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by Rinku Gupta The world awaits the majestic arrival of ‘The Lion King’. A tremendous comeback after 24 years on the big screens, embellished with top-notch technological elements, where  characters for they look so real rather than being animated. With the film scheduled for a worldwide release on July 19, Arvind Swami, Siddarth, Robo Shankar and Singam Puli who have dubbed for the Tamil version were present for the pre-release event in Chennai. Mr. Bikram Duggal whois the Executive Director and Head for Disney's Studios said, “The Lion King is very special to all of us in Disney Studios. Yes, we are overwhelmed with abundant success of movies like ‘Avengers End Game’ and ‘Aladdin’ that was released by us this year, but “The Lion King” is even more special. There are lots of attractive elements in the film and one among them is the technological process, where one might find it more difficult to find if the characters on the screen are real or animated ones. More than t...

By Rinku Gupta Coming from the artistic film Pannaiyarum Padminiyum director Arunkumar, Sindhubadh,  the next film of the Vijay Sethupathi- Arunkumar combo had raised a quiet curiostity. The film centres around our hero( Vijay Sethupathi), a pickpocket con artist ( hard of hearing at times),  who falls in love with a girl from Malyasia  ( Anjali) who habitually talks loudly. Their synergies are made for each other but tragedy strikes and the duo are separated. Now, Sethupathi has to travel across the seas ( hence title perhaps of iconic traveler of folklore,  Sindbad) and find and rescue his lady love. How does he do it forms the story. The romantic portions are well concieved with novel situations. Sethupathi's son Surya makes a good impact in his debut film. Anjali and Sethupathi hit it off well with thier screen romance. This is Arunkumar's attempt to weave in hi octane, larger than life action into the drama and some may not take to that aspect of the film...

by Rinku Gupta " I had such a shock when I read the 1 page synopsis of Aadai," said Amala Paul at the audio launch of the film.  " I met director Rathna Kumar in Delhi where he narrated the story for 2 hours. There was a lot of positive energy at that meeting. Then I met producer Subbu. Before signing the film, we had a lot of discussion about the script. I told the director we have to work as a team. Vijay Karthik is the cameraman of the film and I saw truth in the photos he took. I saw a lost part of me. The trust then grew." This is the first time Amala did a rehearsal for a movie. " Rathna gave me the freedom to be myself, which is rare. He said 'just be yourself, embrace your madness' " she added. Aadai is the first script of Rathnakumar she disclosed about the Meiyathu Maan director. Amala plays a character called Kamini in the film. About shooting the second half which involve ' naked' scenes in the script, Amala said, " T...

Kalavani 2 is directed by A Sargunam with Vemal and Oviya reprising the position of lead pair. The story revolves around Arkki (Vemal) who is despised by his village for being a prankster, cheat and thief. All except his mother ( Saranya) dislike him immensely including his dad ( Ilavarsan). His only friend is Vicky ( VJ Vigneshkant) who plans cons on people with him. This aspect leads to few gags and laughs especially with Ganja Karuppu in the fray. One day Arkki decides that the easy way to big money is to be in the run for village president so that the big contestants will view him as competition and buy him off. The plot thickens when his uncle is one of the key contestants while the other is the father of his lady love Maheswari ( Oviya...though its not clear when and why exactly she falls for him even though he steals her pet goat ). As it turns out nobody is willing to vote for Arkki. What does he do to achieve his ends? Does he succeed? Vemal is back in full form be it d...

by Rinku Gupta Actor and entrepreneur RK will be launching a VIP Youth India Movement to enter the Guinness Book of Records on 15th August. The event will take place with 1500  people  applying his company's VIP hair color shampoo with bare hands at EVP Film City. The feat will prove that no color will rub off on bare hands of users. The event is tput3d to be held in the midst of celebrities even  from Bollywood. The product is a 3 in 1 with shampoo, hair dye and conditioner. 'This product came into existence because of cinema only because due to losses in cinema I went into business.  In 1991 I started with Kaasu Thanga Kaasu as actor and producer. I ran into financial difficulties but released the film. Then I decided to become an entrpreneur and only then I could continue in films,' said  RK.  About his product which he said is doing excellantly in the market, 'Can anyone touch hair color with bare hands? Usually the color will rub o...

by Rinku Gupta Raatchasi is a Dream Warrior Pictures film starring Jyotika directed by Sy Gautamraj. The film deals with the story of Geetarani ( Jyotika) who is the new headmistress of a run down goverment school in the village of Pudur. When she takes over, the school is in bad shape with no discipline, no proper teaching by staff, ramshackle facilities and rampant negligence and corruption. Encouraged by her father, she takes over and rules with an iron hand, gaining enemies but turning the school into a haven for students, creating opportunities for them to excel in. What happens when she runs into a greedy private school owner forms the rest of the story. The director has chosen a good subject to work on and the focus on education is commendable. The teachers and kids have all acted well, doing what's required, keeping us invested in the proceedings. But the film is a one woman show and though Jyotika breathes and lives her part all through, one wishes she could have...

By Rinku Gupta Kadaram Kondan produced by Rajkamal Films International starring Chiyaan Vikram, Akshara Haasan and Abi Haasan with Lena, had a grand audio launch in the presence of its cast and crew and guests at a star hotel. The highlight of the evening was the praise heaped upon his lead actor Chiyaan Vikram, by producer Kamal Haasan. " Vikram has displayed such style style and panache iin the film, an entertainer which will delight his fans." Kamal also announced the release date of the film as July 19th ( click here for Kamal Haasan' s speech ). Vikram recalled how as a student he would watch Kamal's films in boarding school and added that he was a die hard fan of 16 Vayadhinile which is the one classic he would like to see remade , and play Chappani's charcter. ( click here to watch Vikram's speech). This is music director Ghibran's 25th film and RajKamal Film's International's 45th project. The film is directed by Rajesh M Sel...

by Rinku Gupta  The Vemal- Oviya starrer Kalavani 2 is finally ready for release. At the press meet of this Sargunam directorial, Vemal was absent due to an out station shoot. Oviya however, got nostalgic at the event as she moved with smiles amongst the supporting cast present at the event. The cast includes VJ Vignesh, Ilavarasan, Robot Shankar and Saranya Ponvannan amongst others. In the interim, the actor has become a household name thanks to her appearance in Bigg Boss Tamil with an Oviya Army of fans. ' Kalavani was my debut film in Tamil and I owe it to Sargunam sir. Today I am very happy to be back to see the same faces after an 8 years gap. Sargunam sir only kept my screen  name as Oviya. Vemal helped me learn Tamil.The film has lots of fun and romance and it was great to work with everyone again. Actually Saranya mam and Ilavarsan sir had greater chemistry than Vemal and myself!' said Oviya. Saranya Ponvannan  said that the laughter in the sequel ...

By Rinku Gupta Thozhar Venkatesan, set in Kanchipuram and based on the director’s real life experience,  deals with the tough process of getting compensation from insurance companies when they meet with accidents in government buses.  How this affects common citizens forms the story. Directed by Mahasivan who had assisted Suseenthiran earlier, the film has newbie Harishankar in the lead with Monica Chinnakotla as his pair. The director  is confident about the impavt it will create,  ' My film is about the travails of the common man when dealing with the government agencies and will create a lot of buzz.'  The film is produced by Suseenthiran and Kala Films.

By Rinku Gupta Veteran actor Napoleon is now acting in a Hollywood movie called Christmas Coupon. The actor and his team flew down to Chennai to hold a press meet about the movie. Directed by Daniel Knudsen, it has Courtney Mathews and Aaron Noble in the lead. In this romantic story, Mathews plays a skating champ who is teaching skating to children. Noble is a hockey player. Napoleon plays a sports agent.  Speaking about his experience there,  Napoleon narrated how recording in live synch sound left no room for corrections in a dubbing studio like in Kollywood. The actor hoped to play the lead in a Hollywood movie someday. ' 'Last year we released the trailer of Devil's  Night a crime thriller which will release soon. Christmas Coupon too has been shot in Detroit. I had to act in extreme cold conditions and that was very tough since I am not used to such cold,' said Napoleon. The actor was accompanied by producer Tel K Ganesan and co actor Sheena Monni...

by Rinku Gupta London Talkies' K Natarajan Bow Bow is directed by S Pradeep Kilikar. The film is inspired by true events and has won several International awards including award for Best  International  Youth Actor for Child hero master Ahaan . The rest of the cast includes V Shiva, Tejaswy, Sathyan, Sharmila, Nanjil V Rambabu, Jane and Pulikutty. The audio launch of the film was held amidst the cast and crew. The DOP is K Arunprasath with music by Marc D Muse and A Denis Vallaban. The movie centres around a child and a dog and 2 dog trainers K9 Baskar and Varamani have trained the dog. The dignitaries from the film industry included Abirami Ramanathan, Chitra Laxman, director Sasi, H Murali, PL Thenappan, actor Ashok and editor Mohan. The story is about the relationship between a child and his dog. It was no easy task adjusting to the moods of  child actor and the dog and the unit did a good job of it. " This is a film not just for children but also for the child w...

By Rinku Gupta Sreenidhi Sagar's Riseeast Productions'   Bodhi Yeri Budhi Maari ( BYBM) is directed by debutant Chandru KR. VJ Sabu Joseph is the editor while Balasubramaniem is the DOP. ' My father has made movies before I left for New Zealand. I heard the one liner of this script and was in total awe of the twists in the film. I had a doubt if the new director could translate it to screen. But full marks to the DOP for bringing his vision to life. We gave him a challenge by shooting in just a room.Hero Dheeraj is a cardio thoracic surgeon and heroines are Dushara and Pradaini Surva   who is a super model. She will be seen in a different role. The music director is KP who has done a fantastic job,' said producer Sagar speaking about the project at the trailer launch press meet. VJ Sabu revealed that the film travels at the speed shown in the trailer. The film's director Chandru KR was a Jet Airways crew member earlier and is debuting as a director, 'S...

By Rinku Gupta The success meet of Nenjamondu Nermayundu Odu Raja ( NNOR) was a super fun event as the team celebrated the victory of the film. The Sivakarthikeyan Production film has debut hero Rio Raj alongside debutante heroine Shirin Kanchwala. VJ Vignesh, Vivek Prasanna , Chutti Arvind and many other talents  of the web- based Black Sheep You Tubers team. The music is by Shabbir . Hero and the film's producer Sivakrthikeyan thanked the team ,' When the audience reactions came at the theatre I saw the director and actors wiping thier eyes and getting emotional. When director Karthik's strict father got emotional and patted his hand after watching the film,  I was content that the film was a success. The reach and impact of the climax has made this film a success for us. The climax is what attracted me to this script in the first place.'  ( click here to view Sivakarthikeyan speech) Hero Rio Raj did some fun dance steps and regaled the audience. Mu...

by Rinku Gupta Remember the iconic Selvaraghavan film 7G Rainbow Colony which released 15 years ago? The lead pair Ravikrishna and Sonia Aggarwal immortalised thier characters on screen and are even remembered to this day with nostalgia.  Wishful thinking about a sequel to the film has always been on the minds of Selva fans. Exploring  the possibility of what happened to the devastated and  transformed  Kadhir after the demise of Anita, coming from the Selvaraghavam stable would delight the legion of the film's fans. Is that wish coming true finally? Well, a chance meeting between the lead pair after 13 years, certainly gives rise to hope of dream turning to reality! The duo were spotted at a popular star hotel in the city over the weekend in what Ravikrishna describes as a delightful, chance meeting. Sparks flew as the former screen lovers united and old memories were rekindled instantly.  Speaking to cinemaspeak in an exclusive chat the normally re...

by Rinku Gupta In  coming days, you’ll find Aadhi drenched in sweat, flexing his muscles as he turns athlete for the character of  his upcoming film Clap, directed by debut filmmaker Prithvi Aditya that comes tagged with the line ‘The Sound of Success’. The film produced by I B Karthikeyan of Big Print Pictures was launched on June 12, 2019 with a simple ritual ceremony and the commencement of shoot is on full swing from June 21st.  The first schedule will be shot in and around the exquisite backdrops of Chennai.  The female leads are   actors Akansha Singh and Krisha Kurup. Says director Prithvi Aditya, “Since, all the artistes have prepared themselves for getting into the skin of characters, I am sure, my job is going to be easy. Aadhi sir is well known for maintaining a stunning physique and is a fitness geek by nature. Akansha Singh is already a well established artiste and I’m eagerly looking forward to witnessing her midas-touch to t...

by Rinku Gupta An engrossing drama seems to be in the making as the team “Boxer” kick-starts the shoot after a prolonged phase of heavy preparations. The shooting commenced today with a formal launch that was attended by the cast and crew followed by eminent personalities like director Hari ,Preetha Hari, actor Vijaykumar, director Sam Anton and director Karthick Naren. Featuring Arun Vijay and Ritika Singh in lead roles, the film is produced at a whopping budget by V. Mathiyalagan of Etcetera Entertainment and is directed by debutant Vivek. Producer V Mathiyalagan says, “Finally, after  thorough preparations, we launched the film launched today (June 21) followed by the first leg of shoot, which will go on full stretch. Usually,  producers get happy, watching a film shape up during the course of production. In fact, their judgments and predictions about the film’s potential can be probably affirmed only midway. But with “Boxer”, I started to have a complete positiv...

by Rinku Gupta BOFTA Media Works and Diya Movies are all set to join up again after Kolaigaran's success. This time, they will collaborate with leading financier Kamal Bohra under the name of production house Infiniti Film Ventures. Vijay Antony will play the lead in their maiden joint venture directed by popular director and cameraman Vijay Milton. Currently, talks are going on with  leading  artistes and technicians to be a part of this film. The producers have affirmed that the film will go on floors from October 2019 and will be shot in a single stretch across the exquisite locales of  Goa, Diu and Daman. Lalitha Dhananjayan, S. Vikram Kumar, B. Pradeep Kumar and Kamal Bohra are producing this film for Infiniti Film Ventures.

By Rinku Gupta The Secret Life Of Pets 2 has Max the dog overcoming several issues. When his owner gets married and has a baby, Max gets over protective. When the family visits a farm, Max learns to overcome his fears for the baby thanks to Rooster the big farm dog. In the meanwhile at home Snowball has got himself into an adventure thanks to Daisy who leads him to a circus to rescue a tiger from Sergei. The favorites from the first part but there are no really big adventures or dangerous moments. The cute, fluffy, feel -good moments make it a good watch for younger kids.

By Rinku Gupta Nenjamundu Nermaiyundu Odu Raja is the debut direction of Karthik Venugopalan, with a team of popular You Tube stars starring in it. The film is produced by Sivakarthikeyan Productions. Two youngsters ( Rio Raj and RJ Vigneshkath) are unemployed but have dreams of making it big in life via thier You Tube videos. A chance meeting with a rich man (Radha Ravi) gives them a unique opportunity to earn crores if they fulfil 3 strange conitions he has. Do they manage to fulfil the conditions? At what cost? The laughs come in spurts here and there. The lead actors manage to pull off thier roles albeit a bit weakly in the emotional scenes which dont strike a chord. Plenty of messages are thrown in via dialogues and situations. A good effort by the director to bring in current socio- political references and especialy the ailment of society's apathy in general which affects the common man. Shirin Kachwala debuts as a reporter and does her bit sincerely though there ...

by Rinku Gupta In Men In Black International directed nt F Gary Gray, thre action  moves to international waters, namely to London.  Molly ( Tessa Thompson in an engaging performance) joins as a probationary officer working with the flamboyant agent H ( Chris Hemsworth). A brush with an alien leads them to a secret weapon that several people are after including a suspected mole in the agency. The London head High T ( Liam Neeson) gets involved and the action heats up in a chase to find the truth and save the world. The war of words  and  suggestion of a chemistry and oodles of magnetism between M and H keeps up the interest levels in the film making for an interesting watch.. There are more aliens of all sizes which add to the novelty factor, like  Bassam and thevsiper cute Pawny ( voice by Kumail Nanjiani ) By way of action and adventure dont expect too much but the scenic shots of Naples island fort are breathtaking  where Rebecca Ferguson as the evil...