A new name!!!

At a time when remakes from languages like Hindi and Malayalam are quite common in Kollywood it is really surprising to note that a Tamil film is to be remade in Hindi. Interestingly, the film that is to be remade is 29 years old. Yes, the smash hit Rajini-Kamal starrer Ninaithale Inikkum is all set to be remade in Hindi. Udhayabanu

Kamal-Rajini

Maheshwaran has bagged the offer to direct this film. It is reported that Kavithalaya Productions, owned by the Ninaithale Inikum’s director K. Balachander, will produce this venture.

The director is busy scouting for popular Hindi heroes to don the famous roles portrayed by Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan. It is worth mentioning here that K. Balachander’s other remake, Naan Avan Illai, was well received by the audience and his production house is remaking his yet another hit film Noorukku Nooru.

It is very understandable that the makers of one of the year’s biggest releases wants to stay a safe distance away from trouble of any kind, considering that it is so easy to be dragged into controversy these days. The makers of Kuselan have taken a very big decision with regard to its Telugu version. They have decided to change the name of the

Rajini

movie from the initially decided Kuseludu to Kathanayukudu.

The reason given for this change is the similarity with a yesteryear mythological movie titled Bhakthakuseludu. Now, to avoid any problems that may arise due to the similarity of the titles the makers decided to go in for a change. It is always better to have a movie with a title that doesn’t remind people of other movies in any way. But more significantly, this title similarity and the mythological connection of the title may give more reasons for any of the widespread malignant elements that want to create troubles in creative processes.

So, that’s it, we will have Kuselan in Tamil and Kathanayukudu instead of Kuseludu in Telugu. But that’s hardly going to make any difference to all Rajini fans who are waiting impatiently to see him on screen. Kuseludu or Kathanayukudu, the movie features Superstar and that is what matters.

Peter Hein

Here is an interview with stunt director Peter Hein. He came across as a down-to-earth person despite his obvious talent and huge success. He spoke fluently in Tamil and gave some surprise information exclusively to behindwoods. Over to Peter Hein

* Bio - Data

o Name : Peter Hein
o Position : Stunt Master
o Experience : 10 Years
o Interesting feature / Detail of his profession: Stunt Master
o Directors worked with : Shankar, Lingusamy, Goutham Menon, Rajkumar
o Actors worked with : Vikram, Madhavan, Jayam Ravi, Dhanush, Kamal, Ajith, Vijay
o Different aspect of the project : Worked with still cameras and gave a breath-taking stunt in Anniyan
o Movies lined up :
+ Vettaiyadu Vilaiyadu
+ Aadhi
+ Pournami (Telugu)
o Future plan : To improvize fight sequences to Hollywood level.

Kuruvi

Cast: Vijay, Trisha, Suman, Vivek, Manivannan, Malavika, Ashish Vidyarthi
Direction: Dharani
Music: Vidyasagar
Production: Udhayanidhi Stalin
It is not the team, but the script that ensures success. The comeback of the Ghilli team for a second hurrah has been a dampener going by the high standards that it had set. Nevertheless, look at it independently and Kuruvi is not a bad effort.

Trade Talk:
The Vijay wave has carried the film ashore.

Public Talk:
Sometimes, one has to lower one’s expectations.

No. Weeks Completed: 6
No. Shows in Chennai over this weekend: 78
Average Theatre Occupancy over this weekend: 35 %
Collection over this weekend in Chennai: Rs.3,46,461
Total collections in Chennai by end of the seventh weekend: Rs.2.91 Crore

Verdict: Average

Dasavatharam

Cast: Kamal Haasan, Asin, Mallika Sherawat, Jayapradha, Nagesh, Nepolean
Direction: K S Ravikumar
Music: Himesh Reshammiya
Production: V Ravichandran
The legend is back and this time there are 10 of them. One of the most significant landmarks in Indian cinema has arrived and it has been worth the wait and the effort. Kamal stamps his class all over.

Trade Talk:
Huge expectations and a humungous release have culminated in an unprecedented opening. House Full boards are up for the next one week.

Public Talk:
Padmashree Dr. Kamal Haasan is in every way a legend, the Universal Star.

No. Days Completed: 3 Days
No. Shows in Chennai over this weekend: 393
Average Theatre Occupancy over this weekend: 90 %
Collection over this weekend in Chennai: Rs.97,55,397

Verdict: Good opening

Santhosh Subramaniam

Cast: Jayam Ravi, Prakash Raj, Genelia, Kausalya, Geetha, Premji
Direction: Raja
Music: Devi Sri Prasad
Production: AGS Entertainment Pvt Ltd
Love stories can never lose their charm and when there are family bonds, some stellar performances and lovable music, a movie cannot fail. Beautifully executed.

Trade Talk:
No signs of slowing down

Public Talk:
There has not been a better family entertainer in quite a while.

No. Weeks Completed: 9
No. Shows in Chennai over this weekend: 36
Average Theatre Occupancy over this weekend: 35 %
Collection over this weekend in Chennai: Rs.2,23,387
Total collections in Chennai by end of the tenth weekend: Rs.2.90 Crore

Verdict: Hit

Kathavarayan

Cast: Karan, Vidisha, Vadivelu, Kadhal Dhandapani, Ilavarasu
Direction: Salangai Durai
Music: Srikanth Deva
Production: Silver Jublee Films

Karan’s latest offering is hanging on to its spot, even in the face of some good films. It might well end up being a silent winner on its own terms at the box office.

Trade Talk:
Each passing day safety and profits look more reachable.

Public Talk:
Not much of a buzz, but what does exist is favorable.

No. Weeks Completed: 2
No. Shows in Chennai over this weekend: 33
Average Theatre Occupancy over this weekend: 30 %
Collection over this weekend in Chennai: Rs.1,83,042
Total collections in Chennai by end of the third weekend: Rs.22 Lakhs

Verdict: Below average

Pandi

Cast: Raghava Lawrence, Sneha, Namitha, Sreeman, Nasser, Saranya
Direction: Raasu Maduravan
Music: Srikanth Deva
Production: Hitesh Jabak

The good old family subject, father, mother and a son. A story and emotions that everyone can connect to, this one was always going to find takers.

Trade Talk:
Nothing spectacular, but safe and may become profitable.

Public Talk:
Enough has been said about Sneha. Lawrence should be doing better with his expressions, not that he is bad, but he has the potential to be a good actor.

No. Weeks Completed: 3
No. Shows in Chennai over this weekend: 48
Average Theatre Occupancy over this weekend: 30 %
Collection over this weekend in Chennai: Rs.2,45,457
Total collections in Chennai by end of the fourth weekend: Rs.47 Lakhs

Verdict: Average

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From Dasavatharam to Robot

The Dasavatharam fever is over. Now the hype around Superstar Rajinikanth's next big film Robot has started. According to the latest buzz, director Shankar has changed his cameraman for this big project for the 4th time and now it is Rathnavelu who will be handling the camera for Robot.

He accompanied with Shankar for a three week world tour to finalize the locations for Robot. As of now they will be going to Vienna, capital of European country Austria. After this, they will fly to Brazilian capital Rio de Janeiro. As per the suggestion of the superstar, the team will visit Vietnam also. One of the songs will be shot in the exotic locations of Hanoi, the capital city of the red country.

According to Shankar's close associates, the film will be launched in the second week of August in Chennai and will shift to Vienna for the shooting the song portions with Rajini-Aishwarya.

Guru En Aalu

After the Vazhthukal debacle, chocolate boy Madhavan was not seen in Kollywood for some time. Now he is doing a film with Mamta Mohandas titled Guru En Aalu. Mamta made her debut in Tamil films through Sivappadigaram with Vishal and the trained carnatic and Hindustani singer that she is, has sung a Telugu number and the Kaalai Kaalai number in Silambarasan’s Kaalai.

Guru En Aalu is touted to be a romantic comedy where Abbas plays the boss of Maddy. Brinda Parekh who featured in Vijay’s Pokkiri will now play a pivotal roll in Maddy’s Guru En Aalu. This film being directed by Selvah is said to have the necessary entertainment elements and a song sequence was recently shot at AVM studios where seven special sets were erected at the cost of Rs 45 lakhs. Maddy was seen waltzing with Mumbai models with perfect timing and grace. Music for the film is being scored by Srikanth Deva and Eswar Babu is the dance choreographer.

Taxi No remake

Nana Patekar-John Abraham starrer Taxi No. 9211 is all set to be remade in Tamil. Pasupathy has bagged the much coveted role that Nana Patekar played in the Hindi version. Initially, the film was named Taxi, but sources close to the unit say that there was some dissatisfaction over the title (perhaps with the tax rebate issue).

pasupathy

The latest buzz is that the team has finally zeroed in on a title – the car number of the ex-chief minister of Tamil Nadu and icon of Tamil cinema, Dr. MGR – TMX 4777. This particular number was very famous during the late chief minister’s heydays. Even today, this car is preserved at the MGR’s T. Nagar residence. We wish the name stays till the end.

Movie Reviews

Hastey-Hastey
A young successful man tries to help his troubled roommate out of a sticky situation he lands in- one that threatens to throw his career and love life out of gear. How he gets himself out of the situation and wins back his girlfriend is told in the funniest manner possible.

Hastey Hastey

Another comedy hits the theaters this Friday after a string of laughathons failed to bring any smile onto the faces of the distributors. Touted to be a 2 hour fun ride with Rajpal Yadav in a triple role for the first time, the whole industry is looking forward to Hastey Hastey to revive the sagging trend that comedies are facing. Jimmy Shergill returns to playing the lead after a long time, which also has comic veteran Shakthi Kapoor in an important role.

Woodstock Villa
Kidnap, ransom, murder, deception and twists that belie even the most intuitive of thinkers, Woodstock Villa is a contemporary thriller that promises to keep you on your seat’s edge. The story begins with the disappearance of a wealthy businessman’s wife. Demands of huge sums follow and as the trail of the criminals catches heat, many uncomfortable truths unfold.

Veteran actor Anupam Kher’s son Sikander Kher makes his debut in Bollywood with this suspense thriller. Giving him company is another debutant Neha Oberoi. The movie also has Arbaz Khan and Boman Irani in key roles while Saif Ali Khan and Sanjay Dutt (also one of the film’s producers) make special appearances.
The climatic stages of the IPL looms large over these flicks which just cannot afford to wait for one more week and run into a few biggies.

From Last Week:

Dhoom Dadakka
There was no Dhoom at the box office for this wannabe comic flick. Hardly few laughs were raised as the narration went flat in the second half. Without much star value and poor word of mouth, this youthful joy ride didn’t even manage to save face at the theaters. Surely a sad end to what looked like a promising effort.

Don Muthuswami
‘Like son, like father’- not the way in which this adage is usually said but it has been correctly adapted to the situation. Mimoh Chakravorthy had a disaster of a debut two weeks backs with Jimmy. Now, a Mithun Chakravorthy starrer has come crashing down. Not that great things were expected but certainly minimum returns were looked forward to. The story of an underworld don with a very strong comic streak couldn’t make many laugh. The script was the culprit here, with those who have seen the movie pointing to Mithun as the sole grace.

Jannat meanwhile is rock steady at most locations, guess the cricket fever is still strong everywhere.

Sneak Preview:

Aamir:
A tale of a man who decides to choose his own destiny, to lead instead of follow. From the dark lanes of Mumbai, a youth decides that it is time to take on the world on his terms. Starring Rajeev Khandelwal in the lead, the movie looks like a gripping tale of ambition and determination.

Hum sey Hain Jahaan
The beginning is always due to helplessness, then it turns to a habit and then an addiction and unending ambition. A young man needs some money badly and devices what he thinks is an ingenious way of making money and ensuring a good life. But he carries the game too far and things get out of hand. Can he get things back on track or is his life on the line because of his ambition. Comedy is the main flavor in this story of actions going horribly wrong. Jackie Shroff will be seen in a good role after quite some time.

Sarkar Raj
Finally, the summer’s big draw. The Naghre family is back from where we left off three years back and this time we have a new character. Set to explore the stormy political corridors of Mumbai, the lives of power wielders and one man who works for the masses. The Bachchan family hits us in full force with Aishwarya playing what is maybe the strongest role of her career. Ramgopal Verma’s attempt at redemption is being eagerly watched by everyone in the industry.

Music to watch out for:

Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Naa:
Just in case you are not yet aware that Rahman’s latest compositions have hit the stands. The ‘kabhie kabhie Aditi’ song is particularly delightful.

Also new to the stands are

Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic: From the Yashraj banner with Shankar Ehsaan Loy’s music.

Love Story 2050: Producer Harry Baweja’s launchpad for his son Harman. Music by veteran composer Anu Malik.

Alibaba a trend setter

Alibaba’s audio release function, held at the Sathyam Theatres on June 11, 2008, turned out to be a grand affair. With Alibaba, brothers Vishnuvardhan and Krishna are expected to add their names in the ever-growing list of successful brothers in Kollywood, which includes Surya-Karthi, Selvaraghavan-Dhanush, Vishal-Ajay (Vikram Krishna), Jeyam Raja-Jeyam Ravi.

Moving on to the main event, the evening started off with the trailer being showcased to all those present at the venue. Krishna’s expressive eyes captivated the audience, as did his performance in the film. Of the two songs screened, Nenjil Athadi… was an item number that starred Mumbai model Naina. The other song starting with the words Krishna… Krishna… was picturised with the lead actor. Yet another song Hare Hare… Sambo Sambo… played in the background had the audience tapping their foot to the music. Director Neelan Sekar revealed that the song has not been filmed yet and said that he realized that it could turn out to be a chartbuster. The director also disclosed that he is working on a situation for that particular song so that it could please all sections of the audience.

Alibaba is a joint venture between producers “Pattiyal” Sekar and Sanjeev Kapoor. The evening witnessed some lighter moments when producer “Pattiyal” Sekar jocularly remarked that he found it difficult to pinpoint any one single person to make the release. Following this, every VIP present was requested to get on stage to release the audio.

Speaking at the event, Arya said that he knew Neelan Sekar right from the days when the latter worked as an associate director in Pattiyal and Arindum Ariyamalum. Predicting that Alibaba would prove to be a trendsetter, the actor added that Neelan Sekar was a focused person and is known for his honesty and sincerity. Arya also disclosed that he knew Krishna very well.

Director Dharani while recalling his first meeting with Neelan Sekar at the editing suite said that the latter seemed to be highly talented. His talent is evident from the trailer, said Dharani. The director also reiterated Arya’s statement about Neelan Sekar’s honesty and added that only that trait will ensure one’s victory in cinema. Dharani also commended Vidyasagar’s music composition and wished for the film’s success.

Bharath, during his speech, said that the Alibaba team was like a family to him. The actor disclosed that he met Krishna for the first time during the Pattiyal shooting and said that they both go to the same gym. Praising Krishna as well as Neelan Sekar, Bharath had good words for the latter too. He said that the director is a very jovial person and a gentleman.

Some of the VIPs that participated in the function include Thilakan, Rama Narayanan, Kaja Moihdeen, Sivasakthi Pandian, Arya, Bharath, Vishnuvardhan, Dharani, R. B. Choudhury, Mano Bala, “Jayam’ Raja and Alibaba’s heroine Janani.

Finally, Neelan Sekar ended the event by proposing the vote of thanks.

Ayan Held up?!?!

Surya’s forthcoming film Ayan is progressing quite well barring a few disruptions. The film unit was in Malaysia recently to shoot a stunt sequence involving car chase and a dance sequence. Sources have it that the team had a tough time completing the car chasing scene, as it was required to be filmed on the banks of a river in Kuala Lumpur.

Ayan

Due to unprecedented rains, the area was flooded making it highly impossible to continue with the shooting. The unit had to wait for two days after which they were able to resume their filming for 12 days. Malaysia-based stunt master William Hong was the brain behind this stunt sequence. After having shot a few scenes at the airport later, the team headed home without filming the dance sequence, as music director Harris Jeyaraj is yet to work on the composition.

MANJIL fracture!?!

Kanthaswamy, the Vikram- Shriya starrer is progressing and should be ready for release before this year end. This film being directed by Susi Ganesan came in for a stop when its villain actor Mansoor Ali Khan was involved in a small accident at the shooting spot.

The crew was shooting at Mahabalipuram beach when Mansoor was riding on a horse having a look at the foreigners who were sun bathing. Unexpectedly Mansoor fell down and had fractured his right hand. He was rushed to the nearby hospital where he was treated. The doctors have advised him rest and he would be resuming shooting after a while.

Another worst movie

Starring: Dinesh, Althara, Nisha, Thalai Vasal Vijay, Mansoor Alikhan, Senthil, Nizhalgal Ravi, Santhanabarathy

Direction: N Chandra Mohan

Music: K Manish

Production: S Subramanian
If there’s one thing easier than reviewing a movie like Thithikkum Ilamai, it is knowing the movie by the sight of it – given away by the title here. With a sure shot title that would ward off a decent audience, the director seems to have pinned his hopes on whoever is willing to witness some skin show camouflaged in the name of item numbers.
A bunch of waywardly college going kids indulge in stealing mobile phones, especially from pretty girls, morph the images of those girls found in the phones and circulate them. All hell breaks loose when one of the victims commits suicide after her sleazily morphed images were exposed this way. The enraged girl’s brother sets out on a revenge trip to nab culprits and assassinate them – rather than bringing them to justice.

Brittle storyline, insipid performances, and women in barely-there obnoxious outfits gyrating viciously in the name of item numbers drive the viewers up the wall, if not evoke a sense of queasiness. Performances of a few recognizable actors namely Thalaivasal Vijay, Nizhalgal Ravi, Sandana Bharathi, Sabitha Anand, and Mansoor Ali Khan are squandered leaving them little scope to get things right.

Debutant director Chandramohan could have had a workshop for the debutants before embarking on the movie. At least, to instill an idea that the actors are supposed to act in the movie, if not to

teach them nuances of acting. Not that it would have helped the movie fare any better, given the plot and the intention, but it would definitely have made them acquire a second chance. For who would want to sign them now after having established that they cannot emote any better than a wooden door.

Pandi movie review

Starring: Raghava Lawrence, Sneha, Namitha, Sreeman, Nasser, Saranya

Direction: Raasu Maduravan

Music: Srikanth Deva

Production: Hitesh Jabak

With its simple story woven into the texture of the movie, Pandi proves to be an average entertainer that seems tailor-made for frontbenchers.

Raghava Lawrence and Sreeman, sons of the couple Nasser and Saranya, are two extremes. While Sreeman is the perfect example (note, only example) of an ideal son, Lawrencefigures in the dangerously-short-tempered-son who is-of-less-value-to-the-family category. For these reasons, his entire family, except mother Saranya, hates him with their whole heart. Meanwhile, Lawrence meets Sneha and falls in love.

A crucial gridlock in the family brings to light Sreeman’s ugly side and he elopes with his father’s hard-earned money saved for his sister’s wedding. Lawrence takes over from this point and shoulders his family’s responsibility. In the process, he moves to Dubai for greener pastures.

Sneha is the show-stealer and announces the arrival of a siren. So much for her good girl next door image. She gyrates hard for the three songs in her designer outfits – of course, scantier than her earlier movies. The songs Kuthu madhippa and the Maasi Maasam remix song (done shoddily, making you wonder what the point was in brutally butchering the lovely original) provide ample scope for Sneha’s dancing skills. Sneha’s sexy dance moves also makes poor Namitha’s item numbers look lackluster.

While Nasser, Saranya, and Sreeman score with their performances, Lawrence looks as if he definitely needs acting lessons. Or is it just that director Raasu Maduravan felt felt a hero need not bend backwards to make himself look credible?

That apart, U.K. Senthilkumar’s camera feasts on Namitha big time and Suresh Urs’ neat editing flows with the movie without interrupting the course of it.

The Indian Oscars take off in style: IIFA roll of honor

It has been the biggest event on the Bollywood calendar for the past few years and everyone’s been noticing it. No, we are not talking about the Filmfare Awards, its time for the IIFAs once again- the Indian answer to the Oscars. The great Bollywood (some hate that term, especially Fardeen Khan) idea of taking Indian cinema to the world by hosting a grand awards function at some of the world’s most happening cities. This time the caravan is in Bangkok where the greater part of the Hindi film industry has landed up for the year’s biggest celebration.

This year is special because none other than the Big B is the event ambassador. Then, as always there is a sneak peek at the biggest offerings that Bollywood will have over the next few months, IIFA is always bountiful. The glittering opening ceremony, live performances by Kareena Kapoor, Harman Baweja, the music release of Mission Istanbul and of course the star studded Sarkar Raj premiere which got a green carpet (instead of the usual red) because of the proximity to world environment day (June 5).

But, if the organizers were hoping to have an impact on global warming by using the green carpet, then they were completely off the mark. The stars just turned on the heat in Bangkok, especially the star couples Abhishek-Aishwarya and the latest sensation Ranbir-Deepika. However, there has been no talk about Saif-Kareena at the IIFAs so far. Meanwhile, Vivek Oberoi was caught in a very rare jolly mood during the audio release of Mission Istanbul where he shook a leg to the hit song from Shootout at Lokhandwala.
While all this was happening, the awards were announced and as 2007 had been an exceptional year in terms of quality cinema. Taare Zameen Par, however. was not part of all the excitement as its producer had decided that the IIFAs were too superficial to enter his film. Right on, Aamir.

And here goes the awards list….. don’t be surprised by the number of Chak Des here. For a change we decided to club the awards under the movie name rather than the other way- it was easier.

Chak De India

1. Best film 2.Best Director 3.Best Story 4.Best Screenplay 5.Best Cinematography 6.Best Editing 7.Best Sound Recording

Om Shanthi Om

1. Best Art Direction 2.Best Visual Effects 3.Best Costume Designing 4. Best Make up

Best Actor: Shahrukh Khan (Chak De India)
Best Actress: Kareena Kapoor (Jab We Met)
Best Supporting Actor: Irrfan Khan (Life..in a metro)
Best Supporting Actress: Konkona Sen Sharma (Life.. in a metro)
Best Actor in a comic role Govinda (Partner)
Best Actor in a negative role: Vivek Oberoi (Shootout at Lokhandwala)
Best Music: A.R.Rahman (Barso re… Guru)

And a very special award
Outstanding contribution by an Indian to international cinema: A.R.Rahman

Dasavatharam - First Reaction

Dasavatharam was screened for Chief Minister Karunanidhi and his family, few ministers and poet Vairamuthu and his family on 7th of June at Four Frames preview theatres, Chennai. The film was watched along with the select dignitaries by director Ravi Kumar and Kamal Hassan. After watching the film, Kalaignar while praising Kamal’s performance said that his hard work is palpable in every frame and that it would certainly yield him good dividends. He also said that Kamal has elevated Dasavatharam to the standards of Hollywood films and has made every Tamilian proud.

One of the ministers who had watched the film said that it is the first time in the history of Tamil film where such sharp technical prowess has come to the fore and the film is bound to be a great hit. The highlight of the film is said to be one of the Kamals who speak in an impeccable Tirunelveli accent. The final Tsunami climax also will be spoken about where one cannot distinguish graphics from real.

Salangai Oli

In our films song and dance occupy an important position. Yet, there have only been a few films which have celebrated classical dance in a manner befitting its dignity. Salangai oli stands out for its impeccable presentation of all that is beautiful in dance and dancer’s creativity

It is a gentle love story and as all romances has a tragic ending. But, the interweaving of the ambitions and struggles faced by a talented dancer with the correct elements of pathos and sentiment make this film directed by K. Vishwanath an all time favorite.