Director VV Vinayak on Chatrapathi: We haven’t tinkered with the soul of SS Rajamouli’s film

Bellamkonda Sai Sreenivas, who was introduced to Telugu cinema by VV Vinayak with Alludu Seenu, is reuniting with the filmmaker again for his Hindi debut. Chatrapathi is the remake of the popular Telugu film by the same name, helmed by SS Rajamouli, starring Prabhas, Shriya Saran. Nushrratt Bharuccha plays the female lead in the action entertainer which releases in theatres this weekend. Ahead of its theatrical release, VV Vinayak and Sreenivas’ father and popular producer Bellamkonda Suresh spoke to the media this week.

“I’ll be grateful to Vijayendra Prasad for coming up with such a good story for Chatrapathi. Rajamouli, Prabhas made the Telugu film with great care and we’ve taken every effort to ensure the soul of the story is retained. We’ve recreated some of Chatrapathi's iconic shots for the remake too and we discussed extensively with Prasad garu to incorporate some changes,” the director said.

“Sai (Sreenivas) is already a popular name in the North, audiences are familiar with his previous films and this convinced Pen Studios to launch him in the Hindi market. I’ve known him since childhood and I was surprised to see him perform with such maturity. I’m confident that he’ll do well in Hindi and Pen Studios has already signed two more projects with him,” he added.

Also read: Chatrapathi trailer: Sreenivas Bellamkonda's Bollywood debut with Nushrratt Bharuccha is packed with action, drama and romance 

“I hope the film will succeed in the Hindi markets. Bellamkonda Suresh is our backbone, he’d do anything for good cinema and never compromises on quality. I thank my team for their efforts. The interval action sequence is one of the film’s major highlights. We’ll organise a huge success celebration once Chatrapathi releases in theatres,” Vinayak mentioned.

It’s a matter of pride that my son Sreenivas is being launched in Hindi cinema with Pen Studios, Bellamkonda Suresh shared. “The film is being extensively promoted in the North, I’m not sure even if I would have done it at that scale. The responses from crowds have been flattering and it’s because of the reception that his dubbed Hindi films have enjoyed over the years,” he said.

“VV Vinayak understands the pulses of the masses well and I’m happy that he’s taken the responsibility to launch my son in Hindi too. We could’ve dubbed this film in Telugu too but our director insisted we show the original Hindi version to audiences instead. He felt Telugu audiences will be excited to see Sreenivas’ interpretation of the role in Hindi. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it,” he concluded.

Also read: Chatrapathi, Hindi remake of S.S. Rajamouli's hit starring Bellamkonda Sreenivas, gets a release date