RAJNI MEDIATION WORKS AS SHANKAR - KAMAL TO START INDIAN 3

 Why Rajinikanth wants Indian 3 to be released ? He has agreed to do a film for Lyca Productions to compensate for the loss incurred over Lal Salaam . Now Lyca cannot proceed without getting Indian 3 released. After Thug Life, Kamal feels  Indian 3 has the chances of a winner. So Shankar who is now without any production house backing him for his Velpari needs a Indian 3.

Director S. Shankar’s last two films, Indian 2 and Game Changer, have both flopped. Despite having A-list stars, massive budgets, and impressive pre-release hype and promotions, both films crashed and burned. The production house behind Indian 2 and Indian 3 is Lyca Productions, which is currently facing its own financial troubles.

Naturally, the production house seems to be insisting on lowering the budget for Indian 3. However, Shankar has been firm in his demand for a production budget of 6 to 8 crores to complete the remaining portions. If this were before 2024, when these two flops had not yet occurred, the production house might have agreed to the budget. But considering the performance of Indian 2, this demand is seen as excessive.

What is the role of Rajinikanth here

Rajinikanth is acting as a mediator in this ordeal. He has worked with both the director and the production house on 2.0, which was released back in 2018. Additionally, Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan are good friends. As a result of these relationships, Rajinikanth met with Shankar to convince him to proceed with a reduced budget. Latest news is that Shankar has agreed to Lyca’s amount and if everything goes right, the film will release for Christmas.

Thalapathy Vijay has been unbeatable since 2017. In 2017, Mersal earned around 23.8 crore gross, creating an all-time record in the state. It was followed by another record opening with Sarkar in 2018, which earned 31.75 crore gross. After Sarkar, Beast delivered the biggest opening.

Beast has the highest day 1 collection in Tamil Nadu

Beast is currently the biggest opener at the Tamil Nadu box office. Released in 2022, the film earned a mind-blowing 35 crore gross. Even Leo, despite a huge hype, failed to beat it and opened at around 34 crore gross. But now, it seems that Beast will finally be dethroned, and Coolie is likely to capture its position.

Rajinikanth is likely to seize the throne with Coolie

Now, with Coolie enjoying crazy hype in Tamil Nadu, Rajinikanth has a chance to dethrone Vijay’s Beast from the top spot. Rajini’s last record opener was Kabali, which earned 19.1 crore gross at the box office in 2016. It remained at the top spot for a year and was dethroned by Mersal.

So, Rajinikanth has an opportunity to seize the throne in Tamil Nadu after 8 years, and the task is likely to be accomplished on August 14.

 

 

 

Shankar is lowesr ranked Despite Mani's Thug Life / Balayya Akhanda 2 to Roar

 

A big relief for Mani Ratnam ! on IMDb his Thug Life is not the wirst rated film. The worst rated is Indian 2 and directed by Shankar. Which film of Kamal tops the ranking platform ? Read ;

If we observe Kamal Haasan’s filmography, especially the movies in which he played a major role, the one that has received the lowest user rating on IMDb is S. Shankar’s Indian 2. Despite the veteran actor’s committed performance, the sequel failed to impress several critics. It currently holds an IMDb rating of just 3.8/10, making it the most poorly rated film in his illustrious career. In stark contrast, the original Indian (1996) enjoys a stellar IMDb rating of 8.1/10.

Kamal Haasan’s High-Rated Films On IMDb

On the other hand, many Kamal Haasan films have earned widespread acclaim and impressive ratings on IMDb. Some of his highest-rated titles include Thevar Magan (8.7/10), Anbe Sivam (8.6/10), Mahanadhi (8.6/10), Kuruthipunal (8.5/10), Papanasam (8.4/10), and Vikram (8.3/10), to name a few.

About Thug Life

Directed by Mani Ratnam, the gangster action drama ostensibly follows the story of a dreaded gangster who adopts a young boy. But years later, when the gangster becomes the target of a near-fatal assassination attempt, he begins to suspect that his adopted son is behind it. The film features Kamal Haasan, Silambarasan, Abhirami, Trisha Krishnan, Nassar, Joju George, Ashok Selvan, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Mahesh Manjrekar, Ali Fazal, and Rohit Saraf, among other cast members.

God of Masses Nandamuri Balakrishna reunites with the blockbuster director Boyapati Sreenu for their highly anticipated fourth collaboration, Akhanda 2: Thaandavam. This sequel to the hit film Akhanda promises to elevate the action and drama, blending intense sequences with spiritual undertones. Produced by Raam Achanta and Gopichand Achanta under the prestigious 14 Reels Plus Banner, the film is presented by M Tejeswini Nandamuri.

The makers have released the Teaser on the occasion of Balakrishna's Birthday and this is the Best Gift any Hero can get from his Team.

The most striking aspect of the teaser is Balakrishna’s sensational look — a powerful blend of ferocity and divinity that perfectly suits his character. Boyapati once again proves he understands Balakrishna better than anyone else, delivering a first look and teaser that truly elevates the star's aura.

The imagery of the Trishul with Nandi and the breathtaking, snow-covered Kailasam backdrop is mesmerizing, reflecting the meticulous research behind the character and the film's theme. Balakrishna's majestic walk adds a regal charm to the visuals.

The scenes where he hurls goons aside and the intense Trishul neck shot are simply mind-blowing. Action choreographers Ram-Lakshman have masterfully tapped into Balakrishna’s mass appeal. His dialogue delivery is as powerful as ever.

Thaman’s background score soars to divine heights, complementing the grandeur of Balakrishna's presence. Thaman is altogether in a different world when it comes to scoring music for Balakrishna.

The production values by 14 Reels Plus are top-notch, adding an impressive scale and richness to the overall presentation.

The Teaser is one material where it is Screaming the Passion and Commitment of the team in every frame.

Currently, the movie is being shot in the Grand Locales of Georgia, where a breathtaking sequence is being shot.

The makers promise that the film will do Thandavam in Theaters starting September 25th as Dussehra Special. The Divine aura of the movie is for sure to grip the audience across the country. This Teaser has done that magic already.

Aadi Pinnisetty plays the Antagonist, the evil opposite Akhanda. Samyuktha takes on the female lead role in the highly anticipated sequel, which is being made on a larger scale with a significantly bigger budget. The film boasts a talented team of experienced technicians, including music composer S Thaman, cinematographer C Ramprasad, editor Tammiraju, and art director AS Prakash.

Cast: God Of Masses Nandamuri Balakrishna, Samyuktha, Aadhi Pinisetty

Technical Crew:

Writer, Director: Boyapati Sreenu
Producers: Raam Achanta, Gopi Achanta
Banner: 14 Reels Plus
Presents: M Tejeswini Nandamuri
Music: Thaman S
DOP: C Ramprasad, Santoshh D Detakae
Art: AS Prakash
Editor: Tammiraju
Fights: Ram-Lakshman
PRO: Yuvraaj
Marketing: First Show

 

https://youtu.be/BU90JJ8u2bA

 

 

 

 

Prabhu Deva to Direct Director Shankar son and Puri Jagan to direct Vijay Sethupathi

Prabhu Deva to direct Director Shankar’s son Arjith and Puri Jagganath to direct Vijay sethupathi. These two news circulating around has one common thread- Both the Directors are flop Directors. Look at Prabhu Deva. Last time I saw him was in a forgettable film Jolly Gymkhana. I saw it on OTT and reason was that I could get some or least one good choreographed song. No way. Many of my friends have not heard about it. Now it seems a leading Telugu film maker has decided to back Prabhu Deva’s story and Arjith is the choice. Now we know that Shankar’s Aditi launch. Aditi Shankar, daughter of director S. Shankar, made her acting debut in the film "Viruman" (2022) and also participated in the audio launch of "Indian 2" where she performed a song and dance. So did Arjith. Read his Insta post : arjith_shankar 41w Grateful to have had the opportunity to dance to this absolute banger by @anirudhofficial with moves so meticulously and masterfully crafted by @iambababaskar sir! Thank you @lycaproductions for having me. And big hugs and love to @shanmughamshankar @eswari_shankar @aishushankar8 @tarun_karthik Guruji @aditishankarofficial and @thanga_18 for your immense support 🙇‍♂️🙇‍♂️🙇‍♂️❤️❤️❤️🙏🙏🙏🫂🫂🫂

Prabhu Deva was a big name as Director with Pokkiri and ended with Villu in Kollywood and in Bollywood with film like Wanted 2 / Radhe. I think most exciting combo new I heard was Vijay son Jason directing Arjith and Dhruv Vkram with Rahman son Ameen as music Director. Moving to Puri Jaaganadh. Report says - After the failure of Liger and Double Ismart , Puri is in search of a comeback movie. Despite multiple script narrations to various actors, nothing has been finalized yet. However, the latest buzz is that Puri recently met acclaimed Tamil actor Vijay Sethupathi and narrated a story. The actor is yet to make a decision, but the filmmaker and his team are optimistic about getting his approval. Now is Makkal Selvan optimistic about Puri we are not sure. Post Maharajah, Vijay is back in reckoning. The problem here is that Puri Jagan as a Producer laso has debts pending and this should be taken into account as financiers these days are not very optimistic about comebacks. But trade sources say that Puri sold his properties and is all clear.

Why is ED after Director Shankar ?

Why is ED going after Director Shankar in the copyright case filed over the Rajini's Enthiran 2.0 story ?. We had published the statement from Shankar read ; https://dhakshinscreen.blogspot.com/2025/02/shankae-says-ed-attachment-legal-abuse.html. Our legal team has asked that if ED is overriding High Court judgements and stay order and taken the extra effort to get a report from Pune based Film Institute by sending both te matieral= novel by Arur Tamilnandan and Shankar’s script to get a opinion, there should be a political reason. So far we have seen that ED has acted in most cases on political diktat. Whose toes has Shankar stepped on ?. Long back, Shankar directed Muthalvan had irked M Karunanidhi and it was said that in retaliation, all cable network let loose pirated version of the film, finally it was said that Vairamuthu took Shankar to MK and a peace brokered. After that there was nothing much in his later films. Even the latest Game Changer had nothing that irked BJP. Most ironical part is that the copyright complaintant is working in Nakheeran that is pro DMK. I am not sure about this but if true, ED should have arrested the complainant instead. Probing further, Indian 3 is funded by Red Giant and Lyca. Now the film has Kamal as hero. So Red Giant ( Udhayanidhi Stalin) + Kamal Haasan is red flag to BJP and added to it has Shankar spiced up the film with anti Centre dialogues and scenes ? Shankar has bought the rights of the book Velpari written by Madurai MP Venkatesan who is CPM member., All this looks like enough reason. Shankar says except for the media releases from ED, his properties have not faced any action nor has he got any notice. The complaintant asked for Rs 1 crore as compensation but ED has by its statement attached Rs 10 crore worth assests. Why should ED come into a film copyright case > Writer had given a complaint to ED and the copyright case comes under financial crime. The ED recovers assets from economic criminals and compensates victims of financial crimes. So Shankar is an economic criminal as per ED. What a shame 1 The man who through Indian created Indian thaata that fought corruption tooth ,and nail is a economic criminal. Anyway Shankar should go to court to clear this black mark. Already as Director post Game Changer, his stock is low. Meanwhile Lyca has given up on third part as Shankar is asking for a bomb to complete the film. Red Giant will have to enter the arena

Director Shankar blames Producer for Game Changer flop- Rakesh Roshan says South stuck in safe formula

Director Shankar has said that Game Changer that was out was what was left out of the 5 hours of footage that he kept for trimming. He was indirectly implying that he was not satisfied with the footage was chosen. Only two persons can choose the footage and that is the Editor and Director. From Shankar’s outburst, it looks like apart him , the other person who can interfere is the Producer. Shankar seems to be blaming Dil Raju the film producer From Producer point of view is that the film has shot two times the budget and final product was way behind and to top it, a song costing crores had not gone on air We will have to wait for Raju’s reaction . As per trade, film box office is moving towards a disaster. The plight of Indian 3 is pitiable as the market is not going to touch it after Game Changer box office disaster outing. Who will fund Shankar’s next film Velpari ?

As we wait for Rakesh- Hrithik Roshan docu on NetFlix we have something for you -In a recent interview with Zoom, Roshan pointed out that South cinema sticks to traditional formulas. He said it relies heavily on the usual mix of song, action, and dramatic dialogue. “They’re not progressing. Technically, they are, but storytelling-wise, they’re doing the same formulas that work. They’re successful because they’re not breaking any path,” he explained. Roshan believes that while South films may be advancing technically, they are not innovating in their storytelling. On the other hand, he feels that Bollywood is “breaking paths.” He used his own career as an example, explaining how he chose to take a different route after the success of Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai. Instead of making another romantic film, he made Koi Mil Gaya, which introduced a superhero character played by his son, Hrithik Roshan. “These are the challenges we took. They don’t take them. They play on safe grounds,” Roshan said. Filmmaker Reveals He Was Shot By Gun After KNPH Release Rakesh Roshan is currently enjoying the success of Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai‘s re-release, which hit theatres on January 10. The 2000 film, which marked Hrithik Roshan‘s debut, has become a cult classic, loved by fans for its memorable music and story. But Roshan’s journey hasn’t always been smooth. In another interview with Bollywood Hungama, he revealed a shocking experience. Shortly after Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai‘s release, he was shot in broad daylight while leaving his office in Mumbai. He was hit by two bullets but managed to drive himself to the hospital and recover. Roshan later discovered that underworld figures had wanted Hrithik to star in a film backed by them. When Roshan refused their offer, saying Hrithik was unavailable, the violent attack occurred. “I never gave any indication that Hrithik could do a film for them,” he said, explaining the reason behind the attack.

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,_

Director Shankar's comeback ! Amazon buys Game Changer for Rs 50 cr

  Game Changer literally  is what has happened to Director Shankar. This Ram Charan film has been bought for Rs 50 crores by Amazon Prime, says trade. This is the highest amount that a Ram Charan film has been sold for. Given that Ram Charan track record as an actor at the box office is excellent , it may not be any great shakes to the actor but for Shankar, it is a biggest  shot in the arm. Apart from this, Game Changer is releasing for Pongal in January 2025 and as Chiranjeevi and other major Telugu films have moved away from this date, the clean unopposed run at box office is assured. In fact it is expected to run better than Devara, Similarly, the North Indian box office has no major opposition on this dates.

Look at the scenario. The film Indian 2 has bombed badly and so badly that media reports say that the third part is going for an OTT release and skipping theatre. The reports put the blame on Shankar for taking a second part that had no link to the first part and then using the remain portions for a third part. This was seen as a bad move to  squeeze in a second part that was not needed and put in the entire project in doldrums. Shankar's direction came into attack as it was seen as outdated and archaic.

Shankar has never faced such harsh backlash in his life. It started with his dispute with Producers Lyca and Vadivelu. After much dilly dallying, it was solved. The second sequel bombed box office and content wise. Music wise and in terms of visuals , the song sequences were a damp squib. In short it missed the Shankar trade mark. Game Changer came under a cloud. Now all that has moved away.

Director Shankar angry with Koratala Siva or Siruthai Siva ?

 

Is Director Shankar upset with Koratala Siva of Devara or Siruthai Siva of Kanguva ? In a tweet he threatens legal action against some recent films that have ben lifting profusely from the book written by Su Venatesan’s book Vel Paari. Shankar has bought the rights. Some say that Shankar is angry with Kanguva director for using many situations in the novel and some found their way in the trailor. Others say the timing of the post coming soon after Devara trailor shows that Koratala Siva has liberally used from the book. Only after release of Devara can we know  and the tweet by Shankar is to warn Siva from lifting more from the book for the second part.  Kanguva is a fictional character and a Tamil warrior and could this film be the culprit. Here again a sequel is on the cards.

One post said - Su Venkatesan is a Telugu person and his main agenda is to speak or write against Tamil history. Another felt - But Director Shankar loves to portray historic Tamil characters in negative light in all of his movies. Eg. Angavai Sangavai, Panjavan Paari vendhan etc. This is exactly why this director has chosen to make Velpaari novel, which denigrates a Tamil King, into a movie.

Paari Salaan writes; Do not use historical names from Tamil history in fictional stories, especially if intended to portray them negatively. The entire novel written by Su. Venketesh Naidu portrays the Tamil kings—Chera, Chola, and Pandya—in a negative light, which is historically inaccurate. It falsely accuses them of a genocide that never occurred.

Shankar post - Attention to all ! As the copyright holder of Su. Venkatesan’s iconic Tamil novel "Veera Yuga Nayagan Vel Paari", I'm disturbed to see key scenes being ripped off & used without permission in many movies. Really upset to see important key scene from the novel in a recent movie trailer. Kindly refrain from using the scenes from the novel in movies, web series and any medium, Respect creators' rights! Refrain from Unauthorized adaptations of scenes, Refrain from infringement or face legal action! #VeeraYugaNayaganVelPaari #CopyrightProtection #FilmEthics

@SuVe4Madurai

 

Ranveer next with Shankar - Bujji voice is Keerthy Suresh - Sun TV no to Lal Salaam

There is a Mollywood connect that was revealed when Prabhas unveiled Bujji the wonder vehicle. The voice of Bujji is none other than Keerthy Suresh. Though a Malayali, she is actually a nall South actress and her chatter with Prabhas is become a hit after the video was released.

Sun TV is in a state of shock after the TRP of Captain Miller premiere was only 5.5 . The Dhanush film was just average at box office. The fate of Rajinikanth Lal Salaam, Akhil Akkineni- Mammootty – Venkat Prabhu film Agent and Hindi film Ganapath of Tiger Shroff. Netflix has backed out of Lal Salaam and Agent is caught in a producer- distributor dispute. With Miller TRP, Sun TV is not likely to offer any big bucks for a satellite release.

Our trackers tell us that the next project fir Director Shankar is with Ranveer Singh and that is the reason why the Prasanth Varma ( Hanuman ) has been pushed for a later date. Mythiri Movie Makers who had bankrolled the Ranveer and Prashanth project are also behind the Shankar project. We are not sure whether the film subject is the one that Shankar was supposed to do . It was on a book written by Madurai MP and titled Vel Pari. Varma had done a promo shoot and done extensive pre- production activities. Mythiri has a co – production with Kalyan Ram for NTR Jr and Neel direction and apart from this it is behind Prabhas – Hanu directorial. With Salaar 2 postponed, Mythiri the makers of Pushpa are sitting pretty.

Dulquer - Ravi back - Sruthi Haasan and Kamal in Thalaivar 171

Latest buzz is that Thug Life is starting shoot on April 20th. Guess What? Dulquer and Jeyam Ravi are back in the cast and it seems STR will also be part of the film. Dulquer and Ravi projects had a delay and the dates were available and Mani Ratnam has made use of it. Now we may think that STR might be having a cameo but it is not so. He comes in two different makeovers in the film. From Thug Life we move to Kalki where Kamal plays the baddie. This Prabhas film has collected Rs 200 crores as advance from two Telugu States. This amount is what a Rajamouli film can dp. The distributors have to get back their investment as well share after paying GST. This means a gross of Rs 400 crores. Prabhas Salaar distributor share was Rs 147 crores. Producers are confident as the risk is on them and they will have to pay back the shortfall, In overseas too the film instead of being sold outright has been given on advance basis. Yet another Kamal linked news is that Lokesh who is directing Thalaivar 171 has got Sruthi Haasan in the to be release first look video. Is she acting in the film? Is it a favour done for Lokesh appearing in her music video?. Let’s wait. Another report is that Kamal has given the intro to the title revealing video. Already reports say that Sathyaraj is playing the baddie. But our source says that Ranveer Singh had taken part in the first look shoot. We has reported about this possibility. It looks probable as our friends who attended Shankar’s daughter vmarriage says that Ranveer was seen shaking a leg at the wedding. Rajanikanth, Kamal, Suriya, Karthi and Vikram were those our friends saw. Incidentally Ranveer dancing partner was Shankar’s daughter Aditi.

Master exact copy of Malayalam Mudra - Boney confirms Suriya film - Shankar daughter marries Papa's AD

Today there is lot of film mews that is linked between Kerala and Tamil Nadu film industries. Biggest news is that Brahmayugam starring Mammootty and shot in B&W that was released last Friday has collected Rs 15 crores in three days. For one the film is produced by Shashikanth of YNot Studios who produced any Tamil films including Tamil Padam. He is currently directing a film on Test cricket with Nayanthara. Yet another link is that the film on Sunday alone from Tamil Nadu grossed Rs 26 lakhs and from 38 screens. From Thursday till Sunday, the film took Rs 73 lakhs from Tamil Nadu. It seems that Mamootty film took three days to get the life time collection of Mohanlal’s Valibban. Now the fight between Lal’s Valiban and Brahmayugam has moved to OTT. Valiban is coming on Friday on OTT and Lal fans say that it will break the digital world figures. Asianet will have a World Priemiere.

Now Akshay on X has compiled scenes and plot of Malayalam film Mudra and Vijay Master to show that literally it was a scene by scene copy by Lokesh of the 1989 Mammooty film Mudra. Story was by Lohitadas. Speaking about Vijay, one news is cinematographer Manikantan’s daughter Abyukta is acting in GOAT. Manikantan has worked for Shankar ( Anniyan), Mani Ratnam ( Raavanan) and Priyadarshan ( Billu Barber). Artist V Jeevananathan is eldest brother of Manikantan. As we are on Shankar, the news that the Director’s daughter who divorced her cricketeer huby is tying the knot with one of Papa’s assistants. Many are lauding it as the greatness of the Director in allowing this union to take place !!!. The AD Tharun Karthik is a singer- music Director and a Editor, we are told.

Boney Kapoor has confirmed that his daughter Jhanvi will be part of Ram Charan forthcoming film with Buchi Babu. She is already part of Jr NTR Devara. He also added that Jhanvi will do a Tamil film with Suriya.

Raghava Lawrence in Thalaivar 171, Malavika Mohan in deglam role - Indian 2 Intro review

 

Raghava Lawrence has agreed to play the baddie in Thalaivar 171 directed by Lokesh Kangaraj. It seems that Lokesh had  offered Santhanam character in Vikram but Lawrence turned it down saying that he did want to be seen in a role that relates to drug peddling. It was played by Vijay Sethupathi. This time Lawrence agreed as he is an ardent fan of Rajinikanth and did not want to miss a chance to act with his idol.

Indian 2 Intro shows Senapathy of Indian and not the early days of Senapathy as we expected. Grandeur in songs and crowd scenes and fight against corruption. The song Come Back India has nothing special to it. Did Shankar made a mistake by replacing Rahman with Anirudh ? We will have to see with next song release ? Is younger Senapathy coming in Part 3 ?

Malavika who scorches net with her glam  stills now in a deglam tribal girl role. Malavika Mohanan plays a tribal woman in Thangalaan

Actress Malavika Mohanan, one of the leading actresses of Indian cinema, does not get stuck in one type of character, but takes on a variety of roles and has made a special place for herself in the world of cinema and is exciting the fans. Her ability to instantly transition into a compelling role despite playing glamorous avatars proves her versatility as an actress. He is always ready to prove his mettle in various characters and stories.

In "Thangalaan" opposite Ceyyan Vikram, her portrayal of a tribal girl shows her commitment. This is not the first time she has changed like this; Her debut film "Beyond the Clouds" directed by world famous director Majid Majidi, grabbed everyone's attention with the intense role in the film. This is a testament to her acting prowess.

Working with Pa Ranjith, Tamil's most prominent acclaimed director, was undoubtedly her greatest opportunity. Teaming up with Pa Ranjith, it will be an interesting experience for the fans to see her in a different role. Her performance in intense action scenes in "Thangalaan" is a perfect example of her versatility.

PM Modi - Unni Mukundan meet lead to rejection of Mallikapuram by jury and boycott Tamil films call in Kerala

Was the Mallikapuram film ignored for a State Award in Kerala due to its alleged propagation of Hindu religion by the Left Government? Alternatively, could it have been overlooked because the film's hero, Unni Mukundan, met PM Modi during his recent visit to Kochi? Despite being a blockbuster hit and garnering praise for the child actor's performance, Devananda, the film didn't receive an award. Director Viji Thampi, who is associated with Viswa Hindu Parishad, stated that during his time as a member of the National awards jury the previous year, there was no interference from the Ministry. This year, the State jury received a pre-determined list of award winners. Interestingly, Devananda also acted in another successful film in 2018. Furthermore, the Kerala film jury had BJP leader Gautami, who is also the Chairperson of the Regional Censor Board, as one of its members.

Director Vinayan, the founder President of MACTA (Kerala Cine Technicians Association), expressed his opposition to the FEFSI's call for using only Tamil actors in Tamil films. In response, he suggested halting the release of Tamil films in Kerala. Vinayan clarified that although he has great respect for the Tamil film industry, and has even directed Tamil films like "Kasi" featuring Vikram, he believes FEFSI's stance goes against the principles of federalism and unity as one nation. Vinayan pointed out that many actors, including Kamal Haasan, have simultaneous releases in Kerala and achieve significant box office success, earning over Rs 150 crores at theaters in the state. He acknowledged that the call for using only Tamil actors in Tamil films has garnered support from various quarters, and in Kerala, there is no objection from the State Government or any film trade body. Regarding his film "19 Noothand," which received three State awards, some criticism arose, suggesting that the film, based on a historical character that brought about social changes, deserved better recognition. In response, Vinayan mentioned that he did not anticipate receiving these awards and expressed gratitude to Chalchitra Academy Chairman Ranjith for the recognition.

Director Shankar has commenced the post-production work of Indian 2. According to internal reports, computer-generated imagery (CG) has been utilized not only for the late actors Nedumudi Venu and Vivek but also to depict Kamal Haasan's character, Senapathi, as a 30-year-old in the movie. CG has been employed in various Hindi films as well, such as "Dhoni: The Untold Story" to portray the childhood days of actor Sushanth, "Lal Singh Chaddha" featuring Aamir Khan, and "Fan" starring Shah Rukh Khan. In an interview, Lokesj mentioned that in the film "Vikram," they also used CG to depict Kamal Haasan, but due to its length, they couldn't include it in the final cut to avoid increasing the runtime. However, he assured that the CG portions will be released at a later stage.

Rajinikanth "Jailer" has received a U/A certification and has a total runtime of 2 hours and 48 minutes. The first half of the film spans one hour and 19 minutes, while the second half is one hour and 29 minutes long. The audio launch event will take place at Chennai Nehru Stadium on July 28th. Among the songs in the movie, two have already become hits, both composed by Anirudh. The lead actress in the film is Tamannaah, and the cast also includes Mohanal and Shivarajkumar.

Red Giant bags Jawan - Body double and CG for Vivek and Nedumudi - Suriya B' Day gift

Red Giant Movies' upcoming release is "Rajikanth Jailer," set to hit theaters in August. Additionally, they have acquired the Tamil and Hindi theatrical rights for "Jawan," a film starring Shah Rukh Khan, Nayanthara, and Vijay Sethupathu, for Tamil Nadu. The company's most recent release, "Maaveeran," featuring Sivakarthikeyan, achieved significant success, earning Rs 50 crores worldwide in just five days, with Rs 34 crores coming from India alone. Some of Red Giant Movies' past blockbuster releases include "Thunivu" starring Ajith, "Dada" starring Kavin, "PS 2," and "Mammannan." The founder and owner of the company, Udhaynidhi, who is also a State minister, has decided to pass the baton to his successor and has announced his departure from the film industry. Vijay Sethupathi was offered a staggering sum of Rs 21 crore for his role in the movie "Jawan" alongside Shah Rukh Khan. When asked about his payment for the film "Jawan," Vijay Sethupathi revealed that he would have done it for free as it was his lifelong dream to act with SRK. He also lent his voice to Sivakarthikyan's film "Maaveeran," where the producers, Arun Vishwa, expressed their gratitude by prominently featuring his name, and it's said that Vijay Sethupathi refused any payment, considering it a favor for his friend SK. Vijay Sethupathi has an exciting lineup of films, which includes "Merry Christmas," "Gandhi Talks," "Maharaja," "VJS 51," and "Viduthalai 2," among others. Additionally, there are ongoing discussions for him to take up significant roles in "KH 233," "Sardar 2," and "RC 16."

During the one-year hiatus in shooting Indian 2, unfortunate events occurred as both Vivek and Nedumudi Venu passed away. To preserve their contributions to the film, some crucial scenes featuring these late actors had already been captured. However, Director Shankar faced the challenge of potentially burdening the team with reshooting these scenes with different actors. Therefore, he made the decision to incorporate Computer-Generated Imagery (CGI) to portray Vivek and Nedumudi in the movie. Through the magic of CGI, both actors will be seen in certain scenes, allowing their presence to be preserved. For Nedumudi Venu, a body double resembling him in physique and gait from the Malayalam film industry has been used. The actor is Nandu Poduval.

On July 23, actor Suriya will celebrate his 48th birthday, and on this occasion, an announcement will be made regarding his next project with director Sudha Kongara. This collaboration comes after their successful venture "Soorai Pottru" (SP). Additionally, Suriya will once again team up with G V Prakash for this gangster drama, which is reportedly based on real-life incidents. The movie will be produced under the banner of 2D Entertainment, the actor's home production company. Presently, Sudha Kongara is occupied with the shooting of the Hindi remake of "Soorai Pottru" with Akshay Kumar, while Suriya's upcoming commitments include the film directed by Veterimaaran after he wraps up filming for "Ganguvaa."

Ponniyin Selvan 2 faces Akhil - Mammooty Agent competition - Director Shankar AD turns beggar

The upcoming release of Ponniyin Selvan 2 is set to face stiff competition in Kerala from the film Agent, which features Mammooty in a significant role. Both movies are scheduled to release on April 28th, leading to a clash at the box office. Meanwhile, in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Dil Raju, who has acquired the distribution rights, is facing challenges. The Telugu film industry suggests that Raju is creating obstacles, as he did with Vijay's Varasudu, to prevent any straight films from the Nagarjuna family from having a clear and unopposed run. As a result, Agent and Ponniyin Selvan 2 will have to share theaters. Additionally, Panja Vaishnav Tej, known for his role in the film Uppena, is also releasing his fourth film on the same day. Although Dil Raju owns a chain of theaters, he is helpless this time as he is only the distributor and not the producer, and therefore cannot decide on the release date.

The situation looks unfavorable for Ponniyin Selvan 2 in Kerala as Agent, which features Mammootty in a prominent role, is expected to secure the best theaters and attract larger opening crowds. Furthermore, since the first installment of PS did not perform well, the chances of success at the box office appear bleak unless positive word of mouth and pre-release publicity manage to attract audiences in both Kerala and Telugu regions.

According to a trade report, Gokulam Gopalan's company will release the second installment of Ponniyin Selvan in Kerala. The first movie did not perform well in Kerala and the two Andhra states, with a collection of only Rs 6.50 crores in the first 15 days. Our previous report stated that PS 2 was struggling to find buyers in neighboring states. However, Gokulam has now stepped forward and acquired the film for a minimum guarantee of Rs 9 crores from Lyca Productions. This means that if the movie's collections fall below this amount, Lyca Productions will have to compensate for the deficit. Gokulam Movies has got Dream Big Films as distribution partner. Sri Venkateswara Movies of Dil Raju who distributed first part in two Andhra States has agreed to take the second part but on a commission basis

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According to a report, Selvendran, who was previously Director Shankar's Assistant Director, is currently begging on the streets of Chennai. Selvendran had worked with Bharthiraaja and then assisted Shankar in films such as Kathalan, Jeans, and Indian. He later got a producer, Sai Rathnam, to support his story and made his own film titled Oru Kadhalan Oru Kathali in Tamil and Neeku Naaku in Telugu. The film featured Sarath Chander as the hero, Rambha as the main attraction, and Lakshmi Rai in her debut role in Telugu, alongside Abhinaysree in Tamil version. Unfortunately, the Telugu version of the film, which was released in 2006, was a failure, and even the revised Tamil version with Abhinaysree in the lead, released in 2009, was not successful.

After this, Selvendran's career took a downturn, and he became unapproachable. Currently, he is reportedly begging on the streets for food. Rambha is married and living abroad, while Lakshmi Rai, who now goes by the name Rai Lakshmi, is busy sharing bikini photos of her vacations abroad. Meanwhile, Director Shankar is busy working on his upcoming projects, Indian 2 and Rc 15.

Ram Charan - Shankar film title fixed - Suriya in Sita Ramam director next

Hanu Raghavapudi, who has received critical acclaim, struggled to achieve commercial success until he directed the film Sita Ramam, which starred Dulquer Salmaan and Mrunal Thakur and finally became a commercial hit. Recently, Hanu Raghavapudi approached Tamil superstar Suriya, who has a Pan-India image, with an impressive storyline that Suriya approved of. This move by Hanu Raghavapudi follows a trend of Tamil stars collaborating with Telugu directors, such as Vijay Thalapathy working with Vamshi Paidipally for Vaarasudu/Varisu and Dhanush achieving success with SIR/Vaathi by teaming up with Venky Atluri, as well as signing on for a film with Sekhar Kammula. Now, Suriya is joining this bandwagon, and he and Hanu Raghavapudi's high-budgeted multi-lingual film will be multi starrer and bankrolled by Mythri Movie Makers, who have a good relationship with the Chiru family and have asked Hanu Raghavapudi to pitch the story to Ram Charan. Additionally, Suriya has a good rapport with Chiru-Allu Aravind.

 Shankar is currently directing an upcoming film featuring Ram Charan, which has now been given the title "CEO - Chief Electoral Officer". The film is set for a pan-India release and the team believes that the title will work well across all languages. The official announcement of the title will be made on March 27th, which happens to be Ram Charan's birthday. The movie is being produced by Dil Raju and Shirish under the banner of Sri Venkateswara Creations and will be released in Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi. Alongside Ram Charan, the film also stars Srikanth, Sunil, Anjali and SJ Suryah in pivotal roles.

Ram Charan himself has stated that his character in next film directed by Buch Baba Sana will be groundbreaking and surpass even his fan-favorite role of Chitti Babu in "Rangasthalam". He has also shared that shooting for the project will commence in September 2023 and expressed confidence that the film will appeal to Western audiences as well.

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The RRR producer, Danayya, was not present at the Oscars or involved in the Oscar campaign due to his lack of interest in spending money on it. Despite this, he expressed his pride in the RRR team and added that he was not invited to the Oscars by the RRR team and kept in the dark. It was revealed that Rajamouli's family and Baahubali producer, Shobu Yarlagadda, had funded the Oscar campaign expenses. Furthermore, Ram Charan claimed in an interview with India Today that he had expressed his willingness to perform the Naatu Naatu song at the Oscars but never received a call. This was revealed after the Oscar producers disclosed that Ram Charan and NTR Jr had declined the opportunity to perform the song. RC fans say that it was NTR Jr who spoiled the golden opportunity to perform on a global stage.

Vijay Devarakonda's Liger only hope for Telegu filmdom- Tamil directors bad for Telegu heroes

 

Will Liger save Tollywood ? Tamil directors a curse for Telegu heroes ? . These questions are popping up as Tollywood like Bollywood is caught in a quagmire. Good content films that are praised by critics are disasters at box office , recent case being Gargi of Sai Pallavi. Here again a film like Major and Vikram to a certain extent raised some buzz but of no use. Close to 400 theaters in Andhra are partially shut (open only for weekends). Now entire theater – distributor groups have only one word and that is Liger of Vijay Devaraknda. It is releasing on August 22^nd.

When the industry is in a bad shape with multiple flops every week, many superstitions gain credibility. Take the case of Acharya . Megastar Chiranjeevi film bombs and there was a talk that any hero who comes soon after doing a SSR film will give a dud. Ram Charan was a pivotal player in Acharya. Now after disastrous flop or rather a washout of The Warrior, the talk is that no Tamil director has with a Telegu hero given a hit. In fact it has been disasters. The Warrior was directed by Linguswamy and Ram Pothneni was the hero.

Why Liger is seen as a winner? One is that Vijay Devarakonda is a youth hero and director Puri Jagganath is a considered a ` mass’  director. The buzz on this film never died down despite a two year of film making and addition of International boxing champ Tyson added to the hype. Already there is a great expectation for the trailor releasing on July 22^nd. Vijay plays a chaiwallah in Mumbai who goes on to fight Mike Tyson at MMA championship at Las Vegas.

Let’s move to Tamil directors and Telegu heroes. The men who believe in this sentiment that Tamil directors are bad medicine for Telegu heroes, point out a recent flop of Prince Mahesh Babu’s Spyder directed by A R Murugadoss. Vijay Devarakonda’s NOTA directed by Anand Shankar and Nani’s Jenda Pai Kapiraju by Samuthrakanni. All the three heroes were doing excellent at box office till they did these films. Now Ram after Red and I smart was a bankable hero. Banking on Linguswamy, Ram kept Vizag and Nizam areas. All of them have been washouts.

So will Shankar directed RC 15 go the same way or beak the jinx ?..  Shankar did only one non Tamil film and that was remake of Gentleman in Hindi with Anil Kapoor , It was a dud. Dulquar Salman with Sita Raman and  Ravi Teja ( who has a bad run in box office) with Ramarao On Duty and Naga Chaitanaya's Thank You  is coming in a few days. Nobody expects any miracles from them.

Vikram Effect : Kamal Haasan - Shankar Indian 2 to have Bollywood actors

 Vikram blockbuster hit has spurred Lyca to pump in more money to make Indian 2 a truly Pan Indian in terms of casting, said a source. Vijay Sethupathi is likely to be added to the cast and casting directors are approaching some top Bollywood actors to join the cast. The makeover was sspurred by overseas box office record set by Vikram's Tamil prints and also that Shankar would finish the film and make this the next release of Kamal Haasan, This has made Lyca loosen the purse strings and decided to close all disputes over the money incurred so far on the film. Shankar's S Pictures  had overseen the production for Lyca till now. Hereafter the film will be a collaboration between Lyca and Udhaynidhi's Red Giant.

Like Sanjay Dutt in KGF 2, Indian 2 would focus on a top B Town actor to play the antagonist. The interesting part is that Kamal's role of a anti- corruption crusader is an anti- hero nature. Sources said that Sushmitha Sen who is now made a comeback with Arya web series is to be roped in for the project. Sushmitha had danced to Shakalaaka Baby song in Gentleman . Sushmitha's Arya is streaming on Disney Hotstar and this OTT has bought Vikram.

Source said that Lyca which has deep connections with BTown has decided to promote the film on the lines of RRR and KGF2. The idea is to revamp the project and plug in the flaws that did take Vikram's Hindi version to many terrotiries. It maybe recalled that Shankar- Rajinikanth 's Enthiran 2 still remains the top Box ofice draw in India and this was possible as the film had Akshay Kumar in the cast. Shankar saw Maamanithan and applauded Vijay Sethupathi's acting.

Director Shankar moves to Ram Charan film 3rd schedule : Indian 2 ???

 Director Shankar will start shoot for Ram Charan \s Telugu film from February 10th and producer Dil Raju said that the film will be a 2023 Pongal release. So what happens to Indian 2 ?. The film was to be completed and given to Lyca for a Diwali release. Sources in Raj Kamal Films say that Kamal Haasan will attend Indian 2 only after Vikram release.. 

Though the film is directed by Shankar, many of the changes in casting has been done by Kamal. Guru Somasundram has been added to Indian 2 and is said to be playing Late Vivek's character. Guru is also part of Vikram and his role in Malayalam film Minnal Murali was well received. Secondly on the heroine front, it seems Trisha could be replacing Kajol Agarwal flexible dates is an issue. Bollywood action star Vidyut Jammwal, , Siddharth, Priya Bhavani Shankar, Aishwarya Rajesh are also said to be part of the movie. dialogues are penned by Jeyamohan, Kabilan Vairmuthu and Lakshmi Saravanakumar. Others in the technical crew include music director Anirudh Ravichander, cinematographer Ravi Varman, editor Sreekar Prasad and production designer Muthuraj

Most of the script  being rewritten with Kamal's guidance. The four year old film saw death of     comedian Vivek and a fatal accident that left 10 unit hands dead, It also saw Kajol getting married and quitting films.  As part of updating exercise, many of the scenes are being damped, said a source. Shankar on the other hand is engrossed in  Ram Charan film. He visited  many locales in Andhra and has fixed Rajahmundry,, Kakinada and Kovvur for third schedule of the film.

Legal paperwork between Lyca and Shanakar is far from over, revealed a source. Lyca who had handed over Indian 2 to Shankar the production work is now in talks with Kamal Haasan's Raj Kamal Films and Madurai Anbu's Gopuram films to handle the remaining work. Sources expect Kamal wrap up Vikram by month end and Shankar to finish Ram Charan film third schedule by then. If things go smooth, Indian 2 should see revival by August.

Director Shankar son Arjith to debut in `Kadhal 2'

Director Shankar's son Arjith is to debut as hero in the sequel to the film `Kadhal' sequel directed by Balaji Sakthivel and produced by S Pictures. Sources say that Arjith completed direction course in New York Film Academy and returned back to Chennai. Now it looks like Arjith will don the grease pain instead.

Kadhal film had been an evergreen romantic tale that launched the career of director Balaji Saktivel and actors Sandhya and Bharat. Arjith's sister Aditi is already acting in a Tamil film Viruman  with Karthi as hero.  Arjith was first spotted in public when he came for the 2.0 audio launch in Dubai. Dhanush had come with his son and Rajinikanth's family. Later Arjith , Dhruv ( son of actor Vikram) and  Ameen ( son of A R Rahman) are good friends and posted pixs of them together. Dhruv is two films old and his second release Mahaan with Papa Vikram as co- actor is coming on OTT in FEB. Rahman's son is already a playback singer who has sung for a Hollywood film. Now Arjith will make his entry. Will friends Dhruv and Ameen join him?

Shankar- Vikram- Rahman came together for I.