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Thursday, December 23, 2010
Ajith Kumar has issued a warning to the members of his fans organisation that he would not hesitate to disband fan clubs if they failed to listen to his words.
In a statement today, the 'Thala' said that he had come to know about some 'unwanted' activities by a section of his fans, without proper permission from the headquarters.
"If this continues, I will disband my fan clubs. I am a man who would always bow to love and would never succumb to pressure. So I request my fans not to indulge in unwanted activities," he said.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Even as ‘Kavalan’ is facing troubles in Tamil Nadu, the world premiere trailer launch of the film was held in the United States on Thursday.
And the guest of honour at the trailer launch function was none other than Vijay, the protagonist of the film, who was all smiles on seeing a big euphoria among his fans.
They have arranged a 20 passenger ‘Hummer Limousine’ as part of the royal welcome for the ‘Ilaya Thalapathi’. The event took place at India Community Center, Milpitas California, one of the important places where important functions would be held.
Please note this is the first time ever in the history of Tamil Cinema that a trailer of a film was launched here.
Happy with the response ‘Virudhagiri’ has evoked, Vijayakanth is getting ready for his next movie. Sources say the new venture will also be directed by the actor-politician himself.
Remember ‘Virudhagiri’ is the maiden directorial venture of Vijayakanth, in his three-decade long career in Kollywood. The film produced by L K Sudeesh hit the screens Friday last.
“Our Captain, who is now busy with party works as Assembly elections are fast approaching, will start his next venture soon. The movie will be an action adventure,” circles close to him say.
A couple of days after bagging a Golden Globe nomination, A R Rahman is once again in Oscar race with his song 'If I Rise' from 127 Hours. The number has made it to the Academy shortlist for the Original Song category.
A total of 41 tunes, including the number that Rahman wrote for Danny Boyle's film, will be judged for Oscar considerations by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.
Clips featuring the songs will be viewed by the members of the music branch, who will vote to determine the final nominees on 6 January, Academy's official website said unveiling the list on Thursday.
The nominations for the 83rd Academy Awards will be unveiled January 25 while the award ceremony will take place on 27 February at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood.
Binny Mills at Perambur has of late become the preferred destination of Kollywood filmmakers. Since shooting is taking place non-stop there, the premises is being fondly called as Kodambakkam of north Chennai.
Currently, the shooting of Ajith’s 50th film ‘Mankatha’ is going on at Binny Mills and this has become an enough reason to make the destination a hot and happening place.
As soon as they came to know that their ‘Thala’ has come to the area, Ajith fans thronged Binny Mills to have a glimpse of their matinee idol. It is said a stunt sequence is at present being shot there and Ajith has been giving his best to it.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Superstar Rajinikanth’s reach is something which is beyond boundaries. And Durban city’s Deputy Mayor Loganathan Naidoo has proved this now by expressing interest to partner with the top actor.
Naidoo, who was on a visit to Chennai to strengthen his city’s association with the Tamil Nadu’s capital, said, “Rajinikanth is one of the biggest superstars in the south- Indian film industry. I would like to meet him.”
The Deputy Mayor of one of the largest cities of South Africa added: “We want to attract the south-Indian film industry to Durban to make movies here. That would help boost tourism.”
On Wednesday, a six-member team headed by Naidoo held discussion with Chennai Mayor M Subramanian regarding a ‘sister city' partnership to promote cultural ties and friendship.
“Chennai is very strong in information technology, textiles, motor manufacturing and the movie industry. We will be looking at how businesses based here could tie up agreements with them. We would also like to link SA companies with them,” Naidoo, who belongs to the erstwhile Arcot district, said.
It’s official now. After much dillydallying, producers of ‘Chikku Bhukku’, Mediaone Global Entertainment Limited and Majestic Multimedia Limited, have finally decided to release the film on December 3.
“On 16.11.10, this movie was screened for Censor Board. They appreciated the movie and granted “U” certificate. Already movie’s songs were grand hit, ‘Chikku Bhukku’ is getting released in 300 theatres world wide on 3rd December,” said a press release.
Written and directed by K Manigandan, who completed ‘Dhaam Dhoom’ after director Jeeva’s sudden demise, ‘Chikku Bhukku’, a romantic travelogue, has Arya and Shriya Saran in lead roles.
Says Manigandan, “the film starts in London and ends in Karaikudi. It has been shot in Bangalore, Madikeri, Mandalpet and Kudremug in Karnataka besides beautiful locations in the United Kingdom. As the title suggests, a train will be seen in the background in most part of the movie.”
The audio launch of Sasikumar’s film ‘Easan’ on this Friday, November 19 is also doubling as the convergence of talents.
In a novel idea, Sasikumar is bringing together eminent directors from different languages of Indian film industry on stage to launch the audio of his film.
Rama Narayanan, Bala, Ameer from Tamil, Anurag Kashyap from Hindi, Renjith from Malayalam, Trivikram from Telugu, Yograj Bhatt from Kannada
The ‘Easan’ audio will be launched at a function to be held at Sathyam Cinemas tomorrow the 19th November.
‘Easan’ was the movie taken over by Sasikumar from Vikram lately. It stars Samuthirakani, Naadodigal fame Abhinaya, Vaibhav and Aparna in main roles.
Director Sargunam is riding high on a success wave post the success of his maiden venture ‘Kalavani’. And now, he is all set to start his next project, titled ‘Vaagai Sooda Vaa’.
The movie will see the director joining hands once again with Vimal, the protagonist of ‘Kalavani’. If sources are to be believed, the film is an unusal entertainer and two heroines will be there.
“Talks are on with Amala Paul of ‘Mynaa’ fame and Parvathi of ‘Poo’. Sargunam is giving final touches to the script and the film will go on floors at the earliest,” sources in the know maintain.
Sargunam, who teamed up with S S Kumaran in ‘Kalavani’, has this time gone for a new music composer. “His name is Gibran and he is a talented person. ‘Vaagai Sooda Vaa’ will be his launch pad to fame,” add sources.
The wedding reception of young producer Dhayanidhi Alagiri with Anusha in Madurai Wednesday evening saw some big names of Indian politics and Tamil cinema coming together to greet the couple.
Those who had assembled from the Tamil tinsel town include Kamal Haasan, Ajith, Suriya, Madhavan, Karthi, Vadivelu, Srikanth, Siva, Tamil Film Producers Council president Rama Narayanan, M N Rajam and Thiyagu among others.
One of the attractions of the reception was Dhayanidhi’s father, Union Minister M K Alagiri (who was seen in a blazer), singing a couple of film songs on stage following a request from ace music composer Gangai Amaran, who was conducting a light music show.
The DMK Madurai strongman, much to the applause of the guests, sang ‘Pennondru Kanden…’ and ‘Kann Edhirey Thondrinaal…’, both chartbusters from yesteryear hits.
Political and business honchos who turned up for the reception include Union Ministers Praful Patel and G K Vasan, Tamil Nadu Governor Surjit Singh Barnala, Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, Deputy Chief Minister M K Stalin, Kalanithi Maran, M A M Ramaswamy and A C Muthiah. ‘
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Putting a full stop to rumours about her marriage with an Indian businessman early next year, popular multilingual actress Tabu has made it clear that she is not getting married any time soon and reiterated that she is not even in a relationship at the moment!
"No, I’m not getting married. This must be the first time that a bride’s not invited to her own wedding," the actress remarked. The actress also expressed her disappointment over how such news began to make rounds and confessed she has no clue where they stem from.
"Every time I return from Hyderabad, I find gossip about my marriage doing the rounds. This is the fifth time in the past year that people have planned my wedding. Incidentally, no one even knows the name of the guy. Maybe they should plan a meeting between us before playing wedding planners," she added.
"Marriage is never a necessity, but a choice. I would love to get married, provided I find that special someone with whom I can connect emotionally. As for now, I am happy being single," Tabu said.
S.P. Charan's sixth production ventureAaranya Kaandam has won the Grand Jury Award at the South Asian International Film Festival held at New York recently. Noted for discovering new and talented directors and converting their talent into big hits, S.P. Charan roped in yet another new director, Thiagarajan Kumararaja, for Aaranya Kaandam.
The film, which introduces Bollywood’s renowned actor Jackie Shroff to Tamil films, stars Ravi Krishna and Sampath in the lead roles with debutante Yasmin Ponnappa as heroine. Charan’s Capital Film Works has been associated with trend-setting films, which raises everyone’s expectations about Aaranya Kaandam. Also, the film’s promos, which look like pages straight out of famous comic books like Dick Tracy and The Shadow, have kindled everyone’s curiosity.
Aaranya Kaandam’s music is composed by his ever-reliable music composer Yuvanshankar Raja; P.S. Vinod is the cinematographer.
From Kamal Haasan to the Censor Board officials, everyone who has seenMynaa has praised the movie and its storyline.Mynaa, directed by Prabhu Solomon, is about the travails of a driver subjected to various hardships in the hilly terrains where he operates. The film revolves around the life of Surali and Mynaa, who lives in a village Kurangani.
Newcomers Vidharth and Amala Paul play the lead roles; Imman is the music composer and Vairabalan the art director. Udhayanidhi Stalin’s Red Giant Movies has acquired the release rights of the film.
Anaganaga Oka Dheerudu andYodha are said to be the titles under consideration for Siddharth’s forthcoming fantasy film with Shruti Haasan as the heroine. Legendary director K. Raghavendra Rao's writer-director son Prakash Rao is making his debut as commercial director with this movie, produced by the director himself under the banner of ABODE (A Bellyful of Dreams Entertainment) in association with Disney. Siddharth plays the role of a lover-warrior; Lakshmi Manchu and child artiste Shreya Sharma play vital roles. Mickey J. Mayer is composing music. Veteran J.K. Bharavi and Ramesh Somala will write the dialogues. The shooting is currently progressing in Ramoji Film City. | |
Friday, October 29, 2010
Today is Reemma's birthday. And the actress is hosting a grand party at her Lokhandwala penthouse tonight, in which 50 of her 'best friends' will have a bash.
"This birthday is so special to me as I have been winning accolades from various quarters for my performance in Priyadarshan-directed Aakrosh in Hindi", says the actress, who entered Kollywood with Gautham Vasudev Menon's 'Minnale'.
According to sources, arrangements for Reemma's birthday party are being made by the actress's teen-age sister Deisha. "She is leaving no stone unturned to make the bash a memorable event", sources add.
It is expected that prominent faces from Kollywood, Tollywood and Bollywood will turn up for the party. "Reemma has won friends from all film industries and this is reflected in her birthday party every year", sources maintain.
The global success of ‘Endhiran’ has made Shankar a hot cake in Bollywood. While most of his films were already either dubbed or remade in Hindi, attempts are now being made to take ‘Boys’ to Bollywood.
Besides Shankar, another advantage the film has got is its star cast. For Siddarth and Genelia, the lead players of the movie, are popular faces in the north. Adding more to it is the music by A R Rahman.
All these factors have combined together to dub and release the film in Hindi, sources say. It is said Bollywood veteran Abbas Tyrewala will take care of Hindi lyrics and dialogues.
“Sri Suriya Movies, which produced ‘Boys’, has started working on the dubbing process. Accompanied by aggressive promotions, the Hindi version of Shankar’s product will make its way to screens soon”, sources add.
Noted Tamil writer Arnika Nasar, who is popular for science fiction novels, has complained to the police that the story of Superstar Rajinikanth's latest film 'Endhiran' was lifted from his story.
This allegation comes just two days after writer Aarur Tamil Nadan, who is a deputy news editor with a popular magazine, lodged a complaint at the Chennai city Police Commissioner’s Office alleging that 'Endhiran' was a spin-off from his novel that was published a few years ago.
Arnika Nasser, who met Police Commissioner T Rajendran on Thursday, said that the core story of 'Endhiran', produced by Sun Pictures and directed by Shankar, was 'stolen' from his story published in the year 1995 in another popular magazine.
In his complaint, the writer said, "I am the sole proprietor of the story. I never gave any rights to anyone for making a film out of my story. However, director Shankar had intentionally stolen the core story of my novel and made it into a movie. This is against the copyrights act".
The novel ‘2 States’ is a modern comedy about a Punjabi boy, Krish, and Tamil girl, Ananya, who meet at IIM Ahmadabad. They fall in love and want to marry, but their parents are against it. How the couple succeeds at the end carrying their parents along is the interesting story.
Saif Ali Khan plays the Punjabi boy and Priyanka Chopra plays the Tamil girl. The story is inspired from the author’s own life. Chetan Bhagat is from Delhi and his wife Anusha is from Tamil Nadu.
It is interesting to remember that Priyanka Chopra made her debut in Kollywood opposite Vijay with the film ‘Thamizhan’. She soon made it big in Bollywood and never returned.
It's official now. The distribution rights of Vijay's forthcoming film 'Kavalan' have been acquired by Cinema Paradise, a production house run by popular filmmaker Shakthi Chidambaram.
"The rights have been bagged by Shakthi Chidambaram for a whopping price since he found the film a safe bet considering various factors like Vijay, Vadivelu, Asin and Siddique", sources in the know say.
A remake of Malayalam hit 'Bodyguard', 'Kavalan', produced by Romesh Babu is the 51st film of Vijay and it brings together the actor with ace Malayalam director Siddique, along with whom he delivered the memorable 'Friends' a decade ago.
On the film, Vijay says, "It will have action, romance and humour at right mix. I admire director Siddique, who has a firm grip on the story. It is not a raw action film as the title would suggest. Like my past movies, there would be romance in it. Asin has done her best. Vadivelu will bring the roof down with laughter".
But lady luck had other plans and Vinay was at her mercy. Even the successful family entertainer ‘Jayam Kondaan’ did not help him much. But Vinay has got a second chance and he hopes to get his things right this time.
Shankar's former assistant and producer-director Madhesh who was waiting for Vijay's call sheet for long has settled for Vinay for his next film. It is a dream offer for Vinay. Madhesh has also roped Genelia to be the leading lady of the film. Santhanam and Ganja Karuppu are also in the film that has finally ended up as a star value film.
An old Rajinikanth film title is being considered and Madhesh is running around to get the required permission to re-use the old title.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
He may be a close relative of Vijay. But Vikranth wants to cross swords with Vijay on screen. “My wish is that I should play the baddie in at least one film of Vijay”, says the actor.
“It’s my burning desire to share the screen space with Vijay. In fact he is my inspiration and role model. If given a chance, I would like to take up the villain role in one of his films”, he adds. Saying that he is currently playing the lead role in a movie directed by his brother Sanjay, Vikranth, who is happy about the way his career is shaping up, says, “It is the role of a youngster who works in a bar attached to a wine shop”.
“Also I have signed a Telugu film and talks are on for few more projects. My world now revolves around two important persons- wife Manasa (a former Malayalam actress) and son Yashwanth”. he adds.
Vijay at the moment is concentrating only on 'Kaavalan' and doesn’t want to talk about anything else. The film is in its very final stages of the shooting and Siddique is canning the romantic scenes at a garden location in Valasaravakkam, Chennai.
Yester day some media people were there to catch up with the film’s progress and Vijay. When the reporters asked how far the proceedings with '3 Idiots' Tamil remake has gone, Vijay diplomatically avoided answering situation.
Vijay was also evasive when a reporter inquired about the anticipated film 'Pagalavan' which is to be directed by the firebrand director Seeman.
By not answering the questions Vijay left he media persons puzzled and perplexed. Does this mean Vijay may not be doing those films or he wants to keep every thing under wraps to increase the curiosity factor? Only Vijay can tell.
Ajith’s ‘Mankatha’ is changing to top gear sooner than expected and Venkat Prabhu is in full control of the game. The director is planning to have all the songs ready before the shoot starts and Yuvan Shankar Raja is also matching the spirit of Venkat Prabhu and recording them.
As always, ‘Mankatha’ will also have terrific songs, Yuvan says. The highlight of the music album and also the film later is going to be a song sung by Ilaiyaraja and Yuvan Shankar Raja together.
It is for the first time that this dad-son combo has rendered their voices to feature in the same song. It’s going to be a treat, you bet.
And on the field, the shooting of Mankatha will start on 25th October. Venkat Prabhu is planning the release of the film next year on Ajith's birthday which is May 1.
Dhanush and Aishwarya celebrated the birthday of their son Yathra on October 10 in style. It happened at a tar hotel in Nandanam, Chennai. Dhanush had requested the guest to be in green attire and they all obliged.
While they all painted the venue green and had a great fun, one thing was grossly missed by all at the celebrations and that was the presence of Yathra's grand father Super Star Rajinikanth.
The super star was out of the city and he was on his trip to the Himalayas. Though he did not attend the function personally, Rajinikanth more than compensated it with his 30 minutes goody talk with his grandson. Son happy, parents also happy.
Whatever he does, Rajini does it in style!
We all know Shankar, who is known for perfection, would take at least two years to complete a project. However, his forthcoming film, which is a remake of Bollywood’s ‘3 Idiots’, is expected to be a quickie.
“Shankar wants to complete the film in less than six months time. So, in all probability, you can expect the Tamil and Telugu versions of 3 Idiots for summer 2011”, say sources. While Vijay would play the lead role in the Tamil version, Mahesh Babu would replace him in the Telugu version. Ileana is the heroine in both the languages while a search is on for the remaining two protagonists roles.
Sathyaraj will play a crucial role. Harris Jayaraj will score music to the lyrics of Vairamuthu and Gautam Vasudev Menon’s lucky mascot Manoj Paramahamsa has been signed to handle the cinematography.
Multifaceted personality Shruthi Hassan is all thrilled about playing the heroine of ‘7am Arivu’, the Suriya starrer directed by A R Murugadoss and produced by Udhayanidhi Stalin’s Red Giant Movies.
“Acting in 7am Arivu is one of the most amazing experiences in my career so far. It is a mind blowing script by Murugadoss and the way he shoots it, is exciting”, says the music composer-singer-actress.
Adding more, she says, “The director is clear about what he wants and he extracts it from us without any compromise. Thanks to him and other members of the team, the film is shaping up in a great way”.
On her co-star Suriya, Shruthi says, “He is a wonderful actor and ensures that everyone who works with him feel comfortable”. Remember it was Suriya who first rushed to Shruthi’s help when she injured on the sets of ‘7am Arivu’ a couple of months ago.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Ajith has named his production house as Goodwill Entertainment. According to the star, the production house is an effort to recognize talent in the film industry. Ajith’s wife Shalini will head Goodwill Entertainment and will be the over-all in-charge including story selection.
The production will not only sign up established directors but also give an opportunity to wannabe directors struggling hard for a foothold in the tinsel town. With Shalini in charge of the production house, Ajith will concentrate in his acting career.
Mankatha has created a lot of expectations among Ajith fans as it is the star’s film after a long gap. Yet another reason is that it is being directed by one of the successful directors n Kollywood – Venkat Prabhu.
Madhavan has confirmed that he would do a crucial role in 'Vettai', a film which will be directed by Lingusamy and produced by Dhayanidhi Alagiri.
Interestingly, the movie is going to be a double delight for the actor and his fans, for he would be there in the Tamil and Telugu versions of the project. While the Tamil version would have Arya alongside with him, the Tollywood version would feature Mahesh Babu in the lead role.
"After ‘Run’, it is my longtime wish to work with Lingusamy again. Happy that it is coming true with ‘Vettai’. Quite like ‘Run’, all sections of the audience would enjoy watching Vettai", Maddy says.
Describing Arya as his good friend, the actor says, "He didn't even listen to the script after coming to know that I would be there to share the screen space with him. I would also like to say that the storyline and treatment by Lingusamy would be a major strength".
Meanwhile, producer Dhayanidhi Alagiri has said, "I am eagerly looking forward for the shoot (of 'Vettai') to start. This would be one of our big productions we have top technicians of Tamil cinema working on this movie".
The audio launch is going to be a big event with the entire cast walking the red carpet on that day. Anushka, Bharath, Vega and Sonia Agarwal along with Yuvan Shankar Raja, director Krish is expected to fly to London on Friday. Silambarasan is already in London shooting for ‘Podaa Podi’.
This will be the second audio launch of a Tamil film happening in London after ‘Vinnaithandi Varuvaya’ and this too is being made possible by the producer of ‘VTV’.
‘Vaanam’ is one of the big films of this year and it is expected to change some rules of the Kollywood game.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Bharath is brimming with hope. The actor, who has films such as ‘Yuvan Yuvathi’ and ‘Vaanam’ in hand, says he will be soon part of one more promising project, which has a unique title ‘555’.
Director Sasi, who has super hits like ‘Sollamale’, ‘Roja Koottam’, ‘Dishum’ and the critically acclaimed ‘Poo’ to his credit, will be back with this movie, which will go on floors very soon.
“It is an action extravaganza which I am eagerly looking forward for. Sasi is one filmmaker who has immense love for movies and I am excited about the project”, says Bharath.
It is said that the film to be produced by a big banner will be made on a huge budget. “555 will be a totally new genre for both Sasi and Bharath. An announcement will be made soon”, sources in the know say.
Madhavan who refused to do ‘3 Idiots’ for Shankar could not do the same to Lingusamy. Lingusamy's next film ‘Vettai’ is a high profile film with Dhayanidhi Alagiri of Cloud Nine Movies in charge of the affairs.
Madhavan was approached to play a negative character role in ‘Vettai’ which has Arya and Tamannah in lead roles. According to sources Madhavan who first managed to avoid the Lingusamy film has been finally roped in to play the role.
Madhavan is not the one who wants to play only the important hero roles. He is an actor more than a star who keeps on experimenting with his talent. Madhavan has done negative shaded roles before like the one in ‘Aayutha Ezhuthu’.
If Mani Ratnam has a style, Lingusamy has a different style. So it will be interesting to see know Lingusamy has pitted Madhavan against Arya.
A great Multi-starrer is in the pipeline, if what we hear turns true! A high budget movie is on the cards with Padma Sri Kamal Haasan directing a movie with Suriya, Malayalam super star Mohanlal, Teugu Star Ravi Teja, and Himself in the lead!
According to sources, Kamal Haasan is writing the script for the movie that will have big stars from all the languages in the south! Going by reports, Genelia, Trisha and Bollywood beauty Deepika Padukone will also figure in the cast!
Suriya has been part of multi-starrers in the past, like his ‘Friends’ with Vijay, ‘Ayutha Ezhuthu’ with Madhavan and Siddarth and now ‘Rattha Charithiram’ with Bollywood star Vivek Oberoi! He will be an extremely pleased man to work with his idol Kamal and great actor like Mohanlal.
It would be interesting to see, if Kamal Haasan has all the actors in the same movie or would do an ‘Unnaipol Oruvan’ (that had Mohanlal as the cop in the Tamil version and Telugu hero Venkatesh as the cop in the Telugu version), by individually casting the actors for each of the languages they are popular in!
Interestingly Kanal Haasan’s ‘Hey Ram’ was also a multi-starrer with actors from around the country part of it. Shahrukh Khan, Naseerudin Shah, Saurabh Shukla, Rani Mukherjee, Hema Malini to name a few!
Anyways, time will answer our queries! Look out for the updates on this movie; this is what we call a real multi-starrer!
Now that his 'Endhiran' witnessed a never before opening and declared a blockbuster in all three languages (Tamil, Telugu and Hindi), Superstar Rajinikanth is all set to leave for his favourite destination- The Himalayas.
If sources are to be believed, the top actor is leaving to New Delhi by a flight and then would be off to an Ashram in the foothills of Himalayas by road.
And what more? The actor-spiritualist will be there for a month doing meditation and meeting yogis, before he would return to Chennai around Deepavali.
The Superstar was quite busy with a few important things in the recent past including his daughter Soundarya's wedding and the release of 'Endhiran'. During the special screening of 'Robot', the Hindi version of 'Endhiran' in Mumbai a few days ago, he told reporters that he would like to take a break. And he is sticking to his words now.
Hollywood topper Julia Roberts wants to adopt a child from India. The actress of the Oscar winning ‘Pretty Woman’, who recently converted to the Hindu faith, is now trying to adopt a child from India.
Julia already has three children with cameraman Danny Moder .
“Julia has wanted more children for years. But her past pregnancies were fraught with complications and she was forced into an extended hospital stay right before she had her twins. After all she has been through, she realizes that adoption is perhaps the best way forward,” the Daly Express quoted a friend as saying.
According to a close hand, Julia Roberts has a special affinity with India and has explored the possibilities, she has also believed to have contacted an adoption agency in Bali, where she spent time filming ‘Eat Pray Love’.
According to a close hand, “Julia and Danny love the idea of their kids having another baby in the house. And it feels so right that the next member of the family should come from a different culture.”
Rajini and his ‘Endhiran’ have already made Shahrukh Khan alter his priorities with ‘Ra. One’ and SRK has totally changed his movie to be a gaming movie. Now Hrithik Roshan is also said to have rattled by Rajinikanth and the success of ‘Robot’.
Hrithik Roshan and his father director Rakesh Roshan were planning a sequel to their earlier super hit super man movie ‘Krrish’ and they were going ahead aggressively. Then came ‘Robot’. The technical brilliance and the box office success of the Rajinikanth film has made the father-son duo to rethink about their sequel.
While some sources say the Roshans have decided to temporarily put off ‘Krrish – 2’, Hrithik has denied the film being shelved.
Sources further say that the Roshans have realized that they have to plan and upgrade the standard they have imagined for ‘Krrish-2’ after ‘Endhiran-The Robot’ raised the bar of technical brilliance in Indian films substantially.
All are waiting for the official confirmation from the Roshans on a bigger and brighter ‘Krrish-2’ with fingers crossed.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
After the non-stop appreciations that are pouring in director Shankar is planning a well deserved break and will be flying to an overseas destination soon. His ten year dream 'Endhiran' has given him a new found status in Indian cinema and Shankar is enjoying every moment of it.
Now after 'Endhiran' what? After returning from his holidays Shankar will start working in the south Indian remake of '3 Idiots'. The stars are finally confirmed after many speculations from media and the pre-production work has already started.
Vijay was the first one to be confirmed to play Aamir's role. After that Shankar finalised Jeeva and Siddharth to play the other two main roles. Now only the female role played by Kareena is the only one waiting for the casting.
The official announcement of the film launch is expected to happen as soon as Shankar returns from his holidays.
After the non-stop appreciations that are pouring in director Shankar is planning a well deserved break and will be flying to an overseas destination soon. His ten year dream 'Endhiran' has given him a new found status in Indian cinema and Shankar is enjoying every moment of it.
Now after 'Endhiran' what? After returning from his holidays Shankar will start working in the south Indian remake of '3 Idiots'. The stars are finally confirmed after many speculations from media and the pre-production work has already started.
Vijay was the first one to be confirmed to play Aamir's role. After that Shankar finalised Jeeva and Siddharth to play the other two main roles. Now only the female role played by Kareena is the only one waiting for the casting.
The official announcement of the film launch is expected to happen as soon as Shankar returns from his holidays.
Expressing support to Prabhu Deva’s wife Latha aka Ramalath, who has approached a family court that her husband was avoiding her following a ‘relationship’ with Nayantara, various women’s associations conducted a protest in Chennai on Tuesday.
Members of women and human rights organisations, during their agitation Tuesday morning, also burnt an effigy of Nayantara and raised slogans against her for “bringing disrepute to Tamil culture”.
“Ramalath hails from a middle class family and we are behind her. She and her sons will become orphaned if Prabhu Deva deserts her for Nayantara. We will show black flags to Nayantara wherever she goes”, one of the agitators said.
Meanwhile, there are reports that Ramalath had threatened to go on an indefinite hunger strike if her husband married Nayantara. On Monday, the mother of two children moved the family court, requesting a reunion with her husband and stating that she was unwilling to go in for a divorce
Friday, October 1, 2010
Vikram’s project with ‘Madharasapattinam’ Vijay is slowly taking shape. The latest news we have on this film is that it will have Anushka playing Vikram’s pair. The lady is in Chennai to take part in the shooting of the Silambarasan-starrer Vaanam and was approached by the director with the script. It is said that Anushka is happy with the script and her role in the film that she has decided to accept the offer.Touted to be a family entertainer, this film will have two heroines, Vijay had disclosed earlier.
Looks like Ajith will be turning into a producer himself. Gautham and Murugadoss have earlier declared their production ventures. Ajith’s production company will be called Goodwill entertainment.
When asked about his venture, Ajith answered in the affirmative. Will he produce his own movies in the future? Not necessarily, he says, adding that his production ventures can also have his friends as stars. Upon prodding whether he would cast Vijay in his movies, Ajith said he would definitely consider that. The actor is right now listening to scripts.
Mysskin is on the verge of completing Yudham Sei and there is a buzz already in Kollywood that he has signed up Arya for his next. The other cast and crew for this film has not been finalized yet.Arya, it was reported a few days ago, prefers to do another comedy like Boss Engira Baskaran. Does it mean Mysskin is to move away from serious films that he has directed so far? The answer to this will be out soon, we expect.
Starring: Rajinikanth, Aishwarya Rai, Karunas, Santhanam.
Direction: Shankar
Music: AR Rahman
Production: Sun Pictures
The foremost thing about any Superstar film is Superstar himself. He is the air the film breathes, right from the first frame. The biggest entertainer that India has produced, weaves magic on screen; even a nonchalant saunter on screen makes theatres erupt in celebration. Watching Endhiran one feels no doubt whatsoever that no one other than Rajnikanth could have pulled off this character. It is destiny that brought Endhiran to Superstar after travelling all through Kollywood and Bollywood. He delivers a tour de force performance – he owns the film. Be it as the workaholic scientist, the obedient Chitty or the destructive Chitty (‘upgraded version – Chitty 2.0’), he scores; exuding brilliance and charisma in every frame. Yes, there are the trademark styles and mannerisms, but Rajnikanth transcends style and goes one better with Endhiran. His restraint while playing the scientist, the frustration that he shows while his scientific endeavours go wrong, underscore the fact that he is a brilliant actor who has been bogged down by commercial demands and compulsions. But, the focal point of the performance is definitely the robot. Chitty, the innocent child like robot is cute and loveable and dashing once romance starts flowing through his veins – wires. And, it is when the destroyer arrives that we see the Rajni in all his splendour. There seems to be absolutely no one who can come even close when playing a devilish destroyer. The outrageous and maniacal laugh as he proclaims his invincibility is a masterpiece – a throwback to the heydays of Rajnikanth the villain. The decades have not dimmed his brilliance and charisma one bit. And, the effort he has put into Endhiran shows in all frames; be it the fights or dance sequences; the desire to excel still burns bright. Aishwarya Rai looks ethereal as always. Though it is a bit difficult to still accept her as a college student, she delivers when it matters. Not the usual Shankar heroine (songs and dance only stuff) here, she is almost the fulcrum of the story.
Scripting wise, Endhiran does have its flaws, which is a bit disappointing. The first half is a smooth and jolly ride as the cute Chitty takes centre stage. A couple of fights set the tone for the fans to go overboard with excitement, a few lighter moment most of which are enjoyable and two songs make it a relatively light hearted affair. Shankar’s ability to write commercial Tamil cinema elements (hero rescuing damsel in distress, witty one liners etc.) into a sci-fi script is commendable. That stops Endhiran from being a pure sci-fi flick, making it apt for all class audiences. Beginning of the second half is however not an apt extrapolation of the expectations raised in the first half. Though too much does not go wrong, there are portions which one feels could have been tighter. Some sequences, especially the ‘Ranguski’ part, are dragged along for more than a reasonable length. A couple of songs follow each other in quick succession which dampens things a bit. But, if you are willing to be patient through these minor glitches, the rest of the second half is racy, action packed and intelligent.
Action, as all might now, has been the talking point of Endhiran with world famous visual effects supervisors doing the job. The sequences have been conceived by Shankar (as shown in the titles) and do not lack in awe and magnificence. Be it on the train, on the truck or the highway – action is taken to a new plane in Endhiran. As expected, logic does fly out of the window now and then, but then, what is a Superstar film if there is no suspension of belief.
As expected, technical aspects of Endhiran are top notch. Special effects are world class (except a few occasions here and there) as they have been done by the best in the business, Stan Winston Studios and Industrial Light and Magic. The sheer effort that has gone into the CGI work is humungous, be it Rajni running along the side of a train or doing a Michael Jackson jive; everything looks as original as it can get. Camera by Ratnavelu captures what Shankar has envisioned, and translates it effectively on screen. Make up, by Banu, is exceptional and has made Superstar look even more stylish than he usually does. Re-recording does not look like the work done by an Oscar winner, especially in the final portions, but still manages to impress. Rahman’s songs which are already a rage sit well on the film, adding to the entertainment quotient. Dialogues by Shankar, Sujatha and Karki are sharp, using proper technical terminology well balanced with Tamil lines. Sabu Cyril shows his class once again, be it with the sophisticated labs or grand songs. His work stands out in particular in the ‘Irumbile Oru Idhayam and ‘Arima Arima’ songs. Anthony is as deft as ever with the scissors, adding to the tempo of the film.
Hats off to Shankar for the vision and the effort! He has taken Tamil cinema to a new plane on technical terms, showing that nothing is impossible. The sets, effects, sound, style are all amazing and good enough to rub shoulders with Hollywood counterparts, give or take a few points. But, the basic story is still a desi love triangle! That is where Shankar has shown his skills; making state of the art film merge with our regional cinema tastes. His genuine desire to take Indian cinema to greater heights reflects throughout the movie. But, it is not just Shankar who has this vision, Superstar too shares it with him. The man whom we have known for total style and charisma has shown that he is game for something new that does not fit in to the conventional Superstar mould. Even after years of stardom he genuinely wants to bring in and be part of change that will take Indian cinema to higher levels.
Overall, Endhiran is a ‘robotic, hypnotic, supersonic, Superstar’ experience, the first of its kind in Tamil cinema and the only one of its kind for a long time to come. It is going to take a Herculean effort to equal or better Endhiran within the confines of Tamil cinema. Let’s hope the day comes soon. For now, an ovation to the Endhiran team, Sun Pictures and Kalanithi Maran for showing faith in Shankar’s vision and to Hansraj Saxena for masterful execution of the project. If not for the faith, confidence and vision of these men, Shankar’s ten year dream would still have been just a dream.
Do Indian cinema a favour, watch Endhiran; let a 100 other Shankars feel bold enough to dream.
