With Ivan Veramathri, and now Chakravyuha, which has been inspired by the former, director Saravanan has demonstrated that even though a thought might have been picturised umpteen times, to make it delightful, one has to revisit the idea and introspect in all honestly. What comes out is something of a personal experience where every strand of creativity and thought process is nourished all over again. Chakravyuha is fresh filmmaking with old ingredients, and the flavour is simply breathtaking, credit going to Saravanan and his technical team.
With content being king, it is a film which throws light on a common man’s take on the current system. The result is hypnotic and gripping with a well-executed climax.
The story is about how the education system is corrupted in the hands of politicians. Lohith (Puneeth Rajkumar) is an ordinary but doughty man who takes Omkar (Arun Vijay), a truculent criminal and brother of the law Minister (a role played by Abhimanyu Singh) captive. Lohith does this to punish the Law Minister and his brother who are responsible for the death of three law students. The twist comes when Omkar escapes.
Meanwhile, his notorious gang realises that Anjali (Rachita Ram) is head over heels with Lohith and sets to kidnap her. How Lohith brings his girl out of the villain’s clutches and wins over the public forms the rest of the story.
Having the Power Star as the hero, Saravanan has not given way to hero worship and there are no build-up using dialogues. Instead, he has taken up the challenge of using limited characters and woven the narration which gives equal space for Arun Vijay and Rachita Ram.
Puneeth ups the ante by playing a common man's role this time, and his views very well connect to the public. He has perfectly matched his make-up and attire to that of a common man and stands out from his previous films. His action sequences and dance moves are at their best.
Rachita Ram, in a de-glam avatar, comes out natural. Of course, her glam side, which is usually in the songs, is eye catching.
Matching by the aura surrounding Puneeth is matched by Tamil actor Arun Vijay who is debuting in Kannada. With the director giving him equal scope for performance, he doesn't disappoint.
The film has been supported well by the rest of the cast and Sadhu Kokila’s comedy and Rangayana
Raghu’s cameo appearance as a police officer are impeccable.
Technically, it is team work with good picturisation by cameraman Shanmuga Sundaram. S Thaman’s music lifts the film further. Though there is a slew of action scenes, the electrifying climax makes for a thrilling watch, which is well captured.
Chakravyuha can be watched for its all-round entertainment.