Actor Mallika Sherawat hit back at a Twitter user, who accused her films of promoting sexual violence against women. The Murder actor had recently condemned the brutal gang rape case in Hathras in Uttar Pradesh.
Taking to Twitter, Sherawat said that unless our country changes its medieval mindset towards women, nothing would change. Replying to this, a Twitter user wrote, “But the kind of roles you have played in Bollywood movie contradict your statement. Don’t you thing the kind of message you deliver through your movies also play an important role. Improvement should start from the person who is making the statement first. (sic)”
So the movies I act in are an invitation for rape!!! It’s mentality like yours that make Indian society regressive for women! If you hv a problem wt my movies then Don’t see them #nocountryforwomenhttps://t.co/I5XdN7zAA6
Replying to this, Sherawat wrote: “So the movies I act in are an invitation for rape!!! It’s mentality like yours that make Indian society regressive for women! If you hv a problem wt my movies then Don’t see them #nocountryforwomen. (sic)”
Many people tweeted in her defence. This isn’t the first time Sherawat has been targeted based on the films she has worked on. The actor has often said that she was typecast and lost out on projects because of her refusal to get intimate with her co-stars off-screen.
Earlier, in an interview with PTI, Sherawat had alleged that she was subjected to accusations and judgements and was even kicked out of several projects after refusing sexual advances from male co-stars. Losing out on work because of her refusal to get intimate with her co-stars off-screen is a reflection of the Indian society and the ordeal that women have to endure, she had added.
Actors are often targeted and typecast based on their past career choices. Actor Sunny Leone has also been subjected to abuses because of her past career in the adult entertainment industry.
In Hollywood, actor Megan Fox has faced a similar experience. She has been vocal about her experiences of being publicly objectified and talked about being a survivor of sexual assault. Talking about her experiences on Instagram, she wrote: “These specific instances were inconsequential in a long and arduous journey along which I have endured some genuinely harrowing experiences in a ruthlessly misogynistic industry.”
The film is the Tamil remake of the 2017 hit Telugu film Ninnu Kori, starring Nani, Nivetha ThomasAadhi Pinisetty among the others. Ninnu Kori is will also be remade in Marathi and will be directed by Mansi Bagla. Ninnu Kori tells the story of a couple whose life gets disrupted when a ghost surfaces.
The first look of the poster was released in February. The cast lineup includes Naren, Jagan, Kaali Venkat and Vidyullekha Raman among the others.
Music has been composed by Gopi Sunder, who also scored the music for Ninnu Kori. The film is produced by R Kannan along with MK Ramprasad’s MKRP Productions while Shanmuga Sundaram is handling cinematography.
This is Atharvaa’s second collaboration with director R Kannan, after the duo’s 2019 release Boomerang. He was last seen last year in Gaddalakonda Ganesh, the same year which marked his Telugu debut. Atharvaa’s kitty is filled with films including Kuruthi Aattam, Othaikku Othai, and RukkumaniVandi Varudhu. Anupama Parameswaran, who made her debut in hit Malayalam film Premam alongside Nivin Pauly, was last seen in Maniyarayile Ashokan which premiered directly on Netflix recently.
Actor Vijay Sethupathi has confirmed that he will essay Sri Lankan cricketer Muttiah Muralitharan in a biopic written and directed by MS Sripathy. The actor took to Twitter and shared a poster which said that the official update will be given soon.
According to speculations, the biopic will be titled 800, based on the number of wickets taken by the spinner during his career. Reports are also stating that the first look of the film may release on October 13.
Earlier in an interview to IANS, Vijay had said: “Portraying Murali is a challenge I’m looking forward to. I’m delighted that Murali himself will be closely involved with the project and guiding me on the cricketing aspects. I am thankful to Murali and the producers for the faith bestowed on me.”
The legendary cricketer also opened up about the movie and told IANS, “We are looking at a late 2020 release. I am honoured that an accomplished actor such as Vijay Sethupathi will be playing me in the film. I have been actively collaborating with the creative team for the past several months and I will continue to support this project.”
Reports state that the film be released in several other languages, besides Tamil. The film is being produced by Movie Train Motion Pictures and Dar Motion Pictures. The rest of the cast and crew names are yet to be revealed.
Meanwhile, Vijay Sethupathi is hailed for his latest release Ka Pae Ranasingam with Aishwarya Rajesh. Directed by debut filmmaker Virumandi, it was released on a pay-per-view basis on OTT platform Zee5.
Sethupathi also has Maamanithan in the pipeline, which is being directed by Seenu Ramasamy. The film will see him pair up with Gayathrie S. The actor also has Uppena in Telugu and Laal Singh Chaddha in Hindi.
Actor Suriya Sivakumar on Thursday launched the music album of Tamil anthology film Putham Pudhu Kaalai and released the the title track of the film sung and composed by GV Prakash Kumar.
Sharing the link to the song, Suriya wrote: “@gvprakash you always compete with contemporary content & deliver every time with utmost dedication #PuthamPudhuKaalai title track is full of energy & hope.. Best wishes team!”
The music album consists of five songs composed by GV Prakash Kumar and Govind Vasantha. Prakash and lyricist Kaber Vasuki have worked on four of the five songs, including the title track, Manmadhan Naan Dhaana, Oho Endhan Baby, Kulfi Kuchchi and Kannam Adhil Vannam. Govind Vasantha composed Kanna Thoodhu Po Da, which was penned by Karky.
The title track seeks to serve as a summary of the film’s overarching message. The two-minute track features montages of scenes from the movie along with shots of Prakash. Prakash’s music video was shot by director Rajiv Menon, who has also directed one of the five short films in Putham Pudhu Kaalai.
Releasing a sneak peek of the son on Twitter on Wednesday, Prakash wrote: “Really excited to share this fresh track with you guys. Here’s a sneak peek into my title track for #PuthamPudhuKaalai. Music out on Oct 8th! to be released by @Suriya_offl sir, song shot by @DirRajivMenon @kabervasuki @PrimeVideoIN”
Coffee, Anyone?, directed by Suhasini Maniratnam, stars the director along with Anu Hasan and Shruti Haasan. Reunion, directed by Rajiv Menon, stars Andrea Jeremiah, Leela Samson and Sikkhil Gurucharan and Miracle, directed by Karthik Subbaraj, stars Bobby Simha and Muthu Kumar.
The movie was set and filmed in compliance with rules and regulations set by the Film Employees’ Federation of South India during the Covid-10 related lockdown. The film will be available across 200 countries on Amazon Prime Video from October 16.
Music composer-turned- actor GV Prakash announced on Twitter the completion of shooting of Bachelor on Tuesday and posted a few photos of the sets.
“It’s a wrap for #bachelor shoot after an extensive shoot of 15 days in Chennai and Bangalore,” he tweeted.
Bachelor is directed by Satish, who has formerly assisted filmmaker Sasi. Sasi had earlier collaborated with Prakash for Sivappu Manjal Pachai. The movie also featured Siddharth.
The film went on floors last September. Shooting was stalled because of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Shooting resumed from last month while following the guidelines laid down by the government as part of the ‘unlock’ phase.
The movie is billed to be a romantic drama and will be bankrolled under the Axess Film Factory banner, headed by G Dilli Babu. Dhivya Bharathi, Bhagavathi Perumal and YouTube celebrity Arun Kumar also play prominent roles in the film.
The first look poster was released last year by cricketer Harbhajan Singh on his Twitter last September.
The announcement of the wrapping up of the film comes a day after the trailer of GV Prakash’s other film Putham Pudhu Kaalai was released. Putham Pudhu Kaalai is an anthology of five short stories by directors Sudha Kongara, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Suhasini Mani Ratnam, Rajiv Menon, and Karthik Subbaraj. The film is set and shot during the lockdown and is all set to be released on Amazon Prime on October 16. The actor has also composed the music for the film.
On Wednesday, the music composer took to social media to release a sneak peek into one of his songs from Putham Pudhu Kaalai.
In a first-of-its kind project in Tamil cinema, five filmmakers joined hands in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic to create an anthology of five short films, all rooted to a message of hope.
Among the five short films is Coffee, Anyone?, directed by Suhasini in which a family reunites during the pandemic.
“My film is about hope, resilience and family,” says the director, who is making a comeback in filmmaking after Indira in 1996.
While the first three weeks of the lockdown passed quickly, things changed for Suhasini soon after that. “We thought it was only going to be for 21 days, we never thought it was going to be for six months. When I thought that I’m scared and I don’t know what is going to happen next, what immediately came to my mind was that this is going to be the frame of mind of everybody else too. If there’s any way I can keep them engaged for an hour or two, it’ll be nice. So, I told my husband I want to go live on Instagram. I started an Instagram Live every evening from 5 pm to 6pm for 21 days. My time went in preparing the script and getting the people organised, 21 days just flew by very easily. After that is when I felt a vacuum,” she says.
In an interview with Swathy R Iyer, she talks about filming through a pandemic, navigating the new normal on set and writing a script with physical distancing norms in mind.
Suhasini at the Keni Audio Launch
How has the lockdown been for you in the past few months?
Things had settled down; we had learnt to live within our means. I still hadn’t gone out at all; I was still at home. This is when I wrote a script and I shot a short film on my iPhone. That was the beginning and then I wrote five other stories and the sixth story is what you’re going to see on October 16. I am very happy that that is the one that is coming out first. My latest work is what is going to be seen by people first.
How many days was Coffee, Anyone? shot in?
It was shot in four days. I was allowed only three days but I told them I have two senior citizens who are above 80 so I can’t make them stress or work too hard. So, I need to work only half days with them. At that point, in June and July, traffic was not allowed after 6 pm. Cars were stopped by cops and the drivers couldn’t go back home. So, we had to shoot only from 7 am until 5 pm. The night scenes were so difficult and all of us must have faced the same problem. We couldn’t do night scenes. So, we had to put black cloth around and shoot.
What is the new normal for filming through a pandemic?
I’m very happy because big units always scared me. Huge units with number of caravans waiting- I always think from the producer’s point of view. Where is the place for these caravans to be parked? The city is so densely populated. Shooting in the city in a house on the street where all these caravans are parked; where do you cook for all of them? Where do they sit between shots? That way, the new normal- having only 50 people or 75 people- is welcome. But having said that, my husband is making a film where we need about 1,000 people a day. So, the new normal is not going to suit that kind of film. Rajamouli is making another film-he cannot shoot with 75 people; it’s not going to happen. So, we have to find the balance between normal and new normal.
A lot of people have been sharing pictures of films being shot through the pandemic with necessary precautions. What is the new normal on set?
I shot in a house that is empty, which is close to my house. We could walk to the location. By car, we could take only one person, three people couldn’t sit in a car. I took another place which again belongs to us because we couldn’t shoot in just one house. We wanted some variation, sunlight and all that. We shot in another place which is our office. And then I shot in an NGO. I shot in these three places. In all these three places, I made sure that two weeks earlier, nobody stepped in. We started shooting on July 8. On July 6, I had gone with my cinematographer to fix the location. A week earlier, I had gone alone with all precautions to set up the pictures, furniture, the beds. We had to convert one room into a patient’s room with an oxygen cylinder and all the medication and the trays and things like that. Outside, it felt like getting into a hospital. So many sanitisers kept and every one hour we had to go and wash our hands and all of us had to wear masks and gloves.
More than deciding which scene comes first, I was telling ‘Kathadi Ramamurthy sir stays in that room. Nobody else steps into that room’. My mother also acted so she stayed in another room with me because she lives with me. The sound recorder stays only in the dining room, he doesn’t come inside. In fact, he would give us the cable and we would plug it in. I learnt how to call for a shot.
Earlier it was ‘Start sound, roll camera, action!’ Now, it is ‘Start sound, roll camera, masks off and then action’. Once the shot is okay, ‘Shot okay, please wear your masks’. And some scenes, we realised that all of us were wearing masks when it was not needed. We had to redo those shots! It’s a lot of work for the artists now. We used to have assistants to arrange costumes, makeup and food but now we have to pick up our food because it’s not safe. We cannot be touched by anybody. As actors on set, we can’t have anything that is personal- something like a pen, a wallet or an earring or even a phone. But once we get in front of the camera, we forget everything. That is the magic of cinema.
Did you also have to think about physical distancing while writing the script?
Yes! For example, I had a scene where I had to hug Anu. She gives me some good news and I go near her but she says ‘Social distancing! Don’t touch me’. And for another shot where a father and daughter were hugging each other, I had to seek permission from the actor before I wrote it. “Is it okay? Or should I just say they were holding hands?” So he said,”Go ahead and do the shot. Don’t compromise because of the pandemic.”
Some filmmakers say that OTT gives them more creative freedom and room to experiment. What are your thoughts on this?
I’m sure it’s true because it’s very difficult to keep the audience inside an auditorium, especially in a restless world. People are just looking at their phones and not even looking at the screen. To keep them engaged, you’ll have to do all kinds of tricks and magic and gimmicks. This is what a normal feature film requires. In OTT, it’s not like that, you can relax and do films how people did them 20, 30 years ago.
Suhasini Maniratnam (4)
Is there a resistance among the film fraternity in adapting to direct to OTT releases?
There is a film distributor, there is an exhibitor and then there are film financiers. So, the chain of command is kind of affected if the films are going direct to OTT. So, there is a structure for film releases and now from the producer it’s directly going to the audience through OTT. So, there will be a lot of resistance because this is what has been done in 100 years of cinema and suddenly to go into a different platform-there is going to be resistance. But there is going to be a compromise, like how television came in and affected the theatre collection. Still, television and cinema co-exist. Similarly, OTT should also co-exist along with theatre, especially during a pandemic. OTT is the only saviour for people who are at home so it’s only natural that films should release in OTT.
What is the biggest difference in creating a film for direct to OTT release compared to theatrical releases?
A film like this would not have been possible on the big screen because there are five of us who are directing. And all out stories are different.
The other thing is, I love binge watching. For me, a two-hour or a three-and-a-half-hour film is not enough. I want more. The same story, if you tell me in 10 episodes of one hour each, I will be happy. There are people like me who are glued to OTT platforms; so for them, it is a different way of writing. The only difference is in writing, not in performance or staging or the concept. It’s only the writing where there is a slight difference between OTT and theatrical release.
Could you tell us a bit more about your character in Putham Pudhu Kaalai?
It’s a mixture of mine and my sister’s character. She’s a control freak, lives in the UK and when she sees a problem, she’s immediately thinking of the solution. A problem does not deter her from going ahead with life. At the same time, she is soft spoken. So, I combined my role with my sister’s personality. In fact, I asked her to read the script and tried to speak like her in the film. Not like somebody who is from Chennai but somebody who is from Manchester or Lancaster and who visits their parents only once in a while. My character’s name is Valli. My younger sister is Saraswathi and the third sister Shruthi is Ramya. So, Valli, Saraswathi and Ramya.
I look forward to watching Putham Pudhu Kaalai when it releases on October 16.
Yes! I haven’t seen the other films either so, like you, I am also looking forward to watching them!
Putham Pudhu Kaalai will be streaming on Amazon Prime Video from October 16.
Actors Anushka Shetty and Vijay Deverakonda may soon collaborate for a project, according to Hindustan Times report on Monday. This is the first time the two actors would be seen sharing screen space.
Headed by a debutant director, makers of the movie are expected to make the announcement in a few weeks. Shetty was promoting her latest Amazon Prime Video thriller Nishabdham (2020) last month, co-starring R Madhavan, when she announced that she has signed two more Telugu films.
Shetty, critically acclaimed for her role as Princess Devasena from the blockbuster series Baahubali (2015) and Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017), has worked predominantly in both Telugu and Tamil films. The actor, who recently made her debut on Twitter, posted a picture asking her fans to follow her “for some interesting updates in the coming days”.
Meanwhile, earlier this year filmmaker Gautam Vasudev Menon announced Ondraga, sequel to Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa, starring Shetty and R Madhavan in crucial roles. Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya starred Trisha Krishnan and Simbu in lead roles.
Telugu actor Deverakonda, who rose to fame for his lead role in the 2017 hit Telugu film Arjun Reddy (2017), was last seen in World Famous Lover (2020), a Telugu romantic drama written and directed by Kranthi Madhav. Arjun Reddy, which also starred Shalini Pandey was remade in several languages including, Hindi and Tamil.
The actor is busy with his upcoming project Puri Jagannadh’s pan-India film Fighter, starring Ananya Panday , marking his debut in the Hindi film industry. He also has a project with his Arjun Reddy director Sandeep Vanga Reddy in the pipeline.
“There is no doubt about the fact that ours is one of the worst affected sectors,” says Vijay Krishnan, owner of Aarthi Grand Cineplex (AGC), Dindigul.
Despite the ongoing Covid-19 related lockdown forcing the doors of cinema halls to remain shut, theatre owners have managed to stay afloat by adopting various financial strategies. “It is about a simple financial plan. You have to reduce expenses and find ways to make money,” says producer SR Prabhu.
Since running a cinema hall comes with major recurring expenses like electricity bills and maintenance of screens, many theatre owners have resorted to taking bank loans to keep their business afloat. While some of them have chosen to pay full salaries to their staff, others are paying 50% of their salaries owing to financial constraints.
Most of them are hopeful of economic assistance from the state government. “We are hoping that the government decides to open the theatres as soon as possible, ” says G Ratnavel, managing partner of Royal Theatre, Coimbatore.
With the Centre’s standard operating procedures (SOPs) in place, multiplexes are waiting for the state government’s nod to reopen. Social distancing, routine thermal checks, and contactless ticketing have been some of the norms that most theatre owners are set to implement.
“The list of SOPs have been released by the Central government and most of them were precautions that we had been considering ourselves,” says Nikilesh Surya, executive director of Rohini Silver Screens.
In towns like Dindigul, the pandemic has provided an opportunity for cinema-goers to embrace online ticketing. Considering the strategic location of the town, people from nearby places frequent major theatres adding to their revenue. “In towns such as ours, people are not comfortable with online portals. But now we are promoting contactless ticketing and ordering food through our apps,” adds AGC’s Krishnan.
Food and beverage (F&B) services are a major part of multiplexes’ and cinema halls’ revenue. Despite the fact that most owners have accepted the fact that sales will be only a shadow of its earlier self, they have adopted a slew of measures to attract crowds.
“We are planning to change the F&B set up in a way that people can see what is being prepared,” says Ruban Mathivanan, managing partner, GK Cinemas. “Apart from the usual SOPs, we are also considering packing foods, such as popcorn, prior to the show,” he adds.
Although theatres are preparing to throw open their doors, owners are still wary about the numbers. People still fear crowding and going to public places, which can severely hamper theatre owners’ revenue. Theatrical revenue depends mostly on the first day and weekends. Fifty percent occupancy might not bring home the expected revenue. Theatre owners are also concerned about movie-goers’ tepid interest in cinema halls due to a limited number of shows and direct-OTT releases.
“Theatre owners should be supported at a time like this. People are opting for OTT platforms because they feel that they are losing interest,” says Tirupur Subramaniam, president of the Tamil Nadu Theatre and Multiplex Owners Association.
However, theatre owners are hopeful of drawing in crowds soon. “In states like Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, theatre experience is a big deal. The crowds will be back, there’s no doubt about that,” says AGC’s Krishnan.
Many theatre owners feel that OTT releases are a temporary phenomenon and won’t replace mainstream releases. With movies such as Master, Jagame Thandhiram, and Tenet opting for theatrical release, theatre owners are hoping that these films will help them regain normalcy.
The makers of Kabza have confirmed that the period drama movie, featuring Upendra as an underworld don, would be released in two parts.
As per Cinema Expressreports, the script is being fine-tuned by a renowned director’s team. The director of the film R Chandru has confirmed that while the filmmakers had only one project in mind initially, the Covid-19 pandemic has given way to more inputs and thoughts after which they have decided to release it in two parts.
He also added that while Upendra has given his nod for the sequel, he will be filming for the first part. The movie marks the second collaboration of the actor-director duo after the 2019 release I Love You.
While shooting started in January, the shooting had to be stalled due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and the consequent lockdown. The movie, bankrolled under Sri Siddheshwara Entertainments banner by MTB Nagaraj, will be a pan-Indian film and will release in seven languages. It will be shot in Kannada, Tamil and Telugu, and dubbed in additional Marathi, Malayalam, Hindi, and Bengali. Actors from these industries are also expected to join the cast.
The poster of the film was released by director Ram Gopal Varma on September 17. The poster features guns that are fashioned in the 1947-style. “Kabza will be set between the 1940s and 80s period. Through this poster, I want to convey to the audience the theme I am exploring in my film” Chandru said:
Shooting will resume from November, for a 20-day schedule at a jail set. While the makers have not yet finalised the female lead, the cast lineup consists of Naveen, Jaya Prakash, Kaat Raju, Subbaraju, Avinash and M Kamaraj. The movie’s music is being scored by Ravi Basrur, while Arjun Shetty is the cinematographer.
Apart from Kabza, Upendra’s kitty is filled with Buddhivanta 2, which is in the final stages of post-production, and Home Minister with Ravi Chandra, which is lined up for release. The actor will be seen in a key role in an upcoming Telugu project, co-starring Varun Tej.
Malayalam actor Tovino Thomas was hospitalised on Tuesday night after getting injured on the sets of his upcoming film Kala, helmed by Rohith VS.
According to The Week, Thomas injured himself while shooting for an action sequence. It is reported that he suffered a stomach injury and has been kept under observation at the Intensive Care Unit at a private hospital in Kochi.
The Indian Express reported that there has been internal bleeding but the actor is not in a critical condition.
Rohith VS of Adventures of Omanakuttan fame, had announced his film with Thomas a few months back. The shoot began on September 5 with Thomas sharing a photo of the clapperboard on Twitter. On October 2, he unveiled the motion poster of Kala, featuring an adrenaline-pumped run through a forest. The film is touted to be an adventure-thriller film.
Kala stars Thomas in the lead, along with Divya Pillai, Lal and Sumesh Moor in pivotal roles. The movie is co-written by Yadhu Pushpakaran. Cinematographer Akhil George will be handling the camera and Livingston Mathew will be the editor. Sound will be headed by Dawn Vincent and Jothish Shankar will be in charge of the production design. Costume design for the film will be taken care of by Sameera Saneesh.
The movie stars Guru Somasundaram, Aju Varghese, Femina George, Sneha Babu, Shelly Nabu Kumar, P Balachandran, Baiju Santhosh, Surjith, Harisree Ashokan, Mamukkoya, Bijukuttan, and others in important roles.
The film is about a group of religious men sick of films with ‘haram’ content. They decide to come together to try and make a 100% ‘halal’ film which will stick to all the disciplines of their faith.
“For me, Halal Love Story is a funny, yet beautiful, commemoration of the art of storytelling in all its forms. I am grateful to my co-writers Muhsin Parari and Ashif Kakkodi, who made this chaotic comedy possible alongside me. With a unique perspective brought to life by our strong ensemble, I am confident that the viewers will enjoy this chronicle that tries to manifest that cinema is for everyone,” Zakariya Mohammed said in a statement.
Joju George, who plays the director in the movie, said: “It is always fun to be a part of comedy films, especially one that is engulfed in errors. What was most appealing to me is the opposing views that my character Siraj offers whilst taking on the challenge of directing this Halal film. As my character struggles at every phase, it’s the brilliance of the writers who envisioned the comedic charm in the film. It was indeed a wonderful experience to work alongside such an incredible cast and crew.”
“The character Shereef is quite layered. He wants to conquer his passion for acting, but at the same time wants to do right by following his beliefs. The movie impacts him in more ways than the other and in the due process completely changes his outlook towards his personal life. Playing a humorous and a complicated Shereef was a phenomenal experience and I will forever be thankful to Zakariya and Aashiq Abu for giving me this opportunity,” Indrajith Sukumaran said.
Produced under the banner of Papaya Films, the film will release on Amazon Prime Video on October 15 across 200 countries.
The Warner Bros company announced delays in the releases of The Batman, Dune and The Matrix movies due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, which has brought the functioning of movie theatres to a halt. According to a press release released on Tuesday; The Batman will release on March 4, 2022, Dune on October 1, 2021, and The Matrix 4 on December 21, 2021.
Amid growing number of adversities due to Covid-19, the biggest worry for the entertainment industry is that of the closing down of movie theatres. They have been shut all over the world since March to limit the spread of the virus. Though lockdowns have eased a bit in several countries and cinema halls are starting to reopen, people are still hesitant to visit theatres.
Directed by Oscar-nominee Denis Villeneuve and screenplay by Jon Spaihts, Villeneuve and Eric Roth; Dune is the big-screen adaptation of Frank Herbert’s seminal bestseller classic novel by the same name. The film is a mythic and ethically charged hero’s journey, starring Timothée Chalamet in the lead role (who rose to fame with Call Me By Your Name and Little Women), co-starring Rebecca Fergusson, Oscar Isaac, Stellan Skarsgård, Stephen McKinley Henderson from Fences, and several other notable stars.
Robert Pattinson starring as Gotham City’s vigilante Batman and billionaire Bruce Wayne in The Batman is directed by Matt Reeves, who had earlier directed The Planet of The Apes. Reeves has also written along with Peter Craig and is a part of the production along with Dylan Clark; including, Simon Emanuel, Michael E Uslan, Walter Hamada and Chantal Nong Vo who are serving as executive producers.
The Flash, starring Andy Muschietti, will release on November 4, 2022; while David Sandberg’s Shazam 2 will now open on June 2, 2023.
Warner Bros Studios also announced that the production of Black Adams, starring Dwayne Johnson, has been postponed to 2021. Johnson is shooting for his upcoming Netflix action comedy thriller Red Notice, along with Gal Gadot and Ryan Reynolds.
Kabadadaari, a Tamil remake of the Kannada film Kavaludaari, is directed by Pradeep Krishnamoorthy and co-stars Nassar, Jaya Prakash, J Sathish Kumar. The movie is bankrolled by Dhananjyan Govind under the production banner Creative Entertainers and Distributors and features Nandita Sweta as the female lead. This is Sibi’s second film with the director after the 2017 film Sathya.
In the movie, Sibi plays the role of a cop for the fourth time after Naaigal Jakkirathai, Jackson Durai, and Walter. Portraying the role of a traffic police, he has an intense look in the poster, with a revolver and a walkie talkie in hand. The poster was released as a birthday gift to the actor titled ‘happy birthday Sibi’.
The final leg of shooting had been interrupted due to the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, which reportedly set the producers back by Rs 1 crore. The 75-member crew has recently finished shooting in the outskirts of Chennai, while the post-production work is underway. Music is being composed by Simon K King and cinematography has been done by Rasamathi. The story has been written by Hemanth Rao and screenplay adaptations and dialogues have been written by John Mahendran and G Dhananjayan, who has also bankrolled the project.
Suriya will be seen next in Soorarai Pottru,which would be releasing on Amazon Prime on October 30. His 40th film Vaadi Vasal will be directed by Vetri Maran.
The Bombay High Court on Wednesday granted bail to actor Rhea Chakraborty in the drugs case linked to the investigations of the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput. Chakraborty was arrested on September 8 by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) for her alleged involvement in the procurement of drugs. However, her brother Showik Chakraborty’s bail plea has been rejected.
Chakraborty’s bail was granted under a few conditions and she has been asked to furnish a bail bond of Rs 1 lakh and told to turn in her passport. In case she has to go out of Greater Mumbai limits, she will have to present the itinerary in advance. She is not permitted to visit any of the witnesses in the case and report every day for 10 days to the Mumbai Police. Additionally, she will have to report on the first Monday of every month for six months.
Asking for a stay on the bail order for at least a week, Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh said: “This matter involves a number of questions of law and therefore we want to test this order (before the Supreme Court).”
Refusing to stay the order, Justice Sarang V Kotwal said: “I have held that all offences under the NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) Act are non-bailable. (Rhea) is not part of the chain of drug dealers. She has not forwarded the drugs allegedly procured by her to somebody else to earn monetary or other benefits….Since she has no criminal antecedents, there are reasonable grounds for believing that she is not likely to commit any offence while on bail.”
Meanwhile, Mumbai Police warned the media against chasing the actor or being a hindrance to her. Sangram Singh Nishandar, Mumbai Police Deputy Commissioner, said: “You cannot chase the vehicle of any celebrity, advocate, or any person you wish to interview. You cannot endanger your life, the life of that person, or normal people walking on the roads. It’s an offense. We will take stern action, not only against the driver but against the person instigating, instructing the person to do such a chase.”
This comes after media persons were criticised last month for hounding the actor before and after she was questioned by the NCB in connection with the case.
Shooting of the film was halted when the Covid-19-related lockdown was implemented late in March. The film, initially referred to as PSPK 26, was supposed to release in May and the first poster was released on March 2. However, none of the other actors featured in it, in contrast to Pink and Nerkonda Paarvai (2019), its respective Hindi and Tamil counterparts.
The original film, directed by Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury, had won the Best Film on Social Issues at the 64th National Film Awards.
Produced by Dil Raju and Boney Kapoor, this film will mark the return of the lead actor after a hiatus of two years. The music is composed by SS Thaman.
Ayushmann Khurrana is all set to star as a cross-functional athlete in his upcoming film directed by Abhishek Kapoor. Khuranna says it will feature him in a “different” role.
The actor is undergoing intense training sessions in Chandigarh to fit into the shoes of his next character. The actor gave a sneak peek into the transformation on Instagram and a photo of himself during a workout session.
“It’s going to be a different me in this different film. Movie prep going strong 💪 @gattukapoor,” he wrote.
According to a report in The Bombay Times, the actor is set to undergo a major transformation for the role. “The process is going to be intense and excruciating, but I feel that the pain will be worth it,” he said.
Khurrana has been paired opposite Befikre actor Vaani Kapoor for the untitled love story.
Kapoor recently returned to Mumbai after wrapping up the shooting of her film with Akshay Kumar. She had earlier said in a statement to NDTV: “Ayushmann is one of the most talented actors of our generation and I’m only thrilled about our first film together to be this beautiful love story.”
After her debut in Shuddh Desi Romance, Kapoor had taken a three-year break, after which she was seen along with Hrithik Roshan and Tiger Shroff in the 2019 movie War, produced by Yash Raj productions. She will be seen next in Shamshera and spy thriller Bell Bottom.
Khuranna was last seen in Gulabo Sitabo along with Amitabh Bachchan. He made it to the Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People list this year.
The Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) have launched a new campaign #RefuseTheAbuse. In line with the organisation’s efforts to create a safe cyberspace, the campaign seeks to deal with cyber-bullying by sharing experiences and taking expert advice.
According to a report by The Times of India, the organisation called on the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists and the Film Employees Federation of Kerala to show solidarity with the online movement, that believes in a shared space.
They uploaded a post on Facebook, which read: “Through the campaign WCC seeks to urge all stakeholders of the film industry and society at large to find solutions to this growing menace and exhorts every individual to refuse allowing the abuse to happen. ”
സൈബർ അബ്യുസിനെക്കുറിച്ചുള്ള പൊതുബോധം വളർത്താനുള്ള WCCയുടെ പ്രവർത്തനങ്ങൾക്ക് മീഡിയയിൽ നിന്നും പൊതുജനങ്ങളിൽ നിന്നും …
The campaign was kick-started with a video featuring actor Anna Ben, who shared her experiences with trolling. “I receive these messages a lot and when I check them they are mostly either fake profiles or have deactivated their accounts because they are scared. What we need to remember is that these activities reflect on their insecurities and fears and character and not on us or the victim.”
WCC is an organisation comprising women from the Malayalam film industry and aim towards creating an inclusive and equal space for all genders. It was conceived after the 2017 arrest of the Malayalam actor Dileep who was accused of plotting the abduction and assault case of a popular Malayalam actress.
Actors like Parvathy Thiruvothu, Rima Kallingal, and Geetu Mohandas who are members of WCC, came out in support of the survivor. Social media trended with #Avalkoppam or #WithHer campaign to uphold the respect and dignity of the survivor in her journey to pursue justice.
This was followed by the #MeToo movement which gained momentum in India and acted as an impetus to further the organisation’s objective in Kerala. It has since gained recognition by the state government and other stakeholders in the film industry. However, the organisation courted controversy after Parvathy during a panel discussion on misogynistic representation of women in cinema, talked about Mammootty-starrer Kasaba at the International Film Festival of Kerala. She received rape and death threats for the same.
The Kerala government had recently eased restrictions on film shootings in the state, which have helped many halted shoots to resume work in the state.
The film is billed as a mass action entertainer, set in the 90s.
The actor is also expected to start working on an investigative thriller story by Tanu Balak, in which he would be playing the role of a cop. The movie is expected to be largely shot in Thiruvananthapuram. He had announced that he was part of a film based on a mythological story, which is a Gokulraj Bhaskar‘s virtual production.
The latest poster of Kaduva had revealed that Prithviraj would be playing the role of Kaduvakunnel Kuruvachan. The movie had hit headlines even before shooting had begun because of the legal tussle over copyright issues with Suresh Gopi‘s 250th directorial venture by Mathews Thomas Plammottil.
Jinu Abraham in July had filed a copyright violation case alleging that the script of Suresh Gopi’s film was plagiarised. The protagonists of both films are named Kaduvakunnel Kuruvachan. In August, the court had ordered a stay on the shooting and promotional activities of the Suresh Gopi film until the case is resolved. The film is based on the script that director Renjit had earlier written. The issue was resolved only when Renjit had come forward to state that Jinu Abraham had sought his permission before commencing with the script.
The film is bankrolled by Prithviraj’s home production, Supriya Menon Prithviraj, and Listin Stephen.
The actor will be next seen in Aadujeevitham, a film based on a novel written by Benyamin. Prithviraj will be paired with Amala Paul. This movie would see the return of the music composer AR Rahman to the Malayalam industry after 25 years.
The shooting for STR‘s next film Maanaadu is set to resume from November, announced film producer Suresh Kamatchi on Twitter.
“Wait s over. #Maanaadu shoot resumes from November first week. #STR #SilambarasanTR @vp_offl @kalyanipriyan @iam_SJSuryah @Premgiamaren @Anjenakirti @johnmediamanagr.”
In 2019, Suresh Kamatchi had announced that Simbu had left the project. Simbu had reportedly shed weight and learned martial arts for the film but had to drop out of the film. The producer thanked the Simbu’s fans for their constant support through the time that the actor was part of the film.
Eventually, the actor and producer ironed out their differences and joined hands again. They had just started work when it had to be halted because of the Covid-19 pandemic and the resultant lockdown.
Earlier on Twitter, the producer had assured fans that work would start as soon as the government gives a green light to resume shooting.
Actor-turned-politician Vijayakanth was admitted to a private hospital in Chennai on Tuesday night for secondary tests after he tested positive for Covid-19 on September 22. His party Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) issued a statement confirming the leader’s good health after rumours about complications in his health spread on social media.
“DMDK President Captain Vijayakanth was admitted to a private hospital for secondary tests. He is in good health. Please do not believe in rumours that are spread regarding his health conditions,” the statement read.
Vijayakanth tested positive for Covid-19 and was admitted at MIOT Hospital after he had mild symptoms. Vijayakanth’s wife Premalatha was also tested positive and was admitted at the same hospital later.
After receiving treatment for 10 days, the two were discharged on October 2. The hospital released a statement saying: “Mr A Vijayakanth (Founder and General Secretary of DMDK) and Mrs Premalatha Vijayakanth tested positive for COVID-19. They were evaluated at MIOT Hospitals, Chennai and stayed on for observation. They have responded extremely well to the treatment and are getting discharged today.”
While Vijayakanth and Premalatha were undergoing treatment, DMDK party cadres and supporters took to social media to pray for their speedy recovery.
Vijayakanth, a Tamil film actor, director and producer, has worked on over 150 movies. Fondly called as Captain, Vijayakanth formed the DDMDK, which went on to become the second largest party in the state during the 2011 Assembly elections after joining hands with the AIADMK, winning 29 out of 41 seats.
However, during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the DMDK did not win any seats after allying with the National Democratic Alliance. In the 2019 general elections, the DMDK allied with AIADMK-BJP and contested from four seats but did not secure any.
Vijayakanth was last seen in a cameo appearance in 2011 in his son Shanmuga Pandian’s debut film Sagaptham.
Brahma Janen Gopon Kommoti, directed by debutant director Aritra Mukherjee and produced by Windows Production, is slated for a re-release on October 21.
Starring Ritabhari Chakrabarty and Soham Majumdar, the film initially released on March 6. The film ran for almost two weeks before screening was abruptly halted as a nationwide lockdown was imposed from March 24 midnight due to Covid-19.
Looking forward to the re-release, Shiboprasad Mukhopadhyay of Windows Production told Silverscreen India: “The film had collected close to Rs 2 crore before screenings were stopped. We are starting afresh with the promotional campaigns and are releasing songs and videos to catch the attention of movie goers.”
While the film is based on real-life female priest Nandini Bhowmick; Chakrabarty portrays the role of Hindu priest and Sanskrit lecturer Shabari, who finds herself in a challenging situation after her marriage and tries to break out of the traditional, patriarchal stereotypes that women are expected to follow.
Chakrabarty was last seen in Tiki Taka, a Zee5 original film written and directed by Parambrata Chattopadhyay. Majumdar was last seen in a supporting role in Kabir Singh, the Hindi remake of the hit Telugu film Arjun Reddy.
Windows Production is also looking forward to the release of Belashuru (sequel to Belasheshe) and Lokkhi Chele (which was screened at the Heartland International Film Festival 2020). During the lockdown, the production house released eight short films on YouTube, exploring human relationships amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Windows Production, run by the successful director duo Mukhopadhyay and Nandita Roy, have delivered several hit films like Mukherjee Dar Bou, Haami, Posto and Praktan (which was remade as Jalebi in Hindi).
The Bengali film industry is reportedly awaiting the release of close to 40 films, including Raj Chakraborty’s Dharmajuddha, Arindam Sil’s Maayakumari,Srijit Mukherji’s Kakababur Pratyaborton, Debaloy Bhattacharya’s Dracula Sir, Anjan Dutt’s Saheber Cutlet, among others.
The Centre on Tuesday issued a set of guidelines for the reopening of cinema halls and theatres across the country. According to a report by Millennium Post; while several big-ticket films are eyeing a Durga Puja release, many production houses are wary of releasing their films during the festive season as they fear losing out on revenue due to the reduced occupancy in cinema halls, as mandated by the Centre.
While cinema halls are set to open across India on October 15, as per guidelines from the Centre, the Tamil Nadu government has reportedly decided not to follow the same.
Talking to media persons on Tuesday, state Information and Publicity minister Kadambur Raju said that there was no possibility of theatres opening anytime soon in the state, The Times Of India reported on Tuesday.
Theatres in Tamil Nadu were shut down in March as the nation went under a lockdown to check the spread of Covid-19. But with the Unlock 5 announcement and guidelines issued by the Centre; theatres, cinema hall owners and other members of the film fraternity were hopeful of finally opening shop again.
Earlier in the day, a standard operating procedure was issued the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting which included measures like 50% occupancy, physical distancing markers on seats, compulsory protective gear, staggered show-timings and more.
Recently, the announcement of direct OTT release for Suriya‘s film Soorarai Pottru, directed by Sudha Kongara, did not go down well by theatre owners. They were disappointed because of losing out on the revenue generated by a film of that scale.
However, many big budget films, whose theatrical releases were stalled, are waiting for the big screens to open up.
The decision not to open theatres in Tamil Nadu may have stemmed from the concerns due to the increasing number of Covid-19 in the state. A few days earlier, Kadambur Raju had said theatres are a place where many people congregate at the same time. He had also mentioned that the decision lies in the hands of the chief minister.
Meanwhile, the state has allowed for the reopening of shopping malls, offices, stores, parks, sports grounds, the metro rail and public buses, where visitors are expected to follow social distancing guidelines and wear appropriate protective gear.
A Mumbai special court on Tuesday extended the judicial remand of actor Rhea Chakraborty and her brother Showik Chakraborty till October 20.
This comes on the heels of the expert panel from AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences) concluding on October 3 that actor and Rhea’s partner Sushant Singh Rajput’s death was a case of suicide and not murder. The CBI had stated that it will likely continue its investigation in the original charge- abetment to suicide – that was listed by the Bihar Police.
Rajput was found dead in his Bandra residence on June 14. Chakraborty was first questioned in an alleged drugs probe launched by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) as part of an investigation into the late actor’s death. She was later arrested on September 8 and was sentenced to 14 days of judicial custody for allegedly procuring illegal drugs for the actor. Her judicial custody was later extended till October 6.
Even though Rajput’s death was initially termed as a suicide by the Mumbai Police and the hospital in Mumbai that conducted the autopsy, the CBI and later the NCB were brought in to investigate after conspiracy theories and stories made rounds on social media.
Rhea’s brother Showik and Rajput’s house manager Samuel Miranda were arrested on September 4 and a staff member Dipesh Sawant was arrested on September 5. The NCB also questioned actors Deepika Padukone, Sara Ali Khan and Rakul Preet Singh in connection to the drug probe.
The court had previously rejected bail pleas of the two, following which they moved the Bombay High Court to seek bail. The High Court has reserved its order on their pleas.
In response to the bail pleas, the NCB reportedly told the court that a strong message must be sent out to youngsters to ensure that they do not consume drugs.
Many took to social media to express their concerns over Rhea being in jail for a month now. Earlier in the day, filmmaker Anubhav Sinha had tweeted out to release the actor. Replying to his tweet, actor Swara Bhasker wrote: “RELEASE #RHEACHAKRABORTY.”
