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Priyamani on the move

Actress Priyamani, who rose to fame with ‘Paruthiveeran’, is getting bold and busy. She is flooded with offers from both Tamil and Telugu industry.

She played rural belle in ‘Paruthiveeran’ while her next films ‘Malaikottai’ and ‘Thotta’ featured her in the urban girl oozing glamour.

Now she has been assigned to act opposite Prithviraj in a Tamil movie to be produced by Gemini Film Circuit. It is a remake of Malayalam blockbuster Classmates.

She has also signed up for a Telugu movie.

Stars shine in ‘Kuselan’

The long list of actresses appearing for a song in Superstar Rajinikanth starrer ‘Kuselan’ is still growing, with Trisha and Flora being the latest additions.

According to sources, Flora, who is facing a ban in Kollywood following her alleged involvement in the US visa forgery racket is shaking legs for a peppy number in the Telugu version of the film.

Suja, the item number specialist of Kollywood is doing the number in Tamil while Trisha, Sneha and Mamta Mohandas are also there.

Sneha's 'yes' to glamour

Actress Sneha, who chose to stay away from glamour roles, has finally taken to a skimpy show in her forthcoming release ‘Pandi’.

The movie featuring Ragava Larencce in the lead role is produced by Hithesh Jabhak and is directed by Madhuravan. Namitha and Sneha play the heroines. Ganja Karuppu play the comedian.

The movie went to floors a few months ago. Madhuravan has managed to shoot the entire talkie portion of the movie in a quick time.

He says, 'The climax was shot in Dindigul at a grand set erected at 5 acre of land. A huge statue of Ayyanar was erected and a grand Thiruvizha was set up'.

Both Sneha and Namitha have oozed glamour in the movie. For Ragava Larencce, it is a movie to reckon with in his career, he adds. The movie has music by Srikanth deva and cinematography by Senthil Kumar.

Hogenakkal row: Kollywood loses Rs 200 cr

Due to the spat between the Kannada and Tamil film industry over the controversial Hogenakkal Joint Drinking Water Scheme, which resulted in attack on theatres screening Tamil movies in the neighboring State, the Tamil industry has lost over Rs 200 crore in the last couple of weeks.

According to Kalaipuli G Sekaran, president, Tamil Film Distributors Association, 'the decision by the Karnataka film chamber not to release Tamil films in Karnataka has dealt a big blow to us'.

'The movies including ‘Anjathey’, ‘Thotta’, ‘Sadhu Miranda’ were removed from theatres. Interestingly the movies including ‘Santhosh Subramaniyam’, ‘Yaradi Nee Mohini’, ‘Arai En 305il Kadavul’ and ‘Thozha’ were not bought by the distributors in Karnataka fearing attacks. As a result our industry stands to loss Rs 200 crore so far. Hope the issue is sorted out at the earliest', he said.

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Nepali Review

Starring: Bharath, Meera Jasmine, Prem

Direction: VZ Durai

Music: Srikanth Deva

Production: Rama Saravanan
‘Nepali, the name itself suggests that something different is on offer. But everything that is different need not always be interesting. In a way, Nepali has nothing new in terms of its basic plot. It’s the same boy meets girl, love at first sight, marriage, tragedy and revenge plot, but the script takes a slightly offbeat route.
Nepali is the story of a young man, Bharath, who does odd jobs in many places during the day but assumes a dangerously sadistic persona at times. It is as if he knows things that few others know, doing things for reasons that only he knows. His hands hold steady as he sends people to their death, often in the most grueling ways. The law is behind him. But one thing puzzles us: why is he dressed in such a peculiar manner- those pointed brows and small eyes. Is he from Nepal?

Nepali is also the story of another young man, played by Bharath again, who has to face bitter experiences that change him forever. To start with, Bharath is shown as a software engineer, young and happy and in love with a girl in Ooty, Meera Jasmine. Facing opposition from her family, the lovers have no option but to elope and marry. It is a happy and contented life in a world of their own –and it couldn’t get better. But the evil shadow of a police officer who has developed a desire for Meera Jasmine lurks over them. Desire becomes obsession and tragedy follows close behind.


Nepali tells the story of one other young man- Bharath again! who ends up in jail for a crime that he could not avoid committing. In jail he meets a man who holds many secrets that could knock down many big names in the city. In the dark shadows of the gallows, the secrets change hands while no one notices. The hunted man with secrets does not survive but leaves his unfinished tasks in the hands of the young man he met.

This is basically what Nepali is all about. You might be a bit confused, and that’s exactly how the script is - confusing. You might also think that there are many layers to the story but it is actually a simple linear story that has been convoluted back and forth to produce a movie that falls just short of being interesting. The film is set in three time periods and the script moves back and forth between then and now. This kind of narration can be interesting, but the talented director, V.Z. Dhorai (remember the excellent Mugavari?), somehow misfires. This see-sawing narrative movement only makes the movie lose momentum far too many times, always moving in fits and starts, never settling into a steady pace.

Cameron Diaz W Magazine May 2008 Cover photo

Kamal’s current getup, a trailer of his next?

Dasavatharam the magnum opus of Kamal in ten different get ups directed by K S Ravikumar would be ready for release soon. Kamal’s fans are eagerly awaiting the release of this film and its audio release is slated to be held soon with the luminaries like Jackie Chan and Amitabh Bachchan in the invitees list. Meanwhile the ever professional Kamal has already started work on his next project Marmayogi. Industry sources divulge that the story of Marmayogi has been recorded in his laptop and from time to time, the veteran actor is making some kind of changes and bringing the same to a shape. There are also talks going on in the industry that Kamal’s recent bearded appearance is also an indicator of his role in the film. Marmayogi which is said to be a period film set in 7th century will be costlier than Dasavatharam and Walt Disney and Bharath Bala are touted to be the producers of the same.

Kamal identified me"

Anjaathe, the recent hit of director Mysskin brought out many talents to the fore. Prasanna proved himself as a capable villain and heaps of plaudits have been showered upon Ajmal Ameer who had donned the role of Kripakaran in the film. His character which was a mix of good and bad was much talked about. This reel life actor is a doctor in real life who hails from Cochin. He has acted as hero in a Malayalam film titled Pranaya Kalam which was a damp squib at the box office but for a song which was a chartbuster and was a ticket to a call from director Mysskin's office for Kripa's role in Anjaathe.

Ajmal is an ardent fan of Kamal Hassan and like any other Kamal fan, has grown up seeing and relishing his movies. Recently at the protest fast which was held in Chennai regarding the Hogenakkal issue, Ajmal was almost catapulted to stratosphere in ecstasy when Kamal recognized him and appreciated his work in Anjaathe. The young actor is yet to come out of his bliss.

Kamal in Mani Ratnam’s next!

We had to wait nearly 20 years after Nayagan to see this day. The duo that created one of the 100 all time greatest movies in the history of cinema is back together and there can be no bigger or better reason for celebration. Yes, Kamal and Mani Ratnam will work together in 2008, the only regret being that it will be a short association, a cameo. But never mind, at least we get that after all these years.

Mani will soon start work on his next movie, Hindi again, with Abhishek and Aishwarya. It will be an urbane love story showing the problems that newly married coupes face, Alai Paayuthey-like, but yet different. Music, no doubt will be courtesy Rahman and so we have another chartbuster in early 2009 for sure. But the biggest news now is that of Kamal’s entry into the project.

In Guru, Mani gave Madhavan a cracker of a role. In this move he was actually planning on giving Vikram the chance of essaying an arresting cameo, as we had reported some time back. But, on second thoughts, the role seemed to suit his old friend, ally and genius, Kamal. So, Mani Ratnam asks Kamal the question, explains the role, which Kamal simply loves and there we have it: the best combination in Indian cinema. The role, as we said, will be short and sweet, but just the fact that Mani called on Kamal to do it suggests that the role will be something very special, something ‘Kamal-worthy’. The wait has ended, or in another sense- just begun. We can’t wait for it to release.

One other thing: we had told you earlier today that Kamal was sporting a beard as part of his Marmayogi look. Maybe that’s not correct, maybe it is for the Mani movie! Perhaps for both. Let’s just wait and watch.

Oh! No… Not Vijay… says Dhanush

Dhanush was recently interviewed by a popular Tamil weekly in which the actor answered many questions candidly. Some of the questions were like: Would you act as a villain in a Rajinikanth film? Which of the three actresses do you like the most – Trisha, Asin or Nayanthara? Though Dhanush did not expect the question – Would you dance with Ilaya Thalapathy Vijay for a song… his apprehension was evident when he replied that he would prefer to appear in guest role rather than dance with Vijay as the latter has mastered the art so well and it would be impossible to match his performance.

Robot - The meaningless rumors!

We had reported that Sujatha’s unfortunate demise would be a stumbling block for Robot while praying that the prediction should fail. But how can the loss of a great writer such as Sujatha not affect a creative team, it has, and as a result Robot will be delayed. Bad news, but that is the truth. Though we don’t now the full details of the reschedule in the making of Robot it is confirmed that the movie won’t go on floors by April-May, the start will be postponed at least until May. This is due to the script and dialogue works that have to be completed in the void created by Sujatha’s absence. It might be fair enough to estimate that the movie will not take off until after June.

While this might not look to be of great significance given that Rajini has made himself available without any other commitments after Kuselan, the real problem is going to b with the dates of Aishwarya Rai. She is currently at the peak of her powers with offers flooding her and it is pretty well known that she has granted her dates to Mani Ratnam’s next project which will have Abhishek with her once again after Guru. This film will mark the return of Mani Ratnam to the small, charming romance. Aishwarya has reportedly given dates up until June for the proposed shoots of Robot and plans to join the sets of Mani’s film immediately after that. Now, this delay will throw all her plans into turmoil. Though Mani might understand the situation that Robot is in, and being a close friend of Rajini might try to work out some kind of arrangement, that might not be of great help because even Abhishek is in no position to make any adjustments. He is currently in the US shooting for Karan Johar’s production Dostana. Also, his movies such as Drona and Dilli 6 are in various stages of production.

So, the casting and planning of Robot is in a spot now. Various suggestions and ideas are doing the rounds that include shooting all of Rajini’s solo portions and fights first and scheduling Aishwarya’s shoots for later. But only Shankar, the one man who knows fully the requirements of Robot can take a decision on this. Meanwhile, there have been some meaningless rumors that have started floating around saying that Aishwarya Rai has opted out of Robot. Now, this is blasphemous, at least at this stage. Aishwarya’s casting was a carefully made decision after much thought from both sides and a mere two month delay will not undo that. If Aishwarya has opted out of any movie, it is Pan Nalin’s Buddha, where she was cast as Yashodhara.

With the current troubles Robot needs all the support that it can get, being Tamil cinema’s biggest dream yet. We have to be patient because the movie is a coming together of all that is big and mighty in Indian cinema- Superstar, Shankar, Eros, Ayngaran and Aishwarya-such combinations are not very easy to handle. Let’s hope everything is sorted out and Robot gets a free run until completion - even if it means a couple of months or even more of a delay. Good things never happen in a hurry.

16 hoardings and 2000 posters

Vallamai Thaaraayo directed by debutant Madhumitha who had apprenticed with Gautham Menon is complete and ready for release. This film has Parthiban and Chaaya Singh in the lead roles. Recently the audio release function of the film was held at Chennai and hero Parthiban was conspicuous by his absence. It was said that he was out of station.However he has something totally different to say to this. According to the actor, he was not happy with the treatment that was meted out to him and as he had given his commitment, he continued to act in the film and was honoring his commitment. Parthiban was also much cut up with his name not being found in the audio release invitation.

When director Madhumitha was contacted by Behindwoods, she had this to say, "Parthiban sir has been involved in this film right from the initial stage to the final stage. We have definitely not neglected him or ignored him. There are around 16 hoardings and 2000 posters in the city for Vallamai Thaaraayo and he figures in all of them". For a poser on the invitation, she said that it did not have anybody's names leave alone Parthiban's

Ajith and Nayanthara under surveillance

Aegan, the current project of Ajithkumar being directed by dance master Raju Sundaram is getting canned at a steady pace. After completing shooting at overseas locations, the unit is currently stationed at Vizag and is quickly wrapping up the schedule there. Director has chosen Vizag so as to avoid the crowd that generally throngs around the lead stars here. However he has been proved wrong and the shooting spot at Vizag is being continuously visited by fans of both Ajith and Nayanthara who are very popular.

Fans are very eager to take pictures with their favorite stars and talk to them and spend time with them. As a result shooting gets interrupted. Having found it an uphill task to protect the lead stars from the fans, director has opted for a private security that will be in charge of the star’s protection and ensure that the shooting proceeds smoothly.

‘24 drinks to say-I LOVE YOU’

U,Me Aur Hum

‘25 years ago, it took me 24 drinks to say ‘I love you’. 25 years ago, I stole into your cabin and read your diary. 25 years ago I took lessons to dance with you. I lied and did a lot of things that I never would to win your heart. Then I confessed. You got angry and left.’-This is the preview to U, Me aur Hum

Subtle strains of a soothingly

romantic love story, U Me aur Hum, this Friday in theaters. Ajay Devgan’s directorial debut and Kajol coming back to the big screen after two years, this time with the love of her life. Previews suggest that the movie is full of love, romance and all that can make the heart sing along. The music sounds good, especially the ‘Jee Le’ number with the Spanish touch and ‘U, Me aur hum’ song in Shreya Ghoshal’s honey sweet voice. If you are not yet convinced then take a look at the official ‘U, Me aur Hum’official website, one of the best in recent times.

Krazzy 4

Four crazy dudes, one angry, one obsessed, another’s got multiple personality disorder and one is frightened to his bones of everything- the Krazzy 4.

Now, when these 4 are let loose in the city all hell can break out into the peaceful life of a metropolis. The irresistible comic actors, Arshad Warsi, Rajpal Yadav and Suresh Menon work in tandem and behind them is their doctor, Juhi Chawla. Comedy to bring down the roof. Music is not worth much of a mention. There has been enough of controversy with the High Court ruling that the music has been lifted off a Sony Erricson ringtone, ordering compensation to be paid and lots of psychiatrists protesting the way in which mentally challenged patients have been pictured. And, interestingly, they’ve done all this without watching the movie!

Kahaani Gudiya Ki

Comments reserved till after release!

Music This Week

Bhoothnath

The only music release of the week. Came with high expectations and fell flat on its nose. Big B as a ghost befriending a young boy. Fodder enough for a few fun numbers but all that comes to naught as only ‘Mere Buddy’ shows signs of lingering on in the mind.

From Last Week
Three low profile releases

1. Shaurya
Took off slow but grew with word of mouth and did well in multiplexes. Safe in the profit zone. Another good one for Rahul Bose and Kay Kay Menon.


2. Khuda Kay Liye
Good word of mouth but sunk by lack of publicity.

3. Brahm
Average content, nil publicity-close to a washout. Needed more backing.

NEXT CHANGE:
‘Hope and a little bit of sugar’-no kidding, that is the name of the movie.
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