Casanova to be remade in Hindi

Directed by Rosshan Andrews and Mohanlal starrer Casanova will be remade in Hindi and the remake rights was bagged by Ketan Shah Productions. The movie is a romantic thriller and is the most expensive movie ever made in Malayalam.

Rosshan Andrews himself will be directing the Hindi version and will have a super star from Hindi playing the title role.

It is learnt that the remake rights was signed for a record price and location hunt will be starting next month at United States of America, Argentina and South Africa.

Look who's caught in SRK-Shirish brawl!

Mumbai : Jewellery designer Farah Khan Ali wouldn't have thought that having a similar name as of choreographer-turned-filmmaker Farah Khan would some day prove to be a problem for her.

Ever since the news of a brawl between superstar Shah Rukh Khan and filmmaker Shirish Kunder has come out, the jewellery designer is inundated with calls asking her about the incident.

'Wish the press would do their homework. Got calls in the middle of work asking me if @iamsrk slapped my hubby. Had to clarify I am the jewellery designer,' she wrote on her Twitter page.

'So for all of you out here who are confused and following me because you don't read and assume I am a film director, let me say I am a jewellery designer.

'And for those asking me for my comments. I would say 'No comments' as I was not present at the party when the incident happened and had left.

'In order to be judgemental about a situation one needs to be present and know all the facts. Commenting for the sake of it makes no sense. Both Gauri and Farah Khan are my friends. I will never pick sides and I am sure they will sort it out in good time. So no more on this please,' she added.

'The Dirty Picture' is highest pirated film: Ekta Kapoor

Mumbai: The team of 'The Dirty Picture' launched the DVD of the film here Monday, within two months of the release of the film. Producer Ekta Kapoor said the film is the 'highest pirated film in the history of Indian movies'.

''The Dirty Picture' is the highest pirated film in the history of Indian movies and if we had not come out with the DVD now then the piracy would have made much more money than it had already done,' she said.

'The Dirty Picture' which has opened doors for the single screens yet again managed to make the biggest box office success.

Vidya Balan said 'I just knew one thing we all were trying to make a good film as long as you know that nothing is in your control.'

She further adds, 'I was saying to Milan (Luthria- director) that the film has released two months back and now I want to watch the film again. We have such wonderful memories with this film I would be glad to watch this film on DVD.'

Vidya has managed to bag maximum awards for her role as Silk in 'The Dirty Picture'. But Vidya considers her biggest award is being part of the film team.

'I think the biggest award was 'The Dirty Picture'. I got an opportunity to play Silk and to work with this team is the biggest award. Everybody have loved this film and we are grateful for that. '

'I will only say I am holding Milan's hand very tightly because only because of this person I am taking all the awards.'

’Zindagi Na...’ triumphs at Filmfare awards

Zoya Akhtar's youthful movie "Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara" swept the 57th Filmfare awards ceremony here by winning seven honours, including best film and best director, but the best actor nods were given to Vidya Balan and Ranbir Kapoor for "The Dirty Picture" and "Rockstar", respectively.

Apart from best film and best director award for Zoya, "Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara" was named the best film (critics), and Farhan Akthar was named the best supporting actor (male) and won the best dialogue award for the film. The road-trip-based movie also picked the award for best choreography by Bosco-Caesar for the song "Senorita", and best cinematography by Carlos Catalan.

The Filmfare awards ceremony was held at Film City here Sunday night.

"Rockstar" followed in the second place with five awards, including best lyrics for Irshad Kamil for the song "Nadaan Parindey"; best music director for A.R. Rahman; and best playback singer (male) for Mohit Chuhan's rendition of "Jo bhi main".

It was a double whammy for Ranbir as he not just picked the best actor's trophy, but also the critics' choice best actor award too.

The other big winner turned out to be "Delhi Belly", which won for best debut director (Abhinay Deo), best editing (Huzefa Lokhandwala), and best production design (Shashank Tere).

This year's lifetime achievement award was conferred on Aruna Irani.

The best story honour went to Sanjay Chauhan for "I Am Kalam", which highlighted the underprivileged children's right to education, through the protagonist played by Harsh Mayar.

Priyanka Chopra won the best actor critics (female) award for playing the femme fatale in Vishal Bharadwaj's "7 Khoon Maaf".

Rani Mukerji's portrayal of a journalist in "No One Killed Jessica" won her the best supporting actor (female) award.

The best playback singer (female) honour was given to Usha Uthap and Rekha Bharadwaj jointly for the naughty and peppy number "Darling" from "7 Khoon Maaf".

The R.D. Burman Award for upcoming talent in field of music was bagged by Krsna for "Tanu Weds Manu", while Ranjit Barot got the best background score award for "Shaitan".

Among the newcomers, Vidyut Jhamwal and Parineeti Chopra were named the best debutants for "Force" and "Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl", respectively.

The best VFX trophy was given to Red Chillies VFX for "RA.One" and the best action award was given to Shah Rukh Khan-starrer "Don 2: The King Is Back". The latter also won the best sound design trophy for Nakul Kamte.

Niharika Khan walked away with the best costume award for Vidya's bold outfits in "The Dirty Picture".

The star-studded gala saw a string of B-Town celebrities -- Bipasha Basu, Madhuri Dixit, Sameera Reddy, Shreya Ghoshal, Onir, Farhan, Zoya, Deepika Padukone, Madhur Bhandarkar, Abhishek Bachchan, Rekha, Raveena Tandon, Anurag Kashyap, Subhash Ghai, Dia Mirza, Aditi Rao Hydari, Sarah Jane Dias and Gauri Khan -- walk the red carpet.

Tamil cinema industry on verge of crisis over wage revision

Chennai : The multi-million Rupee Tamil cinema industry seems to be on the verge of a crisis with wage revision turning out to be a flashpoint between unions of producers and workers.

Peeved over the 'unilateral decision' of the workers' body, Film Employees Federation of South India (FEFSI), on
revising the wage structure, the Tamil Film Producers' Council (TFPC) has ruled out working with them.

While a strike paralysing the industry boasting some of the biggest names of Indian cinema, including actors
Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan is not in the offing, FEFSI has however decided to take to the streets by organising a fast,
sources said.

Sources indicated that not much production activity had taken place last week, with TFPC convening an emergency
meeting of its general council to discuss the issue on Monday, even as it held that it could not negotiate with FEFSI due to
elections to the body and change of guard.

While wage revision had been happening once in three years for the past few years, it did not happen last year with the
expiry of the latest scale in early 2011.

However, FEFSI went ahead and announced a scale, which is now the bone of contention between the two bodies.
'Agreement on payscale is usually signed after discussions with both parties and this time FEFSI's unilateral decision
was against normal practice,' TFPC sources said.

However, a FEFSI office-bearer said the demand to increase pay by 30-50 per cent was the general scale proposed.
Noted director Cheran, known for critically acclaimed films like 'Autograph', batted for producers, saying it was 'unfair'
for the workers to demand a 100 per cent hike when investing on films had become a 'gamble'.

'A director or a cinematographer receives wages only according to the budget of the film. But for the workers, the
scale is constant, irrespective of investment made into the film, whether shot on Rs 100 crore or made on a shoe-string
budget,' he added.

The move would only further worsen the cinema industry, where successful films are increasingly becoming fewer and
film-making itself is a big challenge, Cheran added. Even a talented, techno-savvy film-maker has to shell out more if he abides by FEFSI rules, though he can manage to complete his films within a few lakhs of Rupees, he claimed.

Meanwhile, the eternal demand of top stars reducing their salaries has also come up once again from some sections. Many
of the major actors are paid in crores of Rupees besides some being given rights of the film in some areas.

A strike by the FEFSI a few years ago had paralysed the Tamil cinema industry.

Ranbir, Vidya best actors at 57th Filmfare awards

Mumbai: Vidya Balan, who painted 'The Dirty Picture' in Bollywood last year, and 'Rockstar' Ranbir Kapoor picked the best actor trophies at the annual Filmfare awards ceremony here, while 'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara' bagged the best film honour.

It was a double whammy for Zoya Akhtar and Ranbir, as the former took home the best director award for 'Zindagi...', while the latter was named the best actor in the critics' choice as well.

Priyanka Chopra won the best actress (critics' choice) for her portrayal of a woman who kills her seven husbands in '7 Khoon Maaf'.

Farhan Akhtar picked the best dialogue award for his snazzy writing for 'Zindagi...'

The 57th Filmfare awards ceremony was held in Film City here Sunday night.

Celebrities like Bipasha Basu, Madhuri Dixit, Sameera Reddy, Shreya Ghoshal, Onir, Farhan, Zoya, Deepika Padukone, Madhur Bhandarkar, Abhishek Bachchan, Rekha, Raveena Tandon, Anurag Kashyap, Subhash Ghai, Dia Mirza, Aditi Rao Hydari,Sarah Jane Dias and Gauri Khan walked the red carpet.

Unnam on February 3

`Unnam' directed by SIbi Malayil under Kaniyil Productions banner will hit theatres on February 3. The movie will be released by R R Entertainment. Asif Ali, Sreenivasan, Lal, Nedumudi Venu, Chembil Asokan, Prashant Narayanan, Niyas Bakar, Rajesh Hybal, Naushad, Rima Kallungal, Swetha Menon, Chitra Iyer, Jothy Krishna, Abi, KPAC Lalitha are cast in the movie. Cinematography by Ajayan Vincent and written by Swathi Bhaskar, music will be by John P Varkey.

Casanova wins women's hearts, loses audiences

What has Mohanlal got to do with malayalee psyche? The social psyche's repressed sexuality usually finds an outlet in the enigmatic symbol called Mohanlal perhaps because his reel and real life images coalesce to make the malayalee male's alter ego. Lal is the eponymous 'Krishnan' with his numerous gopikas whereas Mammootty is the ideal monogamous 'Rama'. Mammootty has that frigidity when he mingles with his heroines and there are a number of movies in which he ruthlessly chides away the advances of young beautiful heroines ('Chronic bachelor', 'Pappayude swantham Appoos', 'No. 1 Snehatheeram', 'Hitler', 'Mazhayethum munpe' 'Snehamulla simham' to name a few). Mohanlal is a safety valve for the malayalee male whose youth gets entangled in the taboos in a hypocritically moralistic society. Lal's private and public image is that of a Dionysian lord: he could afford to appear in a commercial and ask 'what have you planned for your evening?' When he is with his heroines one could feel the 'sringara' rasa brimming in his body language. Casanova is nothing but an exposition of that image; the 'eat, drink and be merry' Lal whose so called numerous escapades always fascinated Malayalees. So here is Casanova, a dealer in flowers (though nothing of that sort ever appears in the film), a globe trotter with a retinue of beautiful women to assist him, who in turn are crazy about him. Every year he comes to Dubai to enjoy his life. On one such occasion he meets a beautiful girl, Sameera (Shriya Saran), falls for her head over heels, and the film resorts to the usual song and dance pattern. Tragedy strikes when he is about to propose to her. And his revenge-plans take up the rest of the movie. Apart from technical perfection (this is the costliest movie in Malayalam so far), an exotic locale (why are the directors who have given some of the good movies and are promising in their career are going for exotic locations with a poor story line? Lal Jose did that in Spanish masala, and now its Rosshan Andrrews' turn it seems), all the expensive vehicles (which for an ordinary middle class Malayalee is just a dream, and a bar attached car will make him ecstatic!), wine and women this movie has absolutely nothing to offer to the audience. When a corporate giant is producing the movie with all the fanfare and oodles of advertisements and when Mohanlal is in the title role, to have a story to go with scenes seems a tall order.

From a feminist perspective the movie is highly derogatory with the camera indulging in titillating gaze. There are women of all nationality, size and skin colour offering voyeuristic pleasure to the male spectator. These women have no role except to surround the hero wherever he goes and cry in oomph how badly they were waiting for him. For the hero these women belong to the use-and-throw category with an expiry date of two weeks. The way he flaunts his cigar asserts his phallic authority. He uses women and their bodies to allure the villains and gain his means without any qualms about them being individuals and having human dignity.
Rosshan Andrrews started his career as a promising director with 'Udayananu tharam' followed by national award winning 'Notebook' which had an unconventional storyline and had three young girls as the protagonists. Similarly Bobby and Sanjay duo changed the putrid scenario of Malayalam movies which was revolving around two major heroes bringing in a whiff of freshair scripting the crisp 'Traffic' which ushered in a new trend last January. Traffic succeeded on the strength of a tight script. Obviously the expectations were high when Rosshan Andrrews and Bobby Sanjay were paired with one of the greatest actors in the Malayalam industry. Unfortunately after creating a niche for themselves they are retreating to the stale order of things where they tried to bring changes. The director has already vouched his interest in Bollywood and this venture looks like an entry ticket. From the latest news it is already confirmed that Casanova will be remade in Hindi with Rosshan doing the direction himself. So for him
Malayalam cinema is just a spring board to rise to 'higher' places and follow the footsteps of his predecessors like Padmasree Priyadarshan and Siddiq.
One pertinent question that has already been asked is what happens when cinema becomes ruled over by corporate giants who use this medium to advertise their products? What is their stake in sustaining this medium? And what happens when talented directors, script writers and actors join in the league to make a fast buck? These companies could promote their movie through stylishly done ads, posters and other promos and create hype. They also go for wide releases (Casanova had 1000 shows daily) so that before people get the time to ponder over the merits of the movie the producers get back their money. (Ra -One and 7 aum arivu are other recent examples). When people seem to revel in pomp and looking for carnival what will happen to genuine efforts? Hope this trend is not here to stay for long.

`Second Show' on Feb 3

Mammooty's son Dulqar Salman's first movie `Second Show' will hit the theatres on February 3 under the banner AOPL Entertainment. Directed by Srinath Rajendran, the movie casts many new comers namely Bipin, Anil Anto, Anish P, Sunny, Rathesh Angamaly, Sundar, Mithun Nair, Vijayakumar, Muralikrishna, Jayraj Kozhikode and Noora Roshni along with Bollywood actor Sudhish Beri, Kunjan and Baburaj. Camera by Sudhish Pappu, screenplay Vini Vishwalal, lyrics Kaithapram, Chandrashekar Engandiyoor, music by Nikhil.

I'm quite secure in my relationship: Kareena

Kareena Kapoor doesn't get jealous easily. The actress says she is happy and content in her relationship with beau Saif Ali Khan.

Kareena shared her sentiments in a casual tete-a-tete with her friend and 'Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu' producer Karan Johar for 'A date with Ek Main aur Ekk Tu' - a show to be simulcast Feb 4 on ETC, Zee TV, Zing, Zee Cafe, Zee Studio, Zee Trendz and Zee Khana Khazana.

Johar asked Kareena - 'How do you feel when you see Saif in an intimate scene with another hot actress? Say in 'Race 2', Saif has a bare-body scene with a Deepika in bikini, what would be your first thought?'

To which, Kareena replied: 'I'd be like 'Wow! How hot Saif looks',' and added: 'I know how he looks bare bodied!'

On a serious note, she said: 'I am quite secure in my relationship with Saif and though I don't want to say too much too soon, I am quite content!'

Recently Saif admitted how he thinks Kareena looks best only with him, and not with any of the other Khans of Bollywood that she has worked with.

'Agneepath' is brilliant in its brutality

'Agneepath'; Starring: Rishi Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Hrithik Roshan, Priyanka Chopra, Om Puri; Written and Directed by Karan Malhotra; Rating: ****

Long before the damsel in the den Katrina Kaif signs her writhe petition 'junta ke naam', the film's imposing villain and by extension the film, have written their destiny. In bold bloodied letters. E-mail didn't exist in the 1990s.

Sanjay Dutt as Kancha lording over a no-man's-land called Mandwa where the only law that exists is lawlessness is so formidable in his vile antics, you fear for the hero, a decent bloke with eyes that tell a million untold stories.

Hrithik Roshan opts for a perfectly-tuned low-pitched performance to offset Sanjay Dutt's larger-than-life diabolism. The combination of the flamboyant and the understated works.

This is Agneepath Retold or Agneepath Deconstructed. Either way, the revenge formula never seemed more rousing in its invocation of Good and Evil in their most elementary avatars.

Debutant writer-director Karan Malhotra has chosen to restructure one of the most complex but unsuccessful Amitabh Bachchan starrer. The plot leaps at you through its sanguinary design, building brick by brick an edifice of low-life and high-drama.

This new-rage 'Agneepath' retains the core of Mukul Anand's failed drama. And yes, it retains Harivnansh Rai's 'Agneepath' poem, though, alas, we don't get to hear Amitabh Bachchan recite the lines.

Karan Malhotra's script alters many of the original's dramatic moments, adds new characters (most notable among them, Rishi Kapoor's Rauf Lala), and finally fine-tunes and assimilates the plot's subliminal statement on crime and retribution to a pitch where we often hear the screaming protests of social inequality through the protagonist's pain-lashed expressions of angst, disgust and rebellion rather than his words.

Hrithik Roshan opts for a subdued interpretation of his vengeful character where he could've easily been larger-than-life. He lets Sanjay Dutt take charge of the blizzard of the bravura.

Sanjay Dutt is delightfully in form. During the 'Chikni chameli' song when he quizzes the newly-arrived Mandwa-resident Vijay on why he's where he is, Sanjay's eyes go from the molten to the melting...His best in years.

But the finest performance comes from Rishi Kapoor. Playing a loathsome flesh trader and drug dealer who takes Vijay under his wings, he delivers a bludgeoning homage to skin-crawling villainy. A glorious departure from his lover-boy image.

The prolonged sequence where Hrithik Roshan takes on Rishi Kapoor is the single-most riveting episode of filmed violence in Indian cinema since Gabbar Singh's mayhem over the Thakur's family in Sholay.

'Agneepath' works so wonderfully within its high-voltage 'masala maad-dhaad' genre because of the actors who instinctively grasp the street-level gut-wrenching grammar of Malhotra's storytelling.

Barring Priyanka Chopra who seems strangely cosmetic in a land of looming credibility, every character shines through the crime-drama maze.

The action sequences by Abbas Ali Mogul convey rawness. Every blow that Hrithik Roshan so manfully receives on his chin makes you flinch. You wait for him to give back as good as he gets.

This is not a film for the faint-hearted. Its basic structure and the leitmotif of the 'tree of death' (where Vijay Chauhan's father was hanged and where his wrongdoer will finally meet his nemesis) draw audiences into a vortex of viciousness and sadism.

This is a dark brooding world; this is a world where the laws of retribution and redemption are re-written according to who rules the underworld. This is 'Agneepath' where the poet gets hanged and the pervert gets promoted.

Karan Malhotra revels in the language of commercial Hindi cinema. The characters in Vijay's chawl are all good-hearted. Every character in Kancha's kingdom is a creep or a coward. The battle lines are tightly drawn. The pace is breakneck.

The mob scenes of violence and religion often merge on the streets of Mumbai and in the lawless backwaters of the imaginary Mandwa. The narrative features a Gokul Ashthami matki-breaking sequence at the start and a Ganesh visarjan sequence towards the end, both shot spectacularly on Mumbai streets.

The background music is a suitable banshee of memories and pain. Since Hrithik Roshan has chosen the language of understatement to portray the wronged wounded social outcast Vijay Dinanath Chauhan, it is up to the eloquence-level of the soundtrack to supplement the hero's stunning silences.

Every component of the film falls into place, with a resounding thump. 'Agneepath' is brilliant in its brutality. It's a riveting and hectic homage to the spirit of the cinema when revenge reigned supreme. And content was King. This new 'Agneepath' takes us back to the era when there was no computer or cellphones. And communication with the audience was immediate and electrifying.

Relive that tingling sensation of watching the hero get his groove back. In gory detail.

Will be back soon with 'Kochadaiyaan', says Rajnikanth

Recuperating from a reported kidney ailment, Tamil superstar Rajnikanth today said he would soon be back with his latest venture, 'Kochadaiyaan'. '..will be back soon. Very soon shooting will start,' he told reporters here after handing over a cheque of Rs 10 lakh to Chief Minister Jayalalithaa towards cyclone Thane relief. Describing the meeting as a 'courtesy call,' he said he had called on her for the first time after his recovery. The superstar had suffered a healthscare last year when he
fell sick during the shoot of 'Raana,' and was admitted to two hospitals in Chennai before being flown out to Singapore for
treatment. He will now act in 'Kochadaiyaan', directed by younger daughter Soundarya, which is said to be the first 3D film in
India with 'performance capturing technology.'

Salman Khan to help free 400 prison inmates in UP

Kanpur: Bollywood superstar Salman Khan has offered to pay the fine on behalf of about 400 inmates who are languishing in jail despite completing their term. Salman's charitable organistation Being Human has written to jail authorities offering to help inmates who have served their sentence but are still locked up because they cannot pay their fine due to poverty or some other reason. Jail authorities have sent the letter to the legal section. Following their clearance a no objection certificate
will be sought from the administration. With their permission, the 'Bodyguard' star's foundation will submit about Rs 40 lakhs thereby freeing approximately 400 inmates from jails in the state. 'In about 63 jails in UP there are 400 such inmates who
have completed their jail term but are still inside because they cannot pay fine due to financial problems,' Vijay Kumar Gupta, IG (UP), told PTI Bhasha.

When a convict is sentenced for a crime he is asked to pay a certain fine alongwith the jail term. If he is unable to pay the fine the prisoner may have to serve an additional erm.Salman himself has been involved in a few legal troubles. In 2002, the 46-year-old actor was arrested for rash and negligent driving after his car ran into a Mumbai bakery. Charges of culpable homicide were laid against him, but later dropped and he was found not guilty. In 2006, Salman was sentenced to one year in prison for hunting a Chinkara but was granted bail after spending three days in prison.

Record opening for 'Agneepath', earns Rs.25 crore

The magic of Vijay Dinanath Chauhan seems to have worked once again. Karan Johar's 'Agneepath' has had a record opening day collection minting Rs.25 crore on the first day and surpassing the collections of recent blockbusters like 'Bodyguard' and 'RA.One'.

While Salman Khan's 'Bodyguard' earned Rs.22 crore, superstar Shah Rukh Khan's mega-budget 'RA.One' made Rs.18 crore on the opening day. But the Hrithik Roshan and Sanjay Dutt-starrer remake of the 1990 film of the same name, which released Thursday, has gone beyond.

Hrithik, who stepped into the shoes of megastar Amitabh Bachchan as Vijay, is excited that his hard work has paid off.

'WOW!!!! THANK u THANK u THANK YOU!!!!!!!!! Agneepath 1st day - 25cr!!!! My damaged bodyparts suddenly feel ALIVE, I feel like I can FLY now!!! Thank u people, I have the fuel now to make KRRISH EXPLODE!!!!' Hrithik wrote on his Twitter page.

Sanjay Dutt and the film's lead actress Priyanka Chopra, are equally delighted with the positive response, and have thanked fans for the amazing response to the film.

''Agneepath' has redefined the power of Indian box office for all of us. It's heartening to see the strength of the Indian cinema audiences growing like this. We all were very confident of the film but for this kind of success and unprecedented number that it has posted on day one we must thank our audience,' said Priyanka.

Sanjay took to Twitter after a year, to share his sentiments about the appreciation towards the movie, and his role as the villain, Kancha Cheena.

'I am overwhelmed with the response and support of everyone. Thank you for loving me so much,' he wrote.

Since 'Agneepath' was a Republic Day release, the theatres witnessed 90-95 percent occupancy.

'The film has had an excellent opening. The occupancy was around 95 percent. It was the most eagerly awaited and would be one of the biggest blockbuster,' said Anant Verma, director and business head, DT Cinemas.

However, he says it would be unfair to compare the new 'Agneepath' with the original as they have been given a completely different treatment.

'You can't compare the two films as they are shot differently and have different characters also. There is no connection between the two other than just the name,' he added.

Yogesh Raizada of Waves Cinema adds that all the characters have done complete justice to their characters.

'The response to the film has been rocking on first day. We have had 90 percent occupancy. All the actors have done complete justice to their characters whether it is Rishi Kapoor as Rauf Lala, Hrithik as Vijay or Sanjay as Kancha Cheena,' said Raizada.

The film, directed by debutant Karan Malhotra, and produced by Karan Johar, is expected to have a successful run at the box office in the coming days.

'Since there is no big movie releasing in the coming weeks, the film will work well,' he added.

Priyan to remake `Marikundoru Kunjad'

Director Priyadarshan is all set to remake Shafi's Dileep-starrer `Marikundoru Kunjad' in Bollywood. Rajeev Pillai who made the Amma Kerala Strikers win the match against Mumbai Heroes in CCL, would be doing the role of the villain in the movie. The role comes as the real recognition for Rajeev who was the hero in the match. Rajeev scored 75 of 63 balls and made Kerala Strikers win the match by a spectacular performance. Rajeev was not much popular in the film field though he acted in some Malayalam movies. He gained much appreciation for his performance. He acted in films like City of God, Thejabhai and Family and Bombay March 12.

Bruce Springsteen's new album to be launched March 6

Los Angeles: Singer Bruce Springsteen's new album 'Wrecking Ball' is set to hit the shelves March 6.

The album 'Wrecking Ball', which is being released by Sony Music, features 11 new recordings and has been produced by Ron Aniello with executive producer Jon Landau and Springsteen himself.

'Bruce has dug down as deep as he can to come up with this vision of modern life. The lyrics tell a story you can't hear anywhere else and the music is his most innovative of recent years,' said Springsteen's long-time manager Landau said in a statememt

'The writing is some of the best of his career and both veteran fans and those who are new to Bruce will find much to love on 'Wrecking Ball',' Landau added.

Dharmendra, Shabana, Mira Nair to get Padma Bhushan

New Delhi : Veteran actors Dharmendra and Shabana Azmi and filmmaker of international repute Mira Nair were named for the Padma Bhushan, the country's third highest civilian honour on the eve of Republic Day Wednesday.

The three have been chosen in the art-cinema category.

After making his debut in 1960, Dharmendra, also known as Bollywood's original He Man, went on to do a variety of work. From the lyrical 'Bandini' and the serious 'Satyakam' to comic classics like 'Chupke Chupke' and, of course, the cult entertainer 'Sholay', he did it all -- and continues to entertain the audience with his charm. Among his last releases were 'Yamla Pagla Deewana' and 'Tell Me O Kkhuda', in both of which he shared the frame with his children.

As one of the few actresses who have successfully featured in experimental and mainstream cinema, Shabana, who received the Padma Shri in 1988, will now be honoured with the Padma Bhushan. A five-time National Award winner, she has proved her mettle in films like 'Ankur', 'Nishant', 'Arth', 'Masoom', 'Godmother' and 'Fire' as well as in movies like 'Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd', 'Sorry Bhai!' and 'It's A Wonderful Afterlife'. She has also dabbled in international films, and done her bit for social work as well.

US-based Mira has found international recognition with films like 'Salaam Bombay', 'Monsoon Wedding', 'Vanity Fair', 'The Namesake' and 'Amelia'. The National award-winning filmmaker is currently busy with 'The Reluctant Fundamentalist', which is based on a book of the same name.

Nair's 'The Reluctant Fundamentalist' also features Shabana in a pivotal role.

Nayans to act again in Telugu

Latest reports say that Nayanthara has been approached by ace film maker Ram Gopal Varma to act in his next film. The actress is likely to play the character of Mandodhari, wife of Ravana. The film is based on the story of epic Ramayana again. Reports say that Telugu hero Nagarjuna is playing the role of Ravana in this multilingual film.

Nayans had finished the Telugu film 'Ramarajyam' in which she acted as Sita. The movie is running in theatres. It was rumoured that Nayans may not take up any other role till she gets married to Prabhu Deva.

Padma award has come at the right time: Priyadarsan

Acclaimed film director Priyadarsan Wednesday said he was elated on hearing that he has been awarded Padma Shri, and added that the honour has 'come at the right time'.

'I am really elated because I think it has come at the right time,' Priyadarsan told IANS over phone from Chennai.

The 54-year-old veteran's film career spans close to three decades and 86 films in Malayalam, Hindi, Tamil and Telegu.

'Whenever I get some recognition, the first thought that comes through my mind is - 'Am I eligible for it?'.'

'I never judge myself where I stand. This Padma award has come after I have worked hard all these years and, hence I feel all the more happy that one's hard work is appreciated,' he added.

He said he was happy this time as last year too a film director from Kerala was tipped to be honoured, but his name did not figure in the final list.

Priyadarsan is currently the chairman of the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, the body that works for the overall upliftment of the Malayalam film industry besides holding the famed International Film Festival of Kerala.

'I am more than happy because my father, who lives in Thiruvananthapuram, would be the happiest person when he hears that his son has got a Padma award. My wife (former actress Lissy) is not well and she is yet to know of my award,' he added.

His latest blockbuster Malayalam comedy flick 'Arabyium, Ottakavum P.Madhavan Nairum', where he teams up with superstar Mohanlal, is now running to packed houses across the state.

'This award will also give my next release 'Tezz', scheduled for April 27, a good initial boost,' he said.

His Bollywood flicks include 'Hera Pheri', Hulchul', 'Garam Masala' and 'Bhagam Bhag'.

Priyadarsan has given Malayalam hits like 'Boeing Boeing', 'Thalavattam' and 'Vellanakalude Nadu'.

Not enough space to save the flavour

There is a Sri Lankan movie 'Machan' by Italian director Uberto Pasolini based on a true incident: a fake Sri Lankan national handball team tricked its way into a German tournament and vanished after the game. The slum dwellers' only hope for a better life was emigration and they succeeded in crossing the borders in this manner without any hassles. The film had its premiere at the Venice Film Festival in 2008, where it received a standing ovation. The film could entice the audience with a rendering of the pathos of the down trodden, and won many accolades nationally and internationally, including the Audience Award at the Kerala International Film festival, 2008.

'Spanish Masala', the latest venture from Lal Jose, Benni P Nayarambalam and Dileep after 'Chandupottu' depicts the story of Charlie (Dileep), a mimicry artist, who decides to vanish after his program with the hope of making it big in Spain. As expected he loses the address and is lost in an alien culture. Charlie, who cannot speak any language other than Malayalam, lands up in a Malayali restaurant by easy luck and gets a job there as a cook. He experiments with varieties of dosa which once catches the attention of senorita Camilla, the only daughter of the former Spanish ambassador to India. On her insistence on eating dosa everyday, he is appointed as the palace chef. The beautiful girl raised by her ayah (Vinaya Prasad) later on falls in love with the ayah's son Rahul (Kunchako Boban). Her father opposes this relation, and Rahul is sent to a far off place. Shortly afterwards comes the news of his death in an accident. Camilla holds her father responsible for Rahul's death, quarrels with him, meets with an accident and loses her eye sight. The winsome Charlie slowly gets a place in the family, the father offers his
daughter's hand in marriage and when everything seemed moving in the right direction, he dies and Rahul makes a miraculous comeback. Everything becomes topsy –turvey after that and what follows leads to the denouement.

Coming back to 'Machan', the story justifies the need for a foreign location whereas in 'Spanish Masala' the story could have taken place anywhere. It is not the first time in Malayalam cinema that a hero in dire need of money is saved by a wealthy heroine (whether she speaks Spanish or not). And in this movie, it's the sheer luck of the audience that the heroine raised by a
Malayalee ayah speaks Malayalam and her household throngs with Malayalee servants! She can understand Malayalam pretty well and almost all the conversations are in the mother tongue; hence the director had no problem with the censor board in releasing this movie as a Malayalam language film!

Lal Jose had a foreigner as heroine in his earlier film 'Oru Arabi katha' where the story demanded the casting, for it's the nativity of the girl that attracts 'Cuba' Mukundan towards her. In 'Spanish Masala', apart from a lighting up her pretty face the nativity of the Spanish actor Daniela has neither significance nor any impact in the narrative. (as the heroines in
Anurag Basu's 'Kites' and Imtiaz Ali's 'Rock star' Daniela is another attractive face with a beautiful smile and a plastic expression). Regarding the title of the movie, if you are expecting a movie on the lines of 'Like Water for Chocolate' where food and the story narration have vital connections you will be heading for disappointment as the only association with food is that the producer (Noushad) and the hero in the film are chefs, and that Dileep makes a few dosas. And for those who have seen Zoya Akthar's 'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobaraa' the Spanish sights may not serve any eye candy either.

The songs look like a deliberate attempt to can the visually impressive Spanish sights (tomatina festival, bull fight, flamingo dance et al) as they are not backed by sensible lyrics to touch the heart strings. The cinematographer seems confused as to where to put the camera, with the end result that there are too many low angle shots with no purpose at all.
Other loose ends in the movie are the heroine's disability; she is blind in the first half of the movie due to a clot from a fall, but inexplicably retrieves eye sight one fine morning! When Rahul is declared dead in an accident, not even his mother demands to see his dead body, and everybody believes the story without blinking. Even the element of suspense in the climax is so
clichéd, one wonders whether to laugh or cry! Other than a few hilarious moments by Dileep the film falls flat on the palate. The director should have realized that an exotic locale alone wouldn't make a good movie.

Asuravith - A seed hard to germinate

This is the story of Don Bosco, a seminary student turning into a 'Don'. The story is said to be taking place in Kochi. I don't know if there is another place with the same name as Kochi, for, in the place picturized in the film anything could happen to anyone. A mother abandons her son when her husband, a notorious criminal, is killed. She doesn't want her son to follow his
father's footsteps and her wish for him is to become a clergyman. Everybody in the church knows the whereabouts of Don Bosco (Asif Ali) except himself. His mother is a music teacher in the same convent and his foster father, a churchman, is bent on making him a goon! The other priests in the seminary have allegiance with another notorious gang, Pathamkalam,
who currently rules over Kochi after the death of 'Satan', Don Bosco's father. They even give asylum to two of Pathamkalam's members, including a girl in the seminary. The priest-students are sent for their service and are asked to do menial jobs for them. The rector even asks Don to wash the feet of these two as punishment and he is also made to drink the soiled water.

The Pathamkalams are a Jewish family, so by washing their feet and drinking that water the Christian rector was reverting the hatred towards Jews as the traitors of Jesus perhaps! Marty the boat owner can openly woo Don and she even dares to come to the church and tries to flirt with him, calling him 'eda' a colloquial term of endearment. When the first half of the movie is
almost over Don Bosco decides to discard his priesthood and be a 'Don' and avenge his father's death. The moment he decides upon this there is a drastic change in his apparel, he is wearing a suit with all the accessories, and there are mini skirt clad women to hold an umbrella for him, huge bungalows to reside and latest Jaguar, BMW to drive. His class mates who joined him to be a part of 'D company' all of a sudden start addressing him 'Bhayya'. I'm sure there is another Kochi where all these happens. He even kills his mother, unintentionally of course and gets away scot- free. In the last scene the hero is singing a song rowing a small boat along with his lady love. The moral of the story ought to be that 'be a Don, take revenge on all the people you want, live life king size, confess to a priest, and then lead a peaceful life'. The police, the court all are dispersed till another notification.

The film has a strong message to give, howsoever one tries on it, a criminal's kid will grow up to be a criminal! Throughout the film Don Bosco is addressed as 'asuravith' emphasizing his scandalous genealogy. The movie has something novel though, this time the female members of the villainous families are also shown to be partakers in the crime, doing cold
blooded murders rather than the usual crying, and pleading womenfolk! A woman police officer is shown grinding red chillies inside the police station for third degree punishment (cry hoarse 'stereotyping', a woman even if she is in uniform is best doing household chores!). The director, A K Sajan knows the craft of filming, but unfortunately the movie lacks a credible
storyline and a good script. Some elements like picturising the boys in the seminary as young men of flesh and blood who loves the pleasures life offers is rare to find in our movies, though.

Last word – for I M Vijayan football is his forte not acting.

Mohanlal's 'Tezz' cameo enrages his fans

When Mohanlal agreed to do a cameo in Priyadarshan's action film 'Tezz', perhaps he didn't know what he was getting himself, and the film's makers, into. Now that the film is set for release, there are apprehensions that the actor's staunch fan following would take umbrage at their icon's abbreviated part.

Signs of swelling dissent are already evident. The first promotional trailer of 'Tezz' has Ajay Devgn and Anil Kapoor in spotlight, while Mohanlal is seen fleetingly.

This has evoked protest all over micro-blogging sites, creating a mild panic situation in the production team, says a source.

'We never expected this kind of an uproar. Mohanlal has a cameo in 'Tezz', and that's how he was shown in the first promo...in fleeting shots! But the uproar from his fans in the south on Facebook and Twitter has taken the producers by surprise. New trailers are now being planned where Mohanlal will be as prominent as Ajay,' said the source.

Incidentally, this is not the first time Devgn has been compelled to share poster space with Mohanlal. In Ram Gopal Varma's 'Company', the same north-south divide had transpired.

'Tezz' producer Ratan Jain admits to being taken aback by the uproar.

'Frankly we didn't expect this. We didn't mean to undermine Mohanlalji's stature at all. He sportingly agreed to play a cameo part because of his proximity to Priyadarshan. The heroes of our film are Ajay Devgn and Anil Kapoor. But if Mohanlalji's fans are upset, we've to do something about it,' Jain said.

'We're taking care of the situation. The next promo will feature Mohanlalji prominently.'

An interesting sidelight to the Mohanlal-Devgn poster war is that 'Tezz' was meant to be pitched as Devgn's next action film after 'Singham'.

But now with the Mohanlal fans demanding attention to him in the promotional footage, it would be difficult to hightlight the action aspect in the plot.

'We're looking into it. We need to be fair to all our actors,' said Jain.

Genelia says wedding preparations on in full swing

Riteish Deshmukh and Genelia D'Souza are ready to tie the knot Feb 3, and without revealing much more, the actress says the preparations are keeping the couple occupied.

'I'm in a very happy space right now. Preparations are going on in full swing,' Genelia told IANS here.

The couple has been dating each other for over eight years. In November 2011, Riteish, son of Mahrashtra's former chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, finally opened up about their relationship status.

'Earlier, we never spoke about our relationship. We maintained a distance and dignity, and now since we are getting married, it would be stupid if I don't talk about it,' said Genelia, who made her Bollywood debut opposite her to-be-husband in Tujhe Meri Kasam in 2003.

On the big screen, they were last seen together in Masti in 2004, but they have now teamed up again for romantic comedy Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya, releasing Feb 24.

Though Genelia remained tightlipped about the designer who is styling her for her D-day, and other pre-wedding celebrations, she said: 'Wait and watch how it is going to be!'

According to reports, the duo will have a grand sangeet Jan 31, following which their close friends Sajid Nadiadwala and Fardeen Khan will throw a party for the couple a day before their wedding.

Mahesh Bhupathi 'Skypes' with newborn

Mumbai: Mahesh Bhupathi was miles away in Melbourne when his wife, actress Lara Dutta gave birth to their first child. But thanks to technology, the tennis ace managed to catch a glimpse of his wife and daughter through video calling.

Lara gave birth to a baby daughter Friday afternoon.

'Just spoke to @DuttaLara and baby on Skype. They got to watch the match on TV in the hospital, got to thank the Aus open for moving us,' Bhupathi, who is currently in Melbourne to play in the Australian Open, wrote on Twitter Saturday.

The sportsman is on top of the world to be a father to a baby girl as he always wished for one.

If Twitter buzz by actress Raveena Tandon is to be believed, the baby already has a name! She is being called Saira.

'My friends, Lara Dutta and Mahesh Bhupathi are proud parents of a baby girl!! Saira Bhupathi. Welcome Angel,' tweeted Raveena.

However, a source close to Lara says the name hasn't been confirmed as yet, and a formal announcement shall be made once Bhupathi returns home.

Dhanush signs first Bollywood film

New Delhi : Tamil superstar Dhanush earned a massive following in Bolywood with the success of 'Kolaveri Di' and now the actor has signed his first Hindi film.

The 28-year-old will be seen in director 'Tanu Weds Manu' fame Aanand L Rai' upcoming film 'Raanjhnaa'. 'It's a big deal to get a launch like this at the beginning of my career here. Aanand's script is different from regular cinema; it's one of those 'made to make a difference' kind of films,' Dhanush said in a statement.

The actor, who has won the National Film Award for his role in 'Aadukalam', became a household name thanks to
'Kolaveri Di' from his Tamil film '3', which went viral online.

'For the past six months, I've been looking for a simple boy to play the lead in Raanjhnaa. My requirement was a man who could look vulnerable on screen. When I saw Dhanush in the Tamil film 'Aadukalam' (for which he won the National award), I liked him immediately. He looks very ordinary and honest, and that was the demand of the character,' Rai said.

Talking about the films storyline, the director said, 'The film is an intense love story. Just like my film Tanu Weds Manu, the film and its characters will take you to Delhi, Punjab, Chennai'.

Dhanush, who is not fluent in Hindi, is reportedly planning to learn the language.

Shobana to be cast in Kochadaiyaan

Actress Shobana has been signed in Rajinikanth's 3 D movie Kochadaiyaan. This was confirmed by Rajinikanth's daughter and director of the movie Soundarya Rajinikanth.
The debutant director says that the actress-danseuse was the only choice for the role, as she wrote the character keeping Shobana in mind. But she refuses to give further details.
However, Soundarya Rajinikanth is happy that Shobana has given the green signal to act in Kochadaiyaan.
Meanwhile, the pre-production works and casting process are in full swing. The movie is expected to hit the floors soon. Kochadaiyaan also features Sneha and Bollywood diva Katrina Kaif have been approached to play Rajini's love interest in the upcomi

Mohanlal visits Azhikode

Actor Mohanlal visited Malayalam writer and orator Sukumar Azhikode at Amala Hospital on Monday . Mohanlal who reached the hospital by 2 pm, spent five minutes there.

Azhikode passed away on Tuesday morning after his condition deteriorated in the past few days.

In 1986, he retired as pro-vice chancellor of Calicut University. The 85-year-old bachelor won 12 awards, including the Sahitya Akademi award.

Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy visited Azhikode after the medical bulletin was released. He had earlier announced that the state government would foot the writer's medical bills.

Basheer's work on Silver Screen

Upcoming Malayalam Film Director Pramod Payyanur is planning to picturise ''Balyakalasakhi'', the magnum opus of renowned Malayalam Writer Vaikkom Mohammed Basheer with Bharat Mammootty in its lead role.

Informing this at a news conference, Mr Pramod said the Rs 3.5 crore project would be completed in 45 days in two schedules at Kolkatta and Kerala and was expecting to release this year itself.

Expressing confidence that he could justify the characters in the story, which was written during freedom struggle, the theatre Director-turned-filmmaker said that for that he would select the actors through a selection process from across the state as well as from the Gulf countries.

Besides Mammootty, other senior actors from the industry would also have due roles in the two-and-half-hour film.

Casanova release on Republic Day

The most anticipated Malayalam movie Casanovva is set for release on Republic Day January 26. Mohanlal is playing the lead and the movie is considered to be the most expensive movie ever made in the history of Malayalam films. The movie is set to be released in over 150 theatres in kerala.

Casanovva is directed by Roshan Andrews and produced by C J Roy under the banner of Confident Group. This big budget movie will present Mohanlal as an international flower merchant, who loves each and every beautiful thing in this world and apart from him, it also features Shriya Saran, Lakshmi Rai, Roma, Sanjana, Jagathy Sreekumar, Lalu Alex, Shanker etc .

The film was shot in various exotic locations of Dubai, Bangkok and Banglore. Script work by Sanjay-Bobby duo the film is all set to get distributed across Kerala through Maxlaab

Online piracy is not that bad!

US congressional attempt to make laws to protect intellectual property and stop online piracy has unleashed a storm of protest all over United States. The bills for SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and PIPA (Protect Intellectual Property Act) scheduled to be tabled in the congress next week are seen by many as the beginning of a series of attacks upon the public's freedom to create, discuss, read, watch, link and share information with others. Even a majority of these protesters would not endorse legitimizing outright piracy; they are merely worried about the extremes to which these laws can be taken. But there are others who think that a little piracy is not that bad for the original copyright owners. To learn how read this story inSlate.

Sanjay Dutt revives larger-than-life villain

 The larger than life villain is making a comeback in Bollywood with "Agneepath". Hindi movie lovers who grew up seeing Amjad Khan as Gabbar Singh and Amrish Puri as Mogambo may now have memories of a bygone era revived by Sanjay Dutt as Kancha Cheena, the scariest bad man in town.


Mean and menacing characters had almost disappeared from the Hindi film industry, but Sanjay is ready to send shivers down the spine of the audiences as the ruthless, cold-blooded Kancha in "Agneepath", which is releasing on Republic Day. So much so that it scared the actor himself.

"I am not like Kancha in my real life. A few days back I was dubbing for the climax scene. After 15 minutes, I had to stop it and I said I want to go out. Karan Johar came and asked what happened. I said if I genuinely say something you will laugh. Actually, I can't see myself like this. I got so scared of myself. I couldn't believe that's me," the 51-year-old, who had played a baddie in "Khalnayak", told IANS.

The actor claims Hindi film viewers have not seen someone as bad as Kancha so far.

Sanjay said: "There has never been a villian like Kancha in Bollywood. If you see superhero films Spiderman, Batman, the villians' roles are so powerful that throughout the film the villain gives a tough time to the hero. It's very nice that Karan had given it a thought that the villain should be larger than life and that nobody can stand in front of him."

"Kancha Cheena is an unpredictable character. He has interpreted the Shri Bhagavad Geeta in his own way. It's a very complex character. It is difficult to understand Kancha," he added.

The original, which was directed by Mukul Anand, was produced by Yash Johar and the new version has been made by his son Karan Johar and debutant Karan Malhotra has helmed the movie.

In the original "Agneepath", which came in the theatres in late 1990 amid loads of critical acclaim, Danny Denzongpa had played Kancha Cheena.

The promos of "Agneepath" have received a positive response and the item number "Chikni Chameli" from the movie has caught on like wildfire.

Sanjay was so impressed by Katrina Kaif's performance in the song that he said, "I was shocked to see Katrina dancing the way she did. It was brilliant. She is used to Western dance and she was seen doing all Marathavad."

Sanjay assures that though it's a remake, the film will be different.

"The premise is the same. Vijay Deenanath Chahuhan is there in the film. His father has been killed by Kancha. It's revenge and that too in a very real and a very rustic way," Sanjay said.

Unlike other stars, Sanjay doesn't hesitate to act his age and believes in accepting it and moving on.

"A person has to accept his age and move on. I am saying when you reach a certain age of maturity, you should accept that. If you are 48, you can play 40 years old, but you can't play 20 years old."

However, he believes age doesn't restrict you from performing.

"Amitji (Bachchan) gets fantastic roles. What to do...I am a human being, I can't be 25 for the rest of my life. If I try to be 25, people are going to laugh at me. Now I have to get the characters which have a meaning," he sai
d

’Spanish Masala’ to hit screens Friday

 Master chef Noushad's 'Spanish Masala' would be spread out in theatres today.

A romantic comedy shot extensively in Spain, the flick has director Lal Jose teaming up with his lucky mascot Dileep.

Austrian born model Daniela Zacherl plays the female lead.

Expectations soar high for the film which has actors Kunchacko Boban, Biju Menon and Vinaya Prasad in prominent roles
.

Saroj kumar - In spite of all the honors, fails to pass the test!

According to Comolli and Narboni, 'Cinema is one of the languages through which the world communicates itself to itself'. Probably when they said this Malayalam movie directors were not around! The majority of them were watching Hollywood movies for 'inspiration', remaking old hits, doing cut copy paste of their own movies and images or making sequels. The finger-few who seemed like a new wave in Malayalam cinema in 2011, gave us hopes. Alas! This New Year, the four movies released so far, Kunjaliyan, Asuravith, Orkut oru ormakoot and Padmashree Bharat Dr Saroj kumar snubbed that hope in the bud itself.

'Saroj kumar' was a much-awaited movie for the very reason of Saroj Kumar; a character Srinivasan immortalized in Roshan Andrew's 2005 movie 'Udayananu tharam'. The news of Srinivasan penning the screenplay added to this expectation. We have previous experiences of sequels of chartbusters becoming utter disasters, 'Sagar alias Jacky', 'Balram vs Tharadas', for instance. We seldom learn from our mistakes, it seems!

The plot of the movie, if there is one, revolves around Saroj Kumar (Srinivasan), an ageing hero who considers himself a megastar, and everyone in the movie, except his aide Babu (Suraj Venjarmood repeating himself yet again) thinks him to be an arrogant fool. The film begins with a talk show in which a producer, Baby Kuttan (Mukesh) blatantly denigrates the reigning super star Saroj Kumar. He makes a high winded speech about the present day crisis in Malayalam cinema, accusing superstars, the audience and the directors as responsible. He ridicules remakes of old movies and finally narrows down to Saroj Kumar as the sole cause of the degradation of Malayalam cinema. Srinivasan might have wanted to raise a few questions, and make a statement too, through his script. But while criticizing remakes how did it escape his mind that he himself is resorting to that old wine-new bottle combination by choosing Saroj Kumar, and thus making the movie in itself a contradiction? Everybody, including his wife, wags their fingers at Saroj Kumar as the cause of all the mishaps in the industry. How many times would Srinivasan re-enact the good-for-nothing, complex-laden, ugly duckling and expect to win audience's sympathies? And, how could he criticize stars for repeating themselves if he does the same? If 'Udayananu tharm' revealed the intricacies and power play involved in film making exposing the larger than life stars in that process, this movie stoops so low in trying to tarnish a particular hero, taking incidents from his personal life.

The first half of the film is entirely dedicated to making a buffoon of Saroj Kumar. His bickering wife who joins the bandwagon often ridicules him publicly, never missing an opportunity to foul mouth him as if she is paid to demoralize! He, in turn, never ill-treats her. So her antipathy towards him might be a reaction to his ignorance and inferiority complex. Ironically, she is shown to be enjoying all the material benefits he avails her. If she can't stand this man, as she says, why has she not left him in the first place? Getting sadistic pleasure may be!

There was a study of casteism and its effect in the film world taking the characterization of Srinivasan and Kalabhavan Mani in their various films. In 'Udayanau tharam' this aversion to a dark skinned, lower class, lower caste man's aspiration to becoming a star is ridiculed (' kozhik mula varunnathu pole '). In Indian cinema the criterion for becoming a star is not his acting ability alone, for many of the actors will not even be suspected of knowing the art of acting! (All that a present day heroine requires is an innocent pretty face and a 'not so innocent body'). Then why is Rajappan aka Saroj Kumar picturised as a clown who is unaware of current issues, who stumbles at the journalists' questions and cuts a sorry figure every time he strikes the screen? His inability to act alone would seem a very 'innocent' answer.

Vineeth Srinivasan should perhaps stick to on his singing and directorial ventures rather than acting, for acting involves emoting various 'rasas' which for him seems a tall order now. Fahad Fasil keeps up the promise of talent though he has very little to do in the film. The last few dialogues in the (abysmal) climax of the movie were inaudible: the viewers were hooting and screeching in protest, telling the veteran actor, director and screenplay writer Srinivasan that 'we are not fools; you cannot take us for granted,' and 'we do have a head over our shoulders; we CAN think; don't give us crap'.

Resul Pookutty to work on Tamil film '3'

Oscar-winning sound engineer Resul Pokutty, who won the international honour for his work in 'Slumdog Millionaire', has been roped in for megastar Rajinikanth's daughter Aishwarya's directorial debut '3'.

'It's a great pleasure telling you guys that Oscar winner Resul Pookutty sir will be working with us in our film '3'. God bless,' Dhanush, the film's lead actor and Aishwarya's husband, posted on micro-blogging site Twitter.

Pookutty, 36, won the coveted Oscar at the 81st Academy Awards. He has also been sound engineer for like 'Black' (2005), 'Traffic Signal' (2007), 'Saawariya' (2007) and 'Ghajini'(2008).

His forthcoming projects include 'Rectangular Love Story', 'Rangeen In Love', 'Mocktale', 'Hawai Dada', 'Pazhaasi Raja', Walt Disney collaboration 'The 19th Step' and two other Hollywood projects.

Aishwarya's '3' features and Shruti Haasan in lead roles.

Dhanush garnered overnight popularity across the nation thanks to his song 'Kolaveri di', which went viral online as soon as a video of it was posted on YouTube.

'Adaminte Makan Abu' out of Oscar race

New Delhi: Malayalam film 'Adaminte Makan Abu', India's official entry to the upcoming Academy Awards, has failed to make it to the top nine shortlist for the best foreign film Oscar for 2011.

The National award-winning film, directed by Salim Ahamed, is a family drama about an elderly Muslim couple and their struggle to go on a pilgrimage to Haj. The movie was among 63 entries eligible entries screened by the Oscar committee in the first phase.

As of now, nine movies including 'Bullhead' (Belgium), 'Monsieur Lazhar' (Canada), 'Superclásico' (Denmark), 'Pina' (Germany), 'Footnote' (Israel), 'Omar Killed Me' (Morocco), 'In Darkness' (Poland) and 'Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale' (Taiwan) are among the shortlisted entries, said a press statement on the official Oscar website.

These will be further winnowed down to the five nominees by specially invited committees in New York and Los Angeles. Over the weekend, the committee will review the films again and cast their ballots.

India's only remaining hope at this year's Academy Awards is now Sohan Roy's 'DAM 999', which tells the tale of a cracking dam built during colonial rule and revolves around nine characters and their emotions. The lives of all the nine characters revolve around the central edifice - the pressure-mounted dam.

It featured among the 265 films contending for the Best Picture nomination at the Oscars. Also, three of its songs were among the 39 shortlisted for nominations in the Original Song category for the 84th Academy Awards.

The three songs from the film that are vying to be in the final nomination list include 'Dakkanaga Dugu Dugu', 'DAM999 Theme Song' and 'Mujhe Chhod Ke'.

But whether the film or any of its songs appear in the final nomination list, will only be revealed when the final nominations will be announced Jan 24, 2012, in the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theatre.

The final Oscar awards presentation ceremony will take place Feb 26 at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles.

The real 'Anthony Gonsalves' no more

Panaji: Anthony Gonsalves, a Goan orchestra maestro and the man to whom the legendary Bollywood song 'My Name is Anthony Gonsalves' was dedicated, is dead.

Gonsalves, 84, who was suffering from pneumonia in the last few days, died in his hospital bed at the Goa Medical College Wednesday night.

An orchestra maestro and a capable music arranger, known for his magical violin skills, had worked with well-known composer duo Laxmikant-Pyarelal, who had dedicated the 'Amar Akbar Anthony' song to the Goan musician.

Gonsalves, who also worked with renowned music director S.D. Burman, was associated with 'Pyaasa', directed by Guru Dutt, B.R. Chopra's iconic film 'Naya Daur' among several other chartbusting films of the time.

Gonsalves who used to play the violin in the choir at the Majorda church, 45 km from here, migrated to Mumbai in the pre-independence era and earned his laurels with Naushad, a great music director of the time.

Gonsalves is survived by his wife Melita, son Kiran and daughter Laxmi.

Prithviraj in Rajinikanth's film

According to the latest buzz in the industry Prithviraj will be returning to the Tamil films again with superstar Rajinikanth's Kochadaiyaan.

Rumour mills have it that Prthiviraj has been approached by the makers of the film. It is said that they have offered the Malayalam star a key role in Kochadaiyaan.

Meanwhile, Sneha has been signed to play Rajinikanth's sister role and Prithvi's heroine. It marks the directorial debut of Soundarya Rajinikanth.
Shooting for the movie began in January.

Today's songs lack good lyrics: Kavita Krishnamurthy

New Delhi: She has been in the music industry for over two decades and has some memorable and meaningful songs to her credit, but veteran singer Kavita Krishnamurthy rues the lack of good lyrics in today's otherwise trendy works.

'As the generation advances its taste does change and it is not always necessary that they will like what we liked. The old Hindi film songs are evergreen and will be loved even after a decade. What I think about 'the happening and trendy songs of this era' is that less attention is given to the lyrics, which are very important part of any composition,' Kavita said in an interview.

'However, there are some songs, which are really good and are my personal favourites like 'Piyu Bole' from 'Parineeta' or 'Tu na jane aas pas hai khuda' from 'Anjana Anjani', 'Tere mast mast do nain' from 'Dabangg',' she added.

Kavita, 53, has been singing since the age of nine and has given melodious hits like 'Aaj main upar', 'Mera piya ghar aaya', 'Pyaar hua chupke se', 'Dola re dola' among others and the singer admits she is not getting a chance to sing such songs anymore.

'I certainly do miss singing such songs. The thing is that I am not getting the songs that I used to, songs which are challenging and yet fun to sing,' said Kavita, who has also sung many devotional songs.

'I don't ever bother if the music director is a big name or a debutant. If the work is fun and challenging, I would love to work with them. I wish to sing a peaceful Sufiana song,' she added.

Kavita was conferred the prestigious Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian honours in 2005. The singer, who's popular song 'Hawa hawaii' was recently re-mixed in Anurag Kashyap's 'Shaitan', says she personally doesn't like re-mixes.

'Well, I personally don't like the re-mixes, I find original better. But if I look at it from other angle, people picked up my song from other songs to remix, which means it still has the ability to amaze the audience. So it also feels good,' she said.

Kavita, who is married to violinist L. Subramaniam, has sung for actresses like Shabana Azmi, Sridevi, Madhuri Dixit, Manisha Koirala and Aishwarya Rai, and now wants to sing for Vidya Balan, Nandita Das and Konkona Sen Sharma.

'I would really like to sing a soulful song for Vidya Balan, Nandita Das and Konkona Sen Sharma,' she said.

Your take on the increasing competition in music industry?

'Competition exists in every era. During my time there were other veteran singers like Alka Yagnik and Anuradhaji (Paudwal) but there was no stiff competition, which is often defined by jealousy,' she said.

'Music is for spiritual elevation, but if you add jealousy to it, you only tend to shrink your talent. As far as the question about me earning my bread and butter goes, well, I always felt that god's blessings are were with me, so struggle as such was unfelt...,' she added.

Kavita is currently working on an album 'which will be composed by my husband and it will release in mid 2012'.

The album will also feature a song which she has sung with singer Lucky Ali.

Padmapriya to start innings in Bengali films

Kolkata: With a string of hits in the south o her credit, actress Padmapriya Janakiraman is all set to start her innings in Bengal with 'Aparajita Tumi' by director Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury. The trained 'Bharatnatyam' danseuse, having acted in at
least 30 movies in such languages as Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and even Hindi, said she had been nursing a wish for a long
time to act in Bengali films. 'And when Tonyda (Aniruddha) approached me for acting in his next film, I lapped it up. In addition, I got to be paired with fabulous actor Bumbada (Prosenjit). What else can one expect to have a perfect launch in Bengali films?' Padmapriya wondered. She said though she can't speak Bengali, she never felt out of sync, partly because she shot many scenes in San Fransisco and some other parts in the United States.

Asked if she was interested in working with directors like Srijit Mukherjee of 'Autograph' fame, she said, 'From my experience I feel if the process is right the output always more or less hits the bull's eye and then it does not matter if you are making a 'Baishe Shrabon' (Srijit's last acclaimed film) or 'Aparajita Tumi'.' She said Srijit was a colleague and friend at Symphony in Bangalore and had worked together and shared a common interest in theatre. 'So it was a pleasant surprise to have seen him become a director pursuing his dreams. As an actress I am totally open to offers as an individual and want to treat every opportunity with same spirit,' Padmapriya said.

'Though I can't speak in Bengali, I have been to your place many times and follow the conversations in general. My mom stayed in your city,' she gushed. On her future assignments elsewhere, Padmapriya said she would act in Tamil film 'Thangameengal' (director Ram, Gautam Menon Productions), 'Malayalam Cobra' (director Lal) co-starring Mamooty, (Playhouse Productions), 'Malyalam No 66 Madurai Bus' (director MA Nishad costarring Pasupathy and Makarand Deshpande) and 'Malyalam Evan Megharoopan' (director Balakrishna) as the ones she was counting really. She said though she had acted opposite most of southern actors, two of them she is still to work with - Mahesh Babu and Surya.

B-town in full attendance on Oprah's India visit

Mumbai: Bollywood A-listers queued up to meet American television mogul and talk-show queen Oprah Winfrey here at a private party hosted in her honour on her maiden India visit. Dressed in an orange color sari, Oprah, who is here for
for 'Next Chapter' a new series of her famous talk show, attended the star-studded party organised by socialite Parmeshwar Godrej last night. Earlier, she met the Bachchans at their residence in suburban Mumbai. 'The gracious Oprah Winfrey visits our home, to meet us and bless the baby...warm hearted, endearing...drive her to the party in her honour. And Oprah in sari..looking lovely!!,' Bachchan had tweeted.

The Bachchan-Oprah connection goes back to 2005, when Aishwarya made her first appearance on the 'The Oprah Winfrey Show'. Again in 2009, she was invited with her hubby Abhishek to the show. The Oprah party saw several biggies including Amitabh Bachchan, son Abhishek, daughter-in-law Aishwarya, Shahrukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Priety Zinta, Lara Dutta, Shilpa Shetty, Anil Kapoor, Imran Khan, Neha Dhupia, Sameera Reddy, Dino Morea, novelist Shobha De, and jewelry designer Farah Khan Ali among others, who went gaga over her and were all click-happy. '@Oprah and @iamsrk, two people I absolutely adore! Thankyou for making my day! Now can go into labour happily!,' an ecstatic Lara Dutta, wrote on twitter. She even posted a picture of her with Oprah and Shahrukh.

Posting a picture with Oprah, actress Neha Dhupia, says, 'With @Oprah .... She is oh so charming.' 'Tonight was dinner at the Godrej House with Oprah Winfrey . Nice to see her wear a beautiful Sari. Also nice to see Ash out after so long!,' actress Priety Zinta said. 'My God! Oprah Winfrey is the warmest most down to earth person I have ever met! What a personality! I'm thrilled!,' actress Sameera Reddy tweeted. 'Oprah conquers Mumbai! SRK tells her she is the biggest tar in India. Country's A-list queues up for pics with sari-clad celeb.O is WOW!,' Shobha De said. 'Butterflies in my stomach as I get ready to meet my inspiration @Oprah. Did not feel this way even when I met my first boyfriend haha,' jewelery designer Farah Khan Ali tweeted.

She posted a picture a picture with Oprah, Hrthik, Sussane, and her family members. 'Family photo with my parents, @Oprah, Parmesh and @sussannekroshan and @iHrithik,' Farah said. Even Oprah enjoyed the party and the warm welcome from
all. Replying to a tweet, to jelwery designer Farah Khan Ali, Oprah says, 'FarahKhanAli was so great meeting you and all the beautiful Bollywooders. Directors, poets, screenwriters, what a ni e! @FarahKhanAli, just opened your gift..WOW! What a fun
nite.' Oprah is in India for her new show, for which she would travel around the world, interviewing celebrities, news-makers
and others. She is expected to be in India till January 22 and would be shooting a portion of her show at the Taj Mahal and
Agra Fort.

Padmasree Bharath Dr Saroj Kumar, in spite of all the honors, fails to pass the test!

According to Comolli and Narboni, 'Cinema is one of the languages through which the world communicates itself to itself'. Probably when they said this Malayalam movie directors were not around! The majority of them were watching Hollywood movies for 'inspiration', remaking old hits, doing cut copy paste of their own movies and images or making sequels. The finger-few who seemed like a new wave in Malayalam cinema in 2011, gave us hopes. Alas! This New Year, the four movies released so far, Kunjaliyan, Asuravith, Orkut oru ormakoot and Padmashree Bharat Dr Saroj kumar snubbed that hope in the bud itself.

'Saroj kumar' was a much-awaited movie for the very reason of Saroj Kumar; a character Srinivasan immortalized in Roshan Andrew's 2005 movie 'Udayananu tharam'. The news of Srinivasan penning the screenplay added to this expectation. We have previous experiences of sequels of chartbusters becoming utter disasters, 'Sagar alias Jacky', 'Balram vs Tharadas', for instance. We seldom learn from our mistakes, it seems!

The plot of the movie, if there is one, revolves around Saroj Kumar (Srinivasan), an ageing hero who considers himself a megastar, and everyone in the movie, except his aide Babu (Suraj Venjarmood repeating himself yet again) thinks him to be an arrogant fool. The film begins with a talk show in which a producer, Baby Kuttan (Mukesh) blatantly denigrates the reigning super star Saroj Kumar. He makes a high winded speech about the present day crisis in Malayalam cinema, accusing superstars, the audience and the directors as responsible. He ridicules remakes of old movies and finally narrows down to Saroj Kumar as the sole cause of the degradation of Malayalam cinema. Srinivasan might have wanted to raise a few questions, and make a statement too, through his script. But while criticizing remakes how did it escape his mind that he himself is resorting to that old wine-new bottle combination by choosing Saroj Kumar, and thus making the movie in itself a contradiction? Everybody, including his wife, wags their fingers at Saroj Kumar as the cause of all the mishaps in the industry. How many times would Srinivasan re-enact the good-for-nothing, complex-laden, ugly duckling and expect to win audience's sympathies? And, how could he criticize stars for repeating themselves if he does the same? If 'Udayananu tharm' revealed the intricacies and power play involved in film making exposing the larger than life stars in that process, this movie stoops so low in trying to tarnish a particular hero, taking incidents from his personal life.

The first half of the film is entirely dedicated to making a buffoon of Saroj Kumar. His bickering wife who joins the bandwagon often ridicules him publicly, never missing an opportunity to foul mouth him as if she is paid to demoralize! He, in turn, never ill-treats her. So her antipathy towards him might be a reaction to his ignorance and inferiority complex. Ironically, she is shown to be enjoying all the material benefits he avails her. If she can't stand this man, as she says, why has she not left him in the first place? Getting sadistic pleasure may be!

There was a study of casteism and its effect in the film world taking the characterization of Srinivasan and Kalabhavan Mani in their various films. In 'Udayanau tharam' this aversion to a dark skinned, lower class, lower caste man's aspiration to becoming a star is ridiculed (' kozhik mula varunnathu pole '). In Indian cinema the criterion for becoming a star is not his acting ability alone, for many of the actors will not even be suspected of knowing the art of acting! (All that a present day heroine requires is an innocent pretty face and a 'not so innocent body'). Then why is Rajappan aka Saroj Kumar picturised as a clown who is unaware of current issues, who stumbles at the journalists' questions and cuts a sorry figure every time he strikes the screen? His inability to act alone would seem a very 'innocent' answer.

Vineeth Srinivasan should perhaps stick to on his singing and directorial ventures rather than acting, for acting involves emoting various 'rasas' which for him seems a tall order now. Fahad Fasil keeps up the promise of talent though he has very little to do in the film. The last few dialogues in the (abysmal) climax of the movie were inaudible: the viewers were hooting and screeching in protest, telling the veteran actor, director and screenplay writer Srinivasan that 'we are not fools; you cannot take us for granted,' and 'we do have a head over our shoulders; we CAN think; don't give us crap'.

Golden Globe: Clooney, Streep bag best actor, actress

After leading the nomination pack for the 69th Golden Globe awards, 'The Artist' emerged as the big winner at the extravaganza by winning three trophies. 'The Descendants' followed close behind, with George Clooney taking the best actor gong for the movie.

The star studded ceremony was held Sunday night at the Beverly Hilton Hotel here.

'The Artist', directed by Michel Hazanavicius, was adjudged the best motion picture- musical or comedy, and it also won the best original score motion picture award for Ludovic Bourve, as well as the best performance by an actor in a motion picture award- comedy or musical, for Jean Dujardin.

Alexander Payne 'The Descendants' walked away with two honours -- best motion picture- drama and best actor in a motion picture-drama award for Clooney.

The best actress in a motion picture-drama was won by Meryl Streep for 'Iron Lady' for her portrayal of former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher. In the best performance by an actress in a motion picture-musical or comedy, Michelle Williams took home the award for her performance in 'My Week With Marilyn'.

Christopher Plummer and Octavia Spencer picked up the best supporting actors' trophy for their work in 'Beginners' and 'The Help' respectively. The ceremony saw veteran actor Morgan Freeman being honoured with the Cecil B. DeMille lifetime achievement award.

Filmmaker Martin Scorsese won the best director for 'Hugo', while Woody Allen's romantic comedy 'Midnight In Paris' won the best screenplay gong, and Steven Spielberg's 'The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of The Unicorn' bagged the best animated film trophy.

In the music category, Madonna won the best original song-motion picture for her number 'Masterpiece' from her directorial movie 'W.E.'.

The best foreign language film went to Iranian film 'A Separation' and it left behind nominations from China, US, Belgium and Spain.

In the small screen category, 'Homeland' came out as a big winner. The show, a thriller series about a person who returns to the US eight years after going missing in Iraq and the resulting suspicion of an intelligence officer, won the best TV series drama. It also helped Claire Danes bag the best performance by an actress in a TV series-drama.

Kelsey Grammer won the best actor award for 'Boss'.

'Modern Family', a satirical take on three different families, bagged the best television series-musical or comedy award, while the best mini-series or motion picture made for TV went to 'Downton Abbey'.

The award for best performance by an actor in a TV series-comedy or musical went to Matt LeBlanc and Laura Dern for 'Episodes' and 'Enlightened' respectively.

Oscar winner Kate Winslet flashed a million-dollar smile when she was called on stage to receive the best performance by an actress in a mini-series or motion picture made for television award for 'Mildred Pierce'. Actor Idris Elba took the same award in the male category for 'Luther'.

The gala saw the glitz and glamour of Hollywood with stars like Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Jane Fonda and Helen Mirren on the red carpet.

'The Dirty Picture' sweeps top honours at Colors Screen Awards

It was 'The Dirty Picture' all the way at the 18th Colors Screen Awards 2012 - the super hit movie Saturday won the best film award, while Milan Luthria won the best director and Vidya Balan best actress trophy for her bold performance in the picture about the rise and fall of a sex symbol.


'The Dirty Picture' shared the best film trophy with 'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara'.

Ranbir Kapoor won the best actor award for his role in 'Rockstar', while singing legend Asha Bhosle was honoured with the lifetime achievement award at a gala event here.

Saif Ali Khan bagged the best supporting actor award for his convincing performance as a Dalit in 'Aarakshan' and Aditi Rao Hydari walked away with the best supporting actress trophy for her role in 'Ye Saali Zindagi'.

Prashat Narayan won the best actor in a negative role award for 'Murder 2' and Priyanka Chopra was given the best actress in a negative role for her critically acclaimed performance as a femme fatale who knocks off her husbands in '7 Khoon Maaf'.

In the music category, A.R. Rahman won the best music director for his rocking music in 'Rockstar', while Mohit Chauhan won the best male singer trophy for the song 'Phir se ud chala' in the musical romantic saga.

Best female playback singer award was given to Shreya Goshal for singing the chartbuster 'Ooh la la' in 'The Dirty Picture'.

Dileep in `Nadodi Mannan'

Dileep is aligning with Viji Thampi for the upcoming Malayalam movie 'Nadodi Mannan'. He will play the role of a city Mayor in this flick. Vidya Sagar scores music for the lyrics of Kaithapram and Vayalar Sarathchandra Varma. Nadodi Mannan is produced by V.S.Subhash under the banner of Chithram Films.

Script by Krishna Poojapura, Nadodi Mannan is a comedy entertainer. Dileep acts in the role of Padmanabhan, the young Mayor of the city, full of corruption and he is forced to take up the post.

Jagathy Sreekumar, Suraaj Venjaramood, Siddique, Salim Kumar, Sukumari, and Jagadish will play other leading roles.

'Nanban' runs into trouble;shows cancelled at multiplex

Salem: Shows of the latest Vijay-starrer 'Nanban', a remake of the Bollywood blockbuster '3 idiots', at a multiplex here have been cancelled after suspected activists of a litte known tamil outfit broke glass panes of the complex and burnt posters of the movie.
Cut-outs of the film's director Shankar were also burnt last night after some activists,belonging to Indian Jananayaga Katchi, protested 'objectionable dialogue' in the movie denigrating the outfit's founder Chellamuthu, police said today.

All the night shows were cancelled, police said, adding, 33 persons belonging to the outfit were arrested. The owner of the muliplex S Oblichetty said to avoid further trouble, the movie would be screened only after the dialogue is deleted.
Armed reserve personnel is maintaining tight vigil. Cases have been registered under various IPC sections relating to rioting and attempt to murder, police added.

Not cashing on success of south remakes in Bollywood: Gautham Menon

At a time when South movie remakes are keeping the Bollywood cash registers ringing, noted Southern filmmaker Gautham Menon, who is making his directorial debut in Hindi films with 'Ek Deewana Tha' says he is not cashing on the success of Tollywood cinema here. 'It is a good thing that our films are remade here and are doing well. But it does not mean that if south film remakes are doing well so I am here or it is the right time for me to make a film in Hindi. I have already made 'Ek
Deewana Tha' in Tamil and Telugu and it did well. I was always looking to do this film in Hindi...I thought it would be universally appealing,' Gautham told PTI in an interview. 'It took us some time to come up with the Hindi version as we had pre-production work - planning dialogues to getting dates of Prateik. Since February 2010, we wanted to do this film much before the hindi version of 'Bodyguard', 'Ready' and 'Singham' came out and became hits,' he said.

'Ek Deewana Tha' is a remake of Gautham's own Tamil and Telugu film 'Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa' (February 2010), which
was a huge hit down south. 'This is entirely my film...I have produced it, written the screenplay, dialogues...so it is all my setup. I am confident of my work but finally I leave it to the audience whether they like it or not,' he said. Earlier, Gautham had got quite a few opportunities to make a film in Hindi. He was approached to make 'Rehna Hai Tere Dil Mein' and the most recently released action film 'Force' starring John Abraham. Both these films were made by Gautham in Tamil as 'Minnale' and 'Kaakha Kaakha'respectively. 'I did not take up making movies in Hindi as somehow I felt I wasn't ready. But this time I thought I must give it a shot. And I always wanted to do a big Hindi film and this seemed like the right opportunity. I feel it is right kind of
platform for me to showcase whatever I have learnt from South film industry. This film has a universal theme...its a love story,' Gautham said. The romantic-drama film featuring Prateik Babbar and Amy Jackson in lead roles, is up for release on February 17. PTI

'The Adventures of Tintin' wins Golden Globe for best animated film

Comic book-inspired 'The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of The Unicorn' bagged the best animated film trophy at the Golden Globes award ceremony here.

The Steven Spielberg film narrates the story of reporter Tintin and Captain Haddock, who set off on a treasure hunt for a sunken ship commanded by Haddock's ancestor.

The movie pipped other films in the category including 'Arthur Christmas', 'Cars 2', 'Puss In

Spielberg won't direct 'Jurassic Park 4'

London: Acclaimed director Steven Spielberg has said he will produce the fourth instalment of 'Jurassic Park' but won't helm the sci-fi thriller.

The filmmaker helmed 1993 blockbuster 'Jurassic Park' and its 1997 follow-up 'The Lost World: Jurassic Park'. He also produced 'Jurassic Park III', which was released in 2001.

'I don't want to talk about 'Jurassic Park 4' yet - it's too early - but I can tell you that I'm not directing it. I'm producin g it though,' the 65-year-old told collider.com.

Saroj Kumar to hit screens today

Almost seven years after the release of 'Udayanau Tharam', Sreenivasan is back to take up from where he left. This time Rajappan Thengummoodu arrives in a new avatar as Padmasree Bharath Dr Saroj Kumar.

Almost all the main characters are taken from Mohanlal-starrer 'Udayananu Tharam', the film that laid bare the filth behind the dazzle. But the similarities end there. Debutant director Sajin Raghavan had made it clear already that Padmasree Bharath Dr Saroj Kumar is not a sequel to Udayananu Tharam.

Along with Sreenivasan who plays the title role, Jagathy Sreekumar is back as his guru cum manager Pachalam Bhasi. Salim Kumar and Mukesh too teams up as Rafeeq and Babykuttan.

Mamta Mohandas plays the role of Sreenivasan’s wife while Suraj Venjarammoodu is the superstar’s personal makeup man. Vineeth Sreenivasan also plays a prominent role in the film.

With the script penned by Sreenivasan himself, Padmasree Bharath Dr. Saroj Kumar is sure to be a laugh riot and expectations naturally soar sky high.

Samantha signed up for Maniratnam's `Pookadai'

Telugu industry's prominent female lead Samantha has been signed up for Mani Ratnam's new film titled Pookadai. Sources close to her confirmed that she has given bulk 45 days for the first schedule. Samantha is excited of the role. After her stunning success in Telugu with Dookudu, Maniratnam will cast her opposite a newcomer.

Shooting of the film would begin from January end. Karthik's son Gautham will be debuting as hero.

The heroine hunt for Pookadai has been going on for months. First it was said that Kamal Haasan's younger daughter Akshara Haasan and Parthipan's daughter Keerthana was approached. Then it was said Mani Ratnam met Thulasi, younger daughter of yesteryear heroine Radha and sister of 'Ko' Karthika.

The Mumbai press said Sonam Kapoor will be the heroine, finally it is now almost certain that Samantha will be the heroine.