Why Balakrishna said No to Rajinikanth Jailer 2 ? / Rajamouli- Prithviraj poster Trolled

 Sources claim Balakrishna  daughter Tejaswini advised him against cameo roles for now. Tejaswini has played a vital role in shaping his recent success streak from Akhanda to Daaku Maharaaj. With a strong mass image currently, his close circle felt there was no need for a short appearance in another star’s film. In the first Jailer, cameos mainly boosted Rajinikanth’s character. Balakrishna fans may not accept him appearing only in a supportive capacity. Earlier, short roles like the one in Oo Kodathara Ulikki Padathara did not bring the expected response, which is why he moved away from cameos.

Rajinikanth and Balakrishna share mutual respect. Rajinikanth even attended N T Rama Rao’s centenary celebrations out of admiration. But the role planned for Balakrishna in Jailer 2 reportedly had more highlight moments for Rajinikanth. The character was designed to elevate Rajinikanth rather than glorify Balakrishna, and he felt this role may not suit him at this stage of his career.

For the first time, the work of SS Rajamouli received unanimous trolling.

Social media platforms are filled with trolls and the poster received mixed responses. Prithviraj Sukumaran’s poster was compared to that of Suriya from 24 and Vivek Oberoi from Krrish 3 among the Indian films. Prithviraj Sukumaran is announced as the film’s lead antagonist and the poster said that he is paralysed in his arms and legs. The netizens also compared his look with Patrick Stewart in X-Men and Harrison Wells in Flash. The poster also looked simple and it did not have enough detailing like the past posters of Rajamouli’s films. Even the first look posters of Prabhas and Rana Daggubati from the franchise of Baahubali are being circulated today lauding the previous works of Rajamouli.

For the first time, Rajamouli’s work got trolled unanimously. SS Rajamouli is the country’s best director and his work received unanimous praise for all his films. He is known for his detailing in every craft. He is completely focused on GlobeTrotter, a stylish forest adventure featuring Mahesh Babu, Priyanka Chopra and Prithviraj Sukumaran playing the lead roles. The first look poster of Prithviraj Sukumaran as Kumbha has been unveiled today and he is seen sitting on a wheelchair.

Despite the pre-release hype and Rajamouli’s massive brand value, the film’s box office performance has been modest. By the end of its first week, “Baahubali: The Epic” collected a net of Rs 30 crore in India and a worldwide gross of Rs 46 crore, a disappointing figure given the film’s legendary box office status.

Telugu – Rs 21 Cr
Hindi – Rs 6.2 Cr
Kannada – Rs 0.15 Cr
Tamil   – Rs 1.86 Cr
Malayalam – Rs 0.72 Cr

Ajith- Adhik AK64 shifted to Year End / Diplomatic Reason behind Prithviraj film Rejectiom

 Latest buzz is that Ajith- Adhik film AK 64 will be postponed to December 2025 - January 2026 . Reasons are plenty. One is that Ajith has planned a health rejuvenation program before the shoot. Till March 2026, there is no F! schedules. See the report; Formula 1 and the FIA have announced the calendar for the 2026 FIA Formula One World Championship, with drivers and teams set to embark on another 24-round campaign as new technical regulations and 100% advanced sustainable fuels come into play.

Starting with the Australian Grand Prix on the weekend of March 6-8 and concluding with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix from December 4-6, the F1 community will visit five of the world’s seven continents over the course of the year.

In 2026, Ramadan will take place throughout February and March, meaning the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix will again be held in April.

Secondly, there are some financial issues as producer Romeo Pictures lost a lot of money in Kuberaa distribution. So AK is actually reducing his salary for him or maybe strike a part settlement or payment spread across two films. Notably, AK’s Manager Suresh Chandra is the Project designer for this film.

If Prithviraj had got the best actor award or the film any award. It could have caused a diplomatic embarrassment to India as Saudi Arabia had banned the film. Reason being that it showed the country’s labour laws in poor light. Furthermore, there were reports of Saudi authorities barring the Omani actor Talib Al Balushi, who played a harsh employer in the film, from entering the country. Also the book on which the film is made is also banned in Arab Countries. The Arabic translation of the novel, titled "Ayyamul Maaiz," was also banned in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. In conclusion, while the film did spark controversy in some Gulf nations regarding its portrayal of Saudi Arabia, the extent of any official "ban" seems debated, with reports suggesting some countries initially delayed release due to censorship concerns rather than imposing a complete prohibition.

So far no guidelines regarding films that touch a diplomatic nerve has been issued to national awards jury,  in this case the Ministry got the Chairman to bypass it. Director Blessy emphasized that the film is a cinematic adaptation of the novel and should be viewed as a work of art, not a literal representation of reality.

Aadujeevitham was certified by censors in December 31 2023 and not in March 2024 as reported by national media. Pradeep Nair the lone Malayali on the jury has spoken about the Chairman having doubts about the story and execution. Even A R Rahman music was not considered is what he says.

Prithviraj Direct OTT Release lukewarm / Casting Managers of Kollywood

 Sarzameen, in its debut week, garnered a lukewarm viewership of 4.5 million, taking the top spot in the list of the most-watched streaming originals in India for the week of July 21 – July 27 as per Ormax data. It surpassed Tourist Family, Bhool Chuk Maaf and others. It will be interesting to see if Prithviraj and Ibrahim Ali Khan’s film will enter the top 5 most-viewed films of 2025 (excluding Netflix). Currently, the 5th spot is owned by Test, which garnered 6.5 million in its lifetime.

Prithviraj Sukumaran, Ibrahim Ali Khan, and Kajol have managed to bring the second biggest debut for a film on OTT. However, it is the biggest debut week viewership for an original film on OTT other than Netflix. Surpassing every single Hindi film of 2025 except for Kesari Chapter 2, it is roaring with its numbers!

 Dharma Productions rule the OTT game owning the top two spots for the biggest debut for a non-Netflix film. Kesari Chapter 2, was a theatrical to OTT release, with a viewership of 5.7 million. This is followed by Ibrahim Ali Khan and Prithviraj’s film, which is also produced by Dharma Productions.

Suresh Chandra Ajith Manager with Vijay's son Jason.

SouthBay is Rana’s  latest venture in South India, focusing on PR/Marketing and Talent pool management.

Some stars who're using SouthBay services are Priyanka Mohan, Aparna Balamurali, Aishwarya Lakshmi, and Pradeep Ranganathan.

Rana owns several dozen companies and has made massive investments in startups. Most are in AI and VFX companies. Some are Ikonz, Anthill Studio, and Kwan Entertainment. He founded Spirit Media, a VFX company, in 2005, which was closed in the 2010s due to failure. He has now reactivated it. Besides that, he owns his family's businesses, including Suresh Productions, RamaNaidu Studios, and RamaNaidu Film School Management, among others.

Jagadish (Vijay's Manager) and "The Route" are handling the dates and PR work for Thalapathy Vijay, Samantha, Atlee, Lokesh Kanagaraj, Keerthy Suresh, Rashmika Mandanna, Kalyani Priyadarshan, Krithi Shetty, Meenakshi Chaudhary, Kathir, Arjun Das and Monisha Mohan Menon.. Now  H. Vinoth is a new entry to this list.

Ajith Kumar's manager is Suresh Chandra. He is also the CEO of Done Channel1, a PR agency, and is a film publicist. He is known for announcing news related to Ajith Kumar's projects and racing team on social media. He is project designer of Ajith’s forthcoming film with Adhik as Director. His agency does PR work for film companies but actors and directors do not seem to be on their list. 

 

Rajinikanth at Sivan temple / L3 Empuran sequel about Pahalgam asks netizens

 

Superstar Rajinikanth made a quick stop at a temple in the Anaikatti hills near Tamil Nadu's Coimbatore before he proceeded to begin shoot for Jailer 2. The actor was seen getting out of his car and went inside the temple to offer prayers. Directed by Nelson Dilipkumar, Jailer 2 also stars Ramya Krishnan.

Superstar Rajinikanth, who is currently shooting for director Nelson Dilipkumar's Jailer 2 at Anaikatti hills near Tamil Nadu's Coimbatore, made a quick stop at a local temple.

Rajinikanth Offers Prayers Before Jailer 2 Shoot

The video features Rajinikanth getting out of the car and walking into the temple to offer prayers. Some lucky fans managed to get pictures clicked with the icon.

Fans of the actor have taken note of his daily travel plans and been waiting to catch a glimpse of him.

On April 25, Rajinikanth was on his way from Anaikatti to Mangarai, and he visited the Matheswaran Sivan temple. The priest welcomed him and performed a pooja. The temple priest also enquired about Rajinikanth's health.

As soon as his car halted, fans came to know of his arrival and thronged outside the temple to meet Rajinikanth. The actor displayed his humble nature by greeting them with folded hands.

A video from the temple visit and a few pictures are now going viral on social media.

Fahadh Faasil In Jailer 2

Reports are rife that Malayalam actor Fahadh Faasil is likely to share the screen with Superstar Rajinikanth in director Nelson Dilipkumar's upcoming film, Jailer 2.

The two actors had previously worked together in director TJ Gnanavel's Vettaiyan, which released in theatres in 2024. Reports suggest that Fahadh Faasil will be seen in a crucial role in Jailer 2.

Is L3 about Pahalgam reconstructed  by Murali Gopy - Prithviraj?

Comments on Mohanlal post on Pahalgam

A few of the caustic comments that reached the actor for his Facebook post:'Beware of Saeed Masoods who come to India after training from Pakistan'Shall we not make another movie to justify this attack, Mohanlal sir?We loved you unconditionally, sir, but the decision to act in ‘Empuraan’ was the final nail in the coffin

 

Call Prithviraj, we should go for ‘Empuraan 3’ to whitewash the Pahalgam terror attack

 

Ajith Kumar post GBU Hit in Belgium Race / Empuran end India race as Loser

A week after the release of his Tamil film Good Bad Ugly, actor Ajith Kumar has reached the Circuit De Spa in Belgium. He is gearing up for the GT4 series and will be preparing to intensify his preparations for the upcoming races, that are bound to test the endurance levels of drivers. On Wednesday, the actor’s racing team, Ajith Kumar Racing, took to its X timeline to post a video clip of the actor on the trackside, watching race cars zoom past and wrote, “Ajith Kumar, trackside today at Circuit de Spa, Belgium. Soaking in the atmosphere, gearing up for the endurance challenge ahead.”

The GT4 series is a premier sports car championship featuring GT4-spec vehicles competing across Europe's renowned circuits. The series emphasizes cost-effective racing and serves as a platform for amateur drivers. It includes multiple classes, such as Silver, Pro-Am, and Am, to accommodate varying driver experience levels.

Ajith has a long list of racing events this year. The actor is to participate in the race in Zandvoort circuit, which is to be held between May 16-18. The actor will again be seen in action between June 26 and 29 at the Spa circuit and between July 18 and 20 at the Misano circuit. In August this year, Ajith is to race at the Nurburgring circuit before finally rounding off the season at Barcelona, the race at which is to be held between October 10 and 12.

About Ajith Kumar's racing team

Ajith’s racing team has done the country proud ever since the actor announced its formation. Earlier this year, the team emerged third in the 991 category of the 24H Dubai 2025 event. It followed it up with another third place in the intensely contested 12H Mugello car racing event in Italy.

For the uninitiated, Ajith is not only racing but is also the owner of the team Ajith Kumar Racing. Ajith's other teammates who participate with him in races are Mathieu Detry, Fabian Duffieux and Cameron McLeod. Ajith’s team has roped in Bas Koeten Racing as its technical and logistical partner.

Overall, L2: Empuraan earned 105.11 crore net at the Indian box office, as per Sacnilk. This collection is a blockbuster sum for a Malayalam film, but considering the film’s exorbitant price tag, it’s not up to the mark. Reportedly, L2: Empuraan was made on a massive budget of 180 crores. Against this cost, 105.11 crores have been collected. So, the biggie has recovered 58.39% of the total cost and still needs to earn 74.89 crores to enter the safe zone. . In India, after the 1st weekend, the film did not see big numbers. Everyone expected it would be the 1st 100 Cr grosser for Kerala, and even they thought it would open the 150 Cr club and many more milestones, but L2 Empuraan did not match the expectations that was created by Empuran team.

 

Coolieis clear winner in WAR 2 clash / Trouble for Ajith film Kerala release ? Prithviraj Income tax notice not for Empuran

 Coolie has nothing to lose by clashing with WAR 2 on August 15^th. For one, Coolie budget does not make it very necessary for it cash in on North Indian markets like WAR 2. The overseas Tamil market and to agreat extent Telugu markets will still plump for Coolie as everybody wants to see what magic has Lokesh created for Thalaivar as he did for Kamal and Vijay. Thirdly the film WAR 2 will not create any much hoopla that a Hindi film has in South and NTR Jr is no Bunny – Prabhas who has a Pan South preence. So WAR2 with Hrithik Roshan who is not around for a long time, is the loser as NTR Jr tag will help only in two Telugu States. Here gain Coolie has Nagarjuna to take care of the Tollywood and Upendra for Sandalwood. Both have  extended cameos.

Good Bad Ugly Kerala Distribution is with Gokulam Gopalan and his house- offices across all States have been raided and so will he be able to distribute it or hand it over to some body ? GBU trailor was good as I liked the from the early 90s, and 2K decade of movies.  Simran in particular I liked as I remembered Vaali. GBU is likely to be first Tamil movie to enjoy the proposed Enterainment tax cut from 8 to 4 %. But another threat looms large, evening shows hereafter will go towards IPL matches, if regulation is passed.

If you think Prithviraj got an Income tax notice for Empuran , No, it is for three other movies that he acted but did not take any money and instead pocketed profits as co- producer. Prithviraj appeared in three movies as the lead—Gold, Jana Gana Mana, and Kaduva. He took Rs 40 crore and Tax guys wants the profir breakups. For Empuran, he said that he and Mohanlal have not taken any money and now as they are co- producer, they will get the share of profits. Tax guys will revisit that later. Now if Vaiko and O Paneerselvam’s demands are to be met , then the dialogue that Travancore King gave land for Mullaperiyar to British under thret has to be cut out. 28^th cut ?

Indian 3 starts / LYCA- RAJINIKANTH _ PRITHVIRAJ combo ? . Empuran out of IMAX/ CHIYAAN BACK

 Kamal Haasan – Shankar and Lyca have agreed to complete the remaining portions of Indian 3 on a tight budget . Shankar has dropped the idea to shoot a song and instead just do what is needed to get the film ready for release. Without the song , it needs 30 days shoot and pre- production for this schedule is on.

Lyca is to collaborate with Rajinikanth and from what we hear is that Prithviraj is on Director’s list. In an exclusive chat with News18 Showsha, Prithviraj reveals that he didn’t have to urge Rajinikanth to extend his support to the film. “When I went to his home in Chennai and showed him the trailer, I didn’t ask him to tweet it. When I came back, Soundarya called me and said that appa would like to tweet the trailer and asked me if I can send them the link," he told the channel.

Lyca who pulled out of Empuran has no ill feelings with the Director and it was a financial decision to pull out and nothing personal. Prithviraj is co-producer of Empuran along with Mohanlal. Lal Salaam produced by Lyca is finally coming on OTT. Only project on hand is Jason Sanjay’s film.

Empuran is likely to be out of IMAX screens in India as to redit the film to put in the 20 off censor cuts will cost Rs 43 lakhs. After one week run and declining collection, Producers may not put in this money. After 7 days Empuran in Kerala has collected Rs 73 cr Nett and in Tamil – Rs2.64 cr, Telugu -Rs 2.34 cr and Rs 0.19 cr . The Malayalam version has collected Rs 10 crore in Karntaka and mainly from Bengaluru. Overseas Nett is Rs 30 crore.

Worldwide	India Net	India Gross	Overseas	Verdict
₹ 122 Cr	₹ 83.73 Cr	₹ 92 Cr	₹ 30 Cr	None

Vikram’s Veera Dheera Sooran 2 despite good reviews is moving towards an average hit. It was predicted that the film will be a modest hit and be a relief after Thangalan disaster. The films collection for Day 1 was lost over a fight between Producers and those who bought the OTT. Vikram had charged Rs 30 crores but it was both parts. There was no need for Vikram or S J Suryah to shell out any money for the film release.

Film has collected Rs 27 crores in Tamil Nadu and overseas Rs 7 crores. The on road promotions by Chiyaan even after release has be an eyeopener to many. It is still holding good with Rs 2 crore on Day 7. Till Good Bad and Ugly arrives, it can rope in more money. Chiyyan core Kerala area became inaccessible with Empuran wave. Telugu saw two straight releases and one- Mad Square went on to be  a blockbuster.

L2 Empuran brutal rape of pregnant women- violence puts Hindus in the dock- Move to recensor

In our Empuran review before it hit theatres, we said it was a veiled attack on BJP. (read; https://southfilmy.blogspot.com/2025/03/l2-empuran-review-veiled-refrence-to.html) In the Chennai Q&A, Prithviraj said that it was a thriller in a political backdrop. Following complaints that several controversial issues, including communal riots, were depicted in a biased manner, the makers of the film Empuraan directed by Prithviraj have applied for changes. Gokulam Movies approached the regional censor board for this. The censor board met and started removing the parts that raised complaints. Amendments will be made in seventeen parts. Some controversial dialogues will be muted. There have been major complaints and criticisms against the film being filmed and released while covering up the incident of the train attack The rape scene and the controversial scene mentioning the Union Home Minister will be changed. The producers themselves have decided to change the name of the villain in the film, Reports Janmabhoomi. Censor board member Mahes said that the scenes where a pregnant Muslim woman is raped has been cut to4 minutes and a scene in which a Hinduvata leader pointing to green colour in national flag makes a communal remark. Thse are two changes made so far. And this film will now be available till Sunday night and only on Monday will another version come through. From censor certification as suitable for =13 it has been revised to +16. A scene where women’s heads are banged multiple times against a wall to reduced to a flash. scene depicting sexual violence against a woman is trimmed to 4 minutes

X POSTS Shame on you. Resign now from your post in Territorial Army. @narendramodi @AmitShah - This is the man who in this movie has called you both as being responsible for the Gujarat Riots' and glossing over the burning of Sabarmati Express at Godhra - calling it as an accident. How come such a politically skewed anti-majoritarian propaganda movie was approved by Even Union Minister Prasoon Joshi was not spared ; t seems Prasoon Joshi is an urban naxal.. He made @KanganaTeam run from pillar to post to get a clearance for #emergency that too with more than 30+ cuts But he n his people have no probs with anti national anti hindu propaganda movies Are #Hindus children of a lesser god? Ramkrishna Iyer laletta .. u just made a mess of it.. yes it scored big due to the hype and initial bookings, but you will never be forgiven.. Pseudos around you will say only a few "Sanghis" are unhappy, but mostly everyone who practises Hindu faith is super pissed... Preston joshi is a left intellectual who co-opted the current dispensation for reasons known to him. Point is @BJP4India is the Charlie Chaplin who always gracefully accepts the tag as Hitler. Shameless guys, after 11 yrs still don't know how to show once what is power Kast Laugh: How kerala story movie was approved by censor board. Same way they approved empuraan. Cry hard andh bhakths..

Basil Joseph as Military man in Sivakarthikeyan film / John Abraham in Prithviraj remake / Shruti about Rajini

Basil Joseph who is acting in Sivakarthikeyan film Parasakthi is playing a military officer. The photos coming out from Sri Lanka locales show this. This portion is the segment where the anti Hindi agitation takes place in Madurai railway station. The riots that occurred in Madurai on the 25th of January 1965 and spread across the state of Madras helped establish the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), a break-away faction of the Dravida Kazhagam (DK) headed by Periyar, as ‘the coming party in Madras politics.’ . The first martyr Chinnasamy who immolated himself happened in Madurai and was the spark that ignited the agitation. Basil was not aware that back in Kerala, he was hot topic of discussion as speculation was that he was the Red Dragon of Empuran. Basil usually promptly answers to social media comments about him ,was found to be silent and this further was seen as his acceptance. Now that the film has ben released, it has died down.. Basil’s Ponman in Tamil on OTT is getting good response.

After Driving License , Mumbai , it is now Ayyapanum Koshiyum of Prithviraj that is being remade in Hindi. It seems in 2020, John Abraham had bought the rights and since he had been trying to work it out with various combinations of actors and directors. Latest we har is that, Paatal Lok and Pari fame Prosit Roy will direct this action-packed drama. This marks his second theatrical release after Pari (2018). Filming is expected to begin in late 2025. Before that, John will complete Rohit Shetty’s upcoming cop drama, which starts shooting next month. Meanwhile, Roy is finishing work on an Amazon Prime series starring Ali Fazal and Sonali Bendre. On the big screen, John will next be seen in Tehran, a political thriller produced by Dinesh Vijan and directed by Arun Gopalan. The film is set to release in the second half of this year

Shruti Haasan on working with Rajinikanth It was really lovely working with Rajini sir. I definitely learned a lot about why he is the star he is while watching him work, like his discipline with work, his approach to his character, everything was just really fun to watch. But really, I learned a lot from him as a person. And by that, I mean, his attitude on set, it's so positive. He's extremely collaborative. He's very, very humble. But he's also very energetic. He brings such a positive energy onto the set. So I learned a lot about how to deal with people from Rajini sir and that's a lesson I take away.

L2 Empuran in not top 5 of Book My Show Presales / Kamal Praises Punjabi film !

Bok My Show ticketing App top 5 films that registered high presales does not include L 2 Empuran. Only consolation is that it beat NTR Devara which was pushed to 5th place.Check out the top 10 ticket pre-sales of Indian films on BMS: 1. Pushpa 2: 3 million 2. Leo: 2.28 million 3. Kalki 2898 AD: 1.72 million 4. Salaar: 1.66 million 5. Jawan: 1.65 million 6. L2: Empuraan: 1.33 million 7. Devara: 1.31 million 8. Animal: 1.26 million 9. Jailer: 1.19 million 10. The Greatest Of All Time: 1.19 million The opening day has already started huge for Mohanlal’s film, registering a ticket sale of 7K from 7 – 8 AM, which is much higher than yesterday’s 2K ticket sales on BMS for the same time frame The previous best ticket pre-sales for a Mollywood film in 2024 – 25 was Aadujeevitham: The GOAT Life, which registered 309K ticket sales in advance on BMS. Mohanlal’s biggie, also starring Prithviraj Sukumaran, has registered 331% higher ticket pre-sales than Prithviraj’s last film! The final ticket pre-sales of L2: Empuraan stands at 1.33 million. It surpassed Jr NTR‘s Devara, that registered a ticket sale of 1.31 million in advance on BMS. On the final day before the film released, March 26, Wednesday, Mohanlal’s film registered a ticket sale of 204.7K which is not that bright a number!

Gippy Grewal’s upcoming bilingual Hindi-Punjabi action film Akaal has received strong backing from Tamil superstar Kamal Haasan. In a latest promo video, the legendary actor urged audiences to mark the date (April 10) for the film’s theatrical release. Kamal Haasan Extends His Support To Akaal In a new promo, Kamal Haasan introduced Grewal’s character and shared his excitement for the film. Madras Talkies posted the video and wrote, “Best wishes to dearest @gippygrewal for his upcoming movie Akaal. Lock the date 10th April 2025.” Responding to the video featuring Kamal Haasan, Gippy Grewal quickly shared a gratitude post on X (formerly Twitter). He wrote, “Thank you so much, @ikamalhaasan Sir! Your kind words mean everything to our #Akaal movie #gippygrewal #KamalHaasan #akaal.” Set in the 1840s, Akaal follows Sardar Akaal Singh and his village as they prepare to defend their land from a powerful invasion. After the death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the Khalsa warriors stand against overwhelming forces. The story unfolds with intense battles, betrayals, and unwavering bravery. The trailer features large-scale war sequences, brutal combat scenes, and the devastation of battle. Identical Brains and 2DS Film Studio have created stunning VFX, making Akaal one of the most visually ambitious Punjabi action films.

L2 Empuran Review : Veiled refrence to BJP - Lal re-entry goosebumps scene

In l2 Empuran, a political party that is not named but has all trappings of a BJP are the baldest of the lot. Stephen Nedumpally, aka Khureshi-Ab’raam entry in Kerala will be an iconic scene. Superb action choreography. Cannot understand the portions that relate to character Khureshi and his jaunts abroad. Won’t disappoint. Box office wise as per Producer Gokulam Gopalan it Rs 180 crores budget as he paid Lyca to ensure the film release. This budget does not include Lal and Prithviraj salary. As per official announcement Rs 60 crores including overseas already in kitty. Indian box office till now Rs 35 crores advance as on March 24th. Will reach Rs 50 crores. n Germany, Empuraan's advance sales have crossed the lifetime collection of the recent mega blockbuster Pushpa 2 starring Allu Arjun.

Read on • • Empuran Movie is not just about Lucifer. This movie talks about various characters . Mainly it fleshes out the Zayed role(Prithviraj) , right from his childhood scenes. • Mass scenes are executed well. Sequences that lead to Stephen re entry into Kerala is goosebumps stuff and canned extremely well. It will surprise viewers and the finesse it was shot . • Movie like Lucifer is filled with twists but don't expect a lot of them like in Part 1. • Suraj role is alright and others like Tolvino and Manju Warrier (Priydarshi Ramdas)has good but limited role. • Indrajith surprisingly gets a decent screenspace. • Movie plot moves to politics. Hero family are part of UDF kind of a regional party . Opposition is communism but there is unknown third political force which is like BJP which is most evil of them all. As North Indian Hindu party and leaders play prominent roles in new political conspiracy we can safely say it is BJP • Movie ends fine but they keep enough threads to keep us excited for last part. • He also praised Deepak Dev music esp BGM and also cinematography and some action sequences in foreign locales. • Downside to this film according to him is complexity of the story especially Khureshi Abraham part it travels fast to multiple places and will be tad bit confusing to masses. (Actually very confusing is what he said) Overall- Lucifer fans will not be disappointed. Movie best part comes when Stephen re enters into Kerala. Source Aussie Indian Balus box office L2E #EMPURAAN Hindi Bookings open March 25! Grab your tickets!

BMS - Bit.ly/EmpuraanBMS Paytm - Bit.ly/EmpuraanPaytm District - Bit.ly/EmpuraanDistrict Ticketnew - Bit.ly/EmpuraanTicketnew

Empuran advance booking figures raise manipulation doubts

Empuran advance booking ifigres are manipulated and done under the system of corporate bookings is the charge levelled by many in the trade. Main reason is that Veera Dheera Sooran of Vikram, Nithin Robinhood and Mad Square 2 in Telugu States are lagging behind this the Tamil and Telugu dubbing version of Empuran in booking platform. Vikram film advance booking has come as a shock. These films now depend on word of mouth opinion to get the crowds, It was only today in Chennai and yesterday in Hyderabad that Empuran conducted a media meet. VDS has had Vikram- S J surya and Dushara Vijayan all over internet media as part of promotions. At the Chennai press meet the query was raised as to how a Malayalam film has crossed 10 cr advance booking which is more than a Bollywood film, Prithviraj updated it and said it was 60 crores and it was something that they too did not expect and hoped that the film lived up to the expectations. One trade expert on social media wrote, “The film is already getting a lot of advance bookings. So there is really no reason to make corporate bookings. This is totally unnecessary. Don’t overdo corporate bookings so much that it becomes clear to even the common public.” he practice of corporate and self-bookings has often been called out in Bollywood when films like Pathaan, Chhaava, Dunki, Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahani, and Bade Miyan Chote Miyan were accused of similar tactics, even though those accounted for only 5-10% of total sales.

In the case of Empuraan, it seems the self-bookings have touched the level of Sky Force, where more than 50% of the ticket sales were rigged, according to experts like Komal Nahta. Incidentally Prithviraj the Empuran Director was co-producer of Sky Force. As M9 puts it- However, the real test will be in the film’s footfalls post-release. If Empuraan sustains strong occupancies after day one, it will validate the genuine interest among audiences. However, if the film witnesses a sharp drop post the initial weekend, it would further fuel speculation about the advance bookings. At the Chennai meet, Lyca and Red Giant representative’s were present. Gokulam Gopalan distributes Tamil Nadu too.

Kamal Haasan Brand KH to launch watches and look at Mammootty and Prithviraj watch

Kamal Haasan will be the only actor in India to have a wrist watch named after him. His brand KH that has clothes made out Khadi and also perfumes is soon going to launch wrist watches. Recently he gifted luxury watch to Suriya and Director Shankar. Soon he will be gifting KH brand watch. He has a Rolex – Cartier – Graham ,Longines and Movado brands. We or rather me are familiar with the first four. Movado brand details : MOVADO JURO QUARTZ DIAMOND BLACK REF: 0605722 LAST KNOW RETAIL PRICE: $1,895/- ₹1,38,500/- Silver-tone stainless steel case with a two-tone stainless steel bracelet. Fixed gold-tone stainless steel with diamond set bezel. Black dial with gold-tone dauphine hour and minute hands hands and the signature Movado dot appears at the 12 o'clock position hour markers.Functions: hour, minute.Dial Type: Analog. Quartz movement. Scratch resistant sapphire crystal. Pull / push crown. Solid case back. Round case shape, case size: 36 mm, case thickness: 6.5 mm. Hidden deployment clasp. Water resistant at 30 meters / 100 feet. Scratch resistant scratch resistant sapphire crystal. Stainless steel case back. Includes additional black toile bracelet. Case dimensions: 49 mm x 43 mm. Case thickness: 13 mm. Hidden deployment clasp. Water resistant at 100 meters / 330 feet. Only those who are watch collectors and similarly of sunglasses can recognise a brand by just looking at it, and many like me it looks like a watch or what they call chronometer.

See Prithviraj watch: Jaeger LeCoultre Reverso Squadra World Chronograph REF : Q702T4087 LAST KNOW RETAIL PRICE: $17,000/- ₹12,32,600/- Grey titanium case with a black leather strap. Fixed silver-tone stainless steel bezel. Black dial with silver-toned hands and Arabic hour markers. Minute markers around the outer rim.Functions: chronograph, hour, minute, second, world time. Dial Type: Analog. Chronograph - three sub-dials displaying: 60 second, 30 minute and 12 hour. Jaeger LeCoultre Calibre JLC 753 Automatic movement, containing 44 Jewels, composed of 366 parts, bitting at 28800 vph, and has a power reserve of approximately 65 hours. Scratch resistant sapphire crystal. Pull / push crown. Rectangle case shape, case size: 42.5 mm x 36 mm. Double fold over clasp. Water resistant at 50 meters / 165 feet.

Mammootty is a watch collector and one of his watch ; DE BETHUNE DB25 MOON PHASE STARRY SKY REF: DB25LWS3V2 RETAIL PRICE: $69,500/- ₹51,84,300/- CASE WHITE GOLD – DIAMETER 44 MM HANDS:CURVED IN HAND-POLISHED STAINLESS STEEL SAPPHIRE CRYSTAL, 1800 VICKERS HARDNESS WITH DOUBLE ANTI-REFLECTIVE TREATMENT CROWN AT 3 O’CLOCK, SETTING IN THREE POSITIONS OPEN BACK IN POLISHED WHITE GOLD AND LINEAR POWER RESERVE ON THE BACK SAPPHIRE CRYSTAL (1800 VICKERS HARDNESS) WITH DOUBLE ANTI-REFLECTIVE COATING DB2105 CALIBRE SELF-REGULATING TWIN BARREL, DE BETHUNE INNOVATION (2004) - SILICON ANNULAR BALANCE ENCIRCLED BY A WHITE GOLD RING, DE BETHUNE PATENT (2010) - "DE BETHUNE" BALANCE-SPRING WITH FLAT TERMINAL CURVE DE BETHUNE PATENT (2006) - SILICON ESCAPE WHEEL - SPHERICAL MOON PHASE INDICATION ACCURATE TO A DEGREE OF ONE LUNAR DAY EVERY 122 YEARS,DE BETHUNE PATENT (2004) - TRIPLE PARE-CHUTE SHOCK-ABSORBING SYSTEM DE BETHUNE INNOVATION (2005) STRAP EXTRA-SUPPLE ALLIGATOR LEATHER, ALLIGATOR LI

Mohanlal most crucial film L2 Empuran release problem

Is Mohanlal’s Empuran producers fighting with each other over sharing revenue ? The strong buzz is that the film might not make it on March 27th. One version is that the one of the producer Lyca is asking for a pull out as the market condition is bad after Vidamuyurchi failure in Tamil Nadu. Close To Rs 40 cr share was got for Lyca from Tamil Nadu market. So far it has invested Rs 80 crores and wants it back with interest. Red Giant is not willing to advance any money and instead distribute on commission basis . Lyca distributed Vidamuyurchi on refundable deposit in Tamil Nadu and hence has no outstanding with theatres. We hear that either Ashirwad gives Lyca the money back or a share in digital rights and from Gulf countries and overseas sale Ashirwad the Producer is not able to rake up this money and negotiations are on.. If Red Giant steps in partly pays Lyca before release and a share after release is likely formula. As Ajith’s Vidamuyurchi collected only Rs 80 crores gross totally in Tamil Nadu, Empuran should collect more than that for Lyca to recover the investmen of Rs 80 crore with interest.. Malayalam film Manjumel Boys collected Rs 53 crores in TN. Other films that collected more than Rs 100 cr in Tamil Nadu are Rajamouli films and KGF2. Even Pushpa 2 collected only Rs 55 crores. Given this past records, Lyca wants to scoot off. In 2019, Lucifer collected Rs 2.5 crores in Tamil Nadu and at that year it created a record of a Malayalam film highest collection in Tamil filmdom.

Here why Empuran is most important film for Mohanlal career wise and financially for Ashirwad Films ? Lets us take a look at the post-COVID era box office of Mohanlal who had seven theatrical releases so far. Except for one, all were bombs. It started with Marakkar: Lion of the Arabian Sea, which turned out to be a box office bomb, wrapping up the India run at just 21.06 crore net. It was followed by three back-to-back box office duds - Aaraattu (11.24 crores), Monster (5.19 crores), and Alone (71 lakh). After four big box office duds , Mohanlal enjoyed his first success post-COVID with Neru, which was helmed by Jeethu Joseph and it was a sequel to hit film Drishyam. At the Indian box office, earning 44.83 crore net against a budget of 18 crores. Then came Barroz directed and acted Mohanlal and became the lowest earnrer in the actor’s career. Like Neru, Empuran is a sequel to hit film Lucifer and has potential to work wonders at the Indian box office.

Mahesh Babu - Rajamouli video leak-memes galore / Will Rashmika luck help A R Murgadoss Sikandar ?

Mahesh Babu- SSRajamouli- Prithviraj film video leaks have led to memes from netizens. Mostly many feel that the talk that Mahesh went in for workouts for the film is not true as the photo shows the usual Mahesh with lomg hair stubble and no great changes as the hype. Secondly is a picture of a guy sitting on wheelchair and facing Mahesh. Many say that the guy sitting in the wheelchair is Prithviraj and even whether role that he was doing was similar to what Karthi- Nagarjuna did ? Some Tollywood fans have already started creating memes by morphing Prithviraj’s face onto Nagarjuna’s character from Thozha (Oopiri) and Mahesh onto Karthi’s. Some have even drawn parallels with Vivek Oberoi’s role in Krrish 3, where the villain was also wheelchair-bound. Main query is that the three tier security reports are just a publicity stunt and like any other film, crew hands are roaming with mobile cameras. Why cant Producer of Rs 1000 crores budget spend on security ?

A R Murugadoss is smiling at reports that Sikandar is Sarkar remake. It is not. This ARM story was told to all big heroes after Sun dropped the proposal of ARM with Vijay. Vijay increased his price and so also ARM. Sun said that the overall budget for Vijay film cannot go beyond the limit they have put up and so ARM has to go back to his old rate or work it out with Vijay. Nothing worked as Vijay got a producer to pay his price. ARM had no takers. Salman heard the story and had got it rewritten by Rajat Arora, Abbas Dalal, and Hussain Dalal. Can these outdated stuff be modernised ? Will this film join his last few Eid films (Radhe, Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan) that flopped ? Cannot write of ARM who directed Ghajini and Holiday. Salman Khan has been associated with a project written by Murugadoss. Back in 2014, Jai Ho was a remake of Chiranjeevi’s Stalin, which Murugadoss had originally written and directed. That film, directed by Sohail Khan, turned out to be a big box office failure. Going by Rashmika’s track record, this could be her fourth Rs 500 crore film in Hindi or her first flop of 2025. Dil Dhadakne Do or Luck By Chance, Aamir has a gift for creating a lasting impression and will he do so in Sikandar ? Will Kattappa Sathyaraj who is main baddie be a good luck charm ?

Empuran must do a KGF for Lyca and Antony

Will Empuran bring much needed moolah for Lyca Productions ?. The Kerala Film Producers Association leader Suresh Kumar says that the film’s budget so far is Rs 141 crores and Mohanlal the hero and Director’s Prithviraj salaries are not included. Film is produced by Antony Perumbavoor who is said to be Mohanlal’s alter ego and so Mohanlal salary could be the investment and probably Prithviraj too has joined in on profit sharing. Rest of the money is probably from Lyca and it was advertised as the company’s first foray into Mollywood. . Lyca cannot take the investment from Kerala alone and Empuran has to do something like KGF or Kantara. Antony was bitter over Suresh Kumar talking about the big risk that Empuran is taking. Suresh is childhood friend of Lal and has the distinction of being the Producer of his first film and sounded the clapboard for first shot featuring Lal maiden film. Anto Joseph like Antony is Mammootty’s alter ego and he has got together his hero and Mohanlal together in a film directed by Mahesh Narayanan Anto talking to OTT Play reasons - “Certain films, irrespective of artistes’ remuneration, help make the industry bigger,” he says. “For instance, Kantara came at a time when Kannada film industry was going through a crisis. As a maker of a film like KGF and that too with an actor like Yash, you would never expect it to recover its budget from Kannada industry alone. But the movie helped make the industry one of the biggest in the country. And soon after that you had Kantara.” To a query that Tamil films and other language films are getting figures in Kerala , Anto has this to say -“Let me ask this, if a Rajinikanth or a Vijay film releases in Kerala, we Malayalis go to theatres to watch them and give them record-breaking openings. But none of our Malayalam films get that. Our audience wait for reviews and good reports before doing that for our films,” he says. For Tamils and other language film viewers, what makes them take to Malayalam films in a big way ? What made Manjumel Boys and Premalu run in Tamil Nadu and Andhra/ TS ? Was it reviews ?. Was it the promotion gala ? Word of mouth alone. Pushpa 2 was nowhere in Tamil Nadu and so was Game Changer. If Antony Perumbavoor dream of Empuran turning into a KGF comes true, then only Lyca will benefit but also Malayalam film industry will attract outside producers and corporate firms. Film is releasing on March 27th. We can expect promotions to start in major capitals in South.

NTR Jr film starts next week - Mohanlal takes Thalapathy route / Ajith biggest Monday drop

After KGF and Kalki, finally NTR Jr and Prasanth Neel film is to begin next week. Production sources in Mythiri have confirmed this. Neel has Salaar 2 in hand and this will move according to Prabhas – Prithviraj dates. Post Devara, NTR Jr is on a high as it is a hit even in Hindi belt ( though not as big as Pushpa 2). The meeting between Neel and Ajith gave room for a possibility of them working together. Neet- NTR film is a standalone film. Last August, official announcement was made. Director of KGF and Salarr series, NTR and Neel combo will be most exciting happening. NTR and director Prashanth Neel has already been scheduled for release on January 9, 2026. Recently, the Chiranjeevi-Anil Ravipudi project also joined the Sankranti lineup, as confirmed by producer Sahu Garapati.

Mohanlal has taken a leaf out of Thalapathy’s book . He has asked 160 odd fan clubs in Kerala to book as many as fan shows and start selling. So far 50 lakh tickets have been sold. Film is releasing in March 27th. After the debacle of Marikar and Barroz, Lal’s inhouse banner Ashirwad of Antony Perumbavoor is betting big on Empuram , sequel to Lucifer and directed by Prithviraj. By a modest budget, the money running on this is said to be around Rs 200 crores. Barroz on a budget of Rs 100 crores plus got back Rs 4 crore for Producer but here again the film was presented by Gulf based Ravi Pillai. Prithviraj says that to enjoy Empuran, one need not necessarily see Lucifer as it can be a standalone film but the third part is not so and one has to see Lucifer to enjoy the third sequel. Read; Prithviraj expressed his confidence in the Lucifer franchise, stating that the story justifies being told across three parts to fully develop the narrative arc. He explained that Lucifer (2019) can easily be enjoyed as a standalone film. However, that is not the case with L2: Empuraan, as it does not conclude the story entirely. Without a third part, the narrative would remain incomplete. He shared these insights during an interview with Hindustan Times.

Vidaamuyarchi, as per the early trends, earned in the range of 3 – 3.5 crore on Monday, February 10. This is a huge drop of 76% from the previous day, which registered a collection of 12.5 crore. Previous Monday drops -Vidaamuyarchi, as per the early trends, earned in the range of 3 – 3.5 crore on Monday, February 10. This is a huge drop of 76% from the previous day, which registered a collection of 12.5 crore.

Thalapathy 69 shoot in Goa - Advi Sesh extra care irked Shruti - Prithviraj daughter in Ambani school

 Former President of the United States, Barack Obama, shares the favorite movies of his that he saw in 2024. Of them is number one All we Imagine as Light directed by Payal Kapadia and has two Malayalee actress Kani Kusruti and Divya Prabha in the lead. His comments section was partially flooded with fans accusing him of snubbing titles like Wicked, Challengers, Sing Sing and I’m Still Here. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and state Minister of Culture and Youth Affairs Saji Cherian present the �Spirit of Cinema Award� to filmmaker Payal Kapadia during the closing ceremony of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), in Thiruvananthapuram,  Film Indian theatre distribution is with Rana Daggubatti. The film was sidelined by FFI for Oscars and selected Lapaatta Ladies instead and that was rejected at first stage of selection.

School functions create news and especially if it is a Dhirubhai Ambani owned one. Star kids and their parents - Khans to Bachchans were in full attendance. From Malluwood, was our own Raju aka Prithiviraj and wife Supriya seated  one row from Kareena and in same row with Shahid. Prithviraj's daughter is studying in the school and as you all know that the couple has two apartments in Pali Hill in Mumbai. Parents ranging from SRK onwards took part in the dandiya raas.

In case you are thinking of seeking admission , then fee structure ranges from Rs 1.25 lakhs for Pre KG and it is not annual but monthly. Plus 2 is Rs 12 lakhs per month.

Pooja Hegde has let out the news on Thalapathy 69. As we know that Trisha after attending Keerthy Suresh wedding had joined Ajith in Thailand for Vidamyurchi, where did Vijay go from Goa/. He took part in shooting in Goa and Pooja says last leg of 2024 shoot. As filming for this year wrapped, Pooja Hegde shared a sneak peek on Instagram. She posted a picture of her and Vijay’s feet, captioning it, “Last day of shoot in 2024.” She hinted that the next part of the filming will begin in 2025.

Reason for Shruti Haasan walked out of Dacoit starring Advi Sesh was that the hero was meddling with the script and scenes and so walked out. According to Deccan Chronicle, Mrunal Thakur who replaced Shruti will earn Rs. 2.5 crore for her role. Sources say that her character will be bold, intense, and driven by anger, which is a departure from her previous roles. 

Dacoit is directed by Shaneil Deo and produced by Supriya Yarlagadda. This film will mark the first time Mrunal Thakur shares the screen with Adivi Sesh, who has also contributed to the screenplay and story. The technical crew includes cinematographer Danush Bhaskar, music composer Bheems Ceciroleo, and editor Kodati Pavan Kalyan.

DC report adds -Mrunal to cement her position at the top in Tollywood, she might need to explore more glamorous roles, similar to how stars like Samantha, Kajal Aggarwal, Tamannaah, and Shruti Haasan rose to prominence. Beyond films, Mrunal is also capitalizing on her growing popularity with brand endorsements, earning between Rs 10-15 lakh per event. With her rising demand among Telugu audiences, retail brands are eager to leverage her fan base. Dacoit is expected to be a pivotal project in her career, further expanding her reach across Indian cinema.