VEDI MOVIE REVIEW

Starring: Vishal, Sameera Reddy, Poonam Kaur, Vivek
Direction: Prabhu Deva
Music: Vijay Antony
Production: Vikram Krishna (GK Film Corporation)

The word VEDI essentially means a FIRECRACKER. Firecrackers can be of three types, there is the SARAVEDI ( serial cracker) that  produces a series of continuous overlapping blasts, there is then this single bombs that  take some time to get triggered creating tension, then give out a high decibel blast that might make your ear go deaf for a while. There is a third category of VEDI, the damp ones, that give out the pre-trigger sparks and smoke but never get triggered at all!

Vishal starrer VEDI, made by his home production company GK Film Corporation and distributed  by Sun Pictures is a remake of  the2008 super hit Telugu film called Shouryam starring Gopi Chand and Anushka.

With  Prabhu Deva , with his proven ability in handling remakes, at the helm of affairs, backed by an impressive cast and crew, a producer like Vikram Krishna who makes no compromise, VEDI definitely raises the expectation of a regular movie fan seeking  bang for his buck.

VEDI is the story of a fearless cop Prabhakaran and his effort to win  back the love of his estranged sister ever since they were forced to separate during their childhood due to exceptional circumstances.  While performing his duties as a cop he  goes all out to clean up the local mafia in Thoothukudi, a small town in Tamil Nadu and in the process earns the wrath of the local goon Easwaramurthy who is now hell bent on hitting back the hero where it hurts the most – by going after his long lost sister. 

Vishal is out and out the trademark Indian Hero personified – a tall, dark and handsome angry young man. He executes  the role of the angry cop with absolute ease. He  proves his mettle as an action hero and  is absolutely ferocious in all the fight sequences. The director has played on his strengths and has given him more exposure to his areas of comfort and has underplayed scenes that involve sentiment.  Sameera Reddy, as the college girl Aishwarya, who looks stunning in her designer wardrobe, is breezy and bubbly as ever. She almost one sidedly romances the hero and surprisingly there is absolutely no reciprocation of the romance from the hero till the end, though he accepts her love in a left handed way.  Her introductory number where she dances on the roads of Kolkata in the company of someone  who makes a cameo appearance ( not Prabhu Deva tho’) is worth a mention.

Vivek and his ‘over inflated’ comedy track where he  fakes a well built body and his one sided love for Sameera  evoke laughter , inconsistently though.

Among other performances Shaayaji Shinde does his usual villain role that we are so used to seeing in his earlier movies and has attempted nothing new. Poonam Kaur makes the best of the role given to her. Urvashi and Seeman  in cameo roles are impressive.

Vijay Antony’s background score is brisk and suits the mood of the film. Among the five songs, ‘ichu Ichu’ is hummable and  Kavignar Vaali’s lyrics for this song once again establishes  his eternal youthfulness through his lines.

Cinematography by RD Rajashekar is at it’s best in the action and song sequences. His camera work definitely raises the impact of the action scenes several notches higher and sets the canvas on fire. Full credits to VT Vijayan for his crisp editing . Anal Arasu who is the stunt master lives up to his title and the stunt sequences  radiate the required heat and provide meat for Vishal’s abilities to flex his muscles.

The first half of the movie caters to the quintessential humor and romance while establishing the premise and makes us hope for a cracker of a second half.   But sadly the director has remained faithful to the original and the second half, while it has the elements to make the going interesting, just does not deliver the goods. (Like the dialogue that comes couple of times in the movie, ‘Number correctu member wrongu da!’ )The item number is a damp squib while the 12-hour deadline sequence doesn’t really excite the audience as similar sequences are not new to Tamil films. And there is a scene where the hero is beaten up and is half dead, when his abducted sister screams out ‘Anney !’ And the hero’s eyes immediately open,  he instantly regains his lost strength and is on his feet in no time – it cant get more predictable than this !

An adopted child will still carry the semblance of the original parents. VEDI is no exception. If only there were conscious efforts to weed out the out-dated elements and infuse some fresh treatment while carefully working around the nativity, VEDI would have been a cracker of a movie.

VEDI definitely has good elements– actions sequences, songs, humor, decent performances - and each of us can pick what we want and ignore the rest. It belongs to a fourth category of cracker called Bijili Vedi ( Electric Crackers)  – which can be burst one by one – it’s a sheer joy when one bursts and no loss when another one doesn’t.

Verdict: the cracker that has the spark, the sound, the smoke and the fire – but not all of them together at all times !

MURAN MOVIE REVIEW

Starring: Cheran, Prasanna, Nikita Thukral, Haripriya
Direction: Rajan Madhav
Music: Saajan Madhav
Production: UTV Motion Pictures

It’s astonishing how much the oeuvre of the likes of Alfred Hitchcock inspires moviemakers even during these times of technological boom. Although Muran is not the scene to scene adaptation of Hitchcock’s 1951 film Strangers on a Train, it takes the basic plot line and expunges the western touch out of it, peppering it with characters and events relevant to our lives. Setting apart the thought about Tamil movies being increasingly inspired by other sources, Muran does what it sets out to do.

It’s true the movie will ruin the fun for you if you have already watched Strangers on a Train but Cheran and Prasanna make it up for that. They deliver nothing less of a power-packed performance, Cheran with his restrained nuances and Prasanna with his brash and arrogant performance, reminiscent of his Anjaade days. Even better that that, we must say.

For late comers, Muran’s story is about two strangers meeting in absolutely strange circumstances by sheer coincidence. Their lives are far from cheery and while one wants to collaborate with the other in a sinister plan to erase unhappiness out of their lives, the other is reluctant. But the reluctant one gets sucked into the whirlpool of events anyway that eventually tosses and turns his life, threatening to shatter its fragility.

Cheran plays the often reticent Nanda, who is a struggling musician who aspires to get into movies. At this point, we really can’t say whether Cheran was better as a director or as an actor. He seems to know how it all works and here he delivers a performance so powerful, yet agile. The scenes where Prasanna challenges his girth to steal mangoes from a farm and how he loses it after having been pushed to a corner (figuratively), rather reluctantly, shows how well Cheran can handle his characters onscreen. How Cheran handles his abusive relationship and extramarital love life that brings a morsel of peace to his life is proof of the talented actor in him.

Prasanna is a different story altogether. Director Rajan Madhav has completely exploited his potential, harnessing his ability to act out the menacing Arjun. What with his refurbished body language, Prasanna pulls it off convincingly as a spoilt brat of a millionaire father who is on a disturbing mission to eliminate his father. He adds up new dimensions to his acting profile, making it all believable. His attempts to make Cheran fall in line with his plans make him loathsome for us and that’s the success of his character.

Nikita, Haripriya and Jayaprakash slide in and out of the movie smoothly with their well written characters. While adapting the screenplay, there are some obvious clichés the script seems to have acquired. Like Prasanna’s story about his girlfriend committing suicide since she was raped by his father. Although most of the loopholes are sealed, the movie will get predictable for diehard followers of film noirs. It’s not too difficult to read the clues.

It’s hard to judge Rajjan Madhav’s direction because this is after all not his original movie. But given his script writing ability transposing the original, he has done a good job of it. Padmesh’s cinematography manages to give an edge to the film’s look by making it look menacing. One song gets your attention in Sajjan Madhav’s music but the background score is sufficient for the pace of the movie.

Madhav has shown a nice little directorial touch, as it were, during the beginning and climax of the movie. Despite not being an original thriller, Muran will catch your fancy during its running time. It’s well made and neatly acted out by its lead actors. If you are a purist, rather than bickering about the lack of originality, just appreciate the fact that Hitchcock remains an eternal source of inspiration for our directors. You’ll be fine!

Verdict: A thriller well told!

VAAGAI SOODA VAA MOVIE REVIEW

Starring: Vimal, Iniya, K Bhagyaraj, Ponvannan
Direction: A Sarkunam
Music: M Ghibran
Production: S Muruganandham, N Puranna

In his very first film Kalavani, director Sarkunam proved that he is a film maker with a potential. And in Vaagai Sooda Vaa, he continues to reiterate this fact as he narrates his tale adhering to a rural milieu set in 1966.

Vaagai Sooda Vaa is a tribute to teachers and tells the story of young man who is trained to teach and waiting for a government job which in those days was a highly revered commodity. The incidents that unfold when he comes to a village involved in making bricks and the shape that his dreams take on, become the base on which Sarkunam builds his story.

Vaagai Sooda Vaa works big time due to the brilliant detailing of Sarkunam and team, art director Seenu, cinematographer Om Prakash and music director Ghibran.

Sarkunam’s research is evident in the numerous articles of 1966 from the transistor, its announcements, the alum used during shaving to the bar soap being cut by thread. And he has also brought out the traditions of people living in that period through the ‘oppari’ and the customs during a death ceremony.  Sarkunam’s eye for perfection is palpable when Vimal walks with a limp after he is attacked although his limp does not form part of the core of the sequence at all.

Credible characters and a fairly good screenplay are the positive components of VSV. In the performance department, debutante Iniya is a worthy find and cruises through emotions. The scene where she breaks into a pompous jig in front of Vimal’s hut and where she expresses her disappointment on knowing Vimal’s intentions speak about the girl’s potential. Of course, her body language in a few instances is contemporary which could have been avoided.

For Vimal, VSV offers a different look in terms of a well kempt teacher with neatly done hair style and mannerisms. But Vimal could try bringing in variation in his dialogue delivery which would help the actor in the long run. Kumaravel’s performance as a ‘kuruvikaarar’ and his make-up needs special mention. Thambi Ramiah, K Bhagyaraj, and Ponvannan as supporting cast have done their roles satisfactorily.

The scene where heroine Iniya keeps hitting her shoulders with Vimal purposely, Thambi Ramiah losing out to Vimal on his Maths riddle, Vimal explaining about his brawn to the children and an innocent child’s remark followed by Iniya’s naughty comment, Vimal trying out his courage to a chasing goat are all examples of enjoyable scenes and VSV is replete with such sequences.

Technically VSV boasts of commendable contributions and art director Seenu who is being introduced in the film takes away the honors in bringing the right kind of ambience to Sarkunam’s vision. Cinematographer Om Prakash with his dusty brown visuals and the apt tones and angles create the magic of 1966.

It is difficult to believe VSV is Ghibran’s first project as music director. Under his musical baton, Sara Sara rules followed by Porane and Aana Aavanna. Although the Porane number sounds well, the picturization and its validation appear unnatural. Sarkunam’s juxtaposition of old songs in the narration works in favor of the film especially the ‘Pennin Manadai Thottu Poravare’ ditty.

On the flip side, Sargunam could have avoided taking time to get into the main story knot, which could have made the narration even more engaging. Nevertheless, Vaagai Sooda Vaa emerges triumphant bringing out the  period feel with a simple love story and a noble message.

Verdict: A noble message told successfully

Will Shruti advice Akshara on films?

It was not more than a month back that there were reports doing the rounds that Shruti Haasan's younger sibling and Kamal Haasan's younger daughter Akshara might soon make her foray into films. There were also talks that Mani Ratnam might rope her in his upcoming project.

So will Shruti Haasan, the elder sister who is comparatively senior, supply her sibling with useful tips, when Akshara does her debut?

Shruti who lives life to the full, is eager to make her debut as heroine in Tamil with AR Murugadoss directed '7aum Arivu,' where she will be seen alongside Suriya. On little sister's baby steps into the film industry, all Shruti says is that she would support Akshara in any work she does films or otherwise. But she would not be the one to supply advice, because according to the actress what might have worked for her need not necessarily work for her sister.

While it is not very clear if Akshara will be making her debut any time soon, Shruti is neck deep in offers mainly from the Telugu film industry. The singer-actress who shuttles between Hyderabad and Chennai is also shooting for Aishwariya Dhanush's '3' which will see National Award winning actor Dhanush as the hero.

'Vedi' sees a blast in Kerala!

'Vedi' has released in the God�s Own Country today across 61 theatres! The film which has released with a U/A certificate sees Vishal Krishna and Sameera Reddy in the lead and is directed by choreographer-director Prabhu Deva.

'Vedi' is the Tamil remake of successful Telugu film 'Souryam' and is a fast paced action thriller with peppy songs and some tough stunts. There is also some mushy romance a telling trait of most of Prabhu Deva films. A sizzling item song by Mumbai actress Sophie is making waves. Vivek will be his usual comical self supplying the film steadily with his comedy bytes sporadically.

The music for the film is by Vijay Antony and editing has been taken care of by VT Vijayan. With Prabhu Deva's dance being a hot favorite among Keralites and many peppy songs from Tamil being adopted by the music loving crowd in Kerala, 'Vedi' is sure to rock in Kerala too!

Rahman records with Michael Jackson's lead guitarist Orianthi Panagaris

The Mozart of Madaras and India's pride Rahman has recorded with the legendary Michael Jackson's lead guitarist Orianthi Panagaris for 'Rockstar'.

As we all know that A.R. Rahman pious dedication towards his work makes him to go at length to get the perfect sound ditto with Imtiaz Ali who puts his heart and soul to get the right music for his upcoming film 'Rockstar' produced by Shree Ashtavinayak and Eros International.

A.R.Rahman has roped in Orianthi Panagaris for a song titled 'Saadda Haq' in the film's soundtrack.

Here is the story how Orianthi the winner of the Breakthrough Guitarist of the Year award in 2010 by Guitar International magazine became the choice of Rahman for the song.

While working on 'Saadda Haq', the team (Rahman, Imtiaz, Irshad and Mohit Chauhan) agreed that they needed a fantastic lead guitarist to justify the tempo and the lyrics of the song.

A source from the team says, "While Rahman and Imtiaz had shortlisted several Indian and international musicians, they had Orianthi on the top of their list; given her incredible body of work and her huge international success."

Rahman checked with his agent in LA and even met up with Orianthi during one of his work visits there. He made her listen to the rough track and she absolutely loved it. Rahman immediately contacted Imtiaz and soon the Director was online, video chatting with Rahman and Orianthi from Mumbai.

"The Director had a long discussion with Orianthi on Skype; briefing her about the film's story and the song's relevance. Orianthi who was sitting with Rahman in LA immediately played some tunes that she felt could work well for the song. They (Imtiaz and Rahman) loved it and so Orianthi was on board!," the source adds.

A few days later, Rahman recorded Orianthi playing the guitar for 'Saadda Haq' in his LA studio. The process took 6 long hours, while Imtiaz witnessed the entire session through Skype!

Sameera opposite Vijay?

Gautham Vasudev Menon, even as busy filming his first trilingual venture 'Neethane En Ponvasantham', seems to have zeroed in on the heroine for 'Yohan Adhyayam Ondru', his maiden film with Vijay.

If sources are to be believed, Gautham's 'favourite actress' Sameera Reddy would share the screen space with the Ilayathalapathy in this big-budget venture, which is set to hit the floors by early 2012.

"But an announcement is kept under wraps since Gautham wants to complete Neethane En Ponvasantham, before shifting focus to Yohan Adhyayam Ondru. Vijay too is happy to have Sameera on board," sources say.

Sameera was the leading lady of two of Gautham's earlier movies- 'Varanam Aayiram' and 'Nadunisi Naaygal'. In an interview earlier, the actress mentioned that she would act in a film without even listening to the script, if it is directed by Gautham.

Vijay Follows Suriya and Karthi in Telecom Advertisement

Acting in advertisement films is becoming a fad among the popular heroes of Kodambakkam. Super hero Suriya has been endorsing the telecom brand of Aircel while his brother has acted for Airtel brand. Now it is the turn of Vijay to endorse the brand of a popular telecom brand. Vijay has given his green signal to the company. He is being paid a whooping amount of Rs 5 Crores. Vijay has already acted in a jewelry commercial film as well as in aerated cool drink commercial film.

The shooting of Velayudham which has Vijay in the lead role is to hit the screens soon. The shooting of the film Nanban in which Vijay shares the screen with Jeeva and Srikanth is also nearing completion. The film which is being directed by Shankar is the remake of the super hit Hindi film 3 Idiots. Vijay has also been signed for the lead role in the film to be directed by Gowtham Menon for which he has been paid a salary of Rs 11 Crores.

Shopping Mania for VTV Lyricist

Enchanting lyrics that attracts the lovers has been the mere secret of Thamarai’s success as a lyricist. The female lyricist has been winning laurels for her decorous style of writing that dates back from the time of ‘Kaakha Kaakha’, to ‘Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya’ and a erotic song of ‘Maalai Mangum Neram’ in Rowthiram.

The audio launch of ‘Muppozhudhum Un Karapanaigal’ was held yesterday evening that was graced by Jeeva and Vetrimaaran. Speaking on the occasion, Jeeva was high on praises for Eldred Kumar, who makes his debut directorial with this film. RS infotainments is known for its fame of producing stupendous films like ‘Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya’ and ‘Ko’.

Thamarai while speaking about the song mentioned that it’s about a guy gifting his girlfriend with beautiful gifts. Since the gift articles she mentioned in the lyrics were literally old-styled, she was on a shopping spree across all the malls and finally came up the final version.

G V Prakash on his part mentioned that it’s a song close to his heart and it is a youthful album setting to be a treat for the youth cohort.

Aamir Khan watches 'Engaeyum Eppothum'

Besides going places, 'Engaeyum Eppothum' is taking those associated with it to places. The film was recently screened specially for Bollywood top actor Aamir Khan, who was awestruck after watching it.

"Aamir shares a special bond with AR Murugadoss, ever since the two came together for Ghajini. So he made it a point to watch the maiden production venture of the ace director," say sources.

"Following this, a special screening of Engaeyum Eppothum was held for Aamir. The film impressed him a lot. He congratulated Murugadoss for backing such a meaningful and quality venture," add sources.

Also, Aamir telephoned Saravanan, the director of the movie, and lauded him for conceiving a beautiful note and executing it as an interesting film. It is said that Aamir might remake 'Engaeyum Eppothum' in Hindi!

Vadivel heroine on her next film

Actress Monica who was seen in films like Imsai Arasu 23m Pulikesi and Nanjupuram is looking forward to her next film Varnam directed by debutant Raj. She plays a Maths teacher in the film and has chosen not to wear makeup to make the character more realistic.
Sampath will be seen in the film in a major character and is excellent according to the actress. Prem, the cinematographer of Pasanga has done a great job in this film, Monica revealed. She promised that Varnam will be a colorful and memorable film.

Different From Suriya, Jyothika & Gautham Menon

‘It’s a full-fledged mass entertainer for universal audiences’ says a versatile critic after walking out from the special show of ‘Force’ that was held last evening. The film that is a remake of ‘Kaakha Kaakha’, which created benchmark for Gautham Menon is getting is remade in Hindi as ‘Force’. Nishikanth Kamat is always for making films on unique note and style and this one isn’t going to be an exception.

While the plot of the film remains the same, rest of the factors have been completely changed that includes the characterization of John Abraham and Genelia D’ Souza. Over here, Genelia will be playing the role of a social activist while John has some modifications in the role as well.

Songs by Harris Jayaraj are moderate hits and he has retained the title track of ‘Uyirin Uyire’ as ‘Khwabon Khwabon’.

Priyamani's next hero

Priyamani's next project unfortunately is not in Tamil. She might be doing a Telugu film with the evergreen Venkatesh as she is on the shortlist for the heroine's role. The Telugu Superstar has almost wrapped up Boduguard with Trisha. His next film is with director Dasarath to be produced by Parachuri Kiriti.
The National award winning actress is currently filming Kshetram with Jagapathi Babu. She is also busy with two Kannada film Kho Kho and Veera Vishnuvardhana.

Radha wins an award

Yesteryear actress Radha married hotelier Rajasekaran Nair and has settled down in Mumbai. Their hotel group, Uday Samudra with branches in Kovalam,Trivandrum is a four star  hotel and was recently honored with an award at the World Leisure Hotels Awards held in Italy for the second time.
Radha was delighted and while addressing media persons, she said that she feels as though she herself has won an award!

Veteran director SA Kannan passes away

SA Kannan veteran actor and director of Tamil films passed away in his residence from a cardiac arrest. He was 82. The thespian had done small roles in films like Parasakthi, Pasamalar and Veerapandiya Kattabomman. He also did some plays with Sivaji Ganesan. As a director, he did Thanikudithanam, Sathiyam, Geetha Oru Sembagapoo etc.
The actor/director is survived by two sons, his wife Kamatchi having passed away recently. We convey our condolences to his loved ones.

Salman Khan back in India

Bollywood star Salman Khan is back in India after a month-long hospitalization and recuperation at a hospital in the US. Salman went to the US for surgery based on medical advice for the nerve disorder that he had been suffering from for the past couple of years.
He underwent a major surgery to set right the defect and the surgery was conducted by some of the best surgeons in the US. Salman reached Mumbai this morning from the US and there was near scramble to meet the star. However, the police intervened on time to set the situation right and some of Salman’s fans had to return home disappointed as they could not catch a glimpse of the star.

Hansraj Saxena moves out of Sun

Sun Pictures’ COO Hansraj Saxena has tendered an official resignation to Kalanidhi Maran. Hansraj, who is currently out on conditional bail, has several cases against him alleging irregularities in distribution of films and needs to face them in the court of law.
He was arrested following complaints from various producers and distributors soon after the AIADMK government came to power and was in jail until he was let out on conditional bail recently.
Hansraj met Sun Networks’ chief Kalanidhi Maran recently and conveyed his decision to quit as he has to meet the cases against him and it would be detrimental to the organization’s growth. Following this, Hansraj’s resignation was accepted.

Diwali 2011- Countdown starts

The countdown to Diwali 2011 has started in Kollywood. Diwali is on October 26, exactly a month from now.
The three Tamil films which have announced a Diwali release are- 7aum Arivu, Mayakkam Enna and Velayutham. Plus Shah Rukh Khan’s RA. One is getting dubbed into Tamil and releasing along with its Hindi version.

Theatre booking has started in earnest, and the fight is to get the maximum number of screens in Tamil Nadu. It looks like Red Giants and Aascar Films producers of 7aum Arivu and Velayutham respectively are directly booking the theatres. Aum Films Mayakkam Enna is being distributed by Gemini Film Circuit.
The battle looks similar to 2007 Diwali when Vijay’s Azhagiya Tamil Magan, Suriya’s Vel and Dhanush’s Polladhavan clashed. At that time, all the three were not so huge in terms of mass appeal.
Today, all the three heroes have a global reach, and it will be as trade says “the mother of all battles”.
The market will heat up closer to release date, as all the three producers are keeping their marketing strategy under the wraps. This time, promotions will be huge as all of them want to attract the youth audiences. Everything depends on the number of screens and the opening.

Sona- SP Charan, All’s Well!

The sordid high drama between Sona and SP Charan has come to an end on Tuesday night.
The actress has decided to withdraw all the cases against Charan, who has given a written apology!

Sona had earlier got a lot of media attention when she made a sensational disclosure that Charan tried to molest her at the Mankatha success party held at actor Vaibhav’s house (In pic: Sona with good friends Venkat Prabhu & Premji).
Director Venkat Prabhu and his brother Premji tried their best to broker peace between Charan and Sona, but the actress was determined to get a public apology.
Meanwhile SP Charan got anticipatory bail, as Sona with the support of a woman organisation decided to picket his house. But powerful mutual friends worked overtime to thrash out an amicable settlement.
Sona later told the media : “I respect SPB sir a lot. The incident did hurt me and I had demanded a public apology, now to resolve the matter I agreed for a written apology from Charan, which was delivered to me on Tuesday evening. I’m withdrawing all the complaints and have decided to take a break by leaving the country.”

Ban on Nithya Menon

Nithya Menon is once again in the news for wrong reasons. This time she has earned the wrath of Malayalam film producers, who have imposed a ban on her, besides requesting their counterparts in other languages to take action against her.

Accusing the 'Veppam' and 'Nootrenbadhu' actress of insulting senior producers when they visited her on the sets of an upcoming flick at Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala Film Producers Association has imposed ban on her.

According to sources, a top Malayalam producer approached Nithya Menon to sign her for his next film. Despite not turning up to talk to him, she passed a message that her manager would look into matter. This had irked Malayalam producers, who took the matter seriously and decided to ban her.

Earlier, Nithya Menon faced a similar situation when she reportedly passed rude comments on top Tollywood stars Prabhas and Venkatesh. But the matter came to an end with a simple apology from the actress. Let's see how she comes out of the latest trouble.

Karthi's 'Thala Deepavali' plans

This being his first festival of lights after his marriage with Ranjini, Karthi Sivakumar has some big plans to celebrate his 'Thala Deepavali'. "I will be at my wife's hometown Erode for Deepavali this year," he says.

"However, I have decided to watch the first day first show of 7aum Arivu, as my anna Suriya has put extraordinary efforts for the film. I am very eager to watch the AR Murugadoss-directed movie," he says.

Currently busy shooting for 'Saguni', his first political satire, Karthi says, "It is an action film, which is told in a humorous way. Full of twists and turns, Saguni will be a treat for film-buffs."

"Post Siruthai, I was waiting for four months for a script like Saguni. I immediately grabbed it when Shankar Dayal narrated the story to me," the actor adds. Produced by Studio Green, 'Saguni' has Pranitha opposite Karthi.

Mallika in Chennai for 'Osthi'!

Mallika Sherawat is in Chennai this week, as she has to shake a leg with STR aka Simbu for a special number in 'Osthi'. "The song will be shot in two to three days and will be completed within this weekend," sources say.

The number is the Tamil version of 'Munni...' of Bollywood's 'Dabangg', as 'Osthi' is the remake of the Salman Khan starrer. "A grand set has been erected on a popular studio in Chennai for the purpose," sources add.

Directed by Dharani, the film has Richa Gangopadhyay opposite Simbu, who is playing a carefree police officer. 'Jithan' Ramesh is doing a crucial role in the movie, which is expected to hit the screens at the earliest.

"Mallika has been signed for a hefty remuneration and the sets for the song have cost a bomb for the producer. On the whole, some crores are being spent on this single song," circles close to the unit say.

'Velayudham' new trailer & song video on Oct 1st week!

Theatres across Tamil Nadu are being flooded with films that are vying with each other for getting released during the Pooja holidays weekend including 'Vedi,' 'Muran' and 'Vaagai Sooda Vaa' that are set to hit theatres on September 30.

Some film traffic getting cleared up by the end of September as well as by the first week of October, will pave way for biggies like Vijay's Velayudham and Suriya's '7aum Arivu' which will play in theatres for Deepavali.

Aascar films, who are the producers of 'Velayudham' are planning to flag off their promotional campaign from the first week of October, reveal sources close to the production house. The audio album of this film has turned out to be a major hit and created a new record for being sold out on the very first day. Thanks to Vijay Antony who knows the pulse of Vijay fans and he pleases them every time with his tunes.

Vijay fans will be pleased to hear that the producers of 'Velayudham' are also planning to release a single video song as well as a new trailer of 'Velayudham' during the first week of October!

'Velayudham' sees Ilayathalapathy in a never seen before superhero's avatar. The film sees Genelia and Hansika Motwani as Vijay's heroines and Saranya Mohan will be playing sister to the hero.

Genelia's character sees a change

We know that Genelia D' Souza dons the role of female lead in the 'Khaakha Khaakha' Hindi remake, 'Force', and the original Tamil version had Jyothika. The film has John Abraham essaying protagonist whilst Suriya played lead in the Tamil version. But the actress's character in the Hindi version is not exactly that of Jyothika's in the Tamil original, as some crucial changes have been made.

While Jyothika played Maya, a school teacher, Genelia is playing the role of a social activist, who is always there to help the needy. "Though Jyothika's role is a well-written one, the makers of the Hindi remake felt that Genelia might not fit in a teacher's shoes," say sources.

Confirming this, the 'Santosh Subramanyam' and 'Sachin' actress says, "Yes, some important and interesting changes have been made to the original script. And that includes a complete overhaul of my character. I play a social activist and am thrilled to do the role."

When asked whether she had watched 'Khaakha Khaakha', Genelia says, "Yes, of course. I had watched the Suriya-Jyothika starrer many times. Jyothika had beautifully enacted the role and I would like to repeat the magic, but in a totally different way."

Sameera wants to do item numbers

Item numbers, or special songs, have these days become safe bets for top actresses to earn instant fame and quick money. So joining the list of female stars who are game for shaking legs in a single song is Sameera Reddy, whose 'Vedi' is hitting the screens this Friday.

"An item song has become an important ingredient for a film's success. I can tell you many examples like Munni... and Sheila... So I am eagerly looking forward to appear in some interesting special numbers," the 'Vaaranam Aayiram' girl says.

Justifying her decision further, she says, "Besides adding glamour quotient to the films, such numbers also grab many eyeballs. In fact, item songs have become synonymous to the box office success of movies of late. There is nothing wrong in doing it."

On 'Vedi', she says, "I play a very interesting role in it and I am happy a lot to work with Prabhu Deva master. He is not just a celebrated choreographer, but a talented filmmaker too. Vishal is very co-operative and we became very good friends."

Vikram's various avatars in 'Rajapattai'

Chiyaan Vikram will be seen in his best in 'Rajapattai', as the actor will be seen in nearly 10 looks in just one song in this film directed by Suseenthiran and produced by Prasad V Potluri of PVP Cinema.

"A song composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja required Vikram to appear in many get-ups. So the actor and director sat with their team and worked out various looks, which were totally new to Kollywood. The particular song will be a highlight of Rajapattai," sources say.

The film is taking shape fast and is currently in its last schedule of shooting. "Rajapattai will be a treat to my fans, who would love playing me a mass hero role. After a very long gap I am doing such a character and I am thrilled to see the reaction," says the actor.

Deeksha Seth is playing Vikram's heroine while veteran Telugu director K Vishwanath is playing the role of his grandfather. "The film is about a stunt artiste who is forced to take the law in his hands, after getting upset about atrocities in the society," sources say.

Actress Ramya with draws from KPYC President Election

Actress Ramya has withdrawn from Karnataka Pradesh Youth Congress(KPYC) president election which will be held on october 12. Posters are displayed against her. Her suddenly withdrawal from the election makes her supporters unhappy.

Sona warned by police

Police have warned Sona against the agitation that she was planning to hold in front for actor-producer SPB Charan’s house in Chennai. While warning Sona that she cannot stage a protest without proper permission, the police have given word that they would summon SPB Charan and other film personalities who were at the party hosted by actor Vaibhav for investigation.
Based on the advice of the police, Sona and the women’s group that was acting in support of her decided to put off the agitation. There is strong expectation that SPB Charan and his buddies may make it to the police station soon. It is worth mentioning here that SPB Charan had obtained an anticipatory bail in the sexual assault case filed by Sona.

Harris Jayaraj’s efforts for the Chinese song in 7aum Arivu

The Chinese song in 7aum Arivu is turning out to be the talk of the town and Harris Jayraj’s efforts are being praised by all music buffs. While speaking about composing this particular song, Harris Jayraj said that he had procured three Chinese instruments from an antique shop in China and had one of his assistants to learn playing it for three months and began composing the song.
The music director said that though the Chinese instruments are being used in the Kuthu songs in Tamil films, it was a real challenge to find authentic 6^th century instruments for this song in 7aum Arivu. He added that he was happy to have found such instruments and that was the reason for the song coming out well.

Ajith and Vijay's kids close?

Ajith's daughter Anoushka and Vijay;s kids Sanjay and Sasha are playmates we hear. The kids regularly visit each others' homes accompanied by their mothers - Shalini and Sangeetha and have a good time playing together. The trio are close buddies and their parents love watching them together.
Ajith and Vijay have proved that two competitors can be really good friends. Looks like their children are the biggest benefactors of their closeness.

Aamir Khan brings glory to India

Aamir Khan's legendary film, Lagaan was released in 2001 and was nominated for an Academy award. Now 10 years down the line, the film continues to make waves. Time magazine in its compilation of the 25 greatest sports films of all time has given Lagaan the 14th spot. According to Time, "... this Bollywood epic is cause for joy of meteorological proportions" and is "the longest and most enthralling underdog - sports movie ever" .
Lagaan is the only Indian film on the list. It joins immortal Hollywood films like the Coen brothers' The Big Lebowski, Body and Soul, Breaking Away, Bull Durham, and Caddyshack.

Mayakkam Enna joins the Diwali race

Selvaraghavan directed Mayakkam Enna will be out this Diwali. The film has joined the Diwali race along with the Vijay starrer Velayutham and Suriya starrer 7aum Arivu. There were a lot of expectations that Mayakkam Enna would be released in September in order to avoid the Diwali rush, but the post production works seems to have delayed its release.
Mayakkam Enna features Dhanush and Richa in the lead roles. The songs have been set to tune by GV Prakash and they have turned out to be chartbusters already. Interestingly, Dhanush has turned a lyricist in Mayakkam Enna.

Suriya and I cannot do it for the next five years

AR Murugadoss has said that neither Suriya nor he could make a film like 7aum Arivu for the next five years. Elaborating on this, the director said that there is so much of hard work involved in the making of 7aum Arivu and they cannot think of working so hard at least for the next five years.
AR Murugadoss had three scripts ready for Suriya and it was the star that chose the 7aum Arivu script because he wanted to reach the pinnacle with his acting. 7aum Arivu is expected to further up Suriya’s already soaring star status when it is released this Diwali.

Three top heroes vie for Dookudu remake rights

Telugu film Dookudu hit the screens yesterday and already three top heroes in Kollywood are said to be vying for the remake rights. The film, which has the Prince of Tollywood, Mahesh Babu, playing the lead role, has taken a grand opening and has been declared a box office hit on the very first day.
Following such positive reports, three top heroes are said to be interested in the film’s Tamil remake and several producers are trying to lay their hands on the remake rights.
It is rumored that Vijay has an eye on the remake because his Pokkiri was a remake of the Telugu film of the same name that starred Mahesh Babu.

Sherin to start a trust

Sherin shared her care and concern for those affected by cancer by taking part in Rose Day celebrations held at Kidwai Memorial Hospital in Bengaluru. "I had lost some of my loved ones due to cancer. I know the pain of it," said the actress.

The 'Thulluvadho Ilamai' and 'Urchagam' girl, who is popular in Kollywood, Tollywood and Sandalwood says, "I am not meeting children affected by cancer on Rose Day alone. I have been visiting the hospital whenever I find time."

Revealing her plans to float a trust to help cancer patients, Sherin says, "Mere sweets and gifts can not cure the disease. So I am saving a part of my income to start a trust which would help cancer-affected kids in all possible ways."

On appearing in item numbers, the actress, who was seen shaking a leg with Vikram for a special song in 'Bheema', says, "These days such songs have become an inevitable part of films with many popular actresses agreeing to do it. There is nothing wrong as long as things are within a limit."

'Muran' is the first film to do it!

UTV Motion Pictures' 'Muran' seems to be making headlines everyday. The latest buzz doing the rounds is that the film is the first Tamil film to be shot in the Bangalore � Chennai National Highway for more than twenty days!

The Bangalore to Chennai National Highway is one of the busiest highways in South India and normally shooting is not permitted in here, to avoid any traffic issues.

However, it is said that when the producers of 'Muran' approached the highway authorities with 'Muran's script, they were quite impressed with the idea of a film happening on the highway in the beginning of the film and gave permission to shoot the film in different stretches of 3 - 5 kilometers everyday!

In fact, those who have seen the sneak preview of the film were wondering whether the film was really shot in Bangalore - Chennai Highway as the locations were looking new.

The film was shot for over 20 days in the highway and the film itself begins in the highway and travels for close to 50 minutes of the film on the highway with inter-cuts of flashbacks!

'Muran' features Cheran and Prasanna in the lead roles and is a road thriller that showcases what happens when two contradicting personalities meet one another. The film will hit the screens this September 30.

'7aum Arivu' ingredients

Director AR Murugadoss is proud of his forthcoming film '7aum Arivu', which he says is a mix of history, research and medicine. "I feel proud to make such a film. And am sure the audience too would feel so after watching it," says the 'Dheena' and 'Ghajini' director.

"Tamils were smarter those days and they were capable of doing things which were dismissed as impossible by others. For example, Bodhi Dharma, a martial arts exponent from Kanchipuram, is still worshipped in China," Murugadoss says.

Confirming that the film would feature Suriya in multiple roles, the director says the actor's dedication and hard work in '7aum Arivu' would fetch him rich praises. "He is a director's actor. He would always exceed our expectations. Suriya is superb," Murugadoss says.

Produced by Udhayanidhi Stalin on Red Giant Movies banner, music of the film, composed by Harris Jayaraj, was launched in Chennai a couple of days ago. Initial reports suggest that the songs from '7aum Arivu' shot up the charts.

Gautham's new hero

Gautham Vasudev Menon has found a replacement for Ram, who opted out of the Telugu version of his trilingual, which is titled 'Neethane En Ponvasantham' in Tamil. And it's not Jiiva, the protagonist of the Tamil version as reported earlier.

Instead, the director will film the Telugu portions with Naani of 'Ashta Chemma' fame, who was seen playing a crucial role in 'Veppam', a movie produced by Gautham Menon. Impressed by his skills, Gautham has roped in Nani for the project," sources say.

Aditya Roy Kapur is playing the lead role in the Hindi version of this trilingual love story, while Samantha is the heroine of all the three versions. "It is about an engineering student falling in love with a psychology student. It will be as sweet as Gautham's earlier love stories," sources say.

AR Rahman is touted to compose the music for 'Neethane En Ponvasantham'. Shooting for the film is expected to complete by the beginning of 2012, after which Gautham is scheduled to start 'Yohan Adhyayam Ondru', his first movie with Vijay.

Adaminte Makan Abu goes to Oscars

National award winner Malayalam movie Adaminte Makan Abu has been selected as the Indian movie to compete in Oscar award for Best foreign movie.Enthiran, Kho, Adukalam, Muran, Deiva thirumagal and 10 other movies were rejected

Amitabh Bachchan injured

Amitabh Bachchan sustained injuries in his chest and ribs while shooting for the film Department. An action scene involving Big B was being shot when he suffered an accident and sustained injuries.

He was offered first aid immediately and was rushed to the hospital. Revealing about his injury, Amitabh Bachchan has said that though it is painful, it is bearable. The star is being flooded with get well soon calls soon after his injury was made public.   

Department is a Bollywood flick directed by Ram Gopal Varma. The film has an ensemble of stars including Amitabh Bachchan, Rana Daggubati, Sanjay Dutt, Kangana Ranaut, and Raveena Tandon.

Diwali clash: Vijay vs Suriya!

We can call it as the Vijay vs Suriya clash this Diwali though their films will be released a day apart. According to sources in Kollywood, Vijay’s Velayutham has been scheduled to be released on October 25th while Suriya starrer 7aum Arivu will hit the marquee the very next day – the Diwali Day!

Both these films are highly expected for their star value and it is therefore going to be a treat to movie buffs and fans of Suriya as well as Vijay.

7aum Arivu has Suriya and Shruti Haasan playing the lead pair and is directed by AR Murugadoss and Velayutham has Vijay, Genelia and Hansika in the star cast and is directed by Jayam Raja.

Jeyam Raja to remake “Dookudu” for Ajith ?

Who is the director of Ajith‘s next film after Billa -2 ?” is the million dollar question in Kollywood today. We have also asked the same to our users in a poll and most of you have voted for Maniratnam. Everyday we are hearing new stories about this and even the film industry was fuming the choice between Vishnuvardhan and Vijay of Madarasapattinam fame. Ajith had also indicated that there would be some news about his next movie in a week or two.

Now it is almost certain that Ajith has given his nod for AM Ratnam the mega producer of the industry and Vishnuvardhan was leading the race till last week. However, the current talk, much to the shock of Vishnuvardan, is that Ajith has ticked the choice of Jeyam Raja who is currently busy with Velayutham. More news is that the film will be a remake of the Telugu movie Dookudu, directed by Mahesh Srinu Vaitla. The Telugu movie has Mahesh Babu and Samantha as the lead cast. It is to be noted that Jayam Raja is an expert in converting the remake as the successful ventures, as his track record shows. Wait for official confirmation in this regard.

Aadukalam at the MIFF

Aadukalam has been selected to be screened at the Mumbai International Film Festival, revealed its director Vetri Maaran. The film, which starred Dhanush and Taapsee, won six National Awards including the Best Director and Best Actor for Vetri Maaran and Dhanush respectively.
The film was released on January 14^th this year and went on to do good business at the box office too and garnered the attention of the national and international audiences by winning six National Awards.
The six National Awards that this film bagged are: Best Director - Vetri Maaran, Best Actor - Dhanush, Best Screenplay - Vetri Maaran, Best Editing - Kishore T E., Best Choreography - Dinesh Kumar, and Special Jury – Jayabalan.

Anjali to pair with Bharath!

Yes, Anjali who has smitten one and all through her performance in 'Engaeyum Eppothum' that is making waves at the BO, will be seen cast opposite Bharath, but not for a full-fledged role!

It was earlier mentioned that Bharath would do a cameo in Vasanthabalan's forthcoming 'Aravaan', now the grapevine has it that Anjali will do a cameo as well in this period film where she will play Bharath's lady love.

It may be mentioned that Anjali's earlier with Vasanthabalan, 'Angadi Theru' was a smashing hit. 'Aravaan' boasts off an ensemble of star cast with Aadhi and Dhansika in the lead, it has music by playback singer Karthik. Swetha Menon has also played a cameo in this film.

'Aravaan' is based on a chapter from a novel, Kaval Kottam that focuses on the history of Madurai. Having pulled off good performance in Ajith's 'Mankatha' and her current release 'Engaeyum Eppothum' and appearing shortly again through a cameo in another biggie, Anjali is definitely here to stay!

Susi Ganesan to debut in Bollywood!

Its official now!

Although it was earlier speculated that director Susi Ganesan will make a debut in north, nothing had been announced officially. Now the latest is that the director will be remaking his 'Thiruttu Payale' in Hindi!

'Thiruttu Payale' that released almost five years back featured Jeevan and Sonia Aggarwal in the lead roles with Malavika playing a pivotal role. The film throws light on a conflict between Malavika and Jeevan backed by a racy script, where we can call neither of them as protagonists or antagonists as they both had their own grey shades.

The movie has been christened 'Shortcut Romeo' in Hindi with Neil Nitin Mukesh and Ameesha Patel essaying lead roles. The film will go on floors next month. Susi Ganesan will also be co-producing his directorial debut in Bollywood.

Ajith's Salary is Rs 17 cr for AM Rathnam's Project

Our close source in Kollywood revealed that actor Ajith is asking for a whopping Rs 17 Crore as salary for his next film which will be produced by AM Ratnam.

Silambarasan uses Ajith’s dialogue

It is common knowledge that Silambarasan is a self-professed Ajith fan as he has said so several times before. It may also be recalled that the star had canceled his Osthi shoot, which was going on in Mysore, just to watch Ajith’s Mankatha first day first show in Chennai.

His admiration for Ajith has gone further up as he is said to have used a dialogue that Ajith had mouthed in Mankatha. Sources close to the Osthi team say that Silambarasan is said to have used the dialogue, “Evlo naal thaan naanum nallavanave nadikarathu.” This dialogue was the highlight of Mankatha as it featured prominently in the promos of the film.

Silambarasan is reported to have used this popular dialogue to once again prove that he is a staunch Ajith fan!

SP Balasubramaniyan's Compromise Attempt with Sona

Legendary playback Singer S P Balasubramaniyam has met glam girl Sona at a City Hospital on Monday. According to sources, the singer wanted to settle the sexual abuse complaint of the actress on his son SPB Charan amicably.

7aam Arivu Audio Release Posters