Big B to act in Tamil film directed by A Balakrishnan

Cinemimi [Tuesday, April 10, 2012]
Tamil director A Balakrishnan is planning his next film, which will focus on Indo Pak relationship. And this movie will have the Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan in a important role in the film

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Shot Cuts: It's ‘Ooh La La La' time

Cinemimi [Tuesday, April 10, 2012]
Director Jothikrishna, who has introduced several top actors to the Tamil film industry such as Tamanaah and Ileana is on the verge of releasing his next film, “Ooh La La La.” Sources say the film, which has been in the making for quite some time now, will release in the third week of April. Interestingly, Jothikrishna, apart from wielding the megaphone has also played the hero. Meanwhile, Jothikrishna's co-star in “Ooh La La La,” Priti Bhandari has changed her name back to Divya Bhandari.

Says Divya, “Yes, there has been a delay but then, I believe, good movies always take time to release.

As for my name, I changed it to Priti on the advice of a popular numerologist.

However, the name change has not brought me any luck and I have reverted to my original name. However, you will find my name as Priti Bhandari in the title card of the film.”

“Ooh La La La” is about a guy who keeps flirting in the hope of finding a girlfriend.

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Dedicated to Lord Anjaneya

Actor Arjun, who played the role of Lord Hanuman in a Telugu film titled “Sri Anjaneyam,” is an ardent devotee of Lord Anjaneya. He is in the process of building a temple for his favourite deity at Gerugambakkam, near Porur. The idol there weighs around 140 tonnes and is 35 feet tall.

Sources claim that the idol, consecrated recently, is special, for it shows the Lord in a unique meditative pose and is said to be sculpted out of a single rock.”

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Story first for Sathya

Director Sathya Siva, who shot into the limelight after the success of his “Kazhugu,” featuring Kreshna and Bindu Madhavi in the lead, has moved on to his next project. Sources say the director is to make a film for producers Muktha Srinivasan and Govind.

The director has been holding story discussions in the Kambam and Theni districts.

Says a source, “Director Sathya Siva knows a good story is what can ensure a hit and therefore is intent on coming up with a good script first. Once the story is done, the cast will be finalised.”

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Dhanush, a new god in the making in Tamil film industry

Cinemimi [Tuesday, April 10, 2012]
Unconventional looks and not even a worthwhile screen presence, still Venkatesh Prabhu Kasthuri Raja aka Dhanush - an emerging superstar of Tamil films - exudes immense confidence and scores with his simplicity.

Be it winning the National Award for best actor, creating a ripple with the nation's new anthem Kolaveri Di, or pulling off string of successes at the box office, the Dhanush craze has only multiplied in recent times.

Married to superstar Rajinikanth's elder daughter Aishwarya, Dhanush has all the right ingredients to replace his father-in-law as the god of Tamil cinema with his right mix of talent, simplicity and confidence. Add to that the GenNext marketing skills and Dhanush is certainly a superstar in the making.

Rajinikanth is generally acknowledged as a god in this part of the world. But a recent serious ailment has put a question mark on the longevity of his godly status. Among other youngsters, Dhanush has emerged as the new god in waiting.

Dhanush has had his share of hits and misses at the box office but has grown as an actor with each performance. Many of his female fans skip a heartbeat when he appears on screen. Men look up to him, especially in their moments of frustration.

Kolaveri Di could not have come at a better time. Dhanush's fans must have seen this song as one more feather on their hero's cap.

His latest movie 3 also did not disappoint. As schoolboy Ram experiencing his first love, Dhanush gives what some say is his career-best performance. He gave a convincing spin as the shy yet determined boy out to get the girl.

Later, as a business tycoon, Dhanush conveys the character's dilemma aptly. The movie might have faltered in the second half, but Dhanush's performance stands out. 3 has been getting people into the cinemas, with Kolaveri Di and Dhanush being the prime reasons.

Following the super success of Kolaveri Di, Dhanush has been invited to many places to deliver lectures, be it at IIM Ahmedabad or the India Today Youth Summit.

He has tweeted about his lack of knowledge of English, but Dhanush comes across as the most confident and impresses clarity of thought. He has the charisma to connect with the crowd.

Like all Southern superstars, Dhanush is also looking for national recognition. He might have won the National Film Award for best actor for Adukalam, but Bollywood remains the ultimate test of popularity. He is all set to make his Bollywood debut with Raanjhnaa opposite Sonam Kapoor.

Dhanush's decade-long journey to fame
Having debuted in 2002, it has been 10 years since Dhanush appeared in his first movie and he has already lived a lifetime starring in 23 movies, tasting success and failure alike, getting married to Rajinikath's daughter and also becoming father to two adoring boys before he was hit by a tornado called Kolaveri Di.

For someone who was forced by his director brother enter cinema, Dhanush surely has come a long way. The shy, lean, just-past-teen, Venkatesh Prabhu Kasthuri Raja adopted screen name Dhanush and made his movie debut with Thulluvadho Ilamai, which was a surprise hit but nobody really gave him a chance. Critics dismissed him as a one film wonder.

Dhanush was only 20 at that time. He came from a film family as his father was a Tamil film director and his second film Kadhal Kondein was directed by his brother Selvaraghavan. Along with Thiruda Thirudi, Dhanush scored a hat-trick of hits on debut. And, it was apparent that a star had arrived.

Soon, Dhanush had started commanding a fee of Rs.3 crore per film. But his journey on the path of stardom also saw a few hiccups. Like his three back-to-back hits, Dhanush delivered back-to-back flops as well. He impressed critics with his ability to act but struggled to deliver blockbusters for almost five years.

Thiruvilayadal Arambam and then Polladhavan changed all that. Dhanush proved that he could not only act but he could strike a cord with the movie-goers. The success of Yaradi Dee Mohini only strengthened his star status.

A high point of Dhanush's acting career came in 2011 when Aadukalam won him a National Award for Best Actor. As a guy organising cock fights in the movie, Dhanush essayed a character he appears to have specialised in, that of an underdog.

In late 2011 Dhanush hit the jackpot with the song Kolaveri Di and the performance in the movie has only given credence to his talent. Dhanush clearly has created a slot for himself that of an underdog, making a virtue of his ordinary looks. And so for millions of star struck fans the attraction of Dhanush is also in the fact that he looks so like the lovable simple guy next door.

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Maatran’s Balumahendra link

Cinemimi(Tuesday,April,03,2012)
Maatran, which is touted to become Suriya’s best release till date, is presently being shot at Balumahendra’s studios for special CG scenes. The film will feature Suriya in a dual role. Director KV Anand who has a taste for locations has shot this high budget film in exotic locales of Russia, Croatia, Serbia, Albania and Macedonia. We also learned that he filmed certain scenes at the same location where he shot the song Ballelakka for the film Sivaji.

The film is being produced by AGS Entertainments and features Kajal Agarwal, Sachi Khedekar and Thara. S Sounder Rajan handles the camera and Harris Jayaraj is the film’s music director.

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Happy Birthday Prabhu Deva!

Cinemimi(Tuesday,April 03,2012)
It is Prabhu Deva's birthday today. The actor had a tumultuous year which saw his marriage end in divorce and this was followed by a much - publicized breakup with Nayanthara. This year, the actor is hoping that only his work will be talked about and he is working hard on the professional front.

Prabhu Deva is directing Akshay Kumar and Sonakshi Sinha in Rowdy Rathore, a film produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali in association with UTV Motion Pictures. He will also be starring in a 3D dance film called Any Body Can Dance or ABCD with the likes of Lauren Gottlieb, winner of the popular dance reality show 'So You Think You Can Dance' and Ganesh Acharya. He will also be performing in the grand finale of the opening ceremony of the fifth edition of IPL, tonight. Behindwoods wishes Prabhu Deva a Happy Birthday and we hope the year ahead is a great one for him.

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Shot Cuts: A tough job, indeed

Cinemimi(Tuesday April 03,2012)

Rajnikath with Soundarya and A. R. Rahman at the shoot of "Kochadaiyaan"

Challenges have never scared Rajinikanth. In fact, they've only delighted him and motivated him to work harder. That's probably why the Superstar enjoys working on his next film “Kochadaiyaan,” being directed by his daughter Soundarya. The makers claim it's India's first performance capture photorealistic film.

On a video posted on YouTube, the Superstar, talking about his performance in the film and the difficulties it involved, has said, “It is not easy. A lot of imagination goes into it. You have to visualise and improvise. Getting into a character without changing the costume or make-up is by itself difficult. Then come the locations which are imaginary. It's really a tough job!”

Meanwhile, there's more good news for the Superstar's fans in the North. “Baasha,” his blockbuster in Tamil, is being dubbed into Hindi. Sources say the Hindi version with the same title will be released in over a 1,000 theatres across the world by the end of this month.

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Will he score a hat-trick?

Director Rajesh's “Oru Kal Oru Kannadi,” which marks Udhayanidhi Stalin's debut as a hero in Tamil cinema, is to hit the screens on April 13. Although there were reports that the film had been completed, the date of its release hadn't been disclosed.

It would be a hat-trick for Rajesh if “OK OK” succeeds at the box office. The director has tweeted, “The film will release on April 13. The background score for the first half is done. Harris Jayaraj is working on the second half.”

In another tweet, he has praised cinematographer Balu, whose work in the film, he claims, is awesome. Apart from Udhayanidhi, the film will feature Hansika and Santhanam.

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Special bond with Chennai

One of Telugu cinema's top directors, S. S. Rajamouli, who many consider to be in the same league as Shankar, is on the verge of releasing his first Tamil film, “Naan Ee.” The director shares a special bond with Chennai, in general, and the Sathyam cinemas, in particular.

At the audio launch of the film held at the multiplex on April 2, Rajamouli spoke about why it occupies a special place in his heart. He said, “I have stayed here (in Chennai) for six to eight years. During those days, my only aim was to earn Rs. 30 and that was to watch films. Chennai is where I learnt the grammar of filmmaking and if cinema is God for me, Sathyam is my temple.”

The director, unlike several others, did not boast about his creation. “If you liked the trailer, please watch the film,” is all he said, indicating the confidence he had both in his film and its trailer.

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