Kuselan - Awestruck Santhanam, doting Rajini

Of the multitude of stars and junior artistes who are part of Superstar Rajinikanth’s Kuselan, Santhanam is one. He plays the role of a production manager in the movie and considers the opportunity to be a case of his ‘dreams come true’. Santhanam recounts his first day shoot with the Superstar like yesterday and mentions it to be the first time he saw Rajini in close quarters.Dumbfound, I went to him and asked his permission to be photographed with him,” he states. The superstar, however, remarked as a matter of fact that they both were stars but did not turn down the wish. “I told him he was incomparable and no other star can come closer,” he adds.

The usually chirpy Santhanam confesses that he was a bundle of nerves when his scenes with the superstar were shot. “Rajini, however, sensed that I was nervous and made me relax with his attitude before we went in for the shoots,” Santhanam reminisces.

Kuselan is progressing day in and day out at the Ramoji Rao film city in Hyderabad with a truckload of stars.

Padikadhavan stalled at the start!

The start of Dhanush’s new film Padikadhavan has been inauspicious. The film has run into a ban by the Film Employees Federation of South India (FEFSI) on the first day of its shooting. The problem was Dhanush’s dates. The ban was imposed on the film by FEFSI upon receiving a complaint from the Gemini Labs banner. The production house claims that Dhanush had agreed to do a film for them immediately after Yaaradi Nee Mohini. However, the actor has dishonored the commitment and started work on Padikadhavan.

The shooting of the movie has been temporarily stalled till the issue is resolved. We do not know the truth of the matter, but whatever it is, the shooting of a movie being held up is not a solution to anybody’s problem. Hope matters are settled soon.



With Yaaradi Nee Mohini hitting the screens, Dhanush is now gearing up for his next film. Title: Padikadhavan. The film's first still was released yesterday amidst much curiosity among is fans. Though titled as such, the photograph depicts Dhanush as a highly educated intellectual. We need to wait for a while to know what it is all about. Tamanna plays Dhanush's on-screen pair.

The title, of course, is that of a yesteryear Rajini hit, which also starred Sivaji Ganesan. According to Kollywood circles, sentiment plays a pivotal role in titling Dhanush's films. If you recall, his Thiruvilayadal Aarambam, became a smash hit. Incidentally, Sivaji played the lead role in Thiruvilayadal a few decades ago. More recently, his film Polladhavan, another Rajini hit, also sent the cash registers ticking away to glory. Perhaps, this time too, the producers want to cash in on this newfound sentiment.

Silambarasan & Nayan back together

he thronging fans present at the star protests held in Chennai yesterday for the Hogenekkal issue raised their eyebrows in unison. Not at the sight of having to see stars in such huge numbers, but at the sight of Silambarasan and Nayanthara sitting next to each other. However, the breakup kid wasn’t paying much attention to his old flame and so was Nayan who pretended to be busy meddling with her cell phone.

Nayan was dressed in a body hugging black tee and the ‘big and trendy’ sunglasses while Silambarasan attended the gathering in a blue tee and wearing a hairstyle that proclaimed his newfound passion of tresses.

Stars make movies for us. They also design their offices, their workplaces, hideouts or their outlets, whatever you like to call it. Each office is distinct, bearing a stamp of the personality who works there. So, what does your favorite star’s office look like? Here we have, exclusivities on the offices of top 20 celebrities of Kollywood.

VIJAY

What catches your eye as you enter Vijay’s office is a life size cut out of Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar, poised to play a shot. Well, all that might have to change because Sachin is a Mumbai Indian while Vijay is a Chennai Superkings ambassador.

KAMAL HAASAN

He loves cinema and wants to watch it any time he wants to, show them to his friends, family or visitors and that’s why he has a mini theater with about a seating capacity of 20 where he watches all films that he wants to. There is also a spiral staircase in the interior just wide enough for one person to walk, tastes that are beyond our understanding.

RAJINIKANTH

If you know a lot about Superstar then it might not be tough to predict what you will find there. Definitely a big picture of Sri Raghavendra and then there is a photo where Rajini is seen with many children of an orphanage. Simplicity-defines the Superstar and his office as well.

SHANKAR

His feel for grandeur doesn’t go amiss in his office either. With an indoor pool where you can see a variety of exotic fishes swimming around, Shankar’s office is an aesthetic treat. He likes to keep looking at the pond from time to time, especially during story discussions.

MANI RATNAM

Many of his films might have been shot in low light but his office is always bright with evening light. How’s that? Well, we are not very sure. We only know that Mani Ratnam’s office illumination is such that you always feel its evening, even during prolonged power cuts.

SELVARAGHAVAN

His office is just like one of his movies, simple and to the point. On a wall hangs a letter by Mani Ratnam in appreciation of Kadhal Kondaen, a possession he treasures.

SILAMBARASAN

A look inside and you will understand how secular a person Silambarasan is. Hinduism, Christianity and Islam are held in equal reverence here and then there are the memoirs of the golden era of T Rajendar and his super hits- a collection of shields of victories.

VISHAL

Quite simple, suggesting that he is a down to earth guy who puts family first. You can see a big photo of Vishal at a very young age with his elder brother Vikram. Both of them look bulky and surprisingly different from the fit bodies that they have now. Some transformation!

BHARATHIRAJA

Now, this is interesting. A hidden camera in the visitors room which Bharathiraja uses to observe all those who come knocking for an opportunity. Napoleon was one of the first beneficiaries of this unique method of casting, getting his break with Pudhu Nellu Pudhu Naattu

VIKRAM

A touch of heritage or history, whatever you like to call it. A mini terracotta army, somewhat resembling the ancient Chinese emperor’s tomb. Proudly on display is a letter of appreciation by K. Balachander and one by ex C.M. Jayalalitha for his services to Tsunami victims.

LINGUSAMY

His office is certainly a bit different, showing that he is still a student of cinema. With lots of books on movies and photos of many great men who can be called the ‘Fathers of cinema’, Lingusamy’s office might be a good place for those who want to learn about cinema.

CHERAN

He seems to be akin to the character he created in Thavamai Thavamirundhu, parents first. His office has a big photo of a moment captured when he had taken his parents to the Taj Mahal.

VIVEK

His comedy always has a message ad his office has one too. Lots of books placed in a shelf shaped like an eye showing that books are to be read. There is also a photo of Vivek receiving an award from A.P.J. Abdul Kalam- inspirational and invaluable.

GOUNDAMANI

This veteran laugh maker seems to have an eye for antiques. In his office you can see a classic gramophone of yore and a number of metal statues of a very old style of sculpting that look genuinely look period, though we don’t know whether they are skilled imitations.

VADIVELU

His office has a photograph of Murugesan, his close associate and manager who passed away recently. It is known that Murugesan had guided and helped Vadivelu a lot during his formative years.

JEYAM RAVI

Three photos hold places of prominence. Two are from family, one with brother Jeyam Raja and the other of his father Editor Mohan and brother switching on a camera. He third photo is however unrelated, that of Thomas Alva Edison. Now is Ravi a huge fan of Edison, the world’s most prolific inventor.

PARTHIBAN

He is known for not keeping any one design scheme in place for long. The current flavor being his poems, drawings and a lot of cute birds to welcome visitors. Only he knows what is next.

AJITH

Ajith is an intuitive person, we might think after visiting his office. Right in front of his seat is a board with a magnet at its center. It is said that the Ultimate Star aims at the bull’s eye with another magnet before taking important decisions. Is this some form of stress relief or a Steve Waugh style of idiosyncrasy?

Yaaradi Nee Mohini Movie review

Starring: Dhanush, Nayantara, Raguvaran, Karthick, Karunas, Mano Bala

Direction: Jawahar

Music: Yuvan Shankar Raja

Production: R.K. Productions
‘You guys going to work?” asks a distressed and unemployed Karunas - accompanied by Dhanush - to a few girls waiting in the bus station. There you have the quintessential Danush plot: a jobless youngman, his love-at-first-sight, a far from considerate and a subject-of-abuse father, and a love embroiled in an inconsiderate relationship. Yaaradi Nee Moghini is smartly packaged with everything inevitable in a Dhanush movie. With subdued emotions that hardly ever go overboard and in your face humor, director A. Jawahar gets everything right. Well, almost.
Dhanush is a happy go lucky guy desperately in search of a job despite his bare minimum qualifications. One of those job-search episodes makes him catch a glimpse of Nayan who works for a software company. Dhanush falls instantly in love and luck favors him to secure a job in the same company, much to his delight, in Nayan’s team.

While Dhanush nurtures his love for Nayan secretly, she turns a blind eye considering his lack of education and proper upbringing. And when he reveals his feelings, Nayan turns him down, further humiliating his father Raghuvaran, leading to death. Although secretly in love with Dhanush, Nayan, considering her orthodox Brahmin background, decides to be married to Karthick instead. The wedding has already been planned by her parents. However, in the end, she expresses her love to Dhanush the night before the wedding. Now it is for Dhanush to decide whether to accept the love that cost him so dearly or to turn his back and pretend to lead a normal life.


Dhanush has immense scope in a role that is tailor-made for him and he pulls it off with consummate ease. Be it as a distraught jobless youngster or a love struck man craving for the impassive dream girl, the job couldn’t have fit anyone else this well. Nayan dispels her bombshell act and proves that she can more than just that. She breaks into tears when needed, shows vicious contempt when rubbed the wrong way in the name of love, and looks endearing in songs.

Raghuvaran’s performance deserves a standing ovation and is a proof of how magnificent an actor he was. Ironically, there are scenes in the movie that has Dhanush perform Raghu’s last rituals that will reduce a viewer to tears.The humor goes with the flow, and scenes like the whole family of a dozen’s trip to the textile shop in a single vehicle is sure to bring the house down. Karunas establishes that Dhanush brings the best out of him yet again. Remember Polladhavan? However, it is hard not to frown, and often sneer, at the dialogue since it has B & C center audience written all over it.

Director Jawahar has neatly packaged the movie with less melodrama that is surprisingly tad unusual for a movie that focuses on a love story of a girl hailing from an orthodox family. Yuvan’s rerecording breathes life into the movie. So do the songs. Three of them linger long after you have left the theatre. Special mention must be made of the item number performed by a desi Shakira in the train that averts folks from sneaking out of the halls for a smoke. Kudos to the cinematographer who has captured Australia’s vibrant landscape breathtakingly. Bhaskar’s editing helps keep up the pace of the movie.

If you do not mind the usage of crude language, especially between a father and a son, and the dialogues in general that seem a little bent towards a B and C center audience, you are in for a total treat in the Dhanush brand style.

Few fries short of a happy meal!

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