Section: Movies

Kona Film Corporation’s Next Is About Karnam Malleswari; ‘Raju Gadu’ Fame Sanjanaa Reddy To Helm The Project

BY Aparajitha Balu On

On Monday morning, Kona Film Corporation revealed details about the banner’s next production. Their fifth production will be a biopic on weightlifter Karnam Malleswari who was the first Indian woman to bag an Olympic medal. The announcement came on the occasion of the retired sportswoman’s 45th birthday.

The untitled film will be bankrolled by Kona Film Corporation along with MVV Satyanarayana’s MVV Cinema. While Kona Venkat will be penning the story, Raju Gadu fame Sanjanaa Reddy will be directing the biopic.

Karnam Malleswari won the bronze medal at the 69kg weightlifting event at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. It was the first time an official Olympic medal competition for women’s weightlifting was introduced. Born in Voosavanipeta near Amadalavalasa, Andhra Pradesh, she began her career at the age of 12 and trained under coach Neelamshetty Appanna.

The biopic will reportedly be a multilingual and will see a pan-India release. Details about the rest of the cast and crew are yet to be announced.

karnam-malleswari-biopic-kona-film-corporation-sanjana-reddy

At a time when the idea of women’s empowerment is used as a formulaic bait only to bring audiences to theatres, some sports films about women have managed to stay true to the idea and won several hearts.

Here are five such films we recommend:

Bend It Like Beckham, 2002

When you watch this film, the conundrum facing every traditional Indian household and its women will flash in front of your eyes. And in the end, you’ll be left with the tagline, “Who wants to cook Aloo gobi when you can bend a ball like Beckham?”. The film talks about an Indian girl from a conservative family in the UK, who’s passionate about soccer and is, naturally, not allowed to pursue a career in the sport. Starring Parminder Nagra, Keira Knightley, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, and others, the film was helmed by Gurinder Chadha and explores the young woman’s struggle to play the game she loves.

Chak De! India, 2007

A classic sports movie looked up to till today for its brilliant sporting set pieces, as well as Salim-Sulaiman’s songs. Despite the presence of a big star like Shah Rukh Khan, the women of the film were given lots of space, making it a film that celebrated women along with strong feelings of patriotism that didn’t feel forced or aggressive. Apart from Shah Rukh Khan, Vidya Malvade, Shilpa Shukla, Sagarika Ghatge, and Chitrashi Rawat also starred in the film helmed by Shimit Amin. The film is streaming on Amazon Prime.

Mary Kom, 2014

Priyanka Chopra managed to impress us in this movie with her fierce mien. The film dwelt on the struggles faced by Indian Olympic boxer Mary Kom before she rose high. Darshan Kumaar and Sunil Thapa starred along with Chopra in the film helmed by Omung Kumar. While it is an impressive attempt, the film did face (valid) criticism over representation. Why was Priyanka cast in this role, while there was a chance for Bollywood to finally cast someone from the northeastern part of India in a mainstream film? The film is streaming on Netflix.

Dangal, 2016

At a time when Indian parents refused to see their children in trousers and vests, the Phogat sisters from Haryana entered the wrestling ring and managed to reach great heights with a supportive father, Mahavir Singh Phogat behind them. The film starring Aamir Khan, Fatima Sana Shaikh, and Sanya Malhotra is loosely based on this real-life story. Helmed by Nitesh Tiwari, the film is streaming on Netflix.

Irudhi Suttru, 2016

A wonderful performance-led film that also managed to hit the bulls-eye with a strong emotional core. Though a debutant, Ritika Singh pulled off the short-tempered livewire girl of small means, with big dreams with great ease. The film talks about how she goes on to become a boxing champion after her coach identifies talent that others failed to notice. Starring Madhavan, Nasser, and Zakir Hussain the film was helmed by Sudha Kongara. The film is streaming on Viu.

Pikchar With Rita: ‘Mukti Bhawan’ And Dying At The Right Time And Place

BY On

Pikchar With Rita is a fortnightly column on cinema by Rita Kothari. She’s a Professor of English at Ashoka University. She does not “do” film studies. 

***

“I’ll do it myself, if you don’t want to.” Many of us have known this ‘threat’ from our parents; pushing all the guilt buttons in us. That’s how a father makes a son go with him to another city for an indefinite period of time. This familiar complexity of the parent-child relationship may only vary across cultures; but not depart very significantly from the premise I just provided.

However, ‘another city’ is not any other city; it is Banaras. The stubborn father Daya (played by Lalit Behl) wants to spend his last days in Banaras and achieve salvation. The son Rajiv (played by Adil Hussain) joins, reluctantly, not because the prospect of his father’s death bothers him; but he has too much work in the office and can’t understand this new nuisance he is being subjected to. This banality of the film Mukti Bhawan (2016) in a middle-class family brings to us the truth that death need not be exalted; that it may also not be tragic.

The tragedy lies in overworn and under-expressed human relations; wormwood sipped every day and not a final denouement as world tragedies would have us believe.  Meanwhile the father and son wait endlessly for death in a dingy room in Banaras. The leisure gives them time to know each other; much like what lockdown may have done to many families. The leisure also makes them fight and snap at each other. But a connection has been revived from underneath the dust of routine numbness. Finally death happens, following the protocols that Daya wanted. It comes to an old person who is in Mukti Bhawan. There’s not too much wrong with that, is it?

Death can be jerky; abrupt, wrenching us away from mid-conversation, and if you are the one left behind, you could be left gasping for the rest of your life, gasping to complete that sentence. Covid deaths are of this nature – sudden, badly timed, unpredictably picking its victims. They are violent not only in being what they are –deaths – but in not allowing closure, in not creating an interval of grieving. Death can also be timely; beautifully synchronised – its sur and its taal coinciding.

Deep down many of us have that fantasy of death for ourselves and those we love. It’s also possible that we realise the smoothness of a death narrative much later, in retrospect. For instance, my father died on the day of my niece’s mehndi function. After many years of struggle and financial instability, my family managed to do this one wedding well. It was the previous evening of the wedding that he passed away. It felt most cruel and abrupt. But it was also a death that came to him when he wanted it, maybe not on that particular day. It was a stage in his life when he could say, I have lived like a poor man, but I want to die a rich man—strange wish that might seem considering we see death as a moment of non-possession. Despite the wrong day, his death was timed well, albeit to a different clock. It took some time to understand this, grief provided that interval.

Daya the father has been looked after by the son while they are in Banaras and nurtured (with a lace of resentment and exasperation of course) like a child. It’s a full circle. The father is ready to depart, but it is the son who is asked to go back to the family and to make sure that Sunita (Rajiv’s daughter) gets to live the way she wants.

In the last few scenes, we see Rajiv and Sunita (no more estranged) read together the old man’s notebook. It has a poem—simple and crystal clear about doing what the heart says. The poem is signed off by a self-proclaimed “great poet whose poems taste dust in old books.” Pride and ridicule, laughter and tears mix as the father and daughter bid farewell to the dead body. Daya passed away at a good time, in a good place—an ideal deshkaal. Our present moment does not allow us this synchrony of time and place or age. It also does not allow grieving, let alone a funeral. Grief, says Amitava Kumar, is lodged in our lungs, we arrange its patterns daily.

Netflix Buys Egyptian Theatre Which Hosted The First-Ever Hollywood Movie Premiere

BY Silverscreen India Staff On

Netflix has just acquired the Egyptian Theatre, which was the site of the first Hollywood movie premiere and the long-time home of the American Cinematheque, a member-supported nonprofit cultural arts organisation. “This collaboration will enable the nonprofit American Cinematheque to expand the scope and diversity of its widely praised movie and event programming, its filmmaker-centric festivals and its educational outreach at the beloved theater,” according to a statement from the streaming giant.

The move though has raised eyebrows as Netflix does not care for theatrical window rules for movie runs in Hollywood, and has earned the wrath of ‘Cinema’ people. According to a piece in Vulture, “The Academy [Oscars] requires a film to run for at least seven consecutive days at a commercial theater in Los Angeles County in order to be eligible for its awards. Purchasing the Egyptian would allow Netflix to showcase Oscar-eligible movies without having to deal with other theaters’ traditional release-window requirements.”

The Egyptian Theatre was originally built in 1922 during the silent film era. A fixture in Hollywood’s Golden Age, the Egyptian was the site of the first Hollywood movie premiere, of Robin Hood, starring Douglas Fairbanks.  At the premiere, Fairbanks was joined by Cecil B. DeMille, Charlie Chaplin, Jesse L. Lasky, and Mary Pickford.  Other notable Silent-era premieres held at the Egyptian include: Cecil B. DeMille’s The Ten Commandments (1923), Charlie Chaplin’s The Gold Rush (1925) and Don Juan (1926) starring John Barrymore and Mary Astor.

The venue has hosted film festivals and cinematic experiences over the near-century it has been in Hollywood.  In 1996, the City of Los Angeles sold the building to the American Cinematheque as part of the City’s Hollywood Revitalisation project.  The Cinematheque then raised the extensive funds to renovate and restore the theater to its original grandeur and reopened it as a movie theater showcasing the longtime organisation’s celebrated public programming.

In 2016, with the generous support of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, Turner Classic Movies and The Film Foundation, the projection booth at the Egyptian Theatre was retrofitted to begin screening 35mm nitrate film and is now one of only four theaters in the United States capable of showing this rare, ultra fragile and flammable film stock. “Part of the new plans includes upgrading equipment to enhance the audience experience, and renovating and restoring the theater,” a statement from Netflix said.

Established in Los Angeles in 1984 the American Cinematheque is a space where both the public and members of the film industry “come together as a community with the common language of film”.  The Egyptian Theatre will reportedly continue to remain the home of the American Cinematheque with the organisation’s celebrated curation team continuing to autonomously program Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Netflix will reportedly invest in the theater’s renovation and will use the revitalised space for special events, screenings, and premieres during the week.

“The Egyptian Theatre is an incredible part of Hollywood history and has been treasured by the Los Angeles film community for nearly a century,” said Scott Stuber, head of Netflix Films.  “We’re honored to partner with the American Cinematheque to preserve the theater’s storied legacy and continue providing remarkable film experiences for audiences. We look forward to expanding programming at the theater in ways that will benefit both cinema lovers and the community.”

“The American Cinematheque was honored to bring the Egyptian back to life in 1998, and together with Netflix we are thrilled to continue this stewardship by restoring it once again for a new generation of film fans to experience movies on the big screen,” said Chairman of the American Cinematheque, Rick Nicita.  “The Egyptian Theatre remains our Hollywood home and we are grateful to both the City of Los Angeles and the Attorney General of the State of California as we accept this incredible opportunity that will greatly benefit the American Cinematheque.”

“Love for film is inseparable from L.A.’s history and identity,” said Mayor Eric Garcetti. “We are working toward the day when audiences can return to theaters – and this extraordinary partnership will preserve an important piece of our cultural heritage that can be shared for years to come.”

“The Netflix and American Cinematheque partnership at the Egyptian Theater is a win-win for film, historic preservation, and the arts,” said Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell, Los Angeles City Council 13th District.  “The collaboration ensures the cultural destination remains in the Heart of Hollywood for decades to come.”

Mahesh Babu’s ‘SSMB27’ With Parasuram Is ‘Sarkaru Vaari Paata’

BY Aparajitha Balu On

On Saturday evening, a much-awaited tweet came from the Telugu production house Mythri Movie Makers. The tweet had a photo of a tied scroll, wax-sealed and an ink pen on its side. It said that an official announcement about Mahesh Babu‘s 27th film will be made on Sunday, marking the actor’s father’s birthday, at 9.09 am. It also went on to reveal that the director of the film was Geetha Govindam fame Parasuram Petla.

Just as rumours had predicted, ‘SSMB27‘ is now Sarkaru Vaari Paata. It will be jointly bankrolled by Naveen Yerneni and Ravi Shankar Yalamanchili’s Mythri Movie Makers, the actor’s G Mahesh Babu Entertainment and Ram Achanta and Gopichand Achanta’s 14 Reels Plus. The film marks the second association of Mythri Movie Makers with Mahesh Babu and his GMB Entertainment after Srimanthudu, MMM’s first production.

The poster features the half-profile of Mahesh with a stubble, silver-studded ear and the tattoo of the one rupee coin on his neck. The title Sarkaru Vaari Paata also has the icon of an auction bell next to it.

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Mahesh Babu took to Twitter to make the official announcement.

Sarkaru Vaari Paata will have music by Thaman, PS Vinod on the cinematography, Marthand K Venkatesh on the edit, and AS Prakash helming art.

Touted to be an action-drama much like his Dookudu and Sarileru Neekevvaru, the film will reportedly star Kiara Advani as the female lead, marking the second association of the lead pair after their 2018 political drama Bharat Ane Nenu. Although, no official announcement has been made regarding the same. The rest of the cast and crew members have also not been revealed yet.

Surprisingly, the initials of the last four films of the actor inclusive of Sarkaru Vaari Paata, form the acronym ‘SSMB’ – Bharat Ane Nenu, Maharshi, Sarileru Neekevvaru, and Sarkaru Vaari Paata. It is unknown if Mahesh has been picky with his titles or if this was sheer coincidence.

Meanwhile, Mahesh also has an untitled film with SS Rajamouli on the cards. The 28th film of the actor will reportedly be bankrolled by KL Narayana under his Sri Durga Arts banner.

Read: SS Rajamouli Confirms His Next With Mahesh Babu

The actor has also posted an old picture on Twitter, wishing his father, Superstar Krishna, on his birthday.

Cinematographers Sathyan Sooryan, Velraj And Chezhiyan Recognised By The Indian Society Of Cinematographers

BY Aparajitha Balu On

It has indeed been a good week for Indian cinematographers. Three South Indian cinematographers, Sathyan Sooryan, Velraj, and Chezhiyan, who have given us some striking frames over the years, have been invited to be a part of one of the most prestigious societies, the Indian Society of Cinematographers. The three will now be able to add the suffix ‘ISC’ to their names while being billed in films.

Sathyan Sooryan, currently working on Vijay starrer Master, and cinematographer-turned-director, National Awardee Chezhiyan, who has shot films like Thenmerku Paruvakaatru (2010) and To Let (2019) took to Twitter to announce the news on Monday. Both are erstwhile assistants of leading cinematographer PC Sreeram.

News that Velraj, the cinematographer of the 2019 blockbuster action-drama Asuran starring Dhanush, had also been invited to the society surfaced on Friday afternoon. He is an erstwhile assistant of cinematographer Tirru.

The Indian Society of Cinematographers (ISC) founded by a group of cinematographers including Ravi K Chandran, Anil Mehta, PC Sreeram, and Sunny Joseph in 1995 is situated in Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala. In order to be a part of the organisation, the society must extend an invitation to the technician. Membership is given only to directors of photography (DOPs) and special effects (SFX) experts with distinguished credits in the film industry.

This educational, cultural, and professional organisation is neither a labour union nor a guild comprising cinematographers from all over India. It aims to recognise and encourage excellence in cinematography practise, to set up a platform for the exchange of ideas, experience, and knowledge, and to be an association that would represent ‘Indian cinematography’ on all international forums.

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The film fraternity has been pouring in love for the cinematographers for being honoured by the ISC.

The three will now be joining a list of recognised cinematographers including Soumendu Roy, Sudeep Chatterjee, KV Anand, Rathnavelu, Ravi Varman, Rajiv Menon, and KK Senthil Kumar.

Shah Rukh Khan’s Kolkata Knight Riders Extend Support To Amphan Affected Regions In Kolkata

BY Aparajitha Balu On

Actor-producer Shah Rukh Khan who’s on an acting hiatus has made it to the headlines now for his generosity. After providing those affected by the coronavirus pandemic and the lockdown, with food, shelter, and essentials in Mumbai and other cities, he is now extending support to the regions in Kolkata that have been affected by the deadly Amphan cyclone that hit the state of West Bengal last week. The cyclone has wreaked severe damage on the state, let alone city, by uprooting trees, snapping cable wires, destroying buildings and houses, and even causing casualties.

Shah Rukh’s franchise Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket team Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) along with the Meer Foundation has pledged to help inhabitants of Kolkata.

According to a statement Khan put out,

  1. They will be contributing to the West Bengal Chief Minister Fund.
  2. The star will be sending out a number of vehicles, ‘KKR Sahayata Vahans’, to distribute essential ration and hygiene items across severely affected regions.
  3. They will help rebuild the homes and livelihood of acid attack survivors.
  4. Under their initiative ‘KKR Plant A 6’, they have pledged to replant 5000 saplings to make up for the uprooted trees.

In a note, Shah Rukh said, “Kolkata is more than just a city to me…it’s an emotion… In Kolkata, I have found friendship, love, I have found joy… but beyond everything, what I have learnt is the importance of unity and teamwork. Personally, I feel my journey with the Kolkata Knight Riders has served as a metaphor for life and its ups and downs. There have been good and bad days at Eden Garden, but at the end of the day, we all stood together in the stadium in hope and belief of Korbo…Lorbo…Jeetbo. Today as we face these turbulent times, my experience and learnings teach me that there is strength in standing strong together as a team – united and brave. To Fight Together and Win!”

He added, “To that end, Kolkata Knight Riders extends its support to the victims of Amphan…and look forward to overcoming all obstacles together. Love, Shah Rukh Khan.”

Prior to this, his franchise Caribbean Premier League (CPL) cricket team, Trinbago Knight Riders collaborated with HADCO Limited, a food and electrical importation and distribution company, and distributed about 1000 food hampers to the needy in Trinidad and Tobago.

Khan and Meer Foundation have been donating and, in a first, have also been sourcing funds from the general public to purchase Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits, equipment and ventilators to provide to hospitals and medical workers.

The actor was also a part of several fundraisers and initiatives like ‘I For India’ and ‘One World: Together At Home’ organised by Give India and Global Citizen & World Health Organisation (WHO) respectively.

Read: Bollywood And Hollywood Unite For The Biggest Home-To-Home Concert; Raise Funds For COVID19

Last month, the actor offered his personal office space to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for quarantining children, women, and elders in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

Read: Shah Rukh Khan Offers His Personal Office For Quarantining; BMC Expresses Gratitude

Tamil Nadu Government To Allow Expansion Of Filming Crew Size From 20 To 60 For Television Shooting From Tomorrow

BY Aparajitha Balu On

Last week, the Tamil Nadu government gave the green signal for small screen shooting to commence along with a list of precautionary measures. This decision came after several appeals were made by the Film Employees’ Federation of South India (FEFSI) and the South Indian Small Screen Producers Association to the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Edapadi K Palaniswami.

Read: Tamil Nadu Government Allows Resumption Of Shoot For Television From Tomorrow

Amongst several other rules, the government permitted only a crew of 20 members for indoor and outdoor shooting. Unable to film with a crew of 20 members, both the organisations appealed to the Minister for Information and Publicity Tamil Nadu, Kadambur Raju requesting an increase in the number of crew members permitted for small screen shooting.

On Saturday, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Edapadi K Palaniswami announced that from May 31, 2020, a crew of 60 members will be allowed on set. The crew will have to adhere to all safety norms announced previously without fail.

  1. Both indoor and outdoor shooting is allowed in corona-free zones. No shooting is permitted in containment zones.
  2. All shooting equipment, trailers, vehicles, sets, and locations must be sanitised properly before commencing and after wrapping up the shoot.
  3. No passersby are allowed on set.
  4. Except for the cast, all technicians and crew members present in the sets must wear masks and maintain social distance at all points while filming. On completing their shots, artists must immediately adorn their masks and follow social distancing norms.
  5. All artists, technicians, and crew members must sanitise their hands at regular intervals.
  6. Anybody with symptoms like cold, cough, and breathlessness should not be permitted on sets. Instead, they must be sent immediately for medical examination.
  7. Acquiring prior permission from the Commissioner of the Chennai Municipal Corporation for filming in Chennai and the respective district collectors for filming at various districts is compulsory.
  8. The rules and regulations laid down by the central and state ministers from time to time have to be adhered to by all crews.

The government order laid emphasis on acquiring prior permission from the Commissioner of the Chennai Municipal Corporation for filming in Chennai and the respective district collectors for filming in various districts. It said that the production houses must acquire permission just once for the entire filming of a particular serial.

Happy with the decision, actresses Khushboo Sundar and Radhika Sarathkumar who are also part of the small screen federation, thanked Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Edapadi K Palaniswami for accepting the appeal, and Minister for Information and Publicity Tamil Nadu, Kadambur Raju for helping them out.

Santhanam And Yogi Babu Are Definitely Up To No Good In The Third Look Poster Of ‘Dikkiloona’

BY Aparajitha Balu On

The third poster of Santhanam’s upcoming film Dikkiloona is out now. The film helmed by debutant Karthik Yogi will see Santhanam playing three different roles for the first time. Dikkiloona is being jointly bankrolled by Kotapadi J Rajesh’s KJR Studios and KS Sinish’s Soldiers Factory.

We find Santhanam in a bowl-cut and a scraggly-haired Yogi Babu in blues and greens, leaning confidently on a metal door of a factory (that one could also spot in the climax of Vishal‘s Irumbuthirai). Yogi has a doctor coat on and a ‘DIKKILOONA’ badge l, while Santhanam has a unique watch strapped on his hand.

KJR Studios took to Twitter to release the third poster.

On Wednesday afternoon, KJR studios announced that they will be releasing three posters from the film over the next three days, starting Wednesday. The first poster comprising three Santhanam’s was released followed by a second poster comprising Santhanam, Anand Raj, Prashanth Rangaswamy, Motta Rajendran, and Munishkanth.

Read: Triple Trouble In The First Look Poster Of Santhanam’s ‘Dikkiloona’; KJR Studios To Release Two More Looks Of His Characters

Also Read: Santhanam’s Got All The Cover He Needs In The Second Look Poster Of ‘Dikkiloona’

The film’s title, Dikkiloona, is inspired by the famous game comedian Senthil plays in director Shankar‘s action-drama Gentleman (1993).

While cricketer Harbhajan Singh plays the antagonist, Natpe Thunai fame Anagha and Nenjamundu Nermaiyundu Odu Raja fame Shirin Kanchwala play the female leads in the film.

Apart from them, Dikkiloona also stars Madhumitha, Chithra Lakshmanan, Sha Ra, Arun Alexander, and Nizhalgal Ravi. Aravind Kumar is handling cinematography, Yuvan Shankar Raja is composing music, Jomin is editing and A Rajesh is helming art. Dinesh Subbarayan is handling stunts with Sheriff on dance choreography. A Keerthivasan is handling costumes with Arunraja Kamaraj and Saravedi Saran penning lyrics.

The film which wrapped up shoot in February is currently in post-production. The makers are planning a release post-lockdown.

Meanwhile, Santhanam will next feature in R Kannan’s Biskoth, K Johnson‘s untitled, and in Anand Balki‘s long-delayed Server Sundaram. His previous film Dagaalty helmed by Vijay Anand did not see great numbers at the box office.

Watch the teaser of Dagaalty here:

Ponmagal Vandhal Review: A Strong Premise Morphs Into Another Lecture

BY Aditya Shrikrishna On

Cast: Jyothika, Parthiepan, Prathap Pothen, Bhagyaraj, Pandiarajan, Thiagarajan, Vinodhini Vaidyanathan

Director: JJ Fredrick

It is another Friday but not one from the darkness of a theatre. After dousing a few fires, Ponmagal Vandhal finally released on Amazon Prime, the first big OTT release for Tamil cinema, big in terms of star value and production.

Produced by Surya and Jyothika’s 2D Entertainment and starring the latter, Ponmagal Vandhal is directed by JJ Fredrick. It might not be the usual Friday in terms of business but in terms of quality, this Friday feels like par for the course in Tamil cinema.

Ponmagal Vandhal, also written by JJ Fredrick, is another film that stands with a stick pointed towards a black board full of bullet point items. It is another lecture in the guise of cinema with the usual tropes ticked off in the checklist.

Ponmagal Vandhal is set in Ooty and the surrounding areas, where Venba (Jyothika) lives with her father Petition Pethuraj (K Bhagyaraj), another version of Ambi from Anniyan, a PIL-happy old man. Venba gets a delayed introduction – we don’t know who she is or what she does – as Fredrick only gives us scenes of her looking lost in thoughts, a hint of trauma on her face.

The courtroom drama is packed with who’s who of Tamil cinema of a particular era. Along with Jyothika are Parthiepan the prosecutor, Prathap Pothen playing the judge (sings En Iniya Pon Nilave to jog our memory), her father played by Bhagyaraj (has the Raghu thatha scene recreated for our revision), Pandiarajan in an inconsequential role as the judge’s former classmate, now subordinate, and with them are Thiagarajan as the wealthy and influential Varadharajan, and Vinodhini Vaidyanathan.

The film begins with some comic undertones which establishes where Fredrick’s politics is at but also adds flab to a film that loses its way quickly. Varadharajan’s casteist nature is unambiguously shown and there is also a caste violence angle to the larger backstory.

Fredrick uses the vast, frigid expanse of the Ghats to build the mood of a thriller but fails to create the atmosphere he is going for. His shots do not linger, there isn’t a cinematic language to make us feel invested in what is happening. There are too many quick cuts and expositions to lend any sort of rhythm to the proceedings, the film always rushing to the warmer interiors of a courtroom.

At one point, as Venba goes on and on about how certain events would have transpired, Rajarathinam (Parthiban) objects and asks what has this got to do with the case and where is the evidence? That is a question we would love to ask of Fredrick. The child abuse story, a woman implicated and castigated as a “vada naatu (North Indian) psycho”, the Sakthi Jyothi whom Venba is defending, the whole diatribe on believing women is all well-intentioned but where is your cinema?

Of course, along with shots of weeping girls, women and courtroom staff, there is also the Tamil cinema patented social media mobilisation scene that would be tiring if not downright hilarious. As a young woman begins typing a #justicefor hashtag, one of the auto suggestions is #justiceforjohnnydepp, a rookie mistake on the editing floor to leave out this famous trending topic related to a complex physical abuse case. There are many such editing mishaps. In an early court scene, we see Venba arguing, she is objected to by Rajarathinam and the next instant she is sitting in her chair.

Ponmagal Vandhal has a strong premise, a woman defending a woman wronged, not today but fifteen years ago. And this goes against the public and media sentiment that existed at the time of the case or any time period, a case that involved abused and killed children. It is the story of Venba who has been readying herself for this opportunity, to be in this punishing, thankless position, for almost half of her life.

This is Mounam Sammadham with a more compelling, juicier emotional core. It could have been tighter, less preachy and rather concentrated on the gradual unravelling of a botched-up case. How did Venba get here? What is her story after her story? Or even more pressing questions like why has Jyothika modelled herself as the preeminent lecturer of Tamil cinema? She’s already played a school principal, now a lawyer, where is the next podium?

There is a stretch where Fredrick freezes time when Rajarathinam literally transports himself to the events from all those years ago. It does not work but it does something to the pace of the film, it is now a thriller again. It makes us sit up and at least feign interest. Ponmagal Vandhal screams for such wild swings but JJ Fredrick cannot decide between Venba’s harsh reality and Rajarathinam’s dispassionate approach to a procedural. This twain shall not meet.

The Ponmagal Vandhal review is a Silverscreen original article. It was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the film. Silverscreen.in and its writers do not have any commercial relationship with movies that are reviewed on the site.

Santhanam’s Got All The Cover He Needs In The Second Look Poster Of ‘Dikkiloona’

BY Aparajitha Balu On

The second poster of Santhanam‘s upcoming film Dikkiloona is out. The film helmed by debutant Karthik Yogi will see Santhanam playing three different roles for the first time. Dikkiloona is being jointly bankrolled by Kotapadi J Rajesh’s KJR Studios and KS Sinish’s Soldiers Factory.

Inside an open home, we find a seemingly nude Santhanam, frightened by something in front of him, holding two frying pans to cover himself. Behind him, we find an unapologetic bunch – Anand Raj, Prashanth Rangaswamy, Motta Rajendran, and Munishkanth taking a look at Santhanam worriedly. Lying around the house is a hockey stick, knife, rose, and plier, all red in colour along with the background of the title.

KJR Studios took to Twitter to release the second poster.

On Wednesday afternoon, KJR studios announced that they will be releasing three posters from the film over the next three days, starting Wednesday. The first poster comprising three Santhanam’s was released then.

Read: Triple Trouble In The First Look Poster Of Santhanam’s ‘Dikkiloona’; KJR Studios To Release Two More Looks Of His Characters

The film’s title, Dikkiloona, is inspired by the famous game comedian Senthil plays in director Shankar‘s action-drama Gentleman (1993).

While cricketer Harbhajan Singh plays the antagonist, Natpe Thunai fame Anagha and Nenjamundu Nermaiyundu Odu Raja fame Shirin Kanchwala play the female leads in the film.

Apart from them, Dikkiloona also stars Yogi Babu, Madhumitha, Chithra Lakshmanan, Sha Ra, Arun Alexander, and Nizhalgal Ravi. Aravind Kumar is handling cinematography, Yuvan Shankar Raja is composing music, Jomin is editing and A Rajesh is helming art. Dinesh Subbarayan is handling stunts with Sheriff on dance choreography. A Keerthivasan is handling costumes with Arunraja Kamaraj and Saravedi Saran penning lyrics.

The film which wrapped up shoot in February is currently in post-production. The makers are planning a release post-lockdown.

Meanwhile, Santhanam will next feature in R Kannan’s Biskoth, K Johnson‘s untitled, and in Anand Balki‘s long-delayed Server Sundaram. His previous film Dagaalty helmed by Vijay Anand did not see great numbers at the box office.

Watch the teaser of Dagaalty here:

Five Years Of ‘Premam’: A Celebration Of Music, Friendship, Despair And Love

BY Vinayak Mohan On

Everything about Premam is musical and full of grace, from the fluttering butterflies, men with swag in veshtis and lush beards to the decadent red velvet cake. The year 2015 marked the release of Alphonse Puthren’s Premam, and the Nivin Pauly-starrer became popular, not just in Kerala but also in Tamil Nadu (it ran for more than 250 days!), Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, running for several months.

Produced by Anwar Rasheed on a budget of Rs 4 crore, Premam went on to collect almost Rs 60 crores at the Kerala box office. Premam was the highest grossing Malayalam film of 2015.

Five years later, the film continues to make people smile. The blockbuster introduced a new generation of actors and technicians, but also a new storytelling technique where the camera lingered on, and nostalgia washed over the screen. The film is a musical journey through the life of a teenager from boyhood to adulthood, and, eventually, marriage. The film tracks his crushes, his first love, friends, and ups and downs in life before a lady eating the said red velvet cake enters the picture.

These things sound normal. So, what makes Premam special? Is it Nivin Pauly’s portrayal of George, with his precisely-crafted look, a dark shirt, white mundu (veshti), black sunglasses and beard, which became all the rage among the college-going crowd of Kerala? Is it Sai Pallavi’s Malar, the oh-so-lovely teacher who was grace personified on screen? Anupama Parameshwaram’s Mary George, the innocent first crush? Or, Madonna Sebastian as the cool, confident Celine, who finally ends up with George?

All of the above, and then the special magic that washes over some movies. Traditionally, in a multi-heroine project, the importance of all the actresses shrinks. But, in Premam, each one shone, and received the importance that the story arc demanded. Their characters were realistically written and each of them emerged as a woman with a personality of her own.

Following the film’s unimaginable success, Nivin Pauly shot to fame as Kerala’s emerging superstar. Though he was known as a youngster with potential, Premam laid out the red carpet for him. The music by Rajesh Murugesan helped too. The album had nine chart-toppers, and the music went on to bag all major Malayalam film awards that year. The dreamy Malare has over 50 million views and counting on YouTube. The song, sung by Vijay Yesudas, was penned by actor Shabareesh Varma (Shambu), and gifted Vijay a whole lot of awards.

Now, for the special something that made Premam work the way it did, and continues to. It does not make excuses for the behaviour of its characters. It gently lets you know that irrespective of language or culture, love conquers all. It celebrates friendship; tells you that if you had friends such as Shambu and Koya, you could be George and overcome anything.

Premam also showed us something else very important on screen. That you can rejoice and tear up in love, even if were never to work out, hold your chin up and handle what life gives you. It also showed us that a sari-clad lecturer could dance the kuthu like she owned the floor. And yes, it was also a tutorial on eating red velvet cake.

‘The Prevailing Situation Is The Only Reason For Us To Release The Film On OTT’: Jyothika On JJ Fredrick’s ‘Ponmagal Vandhal’

BY Aparajitha Balu On

After several setbacks, Jyothika starrer Ponmgal Vandhal is finally streamsling on OTT platform, Amazon Prime Video,  today. The film helmed by debutant JJ Fredrick was to hit theatres on March 27 but was postponed due to Coronavirus outbreak, which has caused the temporary shutting down of theatres.

Speaking about her experience in the film, Jyothika said, “I would call this a socially responsible film. Since it’s got its share of thriller elements, I can’t reveal what we’re dealing with. Working with five directors in the film has been an unforgettable experience for me. While previously I got the chance to work with Revathi ma’am and Urvashi ma’am, now I got the chance with Parthiepan sir and Bhagyaraj sir. I have learnt a lot from these wonderful people right from the preparation required for a role to how they perfectly deliver long dialogues.”

She added, “I have about 3-4 lengthy dialogues in this film, for which Fredrick gave me a lot of time. I have done a lot of pre-work only for this film when compared to the rest of my films because the story is very close to my heart. On hearing the script, I decided to do the film without a second thought.”

Jyothika who plays lawyer Venba in the film feels that content-oriented films cannot weave in commercial elements and cheat audiences. “I’m not playing a high court or supreme court lawyer, but a small lawyer serving at a court at Ooty. I felt very strong when I adorned the lawyer coat for the first time. Films like these cannot use stunt sequences to impress audiences. It requires strong dialogues from strong characters,” said Jyothika who added, “While Rajsekar Karpoorasundarapandian, who is a lawyer, helped me out with the role, I also watched a lot of films to prepare myself. I have spoken about how the common man looks up at lawyers in the film. That will definitely be the film’s highlight.”

Ponmagal Vandhal Movie Stills Starring Jyothika

Ponmagal Vandhal Movie Stills Starring Jyothika

Jyothika has dubbed for herself in the film. She reportedly got hold of the script book three months before the shoot commenced and practiced her dialogues to perfect them. “Nobody considers me a North Indian. They write the dialogues as they are and hand them over to me. Bhagyaraj and Parthiepan can speak their dialogues by just glancing at the lines once. But it was quite a process for me. I got hold of the script about three months before we commenced shoot. I couldn’t have come to the sets, learnt, and spoken my dialogues instantly.”

Jyothika, who turned 41 last October, says she feels like a hero at this age and finds it strange. She wants to take up films that are solid and worth her time regardless of whether they fail or score well at the box office. “I am picking films which I believe will be spoken about even 20 years later. Some score well, some fail. But I will follow this path virtuously. A lot of solid stories are coming my way and I have selected about three of them which I will be announcing soon. I believe that when women watch my films, they should feel proud.”

She adds, “We need to make films highlighting scenarios around us. A lot of fans will watch our films, so it is necessary to take up those with the social responsibility factor. I have come out of the commercial film phase and I’m finally doing what I want to do with all freedom. You can find me only in homely roles hereafter because I want to take up roles that portray me just as I am in real life. I feel women in films should be as strong as they are in real life. Honestly, I didn’t ask directors for such films. They just happened to come my way.”

Speaking about commercial films, she said, “In my opinion, commercial films demand songs and romantic sequences and cannot accommodate unique storylines. Such films haven’t knocked on my door, but even if they do, I will not be taking them up. Being a mother of two children, I cannot afford to leave my kids at home and dance around with heroes. I have to be even more responsible than before. Instead of just advicing them on how to be, I must show them how I am through my films.”

Ponmagal Vandhal Movie Stills Starring Jyothika, R Pandoaraja, R Parthiban, K Bhagyaraj, Prathap Pothen
‘Ponmagal Vandhal’ Jyothika, R Pandoaraja, R Parthiban, K Bhagyaraj, Prathap Pothen

The film has been bankrolled by the actor and Suriya’s home production 2D Entertainment and co-produced by Rajsekar Karpoorasundarapandian. “It was comfortable working with our home production 2D entertainment. I had to attend shoot every day while also managing things at home, so 2D was the best for me. I finished shoot at 6 and got back home immediately,” said Jyothika.

She added, “We don’t know to what extent people will be willing to spend time and money on certain films. So we decided to bankroll the project with our own money. After 36 Vayadhinile, a lot of women-centric films were made, but only a few production houses were willing to commission them.”

The debate between releasing films on OTT and cinema halls sparked off after the makers of Ponmagal Vandhal announced that their film will hit Amazon Prime Video directly. It created a stir amongst industry stakeholders and led to several issues.

Read the entire sequence of events here.

In response to this, Jyothika says that OTT platforms are the future of cinema and that it will push cinema to the next level. “A lot of people have now become aware of OTT platforms. For the past three months, people have been watching films from their homes through the medium. We’re not denying that people from all sections of society will get to witness the film if released in theatres. But the coronavirus pandemic is the sole reason for the film hitting the OTT platform. The situation has pushed us to take this decision.”

She added, “My film will now reach a wider audience and not be constrained to my fans alone. I’m not saying that my films will release only on OTT hereafter. Once theatres reopen, people are going to watch films there. For now, I feel like this is the best solution. Once the global threat comes down to an extent, a list of big-budget films are waiting to hit screens. How do we release our film in such a situation? It might even take up to two years for us to find the right time. To avoid this problem, we opted for an OTT release.”

She signed off by thanking her husband actor Suriya and the press for their support. She also requested fans and audiences to stay at home until the situation improves and thanked the frontliners and medical workers for their unparalleled contribution.

Ponmagal Vandhal Movie Stills Starring Jyothika

Ponmagal Vandhal Movie Stills Starring Jyothika

Ponmagal Vandhal is Jyothika’s 49th film. The thriller film also features Thiyagarajan, K Bhagyaraj, R Parthiepan, Pandiyarajan, and Prathap Pothen in important roles. Govind Vasantha is the music director, Ramji is on camera, Ruben on the edit, and Amaran has helmed art. Poornima has handled costumes for the film.

Watch the trailer of the film here:

Doug Liman To Helm NASA Space Project Starring Tom Cruise

BY Aparajitha Balu On

Recently, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) confirmed that it will be collaborating with Tom Cruise for its next film, the first narrative film to be shot entirely in space. The agency’s administrator Jim Bridenstine tweeted that the film will be shot aboard the International Space Station and added that they required a new generation of engineers and scientists to make the project a reality.

The latest is that The Bourne Identity fame Doug Liman has confirmed that he will be helming the action-adventure space project. The yet-to-be-titled film will be the third association of the actor and director after Edge of Tomorrow/Live Die Repeat (2014) and American Made (2017).

A report on Deadline read that Doug Liman and Tom Cruise have conceived the project together, with the first draft written by Liman and produced along with Cruise. No production studio is officially on board and the project is still in the drafting stage.

An earlier report suggested that Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX who was recently in the news after he welcomed his newborn son ‘X Æ A-12’, will also be involved in the project. While Elon commented on the tweet, the engineer hasn’t confirmed his presence in the project yet.

On Thursday, Elon and NASA were all set for the Demo-2 mission, the launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket which was unfortunately scrubbed 17 minutes before launch owing to bad weather conditions. It was going to be the first crewed mission for SpaceX and the first time NASA astronauts have launched from the US in nine years.

The launch will now be attempted on Saturday, May 30 at 3.22 pm Eastern Time, and will be live-streamed by both NASA and SpaceX.

Last year, NASA announced that it will allow private or independent astronauts paid access to the International Space Station’s (ISS) facilities. Those who want to make commercial use of NASA’s facilities are required to purchase resources as part of their activities. The use of life support equipment and the toilet costs $11,250 per day, while crew supplies cost $22,500 per day.

Read more about it here.

Meanwhile, Doug Liman’s Chaos Walking starring Tom Holland is in the post-production phase while the status on the long-delayed sequel to Edge of Tomorrow/Live Die Repeat titled Live Die Repeat Repeat is unknown.

Tom Cruise who was last seen in the sixth installment to the Mission Impossible franchise, Fallout, will next feature in Top Gun: Maverick and the seventh and eighth installments of Mission Impossible. 

Earlier set for release on June 26, Top Gun: Maverick will now hit screens in December 2020 owing to the coronavirus pandemic. The film helmed by Tron: Legacy fame Joseph Kosinski is in the post-production stage.

While only seven installments of the Mission Impossible movie franchise were on the cards, reports have surfaced that there are plans for an eighth movie as well. Director Christopher McQuarrie has reportedly decided to follow the pattern the Avengers Infinity War and End Game adopted, by releasing both movies one after the other—the seventh on November 19, 2021, with the sequel to follow a year later on November 4, 2022.

Triple Trouble In The First Look Poster Of Santhanam’s ‘Dikkiloona’; KJR Studios To Release Two More Looks Of His Characters

BY Aparajitha Balu On

On Wednesday afternoon, KJR studios took to Twitter to announce that they will be releasing three posters comprising the looks of Santhanam‘s characters in his upcoming film Dikkiloona over the next three days, starting today. The first poster of the film is out now.

A poker-faced Santhanam clad in a yellow sherwani has locked the heads of two others in his arms, they are a spectacled Santhanam donning a brown uniform and a bowl-cut Santhanam in a jogging suit. The three seem to be at an old but well-lit factory.

The film helmed by debutant Karthik Yogi will see Santhanam playing three different roles for the first time. Dikkiloona is being jointly bankrolled by Kotapadi J Rajesh’s KJR Studios and KS Sinish’s Soldiers Factory.

The film’s title, Dikkiloona, is inspired by the famous game comedian Senthil plays in director Shankar‘s action-drama Gentleman (1993).

While cricketer Harbhajan Singh plays the antagonist, Natpe Thunai fame Anagha and Nenjamundu Nermaiyundu Odu Raja fame Shirin Kanchwala play the female leads in the film.

Dikkiloona also stars a long supporting cast including Yogi Babu, Madhumitha, Anand Raj, Motta Rajendran, Munishkanth, Chithra Lakshmanan, Sha Ra, Arun Alexander, Nizhalgal Ravi, and movie tracker Prashanth Rangaswamy. Aravind Kumar is handling cinematography, Yuvan Shankar Raja is composing music, Jomin is editing and A Rajesh is helming art. Dinesh Subbarayan is handling stunts with Sheriff on dance choreography. A Keerthivasan is handling costumes with Arunraja Kamaraj and Saravedi Saran penning lyrics.

The film which wrapped up shoot in February is currently in post-production. The makers are planning a release post-lockdown.

Meanwhile, Santhanam will next feature in R Kannan’s Biskoth, K Johnson‘s untitled, and in Anand Balki‘s long-delayed Server Sundaram. His previous film Dagaalty helmed by Vijay Anand did not see great numbers at the box office.

Watch the teaser of Dagaalty here:

Cinema Halls In Dubai Reopen Conforming To Safety Measures; Recycle Films From Across Industries

BY Aparajitha Balu On

While rumours that theatres across India will open soon, once the lockdown ends completely, have surfaced despite the increasing number of coronavirus positive cases, theatres in Dubai have taken the plunge and opened up halls already. Open from today, they will adhere to the safety rules laid out by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) government.

The theatres are reportedly screening films that had a good theatrical window from Kollywood, Mollywood, Hollywood, and Bollywood. This includes films like Dulquer Salmaan‘s Kannum Kannum Kollaiyadithaal, Tovino Thomas‘s Forensic, Fahad Faasil‘s Trance, and more.

Read: Kannum Kannum Kollaiyadithaal Review: Derivative, Dreary, All Over The Place

Trance Review: Fahadh Faasil Is Charged Up, But The Film Is A Half-hearted Mess

Forensic Review: A Middling Thriller That Uses Conventional Horror Tropes

Malayalam film distributor Sujith J Nair of Sayujyam Cine Release took to Twitter to reveal the news.

Along with cinema halls, several other places have opened up from today with adherence to safety measures. This includes the Dubai airport, gyms and fitness centers, retail stores and wholesale outlets, ENT clinics, children health centres, entertainment centers, recreational venues, government centres and auction houses incapable of online auctions. Residents of Dubai can also move freely between 6 am to 11 pm, but with masks adorned and social distancing maintained.

This announcement comes despite the spike in cases in UAE. While two weeks ago, the country had reported less than 20,000 cases, the number of coronavirus positive cases in UAE has now crossed the 30k mark. The decision has reportedly been taken by the government to enable people to adapt to the situation while also not disrupting vital businesses.

Meanwhile, relaxations have been announced on most rules imposed earlier due to the global coronavirus pandemic in India. With post-production activities and small screen shooting commencing down South, the Indian film and television industry is slowly looking to bounce back to normalcy. Although, the opening up of theatres in India will remain still a big question over the next few months.

Read: Multiplex Association Of India Charts Out Safety Measures And Plans For Theatres Across India

Image Courtesy: zawya.com

John Abraham Acquires Hindi Remake Rights Of Prithviraj Starrer ‘Ayyappanum Koshiyum’

BY Aparajitha Balu On

Recently, it was announced that the Tamil remake rights of Prithviraj Sukumaran–Biju Menon starrer, Ayyappanum Koshiyum, had been bagged by producer 5 Star Kathiresan. He said that he was spellbound by all the elements of the film and knew that he could watch the film again in his native language.

Bollywood actor-producer John Abraham has now acquired the Hindi remake rights of the film and will produce the film under his JA Entertainment banner which has earlier commissioned films like Vicky Donor (2012), Madras Cafe (2013), and Batla House (2019).

Ayyappanum Koshiyum has found a very appreciative audience in and outside Kerala. The film has reportedly collected great numbers at the box office too. The film helmed by writer-director Sachy revolves around the conflict between Koshy Kurien, an influential and affluent ex-Havildar, and Ayyappan Nair, a sub-inspector in Attappadi.

Read: Ayyappanum Koshiyum Movie Review: An Unusual Coming-Of-Age Drama That Doesn’t Rely On ‘Formula’

Meanwhile, John Abraham who was last seen in Anees Bazmee’s Pagalpanti will next feature in Sanjay Gupta’s Mumbai Saga, Milap Milan Zaveri‘s Satyameva Jayate 2 and debutant Lakshya Raj Anand’s Attack.