The teaser of Vishnu Vishal starrer FIR – Faizal Ibrahim Rais dropped yesterday. The film which commenced shoot in November has Manu Anand, a former associate of Gautham Menon at the helm. The film is being bankrolled by Vishnu’s home banner Vishnuu Vishal Studioz after Anand Joy’s Sujataa Entertainment dropped out of the project due to a lack of funds.
Everyone’s on the lookout for Abu Bakkar Abdulla (Vishnu Vishal), someone who has supposedly been framed a terrorist for being extremely religious. We find happy glimpses of Rebba and Manjima and serious moments involving Raiza and Gautham Menon in the teaser too. And then there’s a disconnected Prashanth who is found bragging about himself. While the short teaser seems racy, it also feels a tad incomplete? Here’s hoping the next one let’s on more.
The film’s revolves around terrorism wherein a young Muslim boy finds himself in a difficult circumstance. Raiza Wilson, Manjima Mohan, and Reba Monica John will be playing the female leads in the film. South Indian movie tracker Prashanth Rangaswamy, Gaurav Narayanan and Gautham Vasudev Menon have significant roles in the film. Arul Vincent will be handling the camera with N Ashwath composing music and Prasanna GK on the edit. Stunt Silva will be choreographing action sequences for the film.
A few days back, Vishnu Vishal penned a letter and released a video about how he tackled depression. He released pictures and spoke of how exercise helped restore his mental health.
The upcoming Kabir Khan film 83 is about India’s first cricket World Cup victory. The 83 film team came down to Chennai to launch the first look of the Tamil version of the film amidst chanting crowds and a lot of fanfare.
The evening was hosted at Sathyam Cinemas, and everyone from the film as well as some of the cricketing legends from the winning team were present at the launch.
Producer Sashikanth of Y Not Studios said, “I cannot believe that I am standing with my cricketing heroes. My father shared with me his memories of the world cup win, and to be producing a movie about this historic moment is a huge thing for me.”
The producer was also full of praise for the cast of the film. The team captain, Ranveer Singh, a first-timer to Chennai, was his usual excited self. He said, “This is my first visit to Chennai and Kamal Hassan sir has promised a big party. I am really thrilled to be a part of this film. For us Indians, the win in 83 means a lot, and to be able to recreate that on screen has been an immensely satisfying journey.”
He also spoke about the work involved in getting the nuances right, since this was a story that everyone is familiar with. He said, “It’s been an experience for all the boys. Kapil Dev is an icon, to play him was extremely challenging. I had to practice a lot and get his bowling action spot on. We spent so much time practicing, there is definitely a brotherhood amongst us.”
Actor Jiiva, who has played the role of Kris Srikanth said, “This movie came to me through Vishnu. I was really surprised to know that I was going to play Srikanth sir. Apart from his shot play, I also had to learn some of his mannerisms, like his smoking. All I will say is, my teammates made sure that we had a good laugh about this on the first day of our shoot!”
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Also present was the film’s director, Kabir Khan. On making this film, he said, “As a young boy, I was amazed with how the win inspired our country. They were so young, all in their 20s when they won the world cup. That team spirit and friendship is still going strong. I am thankful to Kamal sir for supporting this film.”
Cricketer Kris Srikanth, who was also present at the event, said, “If there was one man who believed that the Indian team is going to win the World Cup in 83, it was none other than Kapil Dev. As soon as the project was announced, I really wanted to know who was going to play Kapil. When I knew it was Ranveer, I was really excited. He’s a very good actor and I can see that he has done justice to his part.”
Kapil Dev also had a lot to say, “I am thankful that we will relive those glorious moments once again through this film. I have visited Chennai many times, and I love this city. Srikanth has been such a great stress buster on and off field.”
The cricketers also kept the audiences in splits recalling some fun incidents from their touring days. Kamal Haasan, whose production house is presenting 83 in Tamil, said, “Kabir Khan shared some facts about the team with me, and it made me very emotional. They faced a lot of hardships, and didn’t have an adequate budget for things like laundry. The BBC wasn’t present when the win happened, and I am happy that this victory is now recorded for all posterity.”
After the first look release, Ranveer Singh unveiled the 40-ft banner of the film 83 in Sathyam Cinemas. He interacted with the audiences there for a while entertaining them and leaving them with a lot of memories. 83 will be released on 10 April 2020, worldwide.
I’ve reached this point, all credit to Kollywood, where I’m willing to watch multiple movies with a mainstream story instead of a movie that begins interestingly with a different idea, but ends up being something else altogether. At least mainstream content, although typical, will not build up your expectations and leave you hanging. It’s exactly what it’s touted to be unlike these films. While last month Kathir starrer Jada walked that path, this month Taana decided to follow. Though the film had all the scope to turn out to be a wonderful entertainer, it did just the opposite.
Sakthi (Vaibhav) does not want to serve as a policeman for keeping up the temple tradition his ‘Taana’ family held for many years owing to the change in the tone of his voice when he goes through extreme emotions. When the government decides to procure the temple land of the Vallimalai village, the grandmother (Kalairani) of the ‘Taana’ family prevents them from doing so by immolating herself. Affected by this, Sakthi turns cop for the purpose of maintaining the tradition after several struggles. While I was wondering why most of the scenes in the first half have no connection to the plot, I realised the idea that took up the entire first half has no relevance to the second half. They brought up several ideas but incorporated them however least they could. There’s Puberphonia, talks about data transfer, and exploitation through banking loans, but none of it dealt properly.
Taana Movie Stills Starring Vaibhav
The second half dwells on how Sakthi tracks down fraudsters-cum-murderers while not serving the police department. He loses his feminine voice throughout the second-half but conveniently never realises it at any point until the climax where he’s made to speak to the press. We find the same plot point Rajini used in Darbar to solve the confusion around the three antagonists. While there it’s a silly bike conversation, here it’s an acceptable cyclone conversation. Though the connection established was plausible and interesting, there was no point in keeping all of this towards the end of the film. They already lost me after a tiresome bunch of scenes in the beginning. Turning serious only towards the end after acting all humourous in the beginning just didn’t work.
*Spoiler begins*
To track down the death of a pregnant lady Anitha, Sakthi uses a spot of blood he finds on the forehead of a Barbie doll in her house. Somehow the blood is exactly in the shape of a bindi, which makes him curious as to how those dolls have bindis.
Later they show us how her head went through a nail and resulted in her death. Anyone with common sense would know how much blood could splatter from that. I’m still figuring out how it turned out to be a tiny spot of blood on the forehead of the doll with absolutely no sign of blood anywhere else. Someone, please teach me also the ways of this director.
*Spoiler Ends*
There were instances where I felt Yogi Babu (Dooma in the film) was headlining the film. He even had a better introduction scene than Vaibhav and managed to garner laughs here and there. He was, in fact, the only reason I could sit through the boring first half. Vaibhav showed no interest in any scene. After watching him perform in films like Mangaatha, Kappal, and Sixer, every scene of this film was a disappointment. He failed to emote or even match the emotion his female dubbing artist exuded during some scenes. Nandita Swetha doesn’t help much with the romance parts let alone the plot. Hareesh Peradi is his usual self in this film too.
Taana Movie Stills Starring Vaibhav, Yogi Babu
Owing to a lack of songs, which I don’t regret, no opinion could be formed of Vishal Chandrasekhar’s album. The only song to feature was an atrocious forest song involving witchcraft. Shiva’s camera work was flat and Prasanna GK’s editing didn’t help either. A wonderful opportunity wasted, that’s Taana is for you.
The Taana review is a Silverscreen original article. It was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the film. Silverscreen.in and its writers do not have any commercial relationship with movies that are reviewed on the site.
Helmets are not for everyone. In Ashwini Iyer Tiwari’sPanga (screenplay by Nikhil Mehrotra and Tiwari with additions from Nitesh Tiwari), Prashant (Jassi Gill), Jaya (Kangana Ranaut) and Adi (Yagya Bhasin) are a tiny nuclear family in the city of Bhopal, Tiwari not yet planning to expatriate her focus away from northern Tier-II cities of India that have served her well so far.
Jaya is a ticket counter operator at Habibganj railway station and Prashant works the bigger carriages, some sort of a quality checker, before he sends them away. Not without those tickets. Their entertainment options are limited — a dinner out or if Jaya is working longer shifts, pizza and video games.
Tiwari doesn’t have to try too hard to instill the sensation that the dad and the son are a team, the mother, the party-pooper. So, what has she lost? She has missed the bus on a whole lot to which we’ll get to later, but she loses the helmet. Prashanth and Adi get a protection over their head during all their two-wheeler journeys while Jaya’s head is ripe for the taking. Is a third helmet too expensive? A third helmet isn’t required because values are assigned to each member of the family and traditional workplaces or educational institutions and physical health get more points compared to others.
Jaya’s courses lack weightage. She cooks. She cleans. She helps with Adi’s homework and she walks him to the bus in addition to the myriad school activities that call for the hand of a parent. She is in the WhatsApp group full of mothers. She knows the schedule of Adi’s medicines for his low immunity like the back of her hand. These lack those weightage points and Jaya always falls short, her physical and mental health are written off from this calculation. She will not get a safety helmet; she isn’t that precious.
Choice of words make a difference in Panga. All of us would like to be understood — our dreams, aspirations, struggles, hard work and achievements acknowledged. In different words, at some point, we have all said or screamed, “please try to understand me, my point of view”. But in Panga, it is phrased in a way that puts the onus on the one who is reaping the sacrifices of a tired but reborn woman. Jaya Nigam (KanganaRanaut) uses the words “samajhne ki zimmedari” (responsibility to understand) when her 8-year-old son is cross with her for missing his race in school due to work, and her husband, an otherwise affable gentleman, asks her to understand that he is only a kid, he doesn’t get it.
That enrages Jaya more than the kid’s misdirected outrage. Why is the onus always on her to understand? It’s not her responsibility to understand others. It must be others’ responsibility to understand and acknowledge her handiwork. She moves the various wheels and dials in this house that it is a functioning one for Prashant and Adi to do as they please.
It’s story as old as time and no matter how many men are sensitised to everyday sexism, there is always the inner locker room quip waiting for the right time to break out.
Locker rooms, that’s another environment Panga is set around in. Out of the frying pan and into the astro turf falls Jaya Nigam, a former captain of the Indian Kabaddi team who is keen to make a comeback after a playful wager with Adi and Prashant. But one of the most beautiful moments in Panga occurs around this.
Prashant insists that the sham is done, Adi will be too emboldened to see you on the big stage but that’s not happening, so let’s kill it. She tells Prashant how happy she feels when she looks at Adi and him. And how unhappy she feels when she looks at herself in the mirror. The residual reflection of a former self. But the new training regime has given her fitness and confidence back.
Adi’s only half-joking references to Serena Williams and Roger Federer working on her (incidentally, Williams crashed out of the Australian Open 2020 in the 3rd round and Federer needed 5 sets to get to the 4th on the day of the film’s release). KanganaRanaut makes this portion work, with a kind of dignified contentment and measured optimism.
She plays the two different moments in similar fashion — once when she looks at the just born Adi, in incubation because he was born with low immunity, she peers over the glass door and talks to him, reassures him that she is the one who’ll take care of him, as a single tear rolls down her left eye.
The same optimism and peace of mind brightens up her face when she is talking about a return to Kabaddi, about the journey towards it, that’s – as much as she loves her inmates – already delivered her the escape from jail card.
A lot of sports are about that. It’s a pyramid to be scaled where every rung must be negotiated in different ways and each rung is a self-sufficient ecosystem in itself. The regular subjects on the streets will talk about journeymen in Eastern Railway team or that one great game of tennis that changed the mood in a World Group playoff. A legend within the confines of one rung.
Jaya wishes to experience that moment for she used to be that legend, when she goes and stands in front of a young Railways team at the station. They don’t recognize her, and she is shown not only her place but also the place of her sport. But Jaya wants to get past all that.
She makes it to the Indian team because there is media interest in her and when the coach (Rajesh Tailang) says media interest will help grow Kabaddi, it is hard to argue. It’s not a disingenuous claim, if a great, winning team is finding it difficult to pull in the audience, then take the team to the audience. It’s a moment that feels real, any self-respecting sportswriter pitching articles on women’s sports will tell you.
Sports is full of tiny victories, and like the media, cinema too wants its fanfare. Jaya must make that athletic move and save the day. Anjali Iyer Tiwari infuses the film with needless drama between the Indian team captain and bench warmer Jaya Nigam. It has no precedence and it also goes away as innocuously as it arrived. These are the portions where Panga finally becomes that exhilarating sports film, with shots of raiding and defending, ankle locks and video reviews.
There are also unwieldy stretches like the one in Mumbai where Jaya lashes on her friend Meenu (Richa Chadha looking like she’s perennially ready to disarm anyone in front of her) about selfish moms and bad parenting. A film that was riding on visuals suddenly switches gears and becomes all unwieldy throwing those words around.
Not taking anything away from it, that’s the film Panga wants to be. The one that cancels the culture of career-life balance. The one that wants to say that what Jaya Nigam was doing in Habibganj was also a thriving career, as is winning the Asia Championships Gold. Will the twain ever meet? Highly doubtful but Tiwari does shine sharper in the domestic portions of Panga. A simple phone call. A mother to mother. A quest for delayed appreciation. And nothing to do with kabaddi and everything to do with it. Points for an elegant super tackle.
The Pangal review is a Silverscreen.in original article. It was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the film. Silverscreen.in and its writers do not have any commercial relationship with movies that are reviewed on the site.
Movie – Naadodigal 2
Writer & Director – P. Samuthirakani
Artists – M. Sasikumar, Anjali, Barani, Athulya, Gnanasambandam, Namo Narayanan, Namo Narayanan, Thulasi, Sri Ranjani & Others
Music – Justin Prabhakaran
Dop – N. K. Ekambaram
Editor – Al. Ramesh
Art Director – Jacki
Stunts – Silva
Lyrics – Yugabharathi, Logan
Choreography – Prem Rakshith, Johnny, Kalai Kumar
Production Executive – A.S. Siva Chandran
Produced By – S. Nanthagopal
Production Banner – Madras Enterprises
Tamil Nadu Release – Linda Big Pictures
Music Label – Sony Music Entertainment India Pvt. Ltd.
Malayalam cinema is passing through an interesting period when the mass masala entertainers have come to be the new offbeat. These colorful potboilers featuring an alpha male hero who is capable of doing gravity-defying stunts, who’s feared as much as he’s loved and worshiped, are now seen as a refreshing interruption in the flux of quasi-realistic dramas.
With most of the younger generation heroes focusing on the latter kind of films, Mammootty, one of the two biggest superstars in the Malayalam mainstream film industry, seems to have taken it upon himself to keep the former genre alive.
All movies in the ‘Raja franchise’ (Rajadhiraja, Pokkiri Raja, Madhura Raja) follow a similar plot template. An invincible hero who likes to play the clown, who has a past of sacrifice or loss, comes back from exile to protect his family. The aesthetics of these films stems from the Tamil-Telugu mass hero films of the 90s.
Instead of situational humor, they have comic set pieces where characters perform buffoonery. Scenes set in places like bars and instances of a wedding are inserted into the narrative for the sake of a colorful dance sequence. Sexism, misanthropy, and sadism aren’t frowned upon, and a heroine is, almost always, just a pretty addition to the hero’s domain.
Shylock, directed by Ajai Vasudev, is a fitting follow up to the director’s 2017 film, Masterpiece, also starring Mammootty, a mind-numbingly bad comedy-thriller. Both films run on a thin cliche-ridden plot, tied together by Vasudev’s abysmal sense of filmmaking.
The trick to enjoying Shylock is to submit completely to the movie’s cheesy aesthetics, a loud and incessant noise that Gopi Sunder sells as background score, and its poor writing that leaves comedians like Baiju and Hareesh Perumanna unutilized.
Everything, including a simple domestic moment, is staged without any grace. The film’s archaic storyline ensures that it is smoothly predictable. Intrigue, here, is an alien concept. The hero’s Rolls-Royce gets more prominence in the narrative than the antagonists.
The sole source of light in this utterly dull movie that could tire even the most loyal viewer out is Mammootty’s spirited performance. Mammootty plays a quirky and flamboyant loan shark who goes by nicknames such as Boss and Vaal (tail). His flamboyance is akin to that of Kasaba’s Rajan Skaria or Pokkiri Raja’s Raja. He dresses and acts dramatically – black shirt, kohl-rimmed eyes, a thick chain around his neck, and there is an odd rhythm to his gait.
When one of the supporting characters, a small-time villain, tries to order him about, he bursts into an evil laughter, pushes the man aside and occupies his chair, and declares who the boss is. At one instance, he and his sidekicks barge into a bar owned by his rivals. A dance performance by three scantily-clad women is underway, so he waits, and occasionally participates in the dance.
Boss operates majorly in the film industry, loaning huge sums of money to individual producers and production banners. A powerful movie producer (Shajon) who had repeatedly refused to pay back the money that he owes Boss, begins to get unexpected and unpleasant visits from the latter, on the sets of his films and at important conferences he’s attending.
The producer and his business partner, the city’s police commissioner (Siddique), clash with Boss. A murder later, it comes to light that the rivalry between the parties goes back many years. There is a little too much violence in Shylock. In a different movie, directed by someone with better sensibilities, Boss might have been a psycho killer with a bloody past.
Ajai Vasudev looks at it as a bad video game. A horde of nameless characters (and few prime characters) get stabbed on different parts of their body and drop dead like flies. Thanks to the clumsiness in writing and staging of scenes, it’s hard to empathize with the hero or cheer him when he commits this mass murder and cracks jokes about it.
Heroism isn’t just a skill to kill but it requires careful design. The film, right from scene one, reiterates that Boss is invincible. Every time he appears on the screen, a piece of background music that sings praises of him starts to belt out. There is never a dip in his power graph for the audience to see him or his enemies in a different light and root for him.
Actors like Siddique, Rajkiran, Shajon and Bibin play thoroughly uninteresting uni-dimensional characters. Ajai Vasudev appears as one of the minor villains alongside John Vijay. The duo makes a perfect pair, matching up to each other’s loudness.
There is an obvious (and unreasonable) effort to showcase Mammootty as Rajinikanth. He’s repeatedly compared to Padayappa and Thalapathy. The menace in his body language is evidently designed to match Rajinikanth’s in Pettah and Darbar.
For the superstar’s fans, this display of swag and energy might be a reassurance, that he isn’t tired of playing the idol and being part of nonsensical charades marketed as comedy-action-thriller. But when seen without that ‘fan lens’, it should be apparent that the man looks worn out, from age and probably from having to shoulder an awful film that mocks his stellar career.
Sex and sexual violence are at the centre of Mysskin’s Psycho. Early in the film, we get a clumsily put together lecture on psychopaths and serial killers from a mental health professional. Radio jockey Dagini (Aditi Rao Hydari) is interviewing the doctor on her show, following a spate of murders in the city of Coimbatore. The killer has a signature, something we get in the opening scene, the director pulling no punches. He has the woman lying down on a table, the limbs and body fastened to it. He then moves the levers to get the head down. And one whack, the head is separated from the torso. The headless bodies are then discarded in various places in the city’s edges, partially naked. The first body we find, Mysskin’s favourite bird’s eye view shot rears its head, the parents of the girl scream at the gods. In the interview, the doctor observes that none of the women was raped or sexually violated in any way. She says maybe that’s because the killer doesn’t enjoy sex or is simply unable to have sex.
Mysskin need not have bothered with the “tribute to Alfred Hitchcock” card in the beginning of the film. It’s all there right from the title. There are the bird’s eye view shots. The Psycho shower scene is partially recreated in a basement parking. Here too, there is a mother figure. We cannot make out if she is a prisoner or an accomplice. Or if she exists. A skeleton turns up in a decrepit cell. But there are also subtler tributes. During Unna Nenachu, Dagini climbs up a hillock to only stop in front of a tiny pond. There is a bird in the pond caressing itself, and then we get another shot from above. We see the hill glowing with lights under the night sky, Dagini standing in front of the pond that is shaped like the vulva. If this is not Hitchcockian, then what is? There is another frame with a similar feminine image.
Gautham (Udayanidhi Stalin) is lying on the floor of his home, next to him the reflection of a skylight, a perfect square in the centre eclipsing the rays forming a… hole?
Psycho doesn’t get carried away with the tributes. It is patently Mysskinian too. We get the full gamut — the musician protagonist, the homeless in railway stations, the deserted basement parking, a reference to Ouija and talking to ghosts, men crawling on all fours, and at times reduced to slithering across with no limbs to support. Eerie night sky lit only by a petrol bunk on a highway with the traffic signal perennially in red. Under the lights, a prostitute. Mysskin’s trademark empathetic gaze on society’s rejectementa is all over the screen. The police question a prostitute for possible leads, the camera’s gaze and the officers’ eyes overflowing with warmth and compassion. One wonders where in this state are such considerate, empathetic police officials. They do exist only in Mysskin films. An affectionate respect creeps up in the voice of a senior police officer when he tells the constable guarding the police station at night to continue sleeping. Quirky ticks like the inspector played by Ram humming AM Rajah songs (there is Thanimaiyile of course and I *think* one song from Then Nilavu) at the most inopportune moments. It doesn’t help that he is a bad singer.
Gautham is blind and his partner in crime solving — a delightfully potty mouthed Nithya Menen as Kamala Das — is a quadriplegic ex-police officer. We see Buddha in front of a room full of Hindu deities, as if Gautham gave up on his parents’ faith and sought some relief in Buddhism. Kamala Das must of course be named for the poet and literary giant from Kerala, known for her writings on women’s issues, sexuality and freedom. Disability is one of Psycho’s running themes. Almost all the principal characters are disabled in some manner and mental health is repeatedly invoked. Gautham interrupts a doctor talking to a suicidal patient and we get a wall poster on mental health awareness. One of the victims’ name is Sylvia Plath. It’s rare to get a film that moves the needle on the way the disabled are portrayed on screen. In Psycho, they are intelligent, mobile crime solvers needing little physical help. Mysskin takes it to the extremes too: he has them driving a vehicle.
Do all of this form a coherent film? That’s a tough question. Mysskin plays around with a lot of themes here. Religion (a praying Muslim police officer leads a clue to a pig farm!), sex, sin, sexual violence, disability, mental health. Almost all characters invoke their gods and at some point, even the non-believers are pushed to pray. But most striking of all, there is the dichotomy that is at the centre of any religion. The good and the bad. There is symmetry in many of Psycho’s frames, more than most other Mysskin’s films. Both Gautham and the antagonist are stalkers. One does it for extreme violent ends, the other claims to do it out of pure love, so much that he says he doesn’t even care if the love is requited. This is reinforced by a frame where both come in close contact and, for a moment, one is eclipsed by the other. Are they one and the same? Have tiny inflection points resulted in their eventual disposition, in mental and physical ways. Psycho is heavy, not without its rewards but do all of it come together is a question for another day.
The Psycho review is a Silverscreen.in original article. It was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the film. Silverscreen.in and its writers do not have any commercial relationship with movies that are reviewed on the site.
Composer D Imman is known for his quirky and peppy tunes while also hitting the bulls eye when it comes to emotional numbers. As the composer turns 36, here are six songs we’re listening to on his birthday.
Soi Soi – Kumki, 2012
Looking out for a catchy Tamil rural song? Say no more, Imman has you covered. The voice of Maghizhini Manimaaran is nothing less than perfect for the song. All songs in the film worked wonders and this turned out to be one of Imman’s best albums. Directed by Prabhu Solomon, the film stars Vikram Prabhu, Lakshmi Menon, and Thambi Ramaiah.
Did everyone fancied a purple ribbon when the song came out? The lyrics are simple yet catchy with a perfect beat to complement. Not to forget the iconic step in the video. Directed by Ponram, the film stars Sivakarthikeyan, Sathyaraj, and Sri Divya. The song has been rendered by Harihara Sudhan.
Koodamela Koodavechu – Rummy, 2014
One of his most populat melodies, this song brings a smile to my face whenever I listen to it. There’s some magic in the voices of Prasanna VV and Vandana Srinivasan that uplifts your mood. Directed by debutant Balakrishnan it features Vijay Sethupathi, Inigo Prabhakaran, Gayathrie Shankar, and Aishwarya Rajesh in the lead roles.
Un Mela Oru Kannu – Rajini Murugan, 2016
Imman’s songs are usually like conversations between the characters and this song is among the best. Sung by Jithin Raj and Mahalakshmi Iyer, its about a young couple’s desires, love and complaints. Directed by Ponram, the film stars Sivakarthikeyan, Soori, and Keerthy Suresh.
Kannana Kanney – Viswasam, 2019
The song that won many hearts and many awards. You definitely feel the love in Sid Sriram’s voice. The song is about the bond between a daughter and father. Directed by Siva, the film stars Ajith Kumar, Nayanthara, Thambi Ramaiah, Vivek, and Anikha Surendran.
Gaanda Kannazhagi – Namma Veetu Pillai, 2019
There’s no way you could’ve gone past 2019 without the words ‘Gummuru Tapparu’ ringing in your head. And with Anirudh Ravichander and Neeti Mohan on the vocals, the song sure made us tap our feet. Directed by Pandiraj, the film stars Sivakarthikeyan, Anu Emmanuel, Aishwarya Rajesh, Soori and Bharathiraja.
While casting is one of the most essential elements for creating good cinema, the idea of a casting director is unheard of or rather unspoken of in the Kollywood industry. In the industry there are middlemen who swindle money with no intention of helping budding talent or the notorious ‘casting couch’ or it’s a combination of the director and producer’s whims.
Nithya Sriram, who’s a popular casting director today, took it upon herself to eliminate intermediaries. She personally witnessed the problems artists, be it newcomers or those already in the industry faced and realised that casting was her calling in life.
Unexpectedly beginning her career as a casting director about a decade ago with director Mysskin after visiting his set as a proxy for a dance sequence her friend was originally assigned to do, she has been a part of several projects like Mugamoodi, Thupparivaalan, Savadi, and Adanga Maru.
Ahead of the release of Psycho, Silverscreen spoke to Nithya Sriram who has been a part of the project, she terms her favourite. Here are a few excerpts from the interview:
Why did you pick this film besides Mysskin? What scope did you see as a casting director?
Essentially there’s no reason apart from him. There is so much that you can learn from a director like him about casting and its intricacies. He taught me how a particular nose shape, let alone the skill of acting, plays an important role in the selection process of an artist. Besides this, I have never had an emotional side to myself, at least before this movie. No particular song or scene or even movie has made me tear up. My kith and kin have always wondered how I turned out this way. But the fact is, I can only enjoy or even be mesmerised by something but I somehow fail to attach myself to it. On reading the script of Psycho, especially the second half, I burst into tears to the extent of calling for plenty of tissues. Looking at me, Mysskin himself was in tears. He had just dealt with Nithya Menen who read the script just the previous day. The climax left me with a heavy heart and I needed a few days to get back to being normal. Psycho hosts more new faces than established actors, and the casting process for them was entirely different for me. The scene papers I used for auditioning aren’t like any other. They held an entirely different pulse. I realised that auditions should adopt such strong scenes to pick out real talent. If one could pull off such a scene, he/she is capable of anything else.
Earlier, artistes used to be content with the fact that they merely appeared in a Mysskin film. But now, they demand dialogues and decent screen-time. Most of the artistes in this film will appear only for a short period, but I can assure you they’ll make a mark. I’m so thankful for this film for the number of talents I could bring out. I am not able to put it exactly in words, but this film holds a special meaning for me in all aspects.
The main character (besides Udhayanidhi) seems to be a newcomer. Tell us a little about him and why a newcomer was brought on board for a crucial role.
Oh, the antagonist? There was no special significance in that decision. But I must say Rajkumar is a capable and wonderful performer. He was willing to do anything when it comes to acting. The crew of Psycho is actually very lucky to have an artiste like him onboard. We were clear that the impact created should be fresh without giving away any idea. When an audience looks at him for the first time, they should be shocked and worried. An established face would not create the same excitement and would not give us that impact. I can also say we were merely trying to experiment with this idea, but with a lot of confidence in the result.
I’ve known Rajkumar for quite a while. Not as a friend or acquaintance, but as an artiste. While I was going through the script, his face kept popping up in my head and we decided to go ahead with him after a short discussion. And just as we imagined, he carried the role excellently. He had the panache. To stay within character, he’d maintain that attitude at all points on set. Once, I had to commute by car along with him for some work and I was agitated throughout the trip. I would say the credit definitely goes to Mysskin sir because he designs his characters that way. He won’t influence their acting style but pays a lot of attention to the body language and mindset of the character.
How did the selection process happen? Were all the characters your decision or did Mysskin fix on someone in his mind already?
When I started with Mysskin sir years back, I didn’t have any knowledge about him or his working style to the extent where I asked him who Mysskin was. The fear prevailing around his name wasn’t there for me. I got along pretty well with the team. So that’s how I worked on Psycho too.
The co-director and I always decide on a rough list of artistes. Mysskin sir would already have someone on mind but he wouldn’t tell us. When the first level meeting takes place with the director, co-director, and cinematographer we’d keep giving options. If we mentioned an artist who was already on his mind, he’d be double confident with his choice. He’d wait for our opinion even if he had someone in mind. But it doesn’t just end here. Only if the artiste passes the other tests, especially the look test, he/she will be on board. The character’s mien is very important for him.
We even picked people off the streets for Psycho to suit certain roles. He’d personally meet almost all artistes and finalised on them. There have been instances when shooting was planned all of a sudden, that too outside Chennai, and they needed artistes for it. Once they required someone who’d essay the role of a doctor and I had to select someone suitable with all the features he required overnight and send them across.
All said, the final call will always be taken by the director for any movie. But Mysskin sir surely did give me the space to experiment and suggest artistes.
How challenging and different would this film be for an actor like Udhayanidhi who has done commercial roles?
Although his role or even the film isn’t for the mainstream commercial audience, they will be able to accept him in this character. After reading the script, none of us could come up with an artiste who would suit the lead. We didn’t know who would be able to create that impact. After witnessing Udhayanidhi in commercial ventures, we couldn’t visualise him essaying a strong role but Mysskin sir was sure that he could pull it off.
What I’ve come to hear of him from the people around me and the industry, in general, is that he has a thirst for impactful characters but hasn’t found the right project. I don’t know of him personally but I know he is passionate when it comes to cinema. He’s not one of those artistes who hit the high spot on his very first try but instead gradually rose. I really didn’t expect such an impeccable performance from him. After Mysskin sir suggested his name, I could visualise him only in a few scenes while the rest of it was blank for me. It’s not that he couldn’t pull it off, it was just that I didn’t know if it would work. After going through the rushes, I was completely convinced.
He’s blind in the film and he doesn’t have dialogues running to pages. He’s more of an intelligent character who only communicates through expressions and understands with ears. I’m sure that the audience will look at him and his acting skills with a different perspective after this film. He’s blossomed from a budding artiste to a performing artiste.
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Our industry criminally ‘wastes’ the talents of good female actors. How important are Aditi Rao Hyadri and Nithya Menen to the film?
Mysskin sir’s films always have important and purposeful women characters. They aren’t just these “bubbly” ones who serve as eye candy. Aditi Rao Hydari‘s character is simple and elegant. She plays the female lead in Psycho. Though I can’t reveal much about her character I can assure you that this role is one that would stand out in her career. It will definitely please the audiences who haven’t seen her in such a shade.
There will definitely be a difference in the Nithya Menen you saw in Malini 22 Palayamkottai and the one in Psycho. She essays a lady with a disability in the film. Her character is fierce and one that a male artiste would usually be considered for to essay. Her eyes were magical and did all the talking right through the film.
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Was there any specific reason for choosing director Ram for the cop role?
After reading the script, the team asked me who popped up on my mind for the role. I was sure that I wanted a director to take up the role but I hadn’t decided on who I wanted. I felt Ram sir would suit this role. We used to find him in Mysskin sir’s office often. Surprisingly, Mysskin sir also had Ram sir in mind while penning the script but didn’t tell us about it.
We didn’t know if he was available or if he was even willing to do the role, but we fixed him way before we approached him. Ram’s look will be different in the film. He’d sport a shaved stubble, buttoned-up shirt and won’t be seen with his glasses or curly hair. He’s, without doubt, a performer, and has done really well.
Tell us about your rapport with Mysskin.
Mysskin sir is always excited and enthusiastic like a child celebrating their birthday. His shoots go on without breaks, sometimes extending even for 48 hours. But the set doesn’t look at it as a form of torture and accustoms to it accordingly. We forged a father-daughter relationship. I say this to anybody who asks me about him. When he introduced me to Nithya Menen, she said she already figured it out because our features looked almost alike. We had to explain to her how we just saw each other that way and that it wasn’t the actual relationship between us. Anywhere I go, I’m always asked how my father is.
Before I took up casting, I worked in several films for the costume and art department. When I reached a saturation point and I wanted to quit the industry, I bumped into him unexpectedly at a home decor store and he asked me to visit him to talk about this. He asked me to take up something seriously in the industry and that’s when I opted for casting. He told me that the concept is non-existent down south and that it wouldn’t pay much. I still took it up as a challenge and worked in my first film Mugamoodi, without receiving any payment. He encouraged my sincerity and that’s where our journey began. It’s been more than 10 years and I’ll always stay under his wings.
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Tell us about the smaller supporting artistes who play a key role in the film.
This film honestly does not have an actual lead character or anything of that sort. Every character holds importance in Psycho. Yes, we find Udhayanidhi and Rajkumar occupying most of the space, but it is something we tend to decide on our own. I’m not saying it’s not true, but in this film, it is otherwise. Nobody walks in just for the sake of it or to confuse. Every character would’ve conveyed something or the other.
Both the trailer and teaser had no dialogues, was there a plan to make a silent film?
Both the teaser and trailer were released in such a way only to make audiences understand the mood of the film. The feedback we received from everyone around was that the first teaser that was dropped left most of them horrified. The smell of the blood shown in the teaser wafted around me after I saw it despite the fact that I wasn’t on set for those sequences. To relax and ease the audiences, the trailer was released with a blue tone and Fur Elise’s background score. Every dialogue in the film is significant and linked with one another. So incorporating just one or two for these purposes won’t suffice. It would only confuse the audience more.
We heard that the film is based on the tale of Angulimala. But is there any mild connection to Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho apart from the psycho-killer character?
I’m not being diplomatic, but there are only a set number of stories in this world. Angulimala is just a small tale in Buddhist literature and there might probably be references to it. But I’m sure the movie isn’t based on that tale.
Psycho is definitely a tribute to Hitchcock but holds no connection to his film. On one random day, when the shooting of Thupparivaalan 2 was underway and I was the only one at his office, he told me how fortunate he was to be able to acquire the title of Alfred Hitchcock’s film, a director whom he looks up to. It was as unexpected for him as it was for us. Everything automatically fell in place right from the music to cast. It is a magical project.
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Did you get a chance to witness Ilaiyaraja’s composing sessions? We’ve been hearing the songs, but how has the entire album and background score come out? Tell us a little about their first association.
Yes! Once I went and heard the live orchestra and I was also there for about two days to listen to the background scores. He is so dedicated and brisk even at this age. I was so glad that I got to see the fun and childish side of him too. One incident I recollect is the day one of his team members was celebrating their birthday at the studio. Raja sir had secretly signaled to his composers to compose the ‘Happy Birthday’ song. While they were at it, he stopped them halfway and made corrections to their pitch about three times, until they perfected the song.
He is extremely diligent and never believes in doing a half baked job even if it takes hours together. The live orchestra was overwhelming to the extent that I did not know what to record or click with my phone camera. When I heard the final composition in his studio speakers, it was mind-blowing. I felt like someone was chasing me in real-life. I do love many of his earlier compositions but only at that point did I truly understand why he holds the brand of a genius.
Mysskin sir and his ‘Thaatha’ Raja sir, as he calls him, share a wonderful rapport. They’d both pitch in their ideas and somehow derive an output that works well for the two of them while also keeping the audience in mind. They don’t force or impose their choices on each other. They just make it work at the end. Sheer magic I would say!
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What do you feel about the evolving role of a casting director in Kollywood? How significant will it be in the future?
It is a very significant role, not just because I’m one of them, but because of the ethics and responsibilities involved. Nobody down south, let alone Kollywood is aware of such a role. There are coordinators, which is an equally tough role, but it doesn’t involve the responsibility a casting director’s position demands. Casting involves perusing the script, knowing the artiste entirely and much more. We usually cast the same talents for multiple roles and end up depriving several others who are aspiring actors. The designation in itself will not help in changing any of this. The person taking up the role should take it upon themselves and change this. Back then, a bankable star or even a director would have only one or two films in the pipeline. But now, the number of films being churned out is uncountable. Both the star and director can’t keep looking into the smaller aspects with great attention when there’s a whole lot more to figure out. And this is where such roles find a place. It helps in cutting production costs and proves efficient.
Right now, more of close-to-reality films starring newcomers are hitting screens than commercial ones. You can’t train people for such roles. You need to find them and get them on board. More than a director or even producer, a casting director holds a lot of significance owing to one of the main problems prevailing in the industry, casting couch. Our work starts from there. A number of people should emerge after knowing these responsibilities and help talents out there. It’s something the industry is in dire need for.
In the light of #MeToo, how important a step is it for women to take on such roles like yours?
Honestly, I don’t look at the #MeToo movement as something that is helping our industry. Although it empowers women and even men, the harassment still continues to exist in the industry and the perpetrators are only looking at safer ways to carry out what they require. We can’t keep throwing stones at every barking dog. But I am proud of myself for taking up such a role. I can assure the safety of all the talents who come onboard through me. Even during the shooting of Psycho, which was at night almost always, I gave assurance to all the families of the artists. They fear Mysskin sir because of the opinion created by others and his films too. But knowing him personally, I can say his sets are one of the safest places to be.
Women, in general, should boldly take up such roles be it direction, production or even cinematography to give aspiring movie-buffs the confidence. If there are a slew of women technicians who are firm with their decisions, there’s no need to implore anybody. The problem is almost solved right there.
What are your upcoming projects? Are you a part of Thupparivalan 2?
I was a part of Thupparivaalan2 but I dropped out later because I couldn’t make it to the schedule abroad. Till the time they boarded the flight, I was working for them. I had auditioned and selected most of the cast that went abroad. Although not officially from Vishal Film Factory’s side, I have been working from Mysskin sir’s side. There were times when I auditioned through video calls and selected artists for schedules that were planned all of a sudden. I can’t reveal much, but there’s a lot more to be shot in the film.
Apart from this, I have four more untitled projects helmed by prominent directors on hand as of now.
Movie – Seeru
Music – D. Imman
Starring – Jiiva, Riya Suman, Gayathri krishnaa, Navdeep
Written & Directed by Rathnasiva
Producer – Ishari K. Ganesh
Banner – Vels Film International
Executive Producer – K Ashwin Kumar
DOP – Prasanna Kumar
Edited by Lawrence Kishore
Art Director – Sampath Thilak
Action – Ganesh Kumar K
Music Label – Sony Music Entertainment India Pvt. Ltd.
The cricket film 83 is creating a lot of buzz. A lot of people are already involved in the making of the film and bringing to a nation that loves cricket. The latest addition to the film’s list of participants is the actor Kamal Haasan, whose production company Raajkamal Films International along with Reliance Entertainment and Y NOT Studios will present the film’s Tamil version.
The actor spoke to the press about his company’s decision. He said, “I am extremely excited to present the Tamil Version of 83. It’s an honour to promote the film that will recreate the moments of an historic moment in Indian cricket history. What was considered impossible was made possible purely due to belief and conviction.”
The film explores the journey of an underdog team against formidable opponents who were pitted to be the favourites to win the tournament. The actor said, “It’s my pride to promote a film that stands testimony to such conviction and will. I am happy to bring to people the story of the team of inspired men captained by Kapil Dev who fought against all odds and won India’s greatest sporting triumph.”
Y NOT Studios, also known for their selective roster of content-driven films were also excited to share their participation in this project, S Sashikanth the head of the production house said about their participation in this project, “83 is a film that celebrates cricket which is not just a sport, but a religion in our country. It’s been thrilling to have the actual players involved in the making of this movie.”
Director Kabir Khan said, “I’m happy to know that my film will be presented by Kamal Haasan sir and Sashikant. 83 has a universal subject, and I am sure audiences will love the film.”
The ensemble cast of the film features Ranveer Singh as Kapil Dev. Tahir Raj Bhasin, Jiiva, Saqib Saleem, Jatin Sarna, Chirag Patil, Dinker Sharma, Nishant Dahiya, Harrdy Sandhu, Sahil Khattar, Ammy Virk, Addinath Kothare, Dhairya Karwa, R Badree and Pankaj Tripathi. Deepika Padukone appears in a special cameo as Romi Dev.
83 is produced by Deepika Padukone, Kabir Khan, Vishnu Induri, Sajid Nadiadwala, Phantom Films, Reliance Entertainment and 83 Film Ltd. 83 is directed by Kabir Khan. An YNOTX and Reliance Entertainment release slated on 10th April 2020 in Tamil, Hindi and Telugu.
Last evening actor-director Nandita Das held forth on Manto as a packed front lawn in Jaipur’s Diggi Palace listened in rapt attention. Das, as an actor has picked projects that service something larger than the story itself. As a director her work has been in response to religious conflict that tears lives apart. While Firaaq was about the 2002 riots in Gujarat, Manto, the biopic of the subcontinent’s author serves as a warning to those who bay for blood and want to partition us further.
Das was at the Jaipur Lit Fest, speaking about her book Manto & I that is filled with photos as well as her writing. Singer-author Shubha Mudgal launched the book.
Das’ book is dedicated to the many Mantos of the world. Journalist Kaveree Bamzai asked her about it and Das said, “Mantoiyat is the ability to be fearless and ask questions.” In these times, she said, it was important to do so.
Das also spoke about the stress of making her films. During both her films (Firaaq and Manto), she said she lost her voice. “Anything worth saying today has to be provocative”, Das paraphrased Manto. She also spoke of what Manto said about the society and his work. “If my work is unbearable to you, that means the society today itself is unbearable.” She spoke of how he held a mirror up to society and that is, in essence, the job of an artiste.
Das’ last film Manto’s Lahore portions, she said were shot in Vaso, a village in Gujarat. “It looked like a place where time had stood still. In the past,” she said. Incidentally, the Gujarat portions of her first film Firaaq was shot in Old Hyderabad.
Das also read a letter she wrote to Manto, on his birthday, May 11, while she was shooting the film. The letter forms a part of the book.
At a time when Faiz is back in India, and is a part of all the protests against NRC and CAA, Das also spoke of the friendship between Faiz and Manto. She spoke about using Faiz’s poem Bol Ke Lab Azad Hai Tere in Manto‘s biopic. “I ended the film with Manto’s story Toba Tek Singh. On where people belong. And then this song comes on it is, a call to action,” she said. The only judge of any great work of art is time, Nandita said, while answering an audience question on Faiz and Manto becoming so relevant today.
On casting Nawazuddin as Manto, Nandita Das said it was because of his eyes. “There was something in his eyes.”
Movie – Vaanam Kottattum
Cast – R. Sarathkumar, R Radikaa Sarathkumar, Vikram Prabhu, Aishwarya Rajesh, Madonna Sebastian, Shanthnu Bhagyaraj, Nandaa, Amitash, Balaji Sakthivel, Madhusudhana Rao and Others
Banner – Madras Talkies
Producer – Mani Ratnam
Director – Dhana
Written By – Mani Ratnam & Dhana
Executive Producer – Siva Ananth
DoP – Preetha Jayaraman
Music – Sid Sriram
Background Score – K & Sid Sriram
Art Director – K. Kadhir
Editor – Sangathamizhan. E
Lyrics – Siva Ananth
Costume Designer – Team E By Eka Lakhani
Choreography – Vijisatish
Action Director – “Stunner” SAM
Stills – MU. Baskar Prasanth
Make Up – Shanmugam
Designs – Nandanjeeva
PRO – Johnson
Music Label – Sony Music Entertainment India Pvt. Ltd.
Press meets are usually organised and conducted for the sole purpose of informing journalists and reporters about a particular film that is due for release in the coming weeks.
The cast and crew share their experiences working in the film, thank one another enthusiastically and ask of the media to support and appreciate their film wholeheartedly.
But in recent times, some of the film crews look at it as an opportunity to express their personal opinions, struggles, and displeasure on certain decisions defeating the actual purpose of the gathering. While sometimes it delves into their life stories, sometimes it’s about something they represent. The most recent example being the Adho Andha Paravi Pola press meet.
One of the crew members, Thirumalai, walked up to the dais and spoke about how they are the most affected before the release of a film while the rest of the crew is living off the fat of the land. Although he tried to talk about the film, he kept reiterating the work of a producer. Eventually, it went on to how the producer council has to be more efficient for the purpose of launching new producers, the count of which has reduced tremendously since 2018.
He also added that the board of directors at the producer council aren’t able to come up with proper rules and restrictions for the industry unlike other prominent ones. He began to quote directors Vikraman, RK Selvamani and even playwright SV Sekhar who was also present at the meet about how they’re strong with their opinions and decisions. The current producer council president’s name and the money allegedly laundered by the same was also brought up, exacerbating the state of an already uncomfortable audience.
SV Sekhar educated the gathering on how the special officers, and the nine-member advisory panel of which he is a part of has no power to influence such important decisions. He spoke of how producers shell out more than what they are capable of and expect a lump sum in return without sticking to their budget. “Tamil Nadu is the only state that isn’t regulated in the cinema business and we’re all aware of it. There is no point in crying and blaming each other after the release of a film when you don’t stick to your budget,” he said.
He also quoted Thirumalai’s statement of how few producers trail artists and don’t stay true to their work by comparing it to a car purchased. “When you buy a car, you don’t only look at it’s colour and finalise. You familiarise yourself with the engine power, resale value and much more. When so much goes behind the purchase of a car, I won’t blame a producer for trailing actors all the time. When their aim is to invest in an artist, they must carefully weigh the pros and cons behind it,” said Sekhar.
Although the statements made were well within the business of cinema, it surely wasn’t the place for a discussion. A similar incident happened about two years ago at the Jiiva–Nikki Galrani starrer Keeaudio launch. The statements didn’t go down well with the press as well as actor Vijay Sethupathi who was a special guest for the event.
A few days back, the makers of Harish Kalyan starrer Dharala Prabhu had released the first look poster of the film on Twitter. To everyone’s surprise, the name of the music director wasn’t mentioned anywhere. On Wednesday, the production house, Screen Scene Media Entertainment announced that the film has roped in eight prominent music directors to compose for the film. The media house went on to reveal the composers, every hour from 12pm.
Composers Vivek Siva and Mervin J Solomon who recently composed for Pattas were among the first in the list. Following them was Oorka The Band that made its debut in the industry with Aadai. Inno Genga, a British playback singer known for ‘Kannamma’ from Ko 2 and ‘Ullalaa’ from Petta, Sean Roldan who has composed for Pa Paandi and Velai Illa Pattadhaari 2, Bharath Shankar from the Oorka Band for a separate composition, Kaber Vasuki who is debuting as music director for Sillukaruppatti fame Halitha Shameem‘s next Aelay, Madley Blues that has composed for Sutta Kadhai (2013) and for the title track of Tamil Bigg Boss, and Anirudh Ravichander who recently composed for Darbar form the rest of the list.
Helmed by Yuddham Sharanam fame Krishna Marimuthu, Dharala Prabhu marks the Tamil feature film debut of the director. He previously directed a promo musical ‘The Mercury Song’ for director Karthik Subbaraj‘s Mercury in 2018. He is also a former assistant of director AL Vijay.
The film is an official remake of the Ayushmann Khurrana–Yami Gautam hit starrer Vicky Donor (2012). The story in itself was inspired by the 2011 Canadian movie Starbuck. Vicky Donor was a romantic comedy set against the backdrop of sperm donation and infertility and it won the National Film Award for ‘Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment’ at the 60th National Film Awards. It was also remade in Telugu as Naruda Donoruda starring actors Sumanth and Pallavi Subhash.
While Thadam fame Tanya Hope will be paired opposite Harish, actor-comedian Vivek has landed the role of the doctor (Annu Kapoor in the original). On the technical front, Selvakumar Sk is handling cinematography, Kripakaran is editing and Kamal is handling the production design. ‘Stunner’ Sam will be choreographing stunt, Yashwanth choreographing dance and Pallavi Singh on costumes. Subu and Sudarshan Narasimhan have penned the story of Dharala Prabhu.
“From the beginning, we were keen on doing a collaborative album instead of a conventional one. We wanted more flavours to come in and each song has a situation for which we feel the respective music director is well-suited. We know that such a team-up will result in a dynamic album. The songs are in the final mix stage and we cannot say now if any of the composers will also lend their voice for the tracks,” said director Krishna in an interview to The New Indian Express.
Samantha Akkineni has completed shooting for her part in the second season of The Family Man, an action-drama thriller web series directed and bankrolled by Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK, known for creations such as Shor In The City and Go Goa Gone. The actress who is foraying into the digital medium is reportedly playing a negative role in the series, though there is no official confirmation from the makers.
The series starring National award winners Manoj Bajpayee as ‘Srikant Tiwari’ and Priyamani as ‘Suchitra’ in lead roles has garnered good reviews for the first season comprising ten episodes that premiered on the OTT platform on September 20.
The action-drama thriller series is based on real-life events and geopolitics whilst also speaking of the life of a middle-class man striving to strike a balance between his personal and professional life.
The news came from an Instagram post by the actor on Monday evening.
While the actor expressed her happiness on taking up a role entirely different from her past ones and about how she has done justice to it, The Family Man team also appreciated her efforts with comments on her post.
Director-producer duo Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK said, “@samantharuthprabhuoffl You effing slayed it! It was sheer pleasure seeing you transform into ‘her.’”
They had also put up an Instagram post to share their experiences with the actor. The post comprised a cake with lettering that read, ‘It’s a wrap! Rebel star Sam!’.
Lead actor Manoj Bajpayee’s comment read, “You are fantastic @samantharuthprabhuoffl and so amazing to know you and work with you!!👏👏👏”
Apart from them, the director of Samantha’s previous film, Oh Baby, BV Nandini Reddy also commented on her post. She said, “Can’t wait for sam 2.0 @samantharuthprabhuoffl.”
On Monday, Amazon Prime released a video about 14 new Amazon Originals that are launching this year along with the new seasons of several existing shows. Several fans and audiences spotted a glimpse of the actor in the video.
The cast of the series includes Sharib Hashmi (Srikant’s colleague JK Talpade), Neeraj Madhav (as Moosa Rahman), Sharad Kelkar (Suchitra’s former colleague Arvind), Gul Panag (as Saloni), Sundeep Kishan (as Major Vikram), Darshan Kumaar (as Major Sameer), Sunny Hinduja (as Milind), Shreya Dhanwantary (as new agent Zoya), Shahab Ali (as terrorist Sajid), Pawan Chopra (as Srikant’s boss Mr Sharma), Dalip Tahil (as Srikant’s mentor Kulkarni). Cinematographers Azim Moolan and Nigam Bomzan are both cranking the camera with Sumeet Kotian on the edit and Sachin-Jigar composing for the series. Suman Kumar has penned the story for both seasons.
Tamil actor Devadarshini will also be seen in the series.
A post shared by Devadarshini (@devadarshnichetan) on
Recently, the series won the award for ‘Best Series (Drama)’, ‘Best Editing’ and ‘Best Actor (Drama)’ at the Critics’ Choice Shorts and Series Awards 2019.
Meanwhile, Samantha will next feature in the Telugu remake of the Vijay Sethupathi–Trisha starrer 96helmed by Prem Kumar, also the director of the original, alongside actor Sharwanand. The film titled Jaanu has wrapped up shoot and will hit screens soon. A melody titled ‘Pranam’ composed by Govind Vasantha and rendered by singers Chinmayi Sripada and Gowtham Bharadwaj recently dropped from the film.
After the success of his action-drama Venky Mama, actor Venkatesh Daggubati has announced his next, his 74th, Naarappa, the official remake of director Vetrimaaran‘s Asuran originally headlined by actor Dhanush.
Helmed by Sreekanth Addala, the announcement came last night from a tweet by Daggubati Suresh Babu’s Suresh Productions. Kalaipuli S Thanu‘s V Creations, which bankrolled the original, will also be co-producing the Telugu version.
Asuran which hit screens last year in October earned love both from the critics and audiences, with the film makers marking the film’s success with a success party.
The revenge-drama set against the backdrop of casteism was based on writer Poomani’s Vekkai.
While the cast of Naarappa is yet to be announced, Mani Sharma will be composing music, Shyam K Naidu will handle cinematography, and Marthand K Venkatesh will edit. Peter Hein has been roped in for stunts. Vetrimaaran will also be working on the project with the crew.
Vetrimaaran won the ‘Best Director’ award for Asuran at the Ananda Vikatan Awards 2019 and Zee Cine Awards Tamil 2020. While Dhanush, on the other hand, won the ‘Best Actor’ award for the same at the Ananda Vikatan Awards 2019 and at the Zee Cine Awards Tamil 2020. The film which recently completed 100 days since its release, was also screened at the 17th Chennai International Film Festival in December2019.
Highest number of classics ni remake chesi originals kante pedda hit kottina ghanatha unna Ekaika Hero!! V stands for Victory🔥!! That’s his conviction!! One more Blockbuster Loading #Naarappa#Narappahttps://t.co/JqboroYHXs
Nagraj Manjule makes his Bollywood debut with Amitabh Bachchan starrer Jhund. The film is a biopic based on the life of Vijay Barse, who founded the NGO, Slum Soccer.
Manjule’s Marathi films Fandry and Sairat were remarkable because they showed us meaningful cinema could be commercially successful. Manjule’s films are rooted, and are essentially anti caste. His previous film Sairat was remade as Dhadak in Bollywood.
The teaser features a crew of young men walking purposefully down a market place even as the fabulous Ajay-Atul’s music sets fire to the visuals. Jhund will release on May 8, 2020.
