Two major area distributors of MASTER pull out - STR film faces silent boycott

 

Thalapathy Vijay’s Master first hitch is that two of three top box office area distributors have backed out of the MG agreement and the producer is releasing it himself. Second hitch is that EPS Govt is not keen to give a 100% capacity permission as the citing of new Corona strain in the State as well many States like Karnataka going in for might curfew. The State Health officials feel that crowding of theaters to 100% during Pongal will be a risk if a corona virus infected person is found. Also theaters in Tamil Nadu along the Kerala- Karnataka border will face rush from across the borders and coming of infected persons coming across the border, especially Kerala, where the daily count is high.

Chennai- Chengalpet- Coimbatore, three C’s of Box office is must for Tamil film success. Except Chennai, other distributors feel that MG term is risky. Under MG, the advance paid need not be returned by producer. The public reaction(read family) to coming to cinema halls screening Master is to be seen says distributors. They are willing to go for a percentage basis share of collections. Producer is taking back these areas and going solo and started deals with theaters.

Meanwhile STR’s Easawaran releasing on Jan 14^th is not getting theaters. Pressure from Master distributors on theaters and cinema halls fearing that a clash with Vijay- STR fans can take place is a fear factor. Producers in support of STR and distributors body head T R ( father of STR) is trying hard to break the resolve.

WAIT FOR UPDATE

Two times that GOD interfered in Tamil Nadu politics through Apostle Rajinikanth

 

All is not lost. GOD can always in future give Rajinikanth, a green signal to enter politics. Earlier too GOD had given Thalaivar the signal to tell that if Tamilians voted for Jayalalithaa, then he would not be able to save his flock living within the borders of the State. Rajinikanth as the faithful apostle through the medium of  Sun TV network conveyed it then . Probably , GOD spoke in cryptic  language that the word Jayalalithaa was not explicitly mentioned in the public address.  We all know that GOD does not name the sinner directly and only says so in many  ways.  The desired result did happen. The faithful heeded his apostle’s message and voted accordingly.

People chose  Karunanidhi as CM. If anyone asks whether this period under Karunanidhi was the golden era of the State, the answer is read the message of the apostle. GOD said that if you bring back Jayalalithaa again, you will have to fend for yourselves. He did not say that he will shower you with freebies, If you vote Karunanidhi.

Now behind the scenes , a drama unfolded . Apostle had an offer. If he backed Congress then aligned with DMK, he would be made CM. What do you mean ? Karunanidhi to play second fiddle to this newbie ? Yes. DMK is desperate and they will part with a huge chunk of seats and agree to power sharing. So said Chankya Moopnar. Rajini met PV Narasimha Rao. Rao garu asked him a simple question – Do you think that the man who promised you this can be believed?. Rajini got the hint. Moopnar floated TMC. Now this is what the Apostle rues even today. He should have taken a shot at it. His mind was busy and Devil could not set his workshop.

Now the second time GOD tells him  that if you contest  the polls , I cannot help you.  The popular saying in Tamil is that money gives you lot of trouble. Only a person with money can understand it. Now Rajini is not going to hock his 40 years of wealth gained to take a shot at being CM. Then you have to look towards some money bags. These baggage is more deadly than corona and has no vaccine. Now they say that wealth may come and go but reputation?. He publicly admitted that he did not want to be a party that got 15% share of votes and waited in the wings.  

GOD   does not cut off communication channels with earthly beings and even if the latter wishes to block his messages, it comes around in a different way to the recipient. Maybe in future GOD might ask his Apostle to convey a message to Tamils .  

Probably getting inside info, Govt after 9 months decided to open TASMAC bars  today onwards. What better place to drown your sorrows over this shock reaction. A co-drinker asked a pointed question.  “ Thalaivar got ill during Annathe shooting. GOD message was do not work in this Sun TV- DMK company . Keep away. How can it be seen as stay away from politics? “- he asked.

No Twitter politics - Goodbye, Sorry - Rajinikanth

 

Rajinikanth has rejected the idea of playing politician using social media and put an end to his move to enter politics.  His advisors felt that his mere presence in the political arena was enough to galvanise votes . He felt that it was a utopian idea and  that in today’s situation , an armchair politician has no connect with masses. He told his advisors that being the first time entry, his fans would expect his physical presence in the campaign. He cloaked his `practical’ decision as taking heed of the `warning  given by God’ and decided to wind up his moves to launch a political party.

Announcing in a three page statement through Twitter, he said that he knows that one cannot do politics just through social media and has to meet the lakhs of masses to get across the message and services that he offers to them. “ When a 150 crew member was put to so much difficulty due to corona virus, one can imagine the impact of starting a party with lakhs of people and those who bank on me . There is report of a second type of Corona outbreak in the offing. Even if I have vaccine and take immuno suppressant medicines after which   I start my campaign and then get infected, all those who believed me and joined me will be in trouble. Just to shut the mouths of those who will say many things about my withdrawal, I cannot make those who came with  me the sacrificial goats, to keep to my word that even at the risk of my life, I will come to politics,”

To his fans, he said that he would continue to do all services that he can. He thanked them for being with him for past three years and doing service to public even during the pandemic times and said that  their efforts will not go in vain. He thanked Tamil Aru Manian and a special word for Arjunan Moorthy, who he said had left a big political party to join him. He also put on record the monetary loss to producer Kalanithi Maran and job loss to hundreds due to his illness on the sets.

Referring to his medical condition in Apollo Hyderabad, he said that the doctors had told him that the transplanted kidney should not be subjected to such heavy BP variations. As reported earlier by southfilmy.blogspot.com in the health status one of Rajinikanth , we had informed - `His family members feel that he should be flown out to Singapore ( where he had undergone kidney transplant at a hospital). Sources said that he was suffering from renovascular hypertension.   If one's kidney's  is not getting enough blood, then it reacts by making a hormone that raises BP. 

 

Shakeela’s first stage role was of Draupadi – biopic reveals

 

A psycho- analysis of the story of a soft porn actress told through narco- analysis to the best screen writer . Some questions in the film posed by title character  need answers. Which film did Dushasana see before raping Draupadi ? Did Ravan watch Shakeela film to kidnap Sita ? Should not there be rapes in theaters every Friday when Shakeela movie is released ?

Cut to biopic - Now this young Muslim girl Shau Ka to feed the family of her mother ( ex junior actress) and sisters does `bit’ roles. It was her portrayal of Draupadi in the school play that was a forerunner of things to happen. Her classmate who had a crush on her played Arjun in the play. Then we are told about that  Shakeela was about to slit her wrists as she had no work , news on TV came that  Silk committed suicide. She become the new Queen Vamp.

Now a Star Salim whom Shakeela adored, invited her to his bedroom but she refused to play ball, is the bad guy who brings about her down fall. In case you are wondering who this actor in real life – it is Mammooty. He is shown playing a cop and acting out a scene with a lady cop saying the sexist dialogues that got slammed.

 Her own production is stuck as Salim brings out a situation to ban her film. She sells everything to pay the debts. She moves in with her body double (a new aspect for a soft porn actress in South). Again a struggle till the ban is lifted. She is back in business.

Now Shakeela is on a course to correct her public image and produces a biopic. Her childhood friend who played Arjun in school surfaces to fund it. They are in love. You even have an Onam song in Hindi.

Salim again resurfaces as his film is now pitted against Shakeela’s. Her film is a hit but her BF is angry as censored bits were interpolated in the film without her know. Salim’s goons attack her double instead of her and media questions her. She poses questions that has no answers. She walks away saying all are responsible for popularity of  porn and it’s actors. Directed by Indrajit Lankesh.

 

 

Will EPS not implement night curfew during Pongal festival days - Vijay waits

 Thalapathy Vijay was  pressed into service to personally request EPS to not implement night curfew during the week long Pongal festival days starting Jan 13. The actor met EPS yesterday as today there is a meeting between Health Secretary and the core team to decide on the COVID restrictions in January 2021. Yesterday Kanchipuram Collector- SP asked all resorts to call off New Year bashes. Travelers on ECR- OMR roads are to carry ID cards and those who have bookings in hotels and residents will be allowed.  All others can use this stretch to go to Pondichery.

The Kanchipuram- Chengalpet area is the second biggest box office collection area for Tamil films as it has many multiplexes. With many passengers coming from UK and Gulf countries to Chennai testing positive, health officials are for imposing a lockdown again or at least night curfew. Beaches are to be out of bounds from December 31.

With AIADMK kick starting election campaign and Kamal on a whirlwind tour, the Pongal holidays would draw huge crowds at meetings. Vijay and producers of Master have got a favourable nod to increase the seating capacity to 100% and more shows.  EPS has said that situation in coming days will decide on the decision to have a night curfew. Heavy traffic due to Pongal holiday and crowding of tourist spots could further spread the virus.

Health officials are worried that many of the UK travelers had given false address and nos and they remain untraceable. As Chennai airport is the arrival point for UK passengers coming from connecting flights arriving from SE Asia and Lanka, a lockdown is seen as only possible way to keep away these visitors.

Rajinikanth back in Chennai - No change in party launch , (update 2)

Apollo officially confirmed discharge of Superstar and said that he was to keep away from stress and total one week of rest. Sources said that Apollo Hospital had finally managed to control BP without administering powerful drugs as his kidney condition had to be taken into account. At the time of writing, he would fly back to Chennai by a special flight in the evening. Chennai's Apollo Hospital team would decide the future course of treatment. His family members feel that he should be flown out to Singapore ( where he had undergone kidney transplant at a hospital). Sources said that he was suffering from renovascular hypertension. kidneys  If one's kidney's  is not getting enough blood, then reacts by making a hormone that raises BP. 

 The testing of four crew members of Rajinikanth film Annaatthe in Hyderabad sent panic as they were in the category that moved with the Stars and was closeted  with other unit hands, due to a production oversight.. Usually, in such circumstances, those who tested positive are quarantined and those negative are allowed to go on working. Here the entire crew was tested but doctors say that in coming days it might start showing signs of being positive as these four unit hands were in touch with everybody- right from Rajinikanth onwards.

The penny wise decision of the production team that created a problem. Usually personal attendants of Stars are accommodated in the same villa or hotel that their masters stay. Due to Covid restrictions, these category were given accommodation in other spaces where their bosses were not staying. This mingling with other categories of the personal attendants with crew members put the Stars at risk.

The alternative was that Stars and their personal staff were checked in the same 7 star hotel in Hyderabad. It meant transportation by chopper and logistic problems. Makeup man, hair stylist, costumer, director and AD in charge of the actor are those who come in close range before shoot. At the shoot, apart from these men comes in camera AD and cast members. The man Friday is of course a part of shoot and non shoot locations. Personal staff of the Star’s were kept housed in hotel’s where other crew members stayed.

Personal doctors of Rajinikanth are in Chennai. With pack up, Ramoji Film City is now in a damage control mode as many booked shoots may be cancelled. A night curfew from January 1 is on the cards in the metros.

ORU PAKKA KATHAI ] Kalidas Jayram in a stupid role in a film with no script

 

As the title suggests story is in one page and so does the script be in two pages ? Looks like it. Now with the absence of a script to narrate the story, you can look for acting skills in the film. After the Netflix anthology, many are looking up Kalidas Jayram movies. If you are on the new fan list, then you can say about this film is how perfectly he gives those innocent smiles and his lost in the woods feel. You can say that releasing this film on OTT  of  an actor in his Tamil debut film shot in 2012 and lying in the cans has shown to the cinematic world the creativity  of a  potential Oscar winner. I remember Kamal giving a pat to the star kid at a function related to this movie, a few years back.

In my opinion, playing a transgender with a heart of gold (when you find this gender coming across as more street smart than any of us in real life), was indeed a commendable job. Now to play an  engineering student saddled with exam arrears and no income, not raising his voice to say he did not f@@@ his GF and least have a medical exam of the girl including a DNA to prove that he is not the father of the baby in the womb ,is the most stupid role that one can get.

Just when the film starts to hot up with the scientific explanation for a lady to get pregnant without sex with a man and in turn raising points like the baby is going to be divine like Lord Krishna and so on, the film goes to another twist of the baby being forcibly abducted by a Godman and kept in his ashram. You expect some fireworks but nothing happens. Child suffers a fall and recovers with blood transfusion ( pls note :from all caste donors). Court orders baby to be given to parents.

Will protectors of Hinduism  keep quiet if the mother is modern version of Kunti Devi and baby a Lord Krishna ?. Producers are Vasan brothers, I think. They decided to wrap up it up suddenly or director had only this much ammo, we do not know. Balaji Tharaneetharan two earlier outings  were not as bad as this.

Tollywood Icon M S Raju gets DIRTY Tag

 

M S Raju, the one time iconic producer of several Telugu blockbusters, today has got a `dirty’ tag . Reason being his second directorial venture `Dirty Hari’ released on the ATT platform. It is fully loaded with sleaze. “M S Raju should have avoided making such a film which dented  his hard-earned image in the film industry,” says distributor Bharath Bushan, who feels that Raju garu could have waited for an appropriate subject to return to direction after a break. “Probably, he wanted to prove a point that he can compete with young directors with an erotic thriller about an ambitious guy, who lusts after two pretty girls which ends up in mess. While love making scenes are a given in any film of this genre, the fact that treated with a male gaze almost makes it a snooze fest. Lacking in emotional content and novel storyline, the film goes from bad to worse,to leave audience in despair barring one or two twists,” he adds.

Now Sakshi Post report says –“Dirty Hari recorded 91818 views on Friday Movies platform in a span of 24 hours starting from 6 PM, December 18th to 6 PM, December 19th. This is a record of sorts. Reportedly, a total of 25,000 people opened the platform at once when the film was released and that resulted in a technical glitch. The technical team took care of the issue later and the number of visitors has been on a rise ever since. The director and producer said they are confident that the film will gather more views in the days to come. Guduru Satish Babu, and Guduru Sai Puneeth produced the film” “

To the uninformed, M S Raju was hailed as a ‘star’ producer in Telugu cinema for more than two decades as he made stars of Mahesh Babu (Okkadu), Prabhas(Varsham) and Siddharth (Nuvvu Vasthanante….) in which he also launched choreographer Prabhu Deva as director in T-town. “Raju garu was known for his script selection, lavish sets and production values, besides big bang promotions to make stars out of actors in two decades,” points out Bhushan.

Besides star-driven movies, he also dabbled with socio-fantasy like ‘Devi’ and ‘Deviputurudu’ and soft romantic dramas like ‘Manathana Nuvve’ not leave out his female centric movies like ‘Street Fighter’ and ‘Police Lockup’ with lady superstar Vijayashanti in her hey days. Proved his capability beyond doubt that he is adept in delivering ‘varied’ themes with consummate ease and gave his arch rivals a run for their money. “A call from Raju garu was considered a boon for stars, actresses and directors, because they were sure of scoring a box office hit, but things began to change for him after a dud like ‘Pournami’ and ‘Tuneega Tuneega,” adds Bushan.

His career took a beating of sorts, when he turned director with ‘Vaana’, although he was accused of ‘ghost’ directing his hit movies, to slowly lose his midas touch and almost went into oblivion. “It’s better he comes back with a better production, leaving the job of direction to a popular director, to regain his lost glory. Since even today he can reel out names of top Hollywood movies for reference when directors ask him for suggestions for their scripts. Just needs one good hit,” concludes Bhushan. 

Raju had described the film’s love scenes as poetic. On the posters is the lingerie-clad heroine Simrat Kaur. Having done two Telugu films earlier, Prematho Mee Karthik and Parichayam, Simrat plays Jasmine, while Ruhani Sharma plays the lead. About her role Kaur was quoted =”It’s not erotic, but her character is narrated in a poetic way, like the one Deepika Padukone played in Cocktail”. Probably the poetry in the sex scenes were too much that Indiaglitz reviewer observed – “As more and more sex plays out in the second half, the impact slackens. Even the montages stop seducing the audience. Just as Hari feels no emotions when he is with his wife on bed, the bedroom scenes stop kindling any feelings in the viewer. The usage of words like fcuk should have been minimal.” So whets  decent in the movie ? The reviewers says - Mark K Robin's music and the cinematography are decent.

 

 

 

Paava Kadhaigal ; Kalidas Jayram just floors you

 

 At last Pava Kadhaigal ,the anthology  is something that Tamil Film buffs can say that it does justice to the medium. A common thread – caste pride that still exists in the elder generation based in the rural milieu and to the extent that they go to keep to keep the status quo  is shown through  the directors view point .

Every time an anthology by some big names of Tamil directors comes, we  scratch our head and wonder what happened to these creators. We felt that these creators were conning the OTT with some pseudo stuff to make up for income deficit during lock down.  Now this anthology tackles a deep rooted issue which is told in a crisp and clutter free way.

Actors like Sai Pallavi and  Kalidas Jayram  in roles that we have not seen before and the powerhouse performances that they give is one big plus  since they have known proven actors like Prakashraj – Simran-Anjali- Kalki Kochlin to keep them company .

Let’s take Vignesh Sivan directed short. He takes the humorous look at the whole caste honor killing which includes the accused girl doing  a  lesbian act with her girl friend to prove that she is not in love with a lower caste boy. The funny end with a rap song add to the mirth that completes the picture. The actor who played the Dwarf uncle is a surprise packet. Many may ask as to how a twin sister look alike within a few hours of the cremation of her sister happily join a rap song . Well that the way some react.

Two directors who are handling the genre that is new for them is GVM and Sudha Kongara. Gautam Menon handles a full length role along with Simran . Though the acting part leaves much to be desired since he is doing a small town office employee but his city slicker walk and dialogue delivery clash. The director in him has touched upon many finer details like Simran who does not want the plastic covers on the car seats to be removed as she feels it keeps the seat untouched as a statement  about her character .  We get a quick passing shot to the subject that Vteri Maaran handles in later episode. The film is no doubt an eye opener to GVM fans as  he shows that he more than just the King of Romance.

Sudha handling the subject of a Muslim transgender rural youth who pays  with his life to see his friend ( whom he secretly loved) happy is one great art of balancing a difficult character in a new terrain without getting into over doing it or messing it up with sympathies and lip service. Kalidas performance has been kept to the right level as to not make it a cinematic caricature. Shantanu just fits the bill. The  fleshing out the key players is done quickly and moves to the narration helps it keep engrossed.

Vetri Maaran who is at home with such topics and with a Prakashraj – Sai Pallavi as actors, does deliver what one expects but then many would feel cheated that he did not come up with something that is different .Many felt that it is Kaadhal core subject that is given a new treatment- the non linear approach. It is like you expect GVM to be the best in an anthology of love subjects and Vetri Maaran in a social issue related anthology.

Technically all the four shorts are above par. The music is quite related to the subject but it does act as a speed breaker. Verdict - No doubt the best Tamil anthology to come on OTT.

 

How Rajamouli's RRR will break Baahubali opening record

 

In a first for T‘Wood , fixing the window price at Rs 500  is the game plan to   get a collection of Rs 50 crore per day in the first three days of  S S Rajamouli directorial RRR starring  Jr NTR and Ram Charan  in Andhra and Telangana, says a leading distributor. Distributors had in these two States  paid more than Rs 200 crores  and the film was to release on July 2020. COVID has upset the shooting schedules. Rs 75 cr was paid for Nizam area.

Early this year, the ticket rates of 'Sarileru Neekkevaru' and 'Ala Vaikuntapuramloo' were priced between Rs 150 to 350 and garnered record-breaking collections. "It has become a new strategy to show up big openings after hiking the ticket rates by four to five times," rues distributor Bharat Bushan. Now, Rajamouli's magnum opus will follow suit with revised ticket rates. The film was earlier scheduled to open in theatres in July this year, will now release across the globe in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam in June 2021.

Already, Dhaniaya, producer of ‘RRR’, has reportedly suffered heart attack few months ago since he has invested more Rs 45 crore but shootings got stalled due to lockdown. “He is paying huge interest on his borrowings which is bound to impact his health since he is undergoing lot of stress,” adds Srinivas.   Even distributors of some areas have paid huge advances for the movie and also incurring losses on ‘interest payments’.  Ajay Devgn and Alia Bhatt has been added to the cast.

As per court order the distributor- Theater can fix admission rates for first three days of a film release. On the fourth day, the rates have to go back to the Government rates. This is however not followed. The unaccounted cash flow is split between the theatre lobby and the bureaucracy- politician groups. No violations are therefore reported.

 

 

Tammanah accepts Producer amount for F2 sequel ? Flop B’Town Diva Diganga settles for a second heroine role in Gopichand film

   Dil Raju stuck to his guns and did not pay a bomb to repeat Tammanah in the sequel to F2, says sources close to the producer while the actress feels that without her in the sequel, the film will lose the fizz. Flop diva Digangana  Suryavanshi after camping in Hyderabad during lockdown and posting pixs of her walking on the city streets seems to finally hit dirt. She has signed a film Seetimaar opposite Gopichand.  She plays a TV reporter in the film which is a sports drama helmed by Sampath Nandi.

F2 is a comedy film about marriages and relationships. The Telugu film featured Venkatesh, Varun Tej, Tamannaah Bhatia and Mehreen Pirzada in pivotal roles. While the movie itself had received mixed reviews from critics, it was a big hit at the box office. Venkatesh after serious films like Guru and Drushyam, did a wonderful job and was singularly responsible for it being a hit. Written and directed by Anil Ravipudi, F2 was produced by Dil Raju with music by Devi Sri Prasad, the film’s Hindi remake rights is with Boney Kapoor and Anees Bazmee is to direct it.

 A comic film and a sequel to a successful one is what the audience will lap up after the lockdown period and sensing this Dil Raju decided to make a sequel. "Tammanah was expecting more than Rs 2 Cr for the sequel of F2. But makers wanted to pay her 1.5 Cr but she was unhappy..She even claimed that she had no dates to spare due to prior commitments" the source adds. He claimed that Tammanah knew that that a sequel without her would not generate necessary hype for the fun centric movie..She almost resolved to walk out of the project if producers were reluctant to pay her new price.. Negotiations went on four to five days between producers and parents of Tammanah but both couldn't arrive at an amicable solution.. "producer is making his last ditch effort to rope in Syeraa actress. A battle of wits was  going on between Raju and Tammanah and Raju emerged  the winner , said the source.

Young Bollywood actress Diganga Suryavamshi  debut Telugu movie Hippi was a dud. Since then she has been trying her luck in Tollywood , but without much headway. Diganga had tough challenge in Tollywood from sexy sirens like Pooja Hegde, Rakul Preet Singh and Nidhhi Agarwal.  Suryavanshi started her career at the age of 7 as a child artist, debuting with the TV series Kya Haadsa Kya Haqeeqat. She made her silver screen debut with the 2018 Hindi film FryDay. Before that, she was a television actress and appeared in several shows including Bigg Boss. During the lockdown and on her 23^rd birthday, she posted her glam  photos and has now signed  as second heroine to Taamanah  in Seetimaar opposite Gopichand. She feels that her glam photos will catch the eye of the Biggies.

 

Mohan Raja good for father Chiranjeevi and not son Ram Charan

The choice of  Mohan Raja to remake  Malayalam film Lucifer  with Chiranjeevi in the lead came as a surprise. Raja’s Tamil hit Thani Oruvan when remade in Telugu with Chiru’s son Ram Charan Tej as Dhruva, the family did it with Surender Reddy . “As the remake agreement had a clause that Raja would direct , after a few discussions, Mohan Raja agreed to give up the project and Telugu director Surender Reddy stepped in. May be, Chiru is compensating Mohan Raja now,” the source close to production house revealed.

The first choice was Vinayak who directed Tagore , the Tamil hit `Ramana’ with Chiru. “Initially, young director Sujeeth of ‘Saaho’ fame was roped in to direct the remake and was asked to work on the script to suit the nativity of Telugu audience. In between, seasoned director V V Vinayak who also entrusted the job of re-drafting the script and both did a fairly good job, however, both were dropped,” says an industry source.

 Raja had worked as AD in the remake of Hitler in Telugu with Chiru in the lead and produced by his father Editor Mohan. Mohan  produced Hanuman Junction with his son Raja making his debut as director in Tollywood.

“Mohan Raja was chosen since he is capable of handling big stars and also the changes he suggested felt apt for new-age Telugu viewers and he was roped in,” the source adds. The film will be bankrolled by NV Prasad’s NVR Cinema and Ram Charan’s Konidela Production Company. The filming of Lucifer will begin from January after Chiranjeevi completes his current schedule of Koratala Siva’s ‘Acharya.’ Remake of another Tamil film ‘Vedhalam’ under Meher Ramesh’s direction will begin in summer after Chiranjeevi completes ‘Lucifer’s’ shoot. Megastar is aiming for three releases from summer 2021 to Sankranthi 2022.

The Malayalam film  begins with a  political Godfather’s sudden death  and many wish to take his place and gain his power. Crooks and con men  masquerading as politicians stake their claim., while one name gradually emerges to be the true replacement and he is Lucifer. The film marked the directorial debut of actor Prithiviraj who also plays a pivotal role. The film box office was Rs 250 cr, a first in Malayalam film history. It was in Ramoji Rao Film City that writer Murali Gopy told the story to Prithviraj who was shooting for Tiyaan ( a political thriller by Gopy).

Lucifer had powerhouse performance by Kerala Lady Superstar Manju Wariier, Tovino Thomas, Vivek Oberoi and Indrajit Sukumaran.

 

Thalapathy Vijay Master Telugu release faces opposition

 

Telugu dubbed version of Thalapathy Vijay’s Master is not likely to a wide release in Andhra and Telangana along with Tamil Nadu. In most probability Master might not get released on Janauary 13th in the two States.  Although young producer Mahesh Koneru who bought it for Rs 8.5 cr is releasing the teaser of much-hyped Tamil film ‘Master’ featuring superstar Vijay on Friday but he will have to face difficulties in releasing the film in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana simultaneously along with  Tamil Nadu. Kerala distribution rights bought by Actor Prithiviraj  too faces problems as theaters have not opened despite lifting of lockdown. The problem in Kerala is that theater owners want local bodies to waive off building tax from the period of lockdown beginning. A positive decision might be taken as the local poll bodies poll is over, says trade.  “No doubt, Vijay can be released in 400-odd theatres since he is capable of drawing big openings since his earlier movies like ‘Bigil’ and ‘Sarkar’ garnered more than Rs 13 crore each in TS and AP. Prompting Mahesh Koneru to bet big on ‘Master, but number of theatres will be issue this time,” admits Vijayender Reddy, ex-president of Telangana Film Chamber of Commerce. “There are 450 single screens in Telangana and 800-odd across Andhra Pradesh but they are not planning to open in near future without clarity of content on weekly-basis,” says Reddy. With more than 600 single screens held by lessees who are unwilling to open theatres since they have to pay rent to theatre owners every week, irrespective of collections at theatres, so just extending the lockdown. “Single screens collect maximum collections for star heroes and if single screens open in January, then Vijay movie will be a safe bet, otherwise, Vijay has to be content with lesser number of screens through multiplexes in Telugu states,” adds Reddy.   Meanwhile, Active Telugu Film Producers Guild, which has the likes of Allu Aravind and Dil Raju in its ranks, has made a host of demands to the Multiplex giants operating in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. These changes have to be seen in the context of the Telugu film industry reeling under the impact of the pandemic. As per TFPG, multiplexes should stop levying VPF charges. The producers will not have to pay them. Cine trailers should be screened for free in the Telugu States. So far, maintenance charges have been borne by the producer. This shouldn't be the case any longer. In a big demand, the Guild has demanded of the multiplexes to allow the revenue-sharing formula to be tweaked. It should be 60:40 in the first week in favour of producers and 50:50 in the second week. From the third week, it should be 40:60. Other demands include-Telugu films should get a priority in terms of slots. Combo tickets shouldn't be sold any longer. If the local government permits the screening of extra shows, multiplexes should implement them along with single-screens. The tug-off between producers and multiplex bosses will further reduce the chances of ‘Master’ getting more theatres.

Dheeraj Enterprises has bought the Karnataka distribution rights of the film. Sun TV has snapped the satellite rights of the film, Sony Music South has bought the audio rights and the digital rights is with Amazon Prime.

Star Vijay to telecast last show of VJ Chitra on Dec 20th -8 PM

 VJ Chitra who shocked the TV industry with her suicide had attended the shoot of Start Music Season 2 at EVP Film City on the night of her death. Her last conversation with her mother was that she was in the shoot of this show. She drove down to Pleasant Stay resort in Nazarapet where her hubby Hemanth was staying and later hung herself in the room. The channel has announced that it would be telecasting this last episode of Chitra in the show as tribute to the late actress. 

As Hemanth had registered their marriage two months  before the death of Chitra, RDO inquiry had become mandatory. Third day of interrogation by RDO  saw Hemanth break down. His remorse gave way and began to spill the beans. The suspicion on the hubby grew after phone call records found that Chitra had spoken to father of Hemanth for 45 minutes on the night of her death. The phone however did not have it on call history as it was erased.

Hemanth ,a Hyderabad based businessman, had fallen in love with Chitra and she too reciprocated. Though, he agreed that she could work in TV shows, after engagement the situation changed.He said that his parents were conservative and wanted her to quit showbiz. Chitra who had earned her living from her college days through showbiz and rose to be a big name and a sought after actress by top channels ,was not ready to let go of her fame and fade into oblivion.

Her parents got a good lifestyle after Chitra started earning. They too defended her stance to continue her work. Her debut film CALLS  was also due to release. Hemanth is said to have threatened to call off the marriage as he felt that certain scenes that were shot for the film were intimate. It was shot after marriage as the shoot was halted due to COVID restrictions. Hemanth felt that these scenes were shot without his consent. She had been warned by many of her co-stars that Hemanth had been asking many questions about her character to many in the industry.Despite this, she went along with the marriage that was registered two months back. The public  marriage reception  was to be held in February,

The phone call to father-in-law of Hemanth was the turning point in her. She had asked Hemanth to stay out of the room till she finished talking to his father.. It became clear that  her marriage had come to an end. She would end up as a laughing stock of her inner circle .Sources say that she had used the Audi car of Hemanth to come for shoots and flaunted him as a rich guy at her beck and call.  She went public with her love for Hemanth . On Insta she posted -  chithuvj

I am who I am because of you. We may have our challenges, our stumbles and our disagreements, but as long as we are still together and love one another, nothing else matters. 😍😍

All this was coming down in heaps.Autopsy report showed no signs of external injury and had clearly showed that she had strangulated herself on the ceiling fan. Rumours floated that the last public function she attended was with a ruling party functionary and he could be behind this. Yet another story was that a young actor was blackmailing her with a few video clips of her intimate moments with him. All of them were found baseless.

Star Vijay has moved on with VJ Remya who acted in their serial Bharathi Kannama stepping into Chitra's shoes. Rival channels who are facing problems tackling Bigg Boss 4 on weekends -9.30- 11 PM has to grapple with this special Start Music at 9 PM Sunday/. Chitra fans and those who have heard of this suicide would  definitely watch the show.

Dissenters preempt Rajini in floating new party ? Kajal Aggarwal brand Yoga to roll out

Dissent surfaced with a section of the Rajinikanth fans getting Election Commission nod for a party with the name suggested by the office bearers of the to be formed outfit. They have also got the auto-rickshaw symbol allotted to it as it was Baasha the film that made their idol a Mega Star. Post marriage, Kajal brand Yoga  launched in Mumbai( Kandival East) will spread to other metros. The actress will personally supervise the coaching.

Reports say that EC has officially allotted the auto rickshaw symbol to the Makkal Seva katchi, the name that Rajinikanth had proposed.  Tamilrubi Manian and Arjun Moorthy were given the task to register the party name with EC. Tracking the origin of the party that got the auto symbol, it was found that in 2018, it was registered as Makkal Shakthi Kazhagam. Two months back it applied for the new name and asked for allotment of symbol. In the application, it asked for Baba mudra and auto as second choice. EC okayed the name change and allotted the auto symbol. The biggest blockbuster in career of the Thalaivar was Baasha in which he acted as an auto driver.

The address given was of one Stalin staying at Ernavoor, a suburb in Chennai. It was found that Stalin was an office bearer of Rajini Fans Association in Thoothukudi . Stalin was not staying in the house. This led to speculation that even before the launch, dissent had broken out and a section of fans have revolted and gone ahead with a new party.

To quell the dissent, Sudhakar of Rajini fans Association put out statement asking `protectors’ to wait till the official announcement. Rajini started shoot in Hyderabad for Annathey. He flew from Chennai in a SpiceJet flight Insiders say that the application might have been filed with the knowledge of Rajini and will be officially transferred by December end. The reason is that no denial has come.

Kajal Aggarwal resumed shoot post marriage. She with hubby was welcomed by Chiranjeevi at the sets of Acharya in Hyderabad. Sources say that Kajal has rolled out a blueprint to use her name as a brand and the first is starting a yoga center in Mumbai.

Actually, Kajal Agarwal had enough Me Time’ during lockdown and ended up spending more time seeking inner peace and tranquility for the last few months. The ‘Maghadheera’ star is a well-known disciple of revered Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev for quite some time. “She is spending lots of time in meditation and yoga these days. In fact, lockdown has given her more time and space to fulfill her spiritual quest because shootings of her big films are halted,” says a source. The source also says that Kajal has been a great devotee of Sadhguru and Linga Bhairavi Devi. “She also visited Isha foundation and participated in religious events too in the past. She has interacted with Guru multiple times over YouTube, Instagram and Facebook and her pursuit is moving to the next level,” he adds.

Probably, the lanky actress hasn’t come out of the shock of ‘Indian 2’ accident in February last, where she had a miraculous escape. “It took some time for her to come out that incident, which made her realize the value of precious life. Now, lockdown confining her to home, she is seeking peace and tranquility besides focusing on her workout and diet regimen,” the source points out. 

 

Nightie that VJ Chitra wore when found dead was her costume in her first and last film

 

Director Sabarish the director of `Calls', the debut film of VJ Chitra who committed suicide, revealed that he was moved to see that the actress was found wearing the nightie when her dead body was taken away. It that was part of the costume worn by her for the film. He said that Chitra had liked many dresses that was bought for her and she took it with her after pack up. She plays a full length role. The film got stuck due to COVID pandemic and resumed two months back. 

The entire film is complete and ready for release. The film is scheduled for a late January 2021 release. The film has Nizhalagal Ravi, Devadarshini, R Sunderajan among others. Thameem Ansari scores the music. Infinity Pictures releases the film. first Look poster was released. Director said that Nayanthara was the role model of Chitra. Shivani who is in Big Boss 4 was her co-star in the serial.

VJ Kavya of Bharathi Kanamma replaces VJ Chitra in Pandian Stores

 

Star Vijay has given the role of Mullai played by Late VJ Chithra in Pandian Stores to VJ Kavya. She plays sister to Kannamma in Bharathi Kanamma telecast on same channel.The Tamil TV serial viewers of  Star Vijay’s Pandian Stores has through social media asked the producers to not bring in a replacement for VJ Chitra ,who acted in the soap and a few days back committed suicide. Viewers who are used to actors being replaced overnight in serials without assigning any reason and continued to view the episodes, has for the first time taken to social media saying that if any actor replaced Chitra’s role in the serial, they would boycott the serial and asked the director to end the role itself. The serial is currently in the top 5 TRP of Tamil Telly. The role of Mullai played by Chitra had gained lot of popularity with the viewers. A rustic joint family with tale of bickering- love affairs etc is the subject of Pandian Stores ,one among the most popular  Star Vijay serials from it’s stable and a strong competition to No 1 Sun TV’s soaps.

Reading an interview given by Chitra in 2018 Dec 23^rd  to Vikatan magazine, it is clear that some event or setback in her life that was so big for her to handle had taken place. In the interview, she comes across as a girl who took upon herself the responsibility of taking care of her parents and giving them all the comforts that they did not enjoy in their hey days.

Excerpts from the interview in Tamil

She was then acting in TV serial Pandian Stores and was participant in the dance reality show Jodi, both on Star Vijay.

Chitra is the first person in the family to be a graduate and complete her PG and a rank holder too76. She says that her elder sister is much older to her and her mother had even taken medicines to abort the pregnancy but it all was futile. Talking about her moment that made her decide that showbiz was her calling, Chitra  says” I went with my college friends as part of the audience that took part in the Gopinath anchored talk show  that interviews  Thalapathy Vijay as part of film `Nanban’. I then  hoped that my face would at least figure in the promos of the show on TV. I never dreamt that one day I would be anchoring shows for the same channel. She says that after this she got a break in Makkal TV and made full use of it.

She tells that her parents were not in favour of her working in showbiz. She said that she worked in Makkal TV without the knowledge of her parents. She saw to it that her parents did not see Makkal TV . Later on they came to know about it and got angry. she managed to win them over and slowly began to like her work. “ After seeing me in the showbiz, my family acquaintances are now sending their children to showbiz. They realized that it is safe place for women and I am happy to be  a role model for others in my family” she added.

Chitra  recalls her childhood days in a hut with her parents. Later they shifted to Slum Clearance Board flat that was a size of a suitcase. Chitra says that most of her story hearing was done at her friend’s houses as they had a bedroom for themselves. She would be embarrassed when her friends wanted to visit her house. She wanted to give her parents a good life as they had struggled to give her a one. She started to attend all events big or small and even after becoming a heroine, she did not say no to any invite. Like a squirrel, she saved money. First she bought a car and drove it herself for attending events as she wanted to save driver wages.

She then build a house for her parents and two more houses near to it and let it out for rent. The reason was that her parents would not feel lonely. “ Now they feel proud to be my parents  “ said Chithra. One of the happiest moments in her life was when she held the 35^th wedding anniversary of her parents. She said that  her parents never celebrated their wedding anniversary. She surprised them by buying gold bangle and anklet for her mother, a gold ring for her father. “It was a memorable day for them “remembered Chithra. She concluded the interview saying that many girls like her are working hard to give their parents a good life.

Looking at the allegations leveled by the mother of  Chithra that she suffered at the hands of her in laws who wanted her to not work after marriage and the  contents of the interview, it looks like the pressure from Hemanth, whom she was engaged and from her parents had driven her take the fateful decision to end her life. Chitra’s uncle claims that injury marks were found on her body and allege that it was murder. Hemanth’s parents deny it. Medical reports found no evidence of any foul play on the dead body. RDO inquiry is on.

 

A saffron touch to Kamal Haasan's Indian 2 producer

 

Lyca Movies  through Mahaveer Jain,  Modi’s staunch supporter in Bollywood has signed a 5 film deal with Karan  Johar to make Hindi films. Lyca is currently the producer of Kamal Haasan film Indian 2, which is stuck for many reasons.  It is co- producer of Mani Ratnam’s  Ponniyin Selvan and has a Trisha starrer Raangi with story by A R Murugadoss ( a single was released) and a Yogi Babu film Panni kutty . Karan Johar was named as one of the few who were said to be part of a lobby in Bollywood that dictated terms and favored  a few. This lobby was said to be the reason for the suicide of actor Sushanth, a matter that is under investigation by several agencies.

The inkling of a deal between Lyca and Mahaveer Jain came when the latter decided to distribute the Tamil dubbed version of Mann Bairagi , a film on the life of Modi, produced by the latter. It has been titled Karmayogi. Mahaveer Jain came to spotlight when he was in the news last year  for arranging several meetings with A- listers of B’Town and PM Modi. Producer Mahaveer Jain,  along with filmmaker Karan Johar, initiated the move for a delegation of young Bollywood talent to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The delegation included actors Ranbir Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt, Sidharth Malhotra, Vicky Kaushal, Ayushmann Khurrana, Bhumi Pednekar, Rajkummar Rao, producers Ekta Kapoor, Karan Johar and Mahaveer Jain with  directors Ashwini Iyer Tiwari and Rohit Shetty. Last year in October in the Capital , Aamir Khan, Sidddhart Roy Kapur,Anand L Rai and Ritesh Sidhwani took part in the PM  meet.
Lyca  had decided to move towards Bollywood and appointed Ashish Singh as CEO . Singh was said to have taken up the several production issues between Lyca and Kamal Haasan in his previous visit. Sabash  Naidu ,a film that Kamal’s production house that produced for Lyca, has not been handed over to them even after a gap of 2 years. After a first schedule and an accident on the sets that caused some deaths of workers, Indian 2 shooting has not progressed. Kamal has moved on to a new project directed by Lokesh and produced by him. Shankar who directs Indian 2 is said to have given an ultimatum to Lyca and is soon to move to helm another project, if things are not sorted out soon.   An audit team from UK that looked into the accounts of the South India operations of Lyca ,found massive siphoning  of funds .

 Lyca had hits with Tamil blockbusters Darbaar, Kaala. Enthiran, Enthiran 2.0 ( all Rajinikanth starrer), Kaathi ( Vijay) , Naanum Rowdy Thaan and Kolamaavu kokila ( Nayanthara) , Vetrimaaran directed Visaranaai and Vada Chennai ( Dhanush) and Mani Ratnam’s Chekka Chevatha Vaanum.

The saffron touch to Lyca through Mahaveer Jain would make strange bedfellows with Kamal Haasan who  plays a crusader in the sequel to Indian. Lyca’s producer’s background had earlier created an embarrassment to Rajinikanth. Subaskaran , the producer is said to be a Sri Lankan and relative of PM Rajapaksa ( seen as murderer of Tamils in the island by many radical groups). Rajanikanth who was to inaugurate a housing settlement colony for war ravaged displaced Lankan Tamils in Jaffna had to back off as many objected to it saying that it was built by funds from Subaskaran and it was an eye wash to show that everything was normal between Tamils and Sinhalese. Karan Johar had been in a spot after the nepotism charge cropped up. His tie-up with Fox dried up after it was bought by Disney ,who was not interested in film production. The tie-up will mutually benefit Johar and Lyca.

 

Prabhas the only South Star with pan-Indian appeal as Rajini moves to politics

 

The hot topic in South filmdom is `Will Prabhas be the sole pan Indian Star from South after Rajinikanth enters politics ?.’ In short, film industry feels that Prabhas would replace Rajinikanth even in the Tamil Nadu – Kerala movie markets. The signing of the actor by the producers of KGF for their next is seen as a signal in that direction.Though the popularity of Rajinikanth with his hardcore masses and fans will remain intact, his full time commitment to politics will keep him away from films. This space needs to be filled up as it is an annual Rs 200 cr market  that is up for grabs. The Tamil market will no doubt be filled up by Thalapathy Vijay. However, Vijay cannot make  the bucks that Rajinikanth film makes outside Tamil Nadu. After Enthiran 2.0 , Rajinikanth holds the record of the highest grossing film. Even a film like Darbaar in Hindi saw a record viewing in the TV satellite and ranks among the top 5 of Bollywood till date this year.Now let’s take Prabhas box office. Courtesy Bollywood Hungama

Movie Name	Release Date	Opening Day [ INR cr. ]	Opening Weekend [ INR cr. ]	End of Week 1 [ INR cr. ]	Lifetime [ INR cr. ]	Verdict
Saaho	30 Aug 2019	24.40	79.08	116.03	142.95	Hit
Baahubali 2 – The Conclusion	28 Apr 2017	41	128	247	510.99	All Time Blockbuster
Bahubali – The Beginning	10 Jul 2015	5.15	22.35	46.77	118.7	Blockbuster

 

Now let’s read a report in TOI indiatimes.com - "Prabhas has four major projects lined up for the coming years. He is busy wrapping up the shoot of KK Radha Krishna Kumar’s romantic entertainer, Radhe Shyam. His another is a period mythological drama, titled Adipurush which will have him in the title role. Set to go on floors in February next year, the film will be directed by Om Raut of Tanhaji fame and produced by Retrophiles Pvt. Ltd in association with T-Series. Saif Ali Khan and Kriti Sanon will reportedly be cast of the project. He will also be seen playing a never-seen-before avatar for the first time in an action saga Salaar to be directed by Prashanth Neel of KGF fame. The project will be bankrolled by Homebale Films".

KGF 1 made Yash a pan Indian Star to come from Karnataka, a first. Though many South actors starting from Kamal Haasan onwards to Mammooty, Mohanlal and many others acted in Hindi, a box office success that went beyond Thane – Dombilivi ( in Mumbai Bollywood trade parlance) never happened. First to breach it was Rajinikanth and then Prabhas. Rajinikanth has four months to get his party men battle ready for the May polls. He has already told Sun TV  that he would complete the underproduction film Annathe before he goes off for polls.

Even now a majority of the film trade and political circles are not willing to believe that Superstar would take to full time politics. They feel that he might start the political outfit but shirk away from State poll and buy time saying he wants to fight the Lok Sabha polls.