Vijay's 'Vettaikkaran' to imitate 'Basha'!

Vijay's 'Vettaikkaran' to imitate 'Basha'!
Vijay, after three consecutive flops in 'Kuruvi', 'Azhagiya Tamizh Magan' and 'Villu', is leaving no stones unturned to ensure the success of his forthcoming film, 'Vettaikkaran'.

In the film directed by Babu Sivan, Vijay plays an auto rickshaw driver who sets out on a path of revenge, it is learnt. Vijay, who never loses an opportunity to imitate superstar Rajnikanth's "styles", has modelled his character on 'Basha', it is reported. Rajni played an auto driver in 'Basha', one of the biggest blockbusters in his career.

'Vettaikkaran' stars Tollywood hottie Anushka as the female lead. Vijay Anthony scores the music.

Arun, Genelia in 'Katha'

Arun, Genelia in 'Katha'
The second schedule of ‘Katha’, starring Arun and Genelia, will begin on June 8 in Araku valley. The story is based on incidents taking place at a hill station. Debutant Srinivas Raga is the director and Gunnam Gangarju produces the film.

Genelia plays a school teacher in the movie, a romantic thriller. Prakash Raju, Raghubabu and Shafi play vital roles in the film.

SK Balachandran is the music director and Andrew cranks the camera.

Kamal’s screenplay writing workshop begins

Kamal’s screenplay writing workshop begins
The Chennai International Screenwriting Workshop organised by Kamal Haasan and IIT Madras got underway Thursday evening.

250 participants, selected from 1500 applications, are taking part in the programme. The workshop is dedicated to Kamal’s close friend Ananthu, and his image was unveiled by Idichandy, director in charge of IIT Madras. Renowned scenarists such as Anjum Rajabali, Atul Tiwari, and K.Hariharan attended the function.

The organisers intend to hold an advanced workshop for selected participants who will get the chance to write and develop a film under the mentorship of experts.

Pooja signed up for 'Goa'

Pooja, who had cinegoers spellbound with her power-packed performance in 'Naan Kadavul', has been signed up for Soundarya Rajnikanth's own production 'Goa', being directed by Venkat Prabhu.

The role was originally meant for a Hollywood actress, but she refused. It was then that Pooja's name came up.
Earlier, Rajnikanth had praised Pooja for her brilliant acting in 'Naan Kadavul'.

Jai, Vaibhav, Premj and Sneha play important roles in 'Goa'. Yuvan Shankar Raja scores the music. The film is supposedly based on a real incident which took place in Goa.

Nitin, Hansika come together

Nitin, Hansika come together
Teenage sensation Hansika Motwani will pair up with Nitin in Eeshwar Reddy's next. The movie will go on floors by next month.

Nitin hit Tollywood with the blockbuster, 'Jayam', in 2003. But, after that most of his films failed to live upto expectations. His last release 'Drona' was an average hit and its highlight was Priyamani's bikini-act.

Nitin, desperately in need of a superhit, hopes this project would the hit jackpot and Hansika would suit his image.

Sequel to Ladies Tailor

Ace director Vamshi's super hit comedy Ladies Tailor (1985), starring Rajendra Prasad and Archana in the lead roles, will soon have a sequel, tentatively titled Fashion Designer s/o Ladies Tailer. Contrary to early reports that Allari Naresh will be the hero in this sequel, it is now heard that the makers are trying to rope in Ravi Teja for the title role. Ladies Tailor, a parody made by Sravanthi Movies, was produced by Ravi Kishore. According to reports, Ravi Kishore will produce the sequel as well. Tanikella Bharani, who wrote the dialogues for the original, handles the script again. The pre-production work is in progress and Fashion Designer s/o Ladies Tailer will begin soon. More details are awaited.

Anushka happy with Arundathi victory in Chennai

Beautiful actress Anushka is absolutely happy with the stupendous reception her film Arundathi got in Chennai. The actress said she knew it would do well, but certainly did not expect such a big response from Chennai audiences. The happy Telugu actress added that she has decided to pay equal attention to Tamil films too. Thanking the Tamil audience for their support, she hoped that they will continue their support in future as well. This beautiful actress whose only Tamil film so far was Rendu (with Madhavan) is acting in Vettaikkaran (opposite Vijay) and will act in Singam (opposite Karthi) soon. Kollywood fans are going to thoroughly enjoy Anushka's newfound love for Tamil films. And it looks like it is time now for Anushka mania to take over the state!

The whole of India is Shriya's stage!

She swiftly rose to the top of her game in Tamil cinema, but a Hollywood movie and a couple of Hindi flicks swept Shriya Saran far from Kodambakkam. Nevertheless, she does have a couple of Tamil films waiting for release, one of them being the much-hyped and unduly delayed Kanthaswamy. I don't know about the release dates as I never interfere with those things. I'm hoping the film comes out soon and does well. We still have to shoot for a small portion. We plan to dub it in Italian, Spanish and Telugu, she says when asked about the movie's release. Shriya's Hindi flick Mission Istanbul didn't do too well; neither did her English film The Other End of the Line [yet to release in India], but she has a lot of hope in Deepa Mehta's What's Cooking Stella?, a light-hearted take on the way foreigners treat Indian domestic help. Ask her if it's tough for her to carve a niche in Bollywood without backing, and pat comes the reply, I don't understand terms like Bollywood and Kollywood. When I do a Hindi film, I do an Indian film; ditto for a Tamil film. I live in Mumbai, I was born in the North, and started working in the South where I never had a godfather. It's been a smooth ride till now. I have been accepted in Bollywood pretty well too.

Genelia in Gunnam's flick

Hot and happening Genelia D'Souza is now busy with four exciting projects in Bollywood: It's My Life, Govinda's Life Partner, John Abraham's Hook Ya Crook and Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na 2. She has agreed to be part of noted Telugu director-producer Gunnam Gangaraju's next film to be directed by debutant Srinivas. Gunnam produces this film under the banner of Just Yellow and will commence shooting shortly. Genelia, who has not signed any Telugu films after Tarun starrer Sasirekha Parinayam which released on January 1, is reportedly very impressed with this untitled project. Meanwhile, Genelia's much-hyped Tamil project in 2009 Goa, directed by Venkat Prabhu and produced by Soundarya Rajinikanth in association with Hollywood's Warner Bros, is all set to begin shooting in April. Genelia will play a pivotal role in this film, starring Jai, Vaibhav and Premji Amaran in lead roles.

Vaibhav's Kasco

Actor Vaibhav, who debuted as hero with Godava directed by his own father Kodandarami Reddy, is currently busy with two films: Venkat Prabhu's Goa in Tamil and G. Nageswar Reddy's untitled film in Telugu. According to sources, Vaibhav's Telugu film has been tentatively titled Kasco. Starring teenage beauty Shwetha Prasad of Kotha Bangaru Lokam fame as the heroine, Kasco is produced by A. Bharathi under the banner of K Films. Premji Amaran is the music director. The film is an action-packed romantic entertainer, revolving around a young man who tackles a rowdy and hence faces a lot of problems. Also in the cast are Saleem Panda, Jaiprakash Reddy, Tarzan, Azad, Sravani and others. The film has already completed its entire shooting and is getting ready for release in June-July.

Nayantara in de-glam roles?

Born as Diana Mariam Kurien in Tiruvalla, Kerala and renamed Nayantara, she is the reigning queen across South Indian cinema. While analyzing her box-office success, her presence has made even an average film look better and found audience acceptance. Yaaradi Nee Mohini, Sathyam, Aegan, Villu and Kalvanin Kadhali are a few films in Tamil, where her performance really stood out. She is now busy with K.S. Ravikumar directed Aadhavan opposite Suriya. Of late, the actress has been choosing roles that enable her to display her histionics. Many such roles have less glamour and are more performance-oriented, choosing projects that could win her critical acclaim. In her next Malayalam film Bodyguard, directed by Siddique, Nayantara plays a typical village girl. She said she chose this role as it offered her a more role. Will this strategy help her to continue her reign in Tollywood, Kollywood and Malluwood? We sure hope so!

Magadheera's theatrical rights in Europe

The theatrical rights of Ram Charan Teja's Magadheera in Europe have been reportedly brought by a person called Ramu Penumanchu. Those who wish to get more details can contact him on 0044 7903155365. Directed by S.S. Rajamouli, one the most successful film directors in Tollywood, Magadheera is now getting ready for release in June. Produced by producer-distributer Allu Arvind under the banner of Geetha Arts, Magadheera is set in the backdrop of the divine mysteries of death and rebirth. The film is planned as an action-based romantic thriller to suit audiences of all classes. Kajal Aggarwal is the heroine. Srihari will appear in a special role. Story is by Vijayendra Prasad, dialogues are by Ratnam, styling is by Rama Rajamouli, while music is by M.M. Keeravani. Shooting of a major part of the film was held at Gujarat and Rajasthan. The audio is planned to be released in June.

Nitin-Ileana in Rechipo

Nitin-Ileana's ongoing film, being directed by Paruchuri Murali (of Nee Sneham, Pedababu and Andhrudu fame), has been titled Rechipo. Produced by G.V. Ramana with a whopping budget under the banner of Sree Spectra Media, Rechipo is said to have wrapped up most of its shooting barring the climax and the canning of three songs. The film is currently shooting at locations in Oman, Muscat and Dubai. Music is by Mani Sharma, dialogues are by Ramesh-Gopi and cinematography by Surender Reddy. Said to be a romantic action entertainer, Rechipo will grace screens in July. More details are awaited.

Masilamani is all fun!

...and fun for all, or at least that's what one can gather from the teeniest chit chat with the movie's hero, Nakul. While most of us can still not get over the fact that Nakul of Boys is the Nakul of Kadhalil Vizhundhen, given the mighty weight loss makeover he went through, Nakul has happily moved on from being the maniac lover to the funny man. 'Masilamani offers a lot of reasons to laugh. We had so much fun making the movie, but I think the dubbing was the funniest part,' he laughs, and not because he couldn't read his lines, but because he went into fits of laughter at various comic points of the movie. 'While making the movie, we laughed. And when it came to dubbing, I just couldn't help but laugh again! It would be half an hour of dubbing, followed by half an hour of laughing. The moment my co-stars saw me enter the dubbing studio, they'd go, 'Oh, today Nakul's here to dub, then it's going to take a while to finish!' And it was always true,' he adds with his trademark giggle! On a serious note he adds, 'The movie is fully complete, and should release in June. I am so excited about how well it has come out. Like I said before, we had tons of fun and I'm pretty sure audiences will too. The director has done a very good job of it, and I just knows that this movie will do well.' We sure hope so Nakul. Masilamani is directed by R.N.R. Manohar and produced by Kalpathi Agoram for AGS Entertainment, and once again, Sunaina plays Nakul's love interest.

Ileana opposite Manoj Manchu?

It is heard that Tollywood's slim beauty Ileana is likely to be the heroine in ace filmmaker K. Raghavendra Rao's next directorial venture starring Manchu Manoj (son of Dr. Mohan Babu) as the hero. This untitled film will be produced by Lakshmi Manchu under the banner of Sri Lakshmi Prasanna Pictures. The other details of the film are not available, but it is reported to be a romantic comedy. Manoj Manchu is currently waiting for the release of his latest offering Prayanam, directed and produced by Chandra Sekhar Yeleti under his Aryaki Arts banner. Prayanam is all set to hit theatres on May 29. Meanwhile, Ileana's ongoing film being directed by Paruchuri Murali, has been titled Rechipo. Produced by G.V. Ramana with a whopping budget under the banner of Sree Spectra Media, the film is currently shooting at locations in Oman, Muscat and Dubai.

Dhanush to work with Hari?

Dhanush, with his guy-next-door looks has lots of fans. Across Tamil Nadu, many young boys want to look like him. They even treasure VCDs of his movies and watch them regularly to derive inspiration. But the actor is very down-to-earth and does not throw his weight around. Kollywood's Bruce Lee has decided to go ahead with his next venture titled Seedan. He is also working on Kutty opposite Shriya Saran and Aadukalam with Trisha. Sources close to the actor confirm he recently met director Hari and it seems the two of them hit it off instantly. Apparently Dhanush has agreed to work with Hari, who has an action-packed script ready for him. Director Hari is meanwhile busy concentrating on certain details for his next venture Singam with Suriya in the lead. Looks like Dhanush is concentrating on more serious roles now!

Kamal’s screenplay writing conference

The Chennai International Screenwriting Workshop, which is being hosted jointly by Kamal Haasan’s Raajkamal Films International and the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, will begin on May 28th. Several noted screenwriters will participate in this two-day seminar to exchange their ideas.

Noted among them are: French writer Jean Claude Carriere, Olivier Lorelle, Shekhar Kapur, K. Balachander, Balu Mahendra, Gulzar, Gollapudi Maruthi Rao, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, Vishal Bharadwaj, Rituparno Ghosh, Shyamaprasad and Sriram Raghavan.

Kamal said, “All the people I have called are people I have learned from even if they are younger than me. Some of them are people I consider mentors. Mr. Balachander has written and produced 100 different films, Mr. Balu Mahendra and I wish Mani Ratnam could've come too but he has a film to complete.”

The workshop is only for selected delegates and the seminar is only by invitation.

Naa Style Veru comes on June 5

Naa Style Veru, directed by G. Ram Prasad, is the latest venture of veteran actor Rajasekhar. Starring Bhumika (also spelt Bhoomika) in the female lead and produced by Maganti Gopinath under the banner of Disira Productions, the movie is now in the last phase of post production and will grace theatres on June 5. The audio was recently released through Aditya Music. Anup Rubens has composed music for lyrics penned by Bhaskar Bhatla and Vijaykumar. Touted to be a family entertainer, the film has Rajasekhar playing a criminal lawyer, while Bhumika plays his client. Kona Venkat is the man behind the screenplay and dialogues. Suchitra is the dance choreographer. Also in the cast are Brahmanandam, Ali, Venu Madhav, Vijay Kumar, Devaraj, Chalapathi Rao, Giribabu, Ahuthi Prasad, Jeeva, Benarjee, Surekha Vani, Annapurna, Rajitha, Prabhavathi and others.

Vikram distributes Swiss bank money?

Vikram is happy over the way his forthcoming release Kanthaswamy has shaped up. The actor revealed that he plays a CBI officer in the film.

According to Vikram, his role will have a tinge of James Bond-ism in it. Speaking about the eight get ups in Kanthaswamy, Vikram said that he has also donned the get up of a woman.

With the film’s director Susi Ganesan time and again stressing that the costumes in the film will be very fashionable and special, Vikram has reiterated that point.

From what we hear about Kanthaswamy’s storyline, Vikram will bring in crores of rupees deposited in the Swiss banks and distribute it among the poor. Shriya Saran stars opposite Vilram in this film.

Evaraina Epudaina audio on June 1

The audio of Evaraina Epudaina, directed by newcomer Marthand K. Shankar, starring young star Varun Sandesh, will be released on June 1. Earlier, the makers planned to launch film's music on May 14, but later postponed it for undisclosed reasons. Mani Sharma has scored tunes for lyrics composed by Veturi Sundar Ramurthy, Vennelakanti, Bhaskar Bhatla, Rehman, and Krishna Chaithanya. Produced by M. Saravanan and M.S. Guhan under the prestigious AVM banner, Evaraina Eppudaina is currently in the last leg of production. Rumoured to be a campus love story, Evaraina Eppudaina marks the Telugu debut of actress Vimala Raman, who was recently seen in super hits Twenty:20 (Malayalam) and Raman Thediya Seethai (Tamil). Vimala plays the role of a girl who fights for a social cause. Editing is by Marthand K. Venkatesh and Venugopalan is the cinematographer.

Kanthaswamy's plot

Everybody in tinsel town is excited and eagerly awaiting the release of Kanthaswamy directed by Susi Ganesan. The film stars Vikram and Shriya in lead roles, and no stones have been left unturned in terms of the way the film has been packaged. There is liberal dose of glamour, heroism, a well-defined story, romance, edge-of-the-seat suspense and some foot-tapping music. Vikram is especially happy over the way the entire project has come through and he supposedly plays a investigating officer. There is also word that the actor has donned eight different roles in the film with very fashionable outfits. According to insiders, the film is about reducing the gap between the rich and the poor and how Vikram manages to unearth several crores of black money deposited in banks abroad forms the main part of the story. Kanthaswamy is expected to release in June, and is sure to sweep you off your feet!