Vinnaithaadi Varuvaayaa Hindi Remake To Grace In July

After much speculation, ace director Gautham Vasudeva Menon is all set to begin the Hindi remake of his latest Tamil hit Vinnaithaadi Varuvaayaa on April 4, 2011.

The film will be jointly produced by IN Entertainment (Part of Hinduja Group) and Gautham Menon’s Photon Kathaas. Oscar winning musician A.R. Rahman will compose music for the Hindi version too.

Prateik Babbar (son of yesteryear Bollywood hero Raj Babbar) and Amy Jackson will play the lead roles in Hindi. M.S. Prabhu is the cinematographer and Javed Akthar will write the lyrics and screenplay.

"We are sticking to the original version; Amy will be playing the role of Jessy, the Malayalee Syrian Christian girl. A.R. Rahman has already given me three tracks.

As of now, we are sticking to the original Tamil tunes but Rahman and Javed saab will take a final call if anything different has to be worked out for the Hindi audiences," Gautham Menon was quoted as saying. The film is expected to grace theatres by July 2011.

Tamil Nadu Kalaimamani Awards 2010 List

Over 25 artistes from various fields, including popular South Indian actors Arya, Anushka and Tamannaah were selected for the Kalaimamani awards 2010, instituted by the Tamil Nadu Government. Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi will present the awards in a function to be held in Chennai on February 13, an official press release said.

Vocalist K.N. Sasikiran, veena artists Rajesh Vaidhya and Sreenivasan, flute players Tiruvarur S. Saminathan, K.V. Ramanujam, playback singer Kalyani Menon and Nadhaswaram ‘Vidhvan’ Tirukadaiyur Muralidharan and Bharatanatyam dancer A. Hemnath have also been shortlisted for Kalaimamani awards for 2010.

Cinema actor Rohini, TV serial actor Malavika, folk artists Revathi (Villupaatu), K. Karupannan (Oyilattam), P. Murgeswari (Kargattam), S. Muthuramalingam (koothu), Sekhizhar (TV scripwriter), K.A. Pandian, M. Tiruselvam and Sivagangai V. Nagu (Nayyandi Melam) and another artiste D. Sekar have been chosen for the 2009 Kalaimamani awards.

Teleserial director R. Thirumurugan, ‘Tirukuvalai’ sisters Sundari and Savithri (Nadhaswaram), TV actor ‘Robot’ Sankar are among the awardees for 2008. Along with the Kalaimamani awards, the Chief Minister will also distribute the State awards for TV artistes besides awards given by the State Government every year in the names of poet Bharathiyar, renowned Carnatic singer M.S. Subbulakshmi and Balasaraswathi.

Rajinikanth Will Be Seen In A Triple Role In Rana

After the superhit Enthiran, Superstar Rajinikanth is likely to team up with ace director K.S. Ravikumar.

The film, which is reportedly titled Rana, will be co-produced by Rajni and Eros International. The latest buzz is that the film will be a period film and Rajinikanth will sport a different look in it.

Rajni will be seen in a triple role and A.R. Rahman will compose music for this magnum opus.

The cinematographer would be Ratnavelu and the special effects will be handled by Rajni’s daughter Soundarya. Rana will be made simultaneously in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi.

Navneet Kaur Will Marry Ravi Rana Maharashtra MLA

Popular Punjabi actress Navneet Kaur, who has worked in a number of Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Malyalam movies, will marry Ravi Rana, a politician and independent MLA from Badnera Constituency in Maharashtra, in the world’s largest mass marriage to be held at Amravati’s Science Core grounds on February 2.

The legislator told reporters that about 2834 couples from different communities will also take wedding vows, creating a world record for the largest mass marriage.

"They include visually challenged, handicapped, tribals as well as minorities," he added.

Ravi Rana also said his fiancee Kaur will quit films and get into social work after marriage.

Over five lakh guests, including yoga guru Baba Ramdev, top stars Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Kangana Ranaut and Sanjay Dutt are expected at attend the event.

Vijay Has Bounced Back Into 3 Idiots Remake

The biggest buzz in Kollywood film circles is that Ilayathalapati Vijay has bounced back into the much publicised Tamil remake of 3 Idiots!

This Shankar directed film is in the news for all the wrong reasons ever since Gemini Film circuit decided to remake it in Tamil and Telugu. Vijay and Mahesh Babu who were supposed to do the film, walked off in the last minute citing reason of date problem.

Later there were media reports that Gemini was planning to go ahead with the project with Suriya in both the languages. And now the latest rumour doing the rounds is that Vijay has once again bounced back and is holding fresh discussions.

When contacted, Vijay preferred to smile and maintain a studious silence.Meanwhile reports from Andhra say that Ileana will be shooting in Ooty along with Jiiva, Srikanth, Omi Vaidya and Sathyaraj from Jan 30.

Selvaraghavan Directing Kamal Haasan Movie

Is Selvaraghavan directing Kamal Haasan, who according to grapevine has given priority dates to the director? However the buzz is that Kamal heard a one line story narration from Selva, and he was very impressed by it.

The actor, it seems has temporarily put Thalaivan Irukeren which was supposed to be his next project after Manmadhan Ambu on the hold.Selvaraghavan, as per sources is back in Chennai after writing the complete script of the film at a resort near Bangalore.

Selva will complete his Dhanush-Andrea Erandam Ulagam, by March end and is likely to start the Kamal project by May. An official announcement regarding the project will be made only after Kamal clears the final script of Selva.

Malayalam Actor Jayaram Named For The Padma Shri

Popular Malayalam-Tamil actor Jayaram, who is completing 25 years in his acting career this year, was named for the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian honour on the eve of Republic Day on Tuesday.

Speaking to media, Jayaram said that the news was first broken to him by Malayalam superstar Mohanlal. He was shooting in Ramoji Rao Studios in Hyderabad for Rafi and Mecartin’s comedy multi-starrer China Town, starring Mohanlal, Dileep and Jayaram.

"We were shooting a crucial scene in which Mohanlal had to whisper swear words in my ears in a comic manner. He came close to me and whispered the words ’Padma Shri Jayaram’ twice in my ear.

I was taken aback and thought that he was pulling my leg! There was comic disbelief on my face and the director okayed the shot! Later, I came to know from Mohanlal that the news had just broken and television channels were flashing the news."

Vijay Will Join Politics Only At The Age Of 40

Vijay has been courting controversy after controversy ever since he met AIADMK supreme J. Jayalalithaa. Just after the release of Kaavalan, the actor made it very clear that he is not joining politics.

And now, his father S.A. Chandrasekhar has confirmed that Vijay will join politics only at the age of 40, i.e. in 2015. Vijay is currently busy with Jayam Raja’s Velayudham with Genelia and Hansika.

Nadunisi Naaygal Gets An A Certificate From Censor

Director Gautham Menon’s much-hyped Nadunisi Naaygal, starring Sameera Reddy and newcomer Veera, has received an A certificate from the Censor Board recently.

The film is all set to grace theatres on February 11, 2011.

Nadunisi Naaygal narrates a series of events happening in a night and its duration is 90 minutes. Interestingly, Nadunisi Naaygal has no songs. In fact, this movie does not even have a background score!

The film is touted to be the only psychological thriller since Kamal’s Sigappu Rojakkal in 1978. Sources close to the director feels that the subliminal social message in film will be appreciated by the audience.

Singer SPB Honored With Padma Bushan

Wednesday was a special day for noted singer SP Balasubramaniam. He was honored with India’s third civilian award Padma Bushan, by the President of India, Pratibha Patil.

“I am grateful to the government for having chosen me for this award,” he said expressing happiness. He, however, said the government could think of giving the award to several seniors in the field.

In 2001, he was honored with Padma Shree award by the then President K.R. Narayanan. The six-time national award winner has dozens of State and FilmFare awards to his credit.

Among the other notable Chennaiites who have received Padma recognition for their service in their respective fields in this year include veteran Bharatanatyam dancer C.V. Chandrasekhar who has been awarded the Padma Bushan, Ms M.K. Saroja, also a legendary Bharatanatyam dancer, Malayalam actor Jaya Raman Subramaniam and Carnatic vocalist S.R. Janakiraman and litterateur Avvai Natarajan.

There was no Bharat Ratna for the third consecutive year. The last person to be honored with this award was Bhimsen Joshi (2008) who passed away this Monday. The President approved 128 awards.

Priyanka And Katrina's Lockers Sealed By IT Officers

Interesting news came out today after the IT raid at Priyanka Chopra and Katrina Kaif’s premises. According to the IT officials, Priyanka owns nine posh flats in Mumbai alone.

Priyanka has bought five flats on the sixth floor of Raj Classic building at Yari Road, where she now lives.

She has combined three flats into one large apartment, which has almost all the modern amenities.

Officials also stumbled upon another apartment owned by her, which was also made by combining two separate flats in the same building.

Besides this, the actress also has a penthouse and three flats which have been rented out in the recent months.

According to a senior official, a team is also verifying whether Kaif remitted money to her parents living in London.

They are also checking records to find out how much money was earned through guest appearances on stage shows and whether she declared the income and paid taxes.

The IT officers, who raided Priyanka Chopra and Katrina Kaif residences, sealed 12 lockers and documents relating to their various properties in the city.

Kamal Haasan To Rake Up A Controversial Issue

Kamal Haasan, in a recent interview, has said that he wanted to make a film on Babri Masjid demolition but refrained from doing so as it would attract controversy and protests.

This does not mean that the star backed-off in fear but simply did not want to rake up a controversial issue, say sources.

In fact, Kamal was working day and night and was deeply involved in the discussions to begin this film soon but finally has to put it in cold storage.

Ajith's Billa Will Go On Floors By March 2011

Director Vishnuvardan, who directed Ajith in Billa, is back with the sequel which will once again star Ajith.

Though the film was announced long ago, Vishnu has been busy working on the script and finalizing the cast. Billa-2 will go on floors by March 2011, if sources are to be believed.

The film will revolve around the circumstances that made Billa a dreaded don (sounds like a prequel?).

Ajith will be playing Billa but the rest of the cast is kept under wraps. The crew has been finalized and it will have Nirav Shah handling the camera and Yuvan Shankar Raja composing the music.

Anu Vardan, who set new standards with the costumes, will be designing the costumes for Billa-2. The film will be produced by Suresh Balaji and George Pious under the banner of Wide Angle Creations.

With Mankatha proceeding in a brisk pace to release by May 1st, we are hoping for Billa-2 to hit the screens by the end of 2011.

Shriya Saran Launching Her First Outlet 'Shree'

Actress Shriya Saran is an entrepreneur now! She has taken the first step towards her dream of opening a chain of spas by launching her first outlet ’Shree’ at Lokhandwala in Andheri, Mumbai on Thursday.

"This is something I was planning for a long time. There was always this fascination to run a spa and I have achieved it. This is a small beginning," Shriya later said.

Notably, Shriya’s therapists in the spa are visually impaired. "This is something I had decided months ago.

During my student days in New Delhi, I used to often visit a blind school. I understand how important it is to provide them with livelihood options," she added.

The actress’ parents would be in charge of the day-to-day running of the spa, especially when Shriya is away shooting. The spa offers body, back, leg and head massages.

Trisha Will Share Screen Space With Rajinikanth's Raana

Reportedly Tamil super star Rajinikanth’s much-anticipated computer animation film, earlier titled Sultan The Warrior and later changed to Hara, has now been renamed Raana.

It is said that the last 30 minutes of the film will be in live action format and K.S. Ravikumar has been finalized to direct those sequences.

There are also reports that actress Trisha will share screen space along with Rajni in the last 30 minutes of the film.

Directed and produced by Rajinikanth’s younger daughter Soundarya Rajinikanth, Raana is expected to grace screens worldwide in 2011. Music by Oscar winner A.R. Rahman is likely to hit the stands in the near future.

Vijay's Villu Dubbed In Telugu As Yama Kantri

Prabhu Deva’s 2009 Tamil film Villu, starring Vijay and Nayantara in the lead, is being dubbed in Telugu as Yama Kantri by G. Usharani of GDR Media.

Devi Sri Prasad has scored the music and the audio launch of the Telugu version will be held on January 31. The film will hit screens by the second week of February.

Inspired by Bobby Deol’s Soldier, Yama Kantri revolves around an affectionate son who seeks revenge on the men who were responsible for the death of his father.

Major Saravanan (Vijay), an honest army officer, was on the verge of capturing three army officials involved in trading of weapons and ammunitions to terrorists and drug lords, but was brutally murdered by them.

The men framed him as a terrorist and stripped off the medals and commendations from his dead body just before his last rites.

Saravanan’s dead body was left to rot in the sun since the villagers refused to cremate him in their neighbourhood.

He is survived by his wife (Ranjitha) and his only son Pughal (Vijay) who then plans and takes revenge on the murderers and clears the terrorist image from the name of his patriotic father.

Gopichand Likely To Be The Hero In Telugu Kaavalan

In the midst of contradicting reports stating that veteran Balakrishna is likely to be the hero in producer Bellamkonda Suresh’s proposed Telugu remake of Kollywood’s latest hit Kaavalan, it is now heard that the Telugu remake will have Gopichand as the hero.

Kaavalan is a remake of Malayalam super hit Bodyguard, starring Dileep and Nayantara. Though the Tamil and Malayalam versions were directed by Siddique, the Telugu version will be directed by either Puri Jagannath or Ramesh Varma (Ride fame), it is said.

Oprah Winfrey Has Made A Sensational Revelation

TV mogul Oprah Winfrey has made a sensational revelation on her show.Winfrey has announced that she has a half-sister she never knew about, reports the Washington Post.

On her program, Winfrey said she learned about her half-sister Patricia last November and the two met on Thanksgiving Day.

Winfrey made "home video" of her first meeting with her sister on Thanksgiving Day; she and her partner Stedman Graham drove to Milwaukee to finally meet Patricia.

And speaking thereof, Winfrey told her audience she chose to make the announcement herself - so the media would not exploit it.

Winfrey got choked up when she began to tell her studio audience that so many people have betrayed her since she became a celebrity, and it really moved her that Patricia kept the secret of her relationship to talk show queen quiet all this time until it best suited Winfrey`s final-season scheduling plans.

Patricia "never once thought to sell this story" to the press, and mess up her show plans, she said.

Winfrey said she was 9 years old and living with her father when her mother gave birth to Patricia and gave her up for adoption. Winfrey said she never even knew her mother was pregnant.

The Nominations For This Year’s Razzie Awards

The nominations for this year’s Razzie Awards have been revealed, and Megan Fox, Jennifer Aniston, Miley Cyrus and Kristen Stewart have all been nominated for the worst actress category.

Others who have been nominated for the worst actress category in the 31st Annual Golden Raspberry (Razzies) Awards are Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, and Cynthia Nixon, a daily reported.

Aniston, 41, was nominated for her role in ‘The Bounty Hunter’ and ‘The Switch’, Cyrus, 18, for ‘The Last Song’, Fox, 24, for ‘Jonah Hex’, and Stewart, 20, for ‘Twilight Saga: Eclipse’.

Parker, 45, Cattrall, 54, Davis, 45, and Nixon, 44, were nominated for their roles in ‘Sex and the City 2’.

Juhi Chawla And Manisha Koirala's First Film Together

Despite both of them being in the industry for 20 years, Onir’s I Am is Juhi Chawla and Manisha Koirala’s first film together. Describing the experience as "pleasantly refreshing", Chawla says, "Manisha is a very open-hearted person. In the past, we have never gone beyond exchanging pleasantries. We have never been on the same set at the same time. So to come together as friends on screen after all these years was wonderful."

Chawla claims to love all of Koirala’s films from Saudagar (1991), Khamoshi The Musical (1996) to Akele Hum Akele Tum (1995). During the shoot, she adds that they spent time walking around Srinagar and having conversations over tea. She says, "We mostly spoke about where our lives are now and what we plan to do in the future. Soon after the film, Manisha got married and I am very happy for her."

In Onir’s film, which consists of four short stories - Omar, Afia, Abhimanyu, and Megha, Chawla features in two. She says, "Each film is based on real-life stories with fear as the common theme."

On her character in Afia, Chawla says, "I play an affluent career woman who resists the idea of going back to Kashmir (her hometown) even for two days. She has not made peace with her past and has hurt and misgiving in her heart about Kashmir and its people. She is unable to forgive them for what happened to her family."

She adds, "As a child, she had to flee with her parents, live in refugee camps and then at relatives’ houses. Their dignity was lost and her uncle was burnt alive by people her family once considered friends," informs Chawla.

For someone who hadn’t travelled to Kashmir before, Chawla says, "When I went for the shoot, my immediate experience of Srinagar was that people are trying to lead normal lives despite the presence of armed forces all around the city. People want to be free, they want tourism back and yearn for peace."

Andrea Jermaiah Is Making A Comeback In Kollywood

Actress and playback singer Andrea Jermaiah, last seen on screen in Selvaraghavan’s ‘Aayirathil Oruvan’ last year along with Reema Sen and Karthi, is making a comeback in Kollywood. Incidentally, her comeback movie is also being directed by Selvaa and has his younger sibling and actor Dhanush pairing up opposite Andrea.

The film, which was earlier titled ‘Maalai Nerathu Mayakkam’, has now got the title of ‘Erandaam Ulagam’ which is likely to stay till the movie releases (one hopes). There was tension rife in the air when Selvaa shot for ‘Aayirathil Oruvan’ with his marital life with Sonia on the rocks; reports even suggested that Selvaa’s ‘proximity’ to Andrea could have been the reason for the strain in his relationship with Sonia.

Now that Selvaa has divorced Sonia and has even managed to find his ‘lost love’ in Gitanjali (one of his assistant directors), the shooting schedule of ‘Erandaam..’ appears to be progressing rather smoothly. Andrea, whose song ‘Who’s the Hero…’ in the Kamal-starrer ‘Manmadhan Ambu’ is now hugely popular, and is concentrating hard in her first-ever solo subject as heroine in a major film.

Looking as sexy and simple as ever, Andrea says ‘Erandaam….’ has a very different theme which would go down well with audience, who had nurtured projects like ‘Aayirathil Oruvan’ in the past. “Probably, I hope that this film would do what I have been craving for long: on the list of frontline actresses in Kollywood,” says Andrea with a flooring smile.

Suriya Has Agreed To Perform A Cameo In Avan Ivan

Suriya recently did a goodwill cameo for Udhayanidhi Stalin’s Manmadhan Ambu since he is the producer of his 7aam Arivu. Again, for Bala, who gave a boost to his career when he was down, Suriya has agreed to perform a cameo in Bala’s ‘Avan Ivan’.

‘Avan Ivan’ is directed by Bala, produced by AGS Entertainment and has Arya and Vishal in lead roles. Suriya will appear as Suriya in the film and it could be remembered that Suriya played an actor in the film “Manmadhan Ambu”.

Suriya is not worried about repeating his cameo as an actor since the role is worth playing for Bala who gave a boost to his career. It is said to be a role similar to what Simran did in Pithamagan in which Suriya played the lead role with Vikram.

Vishal will mimic top actors in the scene in which Suriya appears as Suriya himself. Suriya is not only known for his diplomacy but also for not forgetting those who helped him.

Nagarjuna Is Getting Ready To Six Pack Abs

Nagarjuna is getting ready to sport six pack abs for his forthcoming socio-fantasy `Dhamarukam`.

Directed by Srinivasa Reddy and produced by Venkat of RR Movie Makers, the movie also stars Anushka Sharma.

The director said that Nag`s character in the film demands a hero with machismo; hence Nagarjuna is now working hard to build those six pack abs.

Balakrishna In Telugu Remake Of Kaavalan

Tollywood producer Bellamkonda Suresh is all set to remake Kollywood`s latest hit `Kaavalan`.

Sources tell us that Balakrishna is likely to play the lead role in the Telugu remake, which is expected to be directed by either Puri Jagannath or Ramesh Varma.

`Kaavalan` is a remake of Malayalam super hit `Bodyguard`, starring Dileep and Nayantara. `Bodyguard` is also being remade in Hindi with Salman Khan.

Kudumbasree Travels Has Been Censored With U Certificate

Jayaram’s first release of 2011 will be Kudumbasree Travels, which has been censored with a clean ’U’ certificate and releasing on Friday, January 21 in 55 screens in Kerala.

The film is directed by debutant Kiran who directed the hit TV serial Ettu Sundarikalum Njanum. Bhavana is the heroine and the supporting cast are Jagathy, Maniyan Pillai Raju, Mamukoya, P. Sree Kumar,Kalpana, KPAC Lalitha and others.

Jayaram needs a hit badly after the failure of Four Friends. In Kudumbasree Travels, the actor plays Aravindan a common innocent villager who gets entangled in a problem which leads to a comic twist.The film is distributed by Central Pictures, a concern known for good quality commercial films.

Bhavana Is Back With A Bang In 2011

Bhavana has made a great come back to Malayalam cinema. Her Marykund Oru Kunjaadu (MOK) is turning out to be a blockbuster. The character she did in the film Mary who provides courage to the hero Dileep, as made her even more popular with the lady audiences and children.

Industry sources say Bhavana has replaced Kavya Madhavan at the top. It has been a fantastic comeback for the 24 year old actress who had earlier done super hits like CID Moosa, Chanthu Pottu, Naran, Twenty Twenty, Happy Husbands etc.

In the last few years Bhavana got busy in Tamil, Telugu and Kannada , and her appearances in Malayalam films came down to a trickle.However she is back with a bang in 2010 as her Happy Husbands and MOK were super hits.

Next Friday (Jan 21), Bhavana will have two films of her releasing simultaneously: Metro and Kudumbashri Travels. She is also doing a special appearance in Mammootty’s Doubles and is also likely to sign up a film with Dileep and one with Prithviraj.

Vijay Faced Lot Of Hurdles For Kaavalan Release

Vijay fans feel that some vested interests are out to destroy their beloved Ilayathalapathi’s Kaavalan all over Tamil Nadu. Among the Pongal releases, it was the last to release literally as matters were being sorted out on the releasing day. There was neither proper publicity nor any kind of television promotion, and still it released.

The best of the screens had gone to other Pongal releases. The film did not get prime screens especially single screens like Tiruvanmayoor Thyagaraja, as others had booked them in advance. And in some complexes like Chrompet Vetri , the rivals tore off posters put up by Vijay fans.

The fans alleged that Chrompet police was not willing to file a case.Added to that a fierce campaign was unleashed against the film, which was made out to be lacklustre? Meanwhile outside of Tamil Nadu the film has taken an extraordinary opening.

In Mumbai the film opened in 30 screens and took a bumper opening, with the word of mouth being positive.All this has lent credence to rumours that Vijay will join politics before the next assembly elections. Faced with a lot of hurdles at the time of Kaavalan release, Vijay told a select group of his fans: "I will enter politics at an appropriate time".

Actress Rambha Has Delivered A Baby Girl

Rambha the oomph girl of Kollywood during the early 90’s, has delivered a baby girl on Jan 14 in Toronto, Canada.

The actress had married Indra Kumar, a business man in a high-profile wedding last year at Tirupati.

A grand reception was held in Chennai soon after, which saw the bigwigs of Kollywood gracing the event.

"Both the baby and mother are doing fine," said Indra Kumar, Rambha’s husband.

Rajinikanth Raved About The Mysskin's Yuddham Sei

Mysskin held a sneak preview of his Yuddham Sei at Four Frames on Tuesday (Jan 18) evening for his colleagues from the industry. Those who attended this special screening included Bhagyaraj, Sathyaraj, Udhayanidhi Stalin, Parthipan, Gautham Menon and young guns like Silambarasan, Prasanna and others.

Yuddham Sei is an edge of the seat police investigation story with Cheran playing the lead role. Earlier superstar Rajinikanth, saw a special screening of the film where he raved about the film. All those who saw the film say it is the best Tamil film that they have seen in recent times. Yuddham Sei produced by Kalpathi S Aghoram is slated for release on February 4 worldwide

Neetu Chandra Shocked The Nation With Her No-Panty Show

For Bollywood, any publicity is good publicity. After Yana Gupta shocked the nation with her ‘no-panty’ show, B-town chick Neetu Chandra has followed suit. Craving for publicity, the starlet recently did a Yana act and went commando to an event.

Given that after Yana became a nationwide sensation post her shady act, Neetu too decided to do the same. Sources state that Neetu’s act was “intentional and she might have followed Yana, after seeing what she achieved doing the same.”Apparently, Neetu’s publicist have denied the bold act of the actress and said, “Neetu Chandra is a girl with dignity and there has been no slip like this.”

Neetu’s publicist fumed at such uncalled reports and is planning to sue the root of this gossip, “Neetu does not need to resort to any such thing for publicity. In fact, she was planning to initiate legal action on the website and was in the process of approaching the National Commission of Women (NCW) in New Delhi, when the site tendered an unconditional apology for the news. So the matter stands closed.”

Salman Khan Is As Cool As Cucumber

Just as he is in no haste to get married, Salman Khan is as cool as cucumber when it comes to handling any pressure concerning the release of his films. With a cracker of a year in 2010, the ‘Dabangg’ Khan had the cash registers ringing even as his ‘Wanted’ was judged the biggest hit of 2009. Industry is abuzz with rumours that the star might just complete his hattrick at the BO with the Malayalam hit Bodyguard’s Hindi remake ‘My Love Story’.

The season of Eid has worked wonders for Salman Khan. Both his last two blockbusters ‘Dabangg’ and ‘Wanted’ released around the holy season and it is expected that his next too will hit the screen at the same time. The actor is paired with Kareena Kapoor in the film, which will be directed by Siddique.

On being asked to Salman, if he feel the pressure to deliver a hit third time in a row? He said, “No, I don’t feel the pressure. In fact, I don’t want anyone including the actors, producer or director to feel any pressure. If a film has everything that the public wants in an entertaining movie, it will work, regardless of the weekend it opens in.”

‘Dabangg’ released during a relatively no-competition week. Is he planning the same for My Love Story? “That’s something that I didn’t decide. We set a date and stuck to it. Even this year, I’m not going to decide which other film or films will release with mine,” says Khan.

“In any case, the number of films we produce in a year, and release in a week doesn’t vary with a common man’s income. It will increase at its own pace. So he will watch only those films that promise him paisa vasool entertainment. If my film promises that to him, it will work — whether it comes from one, none or many films at the box office that week”, the actor added.

Vijay Fans Not To Get Disappointed

Vijay is a happy man now as the uncertainity over ‘Kavalan’ was put to an end on Pongal day when the film hit the screens all over the world, much to the celebration of his fans.

“It was only because of Vijay the movie managed to see the light of the day. He wanted his fans not to get disappointed and finally stepped in to ensure the release of Kavalan,” sources in the know say.

Saying that the actor gave some assurances to all those who had opposed the film’s release, sources add only after certain promises from Vijay they had withdrawn their opposition to ‘Kavalan’.

“Vijay is also happy that his fans enjoyed the film, which showed him in a different light,” sources add. Directed by Siddique, ‘Kavalan’, a remake of Malayalam hit ‘Bodyguard’, has Asin and Vadivelu in pivotal roles.

Tapasee Refused To Act With Amitabh Bachchan

South Indian actress Tapasee, who is enjoying her share of name and fame in Tamil and Telugu films, has turned a Hindi project by Tollywood filmmaker Puri Jagannath.

It is strange considering the fact that film starred Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan and any South actress would die to have a role with Big B.

Moreover, Tapasee was offered a meaty role in this Hindi film titled Buddha. Renowned Bollywood filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma is the producer of this film, which will have Big B in the lead role.

The director approached Tapasee with the offer of this film but she has reportedly declined to be a part of it. However, no official confirmation has come up yet.

Tapasee is now enjoying the success of her latest Kollywood release Aadukalam, which starred Dhanush in the lead role. The model turned actress has already signed half-a-dozen movies in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam languages.

She is now working in the Tamil film Vanthaan Vendraan, then in two Telugu projects Vastadu Naa Raju and Mr. Perfect and in the Malayalam film Doubles.

It seems that the 22-year old actress has got unexpected success in South Indian films, so she does not want to shift her focus as of now.

Actress Ileana To Start A Designer Store

One of the top league actress Ileana D’ Cruz is now all set to turn an entreprenuer. She is going to start a designer store with her mom at Inorbit mall in the city soon.

A few hoardings of the store are out in the city already. Ileana’s mom Samaira D Cruz designs clothes and this store will sell those designs.

It is a well known fact that Ileana’s mom designs clothes for her. Rumours are also rife that Ileana charges an extra Rs 25 lakh to her remuneration claiming her mom’s designer fee as a reason.

Now that she is opening a store, we will all get to see how the designs are. The first look of the ads and the store are doing the rounds on social networking sites too. Sources say the store will open in the next month.

Tamil Movie Review: Kaavalan

Movie: Kaavalan

Director: Siddique

Producer: Romesh Babu

Music: Vidyasagar

Cast: Vijay, Asin, Vadivelu, Mitra Kurein, Raj Kiran

Vijay, the one man entertainment troupe has bounced back with Kaavalan. It’s super fun, perfect Pongal family entertainer and fits in with the spirit of the season. What makes the film tick is that Vijay with the help of director Siddique has done something different within the constraints of the formula.

The Tom & Jerry comic escapades of Vijay and Vadivel is a scream, song placements are perfect, romance is subtle but touching and the emotional climax twist is hard hitting. No Villain, no skin, no crass comedy, yet never a dull moment in the 2 hour 25 minutes movie.

Bhoominathan (Vijay) has been given that name by Semanoor Muthuramalingam (Raj Kiran), a wealthy and powerful feudal landlord. Bhoomi takes up an assignment to be the bodyguard of Muthuramalingam and saves him and his family consisting of his wife (Roja), daughter Meera (Asin), son Karthi (KK). He is given a new assignment by his boss to be Meera and her friend Madhu’s (Mitra Kurian) bodyguard at the college where they are studying.

Bhoomi is some kind of a joke at the campus, with his peculiar mannerisms, security guard’s dresses and dark glasses. Meera and her friends find his presence, often irritating. To poke fun at him, Meera starts making prank calls to him pretending to be a girl who is in love with him. After a while, things get serious, which leads to twist in the story.

One of the drawbacks of the film is the famous Asin-Vijay chemistry that has failed to work on screen. Asin looks too made-up, disinterested and sleep walks in a well written role. The film lacks a creditable storyline, but has been packaged keeping humour as its base, which makes it an engaging watch.

Vadivel who comes as Vijay’s side-kick and his comic antics with the hero are genuine gut busters. Raj Kiran, MS Bhaskar and Roja have hardly anything to do. Mithra Kurian in second lead is ok. Ekhambaram’s camera work is neat. Vidyasagar- Vijay combo works with some great melodies and fast beats like Pattamboochi and Step Step...

At the centre of all the mirth is the magical Vijay. The film works purely on his star charisma and larger-than-life image. His ace comic timing, dance movements and subtle performance in the climax makes his performance absolutely knockout. He carries the film on his shoulders and is one good reason to watch the film.

Verdict: Family Entertainer

Tamil Movie Review: Siruthai

Movie: Siruthai

Director: Siva

Producer: Studio Green

Music: Vidyasagar

Cast: Karthi, Tamannaah, Avinash, Santhanam

It may look easy, but the most difficult thing is to make remakes work. Karthi’s Siruthai directed by Siva is almost a scene by scene, dialogue by dialogue remake of Ravi Teja’s Telugu SS Rajamouli’s Vikramarkudu (2006).

First and foremost, SS Rajamouli’s Tamil remakes have not met with the same kind of success in Tamil, like the original in Telugu. Secondly, Ravi Teja’s unique style of comedy and action is very difficult to imitate.

The makers of Siruthai has a disclaimer in the beginning of the film which clearly says story takes place in Andhra, but characters will speak in Tamil! Rocket Raja (Karthi) is a petty thief and along with his buddy Kattupoochi (Santhanam) make merry. A rich girl Shwetha (Tamannaah) falls head over heels in love with our hero.

Suddenly out of the blue, a 5-year old girl pops up claiming that she is Rocket’s daughter and all hell breaks loose. The twist in the tale is a look-alike of Raja in the form of Retnavel Pandian (Karthi) an honest ‘Dirty Harry’ type of IPS officer who had cleaned up a lawless town in Kurnool held to ransom by Bhavuji (Avinash). The rest of the film is all about how Rocket Raja turns a good guy in uniform and takes care of baddies.

This is one of those mindless and stereotype mass entertainers we have seen in 70’s and 80’s, which will not appeal to the current generation. All the clichéd masalas associated with this genre- hero in a dual role, huge cardboard mansions, a rich pretty educated girl falling for an illiterate uncouth pickpocket, songs in foreign locations, loud crass comedy, item number, villains who ham throughout with funny wigs and a predictable climax.

Not that such genre comes with an expiry date, but a five-film old Karthi is no Chulbul Pandey (Salman Khan in Dabangg)! And after doing sensible films till now, can’t figure out why this talented young actor chose such an old-fashioned film masquerading as an entertainer. Vidyasagar’s music makes you snore. Technically there is nothing to complain or talk about.

The performances by Karthi and Tamannaah are embarrassingly over-the-top. Our heart goes out to Tamannaah who is reduced to a mere caricature with too much of skin show. We really hope that she chooses projects in future that play up her strengths. The villains, Avinash & Co hams to the hilt. Santhanam is the only saving grace.

On the whole, Siruthai doesn’t have a shred of intelligence, and it suffers big time with a lame script.

Verdict: Test of endurance

Tamil Movie Review: Aadukalam

Movie: Aadukalam

Director: Vetrimaran

Producer: Sun Pictures

Music: GV Prakash Kumar

Cast: Dhanush, Jayabalan, Kishore, Taapsee

Dhanush and Vetrimaran once again hits the bulls’ eye! Their second film together Aadukalam is gutsy and a brilliant film. Dhanush is simply outstanding, his career best performance. It is also Sun Pictures best ever production, a film that they can be proud of.

What makes it tick are it is a story of ordinary people, told in a realistic way with human emotions about friendship, betrayal, jealousy, petty ego that leads to havoc in the life of a youth. The narrative style and presentation are truly international.

The film is set in a suburb of Madurai where rooster or Cock fights is a major sport. Karuppu (Dhanush) is an understudy of Pettaikaran (Jayabalan) considered as the best in business. Karuppu thinks the world of his mentor, who prefers his other assistant Dorai (Kishore) more. Karuppu is an innocent good fella who falls for an Anglo Indian girl Irene (Taapasee) living in the nearby railway colony.

Pettaikaran most bitter foe is a policeman Retnasamy (Nareyn) whose family for years used to conduct and win trophies in cock fighting. Retnasamy decides to have one last cock fight between his team and that of Pettaikaran and emerge triumphant for the sake of his dying mother. The fight is conducted after a special permission is given by police and local bodies. In the crucial tournament, Retnasamy using drug induced roosters in the first round, trounces Pettaikaran. At this point to save the face of his guru Karuppu, enters the fray with his rooster.

Pettaikaran is upset and announces that Karuppu is not a member of his team, but the underdog goes on to create the biggest upset. Karuppu’s victory makes his mentor bitter and jealous, as he is crowned the new king of cockfights. This creates hidden animosity in Pettaikaran who plots for the downfall of Karuppu leading to a riveting climax.

Ultimately however, Aadukalam belongs to one man and one man alone. Investing in his character a lot of realism and protecting it from ever turning into a caricature, Dhanush delivers a performance that is arresting. The character conveys volumes through his eyes and Dhanush lives in the role of Karuppu. Jayabalan is a revelation as Pettaikaran and Kishore is outstanding as Dorai. Debutant Taapsee is a promising find and she suits the character of an Anglo Indian girl to the T.

Technically, the film has many brownie points-The film’s dialogues are sharp and mesh in well with the scenes. Velraj’s cinematography is one of Aadukalam’s greatest strengths; and even actors in bit roles leave a lasting impression.

A major plus is GV Prakash Kumar’s background score and the Yathe Yathe... song lingers in your mind even after you leave the theatre. The rooster fight in the interval point is the major highlight.

Minuses? It is too classy and difficult to comprehend for an ordinary viewer. The first half is very racy and entertaining while the second half towards the climax drags and some characters like Retnasamy disappear in the second half.

Every once in a while comes a film touch both heart and mind; films that make you surrender completely to the power of the experience. Aadukalam lives up to the expectation that the film carried and the credit goes to Vetrimaran whose research and hard work shows on screen.

We recommend Aadukalam.

Verdict: Brilliant

Arya Was Seriously Injured An Accident

Earlier, a section of the media reported that actor Arya was seriously injured when he met with an accident while travelling from Bangalore to Chennai.

But the actor has now clarified that he is fine, busy shooting for National Award winning director Bala’s Avan Ivan with Vishal.

Avan Ivan is produced by AGS Entertainment. Yuvanshankar Raja scores the music. This comedy entertainer narrates the story of two siblings.

According to sources, Vishal plays the role of a transgender in this film, which is expected to elevate Vishal to the next level in acting.

Trisha Plays The Role Of A Chennai Slum Girl

Ajith’s Mankatha has already created a lot of buzz in the industry. The latest we hear is that heroine Trisha plays the role of a Chennai slum girl in the film.

To everyone’s surprise, Trisha will also speak an unique country accent in the film. The Mankatha team is currently shooting at the outskirts of Chennai.

Looks like after working with Kamal Haasan, the perfection bug has caught Trisha too.

Sun Pictures To Produce Mani Ratnam's Ponniyin Selvan

The Kollywood grapevine is abuzz that Sun Pictures are going to produce Mani Ratnam’s next project in Tamil Kalki’s magnum opus Ponniyin Selvan, a period drama!

It is said to be a big budget extravaganza which industry sources say would cost a whopping Rs 200 Crore plus. Jayamohan is said to be penning the dialogues, which would be a full fledged adaptation of the novel. There are strong rumours that Ilayaraja may team up again with Mani.

Ponniyin Selvan, is a fictionalised account of Chola King RajaRaja 1 and one of the greatest works of Tamil literature, penned by arguably the most celebrated writer, Kalki. The star cast and other details are being worked out on the film which is in pre-production.

Rajinikanth Watched Dhanush's Aadukalam Two Times

Superstar Rajinikanth watched son-in-law Dhanush’s Aadukalam two times!The first time he saw the rough cut of the film two months back without any CG work.

Second time he saw the final theatre copy of the film and was very impressed.A sneak preview of the film took place at Four Frames preview theatre on Wednesday (January 12) evening for Rajinikanth and his family members including Dhanush and his parents, brother Selvaraghavan and other close relatives.

After the film, a visibly excited Rajini said: "It is a great film. A pucca commercial film with international quality. I was bowled over by Dhanush’s performance and Vetrimaran’s script and direction". He also added: "This film will take Dhanush to the next level just like what Mullum Malarum did to me".

Kim Kardashian Sparked Rumours Of Lips Surgery

Reality TV star Kim Kardashian has rubbished reports that she went under the knife to enhance her lips.

Kardashian sparked rumours of surgery after she was spotted sporting a fuller pout than usual, reports torontosun.com.

"That`s not true. Trust me, I`ve tried Botox... I`m the first one to talk about anything that I do. It really p**ses me off that all of these plastic surgery rumours are always linked to me," she said.

"I have the flu. I`m puffy and swollen, and I have no make-up on. Why would I just do my bottom lip? My top lip was smaller and my bottom lip was huge and I`m thinking that would be the worst doctor on earth to do one lip and not the other.

It`s definitely something that I would never do. I think my lips are big enough to my taste level," she added.

Katie Holmes Will Be The Face Of Ann Taylor

Ann Taylor has confirmed that Katie Holmes will be the face of the company`s spring 2011 ad campaign that will debut in March.

The images of Holmes wearing the brand`s updated classics (think perfectly tailored trousers, sleek jackets and plenty of navy-and-white stripes) were shot in Los Angeles by famed fashion photographer Tom Munro.

The spring line is modern and nautical-inspired, and there will also be bright yellow and green citrine-shade handbags and shoes featured in the ads.

"I`ve been a fan of Ann Taylor since I was a young girl -- I grew up loving the clothes," says Holmes. "I`m thrilled to be a part of a brand I believe in."

Other celebrity fans of Ann Taylor include Naomi Watts (who appeared in the company`s fall ads), Halle Berry, Rachel Bilson and supermodel Heidi Klum (who has been the star of the company`s past two holiday campaigns).

This isn`t the first time Holmes has posed for a major fashion brand. She appeared in J. Crew`s catalog in the fall along with Josh Duhamel and her other "The Romantics" co-stars.

Holmes also appears on the cover of the current issue of Elle.

The news of her Ann Taylor deal comes just days after History decided not to air her controversial series "The Kennedys," in which Holmes was to portray Jackie Kennedy.

Nayanthara Is Keeping A Low Profile

Nayanthara is keeping a low profile for the last few months by her studious silence and is avoiding public appearances.

She was unavailable for any quote after the sensational news about Prabhu Deva’s mutual divorce with wife Ramlath at Chennai family court came through.

Remember that Nayan labelled as the tabloid queen of south, was fodder for the media for her relationship with noted dancing sensation, actor and director Prabhu Deva.

Last Sunday, Nayan made a quiet entry at the Asianet film awards in Kochi where she bagged the Best Actress for her performance in Malayalam film Body Guard (being remade in Tamil as Kaavalan).

At the venue, she bumped into Amitabh Bachchan and Vijay who was the guest of honour. Top Malayalam stars Mammootty, Mohanlal and Dileep were the other stars present.

However, the actress kept to herself and did not make an attempt to go up to her colleagues in the industry and exchange pleasantries.

Looking dignified in an Anarkali suit, she quietly came, received her award from Ilayathalapathy Vijay, smiled for the cameras and quietly vanished into the dark.

Actor Simbu's New House In China

If you were wondering why Silambarasan aka STR was missing for the last two weeks from the party scene in Chennai, here is the answer.

Like a true gentleman, he was shopping for his new house in China with his mummy dearest. No one can doubt Simbu’s good taste and the actor is known for his yen for good life.

He is building new palatial bungalow in Chennai and as the house gets ready, Simbu has been picking up lot of stuff for his new home from all parts of the globe.

Simbu shopped for furniture and other artifacts at Guangzhou, the third largest city in China and did not forget to buy gifts for his dearest friends back in Chennai.

Speaking from China he told "I am rushing back to catch up with all the Pongal releases and my good friend Yuvan’s live show where I will be singing with him".

Gwyneth Paltrow New Ambassador For Luxury Watchmaker

Actress Gwyneth Paltrow has been named as the new ambassador for luxury watchmaker Baume & Mercier.Paltrow has been named as a "friend of the brand" by the Swiss company, which will model its new image on the exclusive Hamptons area of New York, reports contactmusic.com.

Although she will not appear in any promotional campaign for the brand, the 38-year-old beauty will be involved with "communication projects", including attending the upcoming Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) - the annual showcase for exclusive timepieces to be held later this month.

Paltrow`s role comes after chief executive officer Alain Zimmerman announced the luxury watchmaker had "suffered in recent years from a lack of appeal and visibility" and decided to discontinue the entire collection aside from its bestseller, the Classima.

The company has re-launched the Linea and Capeland lines and will premiere the Hampton collection in October."Our positioning remains as a brand that offers high-quality products with a beautiful design," said Zimmerman.Paltrow follows actresses Meg Ryan, Kim Basinger, Teri Hatcher and Evangeline Lilly as an ambassador for the company.

IPS Officers To Watch Movie No One Killed Jessica

Impressed by the recently released movie, `No one Killed Jessica`, a young IPS officer here took over 50 of his subordinates to watch the reel side of a real-life incident that happened in the national capital over a decade ago.

The IPS officer in question is Deputy Commissioner of Police Jaipur (South) Jose Mohan, who made it a point to take out at least one Investigating Officer from each of police station under his command, to watch the bollywood flick yesterday.

"I liked the movie and hence thought why not make my men watch it in an attempt to sensitise them further. It is nice to see a crime from the victim`s point of view," Mohan told PTI.Accompanying him were over 50 police officers including Additional SP Shankar Datt Sharma and Station House Officers.

Jessica Lall (1965?1999) was a model in New Delhi, who was working as a celebrity barmaid at a crowded socialite party in a high-end restaurant, when she was shot dead on April 29 for refusing to serve a drink after the bar closed.

The case took a number of curious turns till finally Manu Sharma, son of a prominent Haryana politician, was convicted for her murder.`No One Killed Jessica` stars Rani Mukherjee and Vidya Balan and is directed by Raj Kumar Gupta.

Trisha In The 50 Most Desirable Women List

Twinkle eyed actress Trisha has a reason to smile. Trisha wants to give a big hug to all her wonderful fans for lending their support and love as the gorgeous lady has made it to the list of the 50 most desirable women compiled by Times of India ranking a 48.

She was followed by Vidya Balan at 49.Shriya Saran and Shruti Haasan scored a 42 and 43 respectively while Aishwarya scored a number 3 followed by Asin at number 9. Cuty Genelia D’Souza was listed at number 20.

Meanwhile Trisha had her own list to talk about. She recently took time to watch Mynaa and described the movie as “profound and disturbing” for the tasteful display of rural reality.

She also told us that Raavanan and Mynaa were her picks for 2010. Dont be surprised folks for Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa and Manmadhan Ambu not making it to the lists, infact the actress has a special place for them.Looks like the starlet is really enjoying her New Year break.

Bala's Avan Ivan VS Maniratnam’s Agni Natchathiram

The Unit of director Bala’s ‘Avan Ivan’ was in splits on the other day when the temperamental director made a small-screen actor literally ‘sweat it out’ for having chided badly about the script of the film.

The actor, who plays a prominent ‘father role’ in a famous tele-serial on a popular regional channel, was reportedly called by Bala for an audition to play a role in his upcoming film ‘Avan Ivan’ starring Arya and Vishal.

The actor, who landed up at the shooting location of Tenkasi, told Bala that he felt that the script of Avan Ivan appeared very much similar to Maniratnam’s ‘Agni Natchathiram’ which released more than 20 years ago.

Stung by the criticism from the actor, Bala pretended as if he didn’t notice it and asked the actor to get himself ‘prepared’ to play the role. Later called a couple of his assistant directors and told them to bring rice and Urad dal for the actor so that he can grind them together using Aattu Kal(an archaic stone-made instrument meant for the purpose.)

“Practice grinding the mixture for three days. Before that, get out of your pant shirt and put this on,” saying so, he asked an old man, who was a by-stander, to give his old lungi and headgear (towel) to the actor, so brings in more reality to the scene.

The actor did as he was told is a different issue; the issue is whether the script is a novel one or is it the case of ‘old wine poured into a new bottle’? that makes Bala go mad about.

Kavalan And Aadukalam Is In Trouble For Ilaignan

In the never ending speculation of whose film releases when, every film is subject to an uncertainty of when it will release.

Kaavalan was said to be postponed or at least reports claimed that it got lesser theaters out of all the films releasing for Pongal.

Since it was too early, Kavalan took full measures to sort this problem out but now Aadukalam is in trouble.

It seems like only on the release date, which film has released can be known. Two reasons are attributed to the postponement of release, if it ‘were’ to happen.

Although it is most likely that it may release for Pongal, the element of doubt suggests that it may be postponed by at least two weeks.

First reason cited is that Aadukalam is unsure of securing maximum theaters. Courtesy, the bigger power of ‘Ilaignan’.

Ilaignan has secured the most number of theaters, by more than 300 centers, followed by Kavalan and finally Aadukalam has taken the beating.

It is also said that the Chief Minister asked Kalanidhi Maran to postpone release. So, Aadukalam’s release isn’t certain as at least a two week postponement is expected.