Mohanlal and ivory Tusks ; Political Thriller / Karthi in Chiranjeevi film

The Kerala High Court ruling on Mohanlal and ivory tusks brings out a story that looks like a script of a Shaji Kailas – Renji Panicker political thriller film. Here the heroes are two retired Forest Officers and Mohanlal the Actor and Dadasaheb Phalke Award. Actor house has two sets of ivory tusks and few other ivory items ., Income Tax raids bring it out and Actor has no paper to show how he got it. It goes to Forest Department and by the rule book they book him for illegal possession of ivory tusks. Violations of the act can result in severe penalties, including hefty fines and up to seven years in prison.  Lalettan says that he did poach any tusker and bought it from a guy for Rs 65,000 and that the guy took it off from a tusker that died a natural death. Actor forgot to take a letter from the seller.

As a jail sentence with fine was sure and ivory trade banned, State Forest Department moved an amendment to Forest Act and legalized the possession of dead tusker’s ivory tusks. It gives an ownership certificate to Actor and says Case closed. All this started in 2011 at a Perumbavoor Court. Two retired Forest Officers challenge this ownership certificate. How can you give a certificate to a person who is facing a court case and that too backdate the order ? Should not the order be published in the State Gazette to invite public opinion as mandated by Law ?.

• Court said Can’t accept the state admitting that notifications were not published in the official gazette and justifying adequate publicity was given to the notifications and no prejudice anyone, and non-publication was only a technical irregularity with no legal consequence.

Next step is that Mohanlal should apply for a ownership and State Government should give it only after notifying it through Gazette. This will bring in objections from public. The criminal proceedings against Lal in Magistrate court will need to be closed for Government to issue a certificate.

Interestingly, the court never even commented on the other claims put forward by the petitioners, including the claims of collusion, or the exercise of the power. Judges observed that finding anything on those questions would be prejudicial against the actor during the criminal proceedings, which are yet to be completed against him in the magistrate court.

On November 1, when Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan makes the declaration from the Central Stadium, of Kerala as 'extreme poverty free' into a starry, festival-like celebration with three Actor- Kamal Haasan- Mammoottty- Mohanlal.

Kerala honours Mohanlal after Dadasaheb Phalke win.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan writes: “Few artists have captured the hearts of Malayalis across the globe the way @Mohanlal has. His unforgettable roles have become part of our cultural memory. It was a proud moment to honour the Dadasaheb Phalke Award winner at Thiruvananthapuram today. Wishing him continued brilliance and success in his illustrious career.”

 Karthi is currently one of the busiest stars in South Indian cinema, with an exciting lineup that includes Vaa Vaathiyaar, Sardar 2, and the highly anticipated Kaithi 2. Recently, social media buzz has suggested that Karthi could soon make a comeback in a Telugu hero role after a long gap.

It is already confirmed that Megastar Chiranjeevi and director Bobby (known for Waltair Veerayya) are collaborating again for a new film. Rumours indicate that Karthi may play an important role in this project, although neither the actor nor the team has issued an official statement yet.

The film is expected to launch soon. Reports suggest that Chiranjeevi will focus on this project once his current commitments are completed. Music will be composed by Thaman S, and Karthik Ghattamaneni will handle cinematography.

Adhik to Direct Balakrishna ? Nayanthara cuts fee for Chiru/ Tourist Family World Record/ Dude Title clash

According to the buzz, Adhik Ravichandran recently met with Tollywood actor Balakrishna and narrated a mass commercial entertainer story. Balakrishna reportedly gave the green signal after hearing the story, and the project is likely to proceed reports M9.

We hear that Vidamuyurchi Director Magizh Thirumeni is in all probability to do Ajith’s next film. Balakrishna is known for his mass masala entertainers, and Adhik Ravichandran is considered a similar type of director. Therefore, if the project happens, it would be a treat for Balakrishna’s fans.

Further Balakrishna and Prabhu are close friends. Adhik is son in law of Prabhu.

Nayanthara has come on board for Chiranjeevi- Ravipudi film but not at the salary of Rs 16 crores as demanded by her or as media reports. She will be paid Rs 6 crores only as per siasat.com and her dates are less. Compared to the amount she quoted, this is 66.66% less. Which is her last Hit film ? OTT release TEST was no great shakes either.  Her Malayalam film of Mammooty- Mohanlal together and the Yash film Toxic are notables apart from the Sundar C film produced by Vels.

Nayanthara said that as she said in the Netflix documentary, along with hubby Vignesh will be creating an empire of their own and those who are writing negative about them will be forced to write good about them. About her hubby Vikki she said that for the first time in her life it was she who confessed to Vikki about her love to him as she felt that he might not understand her love to him. She said that till then her ego never allowed her to take the first step to tell her mind.

DUDE is set for a wide release across Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, and Hindi markets on October 17. However, controversy has emerged around the film’s title.

Telugu actor-director Tej, who has been promoting his own film titled Dude for over a year, expressed shock and disappointment over Mythri’s use of the same name. Tej clarified that he has no intention of clashing with a big banner like Mythri. He has already brought the issue to their attention and is hoping for a positive resolution. His Dude is a trilingual sports drama centered on football. It is in its final phase of shooting and is aiming for an August or September release. Now, the big question is: will the title conflict lead to a change for either project? Or will both films proceed with the same name? The industry is closely watching how the situation unfolds. A similar issue came for Vijay Antony film. Dude might have a different Telugu title.

Tourist Family is first South Indian film to enter Letterboxd. Diehard cinephiles might already know about the popular entertainment website Letterboxd. It’s an Auckland-based film-focused social platform for diehard movie buffs. The international platform is renowned for its movie-centric global lists, such as ‘Top 50 Movies’ lists and the ‘One Million’ and ‘Two Million’ watched lists, amongst others. Other Indian film is ‘Superboys of Malegaon’ is ahead of Tourist Family and holds Rank 18 on the Letterboxd top 50 movies list.

Sacnik figures;

Worldwide	India Net	India Gross	Overseas	Verdict
₹ 58.5 Cr	₹ 40.65 Cr	₹ 47.25 Cr	₹ 11.25 Cr

The team behind Tourist Family has now confirmed the film’s OTT release. As per an insider close to The Economic Times, the film will stream on JioHotstar from May 31, 2025. Producer Yuvaraj Ganesan explained that the OTT release was pre-decided, and the team had to plan the theatrical launch accordingly

FakeLeoscam trends - PS Mithran to direct Chiranjeevi

Chiranjeevi is to act in a film directed by P S Mithran whose previous film Sardar with Karthi is a big hit. Karthi recently announced that there will be a seqel of Sardar. Chiranjeevi next film is with Vasishta of Bimbisara fame. Mithran had pitched a story to Ram Charan but now it seems that it is being tweaked for Chiru. Story discussions are on in Chennai. After realising that young directors are behind the success of Rajinikanth ( Nelson’s Jailer), Lokesh ‘s Vikram for Kamal Haasan, Chiru has dropped the idea of remakes as Bhola Shankar failed badly. UV creations who makers of Chiru latest film put out a poster on Ayudha pooja.

Comscore the International movie ranking agency reported that on October 22, Leo Bloody Sweet stood third. First was Killers of the Flower Moon and second was Taylor Swift. It put the weekend earnings of Leo at Rs 400 crore. This was picked up by Vijay fans and Tamil film industry trackers. At the same time, Rajini fans show Book My show ticket sale details of Jailer first weekend to prove that Jailer sold more than Leo. Also, the hashtag FakeLeo scam is trending. Comscore posted inflated figures and actual collection is Rs 355 cr is one version. A video shows empty seats while online bookings show almost full and it says proxy bookings are made to create an impression that seats are fast filling up. Sacnik put the total collection of 5 days at Rs 365 cr. Rs 176 cr was from Tamil alone and overseas at Rs 150 crores. In Kerala the distributor Gokulam Gopalan held a success meet where Lokesh Kanagaraj attended. It is the first time that a Vijay film touched Rs 30 crores in Kerala, It was bought for Rs 16 crores. It is the first time that Comscore reported about a Tamil film box office point out Vijay fans. Telugu 5 day collection was Rs 28 crore and Kannada it was Rs 1.55 cr.

Government order mentions Thalapathy Vijay - Game Changer 2 - Chiranjeevi takes dig at Rajini

Latest news coming from Shankar camp is that Ram Charan’s Game Changer will release in two parts. Reason being that that film has exceeded the budget and if the film releases in one part the producers Dil Raju and Sirish will be left with nothing as the amount got from OTT – digital rights and theatrical business has been spend on shooting so far and still Shankar has not told about when the film will be wrapped up. The producers feel that if the first part does well, then the second part will give them good profits, there are reports that Shankar has enough footage of Indian 2 and so an Indian 3 can be expected.

In a recent interview Chiranjeevi said that he does not depend on BGM to elevate his performance and excite the audience. Many feel that this was a dig at Rajinikanth as at the success meet of Jailer he said that when saw the film without BGM it was just an okay film but after Anirudh’s BGM, it became extraordinary. Jailer’s Telugu version did more business than Chiranjeevi’s Bhola Shankar

With one week to go , Leo advance booking in UK has crossed the record set by Paathan. Leo has grossed £ 320.6 k while Pathaan had € 319 K. This is also first Tamil film to get such an advance booking in UK as so far only Hindi films and that too SRK starrer got such numbers. In USA , premiere show booking it at 4 slot as the firsr spot is Kabali, second is Ponniyin Selvan 1 and third is Jailer. Meanwhile many have questioned the Government order issued to grant extra show to Leo for first five days. The order mentions the actor as Thalapathy Vijay and many have asked since when did GO started using titles given by fans. Theatres have decided to have FDFS from 9 AM on Oct 19. Last show is at 1.30 PM. Runtime is 2 hours 44 minutes and 22 second. Makers announced that the film is coming on IMAX screens.

Vedhalam remake Bhola Shankar is not a cringe film like Tamil - Chiru Director

Meher Ramesh justifying the cringe scenes featuring Chiranjeevi in Bhola Shankar trailer said that the original Tamil Vedhalam has ten time more cringe scenes and he had not much of them as had modified the screenplay and included more action as the Tamil film was centered around brother and sister relationship. This comment has angered Ajith fans who took to Twitter and slammed Ramesh. Chiranjevi too was upset with Ramesh comment. Public reactions to the trailor was mostly negative as many felt that Chiranjeevi at age of 68 is seen chasing a teen girl and acting like a college boy. The advance booking low in both Andhra States and in USA. Ramesh said that as Vedhalam is not on any OTT, it is fresh contett for Telugu audience. Producer Sunkara has been hauled to court by distributor of his earlier film Agent starring Akhil and Mammootty. Distributor claimed that Sunkara owes him Rs 30 crores as per an agreement over compensation for Agent loss. Bhola Shankar distribution was given to another distributor. Pre release biz of BS is Rs 90 crores. Ramesh to cool down Ajith fans said write in Twitter - I loved Veda lam when watched in 2015 and admired how the original story by @directorsiva sir showed strong bonding of a brother&sister, a sentiment that reflects with millions of people and wanted to show it our telugu audience. In 2009, I remade Ajith sir’s Billa with Darling Prabhas and now again I’m grateful for the opportunity to do Ajith Sir’s Action entertainer “Vedalam” as Megastar #BholaaShankar worldwide release in 2 days #BholaaShankarOnAug11

Gautami in dock over Kerala Film awards - August crucial for Mega Stars

According to award winning art director Nemom Pushparaj, co jury member Actress Gautami on behalf of Kerala Chalachitra Academy Chairman Ranjuth asked him to reconsider his decision to give best art direction award for yje film 19th noothand. Both were jury members of the just announced Kerala State Film awards. An audio clip of Pushparaj talking to his one time assistant has gone viral. A singer Greogory who chose the lyrics from the same film was told by Ranjith to choose another film lyrics. She said that Ranjith at times sat with the jury during the screaming, It is well known that Ranjith and director Vinayan feud dates back to the time when both were members of film trade body MACTA. The former led a revolt against Vinayan and formed a rival body FEFKA. Cultural Minister has given Ranjith a clean chit. Yje jury was packed with Left wing supporters and Gautami a BJP member and head of revising panel of Censor board found a berth in the panel is a suprise. Both the feuding parties are Leftists. Right wing says that films with right wing messages were summarily rejected at first elimination itself.

August month release is crucial for Rajinikanth in Kollywood and for several heroes of Tollywood.Starting with Megastar's Bholaa Shankar, helmed by Meher Ramesh, comes after a series of disappointments. However, Megastar's previous film, Waltair Veerayya, emerged as a massive blockbuster, and now, he needs to maintain his winning streak with Bholaa Shankar. For Meher Ramesh, this film is of utmost importance, as it's a do-or-die situation for him. Rajinikanth, on the other hand, has been struggling to deliver a blockbuster for a considerable period. His upcoming project, titled Jailer, is a prison drama directed by Nelson, whose last film, Beast, failed to make an impact at the box office. Naveen Polishetty had a major hit with Jathi Ratnalu, but there has been a substantial gap since then. His next film, Miss Shetty Mr Polishetty, holds the key for Naveen to establish himself as a reliable hero once again. Gandeevadhari Arjuna carries significant weight for Varun Tej and director Praveen Sattaru, given their previous films were disastrous at the box office. Both are looking to turn their fortunes around with this crucial project. Hero Karthikeya is pinning his hopes on Bedurulanka 2012 to rejuvenate his career in Tollywood after facing a rough patch following his debut in RX 100. Srikanth Addala faced unprecedented negativity after the failure of Brahmotsavam. His first theatrical release in eight years, Peddha Kapu, is a make-or-break moment for him in the industry. MM Keeravani's son, Simha Koduri, is making another attempt at success with Ustaad, directed by Phanideep. The outcome of this film will play a decisive role in shaping his future in Tollywood.

Adipurush poster a copy - Shruthi - Chiranjeevi spat - Indian 2 for Pongal

 

T P Vijayan visual designer who visualized the Oscar winning song Naatu Naatu of RRR shot n Ukraine and designed the poster of Prabhas Adipurush has been accused of plagiarism. On the occasion of Ram Navami, the poster for Adipurush was unveiled, which showcased Prabhas as Raghava, Kriti Sanon as Janaki, and Saif Ali Khan as Lankesh, the respective characters of Lord Ram, Sita, and Ravana. However, despite receiving backlash for its appearance, a recent update has emerged, revealing that an independent creator, Pratik Sanghar, has claimed that the Adipurush team has plagiarized his artwork. Sanghar shared his artwork on Facebook, displaying screenshots of his previous concepts for Lord Shri Ram's possible appearance in a Ramayan Epic if ever made. He alleges that the official concept artist for Adipurush took his artwork, mixed it with similar artwork, and passed it off as their own, without notifying or compensating him. According to Sanghar, this is a reason for the project's failure, as the individuals involved lack passion and instead resort to cheap tactics to move forward.

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Lyca own release abroad

After observing the earnings, Lyca Productions, who released Ajith's "Thunivu" internationally, has decided to distribute "Ponniyin Selvan 2" as well, according to a statement made by the producers. "Indian 2," which is being produced by them, is set to release during Pongal 2024, and Shankar, who is also directing Ram Charan's "Game Changer," will release it in April 2024. Interestingly, Sivakarthikeyan, who is starring in Kamal Haasan's own production, will see "Ayalaan," produced by K J R Studios, release during Diwali. Dhanush Captain Miller is also to release in November the Diwali month.

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Shruthi Haasan on short skirts in snow

Shruthi Haasan's comment regarding her song's sequence in the film Walter Veeraiya has upset fans of Chiranjeevi. In an interview, she mentioned that she was asked to wear a short dress during a song sequence shot in severe cold and snowing weather conditions, while the hero was fully clothed and wearing jackets. This led to speculation of a rift between Chiranjeevi and Shruthi, as she did not attend any promotional events for the film but was seen at Balakrishna's film Veera Simha Reddy, in which she was the heroine. Chiranjeevi's producer refuted these claims, stating that Shruthi was given a jacket to wear after every shot and shared a clip of Chiranjeevi and Sreedevi dancing in the snow to demonstrate that this was a common practice.

When asked about working with older heroes, Shruthi replied that she was not the only actress to gain fame from acting opposite older actors, as many leading women have done so. Fans have questioned why there seems to be a different standard for Shruthi, when Sreedevi had danced in short skirts with Chiranjeevi in the snow.

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Samanatha film has no takers

On 14th April, the film Shaakuntalam will be released in Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, and Kannada, in 3D format. Despite actress Samantha's extensive promotional tours and the visually stunning trailer, the movie's theatrical business in Andhra and Telangana remains uncertain. This is partly due to Gunasekhar's 7-year hiatus from filmmaking after his 2015 period drama "Rudhramadevi." The success of the film heavily relies on Samantha's star power, as producers who have opted for a 3D format are requesting high prices that distributors are hesitant to pay.

Suriya Hindi production - Mammootty - Chiranjeevi- Mohanlal release date and Pathaan deleted scenes

 

Soorarai Pottru Hindi remake gets a release date

'Soorarai Pottru', directed by Sudha Kongara, starring Suriya and Aparna Balamurali, received critical acclaim and won several awards, including the National Award for Best Director for Sudha Kongara and Best Actress award for Aparna Balamurali. Sudha Kongara has now remade this film in Hindi with Bollywood star Akshay Kumar playing the lead role, along with Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal, and others. The film's music has been composed by G V Prakash. The story is based on the life of Indian Air Force officer Captain Gopinath who founded the low cost airline Deccan Air. The film is being produced by Aruna Bhatia, Jyotika, Surya, and Vikram Malhotra on behalf of Abundantia Entertainment, Cape of Good Films, and 2D Entertainment. The highly anticipated film, tentatively titled as 'Production 27', is set to release worldwide on September 1st, and Akshay Kumar's fans are eagerly waiting for it. Additionally, the Surya-Jyotika couple, who are making their debut as producers in the Hindi film industry, are also associated with the project.

 

The unveiling of a deleted torture scene after the arrest in Russia,  and an unseen appearance of Shah Rukh Khan briefing his team after he comes to know about Rakhthbeej, and Rubai interrogation scene  has generated significant buzz for the streaming of YRF's "Pathaan" on Amazon Prime.   Also  few camera shots in the Dubai chase sequences have also been added. The film has also caused a sensation on OTT platforms, following its tremendous success at the box office, breaking records both in India and abroad. Netizens went wild upon the release of this version. Despite a slew of new releases in recent weeks, the film has managed to maintain its momentum, adding to its numbers during its 8th weekend. As it approaches the end of its run, "Pathaan" is set to continue screening in cinemas until the end of its 9th week.

Release dates of Mammootty – Chiranjeevi film and Mohanlal teaser

Kadhal - The Core, a highly anticipated social drama film directed by Jeo Baby (known for The Great Indian Kitchen), is set to release on May 11. The movie is being distributed by Dulquar Salman's company and produced by Mammooty Kampany. The lead role of Mathew Devassy, a communist party member from the small town of Teekoy in Kerala, is played by Mammootty, while Jyothika is reportedly portraying his wife in the film. The supporting cast includes talented actors like Lalu Alex, Muthumani, Chinnu Chandni, and Sudhi Koppa. Salu K Thomas is the cinematographer, and the music is composed by Mathews Pulickan.

The action entertainer titled "Bholaa Shankar" marks the first collaboration between Megastar Chiranjeevi and Meher Ramesh. An official announcement about the film's release date was made by the producers, Anil Sunkara's AK Entertainments, in association with Creative Commercials, on the occasion of Ugadi 2023. The worldwide release of the movie is scheduled for August 11th, which falls on a Thursday and will be followed by a long weekend due to the Independence Day holiday on August 15th (Tuesday). Additionally, Chiranjeevi's birthday, which is a significant festival for his fans, falls on August 22nd, in the same month. A special poster featuring Chiranjeevi, Tamannaah Bhatia, and Keerthy Suresh in the role of his sister has also been released by the makers.

On the special occasion of Vishu, the teaser for the upcoming film "Malaikottai Valiban" directed by Lijo Jose Pellissery and starring Mohanlal, will be released on April 14, Friday. According to reports, Mohanlal will be portraying an aging wrestling champion in the film, and his first appearance will showcase him with a bulkier physique and a lengthy beard. It is rumored that he will lose weight for his second appearance in the film, and there are unverified claims that he will be shedding his beard look for the first time in over 5 years.

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Rajiv Menon daughter debuts- Chiranjeevi in daughter film, Bala restarts film

Rajiv Menon daughter makes her acting debut

Saraswathi Menon, daughter of renowned filmmaker Rajiv Menon, is set to make her acting debut in a psychological thriller called "Asvins". She will star opposite Vasanth Ravi, and the film will be directed by Tarun Teja, a well-known short filmmaker. Saraswathi has previously been a part of her father's films, including "Sarvam Thaala Mayam", where she sang a song. Besides being a singer, she is also a talented dancer, writer, and director. Earlier reports were that she would be launched in a film directed by Arun Matheswaran who directed ` Rocky' and Saani Kaaidham

The first-look poster for "Asvins" was unveiled by Anirudh Ravichander, who shared it on his social media handle. The music composer of "Jailer" expressed his happiness in launching the poster and wished the entire team the best of luck, including Vasanth Ravi, the producer SVCCofficial, director Tarun Teja, and other cast and crew members such as BvsnP, Praveen, Vimraman, GA StudiosOffl, immuralidaran, Saraswathi Menon, and Udhaya Deep. 

Chiranjeevi in P S Mithran direction

As per an online portal, P S Mithran, who directed Karthi in 'Sardar', is set to direct Chiranjeevi. The film will be produced by Sushmitha, daughter of the superstar, who has produced various web series. Her first feature film production, 'Sredevi Shoban Babu', failed at the box office. However, Chiranjeevi has decided to support Sushmitha, following Rajinikanth's example.

Soundarya, Rajinikanth's daughter, directed a film that was produced by her mother Latha Rajinikanth, which ended up being a flop and led to litigation with the financiers. Currently, Rajinikanth is set to appear in a cameo role in 'Lal Salaam', directed by his daughter Aishwarya and produced by Lyca.

On social media, Ram Charan, the Mega Power Star, posted a special birthday message for his sister Sushmita Konidela. He shared a photo of himself with his sister on Instagram stories and wrote, "Happiest birthday my darling sis!! Lov vou @sushmitakonidela."

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Bala resumes work with Arun Vijay

The shooting of 'Vanangan' starring Arun Vijay and Roshini Prakash in lead roles has resumed in Kanyakumari under the direction of Director Bala. The director was seen filming near the Kanyakumari bus stand, and Stunt Silva confirmed the film's revival by sharing a behind-the-scenes photo from the shoot. The Kanyakumari schedule of the film is expected to last for the next 25 days, and an official announcement regarding the film's revival, along with Arun Vijay's first look, may be forthcoming soon.

Previously, Suriya had exited the project after completing several schedules in December, as the director felt that the film might not suit his status. Additionally, Krithi Shetty, who was originally cast as the female lead, has been replaced by Roshini Prakash. The film's composer and cinematographer remain as GV Prakash Kumar and Bala Subramaniam, respectively.

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Acharya movie review : Out beats Akhanda in action drama

Acharya transported me to the good old days when I cheered Chiru Garu for his dance steps and fight scenes.  I thank the choreographer and stunt master for showing only this one movement repeatedly and by this they have satisfied me as a fan.  Thank You Mr Koratala Siva for giving the ` vintage' Chiru  but I did not like Chiru Garu being passive.in some scenes. Above all, I always rated Chiru Garu as Superstar and Siva has shown it. A whole village pulls a wooden chariot but it does not move. Chiru Garu just nudges it and OMG it starts to roll. Thank You Mr Siva. Also I liked the scene where a knife or a sword  pierces into a man's stomach and comes out the other side and then pierces the stomach of the man behind and comes out from other side . Chiru Garu pulls out the knife and uses to behead many more. Thoughtful choreographer - he saved on production cost.

Now I knew that Ram Charan real heir to Chiru Garu is going to dominate second half and was looking for a duo song and fight like in RRR. Thank You Mr Siva for adding comic elements in the otherwise gory fight with two Indian Cinema legends together. Mani Sharma your  music made my day . Transported to those days of the 80's and also the BGM tracks of those days that you re-used here.

Once again I thank Mr Siva for chopping off scenes of all actors except Chiru- RC and Sonu Sood. It is not only Kajol but all were given same treatment. Regina and Sangeetha could have upstaged Samantha if the film was released before Pushpa.

Art director is so innovative that the tribal villagers are living in houses with fresh coat of paint. Swacch Bharat. Thiru camera can only capture what is given to him.  Such films give me the motivation to live life to the full. Chiru Garu who is elder tan me is so robust and full of life. My humble request to reviewers please don't compare Rajamouli's way of presenting RC in RRR to Siva's Acharya.

Off theater experience : Next seat guy was saying Mirchi and another was arguing saying Dharma Teja and a third said Farishtay. I got a WhatsApp msg saying Liquat Ali Khan has moved writer union saying Acharya is Poonthootha kavalkaran. Might be a fake news as I have never seen anything so original in recent times. Now I respect Jagan Garu for agreeing to increase ticket prices. The film should have been tax free. He earned a few crores for AP treasury.

Bahubaali 2 still ahead of KGF 2 and RRR in terms of footfalls

Bahubaali 2 is still ahead of KGF 2 and RRR in terms of viewership or otherwise known as footfalls in theaters, says a trade analyst . Though the box office figures are quoted to show that KGF 2 outstripped BB2 , truth lies somewhere in between.

As we have to take into consideration the entrance ticket price hike after BB2 released in April 2017,  the box office figures of KGF 2 and RRR cannot be a barometer for a comparison. As per a study done BB2 footfall was 5.1 crore and at the time of writing , the KGF 2 was 1.75 crore and RRR was  1.6 crore.

To set record straight, all those who claim that KGF and RRR have even beaten Top Hindi films . Here is a numbers - Bajraang Baijaan - 3.2 crores and Dangal -  3.1 crores footfalls. In short, KGF 2 and RRR claim that their film was seen by more people than the two Hindi films and BB 2 is a lopsided way of looking at it. BB2 completed the total run with a Rs 510 crore nett. As on date , RRR nett World wide is Rs 600.14 crore. KGF 2 is still running.

US markets have not favoured KGF 2 like it did for RRR.  KGF 2 took a $ 4.15 million first week and slumped to $93K . RRR on the other hand did not open as big as KGF 2 but second week and third week collections was five time more than KGF. BB2 gross in USA was $12.5 million. Here again one reason given is that premiere shows were less for RRR and KGF 2 but with the cost of ticket  high , patronage post Covid in the US market was restricted and audience choosy.  KGF 2 slump is said to be because the film is a Kannada film dubbed into Tamil and Telugu languages and so the Tamilans and Andhra / TS origin people patronage was less than that to RRR . For footfalls for BB2 being higher than RRR in USA, reason is that BB2 was a sequel and over time and streaming of Part 1 on TV, audience grew manifold. So is KGF 2 a sequel, but why this did not happen ?. Answer is that  KGF  did not pose an interesting question - Why did Kattappa kill Baahubaali ?

Meanwhile , Chiranjeevi- Ram Charan Acharya bookings for USA premiere opened and in 623 shows pre sales was $ 287,778 . Not a bad start feels trade. CM Jagan has allowed theaters to up ticket rates in opening week in Andhra and also a 5th show can be screened.

Balakrishna aka Balayya puts his career at stake for family honour

 Tollywood is full of awe of Balakrishna the actor - son of legendary NTR taking on full steam ahead the might of ruling YSR with just ten days to go for  release of Akhanda in  two Andhra States. This is in contrast to the silence maintained by Chiranjeevi when Posani  bad mouthed his brother Pawan Kalyan and dragged in his mother and daughter. Chiru camp defended his silence as his concern for Tollywood.

Soon after YCR attack on EX CM Chandrababu Naidu and his wife ( sister and daughter of Late NTR). Family closed ranks.  Actor Jr NTR  asked the Ruling Party not to move towards Arachaka Paripaalana ( anarchy) and advised them to stick to the issues pertaining the people. This guarded comment came from  Jr NTR son of Nandamuri Harikrishna and it was a message to a section of the fans who claim that they are only Jr NTR fans and not of TDP or Naidu. In the end the family TARAK unites when under attack. Jr NTR's mother in law is niece of Naidu. NTR had campaigned for TDP in 2009.

“Chandrababu was the one who controlled us all the while as YCP leaders badmouthed our troops. But they have crossed every limit this time by speaking ill of my sister and Chandrababu’s wife Bhuvaneshwari. From now on, we don’t need Chandrababu’s permission to react with as much vigour if they sling mud on us. There will be immediate repercussions if YCP leaders cross the limit again,” Balayya said. He added - “The comments on Bhuvaneshwari shows their political motives. Khabadaar… this is my last warning to those making personal slurs on us.” Nandamuri Ramakrishna, the brother of Balakrishna said “Orei Kodali Nani ga… Vamsi ga… Ambati Rambabu ga… Dwarampudi Chandrasekhar ga… don’t you dare speak about my family again.”

Vishwambara - Title of Ram Charan 15 directed by Shankar ?

 Ram Charan 15 movie will be titled Vishwambara , revealed a source close to producer Dil Raju. The  title is in tune with the story of a rebel that goes to any level to achieve a rightful cause. The film is a political thriller. Kiara Advani plays the heroine.

The film concept poster shows the advent of the  suited boted educated IT savvy class that comes forward to set right the wrongs done by the earlier  generation of political class. The poster does not credit the story to Shankar and keeps silent on that aspect. There is two complaints with the Writers Association in Chennai by two Associate Directors saying that it is their story that is basis for RC 15. Panel headed by Bhagyaraj is yet to examine it.

Cinematographer Tirru is awaiting the  release of Chiranjeevi's Archarya  and Malayalam film Marakkar with Mohanlal. He had worked with Karthik Subburaj in Rajinikanth film Petta . Karthik is said to have penned the story of RC 15.