Petta Rap

Petta Rap Movie Synopsis: The life of a junior artiste, who aspires to be an action hero, goes downhill after he goes through certain unexpected circumstances. However, little does he know that there were more twists in the offing.

Petta Rap Movie Review: An action comedy that has Prabhu Deva playing the lead in it with ample references to his three-decade-old blockbuster Kadhalan! As if this isn't enough, there are foot-tapping songs to which he is shaking his legs. Needless to say, this is adequate to pique a movie buff's curiousity. However, the idea sounds good only on paper, thanks to the lack of an engaging story and a cohesive screenplay.


The story of aspiring film star Balasubramaniam (Prabhu Deva) begins with him resorting to a suicide attempt because of his unsuccessful life. The lack of a positive outcome even after attending 100 auditions hasn't deterred his spirit. Moreover, he has the required support from his family as well. Yet, his life turned topsy-turvy when he misjudged a situation at a shooting spot. Later, he bumps into Jeni (Vedhika), a popular dancer, who also shares a hidden bond with him from the past. In an unexpected turn of events, Bala encounters a couple of hooligans, too, who wield certain powers in the society.

Throw in a few done-to-death plot developments and characters with predictable arcs, the film starts testing our patience sooner than we expect. Prabhu Deva's infectious energy and the picturisation of the songs are the saving grace of this film, which suffers from originality from the word go. The superficial moments dilute the core emotion based on which the plot revolves and this leaves us unaffected. The relationship between the protagonist and his friends, the equation between him and his family members and the chemistry between the lead actors fall flat owing to the underwritten characters and conflicts.

The dialogues are weak and supposedly funny moments fail to entertain us. Imman's songs are passable, but their placement is unforgivable. The storytelling relies unnecessarily on fights and songs that add little value to the plot.

All said and done, Petta Rap leaves you wondering how its makers depended only on Prabhu Deva's dance and reference to Kadhalan to pull off a mediocre story and unengaging screenplay. The fact that the veteran choreographer-actor-filmmaker headlines the movie is even more astonishing. Even a surprise that appears toward the film's climax does little to engage the viewers.