S S Rajamouli - Mahesh Babu shoot in Borra caves and Kenya Park - Mohanlal Aashirvad Cinemas on revival path

 Rajamouli and his team have finalised Borra Caves in Vizag, Andhra Pradesh, as one of the primary shooting locations.The Borra Caves, a popular tourist destination, will host a key sequence in the film. Sources close to the production confirmed that nearly two weeks of shooting is planned at this historical site. 

Rajamouli himself recently visited the caves with his team to assess the location. While the local shoot is generating excitement, a significant portion of the film will also be shot in Kenya, Amboseli National Park. highlighting the movie’s global canvas.

Produced by KL Narayana, the project boasts an enormous budget, with Hollywood studios handling the VFX. Mahesh Babu is reportedly preparing for his role which will start him in a never-seen-before avatar. This marks his most expensive project yet.

Adding to the recent reports, Priyanka Chopra Jonas has been roped in as the female lead. Her global stardom is expected to amplify the film’s international reach. The move has been praised as a strategic choice that blends Indian and global cinema seamlessly.

#BorraCaves near Araku valley of Visakhapatnam. An Breath taking hilly terrain, beautiful landscape, semi-evergreen moist deciduous forests, and wild fauna of the area are a visual feast. This cave is the biggest in India considering the area it has spread geographically.

https://boxofficeworldwide.com/movies-latest-news/ssmb-29-rajamouli-mahesh-babus-next-to-begin-shooting-at-borra-caves-in-andhra-pradesh-major-scenes-set-in-kenya/

Dr Sharon Thomas marketing head of Aashirvad Cinemas of Antony Perumbavoor told Galatta Plus that around Rs 150 crores was the production budget of Barroz. For the first five days, the film has just collected 14.5 Cr gross worldwide and the closing will be less than 30 Cr Gross, which indicates that the final share will be less than 15 Cr. It means the movie collected just 10% of the budget. Dr.Sharon said that Mohanlal as the Director along with Antony did not release 2D print and went in for only 3D prints. This according to trade limited the number of screens and was one reason for poor collections apart from the bad screenplay. Usually such films are shot in 2D and then converted to 3D to save costs.

Aashirvad Cinemas is set to celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2025, The banner is gearing up to announce five new films on January 25, 2025. The first project is rumored to be titled Hridayapoorvam, directed by Sathyan Anthikad. Additionally, the slate is expected to include films with directors Jithu Joseph, Blessy, and Priyadarshan, with the final project being kept under wraps as a surprise.

As an actor he will kick off the year with Thudarum, a family drama directed by Tharun Moorthy, which will be released on January 30, 2025. The film also stars Shobana . On March 27, 2025, the highly anticipated sequel to Lucifer, titled L2: Empuraan , Directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran, is poised to be one of the year’s biggest releases.

Did Mani Ratnam suggest Lijo name to direct Randamoozham of MT ?

 

Fans imagination of Bhima

Randamoozham the all time classic novel written by Late M T Vasudevan Nair is to be directed by a top Director selected by Mani Ratnam and accepted by the Late Author. As per sources, MT's daughter Aswathi V Nair who hold the rights had initiated a dialogue between MT and Mani Ratnam and the Director had said that he does not have the time to involve in a big project that requires years to fulfill. He had at that time was involved in the making of the Kalki's Ponniyin Selvan novel. He then was asked to suggest the name of another Director. He then said a name of the person and it was approved by MT. As further talks were to go forward, MT fell ill.

Aswathy had piloted the web series Manorathangal production with the help of Priyadarshan who coordinated with OTT platforms. The project Randamoozham was initially given to Director Srikumar Menon who directed Odiyan. Menon had got producers B R Shetty to fund it with a Rs 1000 crore budget. As the project was dragging, MT took back the rights from Menon. At the outset, Hariharan who had directed MT's novel was tipped to do the project.

Now the talk is that Mani has recommended Director Lijo Jose Palliserry who directed Malaikottai Valliban with Mohanlal. Lijo has two production houses that has co- produced films. The book is a look at Mahabhartham through te eyes of Bhima. He is always second to everyone despite his contributions to the victory in the war. Even his son's death in the war stands second to the death of Arjunan's son.

he book unravels all the hardships and dilemmas encountered by Bhima which remain unnoticed. It explores the emotions of the mighty Pandava as a son, brother, husband, and father. The story brings to light his affection for his wife, Draupadi, and how unnoticed his acts of love remain. The novel has been translated into multiple languages. It was translated into English as Second Turn by P. K. Ravindranath in 1997. Another English translation by Gita Krishnankutty published in 2013 is titled Bhima: Lone Warrior.^[4][5] The book was translated into Tamil by Kurunjivelan as Irandaam Idam with the cover illustration by Trotsky Marudu. source:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randamoozham

Vijay Sethupathi and BB show Director open clash

First time in BiggBoss history, host and show director have an open clash in front of the contestants and shooting crew. On the sets of EVP film city in Chennai, Vijay Sethupathi (VJS) host of BB8 Tamil started the show by asking contestants about their experiences of meeting their parents. One of the contestants Jacqueline, a Star Vijay product said that she was disappointed that co- contestant Jeffry was not questioned. Jeffry a Gaana singer from Chennai stood up and picked up a quarrel with her. Jeffry started to use the Chennai slang and all the while VJS was a spectator. Then Bigg Boss voice came on air and said that as he was using coarse language in presence of VJS, he was summarily evicted.

At this point, VJS cut in and said that if BB wanted to send Jeffry out, they were free to do. “ Please do not use my name to send him out as I am not game for it “ he told BB. Jeffry readily agreed to quit the show and went on stage with VJS. VJS said that breaking from convention it became compulsory to send out a contestant on a Saturday and named Jeffry. Jeffry in the footage shown to viewers was seen laughing and joking. While he was talking to contestants on stage with VJS, he found that the host was standing a few feet away. He called VJS and latter put a hand on his shoulder. Jeffry told VJS that he was feeling afraid. Probably of the fact that his clash was with Star Vijay channel guys. One of the major spinoffs from BB show was that contestants get to appear on the Star Vijay shows.  VJS then kept repeatedly telling Jeffry that he will meet him outside the house. In short VJS has offered help to Jeffry to get offers or include him in his films.

VJS argument was that Jeffry was a brat and used coarse language and was aggressive in physical tasks. He was a favorite of a few women in the show and BB looked the other way. VJS said that he had in many subtle ways told Jeffry to be cautious but BB on the other hand did not take any action or punish him. Now that BB wants to send Jeffry out, they were bringing his name in , was VJS argument.

Jeffry gaana singer is most fav of all women inside the house. A contestant Anshitha says that she would keep him in her house as he is her `brother’.

GAME CHANGER Release hit by Shankar's - Lyca faceoff / MARCO replaces Baby John

 

Game Changer release might face legal hurdles from Indian 3 makers. Reason is that Director Shankar is asking Rs 60 cr for doing a reshoot and a new song for the Kamal Haasan film. As per sources, trade reports after seeing Game Changer has said that first half is good and second half excellent. The film screened in Chennai has given a top notch rating. Given this , Game Changer ( GC) will be another Pushpa 2. In such a situation, Indian 3 coming from same Director will fetch heavy prices and so Rs 60 cr is justified is the argument.

Lyca has more or less struck a deal for direct OTT release. At this juncture came the suggestion that a reshoot at a budget that does not make a hole in the pocket was possible and a theatre release be possible. At that time, GC and Shankar were no hot property. Post Indian 2 debacle, GC had lost the sheen and audio was no great shakes.

Now with GC swinging upwards, the traction has made Shankar realize that Lyca ill get more bucks and so he too should get a share of the extra money. Lyca  agreed to allow Shankar to do GC on the condition that he would complete Indian franchise. Now the opportunistic stance by Shankar has made Lyca dust up old files and complaints filed with various trade bodies.

GC trailer has not yet hit the public and as the contents will decide whether it is ok with fans, the delay is created lot of resentment about GC makers. In Bollywood, GC is Ram Charan’s next after RRR that did Rs 275 crores. So trade says that if GC does a Rs 5 cr opening , the film has a potential to do well but less than Devara that opened with Rs 7 crore. There is no buzz over GC till date and hopefully the trailer might work,

SHOCKING! Baby John Shows Replaced by Hindi Version Of Marco After Poor Collections; Varun Dhawan’s Film Gets Only 4/ 275 Screens In CP Berar

Varun Dhawan’s much-hyped film Baby John seems to have hit rock bottom just days after its release. The film, which opened on 25 December with a modest Rs 11.25 crore, has seen an alarming decline in collections.

By its second day, earnings plummeted to Rs 5.13 crore, and Friday’s figures offered no respite. With weekend predictions under Rs 30 crore, exhibitors have already started pulling the plug on the movie.

Baby John Shows Replaced By Hindi Version Of Marco After Poor Response

A key exhibition source revealed to Bollywood Hungama, “The Thursday drop confirmed to theatres that the film wouldn’t sustain over the weekend. Consequently, cinemas nationwide began reducing its shows.”

Now, the Hindi version of the Malayalam hit Marco has stepped in to fill the gap. The ultra-violent film has sparked curiosity, with many viewers comparing its intensity to the recent blockbuster Animal. (calling the latter “child’s play” in comparison.)

Theatres have responded to this demand by replacing Baby John with Marco and other popular titles like Pushpa 2 and Mufasa: The Lion King.

source; https://boxofficeworldwide.com/movies-latest-news/shocking-baby-john-shows-replaced-by-hindi-version-of-marco-after-poor-collections-varun-dhawans-film-gets-only-4-275-screens-in-cp-berar/

 GC till date and hopefully the trailer might work,_

Sreethu aka Aleena Peter and BF Arjun Madras Malar gets 1 M views / Barroz sequel ?

 Sreethu Krishnan and Arjun who were lovers inside the BiggBoss Malayalam that just concluded have got their first movie together Madras Malar. This short musical film first musical video has garnered around 1 million views. Vinneth Sreenivasan has given the voice over,

Madras Malar is a captivating musical short film in Tamil and Malayalam. Composed by Ajith Mathew and directed by Manu Davinci, this enchanting video features Arjun Syam Gopan and Sreethu Krishnan, both renowned for their fame from Bigg Boss, in the lead roles. Discover the magic of music and storytelling in this beautifully crafted cinematic experience. #MadrasMalar #Yelove #YeloveMusic #Sreejun Audio Credits Music composed, produced and arranged AJITH MATHEW Singers VINEETH SREENIVASAN, ARYA DHAYAL, ABHIJITH DAMODARAN Lyrics MUKUNDAN RAMAN & TITTO P THANKACHEN Violin FRANCIS XAVIER Flute NIKHILRAM TP Mix and Master Engineer HARISHANKAR V @ Aural Alchemy Productions Recording Engineer AKSHAY KAKKOTH @ My Studio, Kochi Label YELOVE MUSIC Video Credits Cast ARJUN SYAM GOPAN & SREETHU KRISHNAN Producer PIOUS HENRY Director MANU DAVINCI Writer & Creative Director VISHNU SIVA PRADEEP Dop SINOJ P AYYAPPAN & AMOSH PUTHIYATTIL Editor RATHIN RADHAKRISHNAN Transition NIHAL HAMEED Art Director SAJAY MADHAVAN Choreography MANU RAJ Vfx INDRAJIT UNNI PALIATH Makeup AKSHAYA Costume Designer PRASANTH BASKAR Costume Assistant JASMINE BABU Project Coordinator DEEPU CS Associate Director SAJITH BALAKRISHNAN Project Designer VAISAKH RAVI Stils SAJIN SREE Publicity

The film concludes with an epilogue set years later. Isa, no ..now an adult and a Fado singer in Portugal, performs a music ..During her performance, a mysterious stranger - played by Pranav Mohanlal - enters the scene. Possessed by a firefly (presuma ..(presumably Barroz), he discovers a pouch containing the key ..Isa once held. Intrigued, he approaches her mid-performance, ..The stranger shows Isa a statue of a horse, where fireflies  ..assuring her that her guardian angel is always watching. The .stranger then exits, leaving Isa puzzled ..

Was the ending a hint that the film could have a sequel ? or as some say that it was to show that Pranav who dubbed in Portuguese is very fluent ?  Mohanlal - enters the scene. Possessed by a firefly ( ..

Suriya - Venky Atluri straight Telugu film 796 title

 Suriya to recover his lost Andhra nad Ts market is teaming up with Venky Atluri for a straight Telugu film titled 796 CC. It is the engine power of Maruti car that was first launched in India. Venky Atluri has with Lucky Bhaskar has proved himself as a director who can deliver the results. Despite competition from other languages and within, Lucky Bhaskar with Dulquer has been termed as a profitable film theatre wise and even on OTT/ Like Dulquer who has dual market, Suriya has audience in home base and in other regions like Kerala, Andhra and TS.

Venky has been able to give a hit with Dhanush with the education mafia backdrop in Vaathi and banking scam with Dulquer in Lucky Bhaskar and now the subject of how Maruti changed automobile industry in upcoming film is bound to create an expectation. Suriya on the other hand did Rakta Chaitra in 2010 and then gradually lost the Telugu market. Suriya had done the role of Captain Gobinath in Soorarai Pottru and that won national awards.

Retro of Karthik Subburaj has created a big buzz and is likely to get back the lost market and 796 CC will no doubt be yet another film that fans of Venky and Suriya will look forward. Naga Vamsi of Sithara Entertainments is the Producer. Vamsi ongoing film Anaganaga Oka Raju with Navin Polishetty has replace Sree Leela with Meenakshi who was heroine of Lucky Bhaskar.

Thalapathy and Thalaivar top Overseas Box office ; Most profitable Amaran

 

GOAT  Tops All languages Overseas collections but with Telugu print added and after that Maharaja (Tamil and Telugu) - 82.5cr gross ,Vettaiyaan (Tamil and Telugu) -82 cr gross,Amaran (Tamil and Telugu) - 80 cr gross. China collections are added for Maharajah to reach this tally.

Overseas top 3 all languages is 

1. Kalki 2898 AD (Telugu and Hindi) - 275 cr gross
2. Pushpa 2 (Telugu & Hindi) - 248 cr gross
3. The GOAT (Tamil and Telugu) - 160 cr gross

others are ;4. Stree 2 (Hindi) - 144 cr gross 5.Fighter (Hindi) - 104 cr gross Bhool Bhulaya 3 (Hindi) - 78 cr gross ,Devara Part 1( Telugu and Hindi) - 76 cr gross, Singham Again (Hindi) - 75 cr gross, Hanuman - 57 cr.  Only Hindi film without Telugu collection in top 12 overseas ae Stree 2, Fighter,, Bhool Bhulaiya and Singham Again. 

Telugu films with Hindi and Tamil with Telugu are able to reach the top overseas slots. This shows that Tamil films need to attract the Telugu audience and Telugu films to cater to Hindi audience to get box office results. Hindi films on the other hand that have only Bollywood actors are falling below as they do not connect with Tamil and Telugu audience abroad.

Vaazhai most profitable ; Amaran highest theatre profit, Kanguva worst , Manjumel Boys non Tamil profit for theatres; Read 2024 fact 

Highest Grosser :- GOAT

Highest Profitable Grosser :- AMARAN

Biggest Loss maker : KANGUVA

Highest Viewed OTT Minutes (Only upto 31/10/2024) : RAAYAN

Most Profitable : VAAZHAI

Most Theatrical Profit : VAAZHAI

Most Theatrical Share : AMARAN

Highest Grossing Non Tamil :- PUSHPA II

Most profitable Non Tamil :- MANJUMMEL BOYS

• Lal Salaam made more losses in percent terms but in quantity it was a fraction of what KANGUVA lost

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Total Theatrical Gross (TN) : ₹ 2115 Crore

By comparison Telugu grossed ₹3714 Crore and Hindi grossed ₹ 5005 Crore

This can change to include December 2024

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This was one of the average years for TN Cinema

The overall gross fell by 6% compared to 2023

The only industry worse was Kannada which fell by 51% compared to 2022

Telugu grew by 27%

Malayalam by 25%

Bollywood by 16%

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Certified Hits for 2024:-

• Aranmanai 4
• Garudan
• Maharaja
• Demonte Colony 2
• Lubber Pandhu
• Vaazhai
• Amaran

Profitable but not classified certified hits:-

• Star
• Black

Blue Sattai roasts Marco and get mauled - Atlee Baby John gets slammed - Suriya 44 title

 

The title teaser announcement is out on YouTube.

Retro stars Suriya, Pooja Hedge, Joju George, Jayaram, Sujith Shankar and other actors in supporting roles.The movie is written and directed by Karthik Subburaj and music is by Santosh Narayanan. he teaser was an impressive one with Suriya emoting with his powerful eyes and had great screen presence.It also had Karthik Subburaj’s signature frames and moments.Hope Retro brings back the Suriya we were waiting to celebrate on screens 

The shooting of this film has been completed in four phases in Andaman, Ooty, Kerala and Chennai. Currently, the post-shooting technical work is going on in full swing. The special video of the film has already been released and has received a great response from the fans. In this case, the title and teaser of the film have been released. Since actor Suriya's appearance is different and the scenes are exciting, it has created great expectations among the fans.

https://youtu.be/yE560j3AK3A

Atlee Baby John gets roasted by Bollywood

Despite the immense buzz and expectation, Baby John struggles to deliver a refreshing take on its original. While the action-packed trailer set high expectations, the movie leans too heavily on predictable tropes, offering little innovation in storytelling.

Varun Dhawan takes on the lead role with evident dedication, blending emotional vulnerability as a father with high-energy action sequences. While he excels in action, the emotional depth required for Satya’s trauma and inner turmoil is only sporadically convincing. He fails to match up to his predecessor Thalapathy Vijay.

Keerthy Suresh, in her Hindi debut, delivers a heartfelt performance as Meera. Her charm and screen presence leave an impact, but her character is underutilized and relegated to the background, limiting her potential to shine in a meaningful way.

Wamiqa Gabbi offers a commendable performance as Tara. Her character arc, balancing curiosity and courage, adds a touch of freshness to an otherwise linear narrative. She excels in her confrontational scenes but is left constrained by a script that underplays her significance in the story.

Jackie Shroff as Babbar Sher is menacing and flamboyant, but his one-dimensional villainy fails to make him a memorable antagonist. He relies on clichéd lines and stereotypical expressions, which dilute the intensity of his character. Rajpal Yadav delivers an impactful performance and his one sequence is clap worthy. Salman Khan’s cameo is strictly average and offers nothing new.

Zara Zyanna, as Khushi, steals the spotlight in emotional sequences. Her chemistry with Varun Dhawan is a rare highlight in the film, grounding the story with genuine father-daughter moments.

Baby John: Analysis

The script suffers from excessive fidelity to Theri, making Baby John predictable for audiences who have seen the original. The adaptation fails to offer a unique cultural or thematic twist for Hindi audiences, relying instead on a rehash of the source material. Dialogues are uninspired and filled with clichés, which further undermines the film’s ability to emotionally resonate.

Kalees seems to have banked heavily on the original’s success without crafting a distinct vision for the remake. His direction lacks the finesse to handle emotional subtleties, and while the action sequences are technically sound, they feel excessive and disconnected from the emotional core of the narrative. The film’s pacing is inconsistent, with sluggish middle portions that weigh down the story.

Thaman S’s soundtrack except Nain Matakka is unmemorable, failing to create a lasting impact. The background score fares better during intense action scenes, but it doesn’t elevate the emotional moments or add depth to the film’s dramatic beats.

The cinematography captures the scenic beauty of Kerala effectively but struggles to lend freshness to action sequences, which rely on standard slow-motion shots and over-the-top choreography. The editing feels uneven, with certain sequences overstaying their welcome, making the 160-minute runtime feel unnecessarily long.

Baby John: Verdict

Baby John is a lackluster remake that lacks the soul and sharpness of its source material. While Varun Dhawan and the supporting cast deliver decent performances, they are let down by an uninspired script, cliched writing, and overindulgent direction.

The lack of a fresh narrative approach makes the film feel like a stale rehash rather than a bold reimagining. With a bloated runtime and predictable plot, Baby John struggles to maintain audience engagement. For those unfamiliar with Theri, the film may offer surface-level entertainment, but for others, it is an underwhelming affair that fails to justify its existence.

Baby John: Rating

Critics Rating: 1.5/5
Box Office Rating: 2/5 source; https://boxofficeworldwide.com/

Blue Sattai Maran v/s Marco Fans

Malayalees who are fans of Marco landed  on to the comment box of popular Tamil reviewer Blue Sattai Maran after the latter roasted the movie 'Marco' starring Unni Mukundan. Cment summary

Comments:Uncle is a certified hate

rUncle go and watch Kanguva

Uncle only likes 90s movies

Uncle is telling the whole story

Maran said that the film is a rehash of many action films and is nothing nut a cheap Korean action flick. The film ends in first half and gets dragged after a new plot is infused.  Maran by and large does not review Malayalam films ( with subtitles) and uually does when the film is getting talked about in box office circles and has not so far roasted a Malayalam film so badly.

Film is below average in Tamil Nadu and will release next week in Andhra/TS.

Mohanlal Directorial debut faces BIG Threat / Next with Blessy /

 Mohanlal first Directorial venture Barroz which is a fantasy animation film in 3D faces stiff opposition from heavy duty action films Marcos of Unni Mukundan and Ashiq Abu's Rifle Club. In fact Marcos is the biggest threat as it was released yesterday and box office numbers are jumping every day and that too in crores. Marcos is the fourth-best opening of the year 2024 after Aadujeevitham, Turbo, and Malaikottai Vaaliban. It has surpassed Prithviraj Sukumaran’s Guruvayoor Ambalanadayil and Fahadh Faasil‘s Aavesham at the box office. Barroz releases on December 25th and by then Marcos fever would have gripped the Kerala box office. As Lal ettan is not playing any character that is star material, except for his fans, the opening would be average. Lal said that when he teamed with Santosh Sivan - Iruvar, Kalapani and Vanaparasatham, Sivan got awards. He failed to mention that all these films were flops. Read what Santosh Sian has to say about Barroz - https://southfilmy.blogspot.com/2024/11/the-minus-of-barroz-is-hawa-hawai-song.html. The Hindi dubbed is releasing on December 27th.

We hear that Lal has signed a film with Director Blessy, It will start in 2026 only. Based on writer Iran Muhamed the film has screenplay by Shankar Ramakrishnan. Previous outings from the combo were Thanmatra , Brahmaram, Pranayam. Ashirwaad and Fragrant Nature Films are producers.

While we are on the Malayalam films , The highest-grossing Malayalam film of 2024 was Manjummel Boys, with a collection of 241.56 crore worldwide. The survival drama earned a total of 142 crore in India.

Malayalam Film Industry in 2024, a blockbuster with Manjummel Boys and three superhits with Premalu, Vaazha: Biopic of a Billion Boys, and Kishkindha Kaandam. There were four hits with Abraham Ozler, Thalavan, Ajayante Randam Moshanam, and Sookshmadarshini. A lot of films recovered their budgets and were successful. These included Anweshippin Kandethum, Bramayugam, Aadujeevitham, Varshangallku Shesham, Aavesham, Guruavayoor Ambalanadayil, and Pani.

Here are the most profitable Malayalam Films Of 2024. 

1. Premalu: 745.5%
2. Manjummel Boys: 610%
3. Kishkindha Kaandam: 493.5%
4. Vaazha: 369.2%
5. Sookshmadarshini: 179.2%
6. Thalavan: 135%
7. ARM: 113.33%
8. Abraham Ozler: 110%