Section: Movies

Upset Over Direct OTT Release, Popular Multiplex Chains PVR And Inox Put Out Statements Expressing Disapproval

BY Aparajitha Balu On

Last week, Amazon Prime and other Over-The-Top (OTT) platforms announced the direct release of several films skipping the theatrical release. While Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Anurag Kashyap starrer Ghoomketu, hitting Zee5 on May 22, was the first to make it to the news, Amitabh Bachchan and Ayushmann Khurrana starrer Gulabo Sitabo hitting Amazon Prime on June 12, was the first to create a stir among the stakeholders of the Indian film industry.

Following the two films, Amazon Prime on Friday let out a list of six other films premiering on the streaming service in May, June, and July. Hindi film Shakuntala Devi starring Vidya Balan, Malayalam film Sufiyum Sujathayum starring Jayasurya, Kannada films French Biryani starring Danish Sait and Law starring Ragini Chandran, Tamil film Ponmagal Vandhal starring Jyothika, and Tamil-Telugu film Penguin/PenQueen starring Keerthy Suresh are the films set for a digital release.

Read: From ‘Shakuntala Devi’ To ‘Sufiyum Sujathayum’, A List Of Indian Films That Will Have Their World Premiere On Amazon Prime Soon

 

View this post on Instagram

 

No, this is real. The biggest #WorldPremiereOnPrime 💙 #PonmagalVandhalOnPrime #GiboSiboOnPrime #PenguinOnPrime #LawOnPrime #FrenchBiryaniOnPrime #ShakuntalaDeviOnPrime #SufiyumSujatayumOnPrime #SuriyaSivakumar #Jyotika #RParthiepan @rajsekarpandian #Thiyagarajan #Pandiarajan #PratapPothen @2d_entertainment @sakthifilmfactory @sonymusic_south @ronnie.lahiri #SheelKumar @juhic3 @filmsrisingsun @kinoworksllp #EashvarKarthic @ksubbaraj @musicsanthosh @madhampatty_rangaraj #StoneBenchFilms #MukhyamantriChandru @puneethrajkumar.official #AshwiniPuneethRajkumar #MGovinda @vasuki_vaibhav_ @siri_prahlad @prk.productions @puneethrajkumar.official @prk.productions #YusufSal @pitobash @disha.madan #VikramMalhotra @nayanikawrites @misschamko @abundantiaent @sonypicsprodns @naranipuzhashanavas

A post shared by amazon prime video IN (@primevideoin) on

Amidst the ongoing debate of whether films must accommodate the theatrical window and then take to OTT for a digital release or not, this move by various production houses has irked theatre owners and various film associations. Among the first to react to the news was Inox, a popular multiplex chain located across India. The organisation has made vocal its opinion on the digital release of films through a statement on May 14.

The statement said that the organisation was extremely disappointed with the decision taken by the production house, supposedly Ronnie Lahiri and Sheel Kumar’s Rising Sun Films, to release the film directly. “The decision of the production house to deviate from globally prevalent content windowing practice is alarming and disconcerting,” it read.

It mentioned how the mutually beneficial partnerships between stakeholders, that have endured for several decades, are being broken all of a sudden especially at a point in time where they require to stand together to bring the industry back on its toes. It also mentioned that Inox was investing heaps of money for the addition of world-class screens across the country to get more people to witness the content produced.

It termed those producers who are causing a rift as ‘fair-weather friends’ adding that it has been constrained to take retributive measures against them. It ended by requesting content creators to not do away with the age-old release window model (theatre window + video window) which has extracted the best from all mediums and benefitted all the people in the value chain.

Following this, the Producers Guild of India put out a statement asking for the cooperation of all theatre associations and film chambers. It mentioned that it was disappointing to see abrasive and unconstructive messages from the exhibition sector to producers who have opted for a direct OTT release. It also said that this was not the way forward for the Indian film industry especially during these difficult times.

It listed out the various hurdles present in the way of the production sector currently and in the future. Right from bearing the sunk costs of sabotaged sets that rendered idle because of the lockdown and interest costs on loans taken to fund films to the lack of the Overseas and pan-Indian market and low occupancies at theatres due to the adherence to social distancing norms, the production sector has a lot to deal with.

It said that a direct digital release was the only feasible way for investors to get back their money and stay in business given the situation and requested them to support instead of being counter-productive. It ended by saying that it is always supportive of theatrical releases and will work with the exhibition sector to bring audiences back to theatres once they re-open but also urged them to consider the plight of small and medium producers.

PVR Cinemas, another popular multiplex chain and Inox’s contender, let out a passive-aggressive statement about the digital release of the films. Following suit was Carnival Cinemas who came on too strong with the opinion that the release of films directly on the OTT platform is just a temporary resort.

PVR Cinemas said that only theatrical releases would do justice to the efforts put in by filmmakers not just in India but globally too. It also said it was confident that the demand to view films at theatres will be high once they re-open post lockdown. While expressing their disappointment with producers who did not accede to their requests to wait it out, they also mentioned that cinema halls have always been the preference of several cine-goers despite emerging competitors. They also thanked the producers who have supported the multiplex chain.

Carnival Cinemas took notice of the hardships faced by the producers even while stating their disappointment with the decision but also said that it would strictly not release those films in its screens. They also mentioned that they are expecting cinemas to open very soon ‘without restrictions’.

It added that by missing out on a few good small and medium budget films their theatre business wouldn’t be affected much and that it anyway isn’t easy to fit in all films in a limited period of time. “They have bankable stars but the subjects are unconventional. One is never sure whether they will really work. Films releasing on OTT is the loss of opportunity. It is not an absolute loss, however,” read the statement.

It mentioned that it expected filmmakers to stand by them because they’re family and are pinning hopes on them to stick to the usual format. It ended by stating that the direct release on streaming services is just temporary and that big producers cannot release their films in such a way given the overall revenue collected from theatres.

Earlier, the Multiplex Association of India (MAI), along with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) had also put out a statement requesting the Indian film fraternity to support theatres by temporarily holding, and releasing films in cinemas once the lockdown comes to an end.

Read: Movie Halls vs OTT Release; Business Compulsions Pose Moral Dilemmas For Indian Cinema’s Stakeholders

The shares of PVR Cinemas and Inox have reportedly dropped by 55-60% to a one-year low on the National Stock Exchange. With more producers jumping onto the OTT platform, multiplex chains have to look out for ways to balance the exhibition of films.

Image Courtesy: devicinemas.in

Long-Delayed Tamil Film ‘Mamakiki’ Helmed By Five Directors To Premiere On Zee5 On May 30

BY Aparajitha Balu On

Following Jyothika starrer Ponmagal Vandhal, and Keerthy Suresh starrer Penguin/PenQueen, both of which will have their digital premiere on Amazon Prime, another Tamil film will directly hit OTT platform Zee5; the long-delayed Mamakiki starring Ramesh Thilak. The film will premiere on May 30, 2020.

The film was helmed by five directors, G Radhakrishnan, Vadivel, Shree Karthick, Karthik Siva, and Sameer Bharat Ram. Super Talkies’ Sameer Bharat Ram bankrolled the dramedy.

The dramedy revolves around the lives of four college buddies who meet at a reunion five years later.

Apart from Ramesh Thilak, director Nalan Kumarasamy, actors Swaminathan, Manas, Preetha Anandan, late Cheenu Mohan, and Madhuvanti Arun have significant roles. Mamakiki also has five composers on board – Vishal Chandrashekhar, Jakes Bejoy, MS John, R Surya Prasadh, and KalaCharan similar to the Harish Kalyan‘s recent romantic-drama Dharala Prabhu which saw eight composers on board.

The teaser of the film, which was released by filmmaker Gautham Menon on his Ondraaga Entertainment Youtube channel in 2018, has now been taken down. Although, the teaser is still available for viewing on the Facebook page.

The trailer of the film will be launched soon. Meanwhile, Ramesh who was last seen in Varalaxmi Sarathkumar starrer Velvet Nagaram will next feature in Vijay starrer Master. Velvet Nagaram dealt with the struggles Varalaxmi’s character faces after she begins to investigate a forest fire in the hills near Kodaikanal.

Read: ‘Velvet Nagaram’ Review: A Film That Had Scope But Decided To Do Away With It

Watch the trailer of Velvet Nagaram here:

The Fascinating Fascism of Kangana Ranaut

BY Aditya Shrikrishna On

You cannot make a film set in the 40s about people who dream of obliterating the Third Reich in a movie theatre, and ignore Leni Riefenstahl. In Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds, White Hell of Pitz Palu crops up. One of the numerous silent mountain films of the 1920s starring Riefenstahl. Riefenstahl would soon transition into her own prolific filmmaking career, the woman behind the most famous Nazi propaganda films, a talent Hitler recognised and admired. It’s also widely regarded that Leni Riefenstahl made two of the greatest documentaries ever – Olympia, hours of breath-taking footage of the 1936 Berlin Olympics, shot with an eye for the human body as the undying spirit, celebrating speed, height and strength, zooming in on Jesse Owens warming up or waltzing underwater with the camera. The Triumph of the Will is the notorious other. While Riefenstahl was twice cleared by post-war tribunals, her eye is the cerebral force behind Nazi propaganda filmmaking, more than even Goebbels, certainly the more enduring image. A name drop is Tarantino being restrained in his most unrestrained film. Sit him down and he’ll probably sing paeans to the talents of Leni Riefenstahl.

Susan Sontag would have none of it though. In her essay titled “Fascinating Fascism”, Sontag details and destroys the various misconceptions and the mythical aura surrounding Riefenstahl. About Triumph of the Will, she writes, “The most successfully, most purely propagandistic film ever made, whose very conception negates the possibility of the filmmaker’s having an aesthetic or visual conception independent of propaganda.”

Triumph of the Will

In Amanda Lee Koe’s novel Delayed Rays of a Star, Leni Riefenstahl is one part of the triune along with Merlene Dietrich and Anna May Wong, in a historical fiction emanating from the only photograph featuring the three in 1928 Berlin. Koe dedicates whole chapters to Riefenstahl’s filmmaking process, her critique of modern filmmaking and self-examination of her mutating legacy. In the novel, Koe’s reimagined Riefenstahl prefers the aesthetics of a Spielberg, a Lucas or a Cameron. She denounces the French New Wave and Italian neorealism. And this seems consistent with her own cinematic fervour, the mountain scaling epics of her fiction like the aforementioned Pitz Palu or the celebration of limitless physical abilities of the human body in Olympia or the ascendancy of a cult figure and Nazi ideology in Triumph of the Will. Both these works, while maintaining her eye for form, also inform her propaganda films.

Koe’s Riefenstahl is scathing of Sontag and picks the latter’s essay “On Style”, published nine years prior to “Fascinating Fascism”: “The Nazi propaganda is there. But something else is there, too, which we reject at our loss. Because they project the complex movements of intelligence and grace and sensuousness, these two films of Riefenstahl (unique among works of Nazi artists) transcend the categories of propaganda or even reportage.” She picks on Sontag’s own words about her filmmaking – “The greatest artists attain a sublime neutrality.”

White Hell of Pitz Palu

Do they? Hindi films in the post-Modi era have transcended categories of propaganda or even reportage. While Riefenstahl is credited as the producer of her films, her close association with the Nazi party was never a secret and the party was very much involved in their financing. In the case of the BJP and Bollywood, it is a more dangerous but durable marriage – one of co-option. By whatever means, the ruling Indian government has co-opted Hindi cinema to produce content that drives its ideologies forward while keeping its name out of the dotted lines. And no individual has been more artful with this process than Kangana Ranaut. There is Akshay Kumar, but a singular brand of viciousness pervades Ranaut’s process, in addition to her off-screen meltdowns that lend a certain transparency that Kumar rarely entertains. Kumar suffered from another problem that Kangana circumvented. The audience was already ambivalent about him – his comedies and action dramas worked; his talent was never in question – but they were rarely taken seriously. In contrast, Kangana had built a foundational trust with the audience, coming across as the calming zephyr before unleashing her zeitgeist.

Queen changed the shape of her tryst with the Indian audience, calling upon her unmatched talent to play roles that were messy but relatable, feminism couched in an air of refinement, problematic but introspective and so on. It wasn’t the I-smoke-therefore-I-am brand of feminism. Kangana’s many self-titled films took the road less travelled to explore their characters who weren’t lovable, neither were they stylish. They came from cities of all tiers. They were more like the people watching them and it’s easy to succumb to the complexity on display, not to mention Kangana’s enviable skills. Queen released roughly two months before Modi took office and in six years, Kangana established herself as the Riefenstahl-like figure who made it hard for watchers to separate the woman from the actress and art from propaganda.

Take two of her recent, under-discussed films. Both written by women (Ashwini Iyer Tiwari and Kanika Dhillon respectively). In Tiwari’s Panga, Ranaut plays Jaya, balancing a government job along with her housewife duties, and playfully reminiscing about her days as a kabaddi star for the Railways team. The playfulness turns serious when she is teased a comeback by the men in her house – husband and son. The film is no doubt a rousing victory for Jaya who was stifled at her prime and hints at a sparkling change in gender roles in the Indian middle class. At another end of the spectrum is Judgemental Hai Kya. It’s about a seemingly unstable woman battling a mental health crisis and traumatic childhood, later gaslit by a serial abuser-murderer. It’s an appealing narrative to the urban millennial psyche that has always related to this experience but is now able to see this reflected in mainstream cinema. The third act of the film uses the RSS bogeyman of Ramayana where Ranaut morphs into Sita challenging her ceaseless agni-pariksha to burn the wife killing Ravana.

A recent article examined ‘Why did women vote for Hitler’ and cited long-forgotten essays written by women that answer the question. It posited that while men fell for the cult of personality that is Hitler and his ideology, women were moved by the solutions proposed to poverty and social distress that followed the Great War. “I am one of millions who thought Hitler had all the answers. We saw only the good things, we didn’t know bad things were to come”, said Riefenstahl. But what is happening with a personality like Kangana is a more troubling trajectory. On-screen, Kangana has deliberately taken an identifiable, even if unlikable persona that has won her fans. The challenge for an audience is to distil the woman out of her roles and see her for the hatemongering celebrity weaponised by the most powerful Indian government or erase the fascist woman from their minds and see her as the powerhouse talent charting her own path in mainstream cinema, unlike anyone before her.

For a country that rousingly voted in a majoritarian government, the choice in this distinction is obvious. For a generation, she could be the feminist icon that fits their narrow confines. Koe’s Riefenstahl writes, “Don’t be impressed that I am a woman. Be impressed that my work broke ground I didn’t even know I was breaking.” Kangana on the other hand, I suspect, knows exactly what she is doing. Cinema is too intimate an art, the audience seeing themselves or their aspirational selves on screen, seeking knowledge or validation. Mainstream cinema thrives on the charisma of its stars and when they begin to play everyday roles in addition to the larger than life, art attains supreme power. Like the Nazis, the neo-fascist Indian government cottoned on to this with the vigour of a hunting maneater. Riefenstahl, at least, downplayed her contributions compared to her colleagues and tried to course correct in the post-war years but Kangana is unhinged. Her sister Rangoli Chandel admitted that Kangana occasionally composes her tweets, and tweeted the idea of cancelling the next general elections, even openly called for genocide (“they might call us Nazis but who cares”), before her account was suspended. Kangana is at once Modi’s stand-in cult of personality off-screen and the ideological solution espoused in her works on-screen, the merits of which are difficult to argue against. Kangana’s art is already fascinating while her fascism grows wings each day with miraculous pace.

Susan Sontag wrote, “They (Fascist aesthetics) exalt two seemingly opposite states – egomania and servitude. It glorifies surrender”. No wonder that Kangana’s upcoming project is a biopic of J Jayalalithaa. While historians and political analysts are still grappling with Amma’s complicated legacy, we will probably be sold a vision of strength, an all-powerful being. History repeats, for the worse.

WATCH: Kangana Ranaut Wants PMO To Demolish Platforms Like Twitter; Wishes Everyone A ‘Happy Lockdown’

Jayasurya And Friday Film House To Face Ban From Theatrical Releases; FEUOK Unhappy With Direct OTT Release Of ‘Sufiyum Sujathayum’

BY Aparajitha Balu On

On Friday, Amazon Prime announced the premiere of seven feature films directly on the Over-The-Top (OTT) platform skipping theatrical release. Set for release in May, June, and July were Vidya Balan starrer Shakuntala Devi, Jayasurya starrer Sufiyum Sujathayum, Amitabh Bachchan and Ayushmann Khurrana starrer Gulabo Sitabo, Danish Sait starrer French Biryani, Ragini Chandran starrer Law, Jyothika starrer Ponmagal Vandhal, and Keerthy Suresh starrer Penguin.

After news broke out, Malayalam theatres associations and film chambers have expressed their displeasure with the direct release of Sufiyum Sujathayum, reportedly the first Malayalam film to hit the streaming service directly without accommodating a theatrical window.

The president of the Film Exhibitors United Organisation of Kerala (FEUOK), Liberty Basheer told Malayalam news platform The Cue that the decision to premiere Sufiyum Sujathayum on a digital platform is unacceptable. “When an industry as a whole is going through a crisis, the action of one or two creating a parallel market in their own interests through digital releasing is not right,” said Basheer.

He also added that the organisation will ban the release of films associated with the actor and the production house of Sufiyum Sujathayum, Vijay Babu’s Friday Film House, hereafter. Sufiyum Sujathayum is the fifth movie collaboration between Jayasurya and Vijay Babu after Philips And The Monkey Pen, Aadu Oru Bheekarajeeviyaanu 1 and 2, and Thrissur Pooram. The duo is also associating for the untitled biopic of legendary actor Sathyan and the third installment to the Aadu franchise which will reportedly be shot in 3D.

A report on The Hindu read that Vijay Babu has defended his choice of opting for a digital release by stating ‘survival’ as a reason. “We producers invest our hard-earned money. But now, we don’t know when and how a film is going to reach theatres. Even after cinemas open, we will be in the queue since so many films are awaiting release,” Vijay Babu said.

He added, “We also don’t know about the protocol that will be in place once theatres are opened. Social distancing and hygiene will be a priority and I am assuming that in such a situation big movies might be given a longer run to recover their production costs.”

He also said that many members of the Kerala Film Producers’ Association are supportive of his decision.

vijay-babu-jayasurya

A similar scenario unfolded in Kollywood with Jyotika starrer Ponmagal Vandhal, where Tamil Nadu Theatre and Multiplex Owners Association announced that they will not release any film involving actor Suriya or his home production banner 2D Entertainment, the producer of Ponmagal Vandhal, hereafter. The decision came in light of the film hitting the OTT platform directly without going through theatres. Despite the backlash, the film is set to stream on Amazon Prime Video on May 29, 2020.

Read the entire sequence of events here: Jyotika Starrer ‘Ponmagal Vandhal’ To Premiere On Amazon Prime On May 29

Sufiyum Sujathayum, starring Jayasurya and Aditi Rao Hydari in the lead roles is a romantic thriller directed by Karie fame Naranipuzha Shanavas. Bankrolled by Vijay Babu’s Friday Film House, the film’s story revolves around a married couple Sujatha (Aditi) and Rajeev (Jayasurya). Set in two timelines, the story will be narrated through songs.

The cast of Sufiyum Sujathayum includes Siddique, Hareesh Kanaran, Vijay Babu, Mamukkoya, Manikandan Pattambi, Kalaranjini, and Navas Vallikkunnu. Anu Moothedath is the cinematographer, Deepu Joseph is the editor, Mohammed Bava has helmed art, and M Jayachandran has composed music.

The release date of the film on the platform is yet to be announced.

Read: Aditi Rao Hydari On Mohanakrishna Indraganti’s ‘V’, Working With Mani Ratnam And Mysskin, ‘Sufiyum Sujathayum’, And More…

Also Read: From ‘Shakuntala Devi’ To ‘Sufiyum Sujathayum’, A List Of Indian Films That Will Have Their World Premiere On Amazon Prime Soon

Jiiva, Arjun And Raashi Khanna Team Up For Pa Vijay’s Next Titled ‘Methavi’; First Look Out Now

BY Aparajitha Balu On

Actors Jiiva, Arjun Sarja, and Raashi Khanna have been roped in to play the lead roles in lyricist-actor-producer-director Pa Vijay‘s next film. Methavi is the third directorial of Pa Vijay after Strawberry (2015) and Aaruthra (2018). The first look of the film was launched on Friday. With Jiiva and Arjun on either side, the title Methavi finds its place in the middle of the poster. Though not a typical first-look poster, it does let out a bit about the film.

The letters of the mud-red-coloured title seem to have tiny cracks on them, with an ancient boat, temple, mortar and pestle, and a veiled individual featuring in the letters. The keys of a piano with blood dripping are also seen at the bottom of the title in the centre. The outline of a man’s face is also visible on two of the letters. Looks like Pa Vijay’s favourite thriller genre is now set back in the medieval period.

Methavi is being bankrolled by S Raja’s Makkal Arasan Pictures, marking the third venture of the production banner. Marking the producer’s birthday, May 15, the team provided Film Employees’ Federation of South India (FEFSI) headed by RK Selvamani with 25,000 bags of rice weighing 5kg each.

Apart from the lead trio, the film will also see actors Sara, Kaithi fame Dheena, Indraja Shankar, Radha Ravi, YG Mahendran, Azhagam Perumal, and Rohini in important roles. Deepak Kumar Padhy will be handling the camera, Yuvan Shankar Raja will be composing music with San Lokesh on edit. The film will go on floors once the coronavirus-imposed lockdown ends.

methavi-jiiva-arjun-sarja-raashi-khanna-poster-first-look

Meanwhile Jiiva who was last seen in Raju Murugan‘s Gypsy will next feature in Kabir Khan‘s 83 and debutant N Rajasekar’s Kalathil Santhipom. Arjun who was last seen in PS Mithran‘s Hero will next feature in Priyadarshan‘s Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham. Raashi Khanna who was last seen in Telugu in Kranthi Madhav’‘s World Famous Lover and in Tamil in Vijay Chandar‘s Sangathamizhan will next feature in Sundar C’s Aranmanai 3, the third installment to the Tamil horror franchise Aranmanai and in Hari‘s Aruvaa.

From ‘Shakuntala Devi’ To ‘Sufiyum Sujathayum’, A List Of Indian Films That Will Have Their World Premiere On Amazon Prime Soon

BY Aparajitha Balu On

Since the coronavirus induced-lockdown was announced and the news that theatres will take a while to open up broke out, speculations about several films hitting Over-The-Top (OTT) platforms directly have been rife. While few makers put out statements dismissing these rumours, some have remained tight-lipped.

On Friday, popular digital streaming service Amazon Prime put an end to many rumours by officially announcing the direct release of several Indian films. Hitting the OTT platform in May, June, and July will be Vidya Balan starrer Shakuntala Devi, Jayasurya starrer Sufiyum Sujathayum, Amitabh Bachchan and Ayushmann Khurrana starrer Gulabo Sitabo, Danish Sait starrer French Biryani, Ragini Chandran starrer Law, Jyothika starrer Ponmagal Vandhal, and Keerthy Suresh starrer Penguin.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

No, this is real. The biggest #WorldPremiereOnPrime 💙 #PonmagalVandhalOnPrime #GiboSiboOnPrime #PenguinOnPrime #LawOnPrime #FrenchBiryaniOnPrime #ShakuntalaDeviOnPrime #SufiyumSujatayumOnPrime #SuriyaSivakumar #Jyotika #RParthiepan @rajsekarpandian #Thiyagarajan #Pandiarajan #PratapPothen @2d_entertainment @sakthifilmfactory @sonymusic_south @ronnie.lahiri #SheelKumar @juhic3 @filmsrisingsun @kinoworksllp #EashvarKarthic @ksubbaraj @musicsanthosh @madhampatty_rangaraj #StoneBenchFilms #MukhyamantriChandru @puneethrajkumar.official #AshwiniPuneethRajkumar #MGovinda @vasuki_vaibhav_ @siri_prahlad @prk.productions @puneethrajkumar.official @prk.productions #YusufSal @pitobash @disha.madan #VikramMalhotra @nayanikawrites @misschamko @abundantiaent @sonypicsprodns @naranipuzhashanavas

A post shared by amazon prime video IN (@primevideoin) on

Shakuntala Devi

Vidya Balan starrer Shakuntala Devi is helmed by Anu Menon and jointly bankrolled by Vikram Malhotra’s Abundantia Entertainment and Sony Pictures Networks Productions. It is a biopic of the late mathematician Shakuntala Devi.

The film also stars Sanya Malhotra, who plays Vidya’s character’s daughter, and Jisshu Sengupta, who plays the husband, along with Amit Sadh in an important role.

The mathematical wizard or ‘human computer’, who was known for her ability to make incredibly swift calculations died in 2013, at the age of 83, due to respiratory and cardiac problems. She was also an astrologer, cookbook author, and novelist. She demonstrated her mathematical ideas around the world, at colleges, in theaters, on radio, and on television.

The film which was earlier set to hit theatres on May 8, 2020 will now stream on Amazon Prime. The online release date is yet to be announced.

Sufiyum Sujathayum

Sufiyum Sujathayum, starring Jayasurya and Aditi Rao Hydari in the lead roles is a romantic thriller directed by Karie fame Naranipuzha Shanavas. Bankrolled by Vijay Babu’s Friday Film House, Sufiyum Sujathayum is the fifth movie collaboration of Jayasurya and Vijay Babu after Philips And The Monkey Pen, Aadu Oru Bheekarajeeviyaanu 1 and 2, and Thrissur Pooram.

The story revolves around a married couple, Sujatha (Aditi) and Rajeev (Jayasurya). With two different timelines, the story will be narrated through songs.

The cast of Sufiyum Sujathayum includes Siddique, Hareesh Kanaran, Vijay Babu, Mamukkoya, Manikandan Pattambi, Kalaranjini, and Navas Vallikkunnu. Anu Moothedath is the cinematographer, Deepu Joseph is the editor, Mohammed Bava has helmed art, and M Jayachandran has composed the songs.

While the release date of the film is yet to be announced, it is reportedly the first Malayalam film to see a direct release on the OTT platform without hitting theatres.

Read: Aditi Rao Hydari On Mohanakrishna Indraganti’s ‘V’, Working With Mani Ratnam And Mysskin, ‘Sufiyum Sujathayum’, And More…

sufiyum-sujatayum-poster-1

Gulabo Sitabo

Amitabh Bachchan and Ayushmann Khurrana starrer Gulabo Sitabo will hit the OTT platform on June 12. The announcement of its premiere was made on Thursday morning before the news about the other films came out.

Read: Ayushmann Khurrana And Amitabh Bachchan Starrer ‘Gulabo Sitabo’ To Release On Amazon Prime On June 12

Helmed by Shoojit Sircar and bankrolled by Ronnie Lahiri and Sheel Kumar for Rising Sun Films, the dramedy was earlier set to hit theatres on April 17, 2020.

Gulabo Sitabo written by Juhi Chaturvedi deals with the relationship between a landlord and tenant who are constantly attempting to outdo each other with their own agendas.

French Biryani

French Biryani starring stand-up comic Danish Sait is a comedy entertainer that is set to premiere on July 24, 2020. Helmed by Pannaga Bharana, the film has been bankrolled by Ashwini and Puneeth Rajkumar‘s PRK productions banner and Gurudutt A Talwar.

Also read, ‘I Will Always Be The Guy Who Has Nothing To Lose’: Danish Sait

Apart from Danish, Sal Yusuf, Rangayana Raghu, and Pito Bash have landed significant roles. Vasuki Vaibhav has composed music, cinematography by Karthik Palani and Deepu S Kumar was on the edit.

The film was written by Avinash Balekkala.

Law

Ragini Chandran starrer Law is a crime thriller that is set to premiere on June 26, 2020. Helmed by Raghu Samarth, the film was bankrolled by Ashwini and Puneeth Rajkumar under their PRK productions banner along with M Govinda.

The film also stars Siri Prahlad and veteran actor Mukhyamantri Chandru in important roles.

Sugnaan has handled the camera, Srikanth was on the edit, with Vasuki Vaibhav on music and Purushotam on art.

Ponmagal Vandhal

Jyothika starrer Ponmgal Vandhal is a courtroom drama that will premiere on May 29, 2020. The film is helmed by debutant JJ Fredrick and bankrolled by actor Suriya’s 2D Entertainment and co-produced by Rajsekar Karpoorasundarapandian was to hit theatres earlier on March 27.

The story of Ponmagal Vandhal is reportedly about Jyotika’s character’s revenge on the perpetrators of some wrongdoing. The film also features Thiyagarajan, K Bhagyaraj, R Parthiepan, Pandiyarajan, and Prathap Pothen in important roles. Govind Vasantha is the music director, Ramji handled the camera, Ruben on edit, and Amaran helmed art. Poornima has handled costumes for the film.

The film’s direct OTT release was mired in controversy as theatre owners were upset with the makers for skipping the theatrical window.

Read about the controversy here: Jyotika Starrer ‘Ponmagal Vandhal’ To Premiere On Amazon Prime On May 29

Penguin

Keerthy Suresh starrer Penguin/PenQueen will directly premiere on Amazon Prime on June 19, 2020. The film was to hit the screens in early 2020.

Helmed by debut director Eashvar Karthic, the ‘woman-centric’ film is being bankrolled by Passion Studios and presented by filmmaker Karthik Subbaraj’s Stone Bench Films which had previously produced Meyaadha Maan and Mercury. The film marks Stone Bench Films’ third production.

The cast of Penguin/PenQueen reportedly includes Madhampatty Rangaraj who was the lead in Mehandi Circus and Linga from Sindhubaadh. Karthik Palani has handled the camera, Anil Krish on edit, art by Sakthee Venkatraj M, and costumes were designed by Pallavi Singh. Santhosh Narayanan has composed music and Thomas Kurian was in charge of sound design.

Even before the announcement came on Friday morning, rumours were rife that the film was planned for a digital release directly, bypassing a theatrical run. A list given out by the Film Employees’ Federation of South India (FEFSI) led to the speculation.

Read more here: Keerthy Suresh Starrer ‘Penguin’ To Have A Direct Digital Release As Well

Pikchar With Rita: ‘Dil Dhoondta Hai…’ And The Meaning Of Leisure In These Times

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. 

***

Someone called up the other day, and said, “Sorry, didn’t check if it was okay to call just now. Mujhe laga ab to sabke paas phursat hai.” Assuming that everyone in these times has time, he didn’t bother to check. Do we have a lot of time on hand these days, or are we, in the tentacles of time, waiting as it were, endlessly. The Hindi-Urdu word for time-on-hand or leisure is ‘phursat’. Will we seek this kind of ‘time’ when things return to normal, or never feel nostalgic again about leisure, I asked myself. A song plays in the background Dil dhoondhta hai phir wahi phursat ke raat din… An iconic song about longing for leisure, but one that existed always in the past tense. The heart searches for the same days and nights of leisure, it says.  My search was not driven by wanting leisure; but rather of reminding myself what that leisure or ‘phursat’ means. The one that appears as reprieve; experienced as a slight chill in the air when you go from the plains to the mountains or one that gently brings down life from the drut (fast) to a vilambit (slow) taal. It takes a little while to even get used to it. And I was drawn by the film that has this song, Mausam (1975) directed by Gulzar.

Meanwhile, phursat lingered as a subtext not only in an article I wrote recently (on being both insignificant producers of action and the inevitability of action) but my own mind. A friend in Pakistan picked up the subtext and interwove ruminations of phursat giving his talk the title, “Dil doondtha hai…”

There seemed many reasons to hear the song, to see what had produced it.  Mausam is a well-known film, but its memory had survived for me as a crude story of Sharmila Tagore and Sanjeev Kumar’s romance in the hills, and some daughter who was a sex worker. I may have watched it in childhood, or simply heard vivid descriptions and remembered them so well that it seemed like I had watched it. The elusive phursat and words that elude its tactile experience make this film a highly special experience today.

As a car moves through serpentine and uphill roads from Calcutta to Darjeeling with the song, “Dil doondhta hai…” with Gulzar’s lyrics and Madan Mohan’s music, it’s difficult not to ride with it, and let the unfolding of leisure and aimless visit happen. Amarnath Gill (played by Sanjeev Kumar) a successful and busy doctor from the city wants to be left alone. It is his time, his phursat. Gradually we see there are offhand questions from him, as he seeks to know more about the house he used to visit, a girl he used to meet. He comes to know that the girl had gone insane waiting for her doctor lover. What appeared as an aimless break turns into a concerted effort to find her, or at any rate, the daughter who survived her. The languid notes from the song have faded to appear as a duet and Amarnath sees in his mind’s eye a pair of them – Amarnath and Chanda (played by Sharmila Tagore) – lying under the gentle winter sun. As images multiply from the past, the present is gripped by an intense purpose to know more, to claim leftovers. The song disappears entirely by the middle of the film, as Amarnath is brought sharply in touch with Chanda’s daughter, Kajli (also played by Sharmila Tagore). It is at this point that Mausam ceases to be about a season of mellow reminiscence but becomes a confrontation with a violent present produced by past actions.

Kajli is a foul-mouthed, beedi-smoking, cynical sex-worker. The respectability that surrounds Amarnath’s life collides against this disrespectable reminder of a past when he abdicated his responsibility and left her mother to fend for herself. The guilt, the discomfort, the need to be forgiven, and the anger at a woman who refuses to be disciplined make the second half of the film lose all the phursat; the languor, the sepia frames. And the spectator realises that the double role of Sharmila Tagore is not so much about the mother and daughter but of two women who reside in Kajli – the ‘haraamzaada and saala-mouthing’ woman and the genteel bhadra looking Kajli she becomes.

Bhupinder’s voice has gone from the film and is now replaced by Asha and Lata to speak for two different sides of Kajli. The film ends with Kajli wishing to experience her femininity to the fullest, and the feisty and men-slamming Kajli has receded to make room for her. The clothes change, the language changes, the expression in the eyes change and, as mentioned before, the playback singer changes. Mausam begins as a season of youth fading into old age and harkening for a reckless time from the past. It ends with that youthfulness forgiven for its recklessness and made responsible for repairing a wrecked present and future.

The same car leaves downhill, heading towards Calcutta taking both Amarnath Gill and Kajli. Some healing has begun, some damage done irrevocably, and time that seemed like a treasure tucked far away, was but baggage wrapped in a stained cloth. Innocuous journeys, both in the film and outside of phursat, end in destinations that remind us that phursat is but a moment that fell off from time. It is not time itself.

Keerthy Suresh Starrer ‘Penguin’ To Have A Direct Digital Release As Well

BY Aparajitha Balu On

Following Jyotika starrer Ponmagal Vandhal, the next film to directly hit the Over-The-Top (OTT) platform is Keerthy Suresh‘s Penguin/PenQueen. A film that was to hit the screens in early 2020 will now directly premiere on Amazon Prime on June 19, 2020.

Helmed by debut director Eashvar Karthic, the ‘woman-centric’ film is being bankrolled by Passion Studios and presented by filmmaker Karthik Subbaraj‘s Stone Bench Films which had previously produced Meyaadha Maan and Mercury. The film marks the third production of Stone Bench Films.

On Monday, May 11, the TamilNadu government allowed the resumption of post-production activities such as editing, dubbing, VFX (Visual Effects), CGI (Computer Generated Imagery), DI (Digital Intermediary), BGM Score (Background Music Score), Sound Effects, Foley and Mixing with a limited number of crew members and sanitised workplaces. Many films like Shankar‘s Indian 2 starring Kamal, MS Anandan‘s Chakra starring Vishal, M Saravanan‘s Raangi starring Trisha, Lokesh Kanagaraj‘s Master starring Vijay, Nelson Dilipkumar‘s Doctor starring Sivakarthikeyan had commenced work.

Among these films was Keerthy Suresh’s Penguin/PenQueen which commenced with dubbing. In a list given out by the Film Employees’ Federation of South India (FEFSI), Penguin/PenQueen was listed as a telefilm. This gave rise to speculation that the film would directly hit the OTT platform skipping a theatrical release. Although, no official announcement was made back then.

The cast of Penguin/PenQueen reportedly includes Madhampatty Rangaraj who was the lead in Mehandi Circus and Linga from Sindhubaadh. Karthik Palani has handled the camera, Anil Krish on edit, art by Sakthee Venkatraj M, and costumes were designed by Pallavi Singh. While Santhosh Narayanan has composed music, Thomas Kurian was in charge of sound design.

Last year, Stone Bench Films unveiled the lead’s first look from the film. A silhouette of Keerthy’s character, who appears to be pregnant is seen and in the backdrop are mountains.

penguin-penqueen-keerthy-suresh-first-look

Jyotika Starrer ‘Ponmagal Vandhal’ To Premiere On Amazon Prime On May 29

BY Aparajitha Balu On

After several setbacks, it is now official, Jyothika starrer Ponmgal Vandhal will hit the Over-The-Top (OTT) platform, Amazon Prime, directly on May 29, 2020. The film helmed by debutant JJ Fredrick‘s and bankrolled by actor Suriya’s 2D Entertainment and co-produced by Rajsekar Karpoorasundarapandian was to hit theatres on March 27 but was postponed due to coronavirus outbreak, that has caused the shutting down of theatres.

The announcement came on Friday morning from the digital platform, Amazon Prime.

Last month, news that the film will hit OTT directly did the rounds, although no official announcement had been made. Reports that the film made on a Rs. 4-crore budget was sold to the digital platform for a sum of Rs. 9 crores, becoming one of the first films to book high profits through the digital medium were also doing the rounds.

In response, the General Secretary of the Tamil Nadu Theatre and Multiplex Owners Association, R Panneer Selvam, announced that his association has decided to not release any film involving actor Suriya or his home production banner 2D Entertainment hereafter.

The association reportedly contacted the production house to confirm if the plans of direct release were true and to appeal for a theatrical release prior to a digital release. Suriya’s 2D Entertainment while confirming the release of the film on OTT, had reportedly refused to comply with the request made by the theatres association. This left members furious.

Supporting the decision taken by the makers of Ponmagal Vandhal, a group of 30+ producers including Bharathiraja, KE Gnanavel Raja, TG Thyagarajan, T Siva, Chithra Lakshmanan, YNOT S Sashikanth, G Dhananjayan, SR Prabhu, Rajasekar Pandian (co-producer of Ponmagal Vandhal), JSK Sathish Kumar, CV Kumar, Suresh Kamatchi, Manobala, Subbu Panchu, Radha Ravi, and Auraa Cinemas Mahesh, put out a statement appealing for cooperation of all stakeholders.

Read: South Indian Producers Stand By Suriya’s Decision To Release ‘Ponmagal Vandhal’ On OTT Directly

Ponmagal Vandhal is touted to be a thriller and is reportedly about Jyotika’s character’s revenge on the perpetrators of some wrongdoing. The film also features Thiyagarajan, K Bhagyaraj, R Parthiepan, Pandiyarajan, and Prathap Pothen in important roles. Govind Vasantha is the music director and has Ramji on camera, Ruben on the edit, and Amaran helming art. Poornima has handled costumes for the film.

The songs of the film are being launched online, after the audio launch of the film was cancelled. ‘Vaa Chellam’ by Brinda Sivakumar, ‘Vaan Thooralgal’ by Chinmayi, and ‘Kalaigiradhey Kanave’ by Govind Vasantha have dropped so far.

Listen to the most recent ‘Kalaigiradhey Kanave’ here:

Tom Cruise Collaborates With NASA For His Next; First Film To Be Shot In Space

BY Aparajitha Balu On

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has confirmed that it will be collaborating with Tom Cruise for its next 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. He also added that they required a new generation of engineers and scientists to make the project a reality.

According to a report on Deadline, 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 associating with the two for the project. While Elon commented on the tweet, the engineer hasn’t confirmed his presence in the project yet.

The report said that no production studio is officially on board and that the project is still in the drafting stage. It also added that the film will be an action-adventure, the first narrative film to be shot in outer space.

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, the Mission Impossible star who was last seen in the sixth installment, Fallout, of the franchise 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 the seventh installment of the Mission Impossible series was on cards, reports have surfaced that a following installment has also been planned. Director Christopher McQuarrie has reportedly decided to follow the pattern the Avengers Infinity War and End Game adopted, by releasing both the installments consecutively, the seventh on November 19, 2021, with the sequel to follow a year later on November 4, 2022.

The God Who Created New Tunes: Celebrating 44 Years of Ilaiyaraaja

BY Aarthi Murali AND Aparajitha Balu On

On this day in 1976, Ilaiyaraaja’s first film Annakkili released. He had started his career at the age of 14 when he joined a travelling music troupe and later came to Chennai to work in films. In his 44 years in cinema, the composer, to whose songs many generations have fallen in love, pushed the boundaries of background and film music and composed close to 7,000 songs for over a thousand films in many languages.

Here is a list of a few of his most loved songs.

Machana Pathingala, Annakkili 

‘Machana Pathingala’ was the most popular from Annakkili. Sujatha stars as the protagonist in this song, sung by S Janaki. Ilaiyaaraja is said to have initially composed this tune for a wedding, and this song is about Sujatha’s wait for her lover which she sings with humour. The story for the film was written by R Selvaraj, and the screenplay, dialogues, and lyrics were by Panchu Arunachalam. The film marked the arrival of Ilaiyaraaja and is also remembered for Sujatha, Sivakumar, Thengai Srinivasan, and Srikanth’s performances.

Then Poove Poove Va, Anbulla Rajinikanth 

The best songs from Anbulla Rajinikanth were ‘Muthumani Chudare Vaa’ sung by KJ Yesudas, ‘Kadavul Ullame’ by Latha Rajinikanth and others, and ‘Then Poove Poove Vaa’ by SP Balasubrahmanyam and S Janaki. This song features Rajkumar and Ambika in a love duet. SPB’s classic improvisations are set to a lively composition with guitar and flute taking the lead initially, then followed by the violin. The film and its songs were a superhit. Child actor Meena, Rajinikanth, and Ambika played the lead, and it was director K Natraj’s debut film.

Illaya Nila Pozhigirathey, Payanangal Mudivathillai 

‘Ilaya Nila’ was originally composed for Moodu Pani in 1980, but director Balu Mahendra reportedly felt the song wouldn’t fit in the film. So Ilaiyaraaja used it two years later for Payanangal Mudivathillai, the R Sundararajan directorial starring Mohan and Poornima Bhagyaraj. The song’s first line, “Ilaiya nila pozhigiradhe, idhayam varai nanaikiradhe,” was inspired by composer MS Viswanathan’s ‘Senthamizh Paadum Santhana Kaatru’. The song’s guitar portions are the highlight. Ilaiyaraaja had over 20 retakes to get guitarist Chandrasekhar to play the notes till he was completely satisfied.

Jothe Jotheyali, Geetha

‘Jotheyali’ is a very popular Ilaiyaraaja composition in Kannada, sung by S Janaki and SPB. It’s an evergreen love song about two people going forward together in a relationship. The music and background score for the film was composed by Ilaiyaraaja in 1981. It was a musical hit, and ‘Jotheyali’ and ‘Santhoshakke’, which also became widely popular, is still performed at concerts and played on radios. Ilaiyaraaja later adapted ‘Jotheyali’ as ‘Vizhiyile Mani’ for Nooravathu Naal, and ‘Jaane Do Na’ for Chini Kum.

Madai Thiranthu, Nizhalgal 

Nizhalgal is considered one of Bharathiraja’s best directorials. The story centres on four youngsters and the film featured a new cast and crew. Ilaiyaraaja’s most loved songs – ‘Madai Thiranthu’ and ‘Ithu Oru Pon Malai’, sung by SPB, ‘Poongathavae‘ by Deepan Chakravarthy and Uma Ramanan are from Nizhalgal. ‘Madai Thiranthu’ is a song about the pleasure of making music. The vocals, chorus, harmonium, guitars, and drums seamlessly come together in this Ilaiyaraaja composition.

Enna Satham Indha Neram, Punnagai Mannan 

A classic SPB solo, sung to Ilaiyaraaja’s composition, ‘Enna Satham Intha Neram’ is for all moods and times. It plays at an important part in the film when Kamal Haasan and Rekha leave home and come to a cliff where they’re by themselves. The lyrics ask what the sounds around them are and whether they are the birds chirping or the loud waters. Synthesizers were used for the first time in Tamil cinema for the songs of this film. It is also remembered for AR Rahman, who played the keyboard for Raaja in this film.

Andhi Mazhai Pozhigirathu, Raaja Paarvai

Raaja Paarvai was Kamal Haasan’s 100th film, which he also wrote and produced along with his brother Charuhaasan. Ilaiyaraaja composed some of his best songs and background score for this film, and ‘Andhi Mazhai’ is considered by many to be a classic in Tamil cinema. Sung by SPB and S Janaki, ‘Andhi Mazhai’ is set to two raagas and western classical music, which was unheard of in a Tamil film before.

Vaa Vennila, Mella Thiranthathu Kathavu

Ilaiyaraaja and MS Viswananthan got together for Mella Thiranthathu Kathavu in 1986. The background score and orchestration was by Raaja and the composition by MSV, and this arrangement led to the movie’s most popular song Vaa Vennila. It was inspired by ‘Vaan Meethile Inba Then Maari Peiyuthe’ from MSV’s 1953 film Chandirani. Ilaiyaraaja is known for the speed at which he works, and the duo reportedly completed this song in less than half a day.

Kuzhal Oothum Kannanuku, Mella Thiranthathu Kathavu

‘Kuzhal Oothum’ was the only song from Mella Thiranthathu Kathavu that was composed by Ilaiyaraaja. Radha falls in love with her relative Mohan who is a musician visiting her village. She teases him by singing in the woods, and ‘Kuzhal Oothum’ was placed in this sequence. Mohan’s flute competes with Radha’s vocals. The song was a breakthrough in singer KS Chitra’s career.

Kanne Kalaimaane, Moondram Pirai

In 1980, poet and lyricist Kannadasan was not well and about to leave for Chicago for medical treatment when Ilaiyaraaja had sent for this song. After listening to the film’s story and situation, he is believed to have written it in about two minutes. He was present at the recording session of the song, which took place in September 1981. It was the last recorded song that Kannadasan wrote before his death.

Ilaiyaraaja uses minimal instrumentation for this stirring composition, sung by KJ Yesudas. Director Balu Mahendra based the film on his relationship with actress Shoba. In this song and the film, Sridevi and Kamal Hassan gave one of their best performances.

Kaatril Endhan Geetham, Johnny

In director J Mahendran’s Johnny, Sridevi played a popular singer and Rajinikanth was her ardent fan. This celebrated song opens with her character Archana singing alone in the pouring rain while she waits for Johnny to come. It sets a sombre mood and S Janaki’s vocals, as always, keeps us spellbound. Ilaiyaraaja later also used this song in ‘Naina Bole’ for Aur Ek Prem Kahani in 1996.

Other Sridevi-Ilaiyaraaja songs are ‘Senthoora Poove’ from 16 Vaiyathinile, ‘Ilamai Ennum Poogaatru’ from Pagalil Oru Iravu, ‘Kanne Kalaimaane’ from Moondram Pirai and more.

Naguva Nayana, Pallavi AnuPallavi

Anil Kapoor plays a young man in love with his close friend played by Lakshmi in Pallavi Anupallavi (1983). This was Mani Ratnam’s first film, and he was introduced to Ilaiyaraaja through Balu Mahendra. Because the budget of the film was small Mani Ratnam had told Raaja he could not afford to pay him well, and the composer agreed to work for one-fourth or one-fifth the salary he was getting at the time. The songs in the film went on to become a huge hit, and the two of them later collaborated for many popular films.

Emani Ne Cheli, Mantri Gari Viyyankudu

Ilaiyaraaja has composed countless Telugu songs, and to a lesser extent in Malayalam, Kannada, and Hindi. ‘Emani Ne Cheli’ is a timeless love song set in Ooty, featuring Chiranjeevi and Poornima Jayaram in the lead. After the huge success of Ilaiyaraaja’s first collaboration with Chiranjeevi for Abhilasha in 1983, he signed on for directors Bapu and Ramana’s Mantri Gari Viyyankudu that same year.

Pavuraniki Panjaraniki, Chanti

This Venkatesh and Meena starrer from the Telugu super-hit film Chanti (1992) had songs by Illaiyaraja which were a musical hit. ‘Paviraniki Panjaraniki’ is a moving composition sung by SPB, with lyrics by Vetri Murthy. This was the first Telugu film to cross 100 days in over 40 theatres. This was an industry record that time, and the songs are credited as one of the reasons for the film’s success. The movie also raised Venkatesh and Meena to popularity.

Rakkamma Kaiya Thattu, Thalapathi

For Mani Ratnam’s Thalapathy, Ilaiyaraaja composed one of his most popular soundtracks and each song became a classic. ‘Rakkamma’ was a chartbuster. In 2002, it was voted 4th in the world’s top 10 most popular songs of all time by BBC. The song was shot over several nights with Rajinikanth, Sonu Walia, and the background dancers. It was choreographed by Mugur Sundar and Prabhu Deva, and it came alive with the orchestration of the 64 violins that Ilaiyaraaja used.

Oho Megham Vanthatho, Mouna Raagam

‘Oho Megham Vanthatho’ from this Mani Ratnam film features Revathy dancing in the rain with others as she tries to avoid a prospective groom. The music and the percussion have us hooked, the lyrics, and the visuals make this one of the best monsoon songs, bringing the promise of rain. ‘Nilaave Vaa’, ‘Chinna Chinna Vanna Kuyil’ were the other popular songs from the film. It had five tracks by Ilaiyaraaja, with lyrics by Vaali, sung by S Janaki and SPB.

Oru kaatril, Naan Kadavul

One of Ilaiyaraaja’s later compositions was for the 2009 Arya and Pooja-starrer Naan Kadavul, written and directed by Bala. Ilaiyaraaja composed seven songs for the film, collaborating with Vaali for lyrics. ‘Oru Kaatril’ was also sung by him, and the female version was by Shreya Ghoshal. The song has violin interludes and a composition that was classic of Ilaiyaraaja’s 80s music.

Vaanam Mella, Neethaane En Ponvasantham

A mesmerising number that traces the journey of Varun and Nithya, Jiiva and Samantha’s characters from this Gautham Menon film, from childhood to their school life. ‘Vaanam Mella’ was sung by the maestro himself along with Bela Shende in the lyrics of late lyricist Na Muthukumar. The composer said in a gathering that this was his most favourite composition in recent times owing to the lyrics that captures the essence of love perfectly. The entire album turned out to be successful.

Ayushmann Khurrana And Amitabh Bachchan Starrer ‘Gulabo Sitabo’ To Release On Amazon Prime On June 12

BY Aparajitha Balu On

Recently, it was announced that Amitabh Bachchan and Ayushmann Khurrana starrer Gulabo Sitabo was done with shoot and post-production, and that the first copy of the movie had also been produced. While reports that the makers have signed a deal with the Over-The-Top (OTT) platform Amazon Prime had also surfaced, it was not clear if the film will hit the OTT platform directly without a theatrical release.

The latest is that the film will skip theatres and see a direct release on Amazon Prime, on June 12, 2020. Helmed by Shoojit Sircar and bankrolled by Ronnie Lahiri and Sheel Kumar for Rising Sun Films, the dramedy was earlier set to hit theatres on April 17, 2020.

Gulabo Sitabo written by Juhi Chaturvedi deals with the relationship between a landlord and tenant who are constantly attempting to outdo each other with their own agendas.

Vijay Subramaniam, Director and Head, Content, Amazon Prime Video, India said, “Gulabo Sitabo is one of the most anticipated films of the year. We are happy to exclusively premiere Gulabo Sitabo on Prime Video. It is the first step in our endeavour to bring superior cinematic experiences to our customer’s doorstep.”

“This is the dawn of a new era for Indian entertainment,” said director, Shoojit Sircar. “I am happy that a global audience will be able to watch our gritty dramedy, and enjoy what the film has in store for them. Gulabo Sitabo is a quirky, light-hearted movie that the audience can enjoy with their families. It has been a wonderful experience working with Mr. Amitabh Bachchan and Ayushmann on the film.”

“Indian audiences have been eagerly awaiting the release of Gulabo Sitabo and we are delighted that Amazon Prime Video will now be premiering the movie for our customers. The global release the film will ensure that we have maximum visiblity. We are excited about the new offering and are happy to, once again, bring to our customers the best of entertainment through this release,” said Gaurav Gandhi, Director and Country General Manager, Amazon Prime Video India.

Actor Amitabh Bachchan said, “Gulabo Sitabo is a slice of life, dramedy that is a must-watch for families at home. I was excited about my role since the first time Shoojit showed me the character’s look. It took me almost 3 hours each day to get into character with its different looks. I had a wonderful time working with my very talented co-star Ayushmann Khurrana. Even though we are constantly bantering in the film, it has been a pleasure working with him for the first time. This family entertainer will connect with everyone and I am happy this film is getting a global release.” Ayushmann Khurrana said, “Gulabo Sitabo is a special film for me. It made me reunite with my mentor Shoojit da after Vicky Donor. Whatever I’m today is because of him and I’m happy that he made me a part of his vision again.”

He added, “Gulabo Sitabo also sees me share the screen space with Mr. Amitabh Bachchan for the first time and it’s a huge moment, it’s a dream come true for me. I have secretly wished to work with him for many, many years and Shoojit made this happen and I will be indebted to him forever. It has truly been an honour for me to work with a legend and I feel enriched as an actor after the experience. What I love about the film is its sheer simplicity – the fleeting moments of simple humour in the banter between a landlord and tenant make this film really special. I hope audiences love the film and our chemistry when it premieres.”

Gulabo Sitabo will be the second film after Ghoomketu to release directly on an OTT platform. With Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Anurag Kashyap in the lead roles, the Pushpendra Nath Misra film will premier on Zee5 on May 22, 2020.

Read: Nawazuddin Siddiqui Starrer ‘Ghoomketu’ To Directly Hit OTT; Premiers On Zee5 On May 22

‘Oh Andha Naatkal’ Will Feature On-screen Reunion Of 80s Stars Khushbu, Radikaa, Urvashi And Suhasini

BY Silverscreen India Staff On

Oh Andha Naatkal a multilingual comedy film written and directed by James Vasanthan is reportedly ready for release. The film features the famous leading ladies of the 1980s Khushbu, Radikaa, Urvashi, and Suhasini. The movie has been made in Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam and has music too by the director.

James Vasanthan  has created the story based on some of the most famous characters played by the actresses, and has reportedly made a family-oriented film around this. The characters are from four different movies from the 1980s that have been interspersed with the present day. The film also stars Jithin Raj and Latha Hegde along with Y G Mahendran, Sulakshana, Manobala, Banuchandar and others. Director Sundar C makes a cameo in this film.

Oh Andha Naatkal Movie Stills Starring Urvashi, Radhika, Kushboo, Suhasini

Oh Andha Naatkal Movie Stills Starring Urvashi, Radhika, Kushboo, Suhasini

Oh Andha Naatkal has been shot mostly in Melbourne, and has camera work by Sharan Samuel and National Award Winner Sabu Joseph on the edit. Songs have been choreographed by John Britto. The makers said in a statement that they will release details on the release of the film soon.

What To Stream: Murali Gopi’s ‘Ee Adutha Kaalathu’ Is About ‘The Power Of Secrets’

BY Aswathy Gopalakrishnan On

One of the three central characters in Arun Kumar Aravind’s Ee Adutha Kaalathu (In Recent Times, 2012) is a wealthy and sophisticated businessman. At home, he is a sadistic and abusive husband. The violence he inflicts upon his wife is not physical. Her scars are grave but invisible to a passive outsider. Another character, a lower-level employee in a corporate hospital mutely endures sexual harassment by her boss. There is a serial killer on the loose, murdering senior citizens living alone in the city’s houses. The bloodshed is relegated off-screen. The one instance in the film when the audience witnesses an actual murder is without bloodshed too. The victim dies quickly and silently, of internal bleeding.

The instances of violence in the film are closeted in nature – a commentary on society in which it exists, where photogenic facades of rich and happy families and modern workspaces often hide filth that no one wants to address but sweep under the carpet. The corpses in the film are dumped on a ground next to a village where the city disposes of its garbage. The upper-class is far removed from the sight of the garbage, but the stink permeates its living rooms.

Tanushree Ghosh in a screengrab from “Ee Adutha Kaalathu”

Ee Adutha Kaalathu is a smartly-written film that emerged as a sleeper hit in Kerala in spite of the lack of big stars. The non-linear narrative that interweaves stories of many characters living in one city, proceeds at a fast pace, in a nearly clinical fashion. When Madhuri (Tanushree Ghosh), a former B-grade Hindi movie actress, is put through brutal abuse by her husband, Ajay Kurien (Murali Gopi, who’s also the scriptwriter), or when Vishnu (Indrajith), a rag-picker, stands helpless in the face of a financial trouble he might never be able to resolve, the film doesn’t pause to empathise with them. The focus is on the stylised storytelling and the big picture where the meek and the vulnerable have eventual victory over the abusers with the help of what might be one of the greatest weapons in the postmodern society – information.

The film’s climax, where the characters untangle their individual lives, doesn’t involve a stunt sequence but unfolds in the private – behind closed doors, and, in one case, in a close-up shot where two friends whisper to each other. Vishnu’s life changes after he witnesses a clandestine meeting in a house he enters to steal one midnight. Madhuri hires him as a watchman – literally and figuratively – to guard her secret that he possesses. Bonacaud Ramachandran (Jagathy Sreekumar), an unprincipled yellow journalist, reins in Ajay Kurien using classified information he gains from one of his journalistic sources. In spite of everything that happens, the facade of the characters’ lives remains intact.

Malayalam cinema, in the past, has used this theme of ‘leak of private information’ in crime dramas such as Drishyam, where photos taken on hidden camera becomes the root of a series of events that include a murder and police custody torture. What separates Ee Adutha Kaalathu from others is its amusing amoralist tone. Its concerns aren’t in the breach of honour that a privacy leak threatens to constitute. Instead, it uses the tales of ordinary people to dissect the power that secretive information lends to a party in a world that pretends to be transparent.

The shift of power from one party to another in the latter half of the film is subtle but palpable. Murali Gopi uses no expository dialogue or loud confrontational scenes to mark it. But you sense a change in Madhuri’s body-language when she pulls her friend close at her wedding party and flashes an old photograph that has the power to ruin her marriage and public image. Her new-found confidence has an edge of threat. Kurien, who wore his upper-class identity like a crown and treated his subordinates and unsophisticated locals like parasites, cowers in fear when he realises that the secret about his masculinity could go public anytime. Vishnu, for once, decides to act wisely and sort his life.

Sameer Thahir’s Chappa Kurishu (2011), an uncredited copy of Korean film Handphone, has a similar theme. A lost smartphone containing crucial personal photographs launches a cat-and-mouse game between the finder, a meek and impoverished supermarket employee, and the owner of the phone, a young tycoon. The latter wants to retrieve the phone dearly, and his desperation becomes his Achilles heel. The finder of the phone starts to devour the new-found power. Interestingly, it isn’t financial gain that he’s seeking from it but a sense of success which is very much illusory. Chappa Kurishu loses focus as it starts to direct all its energy towards the showdown between the two men that is characterised by attention-seeking slow-motion shots. Nevertheless, the film is a worthy addition to contemporary Malayalam cinema’s expanding pool of critique of the phenomenon of privacy in the digital era.

Ee Adutha Kaalathu is streaming on Sun NXT.

Documentary: ‘A Rifle And A Bag’ Is A Poignant Portrait Of Ex-Naxals’ Interactions With The Indian State And Society

BY On

Somi wears a broad smile. She’s in her late twenties—or early thirties, she doesn’t know—and pregnant with her second child. “I think it’s a girl”, she tells her husband Sukhram, five years her junior. Somi cooks, washes their clothes and takes care of their first child, while Sukhram is about the house doing nondescript work. They have a pet parrot and raise poultry in their plot of land. It might be the picture of a modest but ordinary family, except for the fact that both Somi and Sukhram are renegades from the Naxal movement who surrendered to the Indian state, received amnesty, and were resettled under the country’s rehabilitation policy for ex-Naxals. Their “second-life” in a colony in rural Maharashtra comprising refugees like themselves, is the subject of a compelling new documentary titled A Rifle and a Bag, which screened online at the Visions du Réel film festival last week.

In long, fixed shots, the opening passage of the film gives us a sense of the couple’s everyday reality: scenes from domestic life, Somi’s visit to the pregnancy clinic, the couple’s conversation about their to-be-born second child. These images of quotidian life are, however, soon punctured as we learn about Somi’s past as a Naxal commander, the deadly reprisals the couple have risked in their surrender, their lingering feeling of deracination. Somi’s role as a wife and a mother is in stark contrast with her older role as a Naxal higher-up. But Somi makes no remark about this conventional distribution of labour, content instead to secure a future for her children.

356c3a21-34b6-4a5e-b312-22d792be3b2c

A large part of A Rifle and a Bag presents the couple’s interaction with the Indian state and civil society on a day-to-day basis as part of their rehabilitation. Somi runs from pillar to post to unsuccessfully obtain a caste certificate for Sukhram, who can’t safely go back home to Chhatisgarh to get one. Without this certificate, they can’t admit their son into a school. The film develops around the central irony that Somi and Sukhram, of a tribal origin, have to identify themselves in terms the Indian state understands. The state and the civil society, though, aren’t malevolent forces. In fact, the officers, teachers and doctors whom we only hear interacting with Somi could hardly be more understanding and sympathetic. It’s the system they help function, faceless just like them, that holds Somi and Sukhram in a vice-like grip.

Earlier in the film, a self-congratulatory meeting organised by the local Rotary chapter, and blessed by the army, reinforces the new-fangled national identity of the ex-Naxals, pointing out that Naxalism is truly a national problem, affects as it does twenty-two states.

Somi and Sukhram manage to find a place for their son at the boarding school, however briefly. In a scene at the school that puts too fine a point on it, the children are made to perform morning prayers, taught violently patriotic slogans and are, quite plainly, indoctrinated into the nationalist ideology. Somi, on the other hand, hardly has any national consciousness. Asked why she joined the Naxals, she says she wanted to get back at the local landlord who let the police harass her kin.

Through these contrasts, A Rifle and a Bag brings to surface the losses involved in the family’s integration into society. In their new colony, Somi and Sukhram don’t get land to farm on—their primary occupation—but simply a plot large enough for a house. They are not only alienated from the world around their settlement, which still associates them with Naxalism, but also their relatives in Naxal-dominated areas. That we seldom see them outside their house or within a community only exacerbates the impression of their isolation. Owing to their situation, they can only send their child to a boarding school, where the boy acquires a body of knowledge vastly different from their own, in a language not their own. In a poignant exchange towards the end, Somi recounts her Naxal background to her son, as though restoring his ties to the family history, against the narrative he will soon be taught.

Not surprisingly, Somi appears to persistently doubt whether they have made right decision in surrendering, whether their new life is indeed better. To be sure, her family is objectively “making progress”. There’s a new bike, there are new clothes, the poultry makes way for cattle. Their colony has electricity and there’s cable television at home—material comforts contrasted with her past life in the jungle. But we never fully know why Somi or Sukhram left the Naxal organisation, or what they are hoping for through their rehabilitation. Somi continues to maintain that the ideology behind the movement is righteous, even though its ways may be wrong. It’s to the film’s success that its loyalty lies with Somi’s unavowed incertitude than with any ideological certainties.

A Rifle and a Bag was produced and directed by Cristina Hanes, Isabella Rinaldi, and Arya Rothe, a trio known as the NoCut Film Collective. They adapt a non-interventional style—familiar in international documentary practice—in which Somi and Sukhram play themselves, their reality fictionalised just enough to constitute the narrative structure. They punctuate the film with repeated compositions—the house gate, Somi across an office desk, the changing phases of the moon—to impart a sense of place. This restrained form, marked by large ellipses, nevertheless makes space for considerable feeling, allowing us to recognise the tragedy behind Somi’s perennial smile.

Rajinikanth Starrer ‘Annaatthe’ To Have A Pongal 2021 Release

BY Aparajitha Balu On

After wide speculation about when Rajinikanth‘s next, Annaatthe, will be hitting the screens, it has finally been announced that it will be out for Pongal 2021. Helmed by director Siva, the film is being bankrolled by Kalanithi Maran under his Sun Pictures banner.

The announcement came in the form of a tweet from the makers.

A few months back, it was announced that Nayanthara has been roped in for an important role in the film. This marks the fourth association of the two after Chandramukhi, Kuselan, and Darbar. Apart from the actor, National Award-winning actress Keerthy Suresh, and actors Prakash Raj, Soori, Sathish, Meena, and Khushbu are also part of the project.

While Soori and Sathish will be working with Rajinikanth for the first time, Prakash Raj was last seen with the actor as IG Subramaniam in Padayappa (1999), Meena as Ranganayaki in Muthu (1995), and Khushbu as Rekha in Pandiyan (1992).

“Working with Superstar Rajinikanth in this film produced by Sun Pictures is a dream come true for an actor like me. A mere selfie with the actor would in itself bring one happiness and knowing that I get to play a role with the star in a film makes me feel elated. Director Siva who is an expert with commercial subjects is helming this film which makes it all the more special. I’m excited to be a part of this crew,” said actor Soori.

“This is a 25-year-old dream come true for me. I could say it’s the best wedding gift I would ever receive. I thank the entire team for giving me this opportunity,” actor Sathish had said when the announcement was made.

Meena said, “This is the first time I’ll be associating with Sun Pictures and director Siva, but this is a reunion of sorts with Rajini sir for which I’m really excited. The story has been penned really well and I play a jovial character in the film which the audience is bound to love. Eagerly looking forward to the shoot of Thalaivar 168.”

“I have kept away from Tamil films for about nine years with the sole reason to feature in a good film, and Thalaivar 168 is one such film. I have worked with Rajini sir in several films and I am extremely happy and excited to work with him again. The audience has always accepted us as a good on-screen pair and I hope they do so in this film too. It will be a different character compared to my earlier films,” said Khushbu.

The puja of Annaatthe took place on December 11, 2019, and shooting commenced at the end of the month.

The film will have music composed by D Imman, cinematography by Vetri Palanisamy, editing by Ruben, and art by Milan. Dilip Subbarayan is handling stunts with Brinda and Prem Rakshith choreographing dance. Anu Vardhan, Dhatsha Pillai, Shravya Varma, Anu Parthasarathy, and Sangeetha are working on costumes. Lyricists Viveka and Mani Amudhavan are penning lyrics, Aadhi Narayana is co-writing the script and Siva, Chandran, Savithri Muthu, and Bhagyaraj are jointly writing dialogues for Annaatthe.

In February, Rajinikanth made a television appearance with popular TV presenter Bear Grylls for his ‘Into The Wild’ show. The episode was telecast on Discovery.

Read: A Down To Earth Rajinikanth Goes ‘Into The Wild’ With Bear Grylls; Streaming On Discovery Plus

Meanwhile, Rajinikanth’s previous film Darbar is now streaming on Amazon Prime. Helmed by director AR Murugadoss, the film featured the actor as a cop ‘Aaditya Arunasalam’, long after his 1992 action-drama Pandian.

Read: Darbar Movie Review: Rajinikanth’s ‘Bad Cop’ Film Is Fun In Flashes And Tedious At Other Times

Watch the Darbar trailer here.