Shraddha Arya is gearing up to make her much-delayed Sandalwood debut opposite Ganesh in Maduve Mane. Shraddha made her onscreen debut in Nishabd (Hindi) as Amitabh Bachchan's daughter. She has also played the role of Abhishek Bachchan's wife in a TV commercial, and Hrithik Roshan's girlfriend in another commercial. And now, she's playing a Class 12 student in the Shahid Kapur-starrer Paathshaala. Reportedly Shraddha plays a 'very Indian, very homely' girl in Maduve Mane



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Popular South Indian actor Sarathkumar has been advised bed rest for a month by his doctors, after he was injured on Monday on the sets of Kannada film Sarathi, directed by K.S. Selvaraj with Kannada actor Darshan and Sneha in prominent roles. Sarathkumar suffered a hip fracture while performing a daring action scene near Puducherry. According to reports, the actor was thrown off a horse and was immediately admitted to a private hospital. The president of South Indian Film Artistes Association was later shifted to a Chennai hospital. There is nothing to worry about his health condition. He will be perfectly alright soon, a hospital source said.

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Kannada’s Golden star Ganesh is moving from neighbouring Sandalwood to Kollywood.

As Ganesh’s ‘Mungaru Male’ is a super hit in Kannada, the remake rights were bought by P. Vasu to make the movie in Tamil. Vasu plans to launch Ganesh in Tamil. Seeing Ganesh’s performance in the Kannada version, Vasu thought this movie would be an ideal launch for Ganesh in Tamil. Its reported that ‘Mungaru Male’ is a romantic comedy.

Despite all this plans, P. Vasu is busy with ‘Puli Vesham’ with RK who acted in ‘Ellam Avan Seyal’ and ‘Azhagar Malai


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There is more news on Ajith’s 50th film. This Goutham Menon film will have his favourite star Sameera pairing opposite Ajith once again. The pairing was well received in the recent hit ‘Asal’. Sources say Goutham Vasudev Menon had already narrated the story to Sameera, the actress has given her consent to do it. If it happens, then the movie would be Sameera's third under the direct baton of Goutham. This super cop story will be produced by Dhayanidhi Alagiri. For the records, this morning we broke the news of the new film by Goutham starring Sameera Reddy which is in all likelihood be ‘Chennaiyil Oro Mazhai Kaalam vpost : 05

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The felicitation function held recently to thank the chief minister for his benevolence to the Tamil film industry folks will be remembered more for Ajith’s outburst at the function.

At the function the ever out spoken Ajith ruffled a few feathers for good as well as bad. He wanted actors to be left out of politics. He said actors want only to act and not interested to take a stand on social issues. Ajith wanted the Chief Minister to issue a direction that film personalities should not be arm-twisted to attend social and political events.

Ajith asked. “If we don’t attend the protest, we are portrayed as anti-Tamils. On the one hand, they want us to participate in political events and on the other hand they threaten us not to enter politics. What is wrong in our entering politics if we are expected to participate in political and social events?”

The shocked gathering came to their senses when super star Rajinikanth gave a standing ovation to Ajith.

While one feels happy to note the courage of the actor to bell the cats in its own citadel there are also some socially relevant questions.

No doubt the actors entertain the masses with their hard work and sweat. Most of the times, they are the inspiration to overcome depression. They need to be protected. Even in those days when anti-Hindi agitation lead by DMK was taking Tamil Nadu by storm and every spirited Tamilian was fighting for the cause on the streets the leader Annadurai exempted film stars in the party like MGR, SSR and others from participating in the agitation. The reason was if they get arrested or detained the livelihood of all the people associated with their films will be affected.

That was then. Now it’s a different world. In the sixties film stars were behind their political bosses and popularized the party. Popular actors like SSR, KR Ramasamy never thought of setting up their own shop in politics. Until 1972 MGR wouldn’t have thought of jumping into full time politics. But now every popular actor nurtures a dream of becoming the chief minister of the state one day.

But Ajith may not be one among them. The industry knows well the humble beginnings of Ajith and how by only sheer hard work and honesty Ajith reached to the top which today is not at all possible without promoters and godfathers.

In a scenario like today Ajith should not have generalized his statement as actors should be left out. Does that mean filmy people in general and actors in particular don’t have social responsibilities? When every paisa of their earnings comes from the common man shouldn’t the actors take up some of their causes? Agreed that the actors should not be arm twisted, as there are far too many functions and meetings arranged these days by some in the film industry with ulterior motives. But the actors should be able to read between and extend their support for deserving causes.

As responsible citizens of the country they must come out of their closet sometimes to take decisions for the welfare of the people. When Madonnas and Branjelinas travel thousands of miles speaking for the poor African countries; when Richard Gere and Lindsay Lohan come out in support of Tibet shouldn’t our stars also lend support to genuine causes?

How many times the actors of today would have thought of reaching out to the people? How many times they would have wanted to go and thank the people who made their film super hits and super duper hit? How many times the actors would have thought of giving back some thing to the society from which they got everything?


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Albeit Tamil films are dominated predominantly by action genre, other categories like thriller, horror, devotional, comedy and romance have also had their time of glory at different times. Of all these it is romance which comes a close second to action in terms of the number of films produced in the genre.

It may be argued that even action movies have romance in them and vice versa. But romance seen through out the movie unadulterated is a feeling by itself. While most films have some aspect of romance at least as a subplot a romance film can be described as any film in which the protagonists live or die for their love. The numbers of romance movies in Tamil may not match the number of action films. But Tamil cinema did have quite a few memorable films.

When films started talking with ‘Kalidas’ in 1931 film makers tried many innovations to make the new art live for long. One of such is the invention song and dance sequences. As the early films mostly dealt with historical and mythological characters they were all mostly didactic. When social films started flowing from the forties film makers had all the liberty to explore human emotions. Of the human emotions they found easy to express was love and romance which is saleable more than others.

The black-and-white era contributed some unforgettable moments of romance. Even actors were willing to do some bold scenes by standards then.

MK Thiyagaraja Bhagavathar was hailed as a romantic hero as much as singing sensation. MKT actually taught his generation of actors the aspect of subtle romance. A classic example is Haridas. In the introductory song ‘Vaalvilor thirunal...’ in which he comes riding a horse, his subtle romantic expressions like his squint looks at the girls on the streets, winking the eyes had huge effect on female viewers.

If you notice the most successful heroes who went on to become idols in Tamil are the ones who excelled in not just action but also romance. Specialising in just one won’t do. This trend existed until the mid eighties when angry young men were clearly differentiated from chocolate lover boys due to the changing times.

After MKT-PUC era the trimurti who ruled the Tamil film industry had fair chances to showcase their romantic inclinations on screen. While one was hailed as a mass action hero another was branded melodramatic. The third one was branded King of Romance. But during that period all of them have lived some memorable romantic life on screen irrespective of their images.

Nadigar Thilagam Sivaji Ganesan has a handful of movies in which he excelled in romantic scenes. Movies like ‘Sabash Meena’ and the cult song ‘Chithiram Pesuthadi’... are great romantic memorabilia from the black and white era. In the colourful ‘Puthiya Paravai’ Sivaji’s every movement with Saroja Devi talks love. Ananda Vikatan magazine raved about the lover boy Sivaji more than the histrionic Sivaji when it wrote the review of ‘Deiva Magan’ in 1969.

The romantic scenes in MGR films were altogether different. He mastered subtle romance better than any of his contemporaries. The way he holds the upper arm of his love and giving it a thrust will delight any romantic heart. The way he puts his hand around the neck and jerk s the heroines towards him is a winning art. The way MGR performed his romantic scenes with Savithri in ‘Vettaikaran’ is a talking point even today.

Gemini Ganesan was called Kadhal Mannan probably because other popular tiles were already taken by the other two. I say this it is because the Kadhal Mannan was exemplary as a pathos hero. But still as endearing lover he did capture many hearts in films like ‘Missiamma’, ‘Thenilavu’ and more.

Director Sridhar who is said to have pioneered soft romances in Tamil films is also a pioneer in triangular love themes. His ‘Kalyana Parisu’ is a classic love story which created new tenets for romance. When Gemini Ganesan shouts to inform he is gong to the college signaling Saroja Devi to follow him is one the most romantic moments. This kind of moments inspired many directors who came after Sridhar. The switching lights on-off to show love in ‘Ek Duje Ke Liye’ is one of it. Till the beginning of seventies romance was only a part of the theme and not the life line of films.

Later when Tamil cinema entered the “new wave” age from the early seventies differently made love stories began to crop up. During this period even Sivaji Ganesan tried some full blown romance movies. Though his age and mature stature could have hummed oddness Sivaji did try his hand. Films like ‘Rojavin Raja’, ‘Deepam’ and ‘Ilaya Thalaimurai’ can be classified romantic movies of Sivaji. MGR also showed his mettle in some bold scenes in movies like ‘Raman Thediya Seethai’ and ‘Idhayakkani’. But his ‘Anbe Vaa’ is a romantic classic. Unfortunately Sivaji did not have an out and out romantic film like ‘Anbe Vaa’ in his entire career. The only movie which can compete with ‘Anbe Vaa’ in terms of sheer grandeur is the tragic love story of ‘Vasantha Maligai’.

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ilm: 'Asal'; Cast: Ajit Kumar, Bhavana, Sameera Reddy, Suresh, Prabhu and others; Director: Saran; Music Director: Bharadwaj; Rating: **

It's very difficult to find a story in Ajit's latest offering 'Asal'. The film is full of sequences like abduction, hero finding his way into the villain's den, brother turning into a villain, competition between heroines to marry hero, Yugi Sethu trying hard to tickle funny bones of the audiences, etc. But one fails to understand what Saran, known as a good scriptwriter, is trying to narrate through the film.

The truth is that the film has nothing to offer in terms of story. Saran usually weaves his screenplay around a strong storyline, but falters this time. His Midas Touch is sadly missing from the narrative.

Whatever story one could decipher at the end of the movie is this:

Sampath, Vicky and Ajit are brothers (Ajit is step brother). Vicky is kidnapped by a Mumbai-based group led by Shetty (Kelly Dorji) and Sampath finds himself in a helpless situation.

Ajit, who stays in France, swings into action and returns to Mumbai along with his girlfriend Sara (Sameera) in the guise of a musician. He meets Sulabha (Bhavana), who makes arrangements for Ajit's stay in Mumbai. Sulabha, as could be expected, falls for the handsome man.

Ajit completes the mission successfully but he finds new rivals in Sampath and Vikky who try to get rid of him. The reason behind the hatred is their father's assets. According to the will, the huge assets would go to Ajit. Sampath and Vikky cook a nasty plan to grab the assets. Watch the film to find out how Ajit counters them.

Saran had almost lost his Midas Touch in his last film 'Modhi Vilaiyadu' and has gone worse with the film. Sadly, none of the sequences make for compelling viewing. The romantic sequences are best ignored while the action scenes are predictable.

The twist at the interval comes as a surprise, but the script fails to maintain the momentum in the second half. The only scene which is impressive is Bhavana and Sameera's conversation, which has some subtlety and sharpness.

Ajit looks stylish but one fails to understand why he wears a deadpan expression throughout the film. His ever-so-serious facial expressions don't help the film. It seems that the 'Billa' hangover still refuses to leave Ajit.

Sameera looks hot and acts with ease. Bhavana looks cute and handles her role with charm. Prabhu appears in an almost negligible role unlike yesteryear's hero Suresh, who plays a French cop.

Music director Bharadwaj, who never disappoints, grossly fails as none of the songs is worth mentioning.

Cinematographer Prashanth D. Mishalae has done an excellent job.

The usual glitter one would associate with Saran's films is very much here. He has made the film exclusively for Ajit's fans and they won't complain. We too must be grateful to Saran for completing the movie in just a couple of hours' time.

Watch it if you are a hardcore Ajit fan.

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Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi Saturday said people should 'forget and forgive' Malayalam actor Jayaram's alleged derogatory remarks about Tamil women.

In a statement issued here, Karunanidhi said: 'If Jayaram has spoken in a derogatory manner about Tamil women, then it is condemnable. Since he had sought an open and unconditional apology, one can leave this issue, following the principle of Anna (DMK founder C.N. Annadurai) and forget and forgive.'

The actor, who has acted in scores of Malayalam and Tamil films, lives here with his former actor-wife Parvati.

On Friday, Jayaram's house was attacked by a group of people belonging to Naam Thamizhar outfit for his alleged derogatory comments about Tamil women in an interview to a Malayalam channel.

Karunanidhi, in his statement, warned that police will not be mute spectators if people take law into their own hands.

At the time of attack, the actor's wife, mother, daughter and domestic helps were in the house. They had to lock themselves in a room to escape the mob's fury.

Twelve people have been arrested for the attack.

Jayaram, who returned to the city Saturday from a shooting schedule, again apologised for his comments which, he said, were made unintentionally.

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Dhanush has reportedly acquired the rights of Kannada blockbuster Duniya. The actor is likely to be on a safer side by relying more on remakes. It all started with Yaaradi Nee Mohini, Kutty followed the list. The actor's upcoming film Ready, Mapillai and Seedan will continue the trend. Duniya (Kannada), directed by debutant director Soori, was produced by A.T. Lokesh and T.P. Siddaraju starring debutants Vijay and Rashmi with Rangayana Raghu, Kishore and Chandru in very important roles. The film was based on Bangalore's underworld in the backdrop of a love story and has well-shot action sequences.

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The much-awaited Ajith starrer Aasal (also spelt Asal) will hit screens on February 5. The movie, directed by Saran, with music by Bharadwaj, stars Sameera Reddy and Bhavana as the female leads. The cast also includes Prabhu and Yuhi Sethu. The latest we hear is that the Censor Board hasawarded a U/A certificate for Aasal without any cuts. Earlier, the producers were hoping for a clean U certificate, but due to some breathtaking actions scenes, the Censors chose a U/A certificate. The movie is expected to be a visual treat as most the film was shot in France

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The wait seems to be over now; we are talking about Mani Rathnam's Raavana/ Raavan. There is no need of any introduction when it come to Mani Rathnam, because his name does the magic at the box office. The veteran director is currently busy with his big budget bilingual tentatively titled Ravaana in Tamil and Raavan in Hindi. Earlier, there were reports that a 90 seconds teaser of the Hindi version would be launched soon. Now the latest we hear is that the film will grace theatres in May; the director plans to release the film simultaneously in Hindi and Tamil. Sources add that the ace director is in a dilemma regarding the title for the Tamil version; Ashokavanam and Raavana are under consideration. 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. Vikram plays the villain. Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai are the lead pair in Hindi, while Vikram will play the lead opposite Aishwarya in Tamil. Music is by Oscar winner A.R. Rahman. Raavana is produced by Mani Rathnam's sister Sharda under Rathnam's banner Madras Talkies.

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After a brief appearance in Tollywood, reigning Tamil actress Tamannaah is back. After her only Telugu film Konchem Ishtamga Konchem Kashtamga (2009), Tamannaah will be seen opposite stylish actor Allu Arjun in his much-discussed Badrinath to be directed by Tollywood's highly successful V.V. Vinayak. Hansika was the first choice for Badrinath. However, she was dropped after she reportedly quoted a very high fee. According to latest reports, Badrinath will be launched by the last week of February and regular shooting will commence in March. Produced by hit maker Allu Aravind under the banner of Geetha Arts, Badrinath is set in the backdrop of the Badrinath temple, situated on the bank of Alaknanda River in Badrinath, Uttarakhand. Chinni Krishna of Narasimha Naidu and Indra fame is the story-writ

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If sources are to be believed, Kollywood's dream girl Trisha is currently shooting in the backwaters of Allepey, Kerala for Gautham Menon's much awaited flick Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya. We also hear that the crew is shooting some montage shots for the chartbuster song 'Aaromale'. It sure looks like an interesting year ahead for the gorgeous lass, who has Yavarum Kaelir with Kamal Haasan, which is expected to start rolling from March, then an untitled flick with Ravi Teja in Telugu and the much awaited Bollwood debut opposite Akshay Kumar in Priyadarshan's hMeetha. The South Indian beauty has also started the new year in fashion; her recent Tollywood venture Namo Venkatesha is doing well at the box office. We also hear that she recently organized a party for relatives and friends in Chennai to celebrated the success of Namo Venkatesa.


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