By Anand J [Email: Cine@monsoonjournal.com]
[monsoonJournal.com] The movie without any bias is undoubtedly one of the best entertainers in the recent times. If one sees it purely as Director Shankar’s movie, the viewers will be highly disappointed but if one sees it as a pure entertainer, then the movie comes out great.
One can easily relate Shankar to a Rajini fan since he has shown actor Rajinikanth in all dimensions which a die hard fan of Rajini would like to see. Movie has all essential entertaining ingredients like fantastic locations, Technical wizardry, mind blowing songs, good mixture of comedy, action and sentiments with a very old storyline boosting one man crusade against tirades. Superstar Rajinikanth proves yet again why he is a Superstar.
The man was chosen by destiny to give us moments of unmatched joy and that is what he does in Sivaji, enthrall. He exudes charisma in each frame. Whether he talks, flips sunglasses or walks nonchalantly. Let’s get it straight, Sivaji is a Rajni film directed by Shankar and not a Shankar film starring Rajni; which one do you prefer? One thing for sure, if you prefer the latter you are surely in the minority. The movie has enough and more for people who think that Rajni was at his best in Thillu Mullu and also for those who think that nothing can beat Baasha.
The movie portrays Rajini in different flavors of fun, lover, the terror and the boss.
One gets to see the first two in first half and the last two in the second half. There is ample fun for everyone who is looking for some. Vivek and Rajni combine to provide some very hilarious moments.
Vivek must come in for special mention for his performance, especially the scene where he very candidly points out about every spring chicken of the industry trying to become the Superstar overnight, aping his mannerism (watch the movie for the real fun). Shriya comes and goes in the songs where one must say she looks gorgeous, but there is a very thin line between glamour and vulgarity and here the lines seem to have blurred. The high points of the first half however must be the songs. Balleilakka simply rocks. Nayanthara fits the song to perfection – looking very beautiful. The STYLE song, in praise of the Superstar’s inimitable element of style has been shot in a way that is completely novel to Tamil cinema. The choreographers – Brindha and Prabhu Deva respectively have done a great job. The plot of the movie thickens as we get closer to the interval and it is only in the second half that Rajni really unleashes on screen; it’s action time.
The second half is all about Rajni and the villains, Suman being the lead antagonist. He has managed to look every inch the ‘wolf in a sheepskin’ kind of character. Dressed in white and white, sporting a wide smile, this might just become the new stereotype look of the Tamil villain for some time to come. Villains cannot get more handsome. The script moves at an express rate here, with twists and turns galore. Not at one point does the tempo of the movie drop. In between, there are some very interesting comic interludes involving Solomon Pappaiah (you are bound to laugh every time he appears on screen) and a few other comic scenes to offer some relief from the tense main plot.
Shankar has taken all the cares to make the script as unpredictable as possible and that has worked, as the biggest twist of the movie fell like a thunderbolt on the audience; you don’t see such things normally in a Rajni movie. The climax (of course you know who had the last laugh) is easily the best and the most exciting part of the movie.
Though defying superhuman powers, the fights choreographed by Peter Heinz and the extremely lavish sets created by Thotta Tharani stand out. Camera work of K.V.Anand is first rate through out, Antony’s editing is crisp and Sujatha’s dialogues are rock solid.
A.R.Rahman’s songs are being lapped up by the audience with background score adding substance to the narration. Shankar, the architect of the product should be applauded for raising the bench mark of a Rajini movie. Future directors might find it even more challenging to script the Superstar in the future.
Kudos and full marks to the team of Sivaji for dishing out a neat, clean family entertainer sans blood, gory and violence.
Sivaji – Stylish and Entertaining.
By Anand J [Email: Cine@monsoonjournal.com]
[MonsoonJournal.com] Actor-turned-director Venkat Prabhu has made a mark for himself as a successful director with Chennai 600028. The movie on Gully Cricket has gone on to become a big hit. Several offers to wield the megaphone have come knocking to Venkat Prabhu’s doors. But the young 
director has chosen to go on a wait and watch mode. He is currently acting in Seeman’s Vazhthukal. Asked why back to acting, Venkat Prabhu says, “I play a meaty role in the movie. Directed by Seeman insisted that I do the pivotal role in Vazhthukal”. “Since he had tremendous faith in my acting credentials, he gave me the offer to act along side Madhavan. I could not resist the offer”.
Sandhya is one of the young heroines in Tamil, who is keen to do varied roles. The actress says, “I am not interested in the routine heroine running around trees and romancing the hero. I want to portray different characters and leave a mark for myself in the industry”. Sandhya is currently shooting for 
Kannamoochi Enada opposite Prithviraj, Thoondil along side Shaam, Manjal Veyyil with Prasanna. Sandhya will commence shooting for director Selvaraghavan’s forthcoming film Malai Nerathu Mayakkam with Paruthiveeran fame Karthi this month-end. She says, “I consider myself lucky to do different roles after Kadhal. Movies including Dishoom, Koodal Nagar and Vallavan had enough scope for me to prove my acting skills”.
Telugu super star Chiranjeevi’s son Ramcharan Theja is making his foray to filmdom. The young lad is currently shooting for a Telugu film. Close on the heels of the movie’s completion, plans are on to introduce Ramcharan Theja in 
Kollywood. Chiranjeevi has approached director Lingusamy for the job. The latter, who completed Bheema starring Vikram recently, would direct a bi-lingual (to be made in Tamil and Telugu simultaneously). It would features Ramcharan Theja in the lead role. Search for the rest of the cast and crew are on.
Shriya is a rage in Kollywood. Her Sivaji: The Boss opposite Rajnikanth has witnessed a bumper opening. She is equally thrilled for her Hindi venture Awarapan opposite Emraan 
Hashmi which opened recently across the globe last week. “I accepted Awarapan because I was convinced of its strong storyline, the director and the reputed production house. They have a history of making sensitive films that have become hits. Their female characters are well etched. After the success of my films in the South, I needed a film that could parallel my position there. I think I have made the right decision”. She is thrilled for she has been assigned to act in Sangeet Sivan’s Ek -The Power of One opposite Bobby Deol and two Tamil films Kandasamy opposite Vikram and Azhagiya Tamil Magan with Vijay.
Sridevi and Kamal Haasan were considered the lucky pair in Tami cinema in late 1980s and early 1990s. The two had come together to render several blockbusters then. After 
Dasavatharam’ is complete, buzz is that Kamal will act in a film to be directed by P Vasu. It is said Vasu is trying to sign on Sridevi for that. However the actress, who is married to Bollywood producer Boney Kapoor, does not seem to be interested in acting again. Efforts are on to convince her. Meanwhile, Vasu has been roped into play a prominent role in Dasavatharam.
Eagerly expecting the release of Billa is not only Ajith, but also Nayantara. Hoping that the film will turn a new leaf in her career, Nayantara anticipates that more offers would come in her way once Billa gets released. “Billa is the best crew that I have worked so far. Everything was organized and planned. 
Director Vishnuvardhan was always cool and good at extracting work from others. It is like a picnic for me since this is one of my longest abroad schedules”, says Nayantara, when asked about Billa. On dancing in Balelakka with Superstar Rajnikanth in Sivaji, the actress says, “My mobile is continuously ringing after the release of Sivaji as my friends and fans are complimenting me for sharing screen again with Rajnikanth”.
Veteran actress Jayapradha is making a comeback in Tamil cinema after a long gap. The yesteryear heroine had won accolades for her roles in movies including Ninaithalae Inikum 
and Salangai Oli opposite Kamal Haasan. The beautiful lady is playing a prominent role in Kamal Haasan’s Dasavatharam. No sooner the news of Jayapradha making a comeback in Tamil filmdom spread, then several producers made a beeline to her. However Jayapradha has chosen not to do any more Tamils films now. According to her, “I accepted to act in Dasavatharam, since it was Kamalji’s film. He is one of the actors, whom I admire a lot. I watched him at very close quarters and admired him a lot. I readily agreed when Kamal Haasan approached me”.
After Rajnikanth and Kamal Haasan, Ajith and Vijay are considered the money-spinners in Kollywood. Movies starring Ajith and Vijay have never failed to rake in moolah at the box 
office. Both the prominent actors of Tamil cinema were spellbound after watching Rajnikanth’s Sivaji. Ajith, who is currently shooting for Billa, a remake of Rajnikanth’s yesteryear blockbuster, watched Sivaji at Kuala Lumpur in an exclusive premiere along with Malaysian Minister Datho Samuvel. Impressed with movie, he heaped laurels on both Rajnikanth and Shankar. Vijay managed to watch the movie at Prasad Labs in Hyderabad along with the likes of Mahesh Babu and others. Spellbound by the looks of Rajnikanth, Vijay poured encomiums on Rajnikanth and said that he admired Rajnikanth in every frame.
Silambarasan, called Little Super Star in the industry, is currently shooting at Theni for Kaalai. He watched the movie at a theatre in Theni and was highly impressed.
By Anand J [cine@monsoonjournal.com]
[monsoonJournal.com]
There is considerable audience for what could be called the ‘Soft Romance Melodrama’ genre amongst the Tamil viewers and catering to them is cinematographer-director Jeeva with his slow, soft and feel good romantic flicks.
One such story is Unnale Unnale, a topsy turvy love fest starring Karthik (Vinay) and Jhansi (Sadha). Poles apart, Jhansi’s soft, introvert nature cannot stand the extrovert, flirty, take it easy Karthik, who very easily attracts the opposite sex-intentionally or otherwise. Though he loves Jhansi sincerely, she fails to look beyond his flirty exterior and walks out on him.
After the break up, Karthik is sent on deputation to Melbourne by his employer and as always he befriends a bubbly and vivacious Deepika (Tanisha) during his short flight to Melbourne. As luck would have it Deepika turns out to be Jhansi’s acquaintance.
Jhansi too shifts to Melbourne for some reason. While in Melbourne, Karthik tries his best to get back with Jhansi with Deepika’s help. But the story becomes complicated when Deepika, too falls in love with him.
Though the flow of the story is a little confusing, the film ends on a mature note.
Meanwhile, some scenes have been borrowed from popular Hindi movies with no real modifications. Humour is weak. Performance wise, Sadha leads the way while Vinay and Tanisha are mediocre. Vinay looks handsome and he might well turn out to be a contender for Teen Heartthrob along with the likes of Arya, Karthi (Surya’s Brother) and Madhavan (Maddy).
Editor V T Vijayan shows off his expertise with some real good transitions between shots. Costumes by Anees add to the feel of the plot.
Director Jeeva excels in cinematography and direction.
If you are tired of all those violent stories of rural villages, you might as well take a break and watch this.
Unnale Unnale – Dullalle Dullalle (Not a Dull Movie eh…)
By Anand J [Email: cine@monsoonjournal.com]
[monsoonJournal.com]
Has Tamil Cinema evolved? Especially with movies like ‘Mozhi’ and ‘Paruthi Veeran’ one starts to wonder ‘May be it has’. With spiritful directors like Manirathnam, Shankar and a slew of talented young directors, film going audiences have started to feel that Tamil film Industry has come of age. But then the reality hits you hard with ‘Parattai Engira Azhagu Sundaram’.
The first question that crosses a viewer’s mind would be ‘Why did they make this movie?’ followed by a spate of other reasonable questions like ‘Are viewers mad?’ and ‘Why a remake?’
Parattai is the story of a youngster, Azhagu Sundaram, from a remote village in Tirunelveli, who reaches Chennai in search of a livelihood to support his mother after his father’s death. As fate has it, he becomes a gangster and gains popularity as Parattai, in a very short time. He then develops an aversion towards lawlessness and wants to return to his mother, and the peace of his village. Circumstances however conspire to prevent him from doing that.
Meanwhile, his mother follows him to Chennai, but finds it difficult to locate him in the huge city. And so it goes on. Doesn’t it already feel like a 1970’s lost and found story? The story is never consistent, at times it is about misled, helpless individuals and at other times, it is about the love between a mother and a son. Finally it boils down to a disappointing climax.
Director Suresh Krishna has relied on melodrama to make up for the story’s deficiencies. Poor performances add to the film’s low points. This movie is apparently a remake of a Kannada Super Hit movie ‘Jogi’ which won lots of appreciation. It defies logic when one thinks about how this storyline could have won laurels.
Archana’s performance is the biggest letdown. The national award winner could have chosen a better script for her comeback. She is believed to have fallen head over heels for this script since she was told that she would appear through out the movie. Looks like she has lost her touch with the Cine media. Dhanush, as the hero, does fairly well. Having played similar roles earlier, Meera Jasmine has perfected the bubbly bold character and provides some relief in her short role.
Debutant music director Gurukiran’s music fails to create an impression. The timing of the songs in the film add to the jarring effect; there is one point where two songs are almost simultaneous.
Cinematography and Editing are the only solace to the viewers. The movie goes into flashback quite often and it has been handled deftly. However, unnecessary attempts to excite, with tilted visuals and unwanted jerks, doesn’t go well with the movie.
Director Suresh Krishna has used Rajnikanth’s name, in and out of context, in a big to appeal to the superstar’s (who is also Dhanush’s father-in-law) fans, but that is as ineffective as everything else in the movie.
All in all ‘Parattai’ will evoke lots of ‘Korattai’ (Big yawns huh……)
Kollywood Top Contenders
By Anand J [Email: cine@monsoonjournal.com]
[monsoonJournal.com]
Every decade in Tamil cinema history has witnessed a list of stars contending for the top slots. This Kollywood race dates back to M K Thyagaraja Bhagavadhar era and we have seen this star power struggle happening among stars ever since. Notable stars include M K Thyagaraja Bhagavadhar, P U Chinnappa, M G Ramachandran, Sivaji Ganesan, Rajinikanth, Kamal Hassan and the latest Vijay and Ajith. Not to forget that there were other strong contenders which included Gemini Ganeshan, S S Rajendran, JaiShankar, Sivakumar, Vijayakumar, Vijayakanth, Mohan, Vikram and Surya. Each decade has seen a flurry of actors/actresses storm through the film industry and a very few leave a mark in the minds of the viewers and last beyond decades. MGR and Sivaji was able to sustain for over 4 decades and currently Rajini and Kamal has survived and sustained over 3 decades. The race still goes on. We will look at the latest contenders for the top spot in Kollywood.
Trisha - One of the best contenders for the top spot having delivered hits upon hits with Ghilli, Saami, Thirupachi, Something Something Unakkum Enakkum and lot more. She is also vying for the top slot in Telugu film industry which by all means she might. Having acted with Chiranjeevi in the Super Hit ‘Stalin’ her stakes in the Telugu film industry has gone high. Her forthcoming release ‘Bheema’ is the third highly expected movie of this year after Sivaji and Dasavadharam. She is the lead heroine of ‘Bheema’ acting with his favorite co-star Vikram. Her only aim is to act with the one and only Super Star Rajinikanth by all means. She missed the opportunity of acting with the Super Star in ‘Sivaji’ since she was pre occupied with commitments for ‘Stalin’. Her favorite place is ‘New York City’ and she wishes to have her honeymoon in ‘Venice’. Another film which she is eagerly awaiting is ‘Kireedom’ in which she has acted opposite the humble ‘Ajith’ and she is believed to have a powerful role in the movie. More than her actress traits, it is her humble nature and helping tendency that has made her a star power. She has apparently started a ‘Trisha Foundation’ to help Homeless families and educate poor children. It is indeed a good gesture from the actress and let us wish her best of luck in her future endeavors.
Asin – The dove eyed beauty created tremor and ripples through her performance in ‘Ghajini’ which was praised by one and all. She has managed to gain attention through all her movies with her lead stars including Vijay, Vikram and Surya. Asin, as we reported earlier was a Business entrepreneur before she entered Tamil films. After ‘Ghajini’, it was ‘Pokkiri’ that shot her to fame and she is believed to have received three offers from Bollywood including ‘Ghajini’ in Hindi with Aamir Khan, ‘Pokkiri’ in Hindi with Salman Khan. She will be the first actress to have made it big in Bollywood after Sridevi if she completes these two projects. Reliable sources say that she will concentrate more in Bollywood for a couple of years while simultaneously doing movies in Kollywood. Asin, still in her early stages of her acting career, received an offer to act with Kamal Hassan in ‘Dasavadharam’ and she cherishes working with him. Icing on cake is she has dual roles in the movie. Asin is visibly thrilled and she opines that it’s a landmark film in her career. She aims to strike gold both in Kollywood and Bollywood. She firmly believes that it is her ‘Self Confidence’ that has brought her laurels and she would maintain her hard work to sustain her top spot.
Shreya - Actress with an hour glass svelte figure considers herself the luckiest person on earth since she received the opportunity to act opposite Super Star Rajinikanth. Amidst tough competition from other leading ladies Trisha, Ayesha Takia, Aishwarya Rai, Rani Mukherjee and herself, she emerged winner. She never expected to receive a call from the maverick Director Shankar especially while sulking with the flop ‘Mazhai’. It was heartening for this lead lady to find out that it was Rajini who recommended her for the lead role after watching her performance in ‘Mazhai’. Having acted only in a handful of movies, Shreya has attracted attention from millions with just one offer ‘Sivaji’. More offers pour in this young lady’s lap which includes ‘Azhagiya Tamizh Magan’ with Vijay and ‘Kandasami’ with Vikram. When answering a question ‘Why did she accept to act opposite an Ageing hero Rajinikanth ?’, she immediately replied ‘When 70 year old Harrison Ford can act with 16 year old, why not a much younger Rajinikanth act opposite me ?. Wow. This lady is really bold. Rajini fans are thrilled with her response and a lot others responded smiling. Shreya is a living example of the saying ‘Luck is Mysterious’.
After a look at the leading heroines, it is imperative to look at the leading heroes as well. No doubt there is an unprecedented competition among heroes especially with a lot of young talent creeping in. Actors like Vijay, Ajith, Vikram, Surya, Vishal, Madhavan, Jayam Ravi, Silambarasan and Dhanush are all in the race and ofcourse the old war horses Rajinikanth and Kamal Hassan. Sustainability is the key for success and it is very much evident from the number of years of experience these young actors have in them. If you look at Vijay and Silambarasan, they started their acting careers at a very young age and Vijay already has 15 years of acting experience. On the other hand Vikram has 22 years of experience behind him. Naturally the giants Kamal and Rajini has 34 and 32 years of experience behind them. The fact remains that if one can sustain, they can succeed definitely (no matter whatever may be the field of expertise be). Everyone in the Tamil film industry agrees that Rajini and Kamal are in the top two slots even now. Let’s take a look at the next generation of actors who are worthy contenders for the top spot.
Vijay - No doubt that this man has emerged winner from all odds. Film critics have tarnished his image saying Vijay cannot act, Vijay looks ugly, Vijay is third rate, Vijay doesn’t emote, Vijay is flop. Amidst all this criticisms, Vijay has achieved the spot where he is now with lot of conviction and hard work. His major plus was his Dancing movements and he converted the plus to his fullest advantage. He carefully chooses his movies that will go well with the masses and follows a certain popular formula (very deftly handled by MGR and Rajini) that will enthrall all audiences. Recently he suffered a setback with a flop movie ‘Sachin’ but bounced back with his usual formulaic ‘Pokkiri’. According to him, his secret behind success is ‘Never Reinvent’. That’s the reason why he chooses remake movies from neighboring southern states. All his remake movies have been successful including ‘Ghilli’, ‘Thirupachi’, ‘Sivakasi’ and ‘Pokkiri’. He believes that he has a lot to achieve and he is nowhere near the Number 1 spot. Although he is thrilled to be in the Number 1 race, he is also scared about the competition since he feels that he is among worthy competitors.
Ajith – ‘Never say die’ is his approach. He has delivered flops upon flops but still emerged to be in contention for the race. He is one actor with a lot of self confidence and straight forward approach. He believes that he can perform well and he aims high. He has had a fluctuating career with his highs being ‘Vaali’, ‘Amarkalam’ and ‘God Father’ and his lows being ‘Citizen’, ‘Paramasivan’ and ‘Aalwar’. He is an actor with capability but has failed to be consistent in choosing his movies. He has tremendous hopes on both of his upcoming movies ‘Kireedom’ and ‘Billa 2007’. Amidst all his flops, he has managed to maintain his star status mainly due to his no nonsense approach. He never over exposes himself to the Print or TV Media and sticks to his work like a professional. He lost his way in between his film career to his other ambitious ‘Car Racing’. But now he has returned to his film career with full energy and waiting in wings to deliver a Super Hit.
Vikram – ‘Hard Work’ is his success mantra. Almost 25 years of experience in the film world. He has seen it all. He has been a light boy, a dance assistant, miniscule role, a dubbing artist, an assistant director, assistant editor, character artist, villain and finally a successful Hero. If reports are to be believed, no other actor in the film industry would have had the opportunity to involve in so many areas of the film industry. Vikram opines that this was not his chosen path but his forced path. His rise to stardom was a bed of thorns but he lived and loved every moment. He has only one piece of advice to his young compatriots which is ‘Hard work, Commitment and Down to earth attitude will definitely fetch Success’. True to his words, Vikram is committed to his film career and hopes to win lots of awards and accolades through his movies.
Surya - Born with a tag ‘Star son’, he is the son of veteran actor Sivakumar. Although he was born with the tag ‘Star Son’, his father Sivakumar never helped or forced him in his film career. This young man’s success mantra is ‘Believe yourself’. He strongly believes in himself and he has a natural liking towards his critics. Surya believes that if someone criticizes him it only means that he is being watched closely and its an advantage. It gives him an opportunity to correct himself and keep going. Truly he exudes Self belief. He signs his autograph with the verses ‘Believe in you, You can do it’. Surya delivered back to back hits with ‘Kaakha Kaakha’ and ‘Ghajini’. He has high expectations about his forthcoming movies ‘Vaaranam Aayiram’ and ‘Vel’.
By: Anand. J (Cinema Correspondent)
[monsoonJournal.com]Kollywood’s Leading Pairs
Vijay-Asin
The latest best star pair of today is undoubtedly the ‘POKKIRI’ pair Vijay and Asin. They had earlier paired in the Superhit ‘Sivakasi’. Vijay has acted with Simran, Devayani, Sneha, Suvalakshmi, Trisha, Rambha, Shalini, Kausalya and many others. His first on screen pair was Sanghavi and rumour mills heavily alleged that these two were involved in a love affair. But later it turned out to be just a sensational stir that was made up to create some publicity for Vijay. Now Vijay is happily married with 2 children and strives hard to stay out media controversies. As everyone agrees he is a strong contender for the Superstar throne, Vijay has openly admitted that he is no match for the one and only Superstar Rajinikanth. Vijay and Asin have both agreed that they have a very good on screen chemistry that works well for their movies. Vijay when answering to a question on ‘Who is his best pair Trisha or Asin ?’, silently to avoid controversies answered that they both are good in their own way. But the fans feel that Asin is more vibrant and suits Vijay’s image and characters.
Ajith-Nayanthara
Ultimate star Ajith kumar, another strong contender for the Superstar throne has paired with Meena, Devayani, Vasundhara Das, Rambha, Simran, Suvalakshmi among others. He was paired with Shalini in the superhit Amarkalam and during the shooting of this movie love blossomed between the lead pair. Ajith and Shalini later married and are a happy couple now. Ajith has not got a matching pair who can vibe well with him in his movies. He was last seen shaking legs with Asin in the movie Aalwar which proved to be a dud in the box office. His last successful pair was Simran with whom he delivered back to back hits ‘Vaali’ and ‘Aval Varuvaala’. But after Simran bid goodbye to films, Ajith never got a lucky pair on screen although his last blockbuster Varalaaru starred Asin and Kanika in lead roles. All eyes are now on the forthcoming movie of Ajith ‘Billa’ which will be a remake of Rajini’s blockbuster ‘Billa’. In Billa, Ajith is being paired with Nayanthara and Ajith’s fans are thrilled. Superstar Rajinikanth himself suggested Nayanthara for Ajith and he has supposedly given some interesting tips to Ajith to make his Billa a success. Remember Nayanthara was roped in for ‘Sivaji’ at the last minute by Rajini. Impressed by the young actress talent, Rajini has also recommended Nayanthara for Ajith’s Billa. Lets wait and watch whether Rajini’s prediction about this hit pair becomes true.
Surya-Jyothika
The best love birds of Kollywood Surya and Jyothika has starred together in over four films including Perazhagan, Kakka Kakka, Mayavi and Sillunu Oru Kadhal. They were looking good together in all the movies they paired. The onscreen Jodi became real life jodis as well late last year. They were in love for over 7 years and finally they married in a star studded wedding. Jyothika has decided to quit films and her last offering was ‘Mozhi’ which has been declared a runaway hit. Jyothika has been criticized for her negative role in ‘Pachai Kili Muthucharam’ but she feels that she decided to don the role because the character was interesting. Surya on the other hand has had a slump in his career after his marriage and he is looking forward to his forthcoming ‘Vaaranam Aayiram’ directed by Gautham Menon. He is being paired with a newcomer in this movie.
Vikram-Trisha
National Award winner Vikram has acted with Jyothika, Trisha, Asin, Sada, Priyanka Chopra, Sangeetha among others. Vikram is a hard worker and always strives for perfection. His hard work was well appreciated for his performance in ‘Pitha Magan’ which won him National Award and he is the only top actor other than Kamal Hassan to have earned the award for Tamil films. His pairing with Trisha in ‘Saami’ worked magically at the box office and it was one of the biggest hits of that year when Saami was released. Vikram and Trisha was liked by one and all in ‘Saami’ and they are getting together again in ‘Bheema’. It will be a treat to their fans to watch them on screen together and the movie supposedly has some intimate sensuous scenes between the lead pair. Trisha is believed to have shed all her inhibitions while paired with Vikram since she considers that Vikram is her best onscreen pair. Will Bheema recreate the Saami’s magic ?
Vishal-ReemaSen
Vishal, a strong contender to Ilaya Thalapathi Vijay, is a rage among the masses after his foursome hits ‘Chellame’, ‘Sandai Kozhi’, ‘Thimiru’ and ‘Thamirabharani’. His other movie Sivapadhikaram also fared well but was not declared a hit. He has not acted in a lot of movies to have a lucky pair. But he has paired with Reema sen already in two films Chellame and Thimiru. Chellame was Vishal’s debut film and Reema Sen’s first big movie as heroine. Rumour mills were busy churning out love stories between the two but Vishal and Reema Sen has maintained stoic silence. They were again paired in ‘Thimiru’ which turned out to be a super hit and going by their hit ratio Vishal and Reema Sen can be considered as a hit pair.
Vadivelu-Kovai Sarala-
The comedy star pair Vadivelu and Kovai Sarala has tickled our funny bones many a times with their fine performances in many movies. Incidentally it was Vadivelu who used to get beat up by Sarala instead of the traditional man beating woman. Vadivelu is supposedly charging a whopping amount as his salary if he has to act as a hero. He has not raised his salary for being a comedian. When quizzed about this, Vadivelu mentioned that he wants to maintain the standard and quality of his movies in which he features as hero. He wants to deliver only hits as a hero since he feels even one failure can take him to dumps. Although his hero salary might sound unreasonable to many but he sure has a point. Let us wait and watch whether his forthcoming ‘Indralogathil Naa Azhagappan’ will be smash hit like his earlier blockbuster ‘Imsai Arasan 23am Pulikesi’. Apparently Simran, Trisha, Nayanthara, Asin and Shilpa Shetty were approached for the lead role opposite Vadivelu and all of them except Simran turned down the offer. When Vadivelu came to know about this, he turned down Simran and is now looking for a fresh face.
Sathyaraj-Namitha
The lollu star of Kollywood Mr Sathyaraj has starred opposite Namitha in more than three films and they have all proven to be duds at the box office. Still Sathyaraj feels that his best on screen pair is Namitha taking into account the height and weight of her. Namitha is the tallest heroine available in Tamil filmdom and she has the rare distinction of pairing with both father and son as her onscreen pair. Namitha feels that she suits Sathyaraj more than his son Sibiraj since they have a good onscreen chemistry. Sibiraj feels that Namitha is his best pair since she matches his height and no other heroine does. There is an interesting tussle brewing between father and son as to who should pair with Namitha. But as before, Namitha continues her film service by acting opposite both Sathyaraj and Sibiraj with same ease and élan.
Anand. J (Cinema Correspondent)
A look at leading character actors
PRAKASHRAJ
[monsoonjournal.com] Tipped to be the number one villain and character artist of the modern age, Prakashraj received a shocking news and a very good news at the same time recently. The shocking news was the lackluster performance of his production house movie ‘POI’ directed by his mentor K Balachander. One of ambitious K Balachander’s project POI did not even run for two successful weeks in theatres. This bad run of POI was more shocking to Prakashraj than K Balachander himself since Prakashraj had invested a lot in the movie. On the flip side, Prakashraj has been selected for the role of RAVANA in the 100 crore Hindi film project ‘RAMAYANA’. He will be sharing the screen space with Ajay Devgan and Kajol who don the roles of Rama and Sita respectively. There were rumours that the role of RAVANA was originally offered to Superstar Rajinikanth and he politely refused it. The role of Ravana for Prakashraj will suit him like a tee and it’s a great honour for the tamil actor. Kudos to Prakashraj.
NASSER
Peculiar nosed Nasser is famous for his character roles in Nayagan, Bombay and Thevar Magan. He has from time to time acted in varied roles ranging from character roles to villain roles to comedy roles. Nasser gave a terrific comedy performance alongside Kamal Hassan in the movie ‘Avvai Shanmughi’ which won him lots of accolades. Basically Nasser is a stage actor and he has brought lot of his stage co-actors to filmdom notably Balasingh. Nasser is a favorite among top directors like Maniratnam and Shankar. He is a close friend of actor Kamal Hassan. Nasser’s ambition is to play a part in the film version of the famous novel ‘Ponniyin Selvan’. According to informed sources, Nasser is currently busy penning a story for his home productions which is supposedly a story about 5 villains. Efforts are on to bring Prakashraj, Raghuvaran, Sathyaraj and Pasupathi to play the main characters along with Nasser himself. Watch this space for more updates on this project.
SUMAN
Long forgotten Suman is staging a comeback in Tamil films after nearly 20 years. He was last seen pitted against the one and only Superstar Rajinikanth in the movie ‘Thee’. Suman played the role of a good cop warring against the gangster Rajinikanth. The movie was a remake of Super hit Hindi film Deewar in which Amithab Bachchan played the role of a gangster. Although Suman earned good reviews for the movie, he was not flooded with offers. He turned his attention towards Telugu films and slowly made a place for himself in the Telugu film industry. He is now a renowned god role actor in Telugu films where he has played lots of god roles like Rama and Krishna in various God based movies. His comeback into Tamil films is marked by a gargantuan villain role pitted against none other than the same Rajinikanth in the movie ‘Sivaji – The Boss’. Its ironical that actor Suman gets to play a reversal of roles in his re-entry into Tamil films. Expectations are sky high for this movie Sivaji and let us hope Suman gets to make his own mark and enthrall viewers.
RAGHUVARAN
The tall lanky actor Raghuvaran is known for his menacing acting style and has done memorable roles in movies like Anjali, Baasha, Puriyadha Pudhir and Mudhalvan. He started his career with ‘Ezhavadhu Manithan’ and has grown into a well deserved character artist. He has had a turbulent career over the last 20 years with his own highs and lows but has now grown into a much more dependable character artist. All the young actors like Vijay, Ajith, Vishal, Surya, Simbhu and Dhanush wants to cast Raghuvaran as their screen dad since he performs well in that role. He is believed to be a friendly advisor for all his young co stars. Surya had a face make over upon Raghuvaran’s advice since Raghuvaran felt that Surya’s face had more resemblance to his father actor Sivakumar. Actor Vishal opines that it was Raghuvaran who suggested and advised him to do more action roles since it suits Vishal the best. According go Vijay it is Raghuvaran who is his favorite screen dad. Actor Ajith says that he has learnt a lot of acting tips from Raghuvaran during the filming of ‘Amarkalam’ which later turned out to be one of his career best. Rumour mills has it that Raghuvaran is playing the coveted role in the magnum opus ‘Sivaji – The Boss’ which was earlier offered to Big B.
MANIVANNAN
Actor Manivannan started his career as Assistant director to Ace director Bharathiraja. He then grew to become a director and later turned himself into acting. He was offered the immemorable villain role by his mentor director Bharathiraja in the movie Kodi Parakkudhu opposite Superstar Rajinikanth. This role turned his career upside down when he started receiving offers upon offers for villain roles. Manivannan chose to act in movies rather than wield the megaphone himself. Manivannan also played an important role in making actor Sathyaraj a huge success through his movie ‘Amaidhi Padai’. Manivannan is one actor who acts in all his movies sans make-up and with his favorite ‘Dhaadi’ (Beard). According to his close associates, he is secretly planning on a magnum opus big budget movie by bringing the great stalwarts Rajinikanth and Kamal Hassan together.
VIJAYAKUMAR
Actor Vijayakumar was once a contender for the Superstar throne along with Rajinikanth, Kamal Hassan and Jai Shankar. The Superstar throne which is elusive to many eluded actor Vijayakumar as well. Vijayakumar was one of the highest paid actors at a time when Rajinikanth and Kamal Hassan were struggling to make a mark in their initial stages of their career. With the time tides, Vijayakumar lost his stranglehold and was reduced to a character artist. Thanks to Director Maniratnam for reinventing actor Vijayakumar through a powerful portrayal of a father caught in between two warring sons in the mega movie ‘Agni Natchathiram’. Director Bharathiraja gave Vijayakumar his lifetime role of an emotional brother in ‘Kizhakku Cheemaiyile’ which won lot of awards and accolades. He followed it up with good performances in ‘Seran Pandian’ and ‘Nattamai’ both with Sarath Kumar. Vijayakumar is happily married to yester year dream girl Manjula and has three daughters and one son. It is sad to note that neither his daughters nor his son has been able to make their mark in the Silver screen although they have had a long career.
PRABHU
Star son of Thespian actor Sivaji Ganesan, Prabhu struggled in his initial stages of his career to earn good name. He had to take support of his father actor Sivaji Ganesan to get a market of his own. Prabhu started his career playing a supportive role in the movie ‘Sangili’ alongside his real life dad Sivaji Ganesan. Later he grew into a actor of substance and stepped away from his father’s shadow. Prabhu had an intense competition from actor Kartik whom he considered his best friend. They both acted together in Maniratnam directed ‘Agni Natchathiram’ and later grew into big stars on their own. Prabhu has tried his hand in comedy and then later turned to character roles. His supporting role in the movie ‘Chinna Poove Mella Pesu’ is still being rated as one of his best especially for his act in the song ‘A pulla karuppayi’. Prabhu has the rare distinction of acting with both stalwarts Rajinikanth and Kamal Hassan. His comic timing with Rajinikanth in the movie ‘Guru Sishyan’ was appreciated by one and all. Prabhu has turned his attention towards character roles recently with good performances in the movies ‘Something Something Unakkum Enakkum’ and ‘Thamirabharani’.
BHAGYARAJ
Actor turned Director turned Actor Bhagyaraj is still considered to be one of the best screen play writers in the Indian film industry. He has mesmerized audiences with his powerful screenplay in the movies like ‘Andha Ezhu Naatkal’, ‘Enga Chinna Raasa’, ‘Idhu Namma Aalu’ and Hindi Blockbuster ‘Ek Hi Raasta’. Apparantly Big B was so impressed with Bhagyaraj’s screenplay, he requested Bhagyaraj to write stories for him to suit his image. But Bhagyaraj being Bhagyaraj wanted his foot only in Tamil filmdom and stuck to it. He tried his hand in politics but it never worked for him. He returned to what he knows best and came out with an absolute winner in the form of ‘Parijatham’, a creative movie of his own. He introduced his daughter Saranya and extracted good performances from his lead actors. Bhagyaraj recently took to supportive roles and played a cameo in the movie ‘Something Something Unakkum Enakkum’. He supposedly has an author backed role in the movie ‘Parattai engira Azhagu Sundaram’ alongside Dhanush. To be in the know of Kollywood, watch this space regularly.
**suggestions or comments by e-mail to: cine@monsoonjournal.com
By: Anand. J (Cinema Correspondent for Monsoon Journal)
THIRUVILAIYADAL AARAMBAM
Starting with a problem with the title, the producer opted for an addition of AARAMBAM along with the original title of Thiruvilayadal. The movie turns out to be a new beginning for Dhanush and it might well turn out to be his big comeback movie. Incidentally Dhanush has enacted a lot of scenes in the movie which was earlier done by his father-in-law Superstar Rajinikanth.
Named as thiru in the hero role Dhanush sings “Ennamma Kannu” the famous Rajini-Sathyaraj song with Prakash Raj. It’s an out and out Dhanush’s movie and going by the first two weeks Box office collection reports, the movie is poised to be a Super hit. Lets have a look at the story. Thiru (Dhanush) is a carefree laid back guy who has a great time with his friends (Karunas, Sukumar and others). He is basically a nice guy who wants to do some business and come up in life. But his dad (Mouli) and mom (Saranya) does not have confidence in him. One day after a small fight, his dad asks him to leave home and he sleeps in the temple. In the morning he sees Priya (Shriya) and it is love at first sight for him. She is the sister of a rich business tycoon Guru (Prakash Raj). Thiru takes a different route to make Priya love him, by directly approaching Guru. Slowly, Priya falls in love with Thiru but soon a twist happens just before interval in which our hero makes a business deal with Guru for leaving his sister. What follows then is a series of unpredictable twists and turns that keeps you engrossed.
Clearly the dialogues of Bhoopathy Pandian and its racy presentation make the film entertaining. The confrontation scenes between Prakash Raj and Dhanush are the highlights. Comedy has worked out well without depending on comedians. There are quite a few funny moments that make you laugh and think at the same time. Director Bhoopathi Pandians idea of making the LOVE as a business subject is really a good idea and seems to be new. But all other scenes look like he has copied the old formula, sequences and narration. The sequences where the growth of Dhanush is shown seems like a lift from the Blockbuster Annamalai where Rajinikanth played the part with élan. Music is by D Imman and the songs are average.
Dhanush tries to give a matured performance but he is shadowed by Prakash Raj during his confrontation scenes. Heroine Shriya looks good but doesn’t bother to act.
To sum up Aarambam oru RAMBAM (Saw) illai. Is it not enough!!!
SIVAPPADHIKARAM
Karu Palaniappan, the new Director who gave a successful film ‘PARTHIBAN KANAVU’ has now come with this Sivappadhikaram a slightly changed name of literature Silappadhikaram. But here there is no Silambu or Kannagi, only red-Sivappu is there in the second half of the film.He has used the action prowess of Vishal and acting talent of Raghuvaran in good combination.The film centres around the political arrogance and how it gets cut down by hero.
The movie begins with a retired professor Elango (Raghuvaran) coming to his native village along with his daughter Charulatha (Mamta). He summons a student from Chennai, Sathyamoorthy (Vishal), to join him in his research on folk songs. Sathyamoorthy’s pleasing manners attracts Charulatha. Meanwhile, poll fever grips Tamilnadu as general elections are announced. But, candidates are murdered one after another and a fear sets in among them. Many of them prefer to withdraw nominations. Citing lack of security to candidates, the State Election Commission prefers to postpone the elections.
Meanwhile, the police manage to obtain clues in a series of murders and arrest Elango. In a flashback, it is revealed why Elango with the help of Sathyamoorthy goes out to murder the aspiring MLAs. Sathyamoorthy along with his friends had studied in a college in Chennai where Elango was the professor. They come out with a pre-poll election survey which results in them incurring the wrath of the ruling party of the State. With the help of police, they let loose terror in the college and kill over 50 students.
Sathyamoorthy and Elango, who survive the attack, resolve to teach a lesson to the corrupt politicians. The screenplay is not upto the expectation. Vishal kills many political bigwigs and escapes without a trace. The screenplay lacks the gripping touch and the narration has lot of loopholes. Yet the subtle and polished performance by Raghuvaran and good action support by Vishal needs appreciation. Mamta as heroine comes, dances and vanishes.
Even though it is not a very new theme by Director Karupalaniappan, attempt for revitalizing folklore songs, good music by Vidyasagar and good use of the comedian Kanjakaruppu the film just gets above PASSMARK.
ILLAI KAARAM !!!!
By: Anand. J (Cinema Correspondent for monsoonjournal)
A brief look at young married actors
Prashanth
Prashanth is one of the senior VARISU actor and son of actor Thyagarajan. He is almost rated along with Prabhu and Karthik the other varisus. He has given a lot of hit films from his first film ‘Vaigasi Porandhachu’ directed by Kastoori raja and paired with Kaveri [now TV actress] and films like Sembaruthi with Roja [Selvamanis first] and Director Shankar’s Jeans with double roles and many other hits. Prasanth married Grahalakshmi on 1-9-2005 with heavy blessings from J.Jayalalithaa the then TamilNadu Chief Minister. His marriage is now in courts due to a divorce application by his wife. He is not allowed to see his child and wife has demanded huge money for monthly maintenance from Prashanth. Actor Prashanth doesn’t have any big hit to his name after his blockbuster movie Jeans. Let us wish him that the new year 2007 brings him all good luck.
Vijay
The senior varisu actor and son of actor, Director S.A.Chandrasekhar position seems to be weak and the only his only 2006 movie release ‘Aadhi’ was a colossal flop giving him lots of trouble. Because of Aadhi’s failure at the box office, Distributors are not willing to pay and release Vijay’s Pongal release of ‘POKKIRI’ which is a revised edition of a Telugu hit film. Due to Rama Narayanan, President of Producers guild the issue has been amicably settled and Pokkiri will see the light of day on the Pongal day. Vijay got his 2nd child recently and his marriage life is normal. He doesn’t live with his parents and is looking to bounce back with his box office magic this Pongal. Good luck to Vijay.
Surya
Famous actor Sivakumar’s first son Surya married Sillunu oru Jyothika the famous actress last September. His only 2006 movie release ‘Sillunu Oru Kadhal’ with Jyothika bombed at the box office. Wife Jyothika’s film Mozhi is expected this Pongal. Jyothika decided not to act in movies further to her marriage. At present Surya has only 2 films in hand and those are not big budget movies. Whether the new year 2007 bring him good luck needs to be seen. We wish him all the very best in this new year 2007.
Arun Vijay
Actor Vijayakumar’s son Arun rechristened his name to Arun Vijay citing reasons of numerology. He is one among those few actors who have changed their names in the Tamil film industry. He has not tasted success so far in his career although he is a capable actor. He is another actor who recently got married in 2006. His three sisters who also entered filmdom sank without a trace. Arun aka Arun Vijay still sustains in the industry despite not having any big hits to his credit. His sheer perseverance and confidence will get him success this new year 2007. We wish him the best of luck in the new year 2007.
Manoj
Director and actor Bharathiraja’s son also got married in late 2006 to a malayalee actress after a love affair with her. Bharathiraja who is still believed to make even a STONE act, couldn’t get his son Manoj a success with his movie Taj Mahal. Manoj wants to try a hand in Direction and he may soon wield the megaphone for a big budget movie. Unlike his father, he wants to concentrate on city slicks as opposed to rural dramas. We wish him all the very best and a good new year 2007.
Dhanush
Director Kastoori Raja’s second son and husband of Iswarya, daughter of Super Star Rajinikanth. Dhanush had two releases in the year 2006 and his latest release ‘Thiruvilayadal Aarambam’ is doing well at the box office. He is elated and very happy to taste success after a long gap. His next film Parattai Engira Azhagu Sundaram is touted to be a family jerker and might win him more accolades. Can Dhanush continue his successful run at the box office needs to be watched. We wish him all the success in the new year 2007.
A brief look at eligible bachelor actors:
Vishal
With hattrick hits Chellame, Sandai Kozhi, Thimiru, Vishal is one of the hot eligible bachelors in the Tamil film industry. He has been linked with actress Reema sen with whom he delivered two super hits Chellame and Thimiru. His latest release Sivappathikaram is doing average at the box office. With four official hits to his credit, Vishal looks forward to a fantastic new year 2007. We wish him a continuous success in the new year 2007.
Silambarasan
Actor, Director and Ashtavadani T Rajendar’s son Silambarasan aka Simbhu started his career from his childhood. He named himself as the ‘Little Superstar’ and he has grown into a actor of demand. His much touted Vallavan (his only movie release in 2006) turned out to be an average grosser at the box office. He was linked with actress Nayanthara and later severed it. His strength is his confidence and his weakness as everyone says is his over confidence. Simbhu, another eligible bachelor and a potential actor badly needs a hit in the new year to prove his credentials. We wish him all the very best in the new year 2007.
Jayam Ravi
Famous Editor Mohan’s son Jayam Ravi is also an eligible bachelor actor who has never been linked with any of his costars. He has had a couple of box office hits to his credit like ‘Jayam’, ‘Something Something Unakkum Enakkum’ and ‘M Kumaran s/o Mahalakshmi’. His latest movie ‘Deepavali’ is expected to release this Pongal. We wish him a successful new year 2007.
By: Anand. J (Cinema Correspondent for monsoonjournal)
Vadivelu
After Imsai Arasan Pulikesi Vadivelu remains as the number one comedian. He features in atleast two out of every 3 movies released. Vadivelu’s speciality is that he doesn’t depend on any heroes. He has costarred from Super Star, Super Actor to Small stars. Many Directors and Producers have approached him to continue doing Heroic roles but the intelligent comedian has refused all such offers. He wants to continue doing good roles and in the meanwhile if he gets a subject that is as captivating and interesting as ‘Imsai Arasan’, he will not think twice to act as a hero in that movie. Super Star Rajinikanth recently praised actor/comedian Vadivelu saying that but for his color, Vadivelu would have stood number one among other heroes.
Vivek
SOLLI ADIPPEN is Vivek’s first film as Hero. He was able to bring his mentor Director K.Balachandar, his Sivaji film hero Rajini and also Director Shankar for the Audio Release of his movie ‘Solli Adippen’. Rajini praised Viveks intelligence and his interest in various subjects. As we all know, amongst all the comedians available now, Vivek is the only comedian who always delievers thought provoking social messages through his comedy script. He is eagerly awaiting the release of ‘Solli Adippen’ after which he will decide whether to continue doing heroic movies or just remain a comedian forever. All said and done he only has a couple of movies in hand unlike his arch rival Vadivelu.
Karunaas
He is a well known comedian and has now turned to film distribution as well. He was introduced by Director Bala in the Vikram & Soorya starrer ‘Pitha Magan’. He consulted with his advisors and took up the distribution rights for movies ‘Tirunelveli’ and ‘E’. He did earn good profits through the movie ‘E’ and now he is looking forward to taking up the distribution rights of another big movie. This will be his third movie as a film distributor. Kudos to Karunaas as he has established himself as a good comedian, a talented singer and now a profitable film distributor.
Madhavan
He is number four in getting overseas fans as his new film Irandu has proven. The film’s collection overseas is more or less comparable to Ilaya Thalapathi Vijay’s film collection overseas who stands number 3 after Rajinikanth and Kamal Hassan. He has been pet named as Maddy by his lady fans. This pet name of his is a rare distinction to an actor since no other actor in the tamil film industry has earned this distinction. He started his career as a model and then turned to television comperer and finally found his star status after his movies ‘Alai Payuthey’ and ‘Minnale’. Director Maniratnam is impressed by actor Madhavan and he has starred him in many of his movies including his latest magnum opus ‘Guru.
Bharath
Suddenly became a second hero in Director Shankar’s film Veyyil. Bharath became a successful hero after his two back to back hits ‘Kadhal’ and ‘Pattiyal’. According to the Producers Guild Association, no two movies of the same hero can be released on the same day. But Director Shankar and Director Vikraman decided to release their movies ‘Veyyil’ and ‘Chennai Kadhal’ on the same day and both the movies starred Bharath in the lead role. When the producers association raised a ruckus about this, Director Shankar stated that Bharath is only a second hero in his movie ‘Veyyil’ and the actual hero of the movie is Actor Pasupathi. Although it was not convincing to the producers they accepted the argument and decided to release both the movies on the same day. Hopefully the luck holds good for Bharath and both his movies turn successful.
Sathyaraj
Is Actor Satyaraj following the foot steps of the great comedian/villain actor M R Radha. He is currently busy shooting for his dream movie ‘Periyar’ in which he stars as the stalwart politician E.V.R Periyar himself. Apparently he is acting in this movie without even getting paid since it was one of his ambitions to act as the famous political leader.
Satyaraj has openly admitted that he would like to feature himself in the remake of ‘Ratha Kanner’ which was immortalized by M R Radha. In this remake world, remaking Ratha Kanner might soon turn to be a reality and it may well be Satyaraj’s turn to prove that his version of the movie is better than the original. Satyaraj also stars in another untitled movie as ‘Election Commissioner’ which no other actor has acted so far.
Jeeva
Son of ace producer R B Chowdhry, actor Jeeva is flying high after the release of his movie ‘E’. He has won critical acclaim for his role in the movie and the movie is a commercial success too. All of Jeeva’s movies has had a decent run at the box office which includes Aasai Aasaiyai, Ram and Aran. He is currently working on a movie named ‘Tamizh M A’. His movie ‘Aran’ where he costarred with Malayalam Super Star Mohanlal was released in Kerala (dubbed in Malayalam) as ‘Keerti Chakra’ and has won lots of accolades. Jeeva might soon turn to acting in Malayalam movies as well since he has got a huge fan following after Keerti Chakra’s release.
Sibiraj
Son of actor Sathyaraj is onle of the unlucky heroes since he doesn’t have even a single hit to his credit. He has mostly costarred with his father Sathyaraj and that has not run into Sibiraj’s favour. Sibiraj has decided to go all alone this time with his latest movie ‘Lee’ which is produced by his father/actor Satyaraj. Hopefully this time luck will favour Sibiraj and may bring more offers to him. Sibiraj opines that he is shy to act with heroine actresses whom his father has acted with. The latest in the list being the notorious Namitha. Sibiraj was not comfortable doing the intimate scenes with his screen lover Namitha and apparently Satyaraj had to convince his son to act boldly with his co-actresses.
Prithvi
After making his debut in his father’s direction, Prithvi (son of Pandiarajan) has commenced his next film. His next movie has been titled Machchan and it features a newcomer opposite him. Being directed by Gemini Raghava, the movie went to floors recently. Prithvi is thrilled to act in outsider’s direction. ‘Doing a movie for my father gave me enough liberties. At the same time, helped me to learn a lot about acting. Now, I am confident and brimming with joy to be part of Machchan’, says Prithvi. According to Gemini Raghava, ‘Plans are on to complete the movie in single schedule and release it at the earliest’.
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