Naslen- Kalyani Leads over Mohanlal / Only one says Pradeep / Mirna Menon with Lokesh

 Coming to the first superheroine movie, Lokah, it opens with blockbuster WOM and reviews. With such huge positive talk alongside the advantage of being a franchise film, Kalyani Priyadarshan’s Lokah surpasses Mohanlal’s movie.

Hridayapooravam is a family genre, and Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra took a very big lead from the evening shows on the first day. 

With Mohanlal’s stardom, Hridayapooravam opens bigger than Lokah on the first day, but today, which is the second day of both films, Lokah takes a clear lead, and it is trending over double of Mohanlal’s film.

The same trend is likely to continue in the coming days, which means Hridayapooravam might emerge as a decent success, whereas Lokah will be heading for a massive blockbuster run. Dulquer Salmaan is being appreciated for producing this female centric superhero film. Many have praised Kalyani Priyadarshan for her performance, calling it stunning and powerful, adding to the film’s growing reputation among Malayalam and pan-Indian audiences. Trade experts believe Lokah is a true pan-Indian film from Malayalam cinema, even without big stars. If the film performs well at the box office, it could inspire other industries to shape small-budget pan-Indian movies with strong storytelling. Though Lokah did not open big, the positive word of mouth is now driving ticket bookings upward. All eyes are on how it performs in the coming days and whether it sets new records in collections across India.

Director Lokesh Kanagaraj is all set to make his debut as a lead hero with a film directed by Arun Matheswaran. The latest news is that he pairs up with Mirna Menon.

The film’s pre-production work is going on currently, and it is being said that the team is discussing with Mirna Menon to pair up against Lokesh Kanagaraj in this action drama. She was previously seen in Jailer as Rajinikanth’s daughter-in-law.

Produced by Sun Pictures, this film will go on floors this year-end, and the Kaithi director also took part in some training to play a lead hero. 

As said above, it is an action film, and Lokesh will be excited to show up on screen as a lead hero and enthrall his fans, who are disappointed with his recent directorial, Coolie, starring Rajinikanth.

Pradeep Ranganathan’s upcoming two films, LIK and Dude, have been announced for Diwali release, and there was a report that both films will arrive on the same day. But Pradeep Ranganathan confirms that only one film will be released this Diwali.

A few days ago, both films’ teams started promotions with the festival release tag. Lately the LIK (Love Insurance Kompany) team released a teaser, and Dude released its first single.

With this, audiences expected that they would witness a surprise clash on Diwali, as both films feature the same hero. But Pradeep Ranganathan officially confirms that only one film will arrive this Diwali. LIK, as per the plan, has to release first, but due to some financial issues, the movie’s progress was delayed. Now, if they are able to sort the issues, then it will be the only film that is likely to arrive for Diwali, or else Dude will be released in its place.

there were huge expectations on Sai Abhyankkar  young music director, and his 1st single is out now, i.e., Pradeep Ranganathan’s Dude in both Telugu and Tamil. But the song failed to reach the expectations, as the listeners did not like it and felt that the music, visuals, lyrics, and vocals were completely out of sync. The majority opinion is that the song is a big mess. 

Dragon Pradeep DUDE OTT SHOCKER / TOURIST FAMILY DIRECTOR TURNS HERO / Triple Pongal Clash

 Budget of Dude is 25–30 cr, and recently the OTT Rights of the film have been bought by Netflix (Third film bought from Pradeep) for 25 Crores.

This is a higher OTT deal than Sivakarthikeyan’s Madharasi OTT deal with Netflix. Pradeep appears to be in terrific form in the market.

This is the case because combining Theatrical, Satellite, Audio, and Dubbing rights- the film has already entered the profit zone for Mythiri, which is a record achievement for an actor’s fourth film. Pradeep Ranganathan, who is aiming for his 100 cr hat trick with LIK in September, and then another one with Dude in October.

After the sensational success of Tourist Family, its director who also played a small role in the film is making his debut as a lead hero in his upcoming project. The film is inspired off of the youthfulness of Manmadhan, and the title of the film is a famous tag from it- it’s either Flames or Corrected Machi. It’s directed by his AD, and Anaswara Rajan is in final talks to be playing the female lead.

Abishan is apperantly a co-writer of the film and his inputs are included.

Either Sean Roldan or Sai Abhyankar will get roped in, in the following weeks.

Following this film, Abhishan will be doing his second directorial with Dhanush- next year.

PONGAL 2026 - BIGGER THAN EVER??

Karuppu VS Jananayagan VS Parasakthi

Suriya VS Vijay VS SK

All the three of them have different goals.

Vijay is retiring so he wants his film to be a grand farewell for him.

SK’s 25th film is Parasakthi and all his rival actors Dhanush, Suriya and Simbu has delivered a blockbuster in their 25th film (VIP, Singam, Vinnaithandi Varuvaya)

Suriya’s long awaited comeback. Karuppu being a commercial entertainer from Suriya after a lot of preachy films.

Who will achieve their goal.

The theatre preferences are Jana Nayagan > Parasakthi > Karuppu. Will Karuppu beat these favourites ?

Suriya- Vetrimaaran Vaadivaasal is ON / Rajini and Dhanush hears H Vinoth/ Dragon Again with AGS

 

• Vaadivaasal is not dropped, rumors are false. The animatronics had some delays and there were some budget issues, but shoot will begin from October-November. Will release next year. Suriya is in discussion with a film with director Jithu Madhavan who did Aavesham. It is produced by a Tamil company.

• Simbu’s immediate project is a dark gangster drama set in North Madras, directed by Vetrimaaran. There is a decent chance that this film is Vada Chennai 2, or is part of that world. The film shoot begins first week of July, and will get wrapped up around October. Releasing in December to February. Right after this Simbu will begin his project with Ashwath Marimuthu.

• Rajinikanth and Dhanush are in talks for seperate films with director H Vinoth. For the Dhanush project the producer is 7 Screen Studios. Hearing Vinoth is in a better head space now.

• Pradeep Ranganathan has signed two films with AGS. One of them is his second collaboration with Ashwath Marimuthu, and the other is one of his own direction. The film is a commercial Sci-Fi Super Hero subject, which the bound script is done. It isn’t decided if Pradeep will act in this film- AGS wants him to but Pradeep is reluctant.

Mamitha Baiju with Dragon / Dhanush Kubera - 23rd year in films

 Joining Pradeep as the female lead is Mamitha Baiju, who won hearts with her energetic performance in "Premalu," while senior actor Sarath Kumar will be seen in a pivotal role in Dude.Following the release of Pradeep Ranganathan's first look, the makers have now unveiled Mamitha Baiju's look from the film. Known for her vibrant portrayal in "Premalu," Mamitha looks like the perfect on-screen partner for Pradeep in this poster. While Pradeep is seen smiling and relaxed, Mamitha makes a stylish statement with her trendy attire and cool goggles.

Mythri Movie Makers has assembled a talented technical team for this project. Young sensation Sai Abhyankar is composing the music, with Niketh Bommi handling the cinematography. Latha Naidu is the production designer, and Bharath Vikraman is the editor.

With production already in full swing, the team is working diligently to deliver the perfect entertainer for Diwali. "Dude" is slated for a release in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, and Hindi languag

Kuberaa makers introduce Dhanush as Deva

The makers of Kuberaa dropped a tribute on social media that not only celebrated the actor’s remarkable journey but also gave fans their first major reveal: the name of Dhanush’s character in the film — Deva.

The image hints at a deeply emotional and transformative role for the actor, whose versatility has long set him apart in Indian cinema.

The tribute was shared along with a striking new poster featuring Dhanush in a raw and intense avatar. The caption accompanying the post read, “23 years of a remarkable actor whose journey of hard work, passion, and dedication continues to inspire. Dhanush is all set to win hearts as #DEVA in #SekharKammulasKuberaa. More updates loading soon… Stay tuned!”

Kuberaa marks the first collaboration between Dhanush and Sekhar Kammula, both National Award winners, making it one of the most anticipated Tamil-Telugu bilinguals of 2025. While the filmmakers have kept plot details tightly under wraps, the film’s title and visuals suggest a gripping narrative steeped in drama, power dynamics, and emotional complexity.

Kamal Haasan - Lyca Again / Inside info on STR 49 - Suriya-/ Sivakarthikeyan- Pradeep clash

 

• Kamal Haasan's Hollywood to Silicon Valley trips are on Instagram. Back home, we told you that Kamal and Mani are meeting the Media on April 18 in the seaside Hotel in Chennai. Now we hear that Lyca after confirming the release of Indian 3 with help from Kamal and Shankar is happy that Uulaga … sorry KH has agreed to do a quickie action film on a limited budget. It has a two months shooting dates and rest for post production. Whether this is Anbiarivu project or a new one that he has scripted, no idea. We infer that it is a gesture from KH to Lyca to get back on their feet. We know that Rajinikanth had already committed a film to Lyca as a friendly gesture. We had told you about Jailer 2 shoot in Kerala. Jailer 2 will be released in April 2026. A 35-day schedule starts tomorrow.
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  • Updates on  STR49 . This week STR is going to the saloon to get rid of his long hair and beard. He will be now be seen as the clean shaven vintage STR  will be playing a full-on college rowdy. You will see full gray shades in this role.  Mrunal Thakur and Santhanam are locked, and Kayadu Lohar is being discussed. December release- Pooja next week, along with the first single of Thug Life released during the last week of April. STR might make his clean shaven appearance with Thug Life on April 18^th. STR 49 is written and directed by Ramkumar Balakrishnan who made his debut with the critically acclaimed thriller drama Parking in 2023. 
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    We had told about the impact about ARM’s Sikandar on his Tamil film Madharasi starring Sivakarthikeyan.( see https://southfilmy.blogspot.com/2025/04/siikandar-puts-sivakarthikeyan.html ). It seems after much thinking and arguments, it has been decided to release it on September 5^th. Now we hear that Pradeep Ranganathan’s LIK too is planning a September release. 30 days of shoot remains.

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    Like Kamal’s action quickie, Suriya – Venkat Atluri film will be a two month start to finish schedule . Mamitha Baiju is the love interest and this will be a pure love story and after a long time we will get to see him as an undiluted romantic. Shooting starts in June. After this the shoot of Vetrimaaran’s Vaadivaasal with Suriya begins. A melody song has already been composed. GVP scores the music.

    
    
    

  
  

Why Nasser son became Vijay's TVK member ? / Loveyapa Original Tamil hero Pradeep Hindi release

Why Actor Nasser son became a member of Thalapathy Vijay’s political party TVK ? Nassar traces out the journey – My son studied In Malaysia about gaming. He came out with flying colours and he developed a game for my Saivam. One day after launch, he along with his friends met with an accident. Three of his friends died on the spot. My son went into a coma. After he regained senses, the first word he said was Vijay. We thought that he was asking for his friend Vijay. My wife is a psychologist and she realized that my son is talking about Actor Vijay, as he was his great fan. Vijay on learning about this voluntarily came and met my son several times. At one point, my son refused to cooperate with physiotherapy and Vijay sent a video asking him to go with the treatment as only that will make him walj with him. My son is now walking and cannot communicate through words. We owe Vijay a lot and that is why my son is a TVK member. Please do not interpret it politically.” He added that Kamal Haasan took all the necessary arrangements on hearing about the accident. “Though many think that me and Sarath Kumar are on opposite sides due to Nadigar Sangham politics, it is not so. He took all efforts to see that the parents of three boys who died got the bodies without post mortem” he added. This is an interview given to Madan Gowri’s YouTube channel two months back.

Meanwhile Producer Kalaipuli Thanu is to release Sachein , the Vijay- Genelia film once again. The sogs are still a hit. Composed by DSP, the film is directed by John Mahendran son of legendary Mahendram. The film has not got much mileage on OTT or TV. Genelia is no more in circulation. The film was pitted against Kamal’s Mumbai Express and Rajini’s Chandramukhi. Only Chandramukhi ran. Plot of Sachein is a kid is dying and Vijay spends with her final moments keeping her happy. The plus points of Sachein are just three - charisma of Vijay and Genelia, Vadivelu's comedy and DSP's soundtrack

Loveyapa’s original Tamil film Love Today’s hero Pradeep Ranganathan’s Tamil blockbuster Dragon is coming on March 14th in Hindi as return of Dragon. With the second film as actor m Pradeep reaches Bollywood with a Hindi dubbed film. Pradeep has tagged SRK, Salman and Aamir in his Hindi version announcement.

Rajini no to Mari Selvaraj / Dragon Telugu compensation to Kanguva/ Rashmika Mandanna Bollywood No 1

Rajinikanth has decided that subjects with social issues as the core theme is not his cup if tea and go only for mass oriented action thrillers like forthcoming Coolie or Jailer. Mari Selvaraj had told him about a subject that deals with a societal issue and Rajini told his formula to follow the box office route. He felt that Kabali and Kaala had put him backwards and that Vettaiyan went more on story telling and giving enough of his Superstar magic. Coolie he feels will showcase his Superstardom and bring back to pinnacle. After that he is to take a safe route like teaming up with Nelson for Jailer 2 and move on to Directors who have scripts that aim to enhance his Superstar- Thalaivaa image. Meanwhile the report that Jailer 2 is about clash between Rajinikanth and Suryah has alarmed his fans as it brings memories if Game Changer and the Ram Charan v/s Suryah. The latter hammed his way through.

Dragon the Pradeep Ranganathan film in two Telugu States is Mythiri’s compensation to the Distributors who lost money in Kanguva the Suriya film that they distributed. There was even a pre- release event for Telugu version. This will clear the way for Suriya’s Retro. Suriya is also to do a film with Telugu Directors. It could be Thandel Director or Lucky Bhaskar director Venky.

Rashmika Mandanna with three Bollywood hits has consolidated her position and after a long time a South Indian actress is at the top. Animal, Pushpa 2 and now Vicky Kaushal starrer “Chhaava”, she is at No 1. Apart rom this her dedication has impressed the industry. Despite her foot injury, she attended all the promotions of Chhaava. She made her acting debut with Kirik Party, a Kannada film, in 2016. She found further success with Chamak the following year. In 2018, she ventured into Telugu cinema with Chalo and tasted success with hits like Geetha Govindam, Dear Comrade, and Sarileru Neekevvaru. Rashmika gained nationwide fame with the success of Pushpa: The Rise in 2021 and its sequel Pushpa 2: The Rule (2024). She made her Hindi film debut in 2022 with Goodbye and her first Bollywood hit with Animal. IN Tamil she acted with Karthi in Sulthan and Vijay in Varisu.

Kamal Haasan RS seat confirmed / Sri Sri Ravi Shankar launched song a hit / Pradeep Ranganathan next Rs 100 cr film

Kamal Haasan Rajya Sabha entry talks with Tamil Nadu CM Stalin’s emissary Minister Sekar Babu. MNM General Secretary A Arunachalam was also present during the discussions. One out of the six seats that DMK gets in July after it falls vacant will go to Kamal . It was formally offered to him. It will be put up at the annual meet of MNM. MNM spokesperson Murali Appas confirmed that the party is set to receive a Rajya Sabha seat but added that Kamal Haasan would present it at the party executive to name the candidate and get general body approval. Kamal’s MNM supported DMK in Lok Sabha polls and the latter had offered the Rajya Sabha seat. Kamal had offered to contest against BJP State President Annamalai and Congress offered him a `safe’ seat. Stalin however wanted him to go RS as part of INDIA Bloc.

Manchu Vishnu’s upcoming biggie, Kannappa‘s first song, Shiva Shiva Shankaraa released yesterday at the Art of Living ashram in Bengaluru by spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has surprisingly received a stunning response clocking more than 5 Million views in 24 hours on YouTube. The song features Vishnu exhibiting divine love for Lord Shiva amid picturesque locations with Music composed by Stephen Devassy. The song too struck a chord with its soulful composition and the dance was choreographed by Legendary Dance Master Prabhudeva. The cast is Mohan Babu, R. Sarathkumar, Arpit Ranka, Kaushal Manda, Rahul Madhav, Devaraj, Mukesh Rishi, Brahmanandam, Raghu Babu, Preity Mukhundhan and Madhoo play supporting roles, alongside Mohanlal, Prabhas, Akshay Kumar (his Telugu film debut) and Kajal Aggarwal in cameo appearances.

Tamil audience is now shifting from heavy duty action and all the big hyped up films that go as Pan Indian as Kathalikka Neramillai to recent released Kundambasthan have clicked, Now yet another potential winner is Pradeep Ranganathan’s Dragon, directed by Ashwath Marimuthu, is all set to release on February 21. Yesterday, the film’s trailer was released and received positive responses from the audience especially the youth. Pradeep Ranganathan’s film, Love Today, which he both directed and acted in, was a blockbuster success. Made on a budget of just ₹5 crore, Love Today grossed around ₹100 crore worldwide. Following its success, Dragon marks Pradeep Ranganathan’s second film as an actor, directed by Oh My Kadavule fame Ashwath Marimuthu. Majority social media users have shared positive reactions to the Dragon trailer, but some have seen similarities They feel Dragon resembles Sivakarthikeyan’s Don, as the trailer depicts the rise of a backbencher college student who becomes successful—similar to Don’s storyline.

Breaking News _ Vanitha Vijayakumar attacked by Bigg Boss contestant fan

 

In a first for Bigg Boss reality show, a contestant’s mother was attacked by a fan of evicted contestant. The incident happened yesterday night when Vanitha Vijayakumar mother of contestant Jovika was attacked by a stranger in the night and outside her sistr’s house. Vanitha herself was a contestant in Bigg Boss Tamil. Now after every day episode, Vanitha reviews the day’s proceedings for a You Tube Channel. The attacker while attacking her mentioned about giving a red card to Pradeep Antony who was evicted. Most of the women complained that they felt unsafe with Pradeep in the house and Jovika was one of them. On the other hand many felt that the women ganged up and framed him. Vanitha in her review is said to have supported the eviction in her review. Vanitha has not lodged a complaint as she feels nothing will come out of it. Yesterday Bravo was evicted and outside he said that though he was asking to go out of the House, the eviction was done to save Poornima who got least votes   she posted a scarred face and said Bravely posting my attack . #BiggBoss7Tamil is just a game show on tv . I don’t deserve to go thru this

 

Vetrimaaran fans upset - Madhavan as G D Naidu - Malayalam Cinema's costliest film starts

 Pradeep Ranganathan of Love Today fame has irked Director Vetrimaaran's fans. The filmmaker turned actor tweeted on Tuesday from his official Twitter handle, praising Vetri Maaran's recently released film "Viduthalai," calling it extraordinary and sending his best wishes to the director and his team. However, some followers of the national award-winning filmmaker were upset that the actor did not address Vetri Maaran's name with Sir in his tweet, with one user requesting that he do so and another user questioning the actor's longevity in the industry and emphasizing the need for respect towards a senior Vetri Maaran.

According to Vignesh Shivan , Pradeep Ranganathan has expressed interest in working with filmmaker on his upcoming film Love Insurance Company "LIC." He also confirmed that Nayanthara is part of the film. This collaboration has caused excitement among Tamil film fans as it was originally supposed to be Sivakarthikeyan's 17th film with Anirudh as the music director. RKFI, a well-known production house in Tamil cinema, owned by Kamal Haasan ,is expected to produce the film, bringing a new level of sophistication and polish to the project.

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MediaOne Global has signed R Madhavan for two of their upcoming projects. One of these is a biopic on G D Naidu, the man known as the "Edison of India" and recognized as the "wealth creator of Coimbatore". Naidu's legacy is closely tied to the production of India's first electric motor. The other project, by R Mithran of Thiruchitramabalam fame, will be s shot entirely in London. RJ and actress-producer Punnagai Gheetha, based in Malaysia, will play the lead opposite Madhavan. Aravind Kamalnathan will be the executive producer and cinematographer for the film. This marks Madhavan's next venture as a man of science after playing a scientist in Rocketry: The Nambi Effect. The film, which promises to inspire youth, is a biopic on Gopalsamy Doraisamy Naidu, also known as the "Miracle Man". The G.D. Naidu Charities signed an agreement with MediaOne Global Entertainment Limited on Wednesday, and a conceptual poster was released on Thursday. Other details of cast and crew is yet to be finalised.

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Kathanar, which is bankrolled by Gokulam Movies, is anticipated to be the most significant film in Jayasuriya's career. It is considered to be one of the costliest films ever made in Malayalam cinema, with an initial budget estimated to be around 90 crores. The film is a period fantasy that features visually stunning effects that have never been attempted before in Indian cinema. Rojin Thomas, the director of Home Fame, helms the movie, and it is written by debutant R Ramanathan. The production will employ ARRI Alexa 345 cameras, which are typically used in Hollywood productions. What sets Kathanar apart is that it will be India's first film to be shot entirely as a 3D virtual production, a technique typically reserved for larger Hollywood movies like Avatar, Ready Player One, and The Lion King. This shooting method necessitates a significant amount of preparation and investment in technology, which is further complicated by the fact that it will be a two-part series. The team conducted test shoots and built a massive virtually controlled set a year ago. The film series will be among the first to be shot entirely on South India's biggest modular shooting floor, which spans 40,000 square feet and is located on a 36-acre plot of land. Latest buzz is that Anushka Shetty has been approached to do the leading lady .