Section: Movies

Mughizh Trailer Starring Vijay Sethupathi, Sreeja VijaySethupathi, Regina Cassandra

Written & Directed by Karthik Swaminathan
Produced by – Vijay Sethupathi productions
DOP – Sathya Ponmar
Editor – Govindaraj R
Music – Revaa
Lyrics – Balaji Tharaneetharan
Singers – Pradeep Kumar, Govind Vasantha , Malvi Sunderasen, Revaa
Manager – Kathir
Audiography – A.S.Lakshminarayanan
Sound Design – Alagiakoothan
Costume Designer – Divya
DI – Accel Media
VFX – Harigopi
DI Colorist – Yugendran
Publicity Design – Gopi Prasannaa
Subtitles : Aarthi Sivakumar
Stills – Shanmuga Sundaram
PRO – Yuvaraj
1st Asst. Director – Yogi Needhidevan,
Asst. Directors – Nirmal kumar, Muralikrishnan
Pocketmoneyfilms

Krack Trailer Starring Ravi Teja, Shruti Haasan

Story-Screenplay-Direction: Gopichand Malineni
Producer: B.Madhu
Music: Thaman S
Cinematographer: G.K. Vishnu
Editing: Naveen Nooli
Art Director: A.S. Prakash
Fights : Ram – Laxman
Dialogues: Sai Madhav Burra
Lyrics: Rama Jogaiah Sastry
Co-Producer : Ammi Raju Kanumilli
Co-Directors : Gulabi Srinu, Nimmagadda Srikanth
Chief Co-Director: P.V.V. Soma Raju
Stills: Sai
PRO: Vamshi – Shekar
Publicity Designer: Working Title Shiva
Production Controller: Kottapalli Murali Krishna
Make up : Srinivasa Raju
Costumes: Swetha (Ravi Teja), Neeraja Kona (Shruthi Hassan)

Music Label: Lahari Music

Telugu Actor Narsing Yadav Dies of Chronic Kidney Disease

BY Anusha Sundar On

Narsing Yadav, the Telugu actor, died at a private hospital in Hyderabad after suffering from chronic kidney disease on Thursday evening.

He was 57.

According to a report by The Hindu, the actor had been undergoing treatment at Yashoda Hospital when he succumbed to renal failure. The report also said that according to the hospital sources, the actor was admitted to the hospital for dialysis a few days ago. Since his condition was deteriorating, he was admitted to the hospital’s intensive care unit. He died around 7.30 pm on Thursday.

In April 2020, the actor had slipped into a coma after he collapsed at his residence.

With over 300 films to his credit, the actor played several supporting roles. Born in Hyderabad, he made his debut with the Telugu action film Hema Hemeelu, directed by Vijaya Nirmala, in 1979. Known for playing both comedic and villainous roles, Yadav has collaborated with director Ram Gopal Varma multiple times, including in Kshana Kshanam (1991), and Gaayam (1993).

According to a report by Telangana Today, Yadav tried his hand in politics as well and contested in the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation elections in 1986, which he lost by a slim margin.

Many condoled the death of the actor on social media.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Srinu Boddupalli (@iamgetupsrinu)

Yadav was last seen in Chiranjeevi’s Khaidi No. 150 in 2017.

The actor is survived by his wife Chitra Yadav and son Ruthvik Yadav.

The Telugu film industry lost several of its members in 2020. In July, actor, director, and writer Raavi Kondala Rao, who has worked in over 500 films, died after suffering a cardiac arrest. In September, actor Jaya Prakash Reddy died at the age of 74 after suffering a cardiac arrest. In the same month, actor Kosuri Venu Gopal died after being on life support for 23 days. Renowned singer SP Balasubrahmanyam, who worked in Tamil, Kannada, Hindi, and Malayalam film industries, died of Covid-19 complications, in Chennai in September-end.

Actor Gal Gadot Lists Activist Bilkis Bano As One of Her “Personal Wonder Women”

BY Namrata Ganguly On

Gal Gadot, the Hollywood actor who recently reprised the titular role in the film Wonder Woman 1984, hailed 82-year-old Indian activist Bilkis Bano as one of her “personal wonder women” on social media on Thursday.

Bidding farewell to 2020, Gadot took to Instagram to dedicate a post to “some exceptional women” who have inspired her and some she hopes to meet, while asking her fans to share pictures of their “own wonder women” with her.

Bilkis, who is popularly known as Bilkis Dadi was the face of the peaceful anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests at Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh. She sat along with the hundreds of women protesting against the CAA and the National Register of Citizens for over three months, enduring the harsh Delhi winter during early 2020. The Act enables non-Muslim immigrants from India’s three Muslim-majority neighbours, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, to become citizens of India. Protestors, however, claim that the CAA discriminates against Muslims and violates the Right to Equality as laid down in the Indian Constitution.

While she shared pictures of her friends and family, she also shared a photo of Bilkis participating in the anti-CAA protest, with a poster that reads “Shaheen Bagh ki Bilkis Dadi ko Dilli ki Aurton ka salaam (The women of Delhi salute Shaheen Bagh’s Bilkis Dadi).”

Bilkis recently supported and raised her voice during the farmers’ protest against the three Farm Reforms Bills passed by both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha in 2020. She was featured in the Time magazine’s list of the top 100 influential women in the world.

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Gal Gadot (@gal_gadot)

According to a report by The Indian Express, Gadot shared the same picture as an Instagram story on Thursday and wrongly captioned it as “The 82-year-old activist fighting for women’s equality in India showed me it’s never too late to fight for what you believe in.”

Though the actor later deleted the story, the Indian activist’s picture is still present in her post.

In the post, Gadot also listed Wonder Woman 1984‘s director Patty Jenkins, executive producer Katy Strutynski, stunt woman Christiaan Bettridge along with other women crew members of the film. She also listed Carmela Chillery-Watson, who has a muscle-wasting condition, who walked a kilometre a day for 30 days dressed as Wonder Woman.

According to a report by The Hindu, the list of her “personal wonder woman” also includes celebrities such as US Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden, Kathrin Jansen (head of vaccine research at Pfizer) and Sofia Scarlet (activist).

The 2020 American superhero film Wonder Woman 1984, is a sequel to the 2017 film Wonder Woman, which is the ninth instalment in the DC Extended Universe.

‘Andhagan’, the Tamil Remake of ‘Andhadhun’, to Release by May-June

BY Anusha Sundar On

The Tamil remake of the critically-acclaimed Hindi black-comedy crime thriller Andhadhun (2018) has been titled Andhagan, announced the film’s team on Friday.

Andhagan will star Prashanth in the role originally played by Ayushmann Khurrana. Other cast members include Simran (playing Tabu’s role) and Karthik (playing Anil Dhawan’s role).

Speaking to Silverscreen India, the film’s producer and Prashanth’s father Thiagarajan said that shooting would begin this month. He said, “We will be shooting the film in Chennai and Puducherry, and the climax will be shot in London. The film will be released over summer, by May or June, this year.”

Thiagarajan had earlier said that along with the title announcement, a female lead would also be announced on January 1. However, he said that talks for a female lead were “still going on” and it would be another week before an announcement could be made. He said the team was looking for an established actor to play the part. In the Hindi version, Radhika Apte had played the female lead.

Andhagan will be directed by JJ Fredrick (Ponmagal Vandhal) and have music composed by Santhosh Narayanan.

On December 25, 2020, the makers had released a video of Prashanth playing renditions of Christmas songs on the piano.

Directed by Sriram Raghavan, Andhadhun revolves around a pianist who pretends to be visually impaired. He ends up witnessing a murder and soon becomes entangled in a complicated web of lies. The film won three National Film Awards in 2019- Best Feature Film in Hindi, Best Actor for Khurrana, and Best Screenplay.

Andhadhun is also being remade in Telugu with Nithiin Reddy, Nabha Natesh, and Tamannaah Bhatia. Shooting for the Telugu remake began in December 2020.

Drishyam 2: Teaser Released, Film To Release on Amazon Prime Video Soon

BY Namrata Ganguly On

Drishyam 2, the Malayalam suspense thriller starring actors Mohanlal and Meena, will soon release on Amazon Prime Video. The streaming platform made the announcement on Wednesday, while also releasing the film’s 1:09 minute-long teaser.

Written and directed by Jeethu Joseph, Drishyam 2 is a sequel to the 2013 film Drishyam, which was also directed by Jeethu.

Drishyam‘s story is about the struggles of Georgekutty (played by Mohanlal), a common man who uses his wits to protect his family from a murder charge. In Drishyam 2, the story picks up seven years later. In a press release on Wednesday, Mohanlal said, “With Drishyam 2, we are taking the story of Georgekutty and his family ahead from where we left it off.”

In the first film, Meena had played Georgekutty’s wife Rani, while Ansiba Hassan played his elder daughter Anju, and Esther Anil played his younger daughter Anu. All three will continue their roles in the sequel.

Shooting for Drishyam 2 began in September and was wrapped up in November, 10 days ahead of schedule. In October, the crew ran into trouble in Thodupuzha in Kerala, after local Panchayat members lodged a complaint against them for shooting in a protected area, the Haritha Kerala Mission project. The land had been taken up for afforestation and had been inaugurated by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan only a few days prior to the incident. However, the issue was subsequently resolved and the Idukki District Collector H Dinesan permitted the crew to shoot under certain conditions.

Theatres in Kerala have been closed for over 10 months now due to the Covid-19 pandemic. As of December 31, 65,202 active Covid-19 cases were recorded in Kerala. As a result, several Malayalam films took the OTT release route in 2020, including Sufiyum Sujatayum, Maniyarayile Ashokan, C U Soon, and Halal Love Story. 

Produced by Antony Perumbavoor under the banner of Aashirvad Cinemas, Drishyam 2‘s supporting cast includes Siddique, Asha Sharath, Murali Gopy, and Saikumar.

Drishyam 2‘s release date has not yet been announced by Amazon Prime Video.

Animal: Makers of Sandeep Vanga’s Hindi Directorial Starring Ranbir Kapoor Announce Film Title

BY Anusha Sundar On

Filmmaker Sandeep Vanga‘s next Hindi directorial venture, starring Hindi actor Ranbir Kapoor, has been titled Animal, the makers of the film announced on Friday.

The crime drama will also feature actors Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol, and Parineeti Chopra.

Makers of the film also released a minute-long video on Thursday of the title announcement, in which Ranbir Kapoor delivers a monologue from the film. Anil Kapoor, Deol, and Chopra also shared the title announcement video on social media.

The film marks Ranbir Kapoor’s first collaboration with Vanga, who has earlier directed the hit 2017 Telugu film Arjun Reddy (starring Vijay Deverakonda and Shalini Pandey) and its Hindi remake Kabir Singh (starring Shahid Kapoor and Kiara Advani).

“During the pandemic, we all got some time to introspect and choose films that are close to our hearts. So, when Sandeep narrated the story, I grew close to the character and was immediately keen on doing the role. I’m a huge admirer of both of his movies and really looking forward to our creative collaboration,” Ranbir Kapoor said in a press release.

Animal’s story has been written by Vanga, who had earlier penned the scripts of both Arjun Reddy and Kabir Singh. 

Siddharth and Garima, who have earlier worked with Vanga in Kabir Singh, have written the dialogues for the upcoming film.

Animal will be produced by Bhushan Kumar and Krishan Kumar’s T-Series, Vanga’s brother Pranay Reddy Vanga’s Bhadrakali Pictures, and Murad Khetani’s Cine1Studios. The film marks the second collaboration between Vanga and Bhushan Kumar, who had earlier produced Kabir Singh.

Ranbir Kapoor had recently announced that will start shooting for Animal in mid-2021, after wrapping up shooting for filmmaker Luv Ranjan‘s upcoming Hindi film.

Pikchar With Rita: The Disjunct and Harmony of Spillover Notes of Songs

BY On

I associate the voice of Shamshad Begum with my father’s generation, nay, with my father. Hazy memories of early childhood appear before my eyes when a Shamshad and Talat Mahmood song would play in the background, and my father would sit listening, with a cigarette in his hand, and Gujarat Samachar before him.

I associate the voice of Kishore Kumar with my life, listening avidly to songs of Amitabh Bachchan and Rajesh Khanna. So when I recently chanced upon a lilting and lovely duet, Mere neendo mein tum, mere khwabon mein tum from the film Naya Andaz (1956), it felt like the coming together of two different eras.

Voices, some at least, carry the imprint of their times. A great example is Talat Mahmood for instance, which a dear friend rightly remarked, was a voice of undivided India. It has a cohesion and low-key serenity that is seldom heard again after independence/partition.

The song Mere khwabon mein tum is alluring even visually, with Kishore Kumar singing both on and off stage; and Meena Kumari (as Mala in the film), joining him, waltzing and dancing, and expressively looking into his eyes. I had type-casted Meena Kumari from Pakeeza and Sahab Bibi Aur Ghulam, or even Kajal. She had become for me a synonym of the long-suffering look, and with her early and tragic death, I was not far off the truth. It seems Nargis wrote an obituary for her in which she says, “Meena, I am glad you are no more, for you deserved better”.

Be as it may, the song took me to this hardly-known film Naya Andaz. The film had some surprising elements, and a delightful script for the first half. True to its name, the film shows the son Chand (played by Kishore Kumar) as a new poet, who has no patience with the didactic poetry of his father. His is a new style- for he mixes metaphors, English with Hindi, expressing unusual turns of phrases, and making Urdu an intimate and everyday affair. The surfeit of poetry and cleverness manifest in witty comeback and parody of and through language appears from our times like a different universe.

The dialogues have a sunny quality that makes poetry light and natural, so that from selling soap to soul, it has the repertoire needed for a living language. Our association of Urdu with only poetry, and imagination of it like lying like a moribund maiden is clearly a historical development. Chand leaves home for he is thrown out of college for responding to each examination question with a poem, and along with him is his friend Karim (played by Johnny Walker). The pair calls itself Chand-Suraj and meet up with a man called Tara (Chand).

Meanwhile, the song Meri neendo mein tum occurs as a leitmotif, first playing as a theatrical performance by Chand and Mala on stage; but the performance becomes real as the song is now played for them, to say those words to each other and not to us. The disjunct between the Meena Kumari I had type-casted and imagined in Lata Mangeshkar’s voice and a waltzing, gown wearing woman lip-syncing to Shamshad’s voice lingered. So did the fact that Kishore Kumar was singing in a song that Talat Mahmood should or could have.

Where was this disjunct coming from, and what was it saying to me? I found the answer in the logic of memory. Here’s the thing- songs do not come in singles. They come as leftovers of another song, a spillover of some other note somewhere. And while listening to this one, I was haunted by Milte hiaankhen dil hua diwana kisi ka from the film Babul (1950).

The opening notes have a similarity and the fact that in both songs, the men are playing the piano while the women are singing freely in a duet. Shamshad’s voice remains common to both, but it is only natural that the naya andaz (new style) was best captured by the impish Kishore Kumar than Mahmood.

The disjunct I experienced was one of trying to fit a pre-Partition voice to the modernity of another film, or creating a seamlessness between long-suffering looks and the sweetness of Mangeshkar’s voice – both of which Meena Kumari escapes in Naya Andaz.

Now that I know the genesis of my disjunct, I can live with the two moments of Babul and Naya Andaz, both from the same decade and similar visuals but apart by temporalities created through different voices.

Visithiran Teaser Starring RK Suresh

Movie : Visithiran
Producer : Director Bala
Director : M.Padmakumar
Music : GV Prakash Kumar
Cinematography : Vetri Mahendran
Editing : Sathish Suriya
Art Director : Mayapandi
PRO : Nikil Murugan
Executive Producer : M.Senthil kumar
Star Cast : RK.Suresh, Poorna, Madhu Shalini, Ilavarasu, Marimuthu, Jorge, Pagavathi Perumal, JP

Pei Mama Teaser Starring Yogi Babu, Malavika Menon

Cast : Yogi Babu , Malavika Menon , Motta Rajendran , Kovai Sarala , M.S.Baskar , Rekha , Reshma , Iman Annachi and Others

Story & Direction : Shakthi Chidambaram
Producer : Vignesh Ealappan
Banner : Bakiya Cinemass
DOP : M.V.Pannerselvam B.Sc.,DFT
Cuts : Preetham
Muisc : Raj Aryan
Art : Jana
Dialogues : Rajagopal
Co-Director : S.A.P Kamaraj | Manish Prakash
Stunts : Thalapathy Dinesh | Pradeep Dinesh
Choreography : Nobel
Audiography : Lakshminarayanan.A.S
Sfx : Rajasekar
Production Manager : G Shankar
Pro : Mounam Ravi | Manavai Bhuvan
Visual Effects : White Lotus | Mohammed Akram
Di : Firefox Studios
Colorist : Rajesh
Stills : Image Factory
Designs : Venky
Titling : Threja
Audio Label : Lahari Music

Single Screen Halls in Hyderabad Counting Losses, Owners Contemplate Shutting Down Business

BY Anindita Banerjee On

Solo Brathuke So Better, the Telugu film which released during Christmas, had a fairly successful opening week. The film, starring Sai Dharam Tej and Nabha Natesh in the lead roles, has earned more than Rs 8 crore in the last week, says Kumar, a film producer and business economist consultant in Hyderabad.

Although the film has done well and new movies have lined up for release during the second week of January, during the Ugadhi festival, a sizeable number of single screen theatre owners in Hyderabad say that they are likely to shut down permanently. Most have been staring at mounting losses post their reopening after the lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Theatre owners say that these new releases are not enough to make up for the loss they have accrued these last few years. Badam Venkat Krishna, managing director of Sree Mayuri 70MM cinema hall in Hyderabad, says he might be closing down his theatre due to lack of good content and financial stability.

Along with Sree Mayuri, other iconic cinema halls such as Galaxy 70MM, Amba in Mehadipatnam, Shanthi in Narayanaguda, and Venkatadri in Dilsukhnagar have also closed their shutters.

“I haven’t opened my theatre since March 15. The government asked us to open the halls but there hasn’t been particularly great content since then. It’s not only because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the industry was already suffering from before,” he says.

Owners say that the state government doesn’t allow theatre owners to collect parking charges, imposes electricity charges even when they are non-functional and levies taxes on them, making the venture highly unprofitable.

The government has been imposing a Minimum Demand Charge, which is the amount of money that is deducted as electricity charges when the commercial or industrial building is not in use, says Venkat Krishna.

Before the recent election, the chief minister had announced that the Minimum Demand Charge would be abolished.

“For the past nine months, every theatre owner has had to pay a minimum of Rs 20,000 as Minimum Demand Charge. If this had been waived off, the losses wouldn’t be so huge,” says Venkat Krishna.

Besides the Minimum Demand Charge, the ticket pricing system has also been a hassle for years, says Venkat Krishna.

“In single-screen theatres, ticket price begin at Rs 30. It is mandatory that 15% of the capacity has to be in this price bracket. However, this rule only applies to single-screens and not to multiplexes. The government will not provide us licenses to operate otherwise. We end up spending a sizeable amount on air-conditioning the theatre for all. Why does the rule only apply here?” he says.

He adds that if the standard municipal tax could be waived off for the period of the pandemic, it would be helpful.

Parking charge is another issue he feels that needs to be discussed. The government had made parking free at the theatre premises since 2018.

Balagovind Raj, secretary of the Exhibitors Association in Hyderabad and owner of Sudarshan 35MM and Devi 70MM theatres, says, “The only two surviving forms of revenue are parking and canteen. But the government made the parking charge free from 2018, so since then we’ve been limping. So, they now need to reinstate the immense losses that have been incurred.”

According to Balagovind, Shanthi 70 MM, the renowned theatre in Hyderabad, is also closing down due to loss of revenue.

Anupam Reddy, who owns Sudha multiplex, Jagadamba Theatre, and Laxmi Theatre, along with his brothers, says his profit share from the multi-screen is more than the other two single screens.

“In a multi-screen, I can choose to screen five or six shows. However, in a single screen I can only screen a maximum of four shows. The week since December 25 had Solo Brathuke So Better also and Wonder Woman 1984 running. As a single screen owner, I was forced to run the Telugu movie for the entire week. If I am given a chance of screening five shows, I would decide on two shows of the English film and three shows of the Telugu one,” says Reddy.

A minimum parking charge of Rs 20 – 30 might increase their profit margin, he adds.

Mohammed Siraj Ahmad, exhibitor, distributor, and film producer, says the decision of theatres closing down and converting them to shopping complexes or godowns is more profitable than running the theatre with an increasing number of problems.

“If a theatre owner is getting Rs 5 lakh as rent, Amazon or other companies are offering these owners around Rs 8 lakh as rent, which is a huge profit for them,” says Ahmad.

Venkat Krishna says that he, too, is in a dilemma about whether to continue with the losses or rent his theatre as a godown or shopping complex.

While opening more screens or restoring the ones at the brink of shutting down may be a solution, Balwanth Singh, founder of Kauphy Talkies Pvt. Ltd., feels that no one is taking any efforts towards that.

“We are left with only 7,000 screens because of such problems. There has been no effort taken to increase the number of screens, even though India has a capacity of having 40,000 screens. The government needs to support the single screens which are shutting down and help them perform better,” he says.

In Memoriam: Remembering Those We Lost in 2020

BY Sanjana Ganesh On

A beloved singer. Possibly the greatest football player the world has seen. A basketball talent cut short by a freak helicopter accident. The creator of a much-loved comic. In 2020, the world of cinema, art and sport lost these and several other stars who shone just as bright.

Silverscreen India pays tribute to the stars that fell this year.

SP Balasubrahmanyam

SP Balasubrahmanyam

Singer SP Balasubrahmanyam died on September 25 at the age of 74 due to Covid-19 complications. Popularly known as SPB, the singer has sung thousands of songs in South Indian languages. People from across the country claimed him as their own when he died. Known as Paadum Nila or the singing moon, SPB lent his voice for stars including MG Ramachandran, Sivaji Ganesan, Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth. An active stage performer, SPB brought energy and mirth to the table every time he sang. Aside from singing, SPB was also a voice over artist and an actor.

Irrfan Khan

Screening Of Qarib Qarib Singlle
Irrfan Khan

Irrfan Khan, one of India’s finest actors, died in April after being diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumour. The 53 year-old actor’s filmography boasted stunning, empathetic performances including roles in movies like The Lunchbox, The Namesake, Paan Singh Tomar, Maqbool and Piku. He displayed clarity and depth off screen, especially in candid interviews where he spoke about his initial struggle and his rise in the Hindi film industry. The actor, who has also acted in several British and Hollywood films, will be remembered fondly by the world of cinema.

Rishi Kapoor

Amitabh Bachchan, Rishi Kapoor At The 102 Not Out Success Meet
Rishi Kapoor

Rishi Kapoor, the Hindi actor known for his portrayals of romantic heroes in his films, died in April due to a long battle with cancer at the age of 67. His youthful energy took over the screens as he danced to some of the biggest hit songs of the generation. The actor was known in his later years for his hilarious social media presence. Kapoor began his performance as a child artist in 1970 in Mera Naam Joker and continued to act for nearly 50 years, ending his career in 2019 with The Body.

Sushant Singh Rajput

Sushant Singh Rajput

Sushant Singh Rajput, the Hindi actor who began his career in television, died in June at the age of 34, leaving his fans and the entire film industry in utter disbelief. Rajput, whose notable films include Kai Po Che and M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story, died by suicide. Speculation behind the cause of his death soon snowballed into an online campaign on social media. The actor is fondly remembered for his sensitive and candid interviews about the struggles of being an actor without a film background. Videos of his love for science, dreams and journey dominated Twitter and Instagram for days after his death.

Soumitra Chatterjee

Soumitra Chatterjee

Soumitra Chatterjee, the veteran Bengali actor known for his collaborations with master filmmaker Satyajit Ray, died in November at the age of 85 from Covid-19 related complications. The city of Kolkata came together to bid farewell to the star, whose is known for his legendary performances in the Feluda series, Devi, Charulata, Aranyer Din Ratri, Ghare Baire, Koni and Atanka. Chatterjee has received world-wide acclaim including France’s highest civilian award, the Chevalier of Legion of Honour.

Saroj Khan

Saroj Khan Source: Bollywoodhungama.com

Saroj Khan, the noted Bollywood choreographer, died at the age of 71 in July following a cardiac arrest. The National Award-winning choreographer has worked on over 200 songs, including the iconic Ek Do Teen from the movie Tezaab, which is loved and mirrored by dancers all over the country.

KR Sachidanandan

Sachy Source: DrAjay1976

Sachy, the Malayalam writer and director, died in June after a cardiac arrest. His film Ayyappanum Koshiyum had just released to wide critical acclaim and box-office success, and the 48-year old was at the peak of his 12-film old writing and directing career when he died.

Naranipuzha Shanavas

Naranipuzha Shanavas Source: Instagram

Naranipuzha Shanavas, the Malayalam director and screenwriter, died at the age of 38 in December, after suffering from a cardiogenic shock. Shanavas was best known for the Malayalam romantic drama Sufiyum Sujathayum, which released earlier this year. Several coworkers wrote about his kindness after his demise. The director made his debut in the year 2015 with the comedy-drama Karie.

Nishikant Kamat

Nishikant Kamat Source: Bollywood Hungama

Nishikant Kamat, the director best known for directing the Hindi films Drishyam, Force and Rocky Handsome, died at the age of 50 in August after suffering from chronic liver disease. He began his career with the Marathi movie Dombivali Fast and went on to direct Hindi movies like Mumbai Meri Jaan.

Chiranjeevi Sarja

Chiranjeevi Sarja Source: Instagram

Chiranjeevi Sarja, the Kannada film actor and nephew of Arjun Sarja, died at the age of 39. Although the young actor was said to have been completely fine in the days leading to his death, he died of a sudden cardiac arrest. He had starred in 22 films before his demise. Sarja’s debut film was the 2009 Kannada romance Vayuputra, produced by the Sarja family’s production house, and his last movie was Shivarjuna.

Jayaprakash Reddy

Jayaprakash Reddy
Source: Facebook

Jayaprakash Reddy, the actor who played the antagonist in several notable Telugu movies, died in September at the age of 74 due to a cardiac arrest. Reddy, who did a mix of both comic and serious roles, was well known in the Telugu states. His notable films include Gabbar Singh, Narasimha Naidu and Samarasimha Reddy in Telugu. The actor also featured in a few Kannada and Tamil films.

Visu

Celebrities Vote In Nadigar Sangam Elections
Visu

MR Viswanathan, the Tamil actor, writer and director who was popularly known as Visu, died at 75 due to a cardiac arrest. Visu, who started his career with theatre, later went on to act and direct several super hit films, including Manal Kayiru and Samsaram Adhu Minsaram. His movies were much like his stage plays – they relied heavily on punch filled dialogues and wordplay to convey social messages. The mix of witty wordplay and moralistic family-based plots in his movies made him widely popular. He went on to become a talk show host on television.

MK Arjunan

M. K. Arjunan Source: Fotokannan

MK Arjunan, the Malayalam music composer fondly known as Arjunan Master, died in April at 84.  Arjunan Master made his debut in playback music composing through Karuthapournami (1968) and created his best work in the 1970s, when he composed numerous soulful melodies that have outlived the films they were featured in.  When he won the Kerala State Film Award for music composition for Bhayanakam in 2018, many expressed disbelief that it was Master’s first state award in his career that spans five decades.

Thavasi

Thavasi

Thavasi, the Tamil actor known for playing character roles in movies like Varuthapadadha Valibar Sangam and Rajini Murugan, died in Madurai at 60. Thavasi made his acting debut in the 1993 Tamil drama Kizhakku Cheemayile, helmed by veteran director Bharathiraja, alongside actors Vijaykumar and Radhika Sarathkumar. The actor suffered from esophageal cancer and his deterioration was swift and brutal. A plea for financial assistance from his family, featuring a photo of the actor looking frail and emaciated, went viral weeks before his death. His last film was Annathe, starring Rajinikanth, which is yet to be released.

Wajid Khan

Wajid Khan Source: Wajid Khan

Wajid Khan, who composed music for movies along with his brother Sajid Khan, died at the age of 47 after contracting Covid-19. Under the name Sajid-Wajid, the brothers composed several popular songs including Hud Hud Dabangg from Dabangg, Jalwa from Wanted and Fevicol Se from Dabangg 2.

P Krishnamoorthy

P. Krishnamoorthy

P Krishnamoorthy, the decorated art director and costume designer, died in December at 77. Krishnamoorthy, who won the National Film Awards five times – thrice in the Best Art Direction category and twice in the Best Costume Design category – has worked in the Kannada, Tamil, and Malayalam industries. Krishnamoorthy’s best known Tamil films include Thenali, Pandavar Bhoomi, Imsai Arasan 23rd Pulikecei, and Naan Kadavul.

Erode Sounder

Erode Sounder

Erode Sounder, the writer best known for Puthum Pudhu Payanam, Nattamai and Samudhiram, died at a private hospital in Chennai in December from kidney disease-related complications. He was 63. Sounder also acted in Dasavathaaram and Lingaa.

Diego Maradona

Diego Maradona Source: Neogeolegend

Diego Maradona, one of the greatest ever football players, died from a heart attack at the age of 60 in November. Maradona inspired a legion of fans at his home country, Argentina and abroad to take up the game, and was best known for winning the 1986 World Cup for his country.

According to a report in Reuters, in Buenos Aires, people began pouring on to the streets to mourn the nation’s favourite son, gathering in the San Andres neighbourhood, where he lived. Although drug and alcohol addiction marred his career in the later years, he continues to be remembered as one of the greatest names in football history.

Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant Source: Keith Alison

Kobe Bryant, one of the best basketball players of all time, and his daughter Gianna died in a helicopter crash in January; an ominous precursor for the year. Kobe was 41, and his daughter, 13. The news of their death broke the hearts of millions of fans across the world. “Just to see the joy he played the game with, the joy he brought to fans, was pretty remarkable,” Lakers legend Jerry West said to the Los Angeles Times. “You don’t get players of that skill and that caliber that are able to do those things and bring that joy.”

Chadwick Boseman

Chadwick Boseman Source: YouTube

Chadwick Boseman, the actor best known for playing the role of King T’Challa in the groundbreaking superhero film Black Panther, died in August. The 43-year-old actor was battling colon cancer. Despite his short life, Boseman essayed roles asserting the representation of the African American community in Hollywood. Whether it was James Brown in Get On Up, Thurgood Marshall in Marshall or T’Challa in Black Panther, Boseman’s unfussy versatility and old-fashioned gravitas helped turn him into one of his generation’s most sought-after leading men wrote the The New York Times.

Sean Connery

Sean Connery
Sean Connery Source: Nationaal Archief Cropped, Resized

Sean Connery, the iconic actor who played the first ever James Bond, died at the age of 90 in October. Connery debuted in an uncredited role in the film Lilacs in the Spring and went on to act in films like Dr. No, Marnie, The Hill and The Murder on Orient Express. Connery retired from acting in 2006, when he received the American Film Institute’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Eddie Van Halen

Eddie Van Halen Source: Wikipedia

Eddie Van Halen, the rock star, best known for songs including Jump died at the age of 65 in October. According to Variety, Van Halen’s innovative and explosive guitar skills kept the hard rock band that bore his family name cemented to the top of the album charts for two decades. The musician’s razzle-dazzle guitar-playing — combining complex harmonics, innovative fingerings and ingenious devices he patented for his instrument — made him the most influential guitarist of his generation.

John Lee Carre

John Lee Carre Source: Krimidoedel Cropped, Resized

John Lee Carre, the British novelist, who authored bestselling books including The Spy Who Came In From The Cold and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy died from pneumonia in December. Many of the Lee Carre’s 25 engaging works of fiction became successful movies and television shows, including the Night Manager and The Constant Gardener. Born as David Cornwall, Le Carre worked in the British Foreign Office and published under a pseudonym, as staff were not allowed to publish books while in service. According to the BBC, his career as a spy ended in 1964 after his name featured in a Soviet Union list of double agents. The incident inspired a plot line in Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.

Alex Trebek

Alex Trebek Source: Jeopardy! Cropped, Resized

Alex Trebek,  the beloved host of Jeopardy!, died at the age of 80 in November due to complications from pancreatic cancer. In 2019, Trebek announced his pancreatic cancer diagnosis, and continued to host Jeopardy! while he underwent treatment. Trebek also acted in films like Free Guy with Ryan Reynolds.

Diana Rigg

Diana Rigg Source: hbo.com

Diana Rigg, the actor who played Olenna Tyrell in Game of Thrones, died in September. Rigg, who was 82, had been diagnosed with lung cancer in March. She had a long and storied career in theatre, film and television, winning several BAFTA, Tony and Emmy awards. According to the BBC, she was the only actor to have played the role of Mrs James Bond in a movie (On Her Majesty’s Secret Service).

Ennio Morricone

Ennio Morricone Source: Flickr

Italian composer Ennio Morricone’s iconic composition for one of the greatest introduction scenes of all time in the Clint Eastwood film The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is a legacy he carries to the grave. The legend who composed the music for over 500 films, particularly Hollywood spaghetti western films, died at the age of 91 earlier this year. He won the Oscar, the Golden Globes and a number of other awards during his prolific career.

Mary Higgins Clark

Mary Higgins Clark Source: Wikipedia Cropped, Resizeed

‘Queen of Suspense’, Mary Higgins Clark who authored over 50 bestseller books died at the age of 92 in February. Clark started writing novels after she turned 40, and continued writing until 2019. She wrote gripping and pacy mysteries which kept readers engaged.

Ian Holmes

Ian Holm Source: Caulfieldh  Cropped, Resized

Iconic actor Ian Holmes, known most recently for playing the role of Bilbo Baggins in the Lord of the Rings series, died at the age of 88 from Parkinson’s-related ailments. The actor received the Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for the 1981 movie Chariots of Fire.

Kirk Douglas

Kirk Douglas Source: Flickr Cropped, Resized

Kirk Douglas, the Hollywood legend who acted in films like Lust for Life, Spartacus and Paths of Glory, died at the age of 83 in February. Best known for his rugged looks and dimpled chin, this actor is said to have appeared in at least three movies a year during his peak. He won the Honorary Oscar for Lifetime Achievement and the USA’s medal of freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honour. He is the father of Michael Douglas.

John Saxon

John Saxon Source: Flickr Cropped, Resized

John Saxon, the actor best known as Bruce Lee’s friend in the cult classic Enter the Dragon, died at the age of 83 due to pneumonia. Saxon’s prolific career included appearances in three of the Nightmare on Elm Street movies.

Albert Uderzo

Albert Uderzo Source: Wikipedia

Albert Uderzo, the co-creator of the wildly popular Asterix comic series, died in March at the age of 92. He created the series in 1959 along with writer René Goscinny, and illustrated the comic until Goscinny’s death in 1977. After 1977, Uderzo wrote and  illustrated the comic and continued working on it until 2009 –  almost 50 years since he first created the comic.

The world of cinema also lost comedians Fred Willard and Jerry Stiller this year.

Literature also lost gems including Tamil writers S Ramakrishnan, SA Kandasamy, Kovai Gnani and Kerala’s poet Sugathakumari.

The world of music witnessed a number of deaths, including Neil Peart, the drummer of Candian rock band Rush, American musician Little Richard, and R Purushothaman, a band member of music director Ilaiyaraaja.

In February, three members working on the sets of Kamal Haasan’s Indian 2 died, including Krishna (34), an assistant director in filmmaker Shankar’s team, Madhu (29), and Chandran (60), who were part of the catering team, as a heavy duty light came crashing down.

Actor Shruti Seth Undergoes Emergency Surgery, Urges Fans Not to Underestimate their Health

BY Shrija Ganguly On

Shruti Seth, the actor, underwent an emergency surgery and took to social media to share an update about her health and her time at the hospital.

In an Instagram post on Tuesday, she wrote that the year had managed to jolt her and her family.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Shruti Seth (@shru2kill)

The actor, who shot to fame as Jiya in the Hindi television serial Shararat, wrote, “So 2020 managed to give me and my family a last jolt, with me ending up in an emergency surgery. All my Christmas and new year travel plans have been suspended and here I am just giving thanks for averting a major health crisis. I guess I hadn’t really learnt the lessons I was meant to; but now I have been schooled.”

According to her, her hospitals make one realise that beneath vanity, ego, personality and the life experiences, everyone is human.

“Food is a drug just for the brain; the body can survive on a glucose drip and I love food and I missed it so much. Even the most basic bodily functions are the work of some incredible engineering so be grateful for just being able to open your eyes every morning or being able to fall asleep at night. Be good to your body so it can return the favour when you need it. Count your blessings and hold on to people who love you and genuinely care about your well being.”

Wishing everyone happy new year, she added, “I’m just happy everything happened in good time and this is the last of what 2020 had in store for me. I actually have physical scars to remind me about the uniqueness of the year gone by. And I hope they remind me to always say thanks! I’m sending all of you tonnes of love and positivity for the new year. May it treat us kindly.”

The actor and host has also acted in Hindi films like Fanaa and Rajneeti in the past. Fans and colleagues took to social media to wish her a speedy recovery.

Dharma Productions Served With Summon Notice Over Royalty Plea in ‘Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl’

BY Namrata Ganguly On

Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions was issued a summon notice by the Delhi High Court on Monday over a royalty plea against a ‘performance’ in the Hindi film Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl, reported Live Law.

The complaint was filed by the India Singers’ Rights Association (ISRA).

The court had adjourned the hearing until March 12, 2021 and noted that the singers’ rights to the royalty amount “is a serious triable issue”.

The ISRA approached the high court alleging copyright infringement against Johar for the performances of songs including Ae ji o ji from the film Ram Lakhan, Choli ke peeche kya hai from Khalnayak and Saajan ji ghar aaye from his own film Kuch Kuch Hota Hai in the Netflix film Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl, which released earlier this year.

In their petition, ISRA claimed that the filmmakers had commercially used the three performances of its singer members which were originally part of earlier films by other filmmakers.

The association’s plea sought that Dharma Productions was “bound’ to pay the said amount before the court.

The court mentioned in the Monday hearing that “while the definition of ‘performer’ in Section 2 (qq) of the Copyright Act, 1957 includes within its sweep a singer, section 2(q) defines ‘performance’, in relation to performer’s right, to mean any visual or acoustic presentation made live by one or more performers. Every performance has to be live in the first instance whether it is before an audience or in a studio. If this performance is recorded and thereafter exploited without the permission of the performer then the performer’s right is infringed. So, as regards performers’ right’s the plaintiff definitely has a serious triable case…..”

This is not the first time that Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl has faced controversy.

Soon after the release of the film in August, the Indian Air Force (IAF) had written to the Central Board of Film Certification and Dharma Productions opposing the “misrepresentation” of gender bias in the force. Some veterans, a former colleague and retired officers had objected to the alleged portrayal of the work culture of the IAF in the film, according to a report by The Indian Express. 

Actor Rajinikanth’s Exit From Politics Garners Mixed Reactions From Film Industry and Politicians

BY Ramya Ashok Kumar On

Veteran actor Rajinikanth’s announcement of not entering politics on Tuesday met with mixed reactions from politicians and members of the film fraternity.

In his statement on Twitter, Rajinikanth cited his health conditions and said he will not be joining politics and contesting the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections in 2021, despite his earlier announcement of launching a party a few weeks back.

While many felt that the actor took the right call, a few also felt that the decision could have been made earlier.

Speaking to Silverscreen India, Ravichandran, the district secretary of Rajini Makkal Mandram (RMM), South Chennai, said that it is only Rajinikanth’s health which matters. “His health is very important to us. We will always be supportive of him,” he said.

Talking about the future of Rajini Makkal Mandram, Ravichandran said, “We have been a fan club since 1988 and have done many good deeds. Even recently, we have desilted lakes, planted trees and donated food for many. That work will always continue.”

However, Ganesan, RMM district secretary of Thanjavur, expressed his disappointment. “Our hearts feel like it has been tightened,” he said and added that even though Rajinikanth was not feeling well, it was still painful for them.

“Everyone is feeling upset,” he said and added that the members of RMM had been working hard in the past few days. “All of it has gone to a waste,” he said. He felt that the actor’s decision could have come earlier as much of their work has gone in vain.

Actor-politician Kamal Haasan, who is the leader of political party Makkal Needhi Maiam, expressed his disappointment over Rajinikanth’s decision but added that he valued Rajinikanth’s health the most. “After I finish campaigning, I will go back to Chennai and visit him. I echo his fans’ state of mind. Even though I am a little disappointed, his health is more important to me,” he said.

Many from the film industry supported Rajinikanth in his decision and voiced their concerns over his health.

Director Karthik Subbaraj, who has directed Rajini’s Petta in 2019, took to social media extending his support to Rajinikanth and wrote, “May be we didn’t deserve a good political leader like you.

Actor Nagma, who has worked with Rajinikanth in Baasha, wrote that better sense has prevailed upon Rajini and added that this is no time to make an entry to politics.

Actor Raghava Lawrence too endorsed Rajini’s decision.

Actor Kasthuri Shankar wrote that Rajinikanth’s decision was something she expected and wrote, “If he had said this earlier, those who feel disappointed now could have avoided the pain.”

Producer Dhananjayan called it a right decision at the right time and wrote, “We need you more as a statesman & entertainer for Tamil Nadu than as a typical politician.”

Actor-director-producer Syed Zeeshan Qadri remained hopeful and wrote that perhaps Rajinikanth had more to offer as an artist than as a politician.

According to Karti Chidamabaram, if Rajinikanth had entered politics, it would have been a misadventure since he has no strong ideological mooring for him to be in politics.

Congress spokesperson Americai Narayanan said that Rajinikanth has been honest with his decision and that spiritual politics understood by the people and Mahatma Gandhi will take place.

Political analyst Sumanth C Raman questioned the delay in Rajinikanth’s decision and wrote, “4 weeks ago Covid existed. His post transplant status existed. Yet he said whatever happens to his health he will not quit. All it took was for one day’s fluctuation in BP for the man to back out??”

Earlier on Wednesday, founder of Gandhiya Makkal Iyakkam, Tamilaruvi Maniyan, who was instated as the party’s supervisor by Rajinikanth, announced that he has quit politics. Sharing a press statement, he wrote, “There is nothing left for me to accomplish in this political world as it doesn’t know the difference between a gem and a pebble. It is only wise for me to stay away from politics completely as it hasn’t acknowledged my integrity, righteousness, and discipline.”

Rajinikanth on Tuesday stated that he was disappointed to announce that he will not be launching a party and joining politics. He said that he will help the people with their needs without joining politics.

His decision came days after he was admitted to the Apollo Hospital, Hyderabad, for fluctuating blood pressure. Rajinikanth, who tested negative for Covid-19, was hospitalised after the shooting for his upcoming Tamil film Annaatthe was halted for the second time this year when four crew members tested positive for the virus.

Rajinikanth explained that due to his recent kidney transplant surgery, his blood pressure cannot fluctuate and stated that it was probably God’s way of warning him to be careful.

The actor had announced in December 2017 that he will join politics and form a party. However, this October, Rajinikanth had hinted that he may not be contesting the elections as his doctor had advised against exertion and exercising caution during Covid-19.

 

Rakul Preet Singh Tests Negative for Covid-19

BY Shrija Ganguly On

Rakul Preet Singh, the actor, has tested negative for Covid-19.

Making the announcement on social media on Tuesday, she also appealed her followers to wear masks and take all precautions.

Singh tested positive for the disease on December 22 and wrote on social media that she had isolated herself. “I’d like to inform everyone that I have tested positive for COVID-19. I  have quarantined myself. I am feeling fine and will rest up well so that I can be back at shoot soon. Request everyone who met me to kindly get yourself tested. Thank you and please stay safe,” she said.

During a question and answer session on Instagram when she was recovering, she said that she was taking all the necessary precautions to limit the spread of the disease. “I am quarantined in my room. Not stepping out, doing my breathing exercises, eating healthy, taking my vitamins and hoping that I will be negative soon,” the actor said.

Right before she tested positive, the De De Pyaar De actor was on vacation with her family in the Maldives.

Singh was last seen in the 2019 film Marjaavaan. She is currently shooting for Mayday, which will be directed by Ajay Devgn and will feature Amitabh Bachchan. The action-drama film will see Singh play the role of a pilot. Her other projects include Attack, Indian 2, Sardar ka Grandson, Ayalaan and an untitled cross-border love story opposite Arjun Kapoor.

In the past few days, a number of actors have tested positive for Covid-19. Actors Ram Charan and Varun Tej put out statements on their respective social media handles on Tuesday announcing that they had tested positive for the virus. Ram Charan is filming for SS Rajamouli‘s RRR.

Earlier this month, actors Varun Dhawan and Neetu Singh Kapoor, who were in Chandigarh shooting for their upcoming film Jug Jugg Jeeyo, had tested positive along with director Raj Mehta. The actors got back to work and wrapped up another schedule on Tuesday.

The shoot of Rajinikanth‘s upcoming film Annatthe was also stalled after four members from the crew tested positive.

Ghibran Interview: The Lockdown Helped Me Work on Independent Music

BY Anusha Sundar On

Ghibran, the music director, started his career in 2011 with the Tamil romantic film Vaagai Sooda Vaa, that earned him several awards. Till 2020, the prolific composer has worked on over 30 films.

As 2020 draws to a close, Ghibran ends the year on a successful note with Maara, the upcoming Tamil romantic musical drama starring R Madhavan and Shraddha Srinath, for which he has rendered tunes.

The film’s trailer which released on Tuesday, shows Paaru (Shraddha) who travels across the country in search of a man named Maara (Madhavan) based on his paintings of a fairy tale. How she attempts to trace him and how they meet forms the crux of the story. The film’s trailer features traces of Ghibran’s upbeat tunes.

Ahead of the film’s release, Ghibran speaks to Silverscreen India about the film, the need for indie music to proliferate in India and how streaming services can pave the way for individualistic music.

Making the most

Ghibran says that the lockdown jolted him into working on independent music. He looked at the Covid-19 pandemic in a positive light and made decisions that helped him change direction, he says.

“The moment lockdown happened, the whole film industry froze. For the last couple of years, I wanted to work on independent music. When the lockdown occurred, like everyone, we [music directors] also suffered since no films were being released or shot. This is when I began working on a spiritual song series. I also worked on independent songs. I also wanted to complete my MBA degree for a long time. I chose to finish that during the period too,” he says.

In times of uncertainty, he says that being qualified in two or three professions is always a good fallback measure. This is where his MBA degree could come in handy, he says.

Aside from achieving personal goals, Ghibran has also composed light and empowering tunes to uplift spirits during the time of the dreaded pandemic.

In April, Ghibran, in collaboration with actor-politician Kamal Haasan, released the song Arivum Anbum based on the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown imposed by the Centre. The catchy number featured famous musicians and personalities- including Yuvan Shankar Raja, Anirudh Ravichander, Bombay Jayashree, Shankar Mahadevan, Sid Sriram, Devi Sri Prasad, Siddharth, Shruti Haasan, and Andrea Jeremiah.

Ghibran says that the lockdown did not hinder or limit the creativity of his peers. Many ended up spending long hours in their respective recording studios where they most felt at home, he says. The collaboration was a result of this “lockdown creativity”, he says.

“Kamal sir initiated the idea of this song. He knew that we were starting to feel a bit of the frustration and wanted to let people know that they were not alone during these times. I had all my equipment and we did remote recording to bring out the song,” he says.

Ghibran equates this song to a scene in the cult 1997 film Titanic. “When the ship goes down, musicians will be still playing. That is what we do,” he adds.

Maara

Ghibran says that like the fictitious ‘Heart of the Ocean’ diamond featured in Titanic, his music in Maara is the “heart of the film”.

“When Director Dhilip Kumar discussed the movie with me, he discussed that music was one of the main characters of the film. Where there are places where emotions can be best expressed through words that characters say, there are places where music too should act as a voice, to ensure that audiences feel inexplicable emotions,” he says.

Ghibran says that some people have made it fashionable to term movies with one or two songs as musicals. In Maara, it was different, he says.

“Once he conveyed that it was a musical, it became a dream-come-true moment for me,” he says.

Maara’s album has 10 tracks. The music director attempted to ensure that the texture of the sounds in the movie would align with the film. He is confident that since the all the songs have a similar “texture and tone”, people will not be tempted to skip songs while watching the film.

Ghibran values discussion and understanding the director’s vision before making the music. This is why he has several discussions in order to understand the musical palette, he says.

He says that he usually adds some Hindi words and some general gibberish in place of lyrics until the song is fully composed. Recalling a Maara-specific incident, he says “During the composition of the song Oh Azhagey (sung by Benny Dayal), I presented the song in Hindi. Maddy [Madhavan] liked it so much that he wanted me to do a Hindi version of the song. However, we knew that audiences would be put off if there is a Hindi track in the middle of the film. As a gift to him though, I did a Hindi version of the same song and added it as the tenth track of the film.”

He says that although the film is a remake of the 2015 Malayalam film Charlie, the director put no pressure on him to replicate the music.

“Maara happens in three segments and I was trying to bring music out of these three environments,” he says.

Independent music

According to the director, while films like Maara could be packed with songs and present a coherent story, there is a also a place for music without the added baggage of visuals. He says that music has the power to survive independently without a visual medium and believes that the world of audio is well worth exploring.

Ghibran feels that the rise of OTT platforms will pave the way for the independent music industry as more people will search for new songs and give music a patient hearing, without the visual accessory.

“I have been listening to a lot of stories targeting OTT platforms. Many believe that the use of few or no songs is a bad move. However, I feel like this paves way to create independent movies. The slow separation of the two industries is good for music,” he says.

Maara-FL-900×511

“We are in a golden era. Any artist with the talent to create art, need not depend on an opportunity in films. If you are an artist who is capable of creating something, you can reach the masses without anyone’s help. Many are proving to be bigger than any film media and are challenging films by creating movies at their homes and studios. I think the golden era has taken off,” he says.

Ghibran says that he has a few film projects lined up and thanks OTT platforms for providing him with consistent work. “I hope we will overcome the second wave of Covid-19 soon. I am looking forward to a positive year,” he adds.

Maara will premiere on Amazon Prime Video on January 8. The film also features Mouli, Alexander Babu, MS Bhaskar, Guru Somasundaram, Kishore, and Abirami in pivotal roles.

Actor Irrfan Khan’s Last Film ‘The Song of Scorpions’ to Release in 2021

BY Namrata Ganguly On

Late actor Irrfan Khan’s last film The Song of the Scorpions will be releasing in early 2021.

Director Anup Singh released a first look teaser of the film through Twitter to make the announcement. The film, which set to release next year, will see Khan on the big screen for the last time.

The film is a Swiss-French-Singaporean Rajasthani drama which premiered 70th Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland’s Locarno in 2017. However, it did not have a theatrical release until now.

A story of “twisted love, revenge and the redemptive power of a song”, The Song of Scorpions also features actor Golshifteh Farahani in the lead opposite Khan, veteran actor Waheeda Rehman and  Shashank Arora.

The story revolves around the character of Aadam (played by Khan) who is a camel trader in Rajasthan. He meets and falls in love with Nooran (Farahani), a tribal woman learning the ancient art of healing from her grandmother, a revered ‘scorpion-singer’.

Earlier this year, Babil Khan, Khan’s son, took to social media to share a glimpse from the film soon after his father’s demise and wrote: “He had this strange understanding of rain. I cannot compare it to anything that I have ever experienced. He could only explain it to me through the limits within what words would let him, but there was a connection that I cannot envelop even in the most beautiful language; only the desert could show, oh my god, what the rain did to him.”

Khan passed away on 29 April, at the age of 53 after battling cancer at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai.

The Song of Scorpions is produced by Saskia Vischer, Abhishek Pathak and Kumar Mangat Pathak, presented by Panorama Spotlight and 70mm Talkies along with Feather Light Films and KNM Productions.

Khan last appeared in the Hindi comedy-drama Angrezi Medium, which released in March.

Sonam Kapoor Ahuja Begins Shooting for ‘Blind’ in Glasgow

BY Shrija Ganguly On

Sonam Kapoor Ahuja, the Hindi film actor, began shooting for her upcoming film, Blind, in Glasgow on Monday.

The crime-thriller is the Hindi remake of the 2011 Korean film Blind and will be directed by debutant director Shome Makhija.

The actor shared director Sujoy Ghosh‘s tweet announcing the commencement of the shoot.

Ghosh is one of the producers of the film along with Avishek Ghosh, Manisha W, Pinkesh Nahar, Sachin Nahar as well as Hyunwoo Thomas Kim under the banners Kanai, AVMA Media, Rainbow Studios, and Kross Pictures.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Sonam K Ahuja (@sonamkapoor)

Blind revolves around a former police officer, who loses the opportunity to be in service after an accident leaves her blind. However, with her strong physical senses, she attempts to catch a serial killer, and solve a missing person’s case as well as a hit-and-run case.

The film will feature Purab Kohli and Vinay Pathak alongside Kapoor Ahuja.

Kapoor Ahuja was last seen in a lead role in the 2019 film Zoya Factor and made appearance in the Netflix original film AK vs AK, which released earlier this month,

Blind has earlier been remade in Chinese as The Witness and in Japanese asSightless Witness. In India, the film was remade in Tamil as Netrikann featuring Nayanthara.

Other Korean films that have been remade into Indian films include, Oh! Baby, Rocky Handsome, Ek Villain, Jazba, Te3n, and Bharat, etc. Since Korean films are gaining popularity, a number of remakes have been slated for the following year include Salman Khan-starrer Radhe, which is a remake of the South Korean film Veteran.

Besides this, Suresh Productions has acquired the Telugu remake rights of two Korean films- Midnight Runners and Dancing Queen, as reported by The News Minute.

Arya Sustains Injuries While Shooting for ENEMY

BY Ramya Ashok Kumar On

Actor Arya sustained injuries on his hand while shooting for his upcoming Tamil film with director Anand Shankar, ENEMY, in EVP Film City, Chennai. The film also stars Vishal in the lead.

According to the film’s publicist, both the actors were shooting for a fight sequence without using any body doubles.

While shooting, Arya sustained grave injuries on his hand, following which he was immediately rushed to the hospital.

After getting treated for his injured hand and receiving necessary medication, the actor got discharged and returned to the sets of ENEMY on the same day to complete the shoot.

The first schedule of shooting for the film has reportedly been completed in Hyderabad. After a short schedule in Chennai, the team left for Ooty to shoot some portions and have now returned back to Chennai.

The action thriller is written and directed by Anand Shankar of Arima Nambi, Iru Mugan and Nota fame. The film also stars Prakash Raj and Mrinalini Ravi. Ravi rose to fame over a video on popular app Dubsmash and debuted in 2019 with the Tamil black comedy-drama film Super Deluxe.

ENEMY will mark Vishal’s 30th and Arya’s 32nd project. The film, bankrolled by Mini Studios, will be released in several languages. While the music has been composed by S Thaman, the camera has been handled by R. D. Rajsekhar.

The title of the film was announced on November 25. On December 17, the first look of actor Vishal from the movie was unveiled. While Vishal commenced shooting for the film earlier, Arya joined the shooting only last week as he was busy shooting for director Sundar C’s Aranmanai 3.

The film will feature Vishal as the protagonist and Arya as the antagonist. ENEMY will also mark the second collaboration between the two actors after the 2011 Tamil comedy-drama film Avan Ivan. Vishal had also made a guest appearance in Arya’s Vasuvum Saravananum Onna Padichavanga.

Rajinikanth Backs Away From Politics, Says That He Will Not be Launching a Party

BY Ramya Ashok Kumar On

Actor Rajinikanth on Tuesday, announced that he will not be forming a political party and that he will not join politics due to his precarious health situation.

His change of plans comes just weeks after he had announced that he will be forming a party and contesting in the upcoming Assembly elections in 2021.

In his statement on Twitter, he wrote, “I am disappointed to announce that I will not be launching a party and joining politics. Only I know the pain with which I am making this announcement.” He announced that without joining politics, he will help the people with their needs.

Rajini wrote that he does not want to abandon those who believe in him just because he will be mocked for not keeping up his promise to contest in the polls.

He also apologised to the members of the Rajini Makkal Mandram, his fans and the people of Tamil Nadu for the disappointment he has caused.

He announced that the Rajini Makkal Mandram will function as always and that all the good deeds that the members have done so far will ‘forever protect them and their families’. It will not go to waste, he said.

He also thanked Tamilaruvi Maniyan and Arjuna Moorthy, who were appointed as the party supervisor and chief coordinator respectively, for being supportive.

Rajinikanth, on December 3, had announced that he will be launching a political party in January and that his party would establish a “corruption-free” government, free of religious and caste discrimination. He had also informed that the date of the launch will be announced on December 31, 2020.

Stating that his political work should not hinder the shooting for his upcoming film Annaatthe, he left to Hyderabad on December 13, to complete shooting for the remaining portions of the film.

However, on December 23, the shooting for the film was halted for the second time this year after four crew members of Annaatthe were tested positive for Covid-19.

Even though he tested negative for the virus, soon after, the actor had to be admitted to Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad, due to “severe fluctuations” in his blood pressure. After three days of hospitalisation and medical investigations, Rajini was discharged on Sunday and returned to Chennai.

Writing that his blood pressure is not supposed to fluctuate due to his recent kidney transplant surgery, Rajini wrote that the hospitalisation was God’s way of warning him of the consequences.

The actor’s has, on different occasions, expressed his will and determination to join politics. In December 2017, he had announced that he would join politics with conviction.

However, the actor in October 2020 had hinted that he would not be campaigning during the elections as his doctor had advised against exertion and exercising caution during Covid-19. He again announced in December that he would contest in the polls.

‘Oh My Kadavule’ Telugu Remake to Star Vishwak Sen

BY Anusha Sundar On

The Telugu remake of the Tamil film Oh My Kadavule, starring Vishwak Sen, was launched on Monday by the production house PVP Cinemas, in association with Dil Raju’s Sri Venkateswara Creations. Announcing the launch on Twitter, the production house confirmed that Ashwath Marimuthu, who debuted with the Tamil original, will be directing the Telugu version as well.

Oh My Kadavule, a romantic fantasy, released on February 14 and featured actors Ashok Selvan and Ritika Singh in the lead, with Vijay Sethupathi playing an extended cameo. The project will feature Sen in the lead role, with Tharun Bhascker writing the dialogues.

Oh My Kadavule was widely appreciated by critics and audiences and proved to be the highest grosser out of all films that hit screens on Valentine’s Day this year. It also re-released on several screens after cinema halls reopened in Tamil Nadu.

The film revolves around the relationship of a young married couple- Arjun and Anu (played by Selvan and Singh)- who have been best friends since childhood. The two however, are unable to find a romantic spark in their relationship and end up filing for divorce. A divine intervention occurs in Arjun’s life as Kadavul or God (played by Vijay Sethupathi) gives Arjun a second chance. What happens post this meeting with god, forms the rest of the story.

Earlier in July, Telugu actor Mahesh Babu had appreciated the team of Oh My Kadavule and said that he enjoyed the film. The film was selected to be screened at the International Indian Film Festival in Toronto in August 2020.

Leon James composed the music in the Tamil original. Vidhu Ayyanna Was the cinematographer and Boopathi Selvaraj was the editor. The details on the rest of the cast and crew members of the remake are yet to be announced. The film made its digital premiere on Zee5 in April after Zee Network bought the satellite and the digital broadcasting rights of the film.

Tamil Nadu Film Exhibitors Association Requests Govt to Allow 100% Occupancy in Theatres

BY Ramya Ashok Kumar On

The Tamil Nadu Film Exhibitors Association, the trade body that represents movie theaters in Tamil Nadu, requested the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami to allow movie theatres in the state to operate at full capacity.  On Monday, the association submitted a petition to the office of the Chief Minister, and later addressed the press to discuss their demands.

The demands from the association – whose members are struggling across the state due to low occupancy and uncertainties from Covid 19 – are to increase capacity and reduce regulation. Theatres were badly affected due to the stall in economy created by the Covid-19 pandemic. Theatres in Tamil Nadu were opened for public in November with a seat occupancy of 50%. Increasing the capacity will help theatre owners boost their economy.

Capacity Increases

Until November 9, theatres in Tamil Nadu were closed as Covid-19 cases were on the rise. As cases began to drop, the State government relaxed the restrictions, and allowed movie screens to operate at 50% capacity.  With the Pongal season – traditionally an important period for Tamil movie releases – around the corner, the association is now asking for the restrictions to be relaxed further.  The petition also asks for the government to eliminate a hike in taxes on tickets to help increase attendance in theaters, and for the Government to consider hosting events in cinena halls to encourage people to visit theatres.

Looser Regulation

The association also wanted looser regulations, asking for the the term of renewal of license for theatres to be increased from one year to three years, and to not have to seek permission from multiple departments for altering theatres. The petition read,  “We would like to elicit permission from the Public Works department alone for the transformation of existing old theatres into smaller ones; and new theatres to bigger ones.” They also asked the Government to cancel an order on the old operator license system since projection of all movies are done digitally.

Relief Package

The exhibitors pointed to that the ‘Restart’ pandemic relief package to movie theatres provided by the Governments of neighbouring Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The Telangana government, on November 26, announced that relief measures will be given to the Telugu film industry, which was severely impacted due to the Covid-19 pandemic, to help them get on their feet. In the package, no GST is charged on movies that are made within a budget of 10 crore INR; electricity charges for theatres during the months of April, May and June have been waived, and zero-interest working capital loans of INR 10 lakh and INR 5 lakh have been introduced for theatre owners to help them get back on their feet. The Andhra Pradesh government too announced a similar package for theatres last week.

The exhibitors’ demands have come at a time when the Tamil Nadu Theatre and Multiplex Owners’ Association, Tiruppur Subramaniam announced on Monday that Lokesh Kanagaraj‘s Master, starring Vijay, Vijay Sethupathi, Andrea Jeremiah and Malavika Mohanan, will be releasing in theatres on January 13, 2021.

There have been reports suggesting the actor Vijay met with CM Edappadi K Palaniswami on Sunday requesting him to permit cinema halls to function with 100% seating capacity. Speaking about the occupancy, Subramaniam had told Silverscreen India, “We cannot comment on the capacity we will be functioning at during Pongal since the lockdown rules for January have not yet been announced. It will depend on the announcement the government will make.”

Maara Trailer Starring R Madhavan, Shraddha Srinath

Starring R. Madhavan, Shraddha Srinath, Sshivada & others

Directed by Dhilip Kumar
Produced by Prateek Chakravorty, Shruti Nallappa

World Premiere – 8th Jan 2020 only on Amazon Prime Video

Music – Ghibran
Cinematography – Karthik Muthukumar & Dinesh Krishnan. B
Editing – Bhuvan Srinivasan
Written by – Bipin Raghu & Dhilip Kumar
Lyrics – Thamarai
Production Designer – Ajayan Chalissery
Stunts – Anbariv
Audiography – Tapas Nayak
VFX – Splat Studio / Paper Rocket / iGene
Colorist – G. Balaji
Costume Designers – Eka Lakhani & Remya Ansuya Suresh
Publicity Design – Gopi Prasannaa
Casting – Sharanya Subramaniam
Public Relation – Suresh Chandra & Rekha (D’ One)
Line Production – S P Cinemas
Executive Production – Gokul K
Music Label – Think Music