Dhanush’s top 5 thanks

As on date, Dhanush is the top star among the young heroes in Tamil cinema. 
It could also be said that this is a golden era for him because of the song Why This Kolaveri Di. At this juncture who is bidding adieu to 2011 thanks five people for his great success.
Dhanush thanks the following people:
1. My parents, whose love is unconditional and my biggest motivation force. 2. All you guys for making me what I am today. 3. The love and blessings of god and universe
4. Tamil Nadu press, media, fm radio and national press, media, fm radios.
5. Selvaraghavan and Vetrimaaran

Film releases - 2011

Many films were released this year than the last year.
The films listed below are not based on the quality of the films or the release dates.
1. Tamizh Desam
2. Siruthai 3. Aadukalam 4. Sollithara Vaa
5. Ilaignan
6. Kaavalan
7. Pathinaru
8. Palagiyathe Pirivatharka
9. Vaada Poda Nanbargal
10. Yuddham Sei
11. Thoonga Nagaram
12. Karuvarai Pookal
13. Varmam
14. Payanam
15. Ithu Kathal VarumParuvam
16. Nandhi
17. Thambi Kottai
18. Kadhalar Kudiyiruppu
19. Aadupuli
20. Margazhi 16
21. Thappu
22. Seedan
23. Aaranin Kaval
24. Singam Puli
25. Bhavani
26. Ayyan
27. Ivar
28. Avargalum Ivargalum
29. Minsaram
30. Muthuku Muthaga
31. Lathika
32. Kumara
33. Sattapadi Kutram
34. Kullanari Kootam
35. Singayil Gurushetram
36. Padai Soozha
37. Appavi
38. Idhayathil Oruvan
39. Thenkasi Pakkathula
40. Nanjapuram
41. Ponnar Shankar
42. Devadasiyin Kadhai
43. Vikatakavi
44. Ko45. Kadhal Meipada
46. Vaanam
47. Poova Thalaya
48. Pasakara Nanbargal
49. Engeyum Kadhal
50. Narthagi
51. Sankarankovil
52. Azhagarsamiyin Kudhirai
53. Kandein
54. Maithanam
55. Suttum Vizhi Sudare
56. Sabash Sariyana Potti
57. Ethan
58. Oru Santhipil
59. Aanmai Thavarael
60. Shanthi Appuram Nithya
61. Othayadi Veeran
62. Aaranya Kaandam
63. Avan Ivan
64. Pillayar Koil Kadaisi Theru
65. Irulil Naan
66. 180
67. Anagarigam
68. Udhayan
69. Thiruttu Purushan
70. Chinna Sirusugal
71. Theneer Viduthi
72. Vengai
73. Deiva Thirumagal
74. Kanchana
75. Markandeyan
76. Veppam
77. Karungali
78. Bodinayakanur Ganesan
79. Potta Potti
80. Ramanathapuram
81. Doo
82. Susi Appadithan
83. Rowthiram
84. Uyarthiru 420
85. Sagakkal
86. Konjam Veyil Konjam Mazhai
87. Vengayam
88. Mudhal Idam
89. Mittai
90. Unnai Kan Theduthe
91. Puli Vesham
92. Yuvan Yuvathi
93. Kasethan Kadavulada
94. Mathikettan Salai
95. Engeyum Eppodhum
96. Vandhaan Vendraan
97. Aayiram Vilakku
98. Vaagai Sooda Vaa
99. Vellore Mavattam
100. Varnam
101. Ra Ra
102. Sathurangam
103. Muran
104. Kadhal Alla Athayum Thaandi
105. Uyirin Yedai 21 Ayiri
106. Kizhakku Theru Kitcha
107. Ezham Arivu
108. Velayudham
109. Kadhal Konda Manasu
110. Ayutha Poratam
111. Thigattatha Kadhal
112. Thambi Vettothi Sundaram
113. Naan Sivanagiren
114. Konjam Sirippu Konjam Kobam
115. Vithagan
116. Marudhavelu
117. Mayakkam Enna
118. Paalai
119. Othikai
120. Poraali
121. Guru Sami
122. Venmani
123. Osthi
124. Mammatiyan
125. Uchithanai Mukarnthal
126. Mouna Guru
127. Raja Pattai
128. Mankatha 

Vettai and Nanban, will not be released on the same day.

Trade sources say that Nanban and Vettai may not release on the same day after all. There is a buzz that Nanban will hit the screens on January 12^th and Vettai on January 14^th. This means there would be a one day gap which is very important in the current scenario to rake up the collections at the box office.
Both Nanban and Vettai are the most expected films of the year. Nanban is directed by Shankar and has Vijay, Jiiva, Srikanth, Ileana and Sathyaraj in important roles while Vettai is directed by Lingusamy and has Arya, Madhavan, Sameera Reddy and Amala Paul.

What did suriya learn from Big B

Suriya is always serious about giving his best to what he does. So, when he agreed to host ‘Neengalum Vellalam Oru Kodi’, the Tamil version of ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’, he wanted to do enough homework before standing in front of the camera.
“I went to Mumbai and watched personally how Amitabh Bachchan hosted the show. He was amazing and understands well the mind of the contestant. He works really hard and prepares himself well for the show,” says Suriya.
Suriya also watched clippings of Shah Rukh Khan hosting ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’. “SRK anchors the show with a lot of humanity and he showers care and compassion on the contestants. Both the Big B and Shah Rukh have some lessons for television anchors.”
Currently busy shooting for ‘Maatraan’ directed by K V Anand, Suriya is expected to start his next film soon, to be directed by Venkat Prabhu. A sequel to ‘Singam’ with Hari is also in the pipeline for the actor.

Heroine – Power list 2011

2011’s power list (female) saw some ruthless oustings, deserved comeback and new entries.
Tamannaah, Trisha, Nayanthara, Shriya, Sneha and Reema did not figure anywhere in our list and a new bevy of young skilled huntresses were supposed to take over in 2011.
At the beginning of 2011, We gave a list of who the sexiest pin-up girl of 2011 in Kollywood will be? The young actresses who were contenders for Number one slot in 2011, in our list were Hansika, Shruti, Taapasee, Oviya, Karthika, Amala, Varalakshmi. But sadly, none of these girls could create a massive impact.
No one knows how to stay at the top better than Anushka. While it may be a tad mystifying as to how she is in our list, with just two average films Vaanam and Deivathirumagal, the answer may well lie in her sheer redoubtable star power. She is on the wish list of Rajini, Kamal to all top stars who want her to ink their projects. She is doing Karthi’s untitled film directed by Suraj, Selvaraghavan’s Irandam Ulagam with Arya, Vikram’s AL Vijay actioner Thaandavam.
Kajal Aggarwal may not have a single release in Tamil in 2011, but she has emerged as Anushka’s biggest competitor. She is doing films with two hot ‘n’happening stars, Maatran with Suriya and Thuppakki with Vijay.
Hansika started the year with Maapillai, followed it up with Engeyum Kadhal and ended the year with the hit Velayudham. She came out with flying colours but is yet to be a part of a blockbuster hit. She has STR’s Vettai Mannan and Udhayanidhi Stalin’s Rajesh directed OKOK coming up for release, which is sure to take her places.
Lakshmi Rai made a wild card entry with two blockbusters Kanchana and Mankatha but it was Anjali, Ananya, Richa and Inaya who made an impact by proving that they can act and hold immense potential for 2012.
Amala managed to be a newsmaker who was able to create a buzz around her- be it her confidence factor, photo-shoot for magazines and her link-up with director Vijay. In Deivathirumagal, her only release in 2011 she had to play second fiddle to Anushka. 2012 looks promising for her with Vettai and Muppozhudhum Un Karpanaigal ready for release
Trisha proved that she is a big-budget survivor by being a part of the blockbuster hit Mankatha in which she had to share screen space with Lakshmi Rai and Anjali.
Taapsee’s Aadukalam was her trump card but critics lambasted her Vandaan Vendraan which was a b-o turkey but one flop does not make or break a career. She is yet to sign any new projects in Tamil.
Shruthi Haasan had a dream debut with 7 aum Arivu, a role that was too heavy for the young girl to carry it on her tender shoulders. Shruti may have some proving to do on the acting chops front,but her screen presence is unmistakable. Her much-hyped Aishwarya Dhanush directed 3 releases in 2012 and that will be the real test.
Karthika was touted to make waves especially after her debut film Ko became a super hit. But there was no buzz around her and her decision to be too choosy and stay away from limelight made her a dampener. Oviya and Amy Jackson were wiped out while lady luck didn’t smile at Varalakshmi in 2011 as her debut film Poda Podi is yet to be completed.
Nayanthara and Reema Sen did not have a single release and news about their impending marriage in 2012 has affected their market. Shriya who had a b-o turkey in Routhiram is sending feelers to all the directors but is yet to bag any project.
Tamannah had Siruthai a hit and Venghai in 2011 but the actess has more or less said goodbye to Kollywood and is concentrating in Telugu.

Kajal Aggarwal wins a major battle

Kajal ‘s lawyer had argued that the unauthorised use of her profile had adversely affected her career, and she lost several contracts with other companies.

Top actress Kajal Aggarwal won a major battle against a hair oil company for using her photo in an ad, after the contract period expired.
Now Madras High Court has restrained the hair oil company VVD & Sons from using advertisements featuring her.
Kajal had dragged the company to court stating that it continued to use her ad even after the expiry of the one year contract.

Weddings of Kollywood in 2011

Karthi and Ranjani: Heartthrob Karthi broke the hearts of his female fans by entering the wedlock. And the lucky bride was Ranjani, an MA gold medalist from Stella Maris College, Chennai. Karthi’s wedding was in typical Kongu style; the actor wore a traditional white silk dhoti and shirt; the bride Ranjani was seen in a yellow Kanchivaram silk saree. The wedding was followed by a star studded reception in Chennai.

Mamta and Prajith: Actress-singer Mamta Mohandas got married to her childhood sweetheart Prajith Padmanabhan on Wednesday (December 28) at a simple wedding ceremony held at Kozhikode.


Prakashraj and Pony Verma: National award winning actor, producer and director Prakashraj was married to Bollywood choreographer Pony Verma in a gala affair in Mumbai on August 24.


Prithviraj and Supriya: Probably the most dramatic wedding of 2011! Hansome hunk Prithviraj tied the wedding knot with a Mumbai-based news reporter Supriya Menon in a low-profile ceremony on April 25. Shakthi and Smrithi: On October 31, ace filmmaker P. Vasu’s son Shakthi married Smrithi, a B.Com graduate from Stella Maris in grand function.
Selvaraghavan and Geetanjali: After ending his two year married life with actress Sonia Aggarwal, director Selvaraghavan tied the knot to 23-year-old Geethanjali on July 3 in Chennai.
Yuvan and Shilpa: Ilayaraaja’s youngest son Yuvanshankar Raja mariage ceremony with Shilpa, a B.Pharm graduate from University of Adelaide, was in deed a family affair at Tirupati on Sept 1. This is Yuvan’s second marriage; his earlier marriage with Sujaya ended in divorce.

Nanban to release ahead of Vettai ?

The latest buzz in the trade sources is that Shankar’s magnum opus Nanban which has Vijay, Jiiva, Srikanth , Satyraj,S.J.Suryah,Ileana and Anunya in the lead will be released on January 12th which gives two days ahead of other two releases Vettai and 3.

Nanban has also cleared the censor board with a clean ‘ U’ certificate .The entire album has become a huge hit among the listeners giving building more expectation around the movie. A insider reveals that the production house Gemini Film Circuits is busy getting the theatres for a solo release for these two days which may give Nanban a flying start comparing to the other two releases.

Films you should have watched in 2011

Unlike Hollywood or even Bollywood, there are no authentic collection figures or agency tracking movie revenues. 
Everything in Kollywood as far as b-o collections are concerned has to be taken with not a pinch, but a spoon of salt. It is an industry driven by star fans who claim that every film of the star is a super hit and collections are more than any Hollywood blockbuster!
Under these circumstances, TamilKey has put together a top ten based on trade reports. We will not be reporting the actual figures, as every star worth his salt will go out of their way to prove that their film is a hit. Please note in an industry where actual figures are difficult to obtain, a flop can be made into a hit with a bit of star power thrown in.
Drawing up a list of commercially successful movies, Sify will only rate the film as a Blockbusters, Super Hits and Hits. These are the films selected after talking to trade analysts, theatre owners and distributors. You are welcome to disagree with the sify list.
BLOCKBUSTERS
Mankatha
Why Factor- The film became a blockbuster due to the star power of Ajith and his fantastic opening. Added to that it was a solo release and got a five-day holiday weekend.
Kanchana
Why Factor- A complete mass masala entertainer which had comedy laced with horror, glamour and sentiments. Worked wonders with lady audiences and kids, though it carried an ‘A’ certificate!
SUPER HITS
Ko – Correct mix of peppy songs, action, lush locales and KV Anand’s content and packaging which was different.
Siruthai – The Karthi- Santhanam comedy combo clicked big time along with mass masala content. It proved that a remake of a proven hit with local nativity is always a safe bet.
Engeyum Eppothum- Debutant director Saravanan film on a bus accident with two parallel love stories with Jai- Anjali & Sarva- Ananya in the lead along with fresh music worked wonders.
HITS
Velayudham- Ilayathalapathy Vijay’s one-man show had the audiences lapping it up.
7aum Arivu- Aggressive promotions and Suriya’s charisma worked in favour of the film.
Deivathirumagal- Smart marketing, Vikram’s life-like performance with wonder kid Sara clicked.
Aadukalam- Dhanush’s award winning performance, Vetrimaran’s script & GV’s music helped.
Vaanam- STR’s opening plus good content along with noted performances made the film a hit.
# Please note films like Kaavalan, Avan Ivan and Mayakkam Enna were moderate hits.

Mamta Mohandas enters wedlock

Mamta Mohandas on Wednesday married family friend Prejith, a Bahrain-based businessman at a resort in Kozhikode. The couple got engaged at Muvattupuzha in Ernakulam district in November.
The wedding at Kozhikode on Wednesday was attended by friends and relatives of both the familes, besides popular personalities from Malayalam film industry. It is to be noted that recently Mamta denied reports claiming that she would quit films after her marriage.
The 26-year-old actress made her debut with Mayookham, a Malayalam movie directed by veteran filmmaker Hariharan in 2005. She then became popular in the neighbouring film industries Kollywood and Tollywood by acting alongside top stars.

Vijay With Mohanlal and Prithviraj's Brother

Director Vijay has been holding a prominent place for his aesthetic style of filming. The director is now invited by Lizzy Priyadarshan to shoot a promotional song for Kerala Cricket Team Celebrity Cricket League. The song features Mohanlal, Indrajith (Prithviraj’s brother) and Kunjako.

Rathnavelu of ‘Endhiran’ and ‘Vaaranam Aayiram’ fame has cranked the camera and Priyadarshan’s wife Lizzy has produced the video.

The song will be aired on all satellite channels of Kerala shortly so as to keep the hype on a higher level. It is worth mentioning that Vijay has been a long time protégé of Priyadarshan.

Dhanush's New Decision and Favorite Heroine

Actor Dhanush mentioned that though he had acted with many heroines, only Genelia and Nayanthara suited him. Dhanush who is in cloud nine since he was invited for the Prime Minister for dinner said, “There is no big difference in acting in films directed by other directors and the film directed by my wife Aishwarya. Sometimes she use to bring the direction work to the house. Because there will be fight between us. These kinds of quarrels take place in all houses. She will definitely continue to direct films. But this will be the first and last film which I will be acting in a film directed by her. I will not act in her films in future. She will continue to direct films produced by other production houses. Many are asking me that who is the suitable pair for me. Physique wise it is Genelia and chemistry wise it is Nayanthara.”

Kolaveri Di’s strip version with hot Poonam Pandey gets released

Recently a fan of model Poonam Pandey has recreated a spoof of the famous ‘Kolaveri Di’ by adding some sarcastic, cheap down-town lyrics and some sleazy inserts of Poonam’s bathroom videos, India Today reports.

Poonam tweets: “Tweethearts!!!! one of my Crazy Fan made a Strip Version of Kolaveri D with Poonam Pandey Check check hahahahaha…”.
She adds: “LOL Check this video out – Kolaveri D Strips with Poonam Pandey (Poonam Pandey Kolaveri D Version)”. Poonam is already the highest searched model on the internet after she caught the eyeballs of all with her stripping acts.
She made repeated headlines with her raunchy videos and controversial semi-nude postures.

Anushka to act in a 3D film

Popular director Vinayan is all set to rope in Anushka for his latest flick titled Dracula 2012, which is based on the famous novel by Bram Stoker.

Vinayan says, ‘Anushka is interested in the project and she is almost confirmed.’The movie would be shot in Romania.
Anushka will be essaying the role of an MBBS student, who is the daughter of a sorcerer. Though she in love with a boy, she is being visited by a strange man in her dreams, with whom she will fall in love. Plans are on to do the film in Tamil, Telugu and English as well in 3D format.

Vijay to encounter with a Mumbai baddie

For Billa 2, director Chakri Toleti relied more on the Bollywood sprints for the baddie roles. Hence he imported more than three artists for the destitute roles. This has been insisted by Ajith too. Now Vijay starrer Thuppakki, directed by AR Murugadoss is on the floors around the Mumbai locales.

Having sensed the local charm and the native relics, both ARM and Vijay have decided to instill more effect on villainy. For this they have picked Gautham Kurup who won fame for his thumping performance in Kandhahar. This has made Gautham more happy to work along with the star from Kollywood. He expressed his joy on having been associated with ARM, since he has been longing for such occasion since Ghajini.

Though there is no official buzz nor any sneaks about the story of the movie, it is learnt that ARM is aiming on a theme of national importance. This could be the mixture of Mani Ratnam’s Roja, Kamal’s Unnaipol Oruvan and Thala’s Mankatha, it is believed.

Anirudh in KSR Bollywood film?

The director K.S Ravikumar who successfully completed 20 years in South is now going to Bollywood. KSR will soon be remake the Tamil super hit film ‘Saamy’.
Latest buzz is that the high riding composer Anirudh Ravichander of “Kolaveri Di” song is going to score music for the film.
KSR says that “He will be directing his first Hindi film with Sanjay Dutt in lead role and it will be remake of Vikram starrer ‘Saamy’. He is also plans to cast Amitabh Bachchan in an important role, but they are yet to approach him.”
He adds that “He is in talks with Anirudh to score music for the film. We had an informal chat about this film, but nothing has been finalized yet.”
The Hindi flicks will go on floors in April 2012.

Oomai Vizhigal Remake title Moongil Vizhigal

The old movie of Vijayakanth, Oomai Vizhigal was asked for a remake under the same title. The proposal came from the director Vincent Selva of Piriyamudan, Youth and Iraniyan fame. He said he wanted to remake the movie based on the current trend.

The film was a massive hit for Vijayakanth as the then director Aabavaanan crafted the story with social message. Selva hinted that there had been a major hitch in captivating the captain movie. Aabaavaanan was not instantly agreeable to the project and Selva has no other option than to go for a fresh story with new title. Hence he is on the foray of creating an all new script under the title Moongil Vizhigal.
He revealed that the main cast is likely to include Sarath Kumar and Karthik may be roped in for the heroic deeds. With Santhanam for humor and Thambi Ramaiah for the character role, Selva said two heroines from Pune and Mollywood will fill in the slots. Thozhvi Nilayena Ninaithal, Vincent padam edukka mudiyuma.

Ajith’s New Year Celebrations in Singapore!

It is always a habit among the film heroes to take a formal break after a tiring schedules of movies. On such occasions their main source of relief will be the family or friends. Even after Velayutham’s release, Ilayathalapathy Vijay made a foreign visit with his family. Surya went to South Africa taking his wife Jyothika and his children.

STR made a trip along with his director of Vettai Mannan. Now it’s Thala Ajith’s turn. After a long reel of being a workworm for his Billa 2 he is leaving to Singapore for the New Year Celebrations. Accompanied by his wife Shalini and daughter Anooshka, Thala will be enjoying his holidays there for a week. Back home he will have the tables turned for his next project with Vishnuvardhan.
This film is to be produced by AM Rathinam. In the meantime , Ajith will involve in the post –production work for Billa 2. Ajith is very conscious about Billa 2 that SRK’s Don 2 has already hit the screens. So the pressure is more on the director Chakri Toleti. It is an expectation from the fans of Ajith as well the audience that Billa 2 should better Don 2.

Dhanush to do it for AR Rahman?

Dhanush is really coming into his own not just as an actor but a singer as well. He is receiving lots of offers to lend his voice for songs in all languages. Even AR Rahman was impressed with Kolaveri di. The upshot is that Bharath Bala who has made many music videos for Rahman wants Dhanush in his Vande Mataram video.

Kamal Haasan was the original choice but he was tied up with his magnum opus, Vishwaroopam. Dhanush was quite excited by the idea as he is a big fan of AR Rahman and said that he would love to do it.

Malayalam Actresses in Trouble in Bharathiraja Film!

‘Iyakkunar Imayam’ is currently directing the film ‘Annakodiyum Kodiveeranum’ with its shooting progressing in the district of Theni. ‘Ko’ Karthiga and ‘Vaagai Sooda Vaa’ fame Iniya are doing the leading ladies in the film, but a new trouble has cropped for these young actresses from none other than the director himself!
Yes, Bharathiraja, who never fails to raise his voice in the interests of Tamils has now come up in open in the support of Tamil cause in the issue of Mullaperiyar Dam, staging protest against the Government of Kerala. As a mark of his protest the director has asked his heroines Karthiga and Iniya, who hail from Kerala, to pack their baggage from the sets till the Mullaperiyar Dam issue is resolved.
‘Annakodiyum Kodiveeranum’ has Ameer in the lead role along with female leads Iniya and Karthiga. G V Prakash Kumar is scoring the music.

Next Tamil Super Star is Vijay: Shankar

The audio launch of Nanban took off at around 5 pm at the Hindustan College Grounds in Coimbatore yesterday. Vijay’s dad and director SA Chandrasekar released the audio which was received by Prabhu.

Vijay entertained the audiences by singing the Yedho Unnale song from the film. During this speech, he thanked director Shankar for giving him the opportunity to star in Nanban. Vijay added that he made several true friends during the making of Nanban and attributed this to the film’s title. The star was indicating that Jiiva, Srikanth, and others are his good friends and is happy to be associated with them. He was then honored with an enormous garland and a crown.
Shankar had an interesting episode to narrate about how he came to direct a remake. When Shankar was busy with Endhiran, the shooting was delayed one fine day. This earned him an opportunity to see 3 Idiots. As soon as he saw the film, Shankar said that he decided to go for a remake. That is how Nanban was born!
Praising Vijay, Shankar said that he is one actor after Rajinikanth to be present on the sets punctually. Shankar revealed that SJ Suryah lapped up the role in Nanban, something which he did not do even for Endhiran. That is how meaty his role is in Nanban, added Shankar.
Jiiva, Sathyaraj, Srikanth, SJ Suryah and others had good words to share about their co-stars.

Kazhugu – Flight From January 26

Lots of big tickets are on the row of hitting screens and the medium ‘n’ low budget movies have to find the right time to gets it way on. ‘Kazhugu’ is directed by Sathya Siva and is produced by Krishna’s father Pattiyal Sekar. Titles of Superstar Rajnikanth’s movies have always served as an additional factor to steal the public glare.

Perhaps, ‘Kazhugu’ will score more than this very factor for the director utters that it’s a completely different film with an interesting plot. Actor Krishna has been choosing unique scripts rights from his debut movie and this one isn’t going to be an exception.

The film will hit screens on January 26, 2012 for the occasion of Republic Day. Bindhu Madhavi of ‘Veppam’ fame plays Krishna’s love interest in the film.

Vikram Meets the press for Rajapattai

Actor Vikram today met the press at Residency towers Chennai. Answering to a question about his recent release Rajapaattai, the actor says though the film received mixed reviews, the viewers enjoying the movie in theaters.

Vettai - Promotional Hunt From New Year

The producers of UTV Motion Pictures and Thirrupathi Brothers are leaving no stones unturned with their upcoming film ‘Vettai’. Yuvan’s songs (not to miss the pick of album – Papa Papa Pappappa) and the great flashes of teasers have spread the ‘Vettai’ mania across the towns.

It’s a rare combination of two greatest production houses coming together and they’re all set on the promotional spree for the film scheduled to hit screens on harvest festival (Jan 12, 2012). Touted to be a family entertainer, the film is sure to cater to the tastes of universal audiences.

The film with an ensemble star-casts of Arya, Madhavan, Sameera Reddy and Amala Paul will open big worldwide nearly in 600 screens.

Nayanthara changes her decision

Looks like Nayan has decided to act in another project after what was supposed to be her last - the Telugu movie Ramarajyam. She played the role of Seetha in Ramarajyam and won accolades for her performance. As it seems, after watching her play Seetha for the movie, Ram Gopal Varma is mighty impressed with her performance and offered her a role in his upcoming movie inspired by Ramayana.

Although Nayan and Prabhu Deva refused initially, RGV's persevered until they relented. As a result, Nayan will play the role of Mandodari - Ravana's wife - in the movie. Ravana's character is played by Nagarjuna.

Norway Tamil Film Festival 2012 Officially

The Norway Tamil Film Festival will start on April 25^th and go on till the 29^th. This five-day event will be quite different from what it was previously. Several programs have been added to this event to make it popular.
Tamil feature films and short films are invited to enter this film fest. Selected films and short films will be screened at this event and two people associated with the film will be sponsored to attend this event in Norway.
The organizers will sponsor for the participants’ Visa, boarding and lodging. Only participants from Tamil Nadu are eligible for this sponsorship.
The schedule of this event is as follows:
April 25^th – inaugural event and short film screening
April 26^th – short film screening
April 27^th – Award film screening
April 28^th – Award film screening
April 29^th – Award distribution and cultural program
Selected films and short films will be announced during the second week of January.

Kamal to be directed by Lingusamy - Shankar?

The Kollywood industry is abuzz with a rumor that director Lingusamy and director Shankar are silently planning to make a movie together. We hear the directors are keen to cast Kamal Haasan as their hero in this venture.

The project is touted to be in its initial stages. Lingusamy and Shankar had come together recently for the former's film 'Vettai's music release event. It is reported that Shankar has written a script. Director Lingusamy who came across this script seems to have liked it, according to reports, and has also got the green signal to direct the same.

Now both the directors' unanimous choice happens to be to book Kamal Haasan for the lead role, but the Ulaganayagan is busy with his upcoming magnum opus 'Viswaroopam.' Once this film is wrapped up the actor will set some time aside to hear the directors' out before deciding on his availability for this project, sources reveal.

Now if this materializes, the movie buffs of Tamil Nadu will get to experience one brilliant film, what with Lingusamy's fast-paced story telling, Shankar's elegance and as the icing on the cake Kamal's classic act! We will get back with more on this soon...

Dhanush makes it once again!

Aadukalam has been awarded the Best Film of 2011 award at the Chennai International Film Festival. Director Vetri Maaran, actor Dhanush, music director GV Prakash and all those associated with the film are extremely happy over this development.
Several films participated in the 9th CIFF and out of a very stiff competition, Aadukalam emerged the winner. It is worth mentioning here that Aadukalam also won six national awards including the Best Director award for Vetri Maaran and Best Actor award for Dhanush.
Aadukalam had Dhanush and Taapsee in the lead roles and Jayabalan playing the baddie.

Vijay Said,Nanban will be a trendsetter

Though Vijay has started working on his Nanban, he heart is still with Nanban, a remake of 3 Idiots.
Director Shankar is busy giving final touches to the movie and the audio will be launched in a grand manner on 23 December in Coimbatore.
Says Vijay, ‘ This film will be a trendsetter and help people break the shackles. I wanted to work with Shankar for a very long time. He is one of the best directors I have worked with.’
Meanwhile on his part, Jeeva says, ‘Shankar has no airs and has been very encouraging, especially since my role is supposed to be comical. He constantly gave me instructions as to what I should do and all the instructions are given over the microphone.

‘Kolaveri di’ turns ‘Democracy di’ in Pakistan

Chartbuster ‘Kolaveri di…’ has broken all the barriers and has extended its length of reach to Pakistan. It is for the first time in the history of Tamil cinema, a film track has attracted neighbouring country.

The song has been remixed with the same beats to make a mockery of the Pakistan governance. The popular news channel, Geo TV aired the track, which starts with the line ‘Where is Democracy Di’, on a television show Hum Sab Umeed Sai Hein.
The song takes potshots at the ill doings of the government. It also makes fun of the leaders, who choose their family members as their successors .
Newcomer Anirudh Ravichander’s compositional ‘Kolaveri di’ is the track from the album 3, which will hit the stands tomorrow. It is written and sung by Dhanush.

Mankatha’s total collections

Sun Pictures has disclosed that the total collection for Mankatha is 130 crores. There were a lot of speculations about this film’s collection and its distributor Sun Pictures has put an end to all the speculations by announcing that the Ajith starrer has earned them 130 crores.
Mankatha had one of the biggest ever opening that the film industry has seen thus far. This film also earned its lead star Ajith a new title – Emperor of the Box Office. Mankatha was directed by Venkat Prabhu with Arjun, Trisha, Lakshmi Rai, Premji Amaren and others playing important roles

A R Rahman supports Dam 999,wishes for Oscar success!

Music Maestro A R Rahman has wished controversial movie Dam 999 to win an Oscar in songs and music category.

Saguni to Hit Screens Soon

Karthi’s upcoming flick ‘Saguni’ had taken a jet-speed progression over the shooting schedules and is now set to wrap up with the final schedule by Dec 24. Directed by Shankar Dayal and produced by Dream Warriors Pictures, the film is touted to be a political drama with strong characterizations.

According to the inside reports, the makers had both the shooting and post-production works done simultaneously, which makes the process completed within short span of time. Announcement about audio launch and thearitical release are expected soon.

3 audio launch at St George’s school grounds

The much talked about film in Tamil right now is 3, directed by Aishwarya, daughter of superstar Rajinikanth and wife of National award winning actor Dhanush.

The film has Dhanush and Shruti Haasan in the lead but the film is grabbing all attention due to Why this Kolaveri song from 3 album which has gone viral.
The audio of the film is being launched on Dec 23 at St George’s school grounds opposite Pachaippa College in Chennai.
Contrary to the news doing the rounds that Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan are launching the audio, we understand that there will be no chief guests or long winded speeches, but a slick performance-driven programme that Aishwarya has finalised.
Aishwarya who does not want a cliched launch, is not willing to divulge any information about the flow-of-events that will happen on Friday evening.
Market leaders Sun TV has snapped the telecast rights of the audio launch at a very high price.
So will there be a live Kolaveri performance by Dhanush? We will have to wait and watch.

Ajith’s next with Vishnuvardhan or Shiva?

Now that the shooting of ‘Billa 2′ is over but for some patch work which will be completed in a few days, ‘Thala’ Ajith is gearing up to start his next. It will be directed by Vishnuvardhan.
“Actually Ajith has two projects in his hands. One to be helmed by Vishnuvardhan and the other by Siruthai fame Shiva. But Ajith chose Vishnuvardhan since it is a long due to work with him,” circles close to the ‘Thala’ say.
They add: “It was Vishnuvardhan who was to direct Billa 2. But he missed it due to unavoidable reasons. At that time, Ajith promised Vishnu that he would work with him soon. The actor is honouring it now.”
Another reason is said to be Shiva being busy with a Telugu film starring Ravi Teja and Taapsee Pannu in lead roles. “The Ajith-Shiva venture will start after May 2012,” sources say. It will be produced by Vijaya Productions to mark the centenary of its founder Nagi Reddy.

Shruti Hassan climbing up her career ladder

It is harvesting time for Shruti Hassan that post-7am Arivu she has become a most sought after heroine. However, it is not in Kollywood but in the nearby Tollywood. Initially she began her career for acting in Bollywood but as fortune have it, she stepped into Kollywood for her father’s project Unnaipol Oruvan for music. As things would have the favor, she got an ideal opportunity to be a full time heroine under the monitoring of AR Murugadoss in 7am Arivu.
Simultaneously she shared two films in Tollywood of which one with Siddharth proved to be a mega hit. Now she is on the sets of the Telugu remake of Dabaang. From the sources close to her, it is learnt Shruti will be full of dates for the coming three years. It is said she has got 5 Telugu films on hand and dates for any other language will be a tight corner.
To make this phase as the best platform she is learning Telugu to lend her own voice. This is what her father Kamal did in his early phase of acting. He learnt Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada and Hindi to shape him fit for any language. Hence Shruti Hassan is not the chip of the new computer, but the chip of the old block.

What’s life without colour and spice? asks Vikram

He is one actor in south, who realises the importance of marketing and promoting his films. Vikram’s perfection lies in his ability and expression to re-invent himself, every time he embarks on a new mission. Be it a film shoot or interview-he wants to add that something unique to everything he does.
In a freewheeling chat with Sridevi Sreedhar on the eve of the release of his new film PVP cinemas Rajapattai, Vikram opens up. Excerpts
Are you tensed?
(Laughs)  Not at all. In fact, I’m too excited and proud.Can’t wait any longer for the release and the magic to unfold. I can promise you that it’s a 2 hour 7 minutes of pure entertainment with all the masalas in the right mix.
How different is Rajapattai from the normal mass masala commercial potboilers?
After doing serious films like Raavan and Deivathirumagal, I wanted to do something light, funny and totally entertaining like Dhool and Saamy. That’s when I met Suseenthiran, who narrated this script to me and the first thing that struck me is Wow! But trust me, I worked very hard and it was not easy like I thought (smiles).
Rajapattai is a visual treat with land grabbing, a topical subject as the base.There are no comedians but there is an undercurrent of comedy throughout, there is action, romance and the relationship between my character and K Viswanath, who plays an important role, is the emotional angle to the story.
What’s your role?
I play a common man Anal Murugan a gym boy who dreams big, of becoming a villain in cinema. There are no punchlines, I’m not a superhero and in fact I get beaten up couple of times.  The best thing about the film is the logic behind every scene. Suseenthiran is a good film maker and he visualises each and every scene before the shot.
You shared a great rapport with Suseenthiran?
I loved all his films especially Naan Mahaan Alla and Azhagar Samiyin Kuthirai. There is his signature in every frame along with usual mass masala gimmicks  like any other commercial films without tampering with logic. He has an immense amount of passion and dedication for work. To have someone like him as director inspires you to work even harder and give your best. He gave me complete freedom and it was lovely working with him.
You sport different looks in the film?
It’s not a deliberate attempt to sport different looks. I have 17 looks and they are very important to the story and it is set in a filmi background. In one song,heroine Deeksha dreams about me in different villain looks.
People seem to like your chemistry between Deeksha in the promos of the film?
She is very promising actress and in one of the songs Paniye Panipoove.. shot in Italy, she looks ravishing like a goddess.
How do you prepare for a role?
For me, the most crucial aspect is the sessions I have with my director before the shoot starts. I sit with my director and brainstorm, I give my suggestions and that’s what I call the home work. And when the actual shoot starts, I completely surrender to my director and I become a directors’ actor.I never interfere and all my directors have been wonderful people, who know their job.
The audio is a big hit. Which is your favourite song?
My personal favourite is Podi Payyan Polave among the four songs. I loveLaddu Laddu Rendu Laddu,(laughs) not because I sung it but for the energy and the positive vibes I shared with Reema and Shriya during the shoot. Shobi master has choreographed all the songs and the Italy songs will be a major highlight.
The glam quotient is high with three hot girls shaking a leg with you?
What’s life without colour and spice? We love masala in our food or films. But, including Reema, Shriya and Saloni was again a part of the script, not any last minute decision. It was fun shooting the song with them in Italy.

Ganesh Venkatram as a solo hero

Ganesh Venkatram is trying to reinvent himself as a saleable action solo hero.
His new film Pani Thulli will see the handsome hunk in a different role. The trailer launch of the film is taking place at PVR in Chennai during the interval break of Vikram’s Rajapattai.
Ganesh needs a hit to make his presence felt in Tamil cinema.
Says Ganesh: “Pani Thulli is a different sort of romantic action film. It is a love story told in a James Bond style, something that has not been tried before.”
Pani Thulli has been shot in exotic locations of Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Francisco and San Jose in US.
The film directed by Nutty Kumar has been shot by two cameramen CJ Rajkumar and Chris Eldridge. There are two heroines Shobhana and Kalpana.

Hindi 'Ko' with Prakash Jha as auteur

KV Anand directed 'Ko' amassed huge crowd at the theatres and took the lead actors acting career to the next level. Now the film is all set to be made in Bollywood as well. While it was earlier rumored that KV Anand might direct the Hindi version too and will debut into Bollywood as director, recent developments reveal that the production house of 'Ko' has roped in Prakash Jha to direct this political thriller.

Prakash Jha who has already become a hit, directing political films in Bollywood (read Rajneethi and Aarakshan) we hear is all set to zoom his camera for this next venture. While the director has confirmed his berth to helm this project all the other details like the cast and crew members are being worked out.

The Tamil version had Jiiva as the lead actor, as a go-getter photo journalist and also saw Karthika debuting as the heroine in Tamil with this film. The film's music too went on to become chartbusters.

We'll have to wait to know if the magic will be repeated in Hindi as well...

AL Vijay denies affair with Amala Paul

If there is a hot talk in tinsel town, it is the alleged relationship between director Vijay and Amala Paul. However, the filmmaker’s answer is a big ‘no’ to the much talked about affair.
“We are real good friends and I just mean that. There is nothing beyond professional relationship between me and Amala. Such rumours put not just us, but also our families in an uncomfortable situation,” he says.
On reports which claimed that he gifted a brand new house at an up market area in Chennai to Amala Paul and took her on a long drive on his newly bought BMW, Vijay says, “Yes, I recently bought a house and gifted it but to my parents and not to Amala Paul!”
“We never went on a drive together. She is my friend. That’s it. Besides Amala, everyone worked with me in Deiva Thirumagal, including Vikram, Anushka and G V Prakash Kumar, are my close friends,” he signs off.

Vikram lighting up 400 plus screens with Rajapattai

Vikram’s quickie Rajapattai will be one of the biggest releases of 2011. Well, the upcoming Tamil movie is hitting the screens this Friday (December 23) in more than 400 screens.
Trade reports say that Rajapattai is not facing any competition from other movies. Though, Mayakkam Enna and Osthi are doing good business, it will not affect the Vikram’s movie to much extent. Adding to that Chiyaan has done a mass-masala film after two years, which has attracted the cine-goers. Keeping these things in mind, Gemini Film Circuit, who has acquired the distribution rights, is releasing the flick in 400 plus screens in Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
The Aniyaan star will be seen in the role of a gym instructor. Deeksha Seth is playing the character of his love interest and Shreya Saran-Reema Sen have done special appearances in an item track.
Rajapattai is directed by Susindran and produced by PVP cinema.

Thupaki on Full Pace

No first look posters, No teasers and it’s a silent launch of Vijay’s next movie ‘Thupaki’. The film had its way through considerations of various titles starting from Maalai Nerathu Mazhaithuli. The makers have done some photo-shoot for the movie, which is expected to be published from New Year 2012.

Right now, the first schedule is rolling on the floors and it is heard that Murugadoss is keen on shooting the talkie portions at first.

Santhosh Sivan is reported of giving helping hand to A.R. Murugadoss over the creative arenas, which is said to be more helpful for the filmmaker.

Mambattiyan has been declared as Hit!

Actor-director Thiagarajan’s pet-project Mambattiyan, which has his son Prashanth, has been declared hit in all the centres within two days of it’s release.
Mambattiyan is not just another remake, for the screenplay has been modified to attract today’s audiences; it is grander than the original and many desires that remained unfulfilled while making the original have been realized in this remake.
In Mambattiyan, Prashanth appears in a never-seen-before get up and for the first time he pairs up with Meera Jasmine, who reprises the role of Saritha in the original. Mumaith Khan plays the part played by Jayamalini. Veteran actor-producer Thiagarajan takes care of the film’s direction, production, story, screenplay, dialogues and art direction!

Best performed Tamil Hero in 2011

The year 2011 belonged to Dhanush, as the hugely talented young actor was way ahead of all others in Tamil cinema.
Here’s our pick of the best performances by male actors in Tamil cinema in 2011.
Dhanush

Films: Mayakkam Enna, Aadukalam
As Karthik Subramaninan, who dreams of becoming a well known wild life photographer, Dhanush was scintillating. The pain and agony of the young photographer when he realises that he was cheated of his creations was heart-wrenching. The one scene where he pleads with the world-renowned wild life photographer not to steal his work is unforgettable.
His performance as Karuppu in Aadukalam, for which he won a National Award, has been much lauded.
The year definitely belongs to Dhanush — the added bonus being his song, Kolaveri Di, which has become the rage all over India.

Vishal

Film: Avan Ivan
Who would have expected a commercial hero like Vishal to come up with such a vibrant performance in National Award winning director Bala’s Avan Ivan?
As the squint-eyed Vanangamudi, Vishal was a revelation. His performance reaffirms the fact that under Bala’s direction, even mediocre actors can give award-winning performances.

Prasanna

Film: Muran
Prasanna is a highly talented actor who pushes the envelope in each of his films. Not lured by commercial success, he chooses his films with care.
In 2009, he wowed everyone with his memorable performance as a software professional in Achamundu Achamundu. This year, in Muran, as the wild Arjun who kills people for the thrill of it, he was mind blowing.
He portrayed with great aplomb the wickedness and villainy of the character. The film, incidentally, was inspired by Alfred Hitchcock Strangers on a Train.

Ajith

Film: Mankatha
Venkat Prabhu’s Mankatha is Ajith’s 50th film and was Ajith’s show all the way. He dared to sport a salt and pepper hairstyle, which heroes who are the darling of the masses rarely dare to do.
His character in the film also has negative shades, something else that few actors of his stature are willing to do.

Sarath Kumar

Film: Kanchana
It was one of the most courageous acts of a commercial hero. Sarath Kumar played the role of a eunuch in Kanchana and did so remarkably well. This daring attempt has to be appreciated and applauded.
P.S. We have not included Vikram’s performance in Deivathirumagal, the remake of I am Sam and also Suriya’s performnace in 7 Aum Arivu. No doubt, Vikram’s performance was praiseworthy but he was nowhere near the Oscar winning performance of Sean Penn, and he had a benchmark to follow.
Though Suriya was mesmerising as Bodhidharman in the first 20 minutes of the film, in the rest of the film, he was nowhere near his best.

Ilayaraja to perform live!

After nearly six years, Ilayaraja will be performing live in concert at Nehru Indoor Stadium, Chennai. The date for this concert is December 28th and it will also be broadcast on Jaya TV. The last time he performed the concert was completely sold out and was a phenomenal success Fans still remember it fondly.
Tickets for this happening event are available online. It is going to be a star – studded event with celebs from all over the country putting in an appearance and featuring the leading singers and musicians.

Telugu Horror Movie in Tamil

While this Friday (December 23) is reserved for some big tickets – ‘Rajapattai’ and ‘Don-2’, we have a Telugu-to-Tamil dubbed film ready for release as well. Originally titled as ‘Aa Intlo’, the Tamil version carries the name ‘8am Number Veedu’.

The film gained good response from film critics and in box office for its spine-chilling eerie factors. The film is directed by Chinna and is produced by N. Ramasamy. The film has director Chinna himself taking on the lead role while actress Mayuri stars opposite him in female lead character.

It is worth mentioning that the film is loosely based on the horrendous experience of a family moving into a house with Door No. 8. Cinematography by Sudhakar Reddy is expected to be an additional attraction and it is evident with the trailers that aired on satellite channels.