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Oscar winning musician A. R. Rahman (Slumdog Millionaire) has come up with a Calendar 2010 in aid of "education for the less privileged children".

With pictures of Rahman in various music related moods/settings and his thoughts on topics like love, music, and language; this desktop calendar is being sold for Rs 250.

Reportedly produced by A R Rahman Foundation in collaboration with World Light (Audio Media Education subsidiary), its photographs are captured by T Selvakumar, Audio Media Education director.

"All praises belong to the Almighty," is one of the quotes on the calendar.

A R Rahman Foundation wants to "make poverty history". As a first step towards achieving the vision of "strive towards making poverty history", the Foundation will set up educational institutions and provide world class, state-of-the-art infrastructure and education to underprivileged children who do not have the means to access and fund their education. This will equip them with knowledge and skill sets to pursue specialized higher studies that will provide them career opportunities to build a secure future for themselves and their families, Foundation states.

Foundation is reportedly providing free music education to 30 students from corporation schools in Chennai (India) in Rahman's world-class K M Music Conservatory and aims at increasing this number.

Acclaimed Hindu statesman Rajan Zed has applauded Rahman for his efforts in educating the less privileged children, saying religions tell us to help the helpless. Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, urged other world entertainment celebrities to follow Rahman in contributing to poverty eradication from the planet.

Katrina Kaif has had three big hits in 2009. A track record that none of her peers can even begin to equal in these times of creative and box-office recession. That isn't all. She has just been declared as the sexiest Asian actress by a leading Asian website from London.

But the girl remains grounded, so much so that she refuses to budge from her abode in a bustling part of Mumbai.

"I know I've been reading about relocating my home. I admit I've looked at a few properties. But nothing seriously. Though it's a little noisy on my street I'm too attached to the place I stay in. I'm also too lazy to make a move. Yes, I'll need a bigger place when my sister Isabelle joins me. But right now she's studying acting in the US. There's still time," says the actress.

So is she planning to move home?

"Not at all. I've always wanted a home by the sea. But I love my current home too much. So no plans of moving."

No plans of signing any new films yet either.

"It's very sweet of directors to mention my name in forthcoming projects. I feel privileged. But I haven't said yes to anything new. At the moment I've cut my workload by half because of my ill health."

As for being designated one of Asia's sexiest women by Eastern Eye, the stars smiles: "Me? Hot and sexy? People should see me at home. I'm painfully unglamorous. Just another working girl making a living.

Aamir Khan, who has been criss-crossing the country in disguise to promote his new film 3 Idiots, has been denied permission to spend a day with the Indian Army's cadets at the Officers Training Academy (OTA) in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

"The film star had sent a request to the defence ministry to spend a day at OTA. But it has been declined and the ministry has not given any reason for it," sources said.

Aamir wanted to interact with the cadets and wanted to see their lives from close quarter.

Nearly 500 cadets from the Short Service Commission cadre pass out from the military institution every year.

It is yet not clear whether Aamir wanted to spend a day at the army institution for his future project or to promote 3 Idiots releasing this Friday.

The movie revolves around three friends and their college days and marks Aamir's return to the big screen after a year. The actor has created a buzz because of the innovative ways he has been promoting the film.

To market the film, Aamir has been travelling across the country in different get-ups. His travels have so far taken him to Varanasi, Madhya Pradesh's Chanderi district, former cricket captain Sourav Ganguly's home in Kolkata, Jaipur and Punjab's Faridkot district.

Bollywood filmmaker Karan Johar will shoot his next production venture, I Hate Luv Stories, in Queenstown in January, and a New Zealand official has welcomed it, saying it will help promote tourism.

"The movie will attract a huge audience and the media surrounding the filming and the release will also present great opportunities for promoting New Zealand as a visitor destination," said Tourism New Zealand's acting chief executive Tim Hunter.

Ace designer Manish Malhotra's nephew Punit is directing I Hate Luv Stories, which is being made under Karan's banner Dharma Productions. Imran Khan and Sonam Kapoor play the lead roles in the film that is due for release in May next year.

During the film's shooting, Tourism New Zealand plans to host Indian media who will follow the lead actors as they participate in tourist activities in the Queenstown area.

The visitors will have plenty to choose from - Queenstown is considered the adventure capital of New Zealand and offers a wide range of experiences from bungy jumping to jet boating, skiing and snow-boarding besides spectacular scenery, gourmet food and local wines.

Part of the Hollywood blockbuster Lord of the Rings trilogy was filmed in Queenstown.

It truly seems like Sallu's going all out to make sure Veer is royal enough! Reports have revealed that the Bollywood star's upcoming flick now has the rare distinction of having been shot at the Buckingham Palace in London, England.

The makers reportedly spent over £50,000 for a shooting schedule of just four hours. Also, before Veer, only a handful of Hollywood productions have been allowed to shoot at Queen Elizabeth II's official residence.
Leading producer Kalpathi S. Aghoram and his AGS Entertainment has decided to release their action comedy Irumbukottai Murattu Singam (IMS) directed by Simbudevan for Pongal 2010.

Says Simbudevan: “IMS takes place in the 1850s in Tamil Nadu. Whatever was there in the cowboy culture in Texas, I have incorporated in the film. It is a cowboy style western movie set in a Tamil milieu with essential commercial ingredients like songs, fights and comedy.”

The main lead actors are Raghava Lawrence, Lakshmi Rai, Padmapriya and Sandhya. The others in supporting roles are Mouli, Manorama, Delhi Ganesh, Ramesh Kanna. The film has music by GV Prakash.

A leading business paper has come out with the latest 2009 TAM AdEx data, which puts up Priyanka Chopra as India’s first woman to top the endorsement charts.

In the chart Mahendra Singh Dhoni is at number two followed by Kareena Kapoor and her lover Saif Ali Khan at number three and four. This year there are five women in the top 10. The shocking news is that Asin who featured among the top 10 in the endorsement chart last year, is missing from the list this year!

Among the 10 in this year’s list five are Bollywood leading ladies- Priyanka Chopra taking the crown, while the others are Kareena Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Deepika Padukone and Genelia D’Souza.

It is a major blow for Asin, as arch rival Genelia who also came to Bollywood via south regional cinema has found a place in the list.

The 2009 Christmas is just three days away, and finally it’s happening after years- M v/s M battle to take the traditional Christmas cake at the Kerala box-office.
Mammootty’s Chattambinadu will release on December 24 in nearly 100 screens, while Mohanlal’s Ivide Swargam Aanu releases on December 25 in the same number of screens.
Mammootty is riding a wave after the super hit Pazhassi Raja, and Chattambinadu is a mass film which may work. Mohanlal is under more pressure to deliver a hit after Angel John failure at the box-office.
Both the films do not seem to be having any songs as there was no audio launch. There will be some background bit to be shown along with the television promos.
After a long time there will be a direct box-office confrontation between Mammootty and Mohanlal. The fans of both the stars are making all efforts to make their favourite’s film a hit.
Sneha who has done Thurupugulan with Mammootty is once again his heroine in B Unnikrishnan directed Pramani.
Remember Sneha’s first film was in Malayalam Ingane Oru Nilapakshi in 2001?
The original choice was Kavya Madhavan who backed out of the project at the last minute. It is for the third time that Sneha is doing a film with Mammootty, as she is his heroine in long delayed Tamil and Malayalam bi-lingual Vande Mataram, which is yet to be released.
It is also a shrewd move by Sneha, as she could easily have been the number one actress in Malayalam after Thurupugulan in 2005, but she wanted to concentrate then on her career in Tamil.
Now that Shriya, Sameera and other Mumbai based glam girls are making a beeline to Kerala, Sneha also threw in her hat.
The shoot of Pramani. is starting in Kochi from December 27, and Sneha will join the unit from January 6.
So what if brands think Aishwarya Rai is too old to be a youth icon? With more companies looking for newer models with a greater reach to sell their product, it’s offers pouring in for young, haute actresses in the country today. And cashing in on that are many petite damsels, from Genelia to Bebo and the newest kid on the block in Bollywood, Asin. The Ghajini actress has, most recently, signed up a deal to endorse Big Bazaar, along with cricket star MS. Dhoni. Brand wars could well be the newest thing among heroines today, as the female leads have been vying with each other to clinch international brand contracts. If Ash turned down Loreal’s fairness cream, Sonam Kapoor got it. And Asin has now become brand ambassador for Fairever Fruit. Genelia, it may be recalled, endorsed Fair and Lovely in the early days of her career. Among soft drinks, if Genelia and Trisha are the pretty faces on Fanta ads, Asin has continued her support for Miranda with another series of wacky ads. Katrina Kaif has been flaunting jewellery from Nakshatra as its ambassador, while Asin remains Tanishq’s most trusted model. Vatika has zeroed in on Genelia as its ambassador while Asin until recently was Parachute’s model. Mobile service providers, who have also entered advertising their services in a big way, today, boast of two big names to endorse them. Bebo along with boyfriend Saif for Airtel and Asin, again, for Tata Indicom.
Leave it to King Khan to charm, ooze sex appeal, crack jokes and walk the ramp, all the while with his arm in a sling! The Bollywood superstar strutted his stuff for Manish Malhotra on the fourth day of Lakme India Fashion Week. Malhotra’s colour theme for the show was inspired by Khan’s IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders. So, it was inevitable that Khan did the catwalk dressed from head to sling to toe in black and gold. The highlight was the drool-worthy actor in black harem pants and a black blazer with golden buttons.


And Khan stole the show with well-timed witticisms about Preity Zinta, and sex and the Khan reputation. He even did an impeccable impression of the models by sucking in his cheeks and showing off his pout! Bollywood’s elite like Kajol , Kareena Kapoor, Hrithik Roshan, Genelia D’ Souza, Arjun Rampal and wife Meher, Sridevi and Boney Kapoor were spotted in the front rows.
If you are wondering whether John Abraham has changed from acting to becoming a fitness pro, you are wrong. The actor is doing a bit of both these days. And any guesses to who his student is? None other than his co-star and friend Shreyas Talpade.
John who is famous for his oh-so-good looks among the young as well as the not-so-young ladies is currently in Hyderabad shooting for David Dhawan’s film ‘Hook Ya Crook’. The film is said to have equal proportions of humour and thrills. John’s co-stars in the film are Shreyas, Kay Kay Menon, Sharad Kapoor and Krushna Abhishek.
Since this film demands a toned look for Sherayas, he has been advised by John to sweat it out at the gym. Reports suggest that John has a personal gym for working out which now shreyas shares with him. Not only that, John has also detailed on a strict diet chart for Shreyas to follow.
With a person like John as coach we can sure expect good results on Shreyas, which will be there for the audience to see once the film hits theatres.
Though Kavya has receded from filmdom with her marriage, one of the most popular actress of the times will again have an offering as a Vishukani to Keralites, this year too.
One of her films ‘Banaras’, a musical directed by Nemom Pushparaj will grace the theatres for this Vishu. Telling an offbeat love story in the back drop of Varanasi, the movie was shot extensively at the North Indian locales.
Kavya plays the role of a classical dancer in the movie, while Vineeth is a research student of folk dances. The movie is said to feature a number of brilliantly choreographed dance sequences.

Mohanlal's Vishu release ‘Sagar Alias Jacky, Reloaded’ opened to exciting responses, in Mollywood.
The movie which made a release in 102 theatres was greeted with long queues and processions in every centre.
The movie which had a big hype even before it’s shooting opened to house full shows in every cinema hall. Some theatres screened the movie five times in the opening day. The movie has got a positively safe word of mouth and the fans of the star are expecting the movie to become a big hit.
Directed by Amal Neerad, the action sequences and stylish visuals were in the talk of the film buffs yesterday. The movie is expected to grab in safe initials in the opening weeks as the other Vishu movies will only appear after a week.
Meanwhile, ‘Nammal Thammil’, a Movie directed by Viji Thambi, which was in the cans for more than two years will get into theatres. The movie is making a release in around 40 centres all across the state.
Patently, he’s the best lollapaloozas of auteurs in tinsel town crafting crème de la crème horrors. Ram Gopal Varma’s previous flick ‘Phoonk’ was a great hit in Bollywood Box. The film was simultaneously remade in Telugu by Ram’s assistant. Well, now the Hindi version is getting dubbed into Tamil titled ‘Bhommaayi’. JP Kumar of Future Films has bought the dubbing rights and has planned to release it by end of April. The film is about a civil engineer who neither believes in God nor evil spirits… But when black magic is spelled on his lovable daughter, his life turns topsy-turvy. How the protagonist overcomes the hurdles and shores on safer side forms crux of the story. Kannada Actor Sudeep and Amritha have donned lead roles while Amar Kohilee has composed background score. Savitha’s cinematography is sure to enhance the eerie feel more amongst the viewers. Certainly, it looks like an era of ‘Supernatural Thrillers’ dubbed into Tamil. Couple of weeks back, Anushka’s ‘Arundhathee’ witnessed good response across box office while previous week’s release Prithviraj starrer ‘Sivapuram’ (Dubbed version of Malayalam Film ‘Aanandha Bhadram’) has won critical acclaims.
Director Venkat Prabhu has begun the shoot of his third film 'Goa'. Shooting for the Jai- Sneha starrer, began with a song in Goa. Produced by Ocher Studios, the film features Jai, Vaibhav, Siva and Premji in the lead, along with Sneha as the heroine. The introduction song of the cast was shot yesterday, choreographed by Ajay Raj. The song, with its characteristic folk tunes, aroused the curiosity of the localites, and involved 500 Goans as the director was keen on bringing in a local flavour to the song. The song also features Ajay Raj and Payal. 'Goa' is Venkat Prabhu’s third film as a director after Chennai 600028 and Saroja. Music for the film has been composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja. With Yuvan’s music scoring high in both earlier films with Venkat Prabhu, there’s not doubt that Goa will also have special peppy tunes, with this introduction song just neing a good start.
Anushka's steaming hot looks, accentuated by her drapes, have not gone unnoticed by the women. After wooing men with her gorgeous looks, ‘Arundhathee’ has enamoured women with her sarees.
The market is cashing on this by bringing out an exclusive range of sarees called ‘Arundhathee’ Sarees in Chennai. Catching the fashion market on fire is the lovable ‘Arundhathee’, which has reportedly caused huge sales, despite the numbing effects that the recession has caused.
‘Arundhathee’ sarees, the newest rage in Chennai, have been selling like hot cakes. ‘Arundhathee’ was only dubbed and released in Tamil, and has yet, managed to capture the imagination of many Tamils, who have given the film a good run in the theatres.
The hottest real-life pair in Bollywood, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan are eating, breathing and sleeping films these days, literally. Despite their hectic work schedule, the pair is quite happy and pleased when it comes to working in a project opposite each other. It is a bonus indeed. But is Aish happy working only with her hubby?

The answer is no. Aish is quite professional and happy to work on any good script opposite any actor (well most of the actors) and a good director. She has a Vipul Shah directed film with Akshay Kumar which might be titled ‘Action Replay’. The film is about reverse aging process and promises to have a racy script. The ex-miss world will also be seen opposite hubby Abhi in the Mani Rathnam directed ‘Ravaan’. Much about this film is kept under the wraps.

The actress is quite pleased that her fans too like to see her cast opposite her hubby and reveals that she had liked to work with him right from their first film ‘Dhaai Akshar Prem Ke’ that released in 2000.

So how does wife Aishwarya feel when in some scenes she sees her husband bleeding and dying like the one in ‘Sarkar Raaj’? The actress reveals that she got very upset in the scene where Abhishek is killed in ‘Sarkar Raaj’. Aish disclosed that it was a very unusual experience.



After buzzing rumors and gossip talks, Editor Mohan has finally made the official announcement of Jayam Ravi’s marriage. In the recent press release, he shared the proposed wedding date and expressed his happiness over the impending joyous occasion.

Sharing the news, Mohan said, “Before our families got together to discuss and finalize things, media published various rumors that beckoned unwarranted publicity. But, in the end, I feel it’s all for good. It is a love marriage that has been convened with the mutual consent of both our families. We are glad to relate this news and look forward towards the wedding day.”

The wedding will be held on June 7th at Mayor Ramanathan Chettiyar auditorium studded with celebrities from the film fraternity. The, to-be-bride is Aarthi, daughter of Tele-serial and film producer, Vijayakumar.

‘Jayam’ Ravi will complete shooting for SP Jananathan’s ‘Peranmani’ and later start for Ameer’s ‘Kannapiran’ after the marriage ceremony.

Can anyone forget Gopika so easily, the svelte beauty who graced the screens till recent past and was a dream girl of Malayalam film industry?

The actress, who has settled in Ireland following her wedding, has resumed studying, and has enrolled for a course on Sociology. Incidentally, the Mollywood beauty was studying Sociology in the Calicut University in Kozhikode when she received an offer to act. The actress receded from the limelight immediately following her wedding to Dr Ajilesh in July 2008. She has resumed her studies in Ireland now. But this hasn’t drawn a full stop to the actress’ tinsel dreams. ‘Give me a good offer and I’ll land in India right away’ the actress is said to be her friends in the film industry.

Here’s a fantastic treat for all diehard fans of Vijay who are mounted with lots of expectations on his ‘Vettaikkaran’. Across the exotic locales of Rajahmundry the title song featuring Vijay and 100 juniors were extensively canned. And here’s a literal depiction of the song that earlier unknown to Vijay himself.

Vijay’s son Jason Sanjay who had visited his dad on the shooting sets kept imitating his steps behind the lens. It was merely a twist in scenario when Director Babu Sivan glimpsed cute fella’s gestures with finesse. For sure, who would miss this spotlighting trait in a commercial flick tailored for ‘Box Office’ King? Right way, the kid was on the floors shaking legs with his dad.

Says Vijay Antony, ‘Indeed it’s a smashing chartbuster with fast-beat folk style that will be more scintillating than my previous scores of ‘Nakka Mukka’ and ‘Aathicchudi’…

John Abraham has certainly polished up to his capabilities as an actor over the years. His timing comedy witnessed in ‘Dostana’ stands a testimony to this.

But more than his acting prowess the hunk’s perfectly sculpted physique has played a decisive role in getting him the right projects in B-Town. So is it possible for this handsome hunk to pass more than a couple of days without slogging out in the gym? Definitely not!

Recenty while shooting for the UTV project ‘Hook Ya Crook’ at Hyderabad, John came across a tight corner. During the one month production schedule, John managed to drag through the days without hitting the gym, but when days turned into weeks it started getting tougher.

The temptation to lift weights turned out to be too hard for John to resist leading him asking the production company of ‘Hook Ya Crook’ for a personal gym. UTV saw their lead actor’s demand as a genuine requirement and immediately made arrangements for the same.

And voila! John got his gym.

Click & Marry, that's the unusual enticing title of a film to be directed by a London-based filmmaker Anu Menon.

The film is apparently about an alliance off the internet. But what makes it unusual is the casting. Rahul Bose and Pandit Ravi Shankar's elder daughter Anoushka Shankar play a couple who find their combined karma through the internet.

Neither Rahul nor Anoushka is willing to talk about the film. Says Rahul, "It's too early to say anything about this project. But Anoushka and I know each other well. So doing a film with her would be great fun. As for working with Anu, she seems committed and fun. And I've really enjoyed worked with a female director before. So why not this time?"

Sometime back Aamir Khan, after watching ‘Welcome’, had said he would love to do a complete comedy film in future. Now it seems like the actor has come out with the right concept to do the comical act. According to a buzz, Aamir was approached by film maker Neeraj Vohra with an interesting concept which impressed the perfectionist so much that he immediately gave the green signal. Looks like Aamir will produce the venture too. Well we are all aware that the star only decides to produce a project if he is supremely confident about the idea. So folks get set to see that same Aamir who captured the attention of the movie buffs by his great comic timings portrayed in movies such as ‘Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin’, ‘Andaz Apna Apna’ and ‘Rangeela’. The new comedy film will reportedly hit the floors only next year as Neeraj is presently busy with the films ‘Shortkut’ and ‘Familywala’. For those who are not aware, Neeraj is the guy who wrote the story of ‘Rangeela’ , ‘Hera Pheri’ and also called the shots for ‘Khiladi 420’ and ‘Phir Hera Pheri’. So now we guess you might understand the comic quotient of Neeraj. He is also the director of the recent ad of Tata Sky featuring Aamir Khan as half male and half female. Wow Neeraj, hats off to you for come out with something so creative! We simply loved the ad. Film lovers have a reason to hope for seeing Aamir again in an out and out slapstick comedy movie when the reports of a sequel of ‘Andaz Apna Apna’ being planned came up. Nothing more was heard of the intended sequel after the initial splash of news. We hope that at least this new buzz on Neeraj Vohra and Aamir teaming up prove to be true.
Paa,’ this is how the junior Bachchan addresses his dad, now it takes shape of a film directed by R Balki. He is the guy who directed ‘Cheeni Kum’ that had Big B and Tabu playing the leads.
We find in the actor’s blog “My rituals today were guided by the extensive hours at the studio, a major portion of which were in front of the make up mirror, getting the face plastered with silicon”. But the actor is very pleased with the look that he dons in this film.” The make-up specialists are from Los Angeles and it takes four hours for the team to do justice to the new look of Bachchan Sr. Big B has complimented the team of make-up professionals and has said that they are extremely professional in their work. ‘Paa’ is being co-produced by AB Corp and Reliance Big Entertainment. The film started rolling a couple of days back. The film sees Big B along with son Abhishek, Vidya Balan and Harman Baweja in pivotal roles.
Come back right here for more updates on the Bollywood front!
Only some among the leading men of Bollywood have ever been successful in striking the perfect chord with the audience with their comedy roles. Sanjay Dutt is one among these stars. Even though he had proved to have excellent comic timings, it was not until his adored role of “Munnabhai” surfaced, that Sanjay began to be considered as an expert in comedy. Another role which can surpass his “Munnabhai” character is fast approaching. In the coming months the “Baba” of Bollywood will be seen as Chatur Singh in a film titled ‘Chatur Singh Two Star’. Reportedly Sajay Dutt plays the role of a funny police Inspector with an equally comical outlook in the film. For the first time the actor will be using a wig for giving the ideal amusing look for his character. Mike Stringer, the world famous wig maker has been roped in by the director Ajay Chandhok to design the wig for the leading man.

John Abraham will be soon seen playing himself in a movie. This flick which has been titled as ‘Filmcity’ is to be produced by UTV Motion Pictures with which John shares a great rapport. For UTV’s underproduction film titled as ‘Hook Ya Crook’, the hunk by reducing a whooping 60% of his acting fees had impressed the top guys of the film financing company. This initiative of John had set an example and it had led to the others from the cast and crew also reducing their pay packages. ‘Filmcity’ is going to be the directorial debut of Deven Khote who is the co-founder and executive director of UTV Software Communications. Sharat Katariya, the writer of the comedy film ‘Bheja Fry’ has written the story of the new movie and Ram Sampat is the music composer. The tale of the movie revolves around the life of the members of the film Industry like spot boys, camera assistants, stunt men, spot boys etc. For almost six months now auditions have been taking place to select new actors who will be giving life to the different characters of ‘Filmcity’
A scintillating buzz across the globe is about a source revealing that Danny Boyle has been asked to direct James Bond’s 23rd Film. It’s a high-season for British Filmmaker Danny Boyle who stunned the world with his impeccable story of the ‘Slumdog Millionaire’. In fact, the filmmaker was a bit distressed as there were no takers for this film as they felt it wouldn’t do good business at the box office. Nevertheless, the mantra of ‘Rags to Riches’ has become a hit yet again with Danny’s able direction, as the film fetched the international awards the crew never even dreamt about. Post-Oscar triumph, the director has been flooded with offers left right and centre from top production houses one of which is with Barbara Broccoli, producer of James Bond’s 23rd Film. Talks suggest that it was co-producer Callum McDougal who suggested Danny as both of them have shared a good rapport for a very long time. As a matter of fact, Callum who produced Danny’s ‘Beach’ was fascinated by his working style. Says one of the sources, ‘Danny’s intense involvement with the motifs he drops on his script papers is unbeatable by any of the contemporary filmmakers. For sure, he would offer a new-dimensioned James Bond and it’s something about turning spotlights of entire globe if Danny is there in Bonds’ family’. And not only does the story end there, if Boyle signs up for this flick, undoubtedly don’t we all know who the music director for the film would be? Uh-huh! None other than the ‘Mozart of Chennai’ our very own A.R. Rahman, as both have already planned to work on another international project that’s expected to be based on the organized crime in Mumbai. Hold your breath until the official announcements are made. And just imagine Rahman re-tuning James Bond’s signature music that’s a universal theme. Just can’t wait to hear more right. So are we!
The tunes of AR Rahman has been relished by music lovers from ‘Roja’, ‘Mumbai’, ‘Gentleman’, 'Thiruda Thiruda', ‘Rangeela’, ‘Indian’, ‘Kadhal Desam’, ‘Jeans’, ‘Taal’, ‘Alaipayuthey, ‘Lagaan’, ‘Kannathil Muthamittal, ‘Naani’, ‘Jodhaa Akbar’, ‘Yuvraaj’ to ‘Ghajini’ and the endless list goes on.. Rahman’s double Oscar glory is surging in the country and the demand for his albums in the market is now raging high with patrons thronging towards the stores. Within this past two weeks, the sales have gone up by more than thirty percent. Store dealers have ordered extra copies of the albums ‘Bombay Dreams’, ‘Signature Collections’, ‘Vandematharam’, ‘Live in Dubai’ and ‘Between Heaven and Earth’. The signature tune of Airtel is on air all over India depicting Rahman’s stature and sale records are in a never-seen-before consign in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. Along with movie albums, patriotic and international albums are emptying the stocks, as said by retailers.
Hitmaker Shafi who had associated with Mammootty to create two big hits ‘Thommanum Makkalaum’ and ‘Mayavi’ in the recent years is planning to make the tally to three with the announcement of a new project. Both the superstar and the director will get together for another movie in the scripts of James Albert, whose previous two films ‘Classmates’ and ‘Cycle’ were lapped up by the Mollywood audience. This untitled movie will be produced by Madhavan Nair under the banner of Murali films. The project will be one of the first releases of the super star in the early months of 2010. Shafi's last movie to hit the theatres ‘Lolipop’ was not able to impress the audience even though with a big young cast.
Glamour Queen of south India Namitha has started shooting for her first Malayalam venture ‘Black Stallion’. The producers seem to have invested more than 25 lakhs to get her to play the lead in the movie, which stars Kalabhavan Mani as the hero. With this heavy remuneration package, she will become the highest paid actress in Mollywood. The actress seems to be in the run to bury her image as a sexy heroine and is planning to change her screen image as one of a thinking heroine, who can also do roles that demand good histrionics. Director duo Pramod - Pappan will call the shots to Namitha in ‘Black Stallion’.
The final pack up call for the shooting for the Mohanlal's new highly awaited movie ‘Sagar Alias Jackey - Reloaded’ was made last week. Director Amal Neerad who has also done the cinematography has already started the post production works of the movie, which will grace the theaters this Vishu. In fact the producers, Aashirwaad Cinemas is planning to release the film by the last week of this month, two weeks before Vishu holidays. Bhavana is the heroine of this stylish action movie which has Mohanlal in a very different getup.
His double win at the Oscars has been celebrated and talked about. But not many know that A R Rahman had a close shave while rehearsing for his performance at the Academy Awards - a chandelier came crashing down seconds after the music maestro moved away from the spot.

"I really don't know what happened. Two days before the Oscars we were rehearsing at one of the theatres for the Oscars, the Jay Leno Show and the Oprah Winfrey Show when a massive chandelier, covering a portion of the ceiling, crashed to the spot just a split second after I moved away," said Rahman told, recalling the nerve-wracking experience.

"If I hadn't moved way I'd have become history in no time at all. The chandelier crashed exactly at the spot I was standing just seconds before. It left me shaken but not terrified. I guess it was god's warning not to take any of the good things that are happening to me too seriously," he said.

The musician, who won two Oscars for his work in British filmmaker Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire, said the accident could have proved to be catastrophic.

"I think the love and prayers of all those who love me saved me. As I walked from the left side of the stage to the right I could feel (something) heavy drop from the air, like water rushing down from a height of 30 to 40 feet. So with the good came the rude reminder of how quickly it can all be snatched away," Rahman said in hindsight.

"When I did Oprah Winfrey's show for the Oscars she asked me what Jai ho meant. I said it meant, 'May victory be yours'. She wished the same back for me and I could see she meant it. It's the best wishes from the world over that saved my life that day," he added.

Rahman said he isn't scared of death as it is inevitable.

"What has to happen will happen. I believe one is constantly walking hand-in-hand with death. Death is like a constant companion. But let's not go into dark spaces right now," he said.

Rahman won two golden statuettes for Slumdog Millionaire for best original score and best original song for Jai Ho. They were among the eight Academy Awards bagged by rags-to-riches story set in Mumbai.

Spending five hours with convicts at a prison as preparation for a film role has changed his perspective of life, says Neil Nitin Mukesh. The young actor adds that he came across "faces and voices in there which I'll never forget".

"It was the most life-changing day of my life. So much of what we take for granted seemed so vital and unreachable in there," said Neil after visiting the Thane jail.

The original motive for the visit - as a preparation to play a convict in Madhur Bhandarkar's Jail - was completely forgotten as Neil came face to face with people serving long prison terms.

"These are people who have built a universe within the prison. They cook, they do carpentry, make beautiful meals and artefacts. They pray, study and even watch films. We sat and ate their food. And I must say it was very good," Neil said.

The interaction with prisoners has left a deep impact on him. "There are faces and voices in there which I'll never forget. Unfortunately we couldn't meet prisoners on death row. But the rest of the inmates were there for us to interact with."

He added: "It's hard to believe some of these inmates are considered dangerous, more to themselves than people from the outside. We were not allowed to take belts, coins or any hard objects because any of this could be used by prisoners as harmful weapons."

The actor noticed that the prison inmates had become dark-skinned over time. "That's because they spend most of the time locked away from the sun," he said. Neil, who is the grandson of legendary singer Mukesh, now intends to get himself a "jail pallor".

"It's not a skin complexion that I can get on the beach. It will be through under-exposure from the sun," he explained. Neil visited the jail along with Bhandarkar and writer Manoj Tyagi. Leading lady Mugdha Godse, who was also expected to accompany them, chose to stay away at the last minute.

"We were told there would be an added security problem if she (Mugdha) came along," he said. Jail is about a middle-class family boy working in the corporate sector and how, after one sudden incident, he goes to jail.

For the Slumdog Millionaire Oscar-fame kid Azharuddin, it was like a bolt from the blue - a slap from his father for refusing an interview to a foreign journalist.

Azharuddin, 10, who returned from Los Angeles on Thursday, along with his co-star Rubina Ashfaq Ali Qureshi and four other children, was weary with the constant media attention and wanted to rest, their neighbour Yakub Abdul Sheikh said.

However, Sheikh said, his father Ismail Mohammed had already committed time to a foreign journalist. "When Azharuddin refused to oblige, he slapped him (Friday), but later was full of remorse," said Sheikh.

Another resident, Dildar Bandarkar said the poor slum-dwellers are not used to the sudden international media glare and do not know how to behave.

"They are their usual old self, but small actions like this get blown out of proportion," he said.

The incident invited sharp reaction from Women and Child Development Minister Renuka Chowdhury on Saturday. "The incident is reflection of sadness of our system. That is why exactly we have National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR). We will definitely look into the matter and will take it with the commission," Chowdhury told reporters on sidelines of a function in Delhi.

"Our society is too used to slapping children. Many parents don't realise the harm they do. In the particular case, we hope we can counsel the father and will see what can be done," she said.

However, Sheikh said Azharuddin attempted to protect his father - who is suffering from tuberculosis since 20 years, and even wife Shamim rushed to defend him.

Both Azharuddin and his mother Shamim dismissed the incident, saying he was being naughty and so his father slapped him - "but we all love him very much," she said.

In fact, both Sheikh and Bandarkar said that after the initial curiosity, now the slum-dwellers of Garib Nagar in Bandra east were getting tired of the constant flow of mediapersons to the area since over a week.

"The area is very congested, with narrow lanes and media vans virtually block access to the area, inconveniencing the people here," Sheikh said, adding that even now, mediapersons continue to come there, though in dwindling numbers.

Slumdog Millionaire director Danny Boyle and producer Christian Colson have promised to help move Azharuddin and fellow star Rubina Ali, 9, out of the Mumbai slums where the movie is based.

The children play the younger versions of two of the film's main characters, Salim and Latika.

Rahul Dev, the model turned villain who has done a lot of Hindi and Telugu films as villain is going to play the bad man in Rajinikanth’s Sultan The Warrior, produced and directed by his daughter Soundarya Rajinikanth.

Rahul Dev, who was in Chennai to unveil the new collection of Bollywood designer Narendra Kumar, at Studio Saks, the upmarket designer store said: “Who would not like to play the villain opposite the living legend of Indian cinema Rajinikanth? He is truly an icon and I have to thank Soundarya for offering me the role of the villain in Sultan The Warrior. For the first time an animated film is being made on an Indian actor and I’m honoured to be part of it.”

The handsome hunk has been a very popular villain in Telugu films and has also played the bad man in three Tamil films- Mazhai, Muni, Arasangam. Now his chance to be paired opposite the superstar, gives Rahul an opportunity to be seen by a larger section of the audiences.

The live telecast of the cliffhanger at Wellington on Friday, the second Twenty 20 match between India and New Zealand has eaten into Tamilnadu box-office.

The Chennai multiplexes reported an all time seasonal low of 45 to 55 percent for Friday Noon Show and Matinee, but picked up considerably for the evening and night shows.

The single screens were the worst effected due to the television coverage and some of them reported 20 to 30 percent for opening day Friday collections.
It is a clear indication that on T20 and forthcoming ODI’s collections are going to nosedive across the state, and even multiplexes are hit by the cricket fever.

The industry is in a bad state, and the second edition of the IPL season (April 10 to May 29), during prime time summer releases is definitely going to go for a six

Ilayathalapathy Vijay has been signed as brand ambassador for the Coco Cola brand in Tamil Nadu.

A spokesperson of Coco Cola India said: “We zeroed in on Vijay because he is huge in the state. The star would be seen in the latest Open Happiness campaign for brand Coca-Cola in Tamilnadu"

Vijay was earlier associated with the brand from 2000 to 2003, when Rajiv Menon created a campaign which became very popular with the masses.

For a brief period in 2005 the company had signed up Vikram, but it was only for a year. The company, which saw no need for a brand ambassador till 2008 as the "market was growing on its own" then, seems to be relying on the mass appeal of Vijay to fortify the brand's share in rural markets.

According to a Chennai based advertising guru: “ It’s a smart move by coke, as Mr.Vijay according to market survey has the best reach among the B & C segments in small towns and villages. He has recall value and star power, two things which the cola giant can piggyback ride”

Sources estimate that the deal has been signed between Rs 2 to Rs 4 crore. As per the deal Vijay would appear in TV commercials and be available for public interaction.

Now the big question being asked in the ad world is – “Who will be arch rival Pepsi’s brand ambassador in Tamilnadu?” Remember Pepsi has discontinued their association with Surya from 2008, and are on the lookout for a younger star for their ‘Youngistan’ campaign.

The market buzz is that they are looking at Dhanush, Arya or Silambarasan, and will take a call shortly.

Six years after it was completed Kalabhavan Mani's Aayirathil Oruvan

will see the light of the day , as it will be released this Friday(Feb 20) all over Kerala!

The film is directed by noted director Sibi Malayil and written by T.A Razak who incidentally a few years back got a Kerala State Award for the script of the film which was never released!

In the film Mani plays the common man and a good guy who is a ration shop owner in the village who everybody likes and respects. For his sister's marriage he borrows money from a 'Blade' (moneylender who charges cut-throat interest), and is unable to pay back creating the twist in this family entertainer.

Aayirathil Oruvan is good opportunity for Sibi Malayil a man who has made some great films to redeem his standing in the industry and bounce back. The film produced by veteran producer Siyad Kokker is a sentimental feel-good family entertainer with superb performance by Mani and the rest of the cast comprising of Janardanan, Salim Kumar, K.P.A.C Lalitha, Sujatha and Tamil comedian Senthil.

Mohanlal sang a song for one of his films. He has sung for Blessy's new film Bhramaram. The song was recorded at Mohanlal's new recording studio in Kochi.

In the film Mohanlal plays a lorry driver who takes cargo from Coimbatore to the high ranges of Idukki. Bhoomika is the heroine in the film which also has Lakshmi Gopalasamy.

The song written by Anil Pachooran and tuned by Mohan Sithara is a melodious folk song- "Annarkanna Vaa, Poovala Changatham Koodan Vaa….". and will be picturised on Mohanlal himself.


Last week the famous dance master Prabhu Deva came to Kottayam and choreographed a dance for Siddique's Bodyguard. The song featured Dileep and Nayanthara.

Remember Prabhudeva is a full fledged film director who had recently done the Vijay- Nayanthara Tamil film Villu. He is also doing the Hindi film Wanted with Salman Khan and Ayesha Takia.

Prabudeva has off late stopped doing choreography and even in Villu he has not done choreography for any of the songs. But in the case of Bodyguard he made an exemption, as Nayan is one of his favourite heroines.

The last time Prabhudeva choreographed a song in Malayalam was some 18 years back when he did Jayaraj's Johnnywalker!


Wow! And what a night it was for the 'Slumdog' team. The Academy Awards Function was held at the Kodak theatre, in Los Angeles. The film already sweeping the Golden Globes and the BAFTA awards was looking forward to the Oscars night. It was nominated in 10 categories and won the golden statuette in eight categories, becoming the film to bag the maximum number of Oscars this year. The entire team with the director, producer, the artists and artisans were present to witness the event. Danny Boyle, the director, was ecstatic. After receiving the award he jumped holding the statuette thrice before giving his acceptance speech. The producer of the film Christian Colson received the Award for the best picture for 'Slumdog Millionaire'. Mr. Colson said though they did not have enough money or material for making a grand film he had the love and determination of a very strong team of artists and technicians, which was responsible for such recognition. The 'Slumdog Millionaire' that was a hot favorite at the Golden Globes as well the BAFTA has created history bagging the maximum number of Oscar awards this year. This year's Oscars were followed by a millions of Indian just because of one name – A.R. Rahman. Like an answer to the innumerable prayers the maestro has bagged two Oscars for the Best Original Score and for the Best song. Rahman shares the Oscar for the best original song with lyricist Gulzar for the song 'Jai Ho..' Bringing more glory to India, 38-year-old Resul Pookutty has bagged an Oscar for Sound Mixing. The sound engineer was at a loss for words when his name was called out for winning the Oscar. On receiving the award he said it was not just an award that was handed to him but history that he held in his hands. He said he dedicated the award to his country. With three Indians winning the Oscars in the same year has brought in much pleasure for the entire nation. We hope this continues and, glory comes to India in the years that come.
The list of winners at the 81st Academy Awards:
Best picture: Slumdog Millionaire
Best Original Song: Jai Ho (Music: A R Rahman)
Lyrics: Gulzar for Slumdog Millionaire )
Best Original Score: A R Rahman (Slumdog Millionaire )
Best Sound Mixing: Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke and Resul Pookutty (Slumdog Millionaire )
Best Director: Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire )
Best adapted screenplay: Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire )
Best Cinematography: Anthony Dod Mantle (Slumdog Millionaire )
Best film editing: Chris Dickens (Slumdog Millionaire )
Best Actor: Sean Penn (Milk)
Best Actress: Kate Winslet (The Reader)
Best actor in a supporting role: Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight)
Best Supporting actress: Penelope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona)
Best Original screenplay: Dustin Lance Black (Milk)
Best makeup: Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Best Animated film: Wall-E
Best short film (animated): La Maison en Petits Cubes
Best art direction: Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Best costume design: The Duchess
Best art direction: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Best short film (live action): Jochen Alexander Freydank for Spielzeugland (Toyland)
Best Documentary feature: James Marsh and Simon Chinn (Man on Wire)
Best visual effects: Eric Barba, Steve Preeg and Burt Dalton (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
Best Sound Editing: Richard King (The Dark Knight)
Best Foreign Film: Departures (Japan)
After a long time, Mohanlal simply rocks in Shaji Kailas directed Red Chillies. When it comes to stylish visuals, there are not many who can match director Shaji Kailas' technical finesse, in Malayalam. With quirky cuts, immaculate close-ups, hard hitting punch lines and sizzling effects, it's nothing less than a visual treat. The hero, OMR (Mohanlal) is a high flying businessman and owns a radio station in Kerala. But still, no one has a clue about him or his whereabouts! OMR talks tough, acts tougher, drives swanky cars and lives life, king size. The film begins when 'Red Chillies', the popular gang of radio jockeys working for OMR's Radio Station in Kochi, runs into big trouble. On a New Year eve, they are accused of killing a hunk, after a gang rape. Worse still, they are also indicted in the hit-and-run issue on the same fateful night, where a group of agitating workers, led by Comrade Mani Varghese (Thilakan) is brutally crushed to death under the wheels of their car. Mani's son, Stalin (Biju Menon) an IPS officer and Commissioner Vyasan (Siddique) start investigating into the crime. Soon, OMR comes to Kerala, to save the gals in trouble. But sadly, picture-perfect frames cannot keep you hooked on to the screen for more than two hours. You also need a tight and gripping screenplay and that is exactly where the film begins to falter. On simpler terms, is all style but lacks substance, at least to a great extent! Shaji's camera keeps the suspense thriller moving at a rapid pace, though it is a bit too long at 2 hours 35 minutes. A.K Sajan's script has been inspired from Morgan Freeman- Ashley Judd starrer Kiss the Girls (1997). Mohanlal, sporting a bearded look and flashy outfits, looks absolutely convincing as OMR. The way he delivers the Kidilan punch line, Onnum Marakkilla Rama is a treat to watch. The rest of the cast Biju Menon, Siddique and Thilakan do their parts pretty well. There are too many loose ends that looms large in the script but such aspects are better left out, as the whole storyline is perhaps not meant to be taken too seriously.

Red Chillies would have been a better film if the makers had spent more time on the basics, meaning the story and the script, rather than at the editing and computer-graphics. Still it is a edge-of-the seat crime thriller with gritty performance by Mohanlal that keep the mercury rising.
Lekha Washington, the former Chennai based television anchor who had done Tamil films like Jayam Kondan has joined the Bollywood bound bandwagon of Asin, Genelia, Sada and others. She is playing the lead role opposite Rajeev Khandelwal, the blue-eyed boy of small screen who was sensational in Aamir, in Peter Gaya Kaam Se , being produced by UTV's Spotboy productions. The film is directed by John Owens, who is a British filmmaker based in India. Lekha told from Mumbai: “I am super excited about this film where I have a very interesting role. Right now, I am getting trained in martial arts, bike training and kick boxing as I play an undercover agent”.

The shoot for Peter Gaya Kaam Se starts in Goa from March first week and the highly optimistic Lekha believes that it may turn out to be her big ticket to stardom in Bollywood.

ayam Ravi the most eligible bachelor in Kollywood has finally been hooked. He has fallen in love with Aarthi a Chennai based girl and elder daughter of Sujatha Vijayakumar noted Television producer who had made Veerappu with Sundar C.For the last few days, Kollywood grapevine was abuzz with rumours about the affair between Ravi and Aarthi and that they had tied the knot on Valentine Day. But director M. Raja, brother of Ravi clarified that : “Ravi is shooting for the last schedule of Peranmai in Talakona forest near Tirupati. Once the film releases, the date of the marriage will be announced by the family”. Raja also added that Aarthi is an MBA graduate from UK and the family will be supporting the decision of Ravi. There have been rumours that Ravi’s dad the noted Editor Mohan was not in favour of the alliance. We wish the couple all the best for the future...........
Mohanlal's new Blessy film Bhramaram has been launched. The 'pooja' ceremony of this film took place at Hotel Highway Garden in Kochi. Mons Joseph, Minister for Public Works in Kerala Government, lit the traditional lamp in the ceremony. The film is being produced by Raju Malliath and Zulfikar under the banner of Yuvan Entertainments. The film will be Blessy's first attempt at creating a thriller. Says Blessy, the director of the film: " The film is about the journey from Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu to Marayoor in Idukki District of Kerala of Mohanlal who plays a lorry driver who meets diverse and different sort of people during this journey. Bhoomika plays heroine, others in the cast include Suresh Menon, Murali Krishna, Baby Niveditha and Tamil actor Madan Babu."
The most eagerly awaited Vishu release Dileep- Nayanthara starrer Bodyguard directed by hit maker Siddique has been postponed. The film which was to be completed in 55 days, is taking time to be wrapped up. Added to that Nayanthara who had given bulk dates, has now to go and shoot her Telugu and Tamil films. Taking all this into consideration the producers Johnny Sagarika has informed the theatres that it is unlikely to make it for Vishu.Another 25 days shoot is to take place from end March, and then a month's post production means the film will be ready only May end for release.
Taking forward his well-known legacy of taking off his shirt, Bollywood star Salman Khan has done it again - this time on Zee TV's reality show Lux Dance India Dance. When one of the contestants requested Salman to take his shirt off, he said: "Main har bar shirt utaarta hoon. Abhi shirt utaarte utaarte main thhak gaya hoon. Abhi main pant utarta hoon. (I always take off my shirt. I'm tired of doing it. Now I want to take off my pants)." However, Salman ultimately obliged his fans and took off his shirt to show off his well-toned body. He has been working out aggressively for his upcoming historical drama Veer.
Sanjay Kapoor says Working in Zoya Akhtar's Luck By Chance had brought back fond memories of his former co-star Juhi Chawla. "Shooting with Juhi, who is my co-star in Luck By Chance, instantly took me back to the days when we did Kartavya together. Juhi was my leading lady. Divya Bharti was the original heroine of the film. But she had to be replaced with Juhi because of her untimely demise. "Sanjay said that he had a great time since he was familiar with most people on the sets.

"I have known Zoya for quite some time now. There were Dimple (Kapadia) and Juhi and Chintoo (Rishi Kapoor) whom I have also known since a long time. So it was great shooting for the film."

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