It might be a silly question to ask in an industry as flux-infested as Tollywood is.

But still it is a question that is worth asking, as it is one on everyone’s lips.

So here it goes: Who can be called the number hero among the young crop of stars?

The query is limited to junior heroes for the simple reason if it were to involve every star then Chiranjeevi, Venkatesh and Nagarjuna will walk away with all the honors.

If it were one year back, it could have been Mahesh, or even NTR Jr. But now the very talk of them might seem laughable. How about Tarun? Far from the mark again.

Allu Arjun, after the success of Arya, is a good contender. But he is still too callow and does not have the experience or the body of work to be classified as a big star in the making. All that can be said about him is his time will come.

Siddharth looked good in NVNV. But then again, the road for him to travel is still long and rough.

So who else are we left with? How about Prabhas?

Yes, yes. He had a very good 2005. His Varsham was the hit of the year. His Adavi Ramudu, though not a hit, was not something that the producer would lose his sleep over.

Of course, what are the films he is doing? Krsihna Vamsi’s prestigious Chakram. Then there is one with M S Raju. Then Chatrapathi is there. His uncle Krishnam Raju is planning very many things with him.

The list looks promising.

Perhaps, the No 1 slot looks inviting. Way to go, Prabhas.