Mani slams Rs 1000 Cr film craze / Meenakshi Chowdhary with Chiyaan

 Mani Ratnam when asked about the Rs 1000 crore club films, he felt irritated and answered : “Which is more important—box office or quality films? Earlier, audiences focused on quality. Now, it’s all about business. I hope this shift doesn’t kill quality in the future. I can’t make films just for the box office.”. Kamal Haasan is a co- Producer of Thug Life and going by what we hear the investment in hard cash is by RKFI and Madras Talkies contribution is Mani Ratnam’s direction.

Now audience of today that made Bahubaali – KGF – Pushpa franchise into Rs 1000 cr club cannot be called to be focussed on business and not quality and we cannot say that Director’s of these film compromised on quality to get more footfalls.  None of these franchises can be said to have gone out of the way to reach out to audience in a crass way. These films struck a chord with all regions in India. Take the case of Mani Ratnam films and his last outing PS 2. It worked largely with Tamil movie goers and nothing beyond it.

At one time quality films meant National awards and Mani was never a contender for this award. The box office masala formula is very much inherent in his films. For the first time probably the marketing is vey aggressive with Thug Life. Thogh Kamal speaks volumes about Ravi K Chandran’s cinematography , trailor is talked about for two things- Kamal- Abhirami liplock and Kamal’s I am your Adam seductive line with Trisha . Is Trisha the mistress of Kamal and his adopted son STR is dating her  is the problem? Add to it the Sugar Baby song.

We have seen biggest box office openers fall on Monday and finally go out by next Friday. Public is enamoured by the the boasts of entering Rs 100 cr club in one Day. It may matter to the Actor’s fans and his ego. Bottom of Mani’s line is that – Look Don’t evaluate me with likes of people whose films are in Rs 1000 cr club .I simply have no idea on how to make it jell with all kinds of audience. I am happy with my niche audience .

While his response sounds idealistic, it also feels outdated. Does he really believe that only bad films make 1000 crores? Were Baahubali, Dangal, or RRR lacking in quality? Were Jawan or KGF poor films? . It was Rajamouli who inspired Mani to make Ponniyin Selvan into two parts. Mani Ratnam has publicly acknowledged Rajamouli as an inspiration, particularly for the two-part structure of "Ponniyin Selvan". He has stated that "Baahubali," directed by Rajamouli, paved the way for him to make "Ponniyin Selvan" in two parts, as it demonstrated the viability of a two-part film format. 

Meenakshi Chaudhary has been making headlines for being the frontrunner to play the female lead opposite Kollywood star Vikram in the latter’s 63rd film, tentatively titled Chiyaan63. As per the latest buzz, Meenakshi has finally signed on the dotted lines. However, an official announcement is awaited to confirm the news.

Chiyaan63 will be going on floors in a few weeks. This highly anticipated biggie will be directed by Mandela and Maaveeran fame Madonne Ashwin, while Arun Viswa is bankrolling the project. Stay tuned for further updates. The actress was part of blockbusters like Dulquer Salmaan’s Lucky Baskhar and Venkatesh’s Sankranthiki Vasthunam. She is currently working on Naga Chaitanya’s NC24 and Naveen Polishetty’s Anaganaga Oka Raju. made her Hindi film debut with the movie "Upstarts" in 2019. She is expected to make a larger Bollywood debut with Maddock Films under Dinesh Vijan. 

 

Thalapathy Vijay for Madurai West / Parasakthi about Brothers not anti - Hindi - Sudha

 Thalapathy Vijay is eyeing the Madurai West constituency for being elected to Tamil Nadu Assembly in the coming polls. From this constituency MGR was first elected to the Assembly. Currently the seat is represented by AIADMK’s Sellur Raja. Popularly known as Termocol Raja, he won twice from Madurai West, considered an AIADMK bastion. However, Seemans NTK garnered 9 % of total votes polled and played spoilsport for DMK. Raja promises to turn Madurai into Sydney on becoming Minister in AIADMK ministry still remains unfulfilled.

It seems Revathi who played sister to Vijay in Thamizhan is now Mother to him in his last film Jana Nayagan. Bollywood – Hollywood actress Priyanka Chopra’s first Tamil film was Thamizhan.

Sudha Kongara Director Parasakthi the Sivakarthikeyan film has debuked media reports and first one is that the film is about Hindi imposition in Tamil Nadu. We never said it. It’s about two brothers. So we assume that the brothers are Sivakarthikeyan and Ravi Mohan. About L2 Empuran, Prithviraj saaaaaaaaid that politics is in the background but nothing political in it. Similarly the Hindi imposition agitation is in the background and the two brothers are having their feud at that time. So the leaked photos are justified. Second media report debunked. After Dwan Pictures Akash got raided by ED, Parasakthi is shelved. No. Heaar Sudha - There are about 40 more days of shoot left for Parasakthi. We're currently waiting for Sivakarthikeyan's schedule. He is shooting for Madhrasi in Sri Lanka. Once that wraps up, we’ll resume the remaining schedule for Parashakti.” .

Now Madharasi was completed and waiting for release and after Sikandar’s historic drubbing at Hindi box office, SK wanted a relook and so that is why fresh shooting in SL. Now third report- it is releasing opposite Thalapathy Vijay Jana Nayagan. Sudha says - We haven’t officially announced our release date yet. That decision is with the producer.”

Background info on Parasakthi - Parasakthi stars Sivakarthikeyan, Ravi Mohan (formerly known as Jayam Ravi), Atharvaa and Sreeleela. The music composed by GV Prakash.The film has garnered attention not only for its solid star cast but also for its title. Since the name Parasakthi was first associated with the iconic Sivaji Ganesan classic film, its reuse sparked controversy,

Mani Ratnam next new face Project not confirmed / Charlie DQ's father is no More

 

The next film featuring Naveen Polishetty and coming from Madras Talkies is not directed by Mani Ratnam , as the Director in an interview to a Tamil publication y said that if the right story and actors fall into place, he will direct a film with new faces. In short the new faces project of Madras Talkies is not a Mani Directorial. The whole news of Naveen in a Madras Talkies film could be a figment of imagination.

Mani Ratnam revealed how Nayakan and Thug Life happened. “Right after Mouna Ragam, I was back home. When Muktha Srinivasan suddenly dropped by, and he handed me a videocassette, saying it was something Kamal Haasan wanted me to watch. It was a Hindi film, but I hesitated. I told him, ‘I’m not the right fit for the project.’ He returned the next day, and I repeated my stance. Srinivasan simply said, ‘Then tell that to Kamal directly.’” That meeting changed everything. “Kamal was warm, curious. He asked me plainly, ‘What’s the issue?’ I told him I’d love to work together, but I had a different kind of story in mind—not the one on that cassette. I shared some ideas. He listened. And that’s how Nayakan was born.

Then one day, Kamal calls me again, just as casually, and says, ‘Let’s make a film.’ That film became Thug Life. The spontaneity was the same. The passion, still intact. Kamal, even after all these years, remains unchanged where it matters most—his hunger to create, to collaborate, to challenge the norm.” Sudhakar Reddy is releasing the Telugu version through Sreshth Movies.
During a press meet in Mumbai, director Mani Ratnam revealed that the title Thug Life was suggested by Kamal Haasan. “It just felt right,” he said, explaining that they were checking different options. He added, “We are Gen-Z,” reflecting his awareness of changing trends and evolving audiences

Talking about how quickly they finalised the title, said, “We were looking at various titles. We kept telling each other different options. He just said yes to one title. That’s how quickly we agreed on it. "

Renowned photographer and actor Radhakrishnan Chakyat has passed away at the age of 53. The popular Indian fashion photographer and Malayalam cinema personality, passed away on May 23 due to a heart attack. Actor Dulquer Salmaan who played his son in the film Charlie, expressed his condolence on social media. He began his independent photography career in the year 2000, he soon gained recognition for his unique vision. He then went on to shoot campaigns for leading brands and has mentored several aspiring photographers. In 2017, he founded Pixel Viilage, a popular YouTube channel offering photography education to several followers.

Dhanush in Kalam biopic / Rajini about Jailer 2 wrapup / Deepika back with Atlee- Allu Arjun

 Dhanush who was to play Illaiyaraaja in his biopic is now to play Dr Abdul Kalam. Dhanush teams up with the Adipurush director for the Kalam biopic. Director Om Raut, who faced a lot of criticism for bad VFX and content in Adipurush, has announced his new film, Kalam: The Missile Man of India, starring Dhanush. This biopic focuses on APJ Abdul Kalam, the former president of India and aerospace scientist, Om Raut shared an official poster of Kalam on Instagram. He captioned the post as, “From Rameswaram to Rashtrapati Bhavan, the journey of a legend begins… India’s Missile Man is coming to the silver screen. Dream big. Rise higher. #KALAM—The Missile Man of India.” 

Produced by Abhishek Agarwal, Anil Sunkara, Bhushan Kumar, and Krishan Kumar, this film’s title poster was unveiled at the Cannes Film Festival

Rajinikanth Shares Update About Jailer 2's Shoot Completion

When asked by the press about Jailer 2’s shoot and post-production, the actor said, “I am not sure when exactly we will complete shooting for Jailer 2. But the shoot will mostly be done by December.” He also added that the post-production work for Coolie is going on well.

n a power move that’s shaking up the Indian film industry, Deepika Padukone has exited Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Spirit and has signed on to star in Atlee’s ₹700-crore action fiasco opposite Allu Arjun.

Tentatively called AA22xA6, the pan-India film will mark Deepika’s return to the Telugu movie landscape after the earlier success of Kalki 2898 AD and will put her in a part suited to her star status.

Second Collaboration After Jawan

This also marks Deepika’s second movie with Atlee after their massive debut, Jawan, which grossed over ₹600 crore at the box office in a global release in 2023.

Deepika Padukone Chooses Scale & Stardom Over Spirit

Sources in the know have stated Deepika was in talks for Spirit, the Sandeep Reddy Vanga movie with Prabhas, before they dropped out to go with Atlee’s edgy sci-fi action movie—where she has found scale, vision, and star power.

“Deepika wanted something that was scale, vision and star power and the Allu Arjun – Atlee film has it all,” states a source in the trade.

An Explosive Pairing Years in the Making

Both Allu Arjun and Deepika Padukone have spoken publicly about how much they admire each other over the years—this will be the first time these two stars will share screen space—such a big moment.

Atlee’s film, mounted globally by Sun Pictures, will have Allu Arjun in a double role and Deepika in some serious action form. She is also reportedly taking a fee that is going to upend all records due to her box office position after Jawan.

Three Heroines, Double Roles & A Parallel Universe

Mrunal Thakur and Janhvi Kapoor will round out roles for Deepika and the three fabulous females. The story is a multi-starrer, high-octane action-thriller set in a parallel universe, so it will be boundary-pushing.

Stunning visuals are coming our way with Los Angeles-based, high-end special effects teams now on board and principal photography to commence in July or August 2025.

Deepika’s Deliberate Comeback Post-Maternity

Currently on maternity leave since September 2024, Deepika’s planned return includes back-to-back tentpoles.

Deepika is currently shooting Shah Rukh Khan‘s ‘King’, an action thriller from Sujoy Ghosh, before jumping on to Atlee’s project.

“Deepika is choosing high visibility projects that will build her brand in several markets,” said a source. ( https://boxofficeworldwide.com/movies-latest-news/deepika-padukone-opts-out-of-spirit-joins-allu-arjun-atl) 

STR- Mani combo with LYCA - Sudha Kongara to film Vettai Naigal book

LYCA big time film is with STR- Mani Ratnam and another one with Sudha Kongara based on VettaiNaigal ; Read on:

STR52 - Mani Ratnam & Lyca:

• This script has been in discussions with STR and Ratnam even before Thug Life, and they plan on launching it in mid-2026.
• The film is an out and out Love Story. Rahman has been roped in no surprise here.
• Ratnam is going to do a Tamil-Telugu bilingual love story film with Naveen Pollishetty, while Simbu wraps up his commitments.
• They plan on releasing this film in late 2027. It is not a big budget film.
• 

Along with these films, STR53 has also been signed with Sudha Kongara and Hombale. This movie is a rooted one which takes place in North Madras- inspired by Vettai Naigal novel. Sudha about the book;

sudha_kongara

 

 35w

Naran’s Vettai Naaigal.
A world rich and rooted in the seas and shores of Thoothukudi.

Having bought the rights to this marvellous story, I’m now Very very excited and eager to start on the screenplay of the novel…a journey that’s usually excruciating but exhilarating too.

I get to live a life through this film that I haven’t experienced before - a Film maker’s greatest reward!

And then the cherry on top will be the CASTING. Who will bring this to life ? 😊

STR53 is to be done with Jude Joesph, which is a massive scale film.

Also STR60 will be written, directed, and performed by Simbu- likely a spiritual sequel to Manmadhan. Script is finished. Yuvan has been roped in, and it looks like AGS wants to do it but STR first wants to lock in a deal with them for STR50.

Confirmed STR Projects

STR49 - Ramkumar Balakrishnan & Dawn:

• Shoot begins from June 16th, primarily happening inside a college.
• Simbu plays a college rowdy, and Santhanam has been roped in as the second lead. STR will be sporting shorter hair and a clean shave.
• The shoot stretches for 60 days and the film will get wrapped up with this.
• All songs are completed but vocals need to be recorded.
• They have locked in the Christmas 2025 date and are working towards it.

STR50 - Ashwath Marimuthu & AGS:

• Shoot begins from early September this year, and updates will flow in from August.
• The screenplay and dialogue work is in full flow and will be completed in Late July.
• The story is not a remake/adaptation, and Ashwath has made sure that it doesn’t have any similarities in terms of arcs and beats to his previous films.
• The heroine has been locked along with a few other cast members. Mrunal Thakur seems to be their choice, but this could also be false.
• The film will be released in June 2026; STR wants to release it on the 6th, as then all parts of the date align with the number 6- his Manmadhan number.

STR51 - Desingh Periyasamy & STR:

• The pilot promotional shoot for this film has been happening since the start of May, and it likely that it has almost been finished.
• They are looking to release this promotional video in early July to space it away from Thug Life release. It has also a lot of VFX and musical work towards it.
• This project has been pitched to AGS to co-produce with Simbu, and they have struck the following deal. If the STR51 team shows the completed pilot video to Netflix and they agree to buy the film, AGS will join in. If not they will discuss another plan.
• Shooting for this film is likely to begin in the first quarter of 2026. Simbu will grow his long hair again for this, so wig rumors aren’t true.
• Simbu plays the hero and villain in this periodic film. It will be different from other period films, it is purely character driven and features unique dance and action. He has been personally trained for these segments.
• The team is planning for a Pongal 2027 release, which they plan to announce in the promotional video in July.

 

 

 

Meet BULLET BOSE who ENCOURAGED AJITH to take Racing as Sport

 Who is Subhash Chandra Bose the man who encouraged Ajith Kumar – AK to take up bike racing as a professional sport.

During an interaction with Mashable India, Thala Ajith Kumar opened up about his inspiration for racing. He said, “In September 1990, we had an endurance race for two hours. I finished fifth. I remember Mr Subhash Chandra Bose walking to my pits, and he said you should pursue motorsports. It's there in you.”

The individual who encouraged the actor Ajith to pursue car racing was Subhas Chandra Bose,ra Bose, also known as "Bullet Bose," was a renowned motorcycle racer who won the Indian Grand Prix title 15 times between 1968 and 1994. He is the one who approached Ajith after a race in 1990 and encouraged him to pursue motorsports. 

When asked what the young Indian bikers need to do to get into motorsport, Bose  said, “They need to have their parent blessings and support in the first place. You must be able to afford the safety gear. Once you can do that, you are good to enter into a good motorsport school.”

Ajith Kumar said, “Thanks to the film industry. It got me to a stage in my life where I could fund myself and pursue my passion for motorsports. I remember my father told me very clearly that the day you earn your bread and butter, you can do whatever you want to. When I decided to start racing again in 2002, he had nothing to say.”

Old School Riders's post on FaceBook

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Sharing the frame with Chennai based Subash Chandra Bose aka Bullet Bose and my Royal Enfield Super Meteor. Bose’s passion for racing started in 1968 on his fathers old Lambretta scooter. Although didn’t win but completed the 50 lap race. Soon he upgraded to a 250cc Jawa and the racing continued. It was in 1974 when he entered in the 350cc class with a borrowed Bullet from his friend. Very soon he became the bullet rider attaining an eye-popping speed of 100mph (160kmh) on the tracks of Sholavaram. During this time he was known as Bullet Bose amongst the fellow riders. Bose racing career spans wide with winning the Indian Grand Prix 15 times a record by its own.Bose dominated all the major racetracks in India from Sholavaram in Chennai to Juhu airport in Mumbai, Barrackpore in Kolkata to Safdarjung in Delhi and the Agram track in Bangaluru.Today I guess he certainly has lost count of his victories as his home is filled with the trophies. Despite having retired from active racing in 2007 Bose still rides across the country to name few Indo-China border in Arunachal Pradesh or the Khardung La pass in Ladak.

Bullet Bose photo from royalenfieldmotorspo nstagram page.

 

 

Samantha - Raj Age difference / Kamal most Generous co-Actor - Trisha/ Dhanush Kubera Highest OTT Price

 

Age difference between Samantha and Raj Nidimoru 

There is a lot of curiosity around Raj and Samantha's relationship. As we wait for the couple to formally announce their relationship, we look at their age gap. Samantha's birth date is public knowledge. She was born on April 28, 1987. As of 2025, she is 38 years old. As for Raj, according to reports, his date birth is August 4, 1979. The filmmaker is therefore 45 years old as of 2025. This makes the age gap between the two artists 7 years. 

Samantha‘s production debut Subham is mounted on a budget of 6 crore and it has recovered 59% of its entire budget. It still needs to earn 2.07 crore to successfully recover its entire budget and enter the profit making zone. However, the film is too far to be declared as a hit at the box office, since it needs a total collection of 12 crore, to claim the hit verdict.

“Kamal sir and Mani sir are [greats]. I always knew they wouldn’t ever waste [me] in a film, irrespective of the [character I] play in it. Being in the best of hands, [I was sure] Mani sir would fine-tune me into becoming the character. Kamal sir always makes sure that his co-actors have their space in the film. He is one of the most generous co-actors I have worked with,” Trisha  smiles.

 Deccan Chronicle mentioned that Prime Video has allegedly bought Dhanush's Kubera  the film’s digital rights for a whopping 50 crore. This makes it one of the most expensive OTT deals in the Telugu film industry.

Kuberaa has a powerful cast featuring Dhanush, Nagarjuna, Rashmika Mandanna, and Jim Sarbh. This combination of talent from multiple film industries has already given the film a hot buzz in cinephile circles.

The movie is being bankrolled with a whopping 120 crore (via Deccan Chronicle), one of the costliest films in Dhanush’s career. Moreover, fans also have high expectations from Rashmika Mandanna, who has already delivered massive hits like Animal, Pushpa 2, and Chhavva.

Director Sekhar Kammula is helming Kuberaa. It will be released in multiple languages, including Telugu, Tamil, and Hindi, so audiences across India can enjoy it. With a strong team like that and a vast OTT deal, Kuberaa appears to be one of the year’s biggest films. Now, all eyes are on June 20 to see how this action-packed drama performs at the box office.