Section: Movies

Dhanush-Akshay Kumar-Sara Ali Khan Starrer ‘Atrangi Re’ Commences Shoot

BY Aparajitha Balu On

The shoot of Dhanush–Akshay Kumar–Sara Ali Khan starrer Atrangi Re commenced on Thursday morning. Helmed by Tanu Weds Manu and Zero fame director Aanand L Rai, the film is being bankrolled by Gulshan Kumar and Bhushan Kumar’s T Series, Aanand L Rai’s Colour Yellow Productions Pvt Ltd and Akshay Kumar’s Cape of Good Films.

Colour Yellow Productions took to Twitter to announce the news.

After several names like Hrithik Roshan and Ajay Devgn did the rounds, it was confirmed that Akshay Kumar will feature in the film. Rumour had it that the Housefull star readily agreed to the role without a second thought despite his busy schedule.

According to reports, the film will see both the lead actors romancing Sara parallelly but in different eras. Sara is believed to hail from Bihar and Dhanush from Madurai. The non-linear narrative will reportedly talk about how love is perceived in the North and South.

While the rest of the cast and crew are yet to be announced, AR Rahman will be composing for the film written by National Award-winning writer Himanshu Sharma. Cinematographer Pankaj Kumar is handling the camera for Atrangi Re.

Akshay Kumar in an interview with Bombay Times had said, “I am thrilled to be working with Aanand L Rai, as I have always admired the way he has showcased his stories. When he narrated the film to me, I said ‘yes’ within 10 minutes. It is a challenging character to play, but at the same time, it is such a special role that my heart just couldn’t say no to it. I will remember it for the rest of my life. My combination with Sara and Dhanush truly makes it true to its title — Atrangi! And I know that Aanand, in his special and simple way of storytelling, will only add magic to it.”

“It takes a secure actor like Akshay to do such a role. He has been pushing the envelope and is always up for challenges. The Dhanush and Sara pairing is interesting and exciting. Fans will love the freshness these two will bring on the big screen,” said Aanand to Bombay Times.

Atrangi Re is slated for release during Valentine’s day 2021 weekend. The film will reportedly be shot within 80-90 days and wrap up in July.

Meanwhile, Akshay Kumar whose last outing Good Newwz has joined the 200-crore club will next be seen in Rohit Shetty‘s Sooryavanshi whose trailer recently dropped, Chandraprakash Dwivedi’s Prithviraj, Farhad Samji’s Bachchan Pandey, Ranjit Tiwari’s Bell Bottom, and Raghava Lawrence‘s Laxmmi Bomb.

Dhanush was last seen in Pattas which hit screens for Pongal. The film also released in Telugu as Local Boy on 28 February. The film streaming on Amazon Prime saw Dhanush play a dual role and dealt with a forgotten art form.

Read: Pattas Movie Review: A Typical Revenge Drama, A Forgotten Martial Art And An In ‘Form’ Sneha

Dhanush recently won the Filmfare award for ‘Best Actor (Tamil)’ for his performance in Vada Chennai (2018) at the 66th Filmfare Awards South and the ‘Best Actor’ award for Asuran at the Ananda Vikatan Awards 2019 and at the Zee Cine Awards Tamil 2020.

Dhanush has also completed Jagame Thandhiram with Karthik Subbaraj, whose title motion poster was recently unveiled, and is currently filming for his next titled Karnan with Pariyerum Perumal fame director Mari Selvaraj. He will also be working on D43 with director Karthick Naren under the banner of Sathya Jyothi Films and for a film under Kalanithi Maran’s banner Sun Pictures, the director of which is yet to be revealed.

Watch the title motion poster of Jagame Thandhiram:

First Look Of Regina Cassandra’s ‘Soorpanagai’ Out Now

BY Silverscreen India Staff On

Recently, Regina Cassandra has been experimenting with the roles that have come her way, from Awe to Evaru.

In the Tamil film industry, the actress is now going to be seen in a mystery thriller, directed by Caarthick Raju. The film, titled Soorpanagai, released it’s first look and title poster recently. The poster was launched by Vijay Sethupathi.

The poster features an intense Regina looking directly into the camera, dressed in period attire. The whole look resembles costume films from the black and white era. Her face is scratched and she is in a box with spikes in them that are closing in on her. There also seem to be flecks of embers flying around her.

Mail_Iron-Maiden_Final_CMYK_Tamil

Speaking of the launch, the film’s director, Caarthick Raju, said, “We are happy that Vijay Sethupathi took the time to release the film’s first look and title. This is a character-driven film.”

Regina’s look in the movie has also received a lot of buzz, and the director remains tight-lipped about any further details in the film. Keeping the mystery around the film, the director said, “I want the audiences to experience the film in the theatres, I have tried to encompass action, adventure, humour, and elements that thrill in the film.”

Produced by Raj Shekar Varma for Apple Tree Studios, the film is being made in Tamil and Telugu. The film began shooting in January, and is being filmed across locations.

Director Samy’s ‘Akka Kuruvi’ Will Comprise Old Classics Of Ilaiyaraaja

BY Aparajitha Balu On

Director Samy of Uyir, Mirugam, Sindhu Samaveli, and Kangaroo fame had earlier obtained the official Tamil remake rights of the 1997 Iranian family drama Children Of Heaven written and directed by filmmaker Majid Majidi.

The film titled Akka Kuruvi comprises newcomers and is being bankrolled by the director along with his friends under the Madurai Muthu Movies and Dream Factory banners.

While it is already known that composer-singer Ilaiyaraaja is composing for the film, the latest is that the maestro will also be including eleven songs from his previous films to elevate the mood of the film. Three songs which have been composed for the film have also been written by him.

Speaking about the composer’s arrival on board, director Samy said, “I had approached him to compose for the film and he asked me to bring the output altogether. After I completed the shooting, I screened the film for him and he instantly agreed to work on it.”

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Children Of Heaven is about a brother and sister and their adventures over a lost pair of shoes. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1998. The film has since been considered a classic.

Speaking about taking up the film, director Samy said, “The films I’ve done so far do not define who I am. I am going to make such films only hereafter and I’d like to begin with this one. Once my sister had visited me and we decided to watch Children Of Heaven with my kids. That’s when we witnessed how they enjoyed the film thoroughly and wondered why such films haven’t been made in India. I decided to take it upon myself and do this film down south.”

He adds, “I had decided to retain the time period, the 80s, in which the story takes place in the original and scouted locations accordingly. I finally landed on Poombarai in Kodaikanal. The houses in this village are more than 500 years old. I felt it would suit the tone and mood of the film and shot the film entirely in this village.”

Akka-kuruvi-4

The film is being made in Tamil and Telugu with debutants Mahin and Daaviya reprising the roles of the 11-year-old brother and 7-year-old sister. Their selection took place after the screening of more than 200 child artistes. Tara Jagadamba, a classical dancer, will essay the role of the mother and Senthilkumar will play the role of the father. (A pair of shoes have also landed a significant role in the film.)

The audio launch of Akka Kuruvi is said to be held this month. The makers are planning to invite the director of the original, Majid Majidi, for the occasion.

Watch the trailer of Children Of Heaven here:

Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham Trailer Starring Mohanlal, Manju Warrier

Starring Mohanlal, Pranav Mohanlal, Arjun, Suniel Shetty, Prabhu, Manju Warrier, Suhasini, Keerthi Suresh, Kalyani Priyadarshan, Fazil, Siddique, Nedumudi Venu, Innocent, Ashok Selvan and Others.

Co Producers: Dr. Roy C J, Santhosh T Kuruvilla
Production Designer: Sabu Cyril
Cinematography : Thiru
Music : Ronnie Raphael
Screenplay: Priyadarshan, Ani I.V. SASI
Film Editor: Aiyappan Nair M.S
Background Score: Ankit Suri, Rahul Raj, Lyell Evans Roeder (London)
Production Controller: Sidhu Panakkal
Action: Thyagarajan, Kazu Neda (Thailand)
Makeup: Pattanam Rasheed

Jyothika Is A Stern-Faced Lawyer In The First Look Poster Of ‘Ponmagal Vandhal’ : Out Now

BY Aparajitha Balu On

The first look poster of Jyothika starrer Ponmagal Vandhal is out now. The film helmed by debutant Jj Fredrick is being bankrolled by actor Suriya‘s 2D Entertainment and co-produced by Rajsekar Karpoorasundarapandian.

The poster features a confident advocate Jyothika with newspaper clippings from various years at the top part of the backdrop. The lower part features a top view of various buildings.

Ponmagal Vanthaal-jyothika

Actor Surya took to Twitter to release the poster on Monday.

The thriller reportedly is about Jyothika’s character’s revenge on the perpetrators of some wrongdoing. The film also features Thiyagarajan, K Bhagyaraj, R Parthieban, Pandiyarajan, and Prathap Pothen in important roles. Govind Vasantha is on the music, Ramji on camera, Ruben on the edit and Amaran helming art. Poornima will be handling costumes for Ponmagal Vandhal.

The film which wrapped up shoot at the end of November 2019 will hit screens on March 27th.

On Tuesday evening, the first single ‘Vaa Chellam’ rendered by Brinda Sivakumar, the sister of Suriya and Karthi, in the lyrics of Vivek was released. It is noteworthy that she had also sung ‘Nee En Nanbane’ for Jyothika’s 2019 drama Raatchasi.

Listen to ‘Vaa Chellam’ here.

Meanwhile, Jyothika who was last seen in Thambi as Parvathy, the elder sister of Karthi, will next feature in an untitled film helmed by Kaththukkutti fame Saravanan. The film also stars Sasikumar, Samuthirakani, Kalaiyarasan, and Soori in important roles.

Sibiraj Starrer ‘Walter’ Certified U

BY Silverscreen India Staff On

Sibiraj‘s upcoming film Walter has received clearance from the censor board, with a ‘U’ certificate.

The director U Anbu, said, “The film deals with a sensitive issue. We all assumed that the CBFC would give this a U/A rating. However, we are pleasantly surprised by the certification.”

Walter deals with child trafficking, which the makers say is quite prevalent in Tamil Nadu. Anbu wanted to make a film on this subject, he said, “I often came across news articles and stories about missing children and babies. It affected me a lot, and that’s how I decided to make this movie.”

The research on the film led the director down a dark path. Some of the facts and statistics really surprised him he said. “I have tried as much as I could to share some of the facts that I unearthed through my film, they really shocked me. I feel that this will be a milestone film, especially for Sibiraj who has done a wonderful job.”

Walter is scheduled to release on 13 March, and is produced by Shruthi Tilak for 11:11 Productions. With Sibiraj in the lead, the film also stars Shirin Kanchwala, Samuthirakani, and Natty.

The film’s technical aspects are being handled by Prakash (Music), Rasamathi (DOP), Elayaraja S (Editor), Arivumathi-Arun Bharathi-Uma Devi (Lyrics), A.R. Mohan (Art), Dastha (Choreography), Vicky (Stunts), Manoj Kumar K (Production Executive),  Theni Murugan (Stills) and Shabeer J (Designs).

The film was also in news recently because the original Walter Devaram, former TN DGP was present at the audio launch of the film.

Vijay-Vijay Sethupathi Starrer ‘Master’ Shoot Wrapped Up

BY Aparajitha Balu On

The shoot of Vijay, Vijay Sethupathi and Malavika Mohanan starrer Master has wrapped up.

Helmed by Kaithi fame director Lokesh Kanagaraj under Xavier Britto’s XB Film Creators banner, the action flick has Vijay reportedly playing a professor. The commercial film will see the actor in a new avatar, as compared to his other films.

The team has shot in Delhi, Shimoga, Neyveli, and in several places in Chennai including AVM and Gokulam Studios over 129 days. Though the shoot wrapped up only on Monday evening, lead actors Vijay and Vijay Sethupathi finished their portions on Saturday.

The news came through a picture where Sethupathi was seen pecking Vijay’s cheek. The image went viral on social media.

While Lalit Kumar’s Seven Screen Studios is line producing the film, several distributors worldwide have acquired the theatrical rights of Master. Sun Pictures has bagged the satellite rights of the untitled film for a “whopping” price. Amazon Prime has reportedly bought the digital rights of the film for the OTT platform.

Master hosts several talents like Andrea Jeremiah, Nasser, Rajesh, Kaithi fame Dheena, Mahanadi Shankar, Sathish K, Lallu, 96 fame Gouri G Kishan, VJ Ramya, Arjun Das, Praveen Kumar, Nagendra Prasad, Shanthnu Bhagyaraj, Lintu Rony, Mathew Varghese, Sunil Reddy, Srinath, Prem Kumar, Ramesh Thilak, Sai Dheena, Soundarya Nandakumar, Chetan, Azhagam Perumal, Brigida Saga, Sanjeev, and Sriman.

On the technical front, Sathyan Sooryan is handling cinematography, Anirudh is composing music and Philomin Raj is on the edit. Aadai fame director Rathna Kumar has been brought on board to pen the additional screenplay and Stunt Silva for the action sequences. Dinesh Kumar has choreographed the opening song of the film while Sathish has choreographed the other songs.

Three posters from the film have released already. Two featuring actor Vijay alone and one of him with Vijay Sethupathi. All the posters went down well with fans and the film fraternity.

A while back, rumours were rife that Master is a remake of the 2011 Korean film Silenced helmed by Hwang Dong-hyuk. Director Lokesh has refuted this and has clarified that the story is based on an original idea conceived and written by him.

Actor Vijay was recently under the IT scanner for his last release  Bigil. The actor along with Sundar Arumugam (the distributor of Bigil), AGS (the producer of the film), and Anbu Chezhiyan (financier) were investigated, IT sleuths claimed, for the possession of unaccounted cash received through the film. Although it hampered a day’s shoot in Neyveli, the actor was given a clean chit, and returned to sets after completing all the formalities.

There was also a fake communal message spread against both Vijays for which Vijay Sethupathi simply replied with a “போயி வேற வேலை இருந்தா பாருங்கடா…” (go and do some other useful work).

Recently, the makers released the first single ‘Kutty Story’ inspired by the actor’s speeches at all of his film’s audio launches. The animated lyrical video went viral on social media and has garnered 26+ million views. It was entirely ideated by Lokesh Kanagaraj’s assistant Logi with Arunraja Kamaraj on the lyrics. Vijay has rendered the song in the composition of Anirudh.

Master will reportedly hit screens on 9th April 2020.

Watch the lyrical video of Kutty Story here:

Arun Vijay Starrer ‘Sinam’ Wraps Up Shoot

BY Aparajitha Balu On

The shooting of actor Arun Vijay’s next film Sinam wrapped up on Monday afternoon. Helmed by GNR Kumaravelan who shot to fame with his critically acclaimed Haridas, the film is bankrolled by R Vijaykumar’s Movie Slides Pvt Ltd.

Arun Vijay took to Twitter to announce the news.

“If it wasn’t for Arun Vijay sir, it would not have been possible to finish the shoot on time. Despite his busy schedule, and promotions, he made the time to complete the shoot. His dedication to his job is an eye opener. I also want to thank the other members of the cast as well as the technical team that kept the shooting to schedule. We are in post-production right now, and will release the trailer by the end of the month,” said director GNR Kumaravelan.

The film reportedly deals with a ‘current crisis in the society’ and has its share of fictional elements. Palak Lalwani who was last seen in Sixer plays the female lead with Kaali Venkat in a significant role. Shabir of Nenjamundu Nermaiyundu Odu Raja fame is composing music while cinematography is by S Gopinath, who earlier worked with Arun Vijay in Thadam. Michael helms art with Raja Mohammed on edit and Stunt Silva choreographing action sequences.

The final leg of the shoot that took place in Chennai reportedly involved huge set works and extraordinary action sequences. The makers plan to release the film this Summer.

Meanwhile, Arun Vijay will next be seen in Naveen M’s Agni Siragugal alongside Vijay Antony and Akshara Haasan, and Vivek’s Boxer alongside Ritika Singh. His recent release Mafia helmed by Karthick Naren saw him play a Narcotics Control bureau officer. Prasanna and Priya Bhavani Shankar also star alongside the actor.

The actor recently celebrated 25 years in the film industry. He started his career with Sundar C’s 1995 comedy-drama Murai Mappillai.

Read: Mafia Review: An Indulgent Thriller Whose Sequel Will Perhaps Be More Engaging

Watch the Mafia teaser here.

Shooting Of Atharvaa’s ‘Kuruthi Aatam’ Wrapped Up

BY Aparajitha Balu On

The shooting of Atharvaa starrer Kuruthi Aatam has been wrapped up. The film is being helmed by 8 Thottakal fame Sri Ganesh and jointly bankrolled by IB Karthikeyan’s Big Print Pictures and T Muruganantham’s Rockfort Entertainment. This marks the first production of Rockfort Entertainment and the second association of Big Print Pictures with Sri Ganesh after his previous film.

Rockfort Entertainment took to Twitter to announce the news.

A report in the Times of India about the film quotes the filmmaker, Sri Ganesh, as saying, “The film talks about two disparate men meeting by accident and the friendship they develop. The film will delve into the affection Atharvaa and child artiste Divyadarshini share. Certain circumstances will put that girl in trouble and that’s when Atharvaa’s character comes into play.”

The action-thriller based in Madurai will see Priya Bhavani Shankar opposite the actor. Apart from the lead pair, Radhika Sarathkumar and Radha Ravi also play important roles. On the technical front, the cinematography is by Dinesh Purushothaman, editing by Anil Girish, art by Kumar Gangappan and music by Yuvan Shankar Raja. Vicky is choreographing stunts.

Director Sri Ganesh also spoke to Silverscreen about directing his film. He was all praise for his lead actors, saying, “It’s been a great experience to work with talented actors like Atharvaa Murali, Priya Bhavani Shankar, Radhika Sarathkumar madam, and Radha Ravi sir. Atharvaa is a director’s actor, and one would assume that an actor with his kind of filmography would be holding my hand through this process, but, he surprised me. Priya Bhavani Shankar is another young actor who is all set to go places.”

He added, “Veteran actors like Radhika ma’am and Radharavi sir are amazing to work with. I was initially nervous, but they were extremely down to earth. Baby Divyadarshini is going to be the focal point of this film, and on the sets she had everyone’s affection.”

Speaking about composer Yuvan Shankar Raja, he said, “I have always been a fan of Yuvan sir and Raaja (Ilaiyaraaja) sir’s music. I cannot believe that he is composing the score for one of my films. I was so thrilled that he agreed to be a part of this film.”

Recently, the first look poster was unveiled.

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Meanwhile, Atharvaa will also feature opposite Anupama Parameswaran in Thalli Pogathey by director Kannan and in debut director Barnesh’s Othaikku Othai opposite Sri Divya. The former’s first look poster was recently revealed, and the latter is in the post-production phase. The second single from Othaikku Othai titled ‘Hey Konjum Maaya’ rendered by Nikhita Gandhi and Gowtham Bharadwaj in Justin Prabhakaran‘s composition dropped recently.

Listen to the song here:

Santhanam Starrer ‘Dikkiloona’ Wraps Up Shoot

BY Aparajitha Balu On

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

The makers took to Twitter to announce the news.

The film’s title, Dikkiloona, has been 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. The film is touted to be a complete entertainer.

Dikkiloona also stars an impressive 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 is now in post-production and the makers are planning a summer release for the film.

Santhanam’s previous film Dagaalty did not do well in the box office, and his long-pending release Server Sundaram helmed by Anand Balki which was to release on Valentine’s Day has been postponed due to financial issues. The actor will also feature in director Kannan’s Biskoth which is due for release this month.

Watch the teaser of Dagaalty here:

Raja Parvai Trailer Starring Varalaxmi Sarathkumar

Rajaparvai Cast & Crew :-
Cast : Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, Ravi Kale, Bharath Reddy, Sumithra, Black Pandi, Thalaivasal Vijay, Sumithra, Rajesh
Director : JK
Music : Ravi Basrur ( KGF Music Director )
DOP : Mathews
Editor : Venki UDV
Stunt : Siruthai Ganesh, Jolly Bastin, Kung Fu Chandru, KD Venkatesh
Producers : Babu Reddy KN & Jayaparakash
Banner : Sai Samrath Movies

Third Look Of Jayam Ravi And Nidhhi Agerwal Starrer ‘Bhoomi’ Out Now

BY Aparajitha Balu On

The third look poster of actor Jayam Ravi‘s next film Bhoomi has dropped. The film helmed by director Lakshman is being bankrolled by Sujataa Vijaykumar’s Home Movie Makers which also commissioned director Karthik Thangavel’s Adanga Maru also with Jayam Ravi in the lead. This is the actor’s third outing with director Lakshman, after Romeo Juliet and Bogan.

In this new look, Jayam Ravi is seated on a gold crowned chair and Nidhhi Agerwal on the ground with sacks, a tractor and the wheel of a bullock cart in the backdrop of the poster. But on the contrary (even to the previous posters), instead of going traditional, they look urban, in blacks, whites, and blues.

bhoomi-poster

The makers took to Twitter to release the third-look poster.

While Nidhhi Agerwal debuts in Kollywood with the film, comedian Sathish is reportedly featuring in an important role. D Imman will be composing music, Chennai Express fame Dudley will be cranking the camera, John will edit and G Durairaj will helm art. Stunt Shiva will be choreographing action sequences with Brinda master choreographing dance. The rest of the cast is yet to be announced.

A source privy to the film told Silverscreen that the movie deals with agriculture and its collapsing stature owing to the corporate world. The film was originally titled Sarvaadhikaari reportedly but was later rechristened Bhoomi.

The team completed shooting the opening song ‘Thamizhan Endru Sollada’ recently, choreographed by Brinda master and her assistant Prashanna Babu. Imman had also announced a while ago that he had roped in Yogi B to render a song with lyrics by Madhan Karky.

While the makers have announced that the teaser will drop on March 9th, the film is slated for release on May 1, 2020.

Meanwhile, Jayam Ravi who was last seen in Pradeep Ranganathan’s Comali, will next feature in director Ahmed’s film alongside Taapsee Pannu. He is also a part of director Mani Ratnam’s Ponniyin Selvan (its title font was recently revealed). He is said to play Arulmozhi Varmar/Raja Raja Chozhan in the film. Nidhhi Agerwal was last seen in Puri Jagannadh’s iSmart Shankar.

Watch the trailer of Comali here:

Kannada Film ‘Bell Bottom’ To Be Remade In Tamil And Hindi

BY Silverscreen India Staff On

Actor Kreshna and director Sathyashivaa, who have collaborated on films like Kazhugu and Kazhugu 2, are coming together for a third film titled Bell Bottom.

The film is a remake of a hit Kannada film of the same name that made Rs. 20 crores in the box office. The Hindi remake of the film is also on the cards, with Akshay Kumar being roped in to play the lead role.

Set a few decades back, the film is centred on the life of a detective named Diwakar, who becomes a cop because of some circumstances. In a series of twists and turns, the film sees him tackling a seemingly unsolvable case. How he manages to do it, while also grappling with his own personal issues, forms the crux of the film.

Actor Kreshna is known for a variety of roles in various genres. He began his career as a child artiste in Mani Ratnam’s film Anjali, and went on to do many films both as the lead and a character actor.

The female lead is being played by Mahima Nambiar, who has starred in Kuttram 23 and Magamuni. The multistarrer also features other prominent names from the industry.

The film’s technical crew include Raja Bhattacharjee on cinematography. Gopi Krishna on editing, Sam CS will be composing the music for the film. The film’s director Sathyashivaa is currently awaiting the release of his next film with Rana Daggubati, 1945. Bell Bottom is produced by H Charles Immanuvel for NH Hari Silver Screens.

Also Read: Kazhugu 2 Review: A Boring, Painful Safari

South Indian Films To Receive Subsidy For Shooting In Madhya Pradesh

BY Aparajitha Balu On

The Congress government in Madhya Pradesh has announced that filmmakers will be granted a subsidy of up to Rs. 2 crores if their films are shot in the state. In addition, South Indian filmmakers will be given an extra 10% subsidy from the government. This is part of the state’s ‘Film Tourism Policy 2020’.

A statement from the government said how much of grant filmmakers receive will depend on the number of films shot. It read, “The government will give as a grant 25% of the expenditure on the movie or Rs 1 crore, whichever is less, to a filmmaker on the shooting of his first movie done on at least 50% of the shooting days in the state. The grant for the second movie of the filmmaker will be 25% of the cost or Rs 1.25 crore, whichever is less. The grant for the third and subsequent movies will go up with 75% of the cost or Rs 1.50 crore, whichever is less. A feature film that showcases Madhya Pradesh prominently and is shot in the state for 75% of the shooting days will get an additional grant of Rs 50 lakh. A filmmaker whose film is based on Madhya Pradesh will get 50% of the film cost or Rs 5 crore, whichever is less, as a special grant. The grant will be decided by a film facilitation centre.”

Various Bollywood films from Dilip Kumar’s Aan (1952) to recent films like Padman, Stree, and Sui Dhaaga have been shot in the state. Forts, palaces, gardens, roads, and malls in places like Gwalior, Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur, Orccha and Khajuraho are some of its famous locations.

“Bhopal is the best place in the country for the shooting of Hindi movies, the atmosphere, scenic beauty blended with chummy Hindi speaking people makes it most suitable for film making, I am in so much love with the Bhopal that may go native of it, as far as shooting of films is concerned I will continue to shoot films here,” said producer Prakash Jha, as part of the promotions. Actor Ajay Devgn said, “No doubt Bhopal is the best place to shoot for a film, the cooperation of the administration and the people we get here is not seen anywhere else. The city is very beautiful that provides an enormous atmosphere to shoot.”

“It is not that because I am the son in law of the city, but I like the city and the people very much,” said actor Amitabh Bachchan.

Featured image:  Lonely Planet

Suriya’s Next Titled ‘Aruvaa’ Will Be Directed By Hari

BY Silverscreen India Staff On

Suriya, whose upcoming Soorarai Pottru is among the bigger releases this year, will next be seen in Hari’s Aruvaa. Studio Green which is bankrolling the film made the announcement yesterday. The Suriya-Hari combo has been running strong since the Singam franchise and they have worked together in five films so far (including Aaru and Vel).

D Imman who’s working on the score of Rajinikanth’s next, Annanthae, will work on Aruvaa’s music as well. Aruvaa will clash with Ajith starrer Valimai (directed by H Vinoth) at the box office this Diwali.

Sudha Kongara’s Soorarai Pottru is likely to release on April 9, 2020. There are murmurs of the film clashing with Master at the BO but release dates haven’t been locked in yet.

Recently, the Tamil daily Vikatan had said that Vijay was considering working with Kongara after his Master with Lokesh Kanagaraj. Meanwhile others have reported that Vijay is likely to work with Lokesh again. No official announcements have been made yet.

Watch the teaser of Soorarai Pootru here: