The much-anticipated Thalapathy64 starring actor Vijay has roped in ‘Makkal Selvan’ Vijay Sethupathi and Angamaly Diaries fame Antony Varghese for prominent roles. The movie helmed by Maanagaram fame Lokesh Kanakaraj is being bankrolled by Xavier Britto Film Creators.
In an exclusive interview to Silverscreen, the two-time Kerala State Film Award-winning audiographer talks about his career in films that spans over a decade – across the Hindi, Tamil and Malayalam film industries – on using sync sound, and returning to his hometown Kochi for an upcoming documentary directorial.
Director MS Raj’s Marina Purtachi has been cleared with U certificate, after many cuts and mutes by the revising committee of the Censor Board of Film Certification (CBFC).
Aadhira’s brother is Arivudainambi (Cheran), a tax investigator who probably has an excel sheet for everything including the number of times he has borrowed the office car for personal trips, mother Vadivambal (Aadhira Pandilakshmi) who knows exactly what to tell whom and when, and maternal uncle Kumaraguru (Thambi Ramaiah).
RJ Balaji, one of the very few daring actors in cinema, is currently awaiting the release of his humorous political satire LGK. The trailer of the film starring RJ Balaji and Priya Anand in the lead, directed by debutant KR Prabhu, released on Saturday. It crossed 2 million views in 24 hours.
Prakash has been speaking for some time now about Sarvam… which sees director Rajiv Menon emerge from hibernation, and features music by Prakash’s uncle AR Rahman. “Each film comes with something special.For someone who displayed great maturity in sound sense even as a teen, and made a debut with a film that was more art house than mass, Prakash chose the commercial route when he decided to turn actor, and achieved success in that too, though some squirmed at the double entendres.
The Madras High Court has ordered the Central Board of Film Certification to decide on the certification of Marina Puratchi in seven days, starting from the day the director produces proof that the film has no harmful content.
The Madras High Court has issued a notice to Central Board of Film Certification, demanding an explanation for not certifying Marina Puratchi directed by debutant MS Raj. The director claims that the board did not give any valid reason for not approving the film.
The filmmaker’s career graph though, doesn’t suggest this self-confessed indolence. Six films and eight years in the film industry later, Lijo Jose Pellissery is now one of the most acclaimed filmmakers in Malayalam, constantly pushing his own bar and exploring new narrative terrains with every new film.
The real part is of course Vijay’s political ambitions and Tamil Nadu’s volatile political situation, and the dramatic past couple of years.Real and reel merge in Sarkar, directed by A R Murugadoss, initially plagiarized from Varun Rajendran’s story that is registered with the South Indian Film Writers Association and acknowledged in the opening credits in the form of an expansive, unwieldy letter signed by “A R Murugadoss (Writer/Director)”.
Sarkar, AR Murugadoss’s new film starring Vijay and Keerthy Suresh, is a socio-political thriller in name, but the movie is really is a long pep rally for its lead actor’s political ambitions.The hasty Background score in the movie, the highlight of which was when the composer plays Yelelo and other fishermen music tropes when the hero talks about his background.
Not the ideal situation for a child born of parents from well-to-do backgrounds, but after Chinmayi’s mother Padmhasini was abandoned by and later divorced from her father, Chinmayi got used to a life where stretching a rupee was the norm, and where it was commonplace to graciously accept help from a generous periyamma (aunt) and grandfather. “We knew where our next meal would come from, but were never sure what would happen the next week.
Another woman who had written in calls it an open secret in the industry. “Vairamuthu is a predator,” she says, “but no one will expose him because of his political connections which he uses to silence his victims. ” A few of them mention Ponmani in this context, as obviously knowing what her husband was up to, and warning women to stay indoors when he visited the hostel, or “keeping a tab” on visitors who were young women. “I had an appointment to meet him and stopped to say hello to Ponmani who is a poet of note herself, “a woman writes, “She kept calling his office from their residence downstairs.
Actor M Sasikumar is the latest addition to the cast of the Karthik Subbaraj-directed Petta. Sun Pictures, which is bankrolling the project, made the announcement via a tweet:
Crime thrillers, gangster sagas, love stories with a dark, delicious twist… but, at heart, Anurag Kashyap, who has completed nearly quarter a century in films, insists he’s like a child. “Somehow, every time I’ve acted, it’s been in a negative role.Anurag’s love story with Tamil cinema began because of the sheer accessibility. “Tamil films have been so rooted; Hindi films have started getting there.
Ajay is expected at the studio to oversee the colour correction of his second film, Imaikka… which releases tomorrow, but he hangs back to finish his tale. “I had no parental approval and there was a lot of pressure to pursue medicine,” he says, “But I think I am happy now – my siblings look up to me; they say I swam against the tide.
After tasting victory with the first-ever Indian space film Tik Tik Tik, Jayam Ravi is ready with the teaser of Adanga Maru, which sees him play a cop again.
In yet another instance of real-life incidents inspiring art, director Santhosh Gopal has announced plans to make a film based on the protests surrounding the proposed Chennai – Salem highway. Santhosh has previously assisted cinematographers PC Sreeram and the late Vilmos Zsigmond. He directed Jallikattu last year.
Every time a burning issue concerning society is in the news, actors are usually found wanting when it comes to expressing anger or angst. But some voices have always risen against injustice of any kind, be it within the industry or outside of it. Not surprisingly, these voices invariably have their origins in the South, primarily in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Bollywood has almost stayed silent on most issues, especially the deeply political.
Rajinikanth has played the superstar on-screen for a long time. He is used to solving problems with one look, just a clench of fist, a few biting dialogues. He is the saviour, the thalaivar on screen but his recent Thoothukudi visit proved that he has a long way to go before he became a people’s leader.
The Tamil film fraternity is not one to stay silent on burning issues, be it the Jallikattu uprising or Anita’s suicide over NEET. Now, several celebrities include the stars-aspiring politicians have spoken out against the expansion of Vedanta Sterlite’s copper smelter in Tuticorin as it would add to the pollution levels and contaminate the Kumarareddiyapuram village in Thoothukudi to hazardous levels.
Rajinikanth, in his latest tweet, said, “Why the government of Tamil Nadu still silent over the ongoing protest against Sterlite Copper and allowing them to function despite opposition from the residents.”
Kamal Haasan will emerge victorious in politics, just like he has done in cinema, declares Saravanan, a carpenter from Bangalore. “You want to know why? He has won four National Awards and had the talent to win more, but he is giving it up to make space for young actors, and is now entering politics. Kamal will give importance to education, quite like what he’d said in Unnal Mudiyum Thambi. A line in the song “Unnal Mudiyum Thambi” goes “இருக்கிற கோவிலை எல்லாம் படிக்கிற பள்ளிகள் செய்வோம் [let’s turn all temples into schools]”. His ideals are just like that of MGR. He’d also protested the presence of wine shops in that song.”
Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s epic drama, which was scheduled to release on December 1, officially released on January 25, with premiere shows on January 24. The film earned Rs 56 crores in India within three days, making Rs 5 crores on Wednesday, Rs 19 crores on Thursday, and Rs 32 crores on Friday. In New Zealand, the film made Rs 76. 10 lakhs on the first two days.
Kadai Kutty Singam which stars Karthi and is produced by Suriya has ran into trouble due to ‘rekla’ race sequence.
Madura Veeran, a Jallikattu-inspired movie which was earlier set to release during Pongal, will finally hit the screens on February 2. Written and directed by cinematographer PG Muthiah, the film stars Shanmuga Pandian and Samuthirakani in the lead roles.Vijay Sethupathi’s first release this year, a revamped Shanmuga Pandian, Trisha’s Malayalam debut, and a few others are set to release, with nothing major from the Hindi film industry.