada and Aksshay Jayantilal Gada are producing the film under Pen Studios.

The lead actor Bellamkonda Sreenivas is leaving no stone unturned to get his look right for the film while being trained by Prashant Sawant. He had also roped in a Hindi tutor to familiarise himself with the language some time ago. The film's technical team and the crew comprises big names including cinematographer Nizar Ali Shafi, composer Tanishk Bagchi and dialogue writer Mayur Puri. Sahil Vaid, Amit Nair, Rajendra Gupta, Shivam Patil, Swapnil, Ashish Singh will essay significant roles in the film. 

Will the Chatrapathi remake stand the test of time, more so for the similarities it shares with Deewar and Sholay and the fact that it released in theatres almost 16 years ago? For the uninitiated, Chatrapathi, directed by SS Rajamouli, revolves around two brothers fighting for the love of their mother. While one of them is a biological son of the woman, the other is an adopted child who's separated from the family and grows to be a messiah of the needy. The Telugu film is currently streaming on Hotstar and MX Player.