Chennaiyil Oru Mazhaikkalam

The shooting for Gautham Menon's much-discussed Chennaiyil Oru Mazhaikkalam begins today.

This film has Trisha alongside four new faces, who are marking their debut in films as actors. Some of them are not new to cinema though. The four new guys are: Gautham’s assistant Veera, Shaam (SS music VJ), Sathish (a dancer who did a cameo in Unnale Unnale), and Karthik (actress Sridevi’s nephew and brother of actress Maheswari).


The film's title brings a deja vu feeling? No wonder! That's because the photo shoot for this film was done in 2007. For some reason, the shooting was delayed and now, it has finally started.

Music is by A.R.Rahman. The film, produced by P. Madan and J. Ganesh, also introduces a new cinematographer, Manoj Paramahamsa.

Kuselan – The 100th day trick!

The Rajini led multi starrer extravaganza Kuselan is gearing up for a July release. To be precise, July 18th has been set as the release date and director Vasu is working towards achieving the target. Interestingly, there seems to be a reason behind the finalization of July 18.The Kuselan stable seems to have decided to celebrate the movie’s 100th day around Diwali time which falls October last. Keeping this in mind, the release date has been fixed, sources revealed. As the release date is drawing closer, it is also learnt that patch work of the movie has already been started.

Kuselan will have Rajinikanth play an extended cameo and the bevy of star cast includes the likes of Pasupathy, Meena, and Livingston apart from the few-minute cameos by other prominent stars.

Silambarasan’s world tour and Bollywood foray

Silambarasan is a busy man these days. Kaalai might have been a bit of a disappointment but he has left that behind and is now getting ready to trot the globe and celebrate 75 years of Tamil cinema along with a few of his co-stars.


The first stop is going to be London, on the 25th of this month and two days later he will be performing in Canada. Accompanying him will be Kadhal Sandhya and current rapping sensation, Yogi B, whose Polladhavan deeds have gained him a few fans. The show that this trio will put up is sure going to be a treat to watch.

Upon his return from this world tour, Silambarasan is going to be aiming even higher. Yes, he will have Kettavan and Silambattam at various stages of progression but he will also be simultaneously taking his first step into Bollywood. The surprise element here is that he will be not be debuting there as an actor but as a director. He is armed with a bankable script, that of Manmadhan and is reportedly considering the cast for the movie. So, 2008 is going to be pretty hectic for Silambarasan and we wish him all the best for his projects, especially his Bollywood dream.

Jeeva to join hands with Cheran

Jeeva’s sabbatical will be over with his Thenavattu hitting the screens in the near future. Meanwhile, he is also busy shooting for his upcoming venture Siva Manasula Sakthi. He mentioned that he’s recently agreed to play dual role for ‘Maraindhirundhu Paarkum Marmam Enna’. Directed by Ahmed, this action thriller will have Yuvan Shankar’s score and Arvind Krishna’s cinematography. Shoots are scheduled to be held in Singapore soon.

He also revealed about his next project where he plays the lead alongside Cheran. To be produced by his father’s Super Good films, this movie will be directed by Brinda Sarathy whose earlier credits include Thithikudhe. Jeeva also added that the movie has an offbeat storyline.

Dasavatharam on June 6

The eagerly awaited Kamal-starrer “Dasavatharam” is releasing on June 6 (Friday). Producer Oscar Ravichandran disclosed this on May 20. The film will have the highest number of prints ever for an Indian movie, he said.

Kamal Haasan plays ten different roles in this “magnum opus” to be released initially in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi.

Meanwhile, the Madras High Court on May 20, further postponed till May 27 hearing in the case filed by Sri Vaishnava Dharma Samrakshana Society, represented by its president Govinda Ramanuja Dasa, objecting to certain scenes which, according to the petitioner, would wound the religious sentiments of Hindus.

A vacation bench comprising Justice K. Venkataraman and Justice M. Sathyanarayanann on May 20 adjourned the matter by a week after counsel for the producers submitted that it would take at least two weeks to make the required number of prints of the film.


Producer Ravichandran, in his counter affidavit, came down heavily on the petitioner, contending that such public interest writ petitions would incite communal disturbances. Provisions of the Indian Penal Code and Goondas Act should be invoked against the Vaishnavaite Society and its office-bearers for filing the “vexatioius PIL”.

Ravichandran claimed that “Dasavatharam’ in fact glorified the religious traditions and sentiments of not only Hinduism, but also Christianity and Sikhism, and that no scene in the film would cause disrepute to the “pranava mantra OM” and the Bhagavad Gita.

The producer further submitted that Govinda Ramanuja Dasa had filed the petition only to ‘ventilate his private malice’. The censor certificate had been issued to the film and the question of removing any scene at the choice of the petitioner did not arise at all. The petition was an attempt to upset and disturb the communal harmony and it should be dismissed, he pleaded.

Shriya pairs up with Little superstar

Silambarasan's Silambattam is shaping up well and the actor's Kettavan has also been revived. Meanwhile, director Shakthi Chidambaram has approached him with another project touted to be an action flick. Shakthi, who has two films in the pipeline, one with Raghava Lawrence and another with Sundar C, will be ready for Silambarasan right on time to commence the project, says sources. And with this project, Silambarasan's desire to pair up with Shriya on screen will be fulfilled!


Accepting the offer, Silambarasan also made a request that Shriya be roped in for the project. It is said that Shriya also agreed to play the female lead alongside Silambarasan. Gossipmongers also insist that Shriya has slashed her salary considerably to stay in the race.

Vijay Interacts with US Fans

Vijay is currently spending his summer holidays in the US with his family. Meanwhile, Jayavel Murugan, US distributor of Vijay’s recent release Kuruvi, has arranged a special show of the movie in San Jose. Vijay, always keen to show his commitment to his fans, immediately decided to take a break from his holiday and attend the show to meet his fans.

Jayavel Murugan has also decided to hold and interactive section with Vijay, much to the delight of his fans. The event will be on Friday, May 23 and the venue is Century Berryessa 10, 1171 North Capitol Avenue, San Jose, CA 95312. The event is from 7.45 to 8 p.m. and will be followed by a screening of Kuruvi.

Ilayathalapthy Vijay has a large fan base and the Kuruvi's release has generated a lot of enthusiasm. For most of his fans, meeting Vijay in person is like a dream coming true. This interaction with Vijay is his first in the US.

Five heroines and an elephant for Jayam Ravi

Normally the possibility of romancing five heroines in a movie can be enjoyed by the heroes who lead the pack of leading men in the star power hierarchy and occasionally if the script demands a new time hero gets lucky.So Jayam Ravi is the latest from the group of budding stars group to be fortunate to get the company of five leading ladies.

Which all glam queens will be giving company to Jayam Ravi in the movie 'Perannmai' has still not being let out by the director of the film S.P. Jananathan.

That's not the end of the story.

An elephant is to share a good screen space with the hero of the film who will be seen in the role of a forest guard.

The elephant is said to be a very important character in the film.


Of course the elephant will not have any dialogues to mouth, but the makers clearly had a good idea of the kind of elephant that they wanted.

Other wise why the people in charge of 'Perannmai' considered a particular elephant for the role after an elongated look out for finding the right animal to fit in.

The soon to be animal celebrity in the making did not come cheap as the deal for the remuneration is Rs.25000 per day other than the transporting and food expenses.

The film not only has an animal in a substantial role after a long time but also is introducing the use of a helicopter camera in Kollywood.

The poster of the new film which shows Jayam Ravi in a stretched out posture with a never seen before kind of bow and arrows which looks very sophisticated and custom made gives out the content of the movie as a highly action oriented one.

The elephant does not have to think about his future career in acting, but the five girls in the film do have to.

Let's see who gets noticed more with the tall and handsome hero.

Sarah Harding wants Brad Pitt

Diaz New man

Just days after sparking rumors of a reconciliation with former beau Justin Timberlake, Cameron Diaz has stepped out with a new man- Uma Thurman's former lover Andre Balazs, reports NW MAGAZINE

The actress, 34, last week seen leaving trendy New York club The Box with Uma's ex. Hotelier Andre.

Cam couldn't keep her eyes off Andre as the suave businessman led her out of the club to a waiting car.





Sources say Cam's determined to make her relationship with Andre work..Meanwhile, Cameron Diaz says the last couple of years have been "hell".
The actress,reveals she has struggled to cope with her life at times.
Cameron told website movies.com: "The last couple of years were hell. I
can't even tell you, it was so hard. I didn't know how to handle it. But I
think I'm in a much better place now, because I stepped away for a second
and took a breath.


"Hollywood is a funny place. It offers so much, but it can also take a lot
away from you."








The beautiful blonde is also tired of people thinking she is successful
because of her looks, not her acting ability.Cameron moaned: "If a woman who is a successful actress weighs 300 pounds
and has warts, nobody ever asks her, 'Do you think you made it because
you're ugly?' So why should there be prejudice against someone who's had
some success in films and looks a little better than average. It's all in my
genes, so don't hold it against me."


Cameron, who voices an animated character for new movie 'Shrek the Third',
wants the next installment to be more environmentally friendly.


She explained: "For the next Shrek, I'd like to create the ideal kingdom of
Far Far Away, where there would be no carbon emissions - work an
eco-friendly message into the story. Maybe the swamp could be in danger from
an environmental disaster or something."

Selvaraghavan’s 00 Films

Selvaraghavan has started a production company and he has given it a very quirky name – 00 Films. With this company he has made a very astute business move by joining hands with UTV, India’s leading entertainment company. His wife, Sonia Agarwal will be the partner in this new venture.

The syndicate formed by Selvaraghavan’s 00 Films and UTV will make 3 films in the near future. Selvaraghavan will only produce these movies along with UTV and he will not indulge in any directorial activities for these films.

The information about the film’s actors and technicians will be released by Selvaraghavan soon.

Nayantara visits Nellaiappar Shiva

People attribute different reasons for their success in life. In addition to hard work and unbeaten self-determination, learning from one’s mistakes, banking on one’s strengths, courage and confidence are also important. But for theists, prayer is equally important in all struggles for victory! Nayantara too believes the power of prayer and among the temples she visits is the Nellaiappar Temple in Tirunelveli.

After shooting a song sequence for the Vishal-starrer Sathyam in Tenkasi, the highest paid actress in the South headed straight to the Nellaiappar temple, which dates back to 700 AD and was built for Shiva and Parvathi (the consort to Lord Shiva) by the Pandyan kings. The unit members were surprised with the sudden change in her programme.

But why did she make this sudden visit? Possibly because she was nearby and possibly because she is about to join the Ajith-starrer Aegan unit in Yercaud.

It is the second time that the actress has visited this temple in which Lord Vishnu and sage Agastya are believed to have worshipped Shiva. Nayantara’s first visit to the temple was a few years ago while she was shooting for the film Ayya, her debut venture.

Aishwarya Rai Shows Her Hot Cleavage

Punjab @ Cannes

Sexy Riya Sen in Lingerie on Beach With Guitar

Jessica Alba Married

Jessica Alba and Cash Warren secretly tied the knot yesterday according to People!

According to a source, they were married in the Beverly Hills courthouse's ceremony room under an arch of green silk foliage and white flowers. They were casually dressed, with Alba wearing a long blue dress and her hair back in a ponytail.

"She looked happy but nervous," the source says.

Warren, in a white shirt and brown pants, arrived with Alba at about 11:30 a.m. on Monday, applied for a marriage license and waited about 40 minutes for the paperwork to be processed before a staff member from the courthouse married them, the source says.

News about real "THALA"

'Kuselan' - Rajinikanth, always fresh and fascinating

The movie 'Kuselan' has not only the superstar playing a movie star in it but also will be a visual delight for his die hard fans.

Not that this film will have countless exotic locales to fill the eyes with colours but is that needed to create an impact when Rajnikanth himself will be appearing in the film in 20 different get ups.

Everyone will admit that it is more than what is required.

And what if the superstar will take the viewers on a rewind trip with his different legendry characters coming alive on the screens all over again?

You read it right.

'Kuselan' will have the superstar showcasing some of his most famous on screen characters which fit in perfectly to his portrayal of a superstar in this highly anticipated movie.

The first schedule of the film's shooting in Pollachi is over and the unit will move to Hyderabad for the second schedule starting on June 3.

Only three songs are remaining to be absorbed into the camera and the audio will be released on June 20.

Nayanthara is said to be more stylish than ever before in 'Kuselan' and is definitely to leave a hangover of her role in the minds of the male viewers.

Vadivelu who plays a barber in the film is going to get a great support to tickle the funny bones to the extreme limits from a unique moustache that he has used so efficiently to add up the humour quotient.

Kavithalaya Productions, the production company of 'Kuselan' is gearing up for more films with top stars.

The company have already announced 'Thiruvannanmalai' starring action king Arjun and directed by Perarasu and "Krishna Leelai' with Jeevan as the lead man.

The other actors in 'Kuselan' are Livingston Santhanam, Madan Bob, Kushboo, Vijaykumar, Nizhalgal Ravi, Mamta Mohandas, Sneha, Geetha, R.Sundarajan, thiyagu, Vayaburi, MS Bhasker Mayilsami, Santhana Bharathi, Nellai Siva among others.

What makes Rajnikant the all time superstar of Tamil Cinema?

The fact that he always re invents himself on the screen need not be explained.

But the psychology of his die hard fans will always be a material that can be studied by the film students.

Rajinikanth met Sultan

Superstar Rajinikanth saw two things when he watched the trailer of the animated movie 'Sultan The Warrior'.

For the first time he saw himself in a movie in which he did not act but still was able to enjoy Sultan as he is called in the film.

He also saw the talent and potential of his own blood in its full glory and splendor revealing in front of his eyes.

The actor after watching the trailer was moved and appreciated his daughter Soundarya who is the creative force and director behind the first of its kind animation project in India where a film star is being featured in a full length animated movie as an 3D animated character.

Ocher movies, Soundarya Rajinikanth's company is producing 'Sultan The Warrior'.
As usual in Rajinikanth movies, S.P.Balasubramanium has given the voice for the intro song in this film composed by the music wizard A.R.Rahman.

Three other songs composed by A.R.R. also add elegance to the film which has the duration of one hour and fifty minutes.

For Thotta Dharani, the acclaimed Art director, the experience in working in this movie turned out to be entirely different as he did not have to work with physical resources which are used to construct a set but just had to come out with designs which got the material and texture in the hands of 3D animation artists working under his guidance.

This attempt is sure to find followers once it gets released and Kollywood can be proud that the idea of 'Sultan The Warrior' was conceived and the effort to make it true was dared in Chennai.

Even if the film shows a Rajinikanth made up by animators, the opening and the hype to this movie is going to be the same as like any other film of the superstar.

That also is an honour that is meant exclusively for Rajini.

Who can argue on that?

Best 2007 Heroines

At the moment there seems to be no stopping this lady. Signing Sivaji was the best thing that has happened to her and full marks to Shriya for maximum utilization of the opportunity. Seldom have heroines looked better on screen. Azhagiya Thamizh Magan might not have been the ideal follow through but that has not affected her.



She should get the tag for the most consistent performer of Kollywood for the past 3 years. Ever since her debut with M. Kumaran, she has never let anyone down. Beginning with Pokkiri and ending with Vel, 2007 has been another great year for this girl from Malabar. Aalwar was a rare aberration. 2008 is big, Dasavatharam.


She made her debut a few years back but has been struggling to get the toehold. She finally got it and it was more than a toehold, it was a firm foothold in Kollywood and in the hearts of many fans. Paruthiveeran’s Muthazhagu will not be easily forgotten. Malaikottai was a commercially successful happy joyride but we expect more of Muthazhagu, don’t we?


Every champion has one great fight left in him’, a dialogue out of Rocky Balboa. Jyothika proved that she is a true champion when it comes to acting. She reserved the best of her career for the last lap, finishing with a flourish. Mozhi is without doubt one of Jyothika’s finest, there was also Pachaikili Muthucharam where she did her only negative role. She still continues to rule the hearts of the cine goers


For a lady who chose to concentrate more on Tollywood in 2007, a top 5 spot in Tamil is really commendable. While the delightful Balleilaka cameo in Sivaji was of great help, it was the stylish makeover for the year end Billa that earned her all the brownie points. Her line up for 2008 is seriously loaded


She has not been lucky with her big projects in the recent past and the endless postponement of Bheema has done her no good. But for Kreedom, she might not have been in this list. Her performance proved that she can still deliver the goods. With Bheema finally coming for Pongal 2008 and with still an intact loyal fan following, her fortunes might take a turn for the better.




This actress has been trying hard to make a serious dent in Kollywood and things seem to be improving for her. What is admirable is her attempt to reinvent herself in a more film friendly style. Sattham Podathay and Mirugam were her releases this year, both grabbing attention, the latter for many wrong reasons too. 2008 may be the year we get to know how well her efforts pay off




One of the senior most names in the list, 2007 has been another year when she has hung around finding favor with a few makers. While Naan Avanillai got her back into reckoning, Pallikoodam gave a good account of her acting skills. But the big commercial success is still missing from her recent record. Needs a good break to get back in the top 5


For nearly 3 years now she has been hanging around nervously on the fringes of stardom, not able to make the big leap. 2007 did not begin on a happy note with memories of Vallavan still very strong. But she has put that behind her and moved on. With Koodal Nagar getting her accolades for her histrionic talents, Kannamoochi Enada put her career back on track


After the debacle of Kedi we thought that she was gone for good, never to be seen again. But all credit to Tamanna for sticking it through the tough times and choosing a script like Kalloori for her comeback. As of now her choice seems vindicated with offers coming in generously. A role against Surya already in her kitty, 2008 has to be a year of careful choices and consolidation.

Hindi Ghajini in October

Aamir Khan, who was injured during the shooting of his current project – the remake of Tamil film Ghajini – is recovering fast and will soon resume shooting.Director Mr. Murugadoss, now in Chennai, stated that the film will be completed in three months and shall be released in October. He added that this will be a feast to Aamir Khan’s fan following, which has increased after Tare Zameen Par, not only in North, but also in Tamil Nadu. In Tare Zameen Par, Aamir played the role of an empathic and lovable teacher. In Ghajini, he plays the role of a man who has short-term memory loss. In Tamil, actor Suriya played this role and it won him a lot of accolades.





Asin is the female lead in the Hindi version too; she has spoken immaculate Hindi in her own voice. Music is by A.R. Rahman. All these factors are making the filmgoers of Tamil Nadu eagerly await this movie's release. Now at least they know their wait will end in October.

Southern beautyAsin, the female lead, has been in the news ever since she was signed for this movie. She swept everyone off their feet when she featured in “Close up” and “Mirinda” ads alongside Saif Ali Khan and Zayed Khan respectively.

Vijay holidays in California

Vijay, whose Kuruvi was released recently, has flown to California to spent his summer holidays there with his family members who have accompanied him. He is expected to return to India on June 6th.

Since he is away, Vijay, star Brand ambassador of Chennai Super Kings, will not be able to attend the two matches on Wednesday and Saturday.

On his return, he will commence shooting for his next movie to be directed by Prabhu Deva.