Kajal’s Speaks about her Magadheera?

Cute baby Kajal got hight popularity with latest south blockbuster Maghadeera.Like all the other girls Kajal is also having lot of expectation for her dream boy.She has some expectations when it comes to her prince charming. She says looks are important to her but what is more important is a good heart. She also expects the guy to have a good sense of humor and make her laugh and also adds that he should be definitely taller than her. Wonder if she has already found one? Well, if she has not then the eligible bachelors who are reading this now know what this saucy seductress wants.

Tolly wood heroes in chill out mood

The social calendar in the Hyderabad is chock-ablock with taash parties, pre Diwali bashes and shopping festivals. And with the sporting season here, pubs and sports bars too are brimming with activity.

Allu Arjun, Sharvanand and Rana were spotted having a blast at Touch. Actor Tarun was the surprise guest at Spoil on Wednesday. While he had a good time unwinding to DJ Ajay’s mixes, ot.hers sniggered that he’s only there to check competition.

Is venkatesh called jr.Ntr ?

Jr NTR, who have lot of following among masses and he proved him self with his block buster movies.Now every one knows that he is busy with his latest venture ADURS and this is getting to release on December 15th.Nandamuri fans are eagarly waiting for this movie because there is a long gap for Jr NTR movies due to politics and Accident.As per the sources Hero Venkatesh has called up Junior NTR and requested him to either prepone or postpone the release of “Adurs” as it may end up in a clash with his brother son Rana’s “Leader” which is expecting to release on December 24.But Jr NTR gave the diplomatic answer, that is due to the fans situation and anxiety i can’t do anything.

Siddharth turns director

Siddharth son of the greatest ever directors in Malayalam the late Bharathan and KPAC Lalitha, is now turning director withMitram.

The film is presented by David Kachapally veteran producer who has made many Bharathan classic likeOrmakayi

In fact it was David who discovered Siddharth and made him an actor with that fine campus entertainer Nammal directed by Kamal.

But after a few films, Siddharth lost interest in acting as his mind was always on becoming a great director like his dad. Siddharth became assistant to Priyadarshan and has worked under him for six films.

Says David Kachapally: “ Mithram is a romantic thriller and features Asif (Rithu fame) as hero, new girl Sruthi and Kalabhavan Mani in a pivotal role. It has four lovely melodies tuned by Mohan Sithara. Siddharthan as a director will make all of us proud.”

Mohanlal is Mathukuttychayan!

Mohanlal is playing a traditional Kanjirapally Syrian Christian farmer Matthew in Roshan Andrews directed Aashirwad Cinemas new untitled film produced by Antony Perumbavoor.

The script of the film is by James Albert (Classmatesfame) and is said to be a realistic look at the decay that has set in Kerala’s farm lands. Thilakan is playing Mohanlal’s dad, nearly 10 years after that blockbuster Narasimamham, a film produced by Antony.

Mohanlal’s two favourite screen mother’s Kaviyoor Ponnamma and Sukumari are playing his mother and aunt in this family entertainer set against a Christian milieu. The story is about deep love between a father and son, as they try to stop a land mafia from taking over their farmland and converting it into another resort.

There are three heroines in the film an advocate played by Lakshmi Rai, Priyanka plays a investigative news reporter and Lakshmi Gopalasamy is a corporate manager. The film has Mohanlal wearing Mundu and designer shirts throughout the film.

This untitled film will be Mohanlal’s big Christmas release. Please note Mohanlal’s Achayan, characters have always worked big at the box-office.

Source: xboard

Dileep and Joshy to roar the Lion again

Filmmaker Joshy after his Robinhood with Prithviraj, Jayasurya and Narain is planning to do a sequel to the Malayalam movie Lion which featured Dileep in the lead role. This time round Dileep will be essaying the powerful role of Home Minister.

This movie with its script by Uday Krishna and Sibi K Thomas is said to rope in either Kavya Madhavan who has had many hit movies with Dileep in the past or Navya Nair who has also had her share of success with Dileep. Joshy is also planning a sequel to the Dileep starrer Runway. The sequel is to be named as Vaalayaar Paramashivam. Kavya Madhavan woule play the lead heroine in this movie as well.

I'm proud of having acted with Mammootty: Sarath Kumar

Veteran Tamil actor Sarath
Kumar, who had acted with Mammootty in
Hariharan's 'Pazhassi Raja' says that he's proud
of having been given the opportunity.
Mammootty is a wonderful artist. He
doesn't have any starry airs around him. I
consider myself lucky to have been able to act
with this amazing actor," says Sarath Kumar.
Sarath plays Edachena Kunkan, Pazhassi's
army chief in the historical film.


'Pazhassi Raja' is expected to make it
to the theatres on Diwali.

Lohithadas' sons turn director and actor

Lohithadas, the eminent filmmaker has left the stage, but his spirit is to live on for generations. His younger son Vijayshankar is to take the mantle of a director with a new Tamil movie. Lohithadas’ wife Sindhu and son Vijayshankar announced the launch of the upcoming movie yesterday at a press meet. A NRI, Shiyas based in Kodungalloor will produce this movie.

The movie focusing on the close relation between a father and his son has Prithviraj as the hero. Sathyaraj, Bhavana and Khushboo also essay pivotal roles in the film. Once the Tamil venture is complete Vijayshankar will try his luck in an Arab movie. So too the late filmmaker’s eldest son will make his debut as hero in a movie by director Vinod Guruvayoor. The sons definitely plan to transform their father's unpublished stories into wholesome movie screenplays.

Arjun walks out of 'Harischandra ghat'!

Arjun, hero in BP Srinivas's 'Harischandra Ghat' has walked out of the film. The actor said that he did not want to be identified with a person like Srinivas.

Srinivas is having the worst time in his career and life. He debuted as a director recently with 'Mussanje Gelathi', a miserable flop at the box-office. Then an arrest warrant was issued against him for not paying off an old debt. It was followed by allegations of cheating people to the tune of crores of rupees.

Arjun says, "I was not aware of these allegations involving Srinivas earlier. After signing the film, I came across only negative news about him. I don't want to associate myself with a person like him. I had not charged any remuneration for acting in 'Harischandra Ghat' nor have I taken an advance from him. As of now I have told him that I won't be acting in his film," says Arjun.

The film commenced on August 15th, the birthday of Srinivas. Three days of shooting was held after the muhurath.

Rajni impressed with 'Eeram'

A special screening of 'Eeram', produced by director Shankar's S Pictures, was held in Chennai for Rajnikanth. The film, a horror thriller, has been directed by Shankar's former assistant Arivazhagan.

The superstar liked the film, conceptualized and shot in a novel way, very much. He said that the film would attract women audiences as in the case of 'Chandramukhi' and 'Arundhati'.

Shankar, director Arivazhagan, music director Thaman and Aadhi were among the film crew present on the occasion. The film, already a superhit in amil Nadu, stars Aadhi, Nandha and Sindhu Menon in the lead.

Prithviraj in Rafi-Mecartin film

Prithviraj, basking in the glow of back to back hits in 'Puthiya Mugham' and 'Robinhood', is all set to try comedy for the first time in his career. He will soon be acting in a film by Rafi-Mecartin.

The director duo has given a series of superhits including 'Thenkasi Pattanam', 'Chathikkatha Chandu' and 'Hallo'. But their latest offering, Mammootty starrer 'Love in Singapore', failed miserably at the B.O.

Prithviraj is finally coming into his own as a bankable star. He has scored a big hit in Tamil with 'Ninaithale Inikkum', a remake of his Malyalam hit 'Classmates'. His forthcoming Tamil release is Mani Ratnam's 'Raavan'. He is now busy with 'Rahupathy Raghava Rajaram' by Shaji Kailas, 'Anwar' by Amal Neerad and a Lal Jose film.

'Aadhavan' fetches record sum in Kerala

Suriya starrer 'Aadhavan' has been sold for a whopping Rs 1.25 crore for Kerala territory, it is reported.

This is the highest amount fetched by a Suriya film in Kerala. His last release, KV Anand's 'Ayan' was sold for Rs 80 lakh and the film did business exceeding Rs 1.35 crore, our sources in Kollywood say.

If the film, directed by KS Ravikumar, becomes successful, Suriya will overtake Vijay as the No 1 Tamil hero in Kerala.

The film, starring Malayali actress Nayantara in the female lead, will be released across 85 screens in Kerala.

Swathi to pair up with Vikram

Colours Swathy, who hit the limelight with her brilliant performance in 'Subrahmanyapuram', has bagged the biggest role in her career to date, says our source.

She will be playing the female lead opposite Chiyaan Vikram in the untitled film to be directed by Selvaraghavan. The film will be produced by Kanakaratna Ramesh.

Swathy entered showbiz through the Telugu TV programme, titled 'Colours'. It was Selvaraghavan who gave her first break in 'Adavari Matalaku Ardhale Verule', which was later remade into Tamil as 'Yaaradi Nee Mohini'.

Post 'Subrahmanyapuram', Swathy has been getting many offers in the lead, but the intelligent actress is being very choosy about them.

Ravi Teja as Don Seenu

After Dubai Seenu, Ravi Teja is going to do another Seenu titled film 'Don Seenu'. This film will be produced by Venkat who produced Kick with Ravi Teja in the past. Anushka plays female lead. Srihari dons a vital role. This film will be launched in this month. Gopichand Malineni makes his debut as director with this movie.

Month gap between Nag and Chaitanya movies?

Nagarjuna is current doing Rummy (title is yet to be officially announced) in the direction of debutant Kiran Kumar. And this film is supposed to be released in the second half of December. Naga Chaitanya is currently shooting for Gowtam Menon's latest Telugu movie in Chennai. This film will also be ready for the release by December. As per the sources of Xboard Tollywood, there is going to be a comfortable gap of 30 days between the release of Nagarjuna's film and Naga Chaitanya's movie.

Arya 2 in November?

As per the sources of Xboard, Allu Arjun's much awaited movie Arya 2 might be releasing in November (either 11th November of 13th November). This decision is said to be taken by keeping in the view of 100 days run of Magadheera film. Magadheera which turned out to be the industry hit of Telugu created history in terms of collections and 50 days centers. If Arya 2 is released before the completion of 100 days of Magadheera, some of the buyers (who bought both Magadheera and Arya 2) might be tempted to replace Magadheera with Arya 2. But November is said to be off-season for movie releases. That is why NTR's film in VV Vinayak direction is postponed to December (to cash in both Christmas and Sankranthi holidays) though the product would be ready for November. It may be noted that there is no bad season for a good film. Prior to the release of Magadheera, trade pundits felt that it missed summer season. Being a good film, Magadheera created history by releasing in off-season.

Siren of the Week: Tamannaah Bhatia

Tamannaah Bhatia, known among her fans as the Cleopatra of Kollywood, is one of the reigning queens of South Indian celluloid.
She has almost usurped the numero uno throne from Kollywood's Dream Girl Nayantara. Here is a pictorial tribute to the uber sexy Bhatia babe.

Is it, No kissing for TV actors!

The furore over Sach Ka Saamna had just settled when another controversy erupted in tellyland.

A Balaji audition held asked aspirants to dress minimally and kiss! There may have been outrage, but no official complaint has been filed, says Dharmesh Tiwari, President, Cine and Television Artists’ Association (CINTAA). Hence there will be no action. Censor Board member Nandini Sardesai, who feels strongly about the issue, says, “I find it in poor taste. Kissing passionately can hardly be the yardstick for judging acting skills. It is very demeaning to both males and females. It is very derogatory to the human spirit.” But what do actors from tellyland have to say? Well, while some preferred not to comment, a few others adopted the diplomatic route and of course a handful spoke their mind…

Sara Khan: This is not done! What about Indian culture? There will be no difference between India and other countries. People should reveal their talent and not their bodies.

Rajeev Khandelwal: I don’t want to comment on this.

Aashka Goradia: I was very surprised. I don’t know how relevant the kissing, wearing minimal clothing is to the show. What was the audition about… were they looking for a good kisser or a good actor?

Aroona Irani: I didn’t like the idea of such an audition. You generally watch TV with your family, so a show like that would get very embarrassing. Call me orthodox, but I at least will not be comfortable.

Harsh ChAaya: At first glance, it does seem perverse. But personally, it is your choice. If you don’t like it, then you don’t have to do it.

Neena Gupta: Without knowing the complete truth, I would not like to comment on it.

Manasi joshi Roy : It is simple, if you are comfortable doing it, do it. If not, then don’t do it.

Aman Verma: In our country, showing sex on television is taboo, but you can show violence and hatred. Maybe the producers wanted to see how far you would go.

Ronit Roy: I don’t want to comment on this.

Achint Kaur : The most important thing is what the subject is all about. Also, if the actor is new, then maybe the producers wanted to see how comfortable the actor is doing certain things.

Shriya in Arya Remake

After the Mallana movie shriya is busy in tamil.In Mallana she has given a glamour show to the both telugu and tamil audiences.Now Shriya is acting in Tamil remake of Arya movie and Dhanush(son in law of the super star Rajinikanth)playing the hero role in Tamil.Shriya from her end has said that she is playing a very bubbly role in this one and it will be more performance driven than glamour show.In telugu Arya is a Blockbuster movie and we hope in tamil also it is going to be super duper hit movie.

Sridevi-Kamal Hassan in Madras High Court

The hit pair Sri Devi - Kamal Hassan starred together in many movies like 16 Vayadinele, Sigappu Rojakkal, Guru, Varumayin Niram Sigappu and Moonram Pirai and many more.But it was a strange coincidence, that both of them made their presence at Madras High Court on Wednesday. Kamal Haasan, representing Raaj Kamal Films International, submitted his counter that there was no diversion of funds as alleged by Pyramid Saimira International Ltd. His verdict will be pronounced by Judge Rajasuriya today (Thursday). Sridevi had better luck when the decks were cleared for the release of her husband Boney Kapoor’s home production Wanted. Judge Rajasuriya chose to close the case as the parties came to a compromise after Sridevi deposited three crores before the trial court ahead of the stipulated day of Wednesday. Should the verdict on Unnaipol Oruvanon Thursday go in favour of Kamal Haasan, it would be a double victory for Mayilu and Sappani – the character names of the lead couple in the silver jubilee hit 16 Vayadinele.

Allu Arjun’s new Business

Now all the tollywood actors are intrested in the businesses.Young generation of tollywood follwing their seniors like Nagarjuna and Muralimohan.The Lover boy Tarun already launched a pub in the city.Recently Sharvanand launched a sports Bar.Now the Latest hero Allu Arjun is planning to open a Restaurant in the city.As per the sources Allu Arjun is teamed up for this project with producer MS raju’s Son.

Young hero talks about his Heroines

Abbas stole hearts of many women when he entered into the film industry. His Prema Desam was a super hit and he was considered a chocolate boy romantic hero.

He recently shared his experiences working with the many leading ladies. Talking about the heroines, he said he had opportunity to work with some of the most beautiful women in the industry. Ladies like Aishwarya Rai, Sakshi Shivanand and the hefty beauty Tabu had paired up with him.

He says that on a more personal front he is friendly with Tabu and they both share a comfort level with each other.

Abbas will soon be seen in the new movie ‘Ramdev’ in that he is pairing up with Gracy Singh .

Allu Arjun Owned a BMW x6 car

According to film nagar sources Allu Arjun planned to buy an AUDI Q7 car but as per the latest news he purchased a sleek and stylish balck BMW x6 car.He paid 90 lakhs for that car.It is a sports car which has both manual and automatic transmission and on a highway it can be converted to sports mode by pressing the button with 30% extra power. He is zooming all over town on his ultra sleek new car.

YS Jagan Forms Separate Congress Group?

It has been a while since the noted Y S Rajasekhar Reddy has passed away and just when everyone thought that his son Y S Jagan would take over the mantle of the Chief Minister from him, things seem to be looking at a delay.

While the pulse is strong that it is none other than Jagan who will work his way to the seat of the Chief Minister, there seems to be a staged strategy that has been adopted to ensure that everything goes off successfully and without any resistance or protests.

On the other hand, a new buzz has begun making rounds that Jagan is likely to come up with a new party and this would be titled Y S Congress. Given the fact that he has got the strong support of many MLAs and MPs in the state, Jagan is said to be toying with this idea in the event of the Chief Minister position not coming to him.

Sources close to him say that Jagan is subjected to some strong pressure from his supporters and well wishers. On the other hand, few Congress members say that Jagan is trying to have his own backup plan just in case the dream of becoming a Chief Minister misfires.

Jagapati Babu found three time with Her

Jagapati Babu and Priyamani will be pairing up for the third time. The duo has earlier worked for Pellaina Kothalo and their second film Pravarakyudu is ready to release. The third film is said to be a thriller. Gopala Krishna is debuting as director with this film.This film will be produced by Kumar Brothers. Regular shooting will commence by the end of this month.

Prabhas’s Darling in Switzerland

Prabhas and Kajal starrer Darling will be canning songs in Switzerland. The team is currently busy in scouting exotic locals in Switzerland which have never been seen in Telugu films. The film is directed by Karunakaran of Tholi Prema fame and produced by Bogavalli Prasad under the Sri Venkateshwara Cine Chitra banner. G.V. Prakash scores the music. Andrews handles the camera. Peter Hynes is the stunt master. Tamil actor Prabhu of Chandramukhi fame will be playing a key role in this film. The film expected to release for sankranti 2010.

'Serious' Ajmal starring in a 'romantic comedy'

Ajmal, who shot to fame with his 'anti-hero' role in the Tamil film 'Anjaathe', is awaiting with bated breath the release of 'Thiru Thiru Thuru Thuru,' in which he is starring in a humorous role for the first time.

For Ajmal, who has done only 'serious' roles up till now, the role of the lead character in the film by debutante director J S Nandhini was something different.

"This film is a romantic comedy. This is the first time I am doing such a film. But I took it up as I found the script interesting and enjoyed every minute of the shoot."

Ajmal said it is tough doing a comedy. "But then enacting such a role is an added feather's to an actor's cap."

"I was very interested in doing the film when Nandhini, explained the gist of the story," he said.

The film is slated for release on September 25.

For someone who has put on hold his medical profession to pursue a career in films, Ajmal has come a long way.

Ajmal, who received the Filmfare award for the best actor in a supporting role (Tamil) for his performance in Anjathe, said he was working in a hospital at Mumbai when he got the chance to act as hero in director Uday Anandan's Malayalam movie 'Pranayakalam', a 'romantic film', in 2007.

Ajmal said he studied medicine in Russia.

"I did a lot of modelling assignments over there".

Ajmal happened to run into producer Johnny Sagarika while travelling from Mumbai to Kerala and he put him onto Uday Anandan who was scouting for a fresh face. Uday Anandan did some test shoots and was impressed.

"That is how I got to act in Pranayakalam", the 27-year-old actor said.

Anjathe was quite a different film altogether. "From romantic to an anti-hero. Such power-packed roles are always etched in the Tamil audience' minds," Ajmal said.

Ajmal then got a chance to act with top Malayalam actor Mohanlal in the blockbuster 'Madambi'.

The film was about two brothers and Ajmal played a central character with different shades.. "I become a villain in the latter part...but then things become okay in the end."

"Mohanlal sir puts you at ease. He has no airs and is an institution by himself. He is a good friend," Ajmal said.

Anjathe's success secured him many acting offers. "But I am very choosy about the scripts," Ajmal said.

At present he is shooting for Tamil film 'Kadiruvel' directed by Venkat. It is an action film through and through.

In the pipeline are a Telugu film and a couple of Tamil projects. "Talks are going on," he said.

For the moment, he is focused on cinema.

"But I have a dream of setting up a hospital..." he said.

Charmy shows everything in "ADURS"

Charmy is doing the item song in ADURS movie opposite to the Jr NTR, this movie is directed by VV Vinayak. As per the sources the sexy star of south indian film industry, In this movie has all the things to attract the mass.Adding to it Charmy’s item song is going to be the special attraction,Charmy to expose to full extent in Adurs.The song is being canned in Hyderabad and an assistant director of this film had revealed that the movie will bank on Charmy’s item number.

Gopichand returns with Shankam

Gopichand is emerging in the big league of Telugu heroes after delivering hits like Okkadunnadu Lakshyam and Souryam. The actor is quite a hit with the masses after his film Ranam. He glides through action smoothly and is equally comfortable with romantic sequences. His dialogue delivery is clear, sharp with good diction.

And now, the actor is now back with Shankam directed by Siva who also helmed Souryam. The movie, which releases this Friday, stands for conch and going by the title this film too seems to have a predominant action element. After all, it's after the conch is blown that battle cry is sounded. At the audio release a huge conch was also part of the proceedings.

His next film will be directed by none other than Puri Jagannath.

Image: A scene from Shankam

'Eeram has all the emotions from my life'

Any film from director Shankar's production house, S Pictures is eagerly awaited. From 2004, S Pictures has been very active in producing quality films. Starting from Kadhal by Balaji Shaktivel, Shankar has given opportunities to first time directors to showcase their talent.

The latest debut director S Pictures is introducing is Arivazhagan Venkatachalam. The Tamil film Eeram directed by Arivazhagan has caught the interest of people from the day the first ad appeared in the newspapers.

The first time director speaks to Shobha Warrier on his film.

You had assisted Shankar in Boys and Anniyan before making Eeram. What did you learn from him?

After I passed out from the Film Institute, I applied for work under Shankar Sir as I hold him in high esteem. I was asked to suggest an idea and then narrate it like a film. I did that and he seemed to like the way I narrated the story because I was selected to work as his assistant.

When I started working for Boys, I understood why he was such a successful director. Not many people have the kind of passion he has for films. From the first discussion to post production work, he works relentlessly and passionately, and I feel that is why he is one of the most successful directors in India. All young directors should learn this attitude from him if they want to be successful in the field of cinema.

Telugu news: 17 MLAs abstain from Chiru’s birthday celebration

Praja Rajyam Party president and mega star Chiranjeevi celebrated his birthday on Saturday at his residence and the party office in Hyderabad, but about 17 legislators in his party (except K. Kanna Babu and Ganta Srinivas Rao) did not attend the celebrations. Party leaders explained they were busy organising the birthday celebrations in their respective constituencies and hence could not attend the function at Hyderabad.

Legislators' absence has an immense significant in this present political scenario of Praja Rajyam Party with a section of legislators reportedly advising Chiranjeevi to merge with the ruling Congress. Asked about the way forward in the wake of reports that the party would wind up and merge with the Congress, the actor said that was impossible. "I have been denying any such developments and you do not believe me," he said.

Tamil Movies : Theatre is my first love: Rajinikanth

Stage is the testing ground for entry into films, said Superstar Rajinikanth at the valedictory function of the drama festival organized by the South Indian Film Artistes' Association. “You get the satisfaction only on stage,” said Rajinikanth, recalling the days of his 25 stage plays in Bangalore.

Deeming it fortunate to be associated with great names like Sivaji Ganesan, N.T. Rama Rao and Rajkumar, Rajinikanth said he learnt the intricacies of acting in conversations with these and other worthies.

Rajinikanth said it was a proud moment when V.K. Ramasamy praised him for delivering the dialogues in the right fashion during the making of Velaikaran.

Malayalam Movies: Jyothirmayee: No repetitive roles please

Relegated to bit roles in Tamil, Jyothirmayee has turned her attention to Malayalam. With a big banner and big names – Mohanlal and Suresh Gopi in lead roles – Jyothirmayee will essay the role of a doctor in an untitled moive touted as a suspense thriller.

The lady is understandably thrilled with the whole plot revolving round her character.
On Vedigundu Murugesan and her comedy track with Pasupathi, Jyothirmayee said she had a rollicking time during the shoot. But the true reward was when her work won encomiums from audiences.

What Jyothirmayee did not bargain for was the fleet of offers, all laced with comedy. "I saw the risk of being typecast when the Malayalam offer came by providence. I will return to Tamil after finishing the Malayalam project and before signing a Kannada movie,” says Jyothirmayee of her future plans.

Tamil Gossips; Cyber Police seized Sneha morphed photos?

Cyber crime officials have captured numerous images of Sneha from her tormentor Raghavendra, who was arrested recently following a complaint from the actress. Apart from the morphed images of Sneha with him, Raghavendra was also in possession of various images of her taken apparently without her knowledge in shooting spots.

His seized mobile phone also contained messages that were sent to Sneha. The messages are being probed into for further investigations. The cyber crime officials are also planning to interrogate Sneha in this regard as part of the investigations.

Telugu Gossips: Naga Chaitanya’s Josh movie confirm on Sep 3

Release date for Nagarjuna’s son Naga Chaitanya’s Josh has been fixed. Producer Dil Raj today announced that the movie is going to hit the theatres on September 3rd. “We have completed all the shooting part and is releasing it on Sep 3rd on grand scale.

Dil Raju told the media. He also said that music has been appreciated by one and all. "Especially the title song has became a rage with youth, " he said.

Tamil Gossips: Rajnikanth depending on LTTE?

A huge salvo was thrown by Sri lankan Minister Abdul Rishad saying that Rajnikanth films like Kuselan and Endhiran are have been funded by the LTTE.He says that the funds are being diverted through a London based Tamilian who is passing on the funds to the film makers.

Though the Minister has no proofs, and these are mere allegations, such a trend if true is disturbing. On the other hand one feels that the truth may be entirely different and given the type of image that Rajnikanth holds these allegations may be entirely false.

Look out Batman, here comes Kandasamy!

N K Ekambaram, one of the leading cinematographers of the South Indian film industry is the man who shot the most awaited Tamil film, Kandasamy and the Telugu version Mallana. Kandasamy stars Vikram and Shriya Saran and is directed by Susi Ganesan.
His resume boasts of the National award-winning Iyarkai and the scientific thriller E among many other films. He is currently working on the Hindi film De Dhana Dhan and also an English film.
R G Vijayasarathy caught up with Ekambaram to discuss his work in Kandasamy which is releasing on August 21.

Next, 'Sona Ka Swayamvar'

Days after Rambha announced that she would conduct a TV 'swayamvar' a la Rakhi Sawant to find her bridegroom, Kollywood siren Sona has come out with a similar announcement.
The item dancer says that she has been approached by a TV channel to do a show, tentatively titled 'Sonavin Swayamvaram'.
"I love to do the show since it sounds like lots of fun. Wait for a while... there will be a sweet surprise waiting for Tamil audiences...," says Sona, one of the most sought after item dancers in Kollywood.
The actress, who became a sensation in Tamil films with her bold costumes in films such as 'Pathu Pathu', has five films on hand. Her recent release 'Azhagar Malai' has her in a bikini.

In Pics: 'Thillalangadi' movie launch

The launch of Jayam Ravi's 'Thillalangadi', a remake of the Telugu superhit 'Kick', was held at AVM Studios on August 19. Ilaiya Thalapathi Vijay sounded the clap and Shankar directed the first shot.
Karthi and director Ramanarayanan were among the dignitaries who graced the occasion.
The film is being directed by Jayam Raja, the elder brother of Ravi. The female lead of the film is Tamannaah. Shaam will essay the same role he did in the Telugu original. Suhasini, Prabhu and Mansoor Ali Khan are among the cast of the film.
Click on, to see snaps of the glittering function...

'Kandhasamy' Reloaded

The anxious wait is finally over: The first official superhero of the South, 'Kandhasamy', will hit cinemas, this Friday, August 21. The Susi Ganesan film stars Chiyaan Vikram and Shriya Saran in the lead; it promises to be a spectacular action extravaganza shot in a scale on par with any hollywood superhero film.
Here are a few stunning snaps from the mega entertainer!

Karthi in 'Naan Mahan Allai' remake

Paruthiveeran Karthi will play the lead in the remake of Rajnikanth superhit 'Naan Mahan Alla'. Susindran of 'Vennila Kabadi Kuzhu' fame will be the director.
Kajal Agarwal, who stars in the Telugu blockbuster 'Magadheera', is the female lead.
Gnanavelraja's Studio Green is the producer andSR Prakash Babu and SR Prabhu are the co-producers. The shooting is expected to begin on September 4. Yuvan Shankar Raja will score the music; Mathi is the cameraman.
Three years after the release of the nationally acclaimed 'Paruthiveeran', Karthi is still awaiting his second release. Lingusamy's 'Payya' and Selvaraghavan's 'Aayirathil Oruvan' are expected to be released soon.

Hot Kiran Rathod loves a 13-year-old boy...

Kollywood hottie Kiran Rathod plays a 30-year-old woman who falls in love with a 13-year-old boy in Aishwarya Films' latest venture. Directed by Narasimha Nandi, the movie also stars Gundu Hanumantha Rao, Tilak, Ragini, Rajitha, Jenny, Gowtham Raju, Mallika, Chandra, Sudharasan and Ranga...Click on, for exclusive stills from the movie!

Shruthi Haasan in Simbu flick?

Shruthi Haasan may be paired up with Silambarasan in his forthcoming flick, 'Valiban'.
The rumourmills in Kollywood say that Simbu has offered the female lead role to Kamal's daughter and she has not refused the role. They add that 'Valiban' is just the new name of 'Poda Podi', a film Simbu had planned with Sarathkumar's daughter Varalakshmi as the heroine. The project, to be directed by Simbu himself, was shelved as Vaalakshmi backed out of it.
Shruthi debuted in films with the Bollywood flick 'Luck', co-starring Inraan Khan in the lead. Though the film was a flop at the B.O., her performance came in for great praise from one and all.
The multi-talented Shruthi, who is composing the music for her father's bilingual 'Unnai Pol Oruvan' ('Ee Naadu' in Telugu), is being flooded with offers from Tamil.

Jayam Ravi forays into Bollywood

Jayam Ravi’s forthcoming release Peranmai has been in the making for quite a while now.

The film, which is being directed byJananathan has some tricky fight sequences and was shot extensively in forests delaying the project even further.

When a Hindi film producer came to know of Peranmai through his sources he decided to lap up the film’s rights even before it is released in Tamil.

However, the director and the producer of Peranmai disclosed the difficulties in remaking the film and advised the Bollywood producer to dub the film. The final outcome of this discussion is yet to be known.

Nayan laps up another biggie

Nayanthara, in all probability, will star in Electra, a Malayalam film. Talks are on with Arya to play Nayan’s pair in the film.

With the actress desperately needing a success to sustain in the race among the leading actresses in the southern circuit,

this film could just do the trick. Apparently, Electra is inspired from a Greek play and is heroine oriented.

Sources say that Nayan is keen on working in this project and is reshuffling her dates to accommodate the film. Electra will be directed by Shyama Prasad and produced by Vindhyan.

Sneha’s marriage proposal

Sneha’s recent complaint to the Commissioner of Police T Rajendran bore the desired results with her tormentor for the past six months being arrested by the cyber crime sleuths.

According to the complainant, N. Raghavendran has been harassing her by sending countless SMSs everyday proposing to marry her.

Though the actress never, responded, she once SMSed him not to disturb her to which he refused to budge.

Raghavendran, a B.Com graduate, is into real estate business in Bangalore. He had come to Chennai to sign up a land deal where he was apprehended by the police team headed by the Assistant Commissioner of Police (Cyber Crime Cell) Dr. M. Sudhakar.

Sarath wants Dr. Kamal Haasan Road in Chennai

The Nadigar Sangam President Sarath Kumar said that the film stars would initiate the move to rename the Eldams Road as Dr. Kamal Haasan Road.

According to Sarath, renaming the road, in which the star has been living for years,

is the apt way of felicitating him on his Golden Jubilee year in Kollywood.

Sarath Kumar added that the Nadigar Sangam will petition the state government and the Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi to do the needful.

Gautham Menon shifts to Andhra

After the stupendous success of Vaaranam Aayiram, director Gautham Vasudev Menon has moved on to his next project Vinnai Thandi Varuvaya with Silambarasan and Trisha.

This project is getting completed steadily and the film will be released soon. Meanwhile, announcement about his next venture has come out and this time, it is not in Tamil but in Telugu.

There were always speculations that he would be directing Mahesh Babu. However, this time around, Gautham would wield the megaphone for the star kid Naga Chaithanya, son of Telugu star Nagarjuna. This film will be produced by actor Krishna’s daughter Manjula for Indira Productions and the music will be scored by double Oscar winner A R Rahman.

The film was launched amidst much fanfare a couple of days back in Hyderabad. Heroine is yet to be finalized. While talking at the launch Gautham said that like all his other films, this film also would be a musical fare and would be a soft romantic flick.

Mammootty: Actor of the decade

The award 'Actor of the decade' will be conferred on Mammootty during the Jai Hind Utsav Film Awards ceremony, organized by Jai Hind TV at Corporation Stadium, Kozhikode on Sunday to mark its second anniversary, said M.M. Hassan, managing director of the channel, at a press conference in Kozhikode. Other award-winners are: Dileep (producer of Twenty:20 best film); Prithviraj (best actor); Gopika (best actress); Ranjith (best director); Jayaram (most popular actor), Jagathy Sree Kumar (overall contribution to Malayalam cinema); Sreenivasan (excellence in different aspects of film-making); Siddique (second best actor); Samvruta Sunil (second best actor); G. Venugopal (best singer); Manjari (best female singer); and Lalu Alex (special award). Music programmes featuring Blaze and Vasundhara Das, dance by film actor Sweta Menon and special sessions devoted to singer Mohammed Rafi and music director Baburaj will be held. K.P. Mohanan, chief executive officer of Jai Hind TV, was also present at the press conference.

Kamal’s golden jubilee celebrations

When it comes to the achievements and contributions of Kamal Haasan, the Ulaga Nayagan to the filmdom, there will not be two opinions. Talent, intelligence, sincere, dedication, perseverance and many such adjectives only superfluously describe the artist that Kamal is. In fact, it will not be an exaggerated statement to say that the generation that has known him is certainly a blessed one. Hence it is only natural to celebrate his fifty years in films. Vijay TV has been nominated to do this and is out to launch a spate of events in the next 6 weeks. The celebrations will witness many activities across the state. This exclusive event will be one of its kind ever attempted for any star and will be carried out in various phases.

Phase 1 will have customized “Kamal Bus which would visit the film trade centers and fan clubs in Tamilnadu and Bengaluru. An exclusive photo exhibition with rare photographs from Kamal Haasan’s life will be on display on this bus. Apart from the photo exhibition, the fans, technicians and artists will sign the huge scroll that would be presented to the star. The bus leaves from Chennai and travels to Chengalpet, Pudhucheri, Villupuram, Perambalur, Tiruchi, Madurai, Paramakudi, Tuticorin, Thirunelveli, Nagercoil, Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Erode, Salem, Dharmapuri, Bengaluru, Thirupathur, Vellore and Kanchipuram over a period of 12 days.

Phase 2 is called Iyal Isai Nadaga Thiruvizha that celebrates the three forms of Tamil language at three key locations in Tamilnadu i.e. in Madurai, Coimbatore and in Chennai. In Madurai, there will be a seminar on Thamizhum Kamalum which would be a literary discussion on how Kamal has made use of literature in many films. Coimbatore would have Kamalum Kaadhalum which would be a grand musical nite featuring some of the most popular evergreen hits of Kamal Haasan. Finally in Chennai, Vijay TV has planned to organize a Kamal Haasan film festival over 3 weeks in August - September in partnership with Sathyam Cinemas; showcasing some of his best movies ever.

Special On air episodes: Parallel to these on ground events at Coimbatore, Chennai and Madurai, the biography of Kamal Haasan will be aired on Vijay TV. This 16 episode series would talk about his childhood days to the current times. Phase 3 - This month long celebrations will culminate with a mega event in Chennai in the 2nd week of September when the film stars of Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada film industry come together on one stage to salute Kamal Haasan who would also address the gathering.

Chiranjeevi's son's film Magadheera in trouble

Telugu star Chiranjeevi's [ Images ] son Ram Charan Teja's new film Magadheera may be creating box office records in India and abroad but the film has been a target for some people in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

In Andhra Pradesh, Magadheera has been banned in the Vijayanagaram district because it saw death of five film enthusiasts due to a short circuit in the Lakshmi Srilakshmi theatre in Sulur. Earlier many Chiru fans had succumbed to a stampede in theatres because of the heavy rush.

Magadheera producers have announced a compensation of Rs 11 lakh for the victims.

The deaths in Srilakshmi theatre were enough to provoke the ruling Congress party's Panchayat Minister Botsa Sathyanarayana to order to ban the film. Since Sathyanarayana cannot legally address the issue, his extreme step has been severely criticized by the Praja Rajyam party cadres.

"This is nothing but a political conspiracy to restrict Chiranjeevi's growing popularity and his son who has become a star in the Telugu film industry," says Praja Rajyam's office bearer Gymnassium Ravi.

However, the Congress party defends the minister's actions.

Sathyanarayana says that since theatres in the district are not fully equipped to screen big films like Magadheera, he has decided to ban the film in the district of which he is the in-charge.

Magadheera's problem in Karnataka is totally different, however. It relates to the disgruntlement among the Kannada film producers, who are worried that big films like Magadheera will expand the screening opportunities of non-Kannada films, much to the detriment of Kannada cinema. They allege that Kannada films are getting a raw deal from theatres around the state.

On Tuesday, nearly 40 Kannada film producers staged a dharna in front of the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce in Bangalore, protesting against the injustice meted to Kannada films by theatre owners and distributors who were violating the regulatory rules of the film chamber. They charged that the distributors of non-Kannada films were using oppressive tactics to expand their film screening opportunities.

"Big budget Tamil, Telugu and Hindi films are being released in more number of theatres than what has been prescribed by the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce. This has resulted in more revenue for non-Kannada films at the expense of Kannada films. While many Kannada films are not getting good theatres in the major centres, non-Kannada films are getting creamy opportunities to screen their films," says K C N Chandrashekhar, president of the Kannada film producers association.

The KFCC is permitting non-Kannada films to be screened simultaneously in 14 single screen theatres and three multiplexes in Bangalore, and four centres outside Bangalore. But Magadheera has been released in about 30 theatres in the state. The film's distributor has now released the film in more theatres outside Bangalore and that has affected the collections of Kannada films, according to Joe Simon, secretary of the Kannada film producers association.

Incidentally, Magadheera is being distributed by Vijayakumar, who is also the secretary of Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce. The film is expected to rake in more than Rs 3 crores in just two weeks of its release in Karnataka and has the potential to cross Rs 5 crores.

Bowing under the pressure of the Kannada film producers, the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce has now suspended Vijayakumar, charging him with violating the norms of release of non-Kannada films.

Tamanna again romancing with ‘Happy Days’ Hero

The super combination of Tamanna and Varun Sandhesh after their first film ‘Happy days’ is once again pairing up for a new film, to be directed by Sukumar. Right now, Sukumar is busy with directing Allu Arjun’s ‘Arya-2’ (Working Title only), which is being made as a sequel of film super hit film Arya.

Once he finishes the present one, he will take up the new project of Producer Allu Aravind who is planning to make this film under his Geeta Arts banner.

Currently, Varun Sandhesh is doing in two films. The first one is Dil Raju’s ‘Maro Charitra,’ and the second one is film ‘Kurradu’ a Tamil remake film.

‘Magadheera’ touches hearts of All NRI’s

Out of the many Telugu films that release in the US, Magadheera is one of the only few to do well there. It has set a new record at the box office with a collection of Rs.1.75 crore in the first week, surpassing the Pawan Kalyan starrer Jalsa, which collected Rs.1.5 crore in the first week.

The overseas rights of Magadheera have been bought by Supreme Raju and it has released with 25 overseas prints in 40 locations. The film is getting a positive response from all over the US. In India, the film grossed Rs.8 crores in the first four days, creating a new record.

However, a controversy has come up over Magadheera for using a few lines of folk singer and balladeer Vangapandu Prasada Rao in a song without his permission.

According to Vangapandu, the lines from ‘Yem pillado eldaam vasthava’ are being shown with vulgar scenes and they are actually part of a song “Paita naligithey ma amma oppukuntadeti’, written for Ardharathri Swatantram, directed by T.Krishna. Vangapandu has demanded for removing the lyrics from the song. But as of now, there hasn’t been any response from Magadheera’s director Rajamouli and producer Allu Aravind.

Hyderabad's New Yorker heroine

New Yorker Aasheekaa Bathija moved to Mumbai in search of Bollywood fame. But before the Hindi moviedom gates opened, she cut her teeth in the Telugu film industry, which welcomed her and made her a star in the Surender Reddy-directed comedy Kick.

"I was pleasantly surprised with the rave reviews and appreciation I received for my work," she says. "In my first film itself, I have worked with the top professionals of the industry. For me, it was a great way of Kick-starting my career."

A Sindhi who immigrated to the United States when she was a one year old, Aasheekaa did not know a word of Telugu.

"But language was no problem at all. Acting is all about emotions, and emotions have their own universal language. Though everyone on the set spoke Telugu, they all were very considerate to make me feel comfortable. After some time, I began to understand Telugu and by the end of the shooting, the language barrier faded," she says. "Though people in Mumbai do not recognise me, when I travel to Hyderabad, people seek autographs."

A few offers have come after the movie. But she wants to only play the heroine. What kind of roles is she looking forward to? Like Kareena Kapoor [ Images ] in Jab We Met [ Images ], shoots back Aasheekaa, whose parents and younger brother live on Long Island, New York.

A graduate of business from Fordham University, New York, Aasheekaa wants to continue in the film industry even after the stardom is gone, as a writer or producer.

"I landed in Bombay not knowing anyone. All I knew was my destination: Films. And I can say with pride that things are moving along rather smoothly," she says.