'Munna' - a slick action film sans soul

Film: "Munna"; Cast: Prabhas, Ileana, Prakash Raj, Kota, Sukanya, Rahul Dev, Venu Madhav, Bharani and others; Director: Vamsi Paidipally; Producer: Dil Raju Music Director: Harris Jayaraj. After a damp squib like "Yogi", action star Prabhas once again fails to pick up the right script to salvage his image. "Munna", a clichйd revenge drama by debutant director Vamsi Paidipalli, is not going to help the young actor's fortunes.

Prabhas plays a college student who takes on a powerful and ruthless don. Even the personal angle added to the hero's daring mission fails to make this stale tale appealing.

Ileana risks her "Pokiri" popularity by doing such a conventionally 'glamorous' role because an overdose of action robs her romantic scenes of their charm.

Her screen chemistry with Prabhas alone would have been sufficient to keep the audience hooked. The director has done disservice to the pair with unwanted props.

Vamsi had promised a "unique" film but he ends up delivering a slick film without a soul. He gives priority to form over content and it proves to be a misleading formula, leaving the viewers cold.

Composer Harris Jayaraj comes up with a wonderful album and some of the songs are picturised attractively, but the film's box office performance may deny the music its due.

Cinematographers Ramprasad and Chota K. Naidu stamp their class on the film with picture-perfect lighting and takes. Action sequences designed by Peter Heins remain the film's redeeming feature.

Producer Dil Raj, basking in the glory of a series of hits including "Bommarillu", slips up this time by overlooking the significance of a good plot.

By B. Anuradha, Indo-Asian News Service