All about South Indian Movies news in the right perspective from a veteran film journalist
Friday, October 3, 2025
Pushpa 2 Still Top Opener Post Kantara 1 / After Deepika, Alia says NO
Thursday, December 26, 2024
Thalapathy and Thalaivar top Overseas Box office ; Most profitable Amaran
GOAT Tops All languages Overseas collections but with Telugu print added and after that Maharaja (Tamil and Telugu) - 82.5cr gross ,Vettaiyaan (Tamil and Telugu) -82 cr gross,Amaran (Tamil and Telugu) - 80 cr gross. China collections are added for Maharajah to reach this tally.
- Kalki 2898 AD (Telugu and Hindi) - 275 cr gross
- Pushpa 2 (Telugu & Hindi) - 248 cr gross
- The GOAT (Tamil and Telugu) - 160 cr gross
Highest Grosser :- GOAT
Highest Profitable Grosser :- AMARAN
Biggest Loss maker : KANGUVA
Highest Viewed OTT Minutes (Only upto 31/10/2024) : RAAYAN
Most Profitable : VAAZHAI
Most Theatrical Profit : VAAZHAI
Most Theatrical Share : AMARAN
Highest Grossing Non Tamil :- PUSHPA II
Most profitable Non Tamil :- MANJUMMEL BOYS
- Lal Salaam made more losses in percent terms but in quantity it was a fraction of what KANGUVA lost
Total Theatrical Gross (TN) : ₹ 2115 Crore
By comparison Telugu grossed ₹3714 Crore and Hindi grossed ₹ 5005 Crore
This can change to include December 2024
This was one of the average years for TN Cinema
The overall gross fell by 6% compared to 2023
The only industry worse was Kannada which fell by 51% compared to 2022
Telugu grew by 27%
Malayalam by 25%
Bollywood by 16%
Certified Hits for 2024:-
- Aranmanai 4
- Garudan
- Maharaja
- Demonte Colony 2
- Lubber Pandhu
- Vaazhai
- Amaran
Profitable but not classified certified hits:-
- Star
- Black
Friday, December 13, 2024
Ajith says no Kaduvul - Rajini says Yes Kaduvul / Pushpa 2 for Chapris ???
Ajith or AK had only the other day told his fans not to call him with prefix kaduvalaey and yesterday Rajinikanth temple was renovated with a new idol in Madurai and Thalaivar has agreed to come to the temple. A seemingly innoncent greeting from SRK to Rajini calling him as cool coolest has angered Kamal fans. So is our KH not Mr Cool " Why have you not wished our KH ?
Thalaivar afte Jaipur scejdule attended by aamir and Upemdra is leaving for next shoot at Vizag. After that a final shoot of Coolie is at Dubai. Why was Jailer 2 promo not released ? Producers want to release it for New Year but some say the teaser was not ready yesterday. Film is coming only on January 2-26 !/
Is Pusha 2 ahit in North India as it was meant for low income crass people " Posted by
Pushpa 2 is massive success in Hindi Belt. There are ofcourse people in denial still 🙄.
Now ever since this movie became success. Certain motivated fans (No marks for guessing) and certain PR machinery who thinks massive success of Pushpa 2 in Hindi belt might undermine their star hero’s success recently started spreading this message
“Pushpa 2 is made for chapris and by chapris”
First of all I did not understand “ By chapris” are these guys saying South Indians or telugus are chapris. That's pretty racial to me.
Next this is high quality bhojpuri movie is another comment. This is already demeaning bhojpuri movie. Also movies is about a labourer who became a smuggler. He is uneducated . You expect him to speak in Bollywood porche Bandra style Hindi accent and do a duet with srivalli in foreign locales.
I really don't understand this commentary from motivated fans.
Next let's come to this statements
“ Only chapris watched. Massive hit in villages and towns and not in big cities “
This is day 1 of Pushpa Hindi belt collections
Highest collections has still come from Metropolitan areas ie Mumbai(Gujarat and Maharastra), Delhi and East Punjab.
Ok forget that chapris will only watch in single screens available but maximum footfalls on day 1 has still come from Multiplex chains in Hindi belt.
Conclusion-
It's a stupid of many to try and undermine their own audience as chapri. Their actions and statements are motivated and with full jealousy.
Instead of crying on certain sect or individuals may be work harder to give content ie acceptable to all.
Saturday, December 7, 2024
As Pishpa 2 crashes in Kerala- meet Khader Hassan who made him Mallu Arjun
Director Jis Joy said that he went to Thiruvananthapuram and dubbed without any hope when the movie 'Arya' came in 2007 Since Allu Arjun's debut film Arya, he has been voiced by Jis in Malayalam.
The growth of Allu Arjun’s stardom in Kerala, where no Telugu star has ever enjoyed a major fan base, is largely thanks to the efforts of Khader Hassan, a small-time producer from Thiruvananthapuram, who brought Arjun’s Arya to Kerala. He produced a dubbed version and released it across the major centers in the State through his distribution company, Redak Media.
“I did not foresee his stardom,” says Hassan. “He was a lesser-known actor then. But I felt Arya had the potential to be a super hit. It’s a highly energetic film, and Allu was so energetic. There was no such actor in Malayalam at that time – young and energetic, whom family audiences and youngsters could love, like Vijay in Tamil. Allu had that charm,” he adds.
Hassan started off as a producer in Mollywood. The first two films he produced – Swapnam Kondu Thulabharam and Nakshathra Kannulla Rajakumaran – flopped at the box-office, eroding his finances. That prompted him to change tracks, and try his hand at films in another language. “Once, when I was in Chennai, I happened to watch on TV a song from the Telugu film Nuvve Nuvve. It was very cute, as were the visuals. I thought youngsters in Kerala might love this film. That was in 2001. I didn’t exactly research the market. I bought the dubbing rights, gathered a team of writers and voice-over artists and got the work done,” he says.
Nuvve Nuvve became Pranayamaay. Satheesh Muthukulam wrote the dialogues, and Rajeev Alunkal, then a novice, handled the lyrics. “We would sit together and discuss how the lyrics and dialogues had to be. I didn’t want them to sound awkward,” says Hassan, who already had a distribution agency in Kerala; it made theatrical release easy. “We promoted the film like we would promote a film starring newcomers.” Pranayamaay was followed by films such as Nilaavu Pole, a dubbed version of Ela Cheppanu, starring Tharun and Shriya. Hassan also brought to Kerala Happy Days, a campus film by Shekhar Kammula, starring a bunch of fresh faces. The film became popular in the State.
But, it was Allu Arjun’s films such as Arya, Happy, Bunny and Krishna that turned Hassan’s fortunes. The industry would agree that Allu Arjun’s stardom in Kerala was largely shaped by Hassan, who registered fans’ associations for the actor to promote his films. The first unit was registered in Vellanad area of Thiruvananthapuram in 2006. At present, the Telugu star has over 300 such units in the State.
“I chalked out a market plan for Allu Arjun. I knew it was important to create a superstar for the dubbed films to be superhits. So, I took the initiative to form fans’ associations for Allu. We distributed over 15,000 ID cards under the banner of Allu Arjun Fans Association in 2003.”
The response was great. Famed voice artist Jismon Joy, now an established filmmaker with three movies to his credit, was chosen to be Allu’s voice in Arya after a massive audition. The makers were looking for a soft, youthful voice for the actor whose forte was boyish characters, and Jismon fit in perfectly.
Jismon continues to dub for Allu Arjun, although Hassan no longer distributes the actor’s films in Kerala. “Allu’s fans tell me that they can’t imagine another voice for the actor,” says Jismon.
Hassan notes that although a section of the Malayali audience does not accept the gravity-defying action that is common in Telugu commercial films, another section of youth enjoys it. “See the number of youngsters registered in various fans’ associations of Allu Arjun across Kerala,” he says.
When Hassan started producing and distributing dubbed films, the concept of satellite rights wasn’t very prevalent. Television channels had not yet proliferated. Surya and Asianet, the two powerful players, were not willing to air dubbed films. Now, all of them telecast dubbed films, especially those starring Allu.
“After a few films, I became a familiar name in Tollywood. I received an offer to make a dubbed version of films such as Eega and Mirchi. Prabhas wanted me to take up the dubbing of a few of his films,” says Hassan, adding that he lost the opportunity to take up Baahubali because he was working on his directorial. “That was a foolish decision,” he says.
It’s been over five years since Hassan produced a dubbed film. In January, he released Njanum Ente Sreeyum, the dubbed version of Oh My Friend, starring Siddharth, Shruti Haasan and Hansika, which was released in Telugu in 2011. “I bought the dubbing rights the same year, but there was a delay in release,” he says. Hassan’s last major release was in 2012 when he distributed Gajapokkiri. He took a break for his directorial debut Friendship, which released in 2016.
Hassan’s directorial debut Friendship, which he had also produced, sank at the box-office without a trace in 2015. The film had a youthful cast and was made on the lines of Telugu entertainers such as Happy Days. However, Hassan missed the point that the new generation wave had transformed Malayalam cinema beyond recognition from what it used to be in the first decade of the 21st Century. The failure of the film devastated Hassan who had already incurred a financial loss from the distribution of a few dubbed films.
“I was very ambitious when I started out. I dreamt about changing the industry and making a mark. I don’t know if I have done anything at all. Sometimes, I feel I have accomplished nothing,” says Hassan.
source; https://dhruvam.wordpress.com/2020/03/04/the-triumph-of-allu-arjun-how-kerala-fell-in-love-with-a-star-kid-from-telugu-cinema/
Published on Silverscreen.in on March 18, 2018
The Triumph Of Allu Arjun: How Kerala Fell In Love With A Star-Kid From Telugu Cinema
Tuesday, December 3, 2024
Jailer 2 promo shoot in EVP - Keerthy Suresh wedding in a SHIP- Mega Star v/s Pushpa 2
Though Mani Ratnam wife laughed off the story that her
hubby will direct Rajinikanth and that the director was going to do a film with Abhishek and Aishwarya Rai, it looks
like that the laughable story is getting into a reality. On December 12,
Thalaivar birthday,, two announcements – one on Jailer 2 and other on
autobiography and biopic are expected. Can we expect a third on coming together
of Thalapathy duo ?
Rajinikanth took place in a promo shoot for the Jailer 2 and will be released on birthday. Shoot took place at EVP studio where BiggBoss Tamil house is erected and filming going on. A 4K remastered Thalapathy is coming on December 12 in theatres.
Keerthy Suresh wedding is a three day affair starting
from December 10 and ending December 12th. It will take place in a
ship anchored in International waters off Goa , Guests will be ferried to the
ship which otherwise is a place for tourists who play the casino tables. The
bride’s father a Naur will oversee a wedding conducted in Nair style and have
guests in Nair style attire – white dhoti with jero and kurta of Kerala style
called hibba, There will be a Brahmin style of Keerthy’s mother Menaka ( ex
actress) and another one a Christian one of the groom .
Is Mega Star fans working against Pushpa 2 ? The
reaction to increase in ticket rates granted by Telangana Government and also a
case filed in High Court are seen as handiwork of Mega Family to stop Pushpa 2
rampage. Advance bookings are at a high and there is no stopping the film’s
biggest opening. However the Hindi scenario is different.
With Pushpa
2 set to release on December 5, starring Allu Arjun, Rashmika
Mandanna, and Fahadh
Faasil, the film is expected to do very well. However, audiences will have
to wait a bit longer for the 3D version, and some may be disappointed by the
lack of early Hindi screenings. It could be due to the poor response to the
film’s songs and slow advances.
Nevertheless,
the film’s commercial appeal remains strong with early paid premieres scheduled
for the night of December 4.
Source; https://boxofficeworldwide.com/
Tuesday, November 26, 2024
Atlee next a rehash of Magadheera - Will DSP removal give Game Changer a breather ?
Director Atlee next Hindi project is rehash of the Telugu film Maghadheera starring Ram Charan and directed by SS Rajamouli. This fantasy film released in 2009 was the South Indian dilm to have longest run in theatres and the dubbed versions in Tamil and Malayalam gave RC the market in these languages. A blockbuster hit , it had Chiranjeevi in a cameo. The writing team of Vijayendra that collaborated in the original is rehashing to suit Hindi audience. Kajol plays the role of a princess in an era dating 450 years ago and the modern day student. The story written by Vijayendra for Krishna was rejected and years later his son Rajamouli changed the screenplay and added a Rajamatha to the story of a bodyguard's show of loyalty and courage.
Atlee who has successfully rehashed many popular Tamil films and delivered hits is now camping in Chennai's Hyatt hotel with writers and re- writing the film. Sun Pictures, Atlee and Salman Khan are co- producers. Kamal Haasan is tipped to be part of the cast.
Game Changer team is waiting to see if Ajit's Good Bad Ugly will shift the release date as it has brought in G V Prakash as BGM scorer and DSP has been moved out. However we learn that GVP was brought in to stick to release date.
Adhik always wanted Yuvan for GBA . But Yuvan like DSP gives delayed bgm. Se he requested for GV Prakash and it it was producers who insisted Devi Sri Prasad thinking it will help them in Telugu states.
DSP was not giving songs for Adhik and under a pressure DSP gave songs for GBA .
Good Bad & Ugly Pongal deadline
GBA had this pongal releases deadline and Adhik started getting very nervous. Eventually DSP told makers he can't give BGM for Pongal deadline.
So choice was with Producers whether to delay production to summer release with DSP music or go with another music directors.
GV Prakash was requested to work on same luckily GV Prakash Kumar has got enough time and he was bought in immediately.
GV Prakash is already working with Mythrifor their Robinhood movie. So everything worked out.
DSP and Pushpa 2 song fiasco explained
DSP even in November did not give final duet song . He gave one finally in November 15th . They need to shoot that song on Allu Arjun and Rashmika. It was done recently on Nov 19 to Nov 22 with little of patch work and completes the entire shooting on Nov 25.
DSP always insist on complete raw edit of talkie with vfx to do bgm something which many Directors cannot oblige. Director Sukumar keeps improvising till last date and DSP know that but from this year he stuck to his new rule, he started this year. Music Directors like Anirudh and MM Keeravani do not insist but Manisharma , Ilayaraja and ARR used to insist on locked edit back in 90s and 2000s .
DSP was asked to work on episode wise which he kept declining. Then producers by then just got impatienent and requested SS Thaman, Ajaneesh and Sam CS to work on those episodes individually.
DSP was supposed to give NOCs to producer to reprise his bgm works and songs instrumentals of Pushpa in BGM for pushpa 2 second half. That got delayed but finally he gives it.
Monday, November 25, 2024
Divya Prabha : I am like Silk Smitha - Sreeleela item song flop and DSP out of Ajith film
Divya Prabha one of the actors in All we Imagine as Light the Oscar entry says that all the criticisms against her showing nudity on screen was expected by her as Indians mental mindset was not going to change. Though the film received rave reviews , social media is debating about her frontal nudity and that of another actress Kani Kusruti in the film. We had reported that the film was passed by Censors without any cuts. All releasing theatres are witnessing good crowds.
In an interview to ETV Bharat, Divya said that she equated herself to the late Silk Smitha. Smitha when alive was misunderstood as a sexy symbol and her true worth was known only after her passing away. The nude scenes according what is gathered from chats is that the viewers have seen only the clips streaming online and few have gone to theatres. This piracy has affected the film.
As censors have allowed this would more films with nudity get made and Kerala once again lead the bandwagon with another soft porn wave ?.
'Hidden Agendas Shut-Ready', the sixth book in the book series True Vision Stories, edited by India's leading author Ajith Menon and lyricist Anil Varma, has been published. For this, a book launch ceremony was held at Nakshatra Hotel in the central part of Chennai. In this ceremony, the owner of the media company 'Asia Ville' and senior journalist Sasikumar, writers, Ajith Menon-Sunil Verma, producers Ramkumar Ganesan, Trinath Malhotra, D. Many people including Siva Dhananjeyan attended.
'Hidden Agendas' is a book that has been eagerly read by readers. The characters in this book captivate the readers from the very first page. While reading each page, you can visualize the scene and feel the pleasure of the story. Our readers..we are glad to have read the first volume of True Vision Stories series. And we are happy to see the support and interest of various film production companies for this book.
True Vision Stories is a six-volume collection compiled by writer Ajith Menon and lyricist Anil Varma. It introduces readers to a new era of Indian stories as 'Hidden Agendas should be film-ready'.
Ajith Menon, one of the top ten famous writers in India, has written True Vision stories to fulfill the demand of the Indian film industry with emphasis on high quality local stories. It is hosted by lyricist Anil Verma. This exciting sixth volume collection captures the richness of Indian life culture and original events and is crafted in a cinematic style. We call this 'Hidden Agendas Shut-Ready'. The stories of this series have already attracted the attention of film production houses. Anar Entertainment and Pinnacle Movies are planning to adapt the stories of the series. The first four stories of the popular Hidden Agenda written by them are thriller series.
This book is published by the famous Srishti Publishers. The publication has been offering 24 unique story domains in the last six years with a specific genre of stories called True Vision Stories every year. It has also given filmmakers the plot for different films. Each volume in this series is elegantly curated to provide a cinematic reading experience. And it also allows filmmakers to craft exciting stories.
“Every page in the True Vision Stories collection is a cinematic experience. This book has visual storytelling for the readers,'' says writer Ajith Menon.
Lyricist Anil Verma, who has compiled the stories in it, says, "Our aim is to create content for the Indian audience that resonates deeply with Indian culture in relation to film."
With True Vision stories, Ajith Menon and Anil Verma continue the success of the book series 'The Panther's Ghost' which started in 2023. And among this year's top 15 books to read..to read..along with two best-selling volumes...the eagerly awaited third book on his impact on Indian literature and cinema is due out in January 2025.
Anar Entertainment plans to create a landmark moment in Indian cinema with a visionary project. Prem Menon, who has 30 years of experience from the company, and Kannan, who has 24 years of experience in the film industry, plan to bring these unusual screen stories to Indian cinema. It also highlights that culturally rich indigenous storytelling is poised to rise to new heights.
Sasikumar, the owner of the digital platform 'Asia Ville' and a senior journalist, said, "Hello everyone! I am delighted to publish this book. Prem Menon sent the pdf version of this book online.
This moment is a moment of great change. It can bring about a conceptual change about cinema. Books like these have the power to effect positive and sustainable change.
Currently the film industry is taking a big leap. Its business horizons have expanded. New markets for film are also emerging, such as digital platforms. It is also possible to create in one language and publish it in multiple languages.
Newly emerging young creatives are entering the field with different creative thinking. For example films like Manjumol Boys - Banana. Such films are made with low investment and collect between 60 crores and 70 crores. So I call this a moment for change. This book lays the foundation for this.
Ajith Menon and Anil Verma who wrote this have written their experience in cinematic language easily. Ajith Menon - Anil Verma - Anar Entertainment - The three 'A's come together.
It is a good alliance.
In my experience I have recently selected and confirmed a story for Sony. The story should be strong first. This book reflects this idea.
I am basically a journalist. Media can tell what is possible. Truth can be spoken out loud. But the story is different.
Ajith: Why did you choose Chennai for the book launch? When asked.. He explained about the antiquity of the Tamil language.
Currently, many young creators from the Malayalam film industry are creating works with new ideas. Especially on digital platforms, I see a lot of talented people.. presenting their works.
Writing a story is not ordinary. Imagination alone is not enough for that. It requires a lot of skills.. sector knowledge.. experience. Only then can we write different stories.
Book publishing and writing are rising as a profession. So young talents should come forward to publish their thoughts and imaginations in books. Storytelling through writing is also a unique skill.
The book 'Hidden Agendas Shut-Ready' is a successful book. I consider it a joyous moment to publish this book. Many producers and film buffs will support this book.
I would like to thank everyone including Ramkumar Ganesan, Bollywood producer Trinath Malhotra, Tamil film producers D. Siva and Dhananjayan, and my friend Prem, who have come to participate in this festival.
Anar Entertainment's Kannan said, "A good story.. only if there is a suitable screenplay for it.. the movie will become a blockbuster hit. Srishti Publishers today confidently publishes the book 'Hidden Agendas Shut-Ready'. It's a motivational thing for writers. Anar Entertainment and Srishti Publishing are looking forward to welcoming a new generation of young creatives.
I would like to share with you something that I have been observing the Tamil film industry for the last several years. The success rate of Tamil cinema is only seven to eight percent. That means if 200 to 225 films are released in Tamil, only 15 to 16 films become blockbuster hits. If we introspect what is the primary reason for this.. the story.
The story should be correct. The screenplay should also be suitable for that. If these two are weak, the film is mediocre.
A lot of new producers are coming to the Tamil film industry.. If the producer association forms a committee and guides them only in the matter of story selection.. the success rate of Tamil cinema will increase.
The biggest talking point in Tamil cinema today is that movies made with small investment are not sold on digital platforms called OTT. The main reason for this is the weak story. Once the story is in order, everything else will fall into place.
In today's environment Tamil cinema is unable to sell 100 films every year. Even assuming a minimum of three crores for a film.. almost 300 crore rupees is paralyzed in Tamil cinema.
Those who are in charge of the Tamil Film Producers Association who are visiting here.. You should form a committee in this regard and find a way to give advice and guidance regarding the story. This can reduce the loss in Tamil cinema.
Producers should also read the book written by these writers. A lot of new generation of creators should come. They should be supported. Thank you to everyone who came here," he said.
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