Section: Movies

Sillu Karuppatti Trailer Starring Samuthirakani, Sunaina

Crew:
Starcast: Samuthirakani, Sunainaa, Leela Samson, Nivedhithaa Sathish, Sara Arjun, Manikandan.K
Banner: Divine Productions & 2D Entertainment Suriya Presents
Presented by Suriya Sivakumar
Cinematographers: Abinandhan Ramanujam, Manoj Paramahamsa, Vijay Kartik Kannan, Yamini Yagnamurthy
Audiography: Suren. G
Sound Design: Alagiakoothan.s, Suren. G
Dubbed at seed studios, Dheleeban Eraniyan. Hafeez
Publicity Designs : Kabilan
Color grading : B2H Studios
VFX Supervisor: Livi
Executive Producer: P. Suresh
PRO: Suresh Chandra
Writer & Director: Halitha Shameem
Music Composer: Pradeep Kumar
Producer: Venkatesh Velineni
Audio Label: Think Music

The Makers Gave Me A Challenge, ‘Cut It If You Can’: Editor Ruben On Hero

BY Silverscreen India Staff On

Sivakarthikeyan’s Hero, releases on Friday. The editor of the film, Ruben has said that he’s elated with the response so far. He was all praise when talking about the team behind the film, saying, “The credit goes to PS Mithran for his clarity of vision for his movie. Right from the beginning, we worked as a team with common ideas on how to present this film to the audiences.”

Speaking about the film as a whole, he added, “I really love the way PS Mithran conceptualises an idea that holds a social value and presents it engagingly. Hero will be a film that encompasses entertainment for the masses, but with a strong message.”

Addressing the perception that he is known for deleting songs and unnecessary tracks from films, Ruben said, “That makes me a little nervous. However, I am happy that directors trust my judgement and continue to work with me. With Hero, it was a pretty difficult task. The makers gave me a challenge ‘cut it if you can’.”

Another technical team member who is gushing about the upcoming film is the cinematographer, George C Williams. While interacting with the media about this film he said, “Working on Hero has been amazing. We all, as a team, had a common goal and I am really happy with how the film looks. Everyone has put their heart and soul into it.”

Hero releases on Friday, 20 December worldwide and stars Sivakarthikeyan in the lead. The film is directed by PS Mithran and produced by Kotapadi J Rajesh for KR Studios. Watch the trailer here:

Reports Suggest Vairamuthu Has Been Dropped From Mani Ratnam’s Ponniyin Selvan

BY Silverscreen India Staff On

This morning The Indian Express reported that lyricist Vairamuthu has been dropped from Mani Ratnam’s magnum opus Ponniyin Selvan.

No official confirmation has come from the Ponniyin Selvam team yet. However, a source close to the production told Silverscreen, that the crew is yet to decide if he’s there in the project or not. Mani Ratnam is said to be upset at the number of calls his crew has received in this regard and may even be mulling filing a case against some media organisations.

Several newspapers had pointed out Mani Ratnam’s insistence on working with Vairamuthu despite being accused by several women in #MeToo was derailing the movement.

Also read, Silverscreen Editorial: The Curious Case Of Vairamuthu’s Continued Influence Over Kollywood

Chinmayi has been at the forefront of this movement, and has been subject to over a year of harrasment and ostracism because she dared to name him first during #MeToo.

The report in Indian Express by journalist S Subhakeerthana pointed out that the entire crew of the film has been announced and Vairamuthu’s name has been left out.

I Have Spent The Last Two Years Identifying Projects I Want To Support: Pa Ranjith

BY Silverscreen India Staff On

Acclaimed director, Pa Ranjith’s home banner Neelam Productions along with partners Golden Ratio Films and Little Red Car Films have announced a film roster featuring five upcoming movies with young directors from the Tamil film industry.

All five films will be bankrolled by this trio of banners. The directors in the line up are Mari Selvaraj, Lenin Bharati, Suresh Mari, Akiran Moses and Franklin.

Mari Selvaraj will be directing his third film under this partnership, and Lenin Bharathi, his second. All films will be completed in the next two years, and the production of all films will begin by the first half of 2020.

Neelam Productions has been associated with films that are both critically and commercially viable. The most recent of the banner’s success stories is Irandam Ulagaporin Kadaisi Gundu. Apart from Pa Ranjith’s impressive roster of films and his two epic projects with the Superstar Kabali and Kaala.

Speaking about his turn as a producer with this five-film project, Pa Ranjith said, “Cinema is a powerful medium that can speak to millions at the same time. We have all, across industries, seen how a good film is received and respected by the audience. This is an interesting collaboration, and I have spent the last two years identifying the projects that I want to support.”

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He went on to add, “ Story telling is all about being able to communicate with the masses and I’m so excited that I finally get to share these stories with all of you.”

The Tamil film industry contributes nearly 20 percent in total box office for all Indian films across languages. The films have a domestic market, and in the recent past hav e expanded significantly in the East and West. With this in mind, Golden Ratio Films and Little Red Car Films decided to come on board for this collaboration with Neelam Productions.

Speaking about this, Aditi Anand Promoter director Little Red Car Films says, “I have always been a fan of Pa Ranjith, the director, but I am astounded by his dedication as a producer, Pariyerum Perumal left me spell bound and I hope to be able to recreate that magic with Pa Ranjith’s vision and our wonderfully talented directors.”

Abhayanand Singh, Co-founder and CEO of Golden Ratio Films says, “We have always wanted to diversify into Tamil films, and with the recent influx of talent that has managed to balance both critical and commercial success, this seems the right time for such a venture. With a director like Pa Ranjith at the helm, and his choice of projects, this just got very interesting.”

It Will Be A Prequel To The First Part, Where You’ll See Chulbul Pandey’s Story: Salman Khan On ‘Dabangg 3’

BY Aparajitha Balu On

Last evening, the team of Dabangg 3 starring Salman Khan, Sonakshi Sinha, and Saiee Manjrekar were present at a popular hotel in Chennai for a press meet with Tamil media channels. Salman Khan, Saiee Manjrekar, Kiccha Sudeep along with TN distributor Kotapadi J Rajesh and director Prabhu Deva arrived to promote the film.

Speaking to the press Salman Khan said that he shared a deep connection with Chennai from partying to watching Tamil films to tasting the food, even before he turned actor.”The first time, I came to Madras was to shoot an advertisement commercial at Fishermen’s Cove. Later, I was here to shoot a Tamil movie with actress Revathi titled Phir Milenge. Not to forget, the climax of Wanted was also shot in Chennai for nearly a month,” said the actor.

He added that he was a huge fan of actor Rajinikanth. He reportedly walked into the audio launch of 2.0 held at YRF Studios in Mumbai just to catch a glimpse of the actor. “Rajini sir was shocked and surprised to see me there. Yes, I was an uninvited guest there and I just wanted to see him,” said the actor.

Speaking about the film, the actor said that the dubbing is so “Chennai”. He even tried enunciating the words ‘Jallikattuku Kaalai Ready’ on stage and mentioned that it was just like Hindi. “It will be a prequel to the first part, where you’ll get to see the actual story behind the birth of ‘Chulbul Pandey’ (Salman’s character in the film). There are a lot of emotional sequences and we are missing Vinod Khanna sir a lot. We’ve made his brother perform my father’s role in this film.”

 

Salman Khan, Saiee Manjrekar, Sonakshi Sinha At The 'Dabangg 3' Trailer Launch
Salman Khan, Saiee Manjrekar, Sonakshi Sinha At The ‘Dabangg 3’ Trailer Launch

Distributor Kotapadi J Rajesh said that Dabangg 3 would resemble a Tamil film which will see Salman Khan speaking actor-politician MGR’s famous punch dialogues. “It will comprise all the necessary commercial elements and will be the first-ever Hindi movie to grab maximum screens in Tamil Nadu,” said the distributor.

Debutante Saiee Manjrekar said, “I am looking forward to a good response from everyone and am confident Dabangg 3 will be definitely liked by all,” said the actress who plays Khushi in the film. She also said that she would be willing to take up more Tamil films if they come her way. To this, Salman Khan hinted that the actress has already been receiving offers from the industry but is yet to make a decision.

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Director Prabhu Deva said that the multilingual script has been penned in such a way as to suit the regional audiences. He also said that he prays to God almost every day for the film to turn out well. “The decision about getting the film released in four languages was made even before the commencement of shooting,” said the director.

Actor Kichcha Sudeep quipped that he was glad to be directed by Prabhu Deva instead of being choreographed. The actor also said that only the character ‘Chulbul Pandey’ and the title ‘Dabangg‘ remain constant in all three installments. He did absolutely no homework other than being himself to essay his role in the film. He also added that the climax was shot in two schedules owing to the time required to build Salman’s physique to fit the role. “To be honest, you can’t beat him when it comes to fitness as he works out like a beast when he is at the gym,” said the actor.

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The event wrapped up with the actors and director performing the signature ‘belt step’ from the ‘Munna Badnaam Hua’ song which features in the film.

Dabangg 3 is being bankrolled by Salma Khan under Salman Khan Films, Nikhil Dwivedi under Saffron Broadcast & Media Limited and Arbaaz Khan under Arbaaz Khan Productions. It also features Sonakshi Sinha, Arbaaz Khan and Pramod Khanna in significant roles. Mahesh Limaye is the cinematographer, Sajid Wajid on the music, Ritesh Soni is the editor and Anl Arasu is directing the stunts.

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The film will hit screens on 20 December for Christmas this year.

Watch the Tamil trailer of Dabangg 3 here.

Rajinikanth Channels His Inner ‘Villain’ And Claims To Be A ‘Baaad Cop’ In Darbar Trailer

BY Aparajitha Balu On

The trailer of actors Rajinikanth and Nayanthara starrer Darbar is out now. Helmed by AR Murugadoss, Subaskaran’s Lyca Productions is bankrolling it. The film marks the first association of Murugadoss with the actor who will feature as a cop long after his 1992 action-drama Pandian. The lead pair will be associating for the third time after Chandramukhi and Kuselan. And coincidentally those are the only two times since 1993 (Valli) that a Rajinikanth movie’s title is not named after his character. Is Darbar an exception to this as well?

The trailer opens with Aaditya Arunasalam (Rajinikanth), Commissioner of Police, Mumbai stylishly leaping down from the top floor of a factory, slicing into goons who are found partying there. Ironically, the ‘bad cop’, that he portrays himself to be, is later found instructing policemen of his station about their duties and responsibilities. We then find a number of policemen being shot down by antagonist Suniel Shetty and his team who consider them to be cowards. Aaditya who clearly doesn’t flinch at this, asks them to stay out of his way with a trademark punch line. There is also a reference to his famous ‘Idhu epdi iruku’ dialogue from the classic 16 Vayathinile indicating how he’s been a villain from the very beginning. I also noticed that the two-minute trailer starts with a bang and ends on a lighter note, unlike the usual trailers. Glimpses of a pretty Nayanthara with the Superstar also feature.

Darbar trailer was launched at a grand event in Mumbai with actors Rajinikanth, Suniel Shetty, Prateik Babbar, director AR Murugadoss, cinematographer Santhosh Sivan, music director Anirudh Ravichander and producer Allirajah Subaskaran.

Digitial partner of Darbar, Divo Movies took to Twitter to release the trailer.

The film also features Dilip Tahil, Nivetha Thomas, Yogi Babu, Thambi Ramaiah, Sriman, Jatin Sarna, and Nawab Shah in crucial roles. Sreekar Prasad is on the edit with T Santhanam helming art. Peter Hein and Ram-Laxman Chella have choreographed the action sequences.

The team recently held its audio launch at Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium, Chennai. The action flick will hit screens on Pongal 2020 in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Hindi.

Here is the Tamil trailer of the film.

FTII Students Go On Hunger Strike Against Steep Fee Hike

BY Silverscreen India Staff On

Four students of Film And Television Institute Of India (FTII) the country’s foremost government-run film institute, have launched an indefinite hunger strike against the steep hike in the institute’s tuition fees and entrance exam fees.

The FTII students’ union has demanded that the decision taken by the institute’s governing council in 2008 to increase the fees by 10 per cent every year be revoked, and the JET (Joint Entrance Test) 2020 be put on hold until the entrance exam fee hike is rolled back.

Press Note From Students’ Association FTII

Posted by FTII Wisdom Tree on Monday, December 16, 2019

Currently, the annual fees at FTII stand at Rs.1,18,323, and the entrance exam fees to apply for three courses is Rs. 10,000, making it one of the costliest government education institutes in India.

The students, under the leadership of the students’ association, had written letters to the administration over the past three years asking them to reconsider the fee hike. Finally, on the afternoon of December 16, Rajarshi Majumdar, who is the general secretary of FTII students association, Vivek Allaka, Aadhith Sathvin and PR Manikandan, went on an indefinite hunger strike.

“FTII is a public-funded institute which was founded with an aim to help poor masses have access to film education. This increase in fees will turn FTII a privilege for the elite class,” said Samudra Banerjee who belongs to the 2017 batch of direction and screenplay writing course. The members of his batch have stalled all their film production activities as part of the course and extended their support to the on-going strike.

A Pune Mirror report quotes Bhupendra Kainthola, the director of FTII, as saying that the student protest was “totally unjustified”. “We received a letter from the students’ association on Monday informing us about the strike. However, their demands cannot be fulfilled..Any decision to review the fees or its rollback can be taken only by the FTII government council,” the report quotes him as saying.

The fee hike is just the tip of the iceberg, says Banerjee. “We are striking against the increase in the fees because this is more pertinent at the moment. There are several unaddressed issues. Instead of getting a better studio and better infrastructure, the FTII management has been spending most of the public fund on unnecessary beautification of the campus. Replicas of nationalistic monuments are erected outside the FTII gate on every other occasion. The forest inside the campus and the green spaces that had been used for years by different batches as shooting spots have been cleared. There is an utter disregard for the students’ needs.. In the last two years, hardly has the director come out of his room and talked to us. There is so much protocol in everything,” said Banerjee. “The problems that we face are part of the same problem that other public institutions in India is undergoing now. We, the students who are striking now, aren’t directly affected by the entrance fee hike. We are raising our voice to protect the future and sanctity of this place,” he added.

Suraj Sadanah On Producing His Sister Jyotika’s Upcoming Thambi

BY Silverscreen India Staff On

Producer Suraj Sadanah of Parallel Mind Productions who will co-produce Thambi starring Karthi and Jyotika with Viacom 18 said that working in the film was a lot of fun.

“The sets had people from Chennai, Mumbai, and Kerala. It was an ensemble. Though there were confusions now and then it was good fun and we all enjoyed it,” he said.

Suraj Sadanah

Talking about how things for Thambi fell in place, he said, “The narration took place in Mumbai and we were convinced. We then took the idea to Karthi who was pretty impressed with the script. After Karthi’s nod, we thought of bringing Jyotika on board for the project. She agreeing to the project was huge and then a director like Jeethu Joseph who had given a blockbuster like Papanasam was the biggest inclusion in the team. That is how things happened for Thambi.”

Producing his ‘akka’ as a ‘thambi’ for the film Thambi, Suraj said, “It wasn’t a deliberate move. In fact, we didn’t know that Thambi will be the title until we finished the shoot of the film. The film ended with the same intent as it started so the title became apt for the script.”

Darbar Trailer Starring Rajinikanth, Nayanthara

Casts : Rajinikanth | Nayanthara | Nivetha Thomas | Suniel Shetty | Yogi Babu | Thambi Ramaiya | Sriman | Prateik Babbar | Jatin Sarna | Nawab Shah | Dalip Tahil

Written & Directed by A.R. Murugadoss
Produced by Subaskaran
Music: Anirudh Ravichander
Cinematographer: Santosh Sivan ASC. ISC
Editor: A. Sreekar Prasad
Art Direction: T Santhanam
Stunts Choreography: Peter Hein | Ram-Laxman Chella
Lyricist: Vivek
Executive Producer: Sundarraj
Banner: Lyca Productions
Digital Partner: Divo
Music On: Rubax
Streaming Partner: Gaana

Who Said What: A Handful Of Artistes Including Authors, Filmmakers, Musicians Condemn State Violence And The NRC-CAA

BY Silverscreen India Staff On

Protests have rocked India since the Citizenship Amendment Act passed through both houses of the parliament. Many protests have been marred by violence, in which police’s heavy-handedness has killed some (in Assam) as well injured several across the country.

A handful of artistes outside of Assam (in Assam several have come out in support of protests) have made their voices heard. Here are the artistes who’ve called for restraint from the state, and to not violently curtail protests, and others who’ve expressed displeasure about the CAA-NRC.

John Cusack In Solidarity

Even as citizens asked Indian stars to show solidarity it came unbidden from Hollywood star John Cusack.

Cusack also tweeted Arundhati Roy’s statement on the NRC-CAB to his 1.6 million followers, bringing global attention to the issue.

Voices from Assam

In Assam, filmmaker Jahnu Barua withdrew his film Bhoga Khirikee from the Assam film festival in protest against the CAB (now CAA). According to the PTI, Barua expressed “anguish over the ongoing unrest across Assam and North East. The Padma Bhushan awardee said that the leaders are “disrobing the motherland” only because of power politics.  He said, ‘I am very unhappy at the ongoing situation regarding the bill. This bill should not have happened. We believed the leadership, but they are not trying to understand us. In such a situation, I do not want to participate in such a programme… The Assamese community is language centric. There are people from all religions and we want to remain like this. Language is everything for us. If we lose that, then what will happen? As an artist, I can clearly see what is going to happen.”

Adil Hussain, Award, Mukti Bhawan

Adil Hussain 2

Actor Adil Hussain (who hails from Assam) tweeted his anguish as well. “In All THESE chaos of NRC and CAB, #CitizenshipAmendmentBill I am most concern and deeply saddened that the fundamental “identity” of ours as human is massacred. In this fight no body will win. Everybody will loose. The greatest loss of our times will be humanity itself. When we were born, our families had cheered because our mothers had given birth to a Human & not a squirrel! We were born a human FIRST. If we cannot retain, protect & celebrate the PRIMARY identity than what’s the USE of calling ourselves a Muslim, Hindu, Assamese or a Bengali? Assam, very painfully slowly, was recovering from 2.5 decades of unrest from 1979. Things were becoming a bit normal. Now, the wisdom of our Leadership failed to understand the complexities of Assamese cultural fabric. The decision to impose CAB is the most unwise ever.(sic)” 

Assamese Singer Papon Angaraag tweeted, “It’s painful to see the way Assam is burning!Humanity is suffering! Assam has been burdened with illegal immigration for decades!We don’t deserve this!The diverse, complex mix of the Assamese culture & people and their existence needs to be understood!We need to be heard properly. Dear Delhi. I am very sorry but I have decided not to do the concert tomorrow at ‘imperfectoshor’ as planned! My home state Assam is burning, crying and under curfew! I won’t be able to entertain you the way I should in my present state of mind!(sic)”

A Few from Film Fraternity Tweet

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Filmmaker Alankrita Shrivatsava (Lipstick under my burkha) said, “I studied at Jamia. It is where I trained to be a filmmaker, where I met my best friends for life. It is the place that gave me hope and encouragement when I was a confused young girl trying to navigate my way through life. I have such fond memories. But today… Today my heart is bleeding for the students of Jamia who have been mercilessly attacked on campus. This is wrong and cruel at every level. I stand in solidarity with the bravehearts of Jamia. I am praying for the students who are injured and fighting for their lives. Recover because we need you to live. India needs it’s students. Brave and fearless students are the future of the country. They are the only hope.(sic)”

Also read, Team ‘Sudani From Nigeria’ To Boycott National Film Award Ceremony In Protest Against CAA

Actor Siddharth had said earlier when the Bill passed through the parliament, “Deeply ashamed that Edapadi Palanisamy represents my state and our people. Supporting the #CAB shows his true colours, his lack of integrity and his desperate need to remain powerful at any cost. You will all be held accountable. Enjoy your temp power till then. #IndiaRejectsCAB… #Jayalalithaa would have never supported #CAB. How the #AIADMK has crashed in its ethos, in her absence!” He also said, “These two are not Krishna and Arjuna. They are Shakuni and Duryodhana. Stop attacking #universities! Stop assaulting #students! #JamiaMlia #JamiaProtest(sic)”.

Actor-politician Kamal Haasan’s Makkal Needhi Mayyam has approached the Supreme Court challenging the CAA.

Anurag Kashyap, who had quit Twitter following the grave threats to his family, tweeted today. “This has gone too far.. can’t stay silent any longer . This government is clearly fascist .. and it makes me angry to see voices that can actually make a difference stay quiet(sic)”.

Actor Richa Chadha wrote, “Stop hitting students,” and “Kerala, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Jadavpur Kolkata, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram, Aligarh, Delhi, Mumbai. Kashmiris are not allowed to protest… People, students all over are protesting against the #CAA2019. Don’t be in denial(sic)”.

Filmmaker Aparna Sen, said, “The writing is on the wall! India WILL NOT accept Savarkar’s India. The youth of the country is rising in protest. 7 states have opposed CAA. Shame on an administration that attacks universities! I stand in solidarity with the students of India(sic)”.

Stand up comedian and actor Vir Das wrote, “The fact thay they constantly have to shut down the internet is the biggest clue. It’s a young tool, it’s powerful, it’s free. Old ancient men, with old ancient ideologies can only fight on old ancient terms. Scared of the future because they know they have no place in it… Dear Govt, If you’re looking for non-violent discourse and debate…quit shutting down the internet. Last i checked, it was more thinking and talking…less bleeding. Young people can’t set the internet on fire and you can’t lathi charge the internet. What say?(sic)”.

Actor Rajkummar Rao said, today, “I strongly condemn the violence that the police have shown in dealing with the students. In a democracy the citizens have the right to peacefully protest. I also condemn any kind of act of destruction of the public properties. Violence is not the solution for anything!(sic)”.

Meanwhile, Akshay Kumar was seen liking videos from a xenophobic account that mocked the protests in JMI. “Regarding the ‘like’ on the tweet of Jamia Milia students, it was by mistake. I was scrolling and accidentally it must have been pressed and when I realised I immediately unliked it as In no way do I support such acts(sic)”.

Writers Speak Up

Chetan Bhagat
Chetan Bhagat

But the biggest surprise was Chetan Bhagat’s lashing out against the suppression of student voices as well as the NRC/CAA. Bhagat wrote, “Repeated and prolonged Internet shutdowns hurt business and the economy. Sends a message that we are an unpredictable, third-world country where things are not under control. Even non-democratic China never did it during Hong Kong protests. The CAB required more education, more consensus building, a lot better wording and frankly better intentions. Stirring the social pot constantly is going to hurt us and the already weak economy. The youth is angry. There are not enough jobs. Salaries are low. Don’t mess with them. The first priority should be to lift the economy back again. Crashing the economy. Making jobs vanish. Shutting down Internet. Sending police in libraries. The youth may have patience, but don’t test the limits of it. Many get confused about my politics here. To be clear am only interested in an India where everybody lives in harmony and we have stellar economic growth. That is my dream. One-sided groupings bore me. I am not on your fixed side. I am on India’s side. And am proud of that. Whatever their historical names, there are no Hindu or Muslim universities in India. They are all Indian universities. And they all must be protected. Demo, GST, 370, CAB, post-announcement issues in all. Suggests there is an army of yes-men in the govt who nod at everything, do not think things through or raise genuine doubts. Maybe think about the decision making process. Those who fantasize about India with a Hindu king and his subservient subjects, remember this. Even if I dignified your bigotry (I don’t), you can’t wish 200mn Muslims away. Try that and India will burn, GDP will crash and your kids will be unsafe and jobless. Stop these fantasies!(sic)”.

Author Ravinder Singh lent his voice and said, “This protest is not by the Muslims, for the Muslims and of the Muslims. It is by the people, for the people and of the people who believe in the idea of India. #CAAprotest #JamiaProtest. Influential voices are sitting silent & watching India being divided on religious lines. It is their choice to speak up/not. My respect for them goes up, when beyond movies they play atleast a supporting actor’s role, if not that of a hero’s. #CAAprotest #JamiaProtest(sic)”.

Author Anita Nair too chipped in, “All of us can see what is happening to our country. And yet the morons who first voted the fascists into power are still in denial about the darkness that looms over India and threatens to destroy it. Instead they tell you students should just study(sic)”.

Author Nilanjana Roy said, “Something I want to say to former colleagues in the media. Yesterday, many of you were far too quick to believe that students at the #CABProtests were responsible for acts of violence and arson. This was totally untrue, but your initial reactions caused a lot of damage. Over the last few years, you have seen how dirty and relentless the propaganda wars have become. In the rush to be fair, to “balance” your news, don’t fall into the trap of believing the propaganda out there. There’s enough violence to investigate. It’s not by the students. Some urgent questions: why were the police on the Jamia campus without the VC’s permission? Why was brutal force used in AMU and Jamia, and why were students denied access to medical treatment? Are reports of sexual abuse of women true? Who ordered the police crackdown?”

Author and mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik said, “Hinduism = make your land so attractive that people from all over the world want to migrate towards it like bees to honey, Hindutva = keep people off your land, and encourage people to leave it and become $$$ seeking Bharat Mata Tyagis(sic)”.

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Annie Zaidi, author of the recent Prelude to a Riot, that is set in the build-up to a riot over a majoritarian community’s hatred for people labelled ‘illegal immigrants’ by locals, said, “And all of you going on about non-violence and high moral grounds, YOU take the satyagrahi road for a change. A nation is bigger than a job. Fight for it. Face teargas & bullets, then talk about how much higher protestors need to climb by way of moral ground. Recall that non-violence applies primarily to human life, not property. When Satyagrah was at its peak, people were encouraged to BURN British made cloth. There is zero equivalence between damage to objects and damage to human bodies.(sic)”.

Also read, Clamour Grows For Shah Rukh Khan To Speak In Support Of His Alma Mater, Jamia Milia Islamia University

2D Films Acquires Theatrical Rights of Sillukarupatti

BY Silverscreen India Staff On

Sillukarupatti seems to have caught the attention of 2D Entertainment,actor Suriya’s production company. The film is an anthology of four urban stories that stars an ensemble cast that includes Leela Samson, Samuthirakani, Sunainaa, Sara Arjun, Manikandan K, to name a few.

Speaking to the press about the news, Rajsekar Karpoorasundarapandian, CEO 2D Entertainment, said, “2D Entertainment has been consistently supporting content-oriented films and we have been producing and supporting films that make families throng to the theatres. Sillukarupatti is exactly the kind of movie that we like.”

The film is being released by Sakthi Film Factory Signature Release, a banner created especially to curate interesting content. Sakthivel, the head of the label said, “This is our first film under this niche label. We hope to employ the best marketing strategies to ensure that the film catches everyone’s attention and does well.”

The film’s director Halitha Shameem said, “Suriya sir and Jyothika ma’am we’re really appreciative of the film. I am very happy that 2D Entertainment has acquired the rights for this movie.”

The release date for the film is yet to be announced.

Ilaiyaraaja Sings For Sivakarthikeyan Starrer ‘Hero’

BY Aparajitha Balu On

The makers of actor Sivakarthikeyan starrer Hero have been looking at new ways to promote their film: from an Augmented Reality phone game to Facebook and Instagram filters for users. With a lot of hype building up for the film, the latest news is that Ilaiyaraaja will be singing a song for the film, with music composed by his son, Yuvan Shakar Raja with Pa Vijay penning the lyrics.

The film helmed by Irumbuthirai fame PS Mithran is being bankrolled by Kotapadi J Rajesh under his KJR Studios banner. The film touted to be an action-thriller will see Sivakarthikeyan playing the role of a superhero in the film.

KJR Studios took to Twitter to announce the news on Sunday.

Apart from the lead couple and Arjun Sarja, Naachiyaar fame Ivana, Robo Shankar and Abhay Deol play important roles. The Yuvan Shankar Raja musical has George C Williams handling cinematography, V Selvakumar helming art and Ruben on edit. Dialogues have been penned by Pon Parthipan, Antony Bhagyaraj, and Savari Muthu, action by Dhilip Subbararayan with Raju Sundaram and Sathish choreographing dance.

Hero has been certified ‘U’ with a run-time of 164 minutes and is set to release this Friday on December 20, 2019.

The trailer of the film dropped recently.

Clamour Grows For Shah Rukh Khan To Speak In Support Of His Alma Mater, Jamia Milia Islamia University

BY Silverscreen India Staff On

Last evening students of Jamia Milia Islamia University in Delhi were subject to police brutality as they set out to protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act. Protests have erupted across the country against both CAA, as well as the threat of a nationwide NRC (like the one being done in Assam), from the Home Minister, Amit Shah. People across India have expressed concern about NRC and CAA as a deadly combination that might specifically affect India’s primary minority community. In Assam, the protest is in fact about the violation of the Assam Accord by the CAA. And the fear that Assamese identity will be threatened if several lakh Hindus who have currently not made the NRC list are declared citizens. Two different angles, but the protests continue across the nation, especially in campuses.

Students of JMI took to the streets yesterday. They’ve since said that others who were also protesting from the neighbourhood fomented trouble. The result? Police action, including tear gassing the library and the campus of JMI. Students, men and women, have been assaulted and several admitted to hospitals for treatment.

In this backdrop, several voices in social media called upon the Khans of Bollywood to speak for the students. In particular, Shah Rukh Khan, whose alma mater JMI is. Incidentally, JMI is the alma mater of several journalists and members of the media.

Watch, SRK on his alma mater in an interview to NDTV:

Vaazhl Teaser Starring Pradeep Antony, TJ Bhanu

Movie – Vaazhl
Cast – Pradeep Antony, TJ Bhanu, Aahrav, Diva Dhawan, Nithya, Sreeja, Inmozhi, Mayura, Babu
Writer & Director – Arun Prabu Purushothaman
Cinematography – Shelley Calist
Music – Pradeep Kumar
Editing – Raymond Derrick Crasta
Art Director – Sree Ram
Lyricist – Kutti Revathy, Arun Prabu Purushothaman, Pradeep Kumar
Stunt Choreographer – Dhilip Subbarayan
Sound Designer – Jaikar Harinath
Costume Designer – M. Dinesh
Co – Director – Pakkiyaraj kothai, Yeshwanth Inmozhi
DI – Matheshwaran
CGI – Praveen D
Publicity Designer – Kabilan
Executive Producer – Ra. Sibi Marappan
Co – Producer- Kalai Arasu
Producer – Sivakarthikeyan
Music Label – Sony Music Entertainment India Pvt. Ltd.

Team ‘Sudani From Nigeria’ To Boycott National Film Award Ceremony In Protest Against CAA

BY Silverscreen India Staff On

Zakariya and Muhsin Parari, the director and screenwriter respectively of Malayalam film Sudani From Nigeria, will boycott the national film award ceremony which will be held in Delhi on December 23. Sudani From Nigeria won the award for the best Malayalam film at the national film awards. Their decision is in protest against the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

Zakariya announced this decision on Facebook on Sunday. Samir Thahir and Shyju Khalid, the producers of the film, will also boycott the award function.

Read: Sudani From Nigeria Review: A Gorgeous Film Rooted In Old-Fashioned Goodness

Sudani From Nigeria which released in theatres in March 2018, is centred on a Nigerian young man, a victim of sectarian violence in the country, who comes to Kerala as a footballer. The film stars Soubin Shahir and Samuel Robinson in the lead roles.

Citizenship (Amendment) Act which was signed by the President of India on December 10 2019, guarantees Indian citizenship for religious minorities from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, who have faced persecution. However, this Act excludes Muslims. Massive protests have erupted across the country, especially in the north east states of Assam and Tripura, against the problematic Act.

On December 11, the crew of Unda, directed by Khalid Rahman and starring Mammootty, had protested against the Act at International Film Festival Of Kerala where the film was screened in Malayalam Today category. Actors such as Sunny Wayne and Parvathy Thiruvothu had also marked their dissent against the Act on social media.

Second Look And Motion Poster Of Aadhi Pinisetty Starrer ‘Clap’ Out Now

BY Aparajitha Balu On

The second look and motion poster of Aadhi Pinisetty starrer Clap has just dropped. Helmed by debutant Prithvi Aditya, the film has been bankrolled by IB Karthikeyan under his Big Print Pictures banner along with co-producers P Prabha Prem, G Manoj and G Sri Harsha under their PMM Films and Cuts and Glory Studios respectively.

The poster features Aadhi proudly holding out a wooden starter clapper used for commencing athletic events. The motion poster too comprises the same, except for an announcement of the main technicians preceding it.

Big Print Pictures took to Twitter to release the poster on the actor’s birthday.

Producer IB Karthikeyan of Big Print Pictures has said that the team has almost completed the post-production work and will make announcements on the film’s audio, trailer, and theatrical release eventually. “We are happy to unveil the film’s new look on this special occasion of Aadhi’s birthday. The young and vibrant cast and crew have been pushing the bar. I can see each and every member treating this film seriously and putting their heart and soul into it, especially director Prithvi Aditya,” said Karthikeyan.

He adds, “I am happy with the way Clap has shaped up. Aadhi has performed with impeccable dedication. He looks as natural as an athlete. Akansha Singh and Krisha Kurup are no different and have also done an outstanding job. We are awaiting the re-recording of Maestro Ilayaraja sir, which we believe is going to be the prize for our hard work.”

The film is touted to be a sports drama dealing with ‘athletic sports’. Clap will feature Akansha Singh and Krisha Kurup opposite Aadhi with Nasser, Prakash Raj, Munishkanth, Mime Gopi, and Brahmaji playing significant roles. Isaignani Ilaiyaraja is composing music, Jiivi and Star Sports show Mannin Maindhargal fame Praveen Kumar is cranking the camera with Ragul on edit and Vairabalan on art. Dinesh Kumar will choreograph the dance while Sakthi Saravanan choreographs stunt.

Recently, a huge railway station set worth more than fifty lakhs was constructed at the Ramoji Film City, Hyderabad for a song sequence starring Sigaram Thodu fame Monal Gajjar alongside Aadhi.

The Tamil-Telugu bilingual has been shot in Chennai and Hyderabad.

Here is a poster of Clap.

Clap First Look

Watch the motion poster here:

Trailer of ‘Hero’ Out Now; Sivakarthikeyan Is Superhero, Arjun His Mentor And Abhay Deol The Nemesis

BY Aparajitha Balu On

The trailer of Hero starring Sivakarthikeyan and Kalyani Priyadarshan is out now. The film helmed by Irumbuthirai fame PS Mithran is being bankrolled by Kotapadi J Rajesh under his KJR Studios banner. The film touted to be an action-thriller will see Sivakarthikeyan playing the role of a superhero in the film.

We’re introduced to Shakthi (Sivakarthikeyan) who dreams of being a superhero, in the trailer. He is seen forging certificates and clicking pictures of himself felicitating degree scrolls for various professions at a studio. Kalyani Priyadarshan who is trailed by the hero along with Blacksheep fame Vivek Anandan and Abdul Ayaz also features in the trailer. Initially branded a cheat for his activities, he turns out to be the ‘superhero’ speaking up against the business of education and destruction of intellectual property along with Arjun Sarja. The racy two-minute trailer is filled with impressive dialogues and a tinge of action.

The trailer was launched at Sathyam Cinemas, Chennai by his fan Gokul. Gokul won the augmented reality phone game, ‘Play Hero’, as part of the promotional activity for the movie.

Sivakarthikeyan At The 'Hero' Audio And Trailer Launch
Sivakarthikeyan at the ‘Hero’ audio and trailer launch

 

Apart from the lead couple and Arjun Sarja, Naachiyaar fame Ivana, Robo Shankar and Abhay Deol play important roles. The Yuvan Shankar Raja musical has George C Williams handling cinematography, V Selvakumar helming art and Ruben on edit. Dialogues have been penned by Pon Parthipan, Antony Bhagyaraj, and Savari Muthu, action by Dhilip Subbararayan with Raju Sundaram and Sathish choreographing dance.

Recently the film was embroiled in a controversy with TSR films who claimed that the makers had to settle a debt of ten crores borrowed for the purpose of production. The issue was later resolved, with TSR withdrawing the stay order on the release of the film.

Hero has been certified ‘U’ with a run-time of 164 minutes and is set to release on December 20, 2019.

Watch the trailer of Hero here:

Stand-up Review: Essential Viewing On The Subject Of Sexual Assault, Let Down By Bad Execution

BY Aswathy Gopalakrishnan On

Director: Vidhu Vincent

Cast: Rajisha Vijayan, Nimisha Sajayan

Director Vidhu Vincent‘s sophomore film Stand Up has a loud and clear political voice. The women in the film, everyone including sub-characters who appear in a passing shot, are bound by a thread of sisterhood.  Two friends, Diya (Rajisha Vijayan) and Keerthi (Nimisha Sajayan), hold hands and make a silent pact to stay close and fight a case of rape together in which the former is the victim and the latter, the kin of the rapist. A policewoman who is a strict taskmaster at work, feels a wave of empathy on seeing a gravely wounded woman on a hospital bed. A doctor strokes the hair of her patient, the rape victim, affectionately and kisses her forehead and assures that nothing has changed. A wife who has always stayed submissive to her rich and insensitive husband, shouts down him when he boasts about how he intimidated a young woman who had filed a sexual assault case against their son.

These women are divided by circumstances, but united by certain emotions, the primary one of being marginal in a world controlled by men.

But, but despite having a powerful stance on gender politics, this is a film that bears the brunt of being too perfect and politically correct. Vincent has a plot that ticks all the boxes that a film on the subject of sexual harassment demands. She hardly makes an effort to engage with the audience cinematically.

The crux of the problem is a serious lack of good writing. Every character is an example, and not really an organic part of the story’s course. The characterisations, relationship arcs and even the heartwarming sisterhood in the film are pitch-perfect and simplistic, sans any complexities or obscurities that make them real. “I am backing Diya because I am a woman,” announces Keerthi in style in a scene. But what about the emotional turmoil she undergoes when the people she has to fight is her own family? The film omits details of such struggles, perhaps because it’s easier and less complicated to narrate the story that way.

The cinematography – lensing, compositions, lighting and even the movement of the camera – is all over the place, barricading the viewer from feeling for the proceedings on the screen.

The constant undercurrent of political sloganeering robs the narrative of an organic flow. For instance, when Diya’s family is approached by her rapist’s parents, offering to take her in as a daughter-in-law, her father is delighted. You know the course of events that are to follow because every dialogue in this part reeks of cliches. Even the change of heart that he undergoes is depicted only verbally and not through a well-written scene that delves into his psyche.

There is a lengthy voice-over in a pivotal part in the film which belongs rather to a PSA video than to a feature film. The climactic part, where the women stand up for themselves and have the final victory over their assaulters, is shot in broad strokes, without a hint of cinema. Stand-up might as well be a bed-time storybook for young women on sisterhood, coming out of toxic relationships and fighting gender-based violence.

nimisha

The opening scene, where Keerthi introduces her family to the audience in and outside the frame through a stand-up comedy performance, is a novel idea. But it falls flat because of its sheer lack of humour. Borrowing the shallowest trick up the sleeve of a stand-up comedian, Keerthi jokes about regional stereotypes (“post-sunset, the entire male community in Kottayam are sloshed, and that’s why Kottayam is the coolest!”) And there is a tonal mismatch in this part because she establishes her brother as an immature but loveable young man. But he is also the abominable villain in her story. Vincent designs this transition passably, without looking into the nuances of the societal conditioning that sanctions rape as a device to control women. And, strangely, the film almost never uses the word ‘rape’, and replaces it with the generic term ‘crime’.

Not everyday does a film that talks about the experience of a sexual abuse victim come to our cinemas. Vincent succeeds in walking the audience through the pain – physical, emotional and psychological – that Diya suffers. You see her writhing in pain on toilet every morning, tremble when someone mentions her assaulter, and cry out helplessly on undergoing a medical examination. Rajisha Vijayan internalises Diya’s experience and performs the role with so much empathy and rawness. In spite of the many flaws, Stand Up is an important film that deserves to be watched for this empathy that it possesses and emanates.

The Stand-Up 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.

Rajabheema Trailer Starring Arav, Ashima Narwal

Starring Arav, Ashima Narwal, Oviya (cameo) & Yashika Aanand
Direction: Naresh Sampath
Music Composer: Simon K. King
Lyrics: Madhan Karky, Damayanthi
Cinematographer: S.R. Sathishkumar
Editor: Gopi Krishna
Art: A.R. Mohan
Stunt: Hari Dinesh
Choreography: Kalyan Master, Brindhaa Master
Costume Designer: Nithya .V
Makeup: K.P. Sasi Kumar
Sound: A.S. Lakshminarayanan
Costumer: S. Raja
VFX: Harihara Suthan
DI: Accel Media
PRO: Suresh Chandra – Rekha D’One
Stills: Raj
Designs: Reddot Pavan
Production Executive: N.R. Kumar
Executive Producer: K.B. Basheer Ahmed
Producer: S. Mohan
Production Banner: Surabi Films
Audio Label: Think Music