Archives for 2016

Globally acclaimed Adoor Gopalakrishnan is a film maestro, who played a pivotal role in pioneering the new wave cinema movement in Kerala. Touted as one of the finest filmmakers of India, Adoor has carved a niche for himself as an ace film maker. With an illustrious career spanning golden jubilee years, Adoor graduated from the Film Institute of Pune in 1965 with specialization in screenplay writing & advanced film direction. The same year he pioneered the film society movement in Kerala and took the initiative to form India’s 1st film co -operative for production, distribution & exhibition of quality films.

Born in Kerala in 1941, Adoor started acting on the amateur stage at the tender age of eight and wrote & directed several stage plays during his student days.

All the 11 films he directed, from Swayamvaram to Oru Pennum Randaanum (2008), were screened at several international film festivals and won him several national & international awards.

In 2004, the country has honoured Adoor with India’s highest cinema award, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, for his contributions to the Indian cinema. He has received the Padma Shri in 1984 & the Padma Vibhushan in 2006. He won national film awards 16 times, Kerala state film awards 17 times in addition to many other international film awards. He was awarded the prestigious British Film Institute award for his acclaimed movie Elippathayam (1981).

Suraj Venjaramoodu is definitely a wonder for all of us. From a comedian to National award winner, the path is not as easy as we think. Now this actor is ready to hit on Tamil industry. Peranbu, an upcoming Tamil movie in which Suraj plays an important role with our megastar Mammootty. The film is directed by another National Award winning film maker Ram. Suraj shared this happy news through his social media and added a picture from the location too. It is really a coincidence that his 1st Tamil movie is with Mammootty. He played comedian roles in several Mammootty movies in the past.

A. R. Murugadoss Starts Shooting For His New Film

The shooting of the much expected Telugu & Tamil bilingual project of director A. R. Murugadoss with Tollywood Prince Mahesh Babu commenced in Hyderabad on Friday 29th Jul, 2016.
The film stars S. J. Suryah as the lead villain while Rakul Preet Singh has been roped in to play the female lead. One can expect the official announcement on other cast & crew members of the film. It is believed that Harris Jayaraj will do the musical score for this film. Meanwhile Murugadoss has completed the Bollywood flick Akira starring Sonakshi Sinha in the lead role and the film is scheduled to hit the screens on 2nd Sept, 2016.

Ajith Is On The Way To AK 57 Shooting Spot

Thala Ajith will be catching his flight to Bulgaria this weekend, for the shooting of his 57th film directed by Siva. The much -loved star has been spotted in the airport, earlier this week. Siva who has earlier delivered 2 super hits with Ajith in the form of Veeram & Vedalam, has taken up an espionage thriller this time and Ajith reportedly plays an FBI official in this film. The 1st schedule will go on for 40 days in Bulgaria and the team will be shooting in the famous Nubouyana studio, where no Tamil films have been shot so far. AK 57 will have the musical score of Anirudh Ravichander and the film is being bankrolled by Sathya Jyothi Films.

Nayan Secretly Shooting For A New Tamil Film

Remember Minjur Gopi? The film maker who filed a case against director A. R. Murugadoss, claiming that the latter stole his story and made the Vijay starrer blockbuster Kaththi and later withdrew the case, has now silently started a new film and has completed the 1st schedule of shoot. This film does not star new or less popular faces as one would expect. Instead it stars the most admired & sought after heroine of Tamil cinema. Yes the film stars Nayanthara in an important role of a district Collector. She has apparently completed shooting for her portions in the 1st schedule itself.
Apart from Nayan, the film also stars Ramesh & Vignesh the two boys who shot to fame with Kaaka Muttai. Vignesh has also acted in director Samuthirakani’s recent super hit Appa. The supporting cast includes Sunu Lakshmi who has acted in films like Sengathu Boomiyile and Ramachandran of Sathuranga Vettai fame.

Joker’ Gets A Release Date

Director Raju Murugan’s 2nd film Joker will be hitting the screens on 1st Aug, 2016 to cash in on the Independence Day holiday weekend. The makers have released a poster mentioning the release date. Recently the film acquired a clean U certificate from Censor board. The film stars Guru Somasundaram in the lead role along with debutantes Ramya Pandian & Gayathri. Veteran theatre personality Ramasamy, writer Bava Chelladurai & Sa.Balamurugan have acted in important supporting characters.
Joker is touted to be a political satire with musical score by Sean Roldon. The film has been produced by S. R. Prakash Babu & S. R. Prabhu of Dream Warrior Pictures banner.

Prakash Raj All Set For Manavoori Ramayanam

Prakash Raj, the maker of Dhoni & Ulavacharu Biryani, is bracing up to release his 3rd film. Like his 1st 2 films, this too is a multi – lingual film. Another similarity is that this too has music by Maestro Illayaraja. Titled as Manavoori Ramayanam, this film is set in the backdrop of a village. Prakash Raj has today confirmed its release in Sept, 2016. He had plans to release way back in Feb, 2016 itself, but it hasn’t been possible. The release date will be announced after the censor is done. The 1st 2 films didn’t have a good run at the Box Office turnstiles, although they were critically acclaimed.

Majnu’s 1st Look Arrives

High on the success of KVPG & Gentleman this year, Nani is all set for this 3rd film. The 1st look of his next is out, confirming the title as Majnu. The movie will hit the screens in Sept, 2016. Directed by Virinchi Varma of Uyyala Jampala fame, Nani is paired up with Anu Emmanuel (of Mollywood) & Riya Ludhani, a Mumbai based model. The 1st look announces the arrival of a breezy rom – com. Nani is seen smiling in his quintessential style. Gesturing at a teddy, he is wearing a tee which has “Ori Nee Veshalu” written on it. An old – style gramophone completes the charm. While music is by Gopi Sundar, the cinematography is by Gnanasekhar. It is produced by Anandi Arts & Keva Movies.

Hyper 1st Look Date

It’s known that Ram is bracing up for an action – cum – family entertainer for this Dasara. With the shoot of his film with director Santosh Srinivas nearing completion, the film is in post production phase. 14 Reels is planning to release it on 30th Sept, 2016. The news is that the makers have confirmed the title to be Hyper. True to the power – packed title, they are going for the tagline – Prathi Intlo Okaduntadu’, meaning that there is one “hyper case” in every home. The film has Sathyaraj playing Ram’s father.
The first look of this big – ticket film will be out on 3rd Aug, 2016. Music is directed by Ghibran, it is set to be Ram’s 2nd release after Nenu Sailaja this year.

NTR Goes For Kajal

Tamannah Bhatia was recently approached by Koratala Siva for an item number in Janatha Garage. The actress was very much willing to shake a leg with Young Tiger NTR. Everyone was sure that the 2 terrific dancers will scorch the scene for sure. The news is that Tamannah has expressed her inability to do the number. While Koratala told her to make it in the 1st week of Aug, 2016. The Abhinetri actress has cited overlapping of dates as the reason for her inability to do the number. Left with no option, the director, along with NTR & Devi Sri Prasad, went into a huddle and decided to offer the number to Kajal Aggarwal.

Nivin Said No To Chiyaan

That’s right, Nivin is not afraid to say No, and well you should not either. Especially when Shakespeare long ago quoted that either you lose your money or a friend. Nivin is not ready to lose either of them. Have you ever wondered how much money would a celebrity be carrying around in his pocket, and that too if the celeb is Chiyaan Vikram? Well the answer is none. Chiyan has this habit of borrowing money from everyone starting from the light boy to the director incase of money in change because the star ain’t a big fan of carrying money in his pockets but cards. This time Chiyan had no one but Nivin in the vicinity, and as the saying goes a friend in need is a friend indeed, Nivin said no. Yup, maybe Nivin ain’t carrying any money either. Well do they even pay actors these days?

Amala Paul Heading For A Divorce?

News is spreading like a wildfire about the divorce between Amala Paul & A. L. Vijay. Even National dailies reported it with prominence. It got further spurred up when both of them reserved their comments on this. The reasons behind the split are still unknown. Some close quarters stated that Amala’s film ambitions resulted in the break in relations. After her wedding, she went into a spree in signing films. This has raised the hackles of Vijay’s parents and also the relationship lacked the harmony & warmth which is a staple diet for a successful married life. When quizzed Vijay on this, he said that he is not ready to opine on this and he will further move as per the wishes of his parents. They both got married in 12th Jun, 2014.

Alphonse Puthren Teams Up With Oppam

Oppam, the upcoming Mohanlal -Priyadarshan movie is always in news. Previously it’s about the trailer release and now it’s about the trailer edit. One may think what’s so big about a trailer editing. The trailer is edited by none other than our own Premam director Alphonse Puthren. Doesn’t it sound different? The official confirmation of the news is revealed by the Oppam director Priyadarshan himself through his Facebook page. After Premam, Priyadarshan openly praised the young director and expressed his interest to team up with him one day and now through Oppam his dream comes true.

Armaan Malik’s new song “O Re Piya” for music director DJ Sheizwood from the film EK KAHANI JULIE KI is getting great response all over. Music director DJ Sheizwood has roped in Armaan Malik to sing “O Re Piya” song written by Taufique Pallavi for Hindi film EK KAHANI JULIE KI. The music of film is with Zee music. The song is getting great response all over. The film is directed by Aziz Zee.

SONALEE KULKARNI, MARATHI CINEMA’S POSTER GIRL LAUNCHES BOHO INSPIRED AUTUMN WINTER COLLECTION

The pretty & petite Diva of Marathi film industry, Sonalee Kulkarni recently unveiled Max’s fresh Autumn Winter Collection at the Max store in Viviana Thane. Popularly known as the poster girl of Marathi films, Sonalee created a buzz with Max shoppers and launched the new collection in her own glamorous style! Sonalee chose her personal favourites, the trendy culottes & jacket to walk the ramp and launch the Max Autumn Visual Lookbook. Sonalee says, “I love the fashion & flair Max follows and their new Autumn Winter Collection truly celebrates people who want to be the trend setters in their own unique way. I am excited to present you the Max’s Bohemian inspired Autumn Winter Lookbook that features my personal favourites from the collection. I chose Max’s culottes & jacket as my outfit recently because along with being stylish & comfortable, this lovely outfit celebrates my zest to explore the world”. Piyush Sharma, Regional Manager, West, Max Retail said, “We are very excited to have Sonalee, the fashionista of the Marathi film industry, present the 1st look of Max’s Bohemian inspired Autumn Winter 2016. Sonalee is known for being a trend setter in the Marathi film industry and our new Lookbook features her personal favourites.”

MANOJ BAJPAYEE IS SHOOTING FOR ‘IN THE SHADOWS’ WITH BELGIAN ACTRESS LAURA VERLINDEN

Manoj Bajpayee is filming an international project, IN THE SHADOWS, along with the Belgian actress, Laura Verlinden in the walled city of old Delhi. Starring Ranvir Shorey (TITLI), Neeraj Kabi (TALWAR & SHIP OF THESEUS) & Shahana Goswami (ROCK ON!) in key roles, the psychological drama film marks the directorial debut of Los Angeles based filmmaker, Dipesh Jain. The film is about a man who is trapped within the city walls and in his own mind. He attempts to break free to find a human connection. Manoj Bajpayee has been pitted in the film along with Laura Verlinden, a Belgian actress who recently starred in Oscar shortlisted & Golden Globe nominated THE BRAND NEW TESTAMENT. The film is produced by Shuchi Jain (11 WEEKS), the founder of UK based production company, Exstant Motion Pictures along with the award – winning Swiss producer Lena Vurma (LOST PLACE 3D) who is also Head of Acquisitions for German distributor NFP (THE LUNCH BOX & ANGRY INDIAN GODDESSES).The shooting of the film, which commenced in Jul, 2016 in the narrow alleys of Old Delhi, will wrap up by mid – Aug, 2016. The film’s script was a finalist at Sundance Screenwriting Lab 2015, Torino Lab 2015 & Tribeca All Access 2016. Dipesh Jain says, “As a kid I would walk through the maze of alleys fearing that if I took a wrong turn somewhere and got lost, I´ll be trapped in the alleys forever. I want to tell a story in old Delhi that is simple to follow and connects emotionally, but structurally it is intricate, so the audience is forced to put the pieces of the puzzle together.”

MYNTRA ACQUIRES MAJORITY STAKE IN HRITHIK ROSHAN’S BRAND HRX

Flipkart owned Myntra has acquired a majority stake in HRX, the active lifestyle brand co – owned by Hrithik Roshan & Exceed Entertainment. This move is in the bid to further strengthen Myntra’s successful private brands business. HRX, one of the 1st home grown Indian active lifestyle brand, was incepted in 2012 and was exclusively licensed to Myntra in 2013. This strategic investment is a 1st of its kind in the industry, wherein a celebrity incubated brand has aligned with the country’s leading e – fashion retailer in an equity model. The move also lays down the structure to build the brand through collaborative efforts, of both Myntra and Hrithik to offer products & experiences for the brand’s enthusiasts. The actor and the inspiration behind HRX, Hrithik Roshan said, “The mission of our brand is to impact, transform & empower a billion people in their journey to be the best version of themselves. The new partnership with Myntra is a stride closer towards fulfilling this mission. I’ve always been passionate about physical & mental fitness and the changes it brings to everyone’s life, and this collaboration is a big positive step we have taken towards the change”

KUNAL KAPOOR’S NEXT ‘VEERAM’ AKA HOLLYWOOD STYLE

Director Jayaraj is gearing up to release his magnum opus period drama VEERAM starting Kunal Kapoor. Jayaraj, 6 times National award winner and recipient of many international awards including Golden Peacock & Berlin’s Crystal Bear Awards, has decided to give his period drama a Hollywood touch. Set in the 13th century Kerala, the film resuscitates the real life character made famous through folklore literature & songs. Hence, Keeping the tone & the content of the period drama in mind Jayaraj has, for the very 1st time, brought on board 4 renowned Hollywood Technicians to helm the action, Make up, Music & coloring facets of the film. Action Choreographer Allan Poppleton (of 300, HUNGER GAMES AVATAR LORD OF THE RINGS fame Oscar Award winning & 2 times Emmy award winning makeup artist Trefor Proud have been brought on board. Music & background score of the film is by renowned Hollywood music director Jeff Rona (of PHANTOM, TRAFFIC & PRINCE OF EGYPT fame) and the Colorist on the film is Jeff Olm (of MONSTERS VS. ALIENS, HOWE TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGAN, KUNG FU PANDA 2, AVENGERS, TITANIC & SPIDERMAN fame). VEERAM will be an all India release and is being shot in 3 different languages Hindi, English & Malayalam with plans to further dub it in Tamil & Telugu. Jayaraj says, “Kalaripayattu has not yet been portrayed in mainstream cinema in its authentic form before. Action director Allan ‘s contribution in coming to India, learning the Kalaripayattu martial art form and improvising the moments to suit the camera angles, has been of great help. Makeup artist Trefor Proud, with his rich experience & understanding of colours that existed in ancient times, has added beautifully in depicting the vivid colors & body paints on each of the characters. Jeff Rona & Music director Acchu together have used their individual expertise and created the music of the ancient era that we can relate to even today. Jeff Olm, as the colour & light supervisor has been of great advantage to our DOP Kumar in maintaining the authenticity of the era. Jeff is one of the best colorist in the world and is in high demand for his work.”

SONAM KAPOOR WINS BEST ACTRESS AT THE INDIAN FILM FESTIVAL OF MELBOURNE

With the industry & critics raving about Sonam Kapoor’s performance in NEERJA, the star has catapulted her way to the top. From being the 1st big league actress to bravely taking on women – lead driven films, to being a social media marketing sensation, Sonam Kapoor has truly been a game changer. The actress has finally come into her own with NEERJA, in what we can only describe as a performance that is truly career defining and one of a lifetime. Hence it comes as no surprise that Sonam was bestowed the award for “Best Actress”, for her portrayal of the Pan AM braveheart at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne. Sonam Kapoor flew to Australia for the IIFM where fashion & film collide for a spectacular live celebration that honors the best of Indian cinema.The IFFM was established in 2012 as an initiative of the Victorian Government to present a broad, curated program of more than 60 films, ranging from Bollywood to art house and the sub continent as well as major retrospectives & masterclasses. The visit was a special one for Sonam, since her blockbuster NEERJA was also screened at the massive gathering and was received with a standing ovation.​

VIR DAS – SOHA ALI KHAN’S ’31ST
OCTOBER’ SET ON INDIRA GANDHI’S ASSASSINATION CLEARED BY CENSORS

Writer – producer Harry Sachdeva’s 31ST OCTOBER starring Soha Ali Khan& Vir Das and based on the aftermath of Indira Gandhi’s assassination is inching towards its release. The Revisiting Committee of the Censor Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has passed the film after a 4 month waimily, 31ST OCTOBER, directed by National award winning Shivaji Lotan Patil, it is a close depiction of one of the darkest days in Indian history. Producer Harry, who had to make some modifications, says, “It took time but we were eventually able to convince the Censor Board to retain the scenes which brought out the realism of the story and were important to the narrative. Many of the scenes depicting violence & bloodshed had to be edited. I took 9 major cuts. The Revising Committee made us re – submit the film several times, trimming down scenes that they had issues with by 6 to 7 minutes. All verbal abuses have been beeped, even something as common as ‘saala’ on several instances.” 31ST OCTOBER is an edge – of – the – seat thriller based on the aftermath of Indira Gandhi’s assassination by her 2 Sikh bodyguards, which completely shook the political scenario of the country.

VIVEK OBEROI TO BLOG ABOUT REAL -LIFE HEROES !

Vivek Oberoi who has always passionately supported causes that he believes in, is now hoping to document his experiences and share them with readers via a blog. The blog will feature stories about the actor’s encounters with real – life heroes, who have not only been survivors but others who have contributed to society and pursued their passion for philanthropic work. Says Vivek, “I want my fans to know the stories of these heroes as their journeys are so inspirational. The struggles of these people are unbelievable. I’m sure reading about them can make a difference to our lives. Also, social media is so huge today that there is no better medium than this to put these stories out there”.

TARA SHARMA TO DONATE ARTIFACTS & FURNITURE ON HER CELEBRITY TALK SHOW!

Tara Sharma is trying to help bring about positive change and give back to society through her show “The Tara Sharma Showz”. Through her interactions with celebrities & non – celebrities on her show, she has managed to address several important issues related to family, parenting, women & children and raised awareness thereby bringing about positive change. In an attempt to do so, on the show Tara and her guests will be auctioning artifacts & furniture and the proceeds will go to various charities, at the end of the 4th season of her show. Tara explains, “What we have initiated in our show as a way of implementing this change, is an auction where a piece of furniture is auctioned to a charity of each celebrity’s choice in order to carry their message and awareness further and help those who may need it. Like Virat Kohli auctioned a wooden stool for The Virat Kohli Foundation, Soha Ali Khan, John Abraham & Farah Khan auctioned pieces of furniture for World for All for animal welfare, Emraan Hashmi & Sonam Kapoor auctioned pieces of furniture for cancer patients care at Tata Memorial & The Cuddles Foundation respectively”.

RITEISH DESHMUKH OPTS FOR HERBAL CIGARETTES FOR HIS ROLE IN ‘BANJO’!

Riteish Deshmukh, who will be seen playing a street musician in Eros International’s musical drama, BANJO, had to come out of his comfort zone to shoot for a smoking sequence. While shooting for the movie, directed by critically – acclaimed filmmaker Ravi Jadhav, Riteish had to enact a couple of scenes in which his role required him to smoke. But since the talented actor is a non – smoker, he used herbal cigarettes to make his performance look real & believable. Riteish is against smoking. He was asked to smoke for some of his previous roles as well. But he always said no. However, in BANJO, he is playing the role of a street performer. He realised that his role required him to smoke. So, he opted for herbal cigarettes that do not contain tobacco. Riteish confirms, “To make my character look more believable, I was supposed to smoke in a few scenes, as that was integral to the script. Thankfully, I had to smoke herbal cigarettes and not the actual ones that are harmful.” BANJO, produced by Eros International & directed by Ravi Jadhav starring Riteish Deshmukh & Nargis Fakhri, releases on 23rd Sept, 2016.

DISHA PATANI TAKES UP TO SQUARE DANCING AS A FITNESS REGIME

Disha Patani may have wowed audiences with her super toned physique in the song “Befikra”, holding her own alongside Tiger Shroff. However, very few know that Disha is a trained gymnast and is extremely passionate about fitness. While in China shooting for KUNG FU YOGA with Jackie Chan the actress learnt a new dance form called “Square Dancing”, an exercise routine performed to music in squares, plazas or parks of the nation’s cities. Having practiced it a few times Disha felt much more at ease as the routine has a calming effect on the mind as much as its benefits for the body. Says Disha, “Since my fitness regime is very hectic, this really helps in centering me and is a lot of fun.”

HERE’S HOW NARGIS FAKHRI & KRISHIKA LULLA LEARNT MARATHI ON THE SETS OF ‘BANJO’!

Nargis Fakhri who will be seen playing a New – York based DJ in Eros International’s upcoming musical drama, BANJO, starring Riteish Deshmukh in the lead role, had difficulty understanding Marathi on the sets of the movie. Most of the people on the sets including her co – star Riteish, director Ravi Jadhav and the crew members used to converse in Marathi (being their mother – tongue), which sort of became a problem for Nargis to understand what the conversation was all about. For that matter, even producer Krishika Lulla faced the same problem. Interestingly, both Nargis & Krishika used to overhear people talking in Marathi which sort of helped them learning the nuances of the language. This exercise certainly helped the 2 lovely ladies on the sets. Nargis says, “Most of the people on the set including Ravi sir, Riteish & the crew members used to converse in Marathi that raised my curiosity to know what was the conversation all about. So I used to check the same with the production guys and learnt a few common Marathi words quickly.”