Feature of the day
Gautham Vasudev Menon speaks about his film
Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya
Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya review
Varuvaaya
Director
Gautham Vasudev Menon
Music
A R Rahman
Cast
Silambarasan, Trisha, Kitty, Babu Antony, Ganesh
By Moviebuzz
Three cheers to Gautham Vasudev Menon, the big daddy of romance is back with a bang! His Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya (VTV) is pure magic. This one works and grabs us where it matters; VTV is straight from the heart. Special: Vinnnaithandi Varuvaaya
10 years after his candy floss Minnale, Menon’s VTV is a far more mature Valentine. The film is backed by awe inspiring performance and precisely one thing going for it and that’s the chemistry between its lead actors Silambarasan and Trisha, Manoj Paramahamsa’s eye-catching frames, great screenplay and a stunning climax that is riveting.
It is return of romance and will strike a chord with anyone who’s loved and felt the unbearable anguish of loss, and knows the feeling that binds people in love together. Menon’s creativity is completely home grown though it looks autobiographical.
Karthik (Simbu), a mechanical engineer, dreams of becoming a film director, and meets Jessy (Trisha), a Malayalee Christian girl, who is an IT professional. And it is love at first sight. She lives on the top floor with her strict father (Babu Antony), mother and an aggressive brother, while Karthik and his family have rented out the lower portion of the house.
Mani Ratnam's Vikram special
actor Vikram will make his Bollywood debut with Mani Ratnam's Raavan. Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai are the lead pair in Hindi and Vikram plays the villain; he will play the lead opposite Aishwarya in Tamil. Sources add that Mani Ratnam is in a dilemma regarding the title for the Tamil version; Ashokavanam and Raavana are under consideration.
Now the latest buzz is that the ace director is planning a special trailer to introduce the National award winning Tamil actor in Bollywood. The special trailer will be a curtain raiser showcasing Vikram’s style and substance using scenes from his earlier movies. There are reports that Amitabh Bachchan will release the trailer in March.
Raavana, said to be the modern adaptation of the epic Ramayana, revolves around Raavana, the ruler of Lanka, who kidnapped Sita. The story culminates with Sita taking the side of Raavana instead of Rama, who suspects her chastity after having spent so much time in Raavana’s custody. Music is by Oscar winner A.R. Rahman. Raavana is produced by Mani Ratnam's sister Sharda under Rathnam's banner Madras Talkies.
Anushka's Pachanakshari
Director V. Samudra's heroine-oriented Panchakshari, starring southie Anushka Shetty as heroine, is almost like Anushka's pathbreaking Arundhati, which proved that Anushka could act not only in glamorous roles but also action and emotional characters!
Though not much is known about the story of Panchakshari, the shooting is currently progressing at brisk pace in Hyderabad. The logo of the film was unveiled at Annapurna Studios recently. The next schedule will begin this week and the film is expected to release in April.
Panchakshari is produced by Bommadevara Ramachandra Rao under the banner of Sai Ratna Creations and presented by Akkineni Nagarjuna. Chandramohan, Nasser, Raviprakash, Brahmanandam, Pradeep Rawat, Ali, Raghubabu, Jeeva, Benarjee, Uttej, Nalla Venu, Sudha, Telangana Sakuntala, Sana and others are in the cast.
Music is by Chinna and lyrics are by Chandrabose, Ramajogaiah Sastry and Suddala Ashok Teja. Story is by Madhu Vyapari, dialogues are by Thota Prasad, cinematography is by Vasu and editing is by Marthand K. Venkatesh.
SILAMBARASAN'S CALL TO GAUTHAM
Silambarasan has apparently watched VTV with his fans in Chennai's Devi theatre to gauge the reactions his latest romantic flick has on his fans. Fans have hooted at his romantic scenes with Trisha in delight, apart from his introductory scenes and other emotional moments. A dutiful Silambarasan called up Gautham Menon immediately to share the delight with him in reassurance.
VTV, released on Friday, took a fantastic opening across all the release centers in Tamil Nadu. The much anticipated flick of 2010 is also receiving good reviews from fans and critics alike.
PRAKASH RAJ’S KANDAHAR
The Ramoji Film city is bustling with activity as a huge airport set was erected for Prakash Raj’s Duet Movies, Payanam.
There are talks in Kollywood that Payanam has a similar storyline to Major Ravi’s Kandahar which has Mohan Lal, Amitabh Bachchan and Suriya in the lead. Payanam is a bilingual film which has Nagarjuna playing the lead role.
RADHIKA WALKS DOWN THE MEMORY LANE
Koffee with Anu, a bubbly chat show on Vijay TV hosted by Anu Haasan is already in its third season and this week end (Sunday, February 28, 2010) at 8 pm, Radhika Sarathkumar will visit the sets with her kids Rayanne and Rahul.
Though Radhika has been a guest in the show earlier for promoting her films, this time it will be more of a personal chat which will take you down the memory lane where her young age pictures will be displayed and she will speak about the memories she cherishes.
Son Rahul and daughter Rayanne share a special bond and they talk about their sibling love for each other. Radhika also reveals about her future projects.
VINAY’S ENGLISH FILM
Vinay is excited over the prospect of being cast in the English film Dam 999. The actor has so far proved his mettle in commercial films and this is the first time he is moving to another genre.
The actor disclosed that he plays a Malayali youngster. The shooting of Dam 999 will begin next month in Kerala. The team has plans to shoot some scenes in Dubai, Norway and Canada. Along with Vinay, Vimala Raman also plays an important role. Two actors from Hollywood are also a part of the star cast.
KAMAL’S WEB SITE
Kamal Haasan is planning to begin a web site soon. The actor will share his 50 years experience in filmdom through this web site apart from a host of other features. The team for this web site comprises close associates of the actor.
Sources say that Kamal Haasan’s tabloid Mayyam, which is run by his fans, is being converted into a web site keeping in pace with the technological advancement.
AISHWARYA HAS A SCRIPT READY FOR DHANUSH
here is a strong buzz in Kollywood that Aishwarya Dhanush is ready with a script. The lady has been contemplating on donning the director’s hat for quite some time and had assisted with bro-in-law Selvaraghavan in Aayirathil Oruvan. This gave rise to a speculation that Aishwarya would wield the megaphone soon.
There were reports that with a busy schedule ahead, Dhanush could not devote time for his wife’s venture and the lady would scout for another actor to play the lead role. But sources in Kollywood say that Aishwarya had written the script for Dhanush and hence the actor would be a part of it.
MADHAVAN: COFFEE WITH AN IDIOT
Madhavan was part of the Coffee with an Idiot, which took place in Dallas, San Jose, New Jersey and Chicago. The event inspired from ‘3 Idiots’, is an interaction between the star and the NRIs. Only a select number of people was allowed for this event. Speaking of it, Maddy said, “I was struck by the level of intellectual and mass connectivity the NRIs in the US had with '3 Idiots'. It's opened up a whole new discussion on the education system and the role of Indian cinema in bridging the gap between oriental and western perceptions on the power of the youth.”
Madhavan was a part of the blockbuster film 3 Idiots, which also had Aamir Khan in the lead.
Priyamani rubbishes romantic link with Jagapathi
National award winning Priyamani has awesome screen chemistry with prime star Jagapathi Babu! And they have co-starred in a number of films like Pellaina Kothallo, Pravarakhyudu, Sadhyam and Baburao... Ninnodala! But does it mean that both actors have any relationships beyond professional boundaries?
Unfortunately, this is what a few Telugu newspapers and websites had written recently about the duo’s relationship. Annoyed by these reports, Priyamani dismissed all speculative and unsubstantiated reports, saying that they are figments of some ugly mind’s imagination.
"I acted with Jagapathi Babu in my first Telugu film, which became a big hit. Then I have acted with him in the recently released Pravarakyudu which has also been received well. My next release Sadhyam is also with him. But I have also acted with other heroes like Tarak (NTR), Ravi Teja and Nitin. Just because I have worked with Jagapathi in many films, you cannot link me with him. I enjoy a good friendship with him and there is nothing more than that," she said.
Priyamani is now busy shooting for her second Kannada film Eno Onthara featuring Golden star Ganesh in the lead. The shooting is progressing in Chickmagalur. After the current schedule, the unit will move to Greece to shoot two songs
Sonia Agarwal debuts in Malayalam
Popular Tamil-Telugu-Kannada actress Sonia Agarwal, who shot to fame with her ex-husband Selvaraghavan's 7G Rainbow Colony (2004), is all set to make her debut in Malayalam. The actress will be seen opposite Malayalam superstar Suresh Gopi in Kanyakumari Express, directed by TS Suresh Babu and scripted by ace scenarist Dennis Joseph.
Kanyakumari Express is produced by GS Murli under the banner of Pyramid Films International. Also in the cast are Innocent, Babu Antony and Jagathy Sreekumar. Sharath is the music director. The shooting is expected to start by the third week of February.
According to sources, Sonia Agarwal also accepted a few offers (as second heroine) in Tamil and the announcement will be coming soon.
Ananthapurathu Veedu coming this summer?
Magnificent director Shankar has been producing quite a number of beautiful projects recently, the latest being Eeram. Now there are reports that his next production Ananthapurathu Veedu will grace theatres this summer.
Ananthapurathu Veedu belongs to the horror genre, and deals with supernatural powers; it is directed by ‘Marmadesam’ fame Naga. Shankar is known to produce movies with a difference and when Naga approached him with different scripts, Shankar was impressed with all the options and gave Naga the freedom to choose whichever he wanted.
It is believed that Shankar was very pleased with Nandha's performance in Eeram directed by Arivazhagan, and decided to cast him again for Ananthapurathu Veedu, which also has Chaya Singh in a prominent role
Images: Silambarasan turns Mr Nice Guy | Vinnnaithandi Varuvaaya is an intense love story: Gautham Menon The first half is all about how he passionately wooes her, follows her to Kerala, with his good friend Ganesh (Ganesh) a cameraman and his mentor who was instrumental in him becoming director KS Ravikumar’s AD. Karthik’s passionate wooing melts Jessy who finally succumbs to his ardent love. But her family and religion stands in the way of true love.
The romantic track is engaging because it's innocent, simple and the director nails it right. Silence convey so much more than irreverent banter, and nowhere is this more evident than in the interactions between Karthik and Jessy, whose romance is conveyed through their conversations, eyes and longing expressions. The credit goes to its lead pair who invests sincerity and genuine enthusiasm while attacking their roles.
However, VTV is not devoid of minor flaws. It has too many songs which are experimental and are non-structured that act as speed breaker. The pre climax song is unwanted, still “Hosanna..” and “Aaromale…” are the pick of the lot. The film at 2 hours and 35 minutes can be trimmed by at least 10 minutes in the second half to make it as racy and interesting as the first half.
I loved myself in VTV: Simbu Count among its major plus points- the technical wizardry of the film. Manoj Paramahamsa’s camera and his colour combination especially the night silhouette shots in the backwaters have a touch of class. Art director’s Rajeevan’s choice of interiors and mixing it with the exteriors are brilliant. Antony’s editing without using any gimmicks makes the narration silken smooth.
The film belongs to its lead actors. For sure, Simbu has come a long way from his finger wagging punch line spewing days. It's a joy to watch him in the climax scene when he speaks about his love by taking ordinary lines and delivering them so convincingly, and never miss a beat. His sheer agility in the romantic interludes, his composure, his dead pan humour and his tears in the climax are tangible and real, giving it a heart warming immediacy.
As a woman torn by the dualities of her existence, Trisha looks good and delivers her career best performance in a knock-out role. Her costumes, body language and gait changes as the story shifts from Chennai to New York via the backwaters of Kerala. There is a super cameo by Ganesh (one of the producers of VTV), which is earthy and outrageous as the cameraman friend of the hero and raises huge chuckles and the bar of the film.
The film is a must watch for those who cares for cinema of sense and substance. It stresses the fact that Tamil cinema has to break the mould if it aims to grab eyeballs. Gautham Menon has crafted a movie that will stay in our hearts for a long, long time.
Asin replaced by Shruti?
Legendary actor Kamal Haasan's daughter Shruti Haasan's Kollywood debut opposite reigning actor Suriya in a film to be directed by talented A.R. Murugadoss is one of the major happenings in the South Indian film industry these days!
While the shooting of this yet-to-be-titled flick, being simultaneously made in Hindi, Telugu and Tamil, is all set to begin this week, we hear that the makers' original choice in the female lead of the film was Asin, but they finally chose Shruti Haasan instead of Asin as reportedly Shruti Haasan has a face which is more suited for Bollywood.
To be produced by Udhayanidhi Stalin, this untitled film will have music by Harris Jayaraj. Ravi K. Chandran will be the cameraman. More details including the title, shooting schedule, cast and crew are awaited.
Siddique directs Vikram
‘Friends’ director Siddique will direct a move with ‘Chiyaan’ Vikram soon.
After his ‘Bodyguard’ starring Dileep was a blockbuster in Malayalam, director Siddique confirmed he will make the same movie in Tamil with Vijay. The scripting work for the movie is being done, with minor alterations to suit Tamil audience. Now, sources say he is ready with another script and this time it is for Vikram.
Siddique will direct Vikram in a bi-lingual movie, in Tamil and Hindi with Vikram himself as the producer. Sources claim that Vikram has been listening to many scripts lately and he liked Siddique’s story. Looks like Vikram, who’ll enter mainline Bollywood with ‘Raavan’, wants to get a strong hold there.
Anjali Devi Sathabhishekam function
njali Devi, one of the most popular stars of the black and white era celebrated her Sathabhishekam on Saturday. Her relatives, friends and Colleagues from the film industry were there. Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi visited the place of Anjali Devi and blessed her.
Born in Peddapuram in Kakinada district on 23th October, 1928, Anjali Devi began acting at the age of eight. Later she performed on stage with Young Man’s Happy Club. She met her husband Adinarayana Rao there and they got married in 1940.
Anjali Devi was introduced to Cinema by C. Pullaiah as Mohini, the heavenly beauty, in ‘Golla Bhama’ film. After that she never looked back. She went on to complete around 400 films as heroine in Telugu, Tamil and Hindi. She paired with all the top stars in the 40s and 50s.
In 1950, Anjali Devi established her own production house Anjali Pictures. Under the banner she launched a bilingual Tamil-Telugu film ‘Paradesi’. Akkineni Nageswara Rao and Anjali Devi played the lead roles and she introduced Nadigar Thilagam Sivaji Ganesan with the film. Another legend introduced by Anjali Devi in ‘Paradesi’ was the versatile SV Ranga Rao.
In Tamil Anjali Devi is still a legend. Anjali Devi was always in the big league of actors with films like, Mangayarkarasi, Adutha Veettu Penn, Penn, Kanavane Kankanda Theivam, Manalanae Mangayin Bakiam, Adithan Kanavu which were all block busters of the times. Her films with MGR, Marmayogi, Sarvadhikari and Gulebagavali are cherished movies even today. She was also the mother of Rajinikanth in ‘Annai Ou Aalayam’.
A great devotee of Sathya Sai Baba, Anjali Devi symbolizes the golden era of Tamil and Telugu cinema.
Santhanu’s next
Sakkarakatti’ sweet boy Santhanu Bagiyaraj is gearing up for his next project. IndiaGlitz digs out more:
Santhanu who is busy currently shooting ‘Aayiram Vilakku’ seems to have signed a movie with director K S Adhiyaman, who made movies like 'Thotta Chinungi', 'Sornamugi', 'Priyasaki', and ‘Thoondil’.
After Thoondil’s mild response in the box office, K S Adhiyaman has worked on a youthful subject this time. From our sleuths we discover the essence of the movie- the hero woos a Rajasthani Girl and marries her. He goes to Rajasthan and faces a culture shock there. How he manages and mingles with the crowd forms the crux of the story.
K S Adhiyaman has directed a lot of movies in Bollywood. He would hope to make a mark in Kollywood now. IndiaGlitz wishes him all the best.
Ileana’s costume boon!
Tall and slim Ileana is busy planning something else. Check out what!
News from sources is that Ileana will land in Chennai on the 5th of March for a photo shoot with director Bhoopathy Pandian. She will be seen with Vikram, if everything goes well.
Meanwhile news from another source reveals that the sleek Ileana will walk the ramp for her mother’s designer creations. Ileana’s mother is apparently an avid designer and likes to launch her own collection. Ileana is set to wear her mother’s creations in a show that will be held in Goa, where she hails from.
It’s also heard that Ileana’s mother will design the costumes for Bhoopathy Pandian’s movie with out remuneration. This is a rare mom-daughter combo!
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