Sunday, November 29, 2009

Kamal launched Gouthami's tele - serial!

Actor Kamal Hassan has launched a new TV serial Abhirami in which Gouthami makes her re entry! Produced by Abhirami Ramanathan under his banner Abhirami Mega Mall, Kutti Padmini plays the role of creative head in this serial. The grand inauguration of the serial was done Monday morning at a function held at the Abhirami Mega Mall. Kamal Hassan switched on the camera while Rama Narayan, president of the powerful producers council gave the first clap.


Present on the occasion were dignitaries Amirtham of Kalaingar TV, Khushboo, Kasturi Raja, Kutty Padmini, Kalpana, VC Guhanathan, TV actor Srinivasan, KRG, Kalaipuli Thanu and Kalaipuli Sekar amongst others. Abirami Ramanathan announced his future projects in small screen and explained why he had made the inaugural function in cinema puja style. "Earlier we had made serials like Devathai, Maayavi Mareechan and a few others but now we have decided to go into serials in a big way since the reach is enormous.”


Gauthami was happy about this re entry and says, "Many people have been asking me when I am not returning to acting and this is my step in that direction. More details of my role will be announced later." Kamal says that small screen is the best medium to promote cinema. The actor urged to implement the copy right plan in small screen too.

Prakash Raj to produce Radha Mohan's next project

Finally Prakash Raj has come to the rescue of his friend and director Radha Mohan. Yes.. he will produce his next directorial venture titled Payanangal. According to the sources, the film is a Tamil and Telugu bilingual thriller, loosely based on the book Buy Flight into Fear written by Devi Saran, who was the captain of the ill fated Indian Airlines flight IC 814 involved in the 1999 Kandhar hijack.

Nagarjuna will play the role of the pilot while Prakash Raj is going to do the role of Union Home Secreatary. The script has been changed to suit local nativity with the flight taking off from Chennai instead of Kathmandu, and some local flavour added.

Aparna Nair to make her debut in Tamil

Aparna Nair, famous as a stage performer, is making her debut in Tamil. Sources say that she has almost finished shooting her film titled Ethuvum Nadakkum. One of the main location for the film was in Cochin, Kerala.

Aparna has performed in many stage shows of actors like Mammootty and Mohanlal. The movie
is a love-story and will be seen in screens soon.

106 Chandi Homams for Rajini

The 60th birthday of Superstar Rajinikanth falls on December 12 and his fans are busy gearing up to celebrate their Thalaivar’s Big Day with huge fanfare and various charity activities, including blood donation, organ donations camps.

But before that there’s another one — Rajini’s star birthday falls on November 23 and Veteran film maker Ramanathan has come up with an out-of-the-box plan to mark the occasion. The director of Bollywood and Kannada movies, who also produced Rajinikanth’s blockbuster Dharmadurai few years ago, has planned to perform a 106 Chandi Homams at the famous Kamakshi Amman Temple at Kanchipuram on November 23.


Sources also say, it is believed that the homam will bring prosperity and good health to Rajini and his family. Vedic scholars from various parts of Tamil Nadu are expected to take part in the ceremony, which one hears will be performed on a grand scale. Fans also plan to perform special poojas and homams and pray to god to bring Rajini in politics!

Sneha to appear in her bikini

Once again Sneha becomes sensational in ... This time not for any controversial act, but for her hottest ever appearance in the forthcoming Soundarya Rajinikanth produced film Goa. The actress is appearing in a wet bikini suit for the first time in this film and of course
she has been paid hefty for this glam coup.

She wore the suit on the condition of not releasing the stills to the media. But now it seems that she has changed her mind and allowed the producer and director to release the glam pics. The secret behind her change is hiking her pay for her future projects

. Yes...she has given the green signal to all that she is getting ready for skin show in others films too, but if paid high!

Kollywood discovers international film fests

It is pack up' call of a different kind from Tamil film directors. They are busy packing their bags, as they head towards Goa, Dubai and other venues where international film festivals are being held. Tamil film directors are turning into globetrotters.

"Directors and producers of Tamil films are waking up to the world of international film festivals, numbering 1300 in 80 countries, ranging from Albania to Zimbabwe," says director Ameer. And with good result. "International movie merchants are asking for Tamil film DVDS ," say directors Arun Vaidyanathan and Ameer.

Arun Vaidyanathan, whose film Achchamundu Achchamundu' has been selected for screening at the Indian Panorama of the Indian International Film Festival (IIFF). Director Pandiraj, whose film Pasanga' has also been selected for the Panorama, has entered the same film the Indian Film festival, Los Angeles . He is surfing the Net for information on other festival entry deadlines.

Yogi', featuring director Ameer, as the hero will enjoy a world premiere in the competition round of the Dubai International Film Festival. Ameer's earlier directorial ventures, Raam' and Paruthiveeran' made it to some of the prestigious film fests such as the ones at Cyprus and Berlin, and walked off with a couple of awards. Two other Tamil films, Aval per tamizhaci' and Rettachuzhi' have also made it to the screening round of the Dubai International Film Fest. (from November 15).

The recent trend among young filmmakers to take their films abroad, not merely to satisfy the Tamil diaspora, but also to gain a foothold in the competitive world of international cinema, and earn both revenue and respect for Tamil filmmakers is long overdue, says director Vasanth. "The world of cinema has seen a perfect marriage between commercial and parallel movies, and awareness over world markets and the importance of taking Tamil cinema to a world audience is growing, " says director S m Vasanth, who headed the jury for the international documentary and short films of the forthcoming IIFF.

"Global merchants are looking at the biographies and career graphs of our directors and this upswing is good for our cinema, " says producer K S Sivaraman, who has sent his Naan Kadavul' to the Cairo International Film Festival. Tamil cinema has had pioneers like Mani Ratnam in this field, but it is only now that other film makers are waking up to the outside world, beyond box office collections, says Pandiraj. Mani Ratnam himself is a regular at the festivals of UCLA, California, Berlin, Toronto, Venice, Amsterdam and Washington DC. "There is a huge demand for DVD rights of his films in many of those countries, " say a spokesperson of Madras Talkies, the director's production house.

"The benefits of being part of such events are huge, " says Ameer. "You can earn as much as you do in Indian markets, and the brand value of Tamil cinema has consistently gone up in recent years, " he adds.

While entering a film, directors and producers need to ensure quality sub titling, sleek editing (running time not above 2 hours) and keeping to the deadline. The cost of entering a festival may range between Rs 20, 000 to Rs one lakh, depending upon the work involved. While the top draw festivals do not offer money, others such as the Taipei and Washington film festivals may offer a film maker between $ 500 to $ 1000.

However, making it to such fests is still a part of the learning curve for many directors, says Pandiraj. "Many of us do not know how to package our films for a global audience as yet, " he adds. Ameer agrees. "It takes a lot of effort to send a film to a festival, and it is time policy makers appoint a separate jury at a national level to screen and send Indian films to such venues," he adds.

Ravikumar to direct Kamal's next project?

K S Ravikumar, popularly called the commercial king of Kollywood, is to direct Kamal Hassan's project again, is the new buzz in Kollywood. The director is currently busy with the release of his Jaggubhai in which Sarathkumar- Shriya Saran play the lead roles.

Ravikumar says, "Jaggubhai has come out well and the trade is very happy with the final cut. It is a clean family entertainer. Originally the story was written for superstar Rajinikanth." Now our sources confirm that the director is holding talks with Kamal Hassan to direct Kamal's next venture after the release of Jaggubhai.

Monday, November 9, 2009

Genelia opposite Dhanush?

South India's tantalizing damsel Genelia is reported to be the heroine of Kollywood's upcoming remake king Dhanush's new film, a remake of super hit Ready (Telugu). Notably, Genelia was the heroine in the original version, directed by Srinu Vytla. This is the first time Genelia will share screen space with Dhanush.

Directed by Dhanush’s favourite director Mithran Jawahar, the Tamil version of Ready will be produced by Appa Rao and Ramesh. Director Mithran Jawahar will make some basic nativity changes and retain Sri Devi Prasad’s original music track. The film will start rolling soon.

Ready is the story of a final year engineering student. One of his friends falls in love with a girl, whose father arranges her marriage with some other person. So his friends kidnap the bride out of the marriage hall to arrange their marriage. However, Chandu's gang mistakenly rushes into another marriage hall and kidnaps Pooja. Later, Chandu falls in love with Pooja. What happens next makes up the rest of the film.

'Ninja Assassin' misses the target

Humorless, preposterous, and soaked in blood, "Ninja Assassin" turns out to be thinly-plotted schlock from a team of pedigree filmmakers who should have known better.

"The day Rain did his first scene in 'Speed Racer,' the Wachowski brothers called me and said 'This guy is unbelievable. He's a natural, our dream come true.' We began to plan 'Ninja Assassin' immediately afterward," producer Joel Silver said in an earlier interview.

Unfortunately for "world star" Rain, what was to be his breakout film falls way short of what "Enter the Dragon" was for Bruce Lee. No doubt, that was what the Wachowski Brothers were aiming to do by gambling on someone who was a relative unknown in the Western world.

Rain plays Raizo, one of the world's deadliest assassins trained by the Ozunu Clan -- an underground band of killers that has remained hidden for generations by posing as a mythical organization.

Robbed of his childhood, Raizo is transformed into a merciless Katana-wielding killing machine. Breaking free from their mountain lair, he plans to exact revenge on the clan for killing his first love.

In his quest for revenge, he gets help from a Europol agent Mika Coretti -- played by Naomi Harris -- who stumbles upon a money trail connecting a slew of high profile political assassinations around the world committed by the Ozunu.

As she begins to uncover the truth behind the murders, she too, becomes their target and is saved by Raizo when assassins emerge to kill her in Berlin.

By now, plots like these have become the silver screen version of painting-by-numbers in the same manner as Tom Clancy inspired techno-thriller novels.

But the plot does have all of the makings of a straightforward pulp action thriller, as its opening set-piece suggests it would be. In it Raizo ambushes a gang of Yakuza members, with heads and limbs severed and buckets of blood everywhere.

The level of over-the-top ultra-violence established through this opener is unfortunately juxtaposed with a serious tone devoid of much irony.

The film is not a nod to pulpy B-grade kung-fu genre of the 70s, nor is it a polished action flick geared towards a mainstream audience. Instead it's stuck in the middle ground, in an area unlikely to appeal to fans of either genre.

When production on the film was announced, anticipation was high, as it was written and being produced by the makers of The Matrix trilogy, with directing duties falling on James McTiegue, the veteran director who scored both a critical hit and modest box office success with 2005's V for Vendetta.

But it seems somewhere down the line the creative vision of the producers and the director clashed, without either camp realizing.

Perhaps they realized during post-production they had a potential turkey on their hands -- the film's marketing has focused on Rain and the physical transformation he underwent during six months of grueling training with the stunt and fight team that trained the actors in the film, "300."

And the result is there on the screen. The 28-year-old actor is shown sans shirt as if he's allergic to fabric except for a leather jacket.

He's ripped. His female fans will love him -- as long as they don't get too squeamish from seeing all the blood.

He does a decent job with the few lines he has throughout the 98-minute running time.

The verdict is still out on whether this will be his breakthrough role and it will be interesting to see if his star power alone will be able to generate enough revenue in Asia to warrant future high-profile roles.

Rain's ninja role draws inspiration from Lee, Chan

South Korean pop star Rain says he drew inspiration from fellow Asian stars who successfully crossed over to Hollywood when he prepared for his first leading role in an American film.

"I watched a lot of action films of Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan to create a different, unique character in the movie," the 27-year-old actor-singer said Monday at a press conference in his home country to promote "Ninja Assassin."

Jeong Ji-hoon, who goes by his stage name Rain, was first recognized in the region for his singing and slick dance moves. He first gained exposure in the West when Stephen Colbert parodied one of his music videos on his show, "The Colbert Report," in May 2007, which led to a second spoof — a "dance-off" with the U.S. comedian. He made his Hollywood debut alongside Emile Hirsch in Andy and Larry Wachowski's 2008 thriller "Speed Racer."

In "Ninja Assassin," Rain plays an orphan adopted and trained into a deadly assassin by the secret society Ozunu Clan, only to turn against it when he finds out that the group's leader executed his friend.

"Speed Racer" posted mediocre box office numbers and all eyes are on whether Rain can carry "Ninja Assassin," which will hit theaters on Nov. 25.

The South Korean star said for now, he's just glad if he can pave the way for more Asian faces in Hollywood.

"I hope the movie reaches the No. 1 at the box office, but regardless of the numbers, it will open doors for more opportunities in Hollywood not only for myself but for other Asian actors," he said.

"Ninja Assassin" director James McTeigue said in a press statement the Wachowski Brothers, best known for "The Matrix" trilogy, eagerly recommended Rain to him.

"The day that Rain did his first scene in 'Speed Racer,' the Wachowski brothers called me and said, 'This guy is unbelievable.' And we began to plan 'Ninja Assassin' immediately," McTeigue said. The Wachowski brothers produced "Ninja Assassin."

Rain was equally grateful to the Wachowskis, saying Monday meeting them was "one of the life-changing experiences in my life."

Documentary Puts Old Hollywood Pros in Spotlight

Documentaries have been made about such below-the-line Hollywood talent as stunt performers and cinematographers so it's only fitting that one finally got made about production designers.

Daniel Raim's "Something's Gonna Live" is absolutely infused with profound admiration and respect for the people who can make real or imagined worlds come alive. Although the focus is on Hollywood, "Something's Gonna Live" is a natural for festivals everywhere and should be a useful, if not essential, teaching tool in any cinema course.

Rain did make an Oscar-nominated short doc, "The Man on Lincoln Nose," about his professor at the American Film Institute, Robert Boyle, who worked with Hitchcock as a designer on "The Birds" and "North by Northwest" among hundreds of credits. In fact, Boyle still teaches at the AFI -- at age 100!

When Raim located footage of an interview he conducted with famed cinematographer Conrad Hall not long before his passing, footage he believed lost, he decided to embark on a feature about the men -- and indeed they are all men -- who played such a vital role in the Golden Age of the studio system. Good thing he did for only two of the men he focuses on are still with us -- Boyle and cinematographer Haskell Wexler.

Raim's approach is to stage reunions of these "old farts," as they like to call themselves, so they can reminisce. Boyle re-visits Paramount Studios with his pals Henry Bumstead ("To Kill a Mockingbird," "The Sting") and Albert Nozaki ("The War of the Worlds," "The Commandments"). Or Boyle and Harold Michelson ("Star Trek: The Motion Picture," "Catch-22") journey to Bodega Bay north of San Francisco where they worked on "The Birds" together.

Hall attends a film revival with Boyle, then in a later exchange reflects on the demise of the storytelling art in current movies. He says he hopes for a "renaissance" in cinema, although one he doesn't expect to live long enough to see.

Burglary Gang Found Doors Unlocked at Celeb Homes

While some Hollywood stars are vigilant about guarding their private lives, others are apparently leaving doors wide open.

Suspects in the teen burglary gang – who allegedly made off with more than $3 million in jewelry, clothes and other luxury goods from the homes of Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, Megan Fox and at least five other celebrities – gained entry to the homes mainly by finding doors unlocked, according to a search warrant released in the case.

The stars' security was lax in other ways: At Lohan's residence, the suspects broke in by prying open a window using a screwdriver, the documents say. The gang allegedly used basic internet research to figure out where celebrities lived, when they weren't in town, and then watched the homes for the opportune moment to break in.

Recovered Loot
The search warrant shows that suspect Nicholas Prugo, 18, confessed to pulling off the crimes and implicated a list of other suspects including Rachel Lee, 19, whom he said was the "driving force" behind the crime spree. Lee wanted to "own the designer wardrobes of the Hollywood celebrities she admired," the document states.

The search warrant also says that Prugo and Lee broke into Paris Hilton and Rachel Bilson's homes several times.

The burglary victims include Orlando Bloom, Audrina Patridge, Brian Austin Green, and Ashley Tisdale. Some $2 million in stolen goods has since been recovered, but police said much more has yet to be found.

Other suspects are Diana Tamayo, 19, Alexis Neiers, 18, Courtney Ames, 18, Roy Lopez, 27, and Jonathan Ajar, 27. An attorney for Lee hasn't returned calls for comment. Sean Erenstoft, an attorney for Prugo, stated his client's role in the crimes was limited, while lawyer Jeffery Rubenstein said he believes his client, Neiers, will be cleared of all charges.