Roshan Mathew also part of Aishwarya Lekshmi’s Kumari
Aishwarya Lekshmi is teaming up with ‘Ranam’ director Nirmal Sahadev for a new film titled ‘Kumari’. Roshan Mathew, who has been doing part of some acclaimed films in the recent past, has joined the cast. It is learnt that he will be playing a prominent character in the film.
‘Kumari’ has its story written by director Nirmal and Sachin Ramdas. As per the makers, it is a mythical tale based on Kerala’s folklore. From the earlier released motion poster, it seemed like a mystery thriller with supernatural elements. On the technical front, Nirmal has retained almost the same team from ‘Ranam’. Jakes Bejoy has been assigned as the music director and Sreejith Sarang is the editor. The two are also part of the film’s production.
They are jointly producing ‘Kumari’ along with director Nirmal and actor Giju John. Supriya Menon is presenting the film under the banner of Prithviraj Productions. Shoot is scheduled to begin by the third week of August.
Shershaah trailer: Sidharth Malhotra brings alive the Kargil war hero Captain Vikram Batra
Today, on the occasion of Kargil Vijay Diwas, the trailer of upcoming Hindi film ‘Shershaah’ has been released. It is the true story of a PVC awardee brave Indian soldier – Capt. Vikram Batra, who died valiantly while fighting for the country. Sharing the trailer, Sidharth Malhotra wrote,
Captain Vikram Batra reporting on duty! The wait is finally over, I’m honoured to present to you the legendary story of our Kargil War Hero.
‘Shershaah’ trailer was released from the heights of Kargil by Karan Johar and the two lead actors Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani. Tamil filmmaker Vishnuvardhan of ‘Billa’ and ‘Aarambam’ fame is directing the film. The trailer follows the life of Vikram Batra, a brave soldier who was the forefront in the war. Kiara Advani plays Dimple Cheema, who was Vikram’s fiancee. After his death, she did not marry anyone and lives as his widow.
‘Shershaah’ will release directly on Amazon Prime Video. The film will be premiering on August 12, ahead of the nation’s Independence Day.
Hridayam wrapped up; Makers confirm a theatrical release
Shoot for the Vineeth Sreenivasan directorial ‘Hridayam’ has finally been wrapped up. The makers had completed almost all the portions in March itself. A song featuring the lead actor Pranav Mohanlal was left to be shot and with that, they have now successfully wrapped up the entire film. Vineeth took to his social media handle to share a photo from the last day’s shoot. Along with that he has written,
What a spectacular journey it has been so far!! Hopefully the testing times will pass and we’ll be able to bring the film to you guys soon.. And yes, the dream has always been a theatrical release and we are still holding on to it.. please do keep us in prayers!!
#hridayam
Expectations are high on ‘Hridayam’ which stars Pranav, Kalyani Priyadarshan and Darshana Rajendran in the lead roles. The film promises to be a youthful entertainer. Vineeth has taken real-life inspirations to script this film. Aju Varghese, Vijayaraghavan, Arun Kurian and several newcomers are part of the cast. It is jointly produced jointly by Merryland Productions and Big Bang Entertainments.
Kamal Haasan and Lokesh Kanagaraj impressed by Malik!
As reported by us recently, Fahadh Faasil has joined the sets of ‘Vikram’ directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj. The film has Kamal Haasan as the lead. During the shoot, Kamal and Lokesh got to watch Fahadh’s latest release ‘Malik’ and were highly impressed by it.
The film’s producer Anto Joseph has shared a photo of director Mahesh Narayanan and Fahadh, standing with Kamal Haasan and Lokesh in his social media handle. They all watched the film together at Kamal’s office in Chennai. It is currently streaming in Amazon Prime Video.
While Lokesh felt that ‘Malik’ would have reached another level if it was released in theatres, Kamal praised the making and Fahadh’s exceptional performance. It is worth a mention here that Mahesh Narayanan was the editor of Kamal’s ‘Vishwaroopam’ series. The director has often cited that it is that experience that came in handy during the making of his directorial debut ‘Take Off’.
Unni Mukundan has bagged the opportunity to act alongside superstar Mohanlal in back to back projects. The actor has joined the cast of Prithviraj directorial ‘Bro Daddy’ and ’12th Man’ helmed by Jeethu Joseph. It is learnt that Unni will be joining the sets of ‘Bro Daddy’ very shortly. ’12th Man’ shoot will commence only in August.
‘Bro Daddy’ has Prithviraj and superstar Mohanlal in the lead roles. Others in the cast include Meena, Kalyani Priyadarshan, Murali Gopy, Kaniha Soubin Shahir and Lalu Alex. Though Unni was not initially part of the cast, Prithviraj later got him on board for a brief role. The two share a great bond after acting together recently in ‘Bhramam’.
While ‘Bro Daddy’ is shaping up as family-oriented fun entertainer, Jeethu Joseph’s ’12th Man’ promises to be a mystery thriller. It’s cast includes a bunch of talented young actors like Shine Tom Chacko, Aditi Ravi, Leona Lishoy, Anusree, Veena Nandakumar, ‘Pathinettam Padi’ fame Chandhunadh, Sshivadha, Priyanka Nair, Saiju Kurup and ‘Drishyam 2’ fame Santhi Priya.
Antony Perumbavoor is producing both ‘Bro Daddy’ and ’12th Man’ under the banner of Aashiravd Cinemas.
Adi Kapyare Kootamani remade in Tamil as Hostel; Check out the hilarious teaser!
The 2015-released Malayalam film ‘Adi Kapyare Koottamani’ is getting remade in Tamil as ‘Hostel’. Ashok Selvan and Priya Bhavani Shankar are playing the two leads in it. Its trailer has been released online. From the teaser, it seems like an exact remake without much tweaking.
‘Adi Kapyare Koottamani’ is a youthful comedy entertainer with a tinge of horror in it. The story is centred around a girl getting stuck in a men’s collage hostel and the fun incidents that follow. Debutant John Varghese directed the film, which was a box office hit. After its release, a sequel was also announced by producer Vijay Babu but there has been no futher updates about it since then.
The Tamil remake is directed by Sumanth Radhakrishnan and produced by R Ravindran of Trident Arts. Ashok Selvan and Priya Bhavani Shankar are reprising the roles played by Dhyan Sreenivasan and Namitha Pramod in the original. The film’s cast also includes Sathish, Nasser and Munishkanth. Praveen Kumar is the cinematographer and Bobo Shashi of ‘Kulir 100°’ fame is composing the music.
Rahul Raj starts composing for Nivin Pauly’s Thaaram
Earlier this year, on Easter Day, Nivin Pauly’s new film titled ‘Thaaram’ got announced. Vinay Govind will be directing the film and it is scripted by Vivek Ranjith. The writer-director duo had earlier teamed up for ‘Kili Poyi’. Rahul Raj, who was the music director in ‘Kili Poyi’, has been retained for ‘Thaaram’ as well. The composer has started working on the film. Photos of him from one of the composing sessions have been shared online.
As per the makers, ‘Thaaram’ is a rom-com and a family entertainer. The film will have cinematography by Pradeesh M Varma. Editor Arjun Benn, sound designers Vishnu Govind-Sree Sankar, lyricists Manu Manjith and BK Harinarayanan are also part of the team. Details regarding the supporting cast and when shoot begins are still awaited.
Nivin Pauly meanwhile has some other projects lined up. His hugely anticipated ‘Thuramukham’ and the comedy-entertainer ‘Kanakam Kamini Kalaham’ are ready for release. He has also completed shooting for Abrid Shine’s ‘Mahaveeryar’, which also stars Asif Ali. Nivin still has a few more portions left to be shot for ‘Padavettu’. ‘Gangster of Mundanmala’ and ‘Bismi Special’ are his other announced projects.
Actor Arya is currently on a high after the stupendous response for his recently released film ‘Sarpatta Parmbarai’. Following the success on the professional front, good news is pouring in on the personal level as well. Arya and his wife, actress Sayyeshaa has been blessed with a baby girl.
Actor Vishal broke the news first on Saturday (July 24) by tweeting,
So Happy to break this news,great to be an Uncle,my Bro Jammy & Sayyeshaa r blessed wit a #BabyGirl,uncontrollable emotions rite now in midst of shoot.Always wish de best 4 dem,Inshallah,GB de new Born,my Baby Girl @sayyeshaa & @arya_offl for taking a new responsibility as a Dad
Arya ane and Sayyeshaa fell in love with each other while together in the film ‘Ghajinikanth. On 14 February 2019, they announced their engagement and got married a month later on 10 March, 2019.
Arya and Vishal lock horns in Enemy; Check out the action-packed teaser!
Arya and Vishal are coming together for a new film titled ‘Enemy’. Anand Shankar of ‘Arima Nambi’ and ‘Irumugan’ fame is directing the film. Its teaser got released recently and it has heightened the expectations on the film. The film seems to be mostly shot mostly and from the glimpses in the teaser, it promises to be a treat for action lovers.
‘Enemy’ has Vishal as the protagonist and Arya essaying the villain role. Malayali actress Mamta Mohandas is paired with Arya in the film and Mirnalini Ravi of ‘Super Deluxe’ fame essays the other female lead’s part. Actors like Prakash Raj, Thambi Ramaiah and Karunakaran are also part of the supporting cast.
RD Rajasekhar is cranking the camera and songs are composed by S Thaman. Sam CS has handled the background score. The film is produced by S Vinod Kumar under the banner of Mini Studio.
Sarpatta Parambarai: Arya and Pa Ranjith together pack a punch in this ‘not-just-another-boxing-film’
‘Sarpatta Parambarai’ invites us to the world of boxing clans of North Madras. Set during Indira Gandhi’s Emergency era and the late 70s, the film showcases the culture and lives of the boxing clans that existed during that time. The film is primarily about the long standing rivalry between two clans — Sarpatta Parambarai and Idiyappa Parambarai.
Once the best in the business, the boxers of Sarpatta now find it hard to defeat Idiyappa’s champion player, Vembuli. Year after year, the beast-sized Vembuli knocks out his opponents with ease and Sarpatta clan runs out of men and ideas to defeat him. Enters Kabilan, a passionate follower of the sport and a proud member of Sarpatta clan. However, his family background force him to enjoy the game only from the gallery. At a crucial juncture, Kabilan lands in this rivalry. He openly challenges to defeat Vembuli and uphold the Sarpatta pride. Does he manage to do it?
Though it might sound like a regular underdog story, ‘Sarpatta’ is not exactly one. It is a reminder of the legacy of Madras ‘kuthu sandai’ and its history. Pa Ranjith has worked years on this film and that is evident from the authenticity with which he narrates the tale. Unlike the usual boxing-based films, the focus is not just on the lead character and his journey. It is the story of the two clans and the film boasts of so many well-written characters. Rangan Vaathiyar, Daddy, Dancing Rose, Mariyamma, Beedi Thatha and Vetri are some of the most memorable among them.
As proven in his earlier films, Ranjith has a way with his actors and ‘Sarpatta’ is one of those films where almost every other actor who appears on screen manages to make an impression. The director delicately pushes them to their maximum to get what is needed for the film. Arya, an otherwise limited actor, has given his blood and sweat for the film, giving a career-best performance. There are noticeable lows during the emotional scenes but he still makes up for it when it comes to his strong zone — the boxing portions. With his unbelievably fit physique and towering presence, Arya truly delivers a knock-out.
Pasupathy as Rangan Vaathiyar is phenomenal and commands respect with just a stern stare. The versatile actor yet again reminds what a crime filmmakers are doing by not offering him enough meaty roles. John Vijay as Kevin aka Daddy must be the most loveable character in the film. It’s pure delight to watch him deliver that peculiar English-Tamil mixed dialect with so much swagger.
Pa Ranjith has always been known for sketching strong female characters. For most part of the first half, the women are sidelined with only Kabilan’s mother (Anupama Kumar) making her presence felt with all the yelling. But as the plot thickens, the female lead Dushara Vijayan finds her voice. It is hard to believe that a flawless performance like that comes from a debutante. Mariyamma’s playful banter with Beedi Thatha is a Ranjith special. It is moments like these that the director is best at.
Ranjith, who has scripted the film along with Tamil Prabha, makes things so lively and real that the audience are seamlessly transported right into their world. Like always, the director is clear with his politics and weaves it in the narrative with hard-hitting dialogues. Apart from the clan rivalry, the film also throws light at the caste-based discrimination existing within the Sarpatta group. To convey the point, Ranjith doesn’t shy away from going on-the-face.
The technical department of ‘Sarpatta Parambarai’ also deserve a special mention for their efforts to recreate the forgotten era. The narrative spans multiple timelines and packs vast information in it. Credits to the film’s editor Selva RK for packaging it comprehensively. It is only unfortunate that a film of this scale could not be enjoyed from the big screen.
In short, ‘Sarpatta’ is a ‘Must Watch’ and to reiterate the obvious, it is ‘not-just-another-boxing-film’.
