aASAL
December 2009 vol 3 issue 9 Monthly
+ g3 supplement inside
irresistible! simbu breaks the myth on his bad-boy image, his movies and his ladies
Christmas SPECIALS
letters to santa: celeb wants for xmas 2009 flick picks: stars pick their fave movie the year that was: the good & bad of 2009
&
spunky!
sameera reddy bhavana sizzle in aasal
the powerful female quotient in the next ajith starrer
contents 12.09
06. acknowledgmentS 08. readers’ voices
20MOVIE MANIA 20. PEEKABOO
A look at movies ready for release
40. galatta talkies
Movers and shakers at the box office
35A GALA-TTA TIME! 35. SUBSCRIBE!
Get GC to your doorstep - sign up here!
26. WHAT’S ON G.COM
Hot stuff on Galatta.com this month
82NOTE WORTHY 82. iN THE GROOVE
Soundtracks worth your money
60. COVER FEATURe
83. top of the charts Songs on the #1 lists
pg. 10
pg. 69
pg. 36
SORBET OF ACROSS 102 10 STARS BORDERS 100. BRINGING HOLLYWOOD HOME
10. KICKSTARt
Hollywood biggies in India
36. spot light
102. BEYOND SOUTH Hollywood & Bollywood goss
& 93ROUND ABOUT 94. Santa special
Of wishes & dreams
96. The movie of 2009
Stars make their flick pick
98. Look back 2009
Remembering the Good, the Bad & the Ugly of 2009
Kajal Aggarwal on a success wave Up close & personal with Simbu
48 rising stars
Sapan Saran & Munna
76. behind the scenes
Top film costumers - doing it in style!
90MEMORIES
90. nostalgia
AV Meiyappan, India’s Movie Moghul
107
HEY, GOODLOOKIN’
pg. 84 70. lookbook Fresh Face of the Month Parimal DIVA OF THE MONTH Rahasya
12JUICY STUFF 12. galatta grapevine
107. starry eyed
All the info, all the goss!
32. game-time
Kareena Kapoor
pg. 12
Contests to win in a flash!
24. cool stuff
Ashok’s techie side
28. SCENE ABOUT TOWN
Tinseltown’s shimmering dos
46. stargazing
Travel on the zodiac with the stars
110. wrap up
Just in, super-fresh news
50XTRA-G
50. The Hollywood Man
Ashok Amritraj
56. The reality stars
Silverscreen gets real
108. GALATTA GUEST
G. Dhananjayan of Moser Baer on the movie business
60COVER FEATURE 60. The aasal girls
Sameera and Bhavana tell all - working with Ajith and the journey so far: the Aasal Experience!
Editor’s Note
A jam-packed On the cover: Sameera Reddy Photography: Ram Bherwani Coordinated by: IPurple PR, Mumbai EDITOR Shakthi Girish EDITING CONSULTANT Ashok L. Rajani SUB-EDITOR Padma Iyer WRITERS Kaanchan B., Baiju N. Design Consultant Sharon Suares
DESIGNERS Punitha V., Rameshkumar M. Suresh Babu V. MANAGER - INDUSTRY RELATIONS & SALES Shailesh Kumaran Seran MD & CEO, GALATTA.COM C.R. Venkatesh
SPECIAL THANKS TO Mr. C. N. Ramdas IAS (R), Chairman, GNG Group of Companies Mr. C. R. Rajendran, Chairman, Bojaraj Textiles
Senior VICE PRESIDENT – Ad Sales Balasubramanian S. MANAGER – AD SALES Sunil Krishnamurthy Assistant Manager – Ad Sales (NCR) Akash Saxena sales & marketing rep. (Hyderabad) Indrani SENIOR MARKETING COORDINATOR Jayshree G. Manager - CIRCULATION Mohan H. PRINTING PRESS Rathna Offset Printers
Mrs. Kamalam Rajendran, MD, Bojaraj Textiles Mrs. Nirmala Ramdas, Director, GNG Group of Companies
Thank you for helping us put this issue together: Mr. Ramkumar, Sivaji Productions; IPurple PR, Mumbai for Sameera Reddy, Parimal of Odi Polamaa, Mr. Kiran Reddy & Mr. Swaroop Reddy of Sathyam Cinemas, Mr. Vijayakumar Radhakrishnan – CTO, Dot Com Infoway Ltd. and Mr. Gnanam. We thank the ENTIRE FILM industry: actors, producers, technicians, managers and PROs, assistants, other staff and those who have supported us. Special thanks: To our beloved Venket Ram, whose genius is only surpassed by his generosity. His shots inspire great stories! Our buddy Sunder Ramu, whose love for colour is as rich as his exuberance. Stylists and idea-banks who lend unique excellence to Galatta Cinema. Our heartfelt thanks to: Mr. Randor Guy who spearheads the Nostalgia section of our magazine. His superb memory and inimitable writing style have brought an eclectic feel and old-world charm to Galatta Cinema! To advertise on Galatta Cinema, contact: Balasubramanian S. at +91-98409 11777 Sunil Krishnamurthy at +91-96000 84464 Akash Saxena (New Delhi) +91-99999 84203 Indrani +91-98498 34123 Shailesh Kumaran Seran at +91-95000 51947 For coverage of events and publicity on Galatta, contact: Shailesh Kumaran Seran at +91-95000 51947 Or email us at: ads@galattacinema.com For retail and distribution enquiries, contact: Mohan H. +91-97909 78455 For more info, log onto: www.galattacinema.com Address: Galatta Cinema, Post Box 7166, Chennai 600 102 Talk to us! Email: editor@galattacinema.com Snail Mail: Galatta Cinema, Post Box No. 7166, Chennai 600 102, Tamilnadu, India
6 Galatta Cinema |december 2009
he busiest month of the year. Parties, cake mixes soaked in rum for the big “X” day, gifts bought, warm and fuzzy feelings, friends and family gathered... hail December and all its festive trappings. It’s no different in tinseltown either; with new soundtracks launched (in time for Jan 2010 movie releases), overdue movies hitting the screens (finally) and the industry’s own brand of celebrity parties and whatnot.
F
or Galatta Media, it’s a big month: Not only do we have a superb lineup of reading material on Galatta.com, Galatta Cinema and Chennai’s beloved G3, we also have a Christmas party of our own to throw and of course, continue lending our support to an admirable and extravagant affair happening in Chennai for the first time ever – the Chennai International Fashion Week. Showcasing Spring-Summer 2010 trends by some of India’s top designers (including our very own Sidney Sladen and Rehane Yavar Dhala), CIFW promises an exciting week of fashion, with back-toback shows from December 16-20, 2009; followed by some uber-cool after-parties, of course! Yeah! We’re talking gorgeous Indian and international supermodels, celebrity showstoppers galore and some of the finest clothing Chennai has ever seen! This pioneering effort by Storm Fashion aims to put Chennai on the world fashion map even as the untapped market is explored. Log on to: www.galatta.com/ cifw for donor passes; or log onto www.cifw.in for more info. etting back to the business of movies: After our steady campaign for Ajith-starrer Aasal since April 2009 this month, the lovely ladies of Aasal dominate our cover feature and we talk about their powerful presence in the movie, scheduled to release in January ‘10. Sameera Reddy looks divine on the cover and Bhavana continues to look dew-fresh and feminine. Read on and await this blockbuster! We managed to ensnare the “bad boy” of Tamil cinema and put him under the Spotlight... only to discover that he’s irresistible and admirably candid about everything – from his career graph to his ladies and his need to go beyond hitherto explored boundaries. In an exclusive photoshoot with G. Venket Ram, Simbu is transformed into an artist’s delight. In another special interview, Ashok Amritraj, a doyen of cinema, wowed audiences in a tete-a-tete in Chennai recently, prompting us to talk about his interesting life and exciting films. Read on for a glimpse into his perspectives. e call it Round & About and we’re talking Christmas and inner desires straight out with the celebs in our December special. Next: The newest kid on the block is Parimal, who is about to debut with Odipolamaa; but a little-known other fact about him is that his sister is none other than the talented and experienced actress Sangitha – one of our personal favourite celeb ladies! Next: Rags, Diva of the Month on Galatta.com and diva forever for us personally, wows us with her versatile, international looks in a special LookBook. Next: Ever wondered where stars on screen get their sometimes fantastic, sometimes bizarre outfits from? Well, clothes maketh the man (and woman) and the fab stylists featured on our special Behind The Scenes feature maketh these unforgettable clothes! We loved getting some gyan from them! No, we won’t deprive you of your usual dose of preview, reviews, gossip, special features, cool stuff and all our regular exciting features, so happy reading! :
Chief Designer Sankaran N.
PRESIDENT, GALATTA.COM Girish Ramdas
T
December
G
W
M
eanwhile, ‘tis the season to be jolly and generous, so keep that warm, fuzzy feeling, be good to each other and rejoice at being alive. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Shakthi Girish
Readers’ Voices too hot for november! Mind-blowing clarity of the November GC cover, fabulous cover feature and amazing visual impact... Meenakshi looked better than many of our #1 starlets! Not just in oomph value but also in the aesthetics of her oomph! Good work, GC! - Hemanth Gupta, Bangalore spelling it out Some of our valued readers wrote to us that they noticed a few typos and errors not seen in our earlier issues. On behalf of Galatta Cinema, I apologise for these and also welcome such pointers – we work every month only to keep you, our readers, engrossed in our magazine, so your constructive criticism is most valuable and taken into consideration seriously. We have revamped the way we look at content and we hope you will all find a marked difference this month! Keep writing in to us! - Editor fashion fiesta? Hi! I am reading about Chennai International Fashion Week everywhere! Wow. I am sure
the people of Chennai and the designers of Chennai are super proud that someone is bringing such a huge event to Chennai! I am a Chennai loyalist and can’t wait to catch some of the shows at least. Please tell me how I can get myself into shows at CIFW? Do I need big bucks or bigwig friends? - Christina M., Chennai Hahaha! Big bucks and bigwig friends would definitely help at high-profile events like CIFW, but your enthusiasm more than overshadows both options. Yes, there are a limited number of donor passes available for purchase on www.galatta.com/ cifw. Log on now, while they still last. Yes, we Chennaiites are proud to be a part of this event of many firsts and we hope to see hundreds of people there, cheering our national and international designers on! - Editor boy-o-boy bharath! Honestly, I have never seen Bharath look as cool and urban as in GC in the November issue! Wow, great pics, great styling and great body language. It
mobile mayhem GC has taken the mobile platform by storm - today you can read every month’s issue of Galatta Cinema from your phone and on your phone! Whether you’re on Nokia OVI or the Android platform or the IPhone, simply log on to your app. store and download GC every month. It’s free... for now!
8 Galatta Cinema |december 2009
We want to hear from you!
Write in to us with your comments, critiques, wish lists on who you want to see featured, what you like, what you hate and pretty much... your inner thoughts! The fastest way, of course is, email: feedback@galattacinema.com
egged me on to check out everything from his movie Kanden Kadhalai to his clothing style at Chennai’s stores! Good work! It’s nice to see that once in a while, good-looking men also count in your agenda of fab photo shoots every year! It gives us guys some worth and of course, fashion and style references, haha! Keep it up and keep bringing us some more of our fancy bru-thahs into your magazine. Peace out. - Randall Wesley, Bangalore
Snail
mail is good too Post Box No. 7166, Chennai 600 102. We look forward to filling this page with YOUR words!
like the “manavaadu” It’s great to see more and more Telugu and pan-South content in GC every month. I can already visualize a jam-packed magazine every month, with more info from all Southern states! I hope you’ll different covers too! - Krishna Reddy, Vijaywada
fashion mania in december ‘09! CIFW is probably the biggest event Galatta Media is associated with and perhaps the most stylish. The week-long fashion fest features top designers from the country and fab international designers as well! We want you there - so log onto www.galatta.com/cifw for info on donor passes and shows!
KICKSTART Kajal Aggarwal Right from July 2009, Kajal Aggarwal has been ruling Tollywood. After all, she was the heroine opposite superstar-in-the-making Ram Charan Teja in Tollywood’s biggest-ever blockbuster Magadheera, which has already collected Rs. 77.73 crores, breaking the record held by Pokiri. With this much-awaited success in her three year
Asked about Magadheera, Kajal says that it all happened unexpectedly and calls it her fortune to be a part of this most exciting project. After the success of Arundhati, period dramas turned out to be the trend and Magadheera consequently evoked huge expectations among movie buffs. So Kajal had to work extra hard to do justice to her role and even went through hard-and-fast dancing classes to look like a classical dancer in the ‘Dheera dheera dheera’ song. Magadheera was truly challenging, as she had never before played a princess or a dual role. Playing the heroine of a love story 400 years old is no easy task. As the period story doesn’t allow any physical contact; she had to display every emotion with her eyes, which demanded thorough homework. She says that she watched lots of Raj Kapoor-Nargis films to grasp how they beautifully emoted their feelings – without touching. “In some scenes, I needed to express my emotions through my eyes without a single dialogue and director Rajamouli sir would never okay the scene until he felt that I gave the right kind of expression,” Kajal remembers. On the other hand, Kajal had to play the princess Mitrabrinda one day and the very next day, modern Miss Indhu. She took training in horse riding and sword fighting for the princess role. Kajal is now truly happy and praises her mother for being her only stress-buster during those tight shooting schedules.
career, Kajal Aggarwal is today flooded with offers in Tollywood, and is busy with seven big budget movies: Arya 2, Naan Mahaan Alla (Tamil), Om Shanti, Darling, Chandi, Brindavanam and Orange. As with most actors, Kajal Aggarwal’s debut film (Lakshmi Kalyanam in 2007) was not a roaring success. But with luck and God’s grace, she will become successful, she says. She feels that every film she has done in the past has been a thorough learning experience in terms of behaving before the camera or spontaneity.
10 Galatta Cinema |december 2009
The actress naturally pins her hopes on her forthcoming movies, particularly the heroine-oriented Chandi, a socio-fantasycum-graphical extravaganza like Arundhati, which reportedly gives her great scope for performance. To be directed by Kodi Ramakrishna of Arundhati fame, the film will start rolling in December. Let’s hope Kajal creates the same Magadheera magic in Chandi too. - compiled and written by Baiju N. There are many stars today who have reached where they are because of their positivity and their determination to succeed. Such is the star who Kickstarts Galatta Cinema every month. SALUTE! G C
Singer-turned-actress Shruti Haasan’s Telugu debut opposite Siddharth began shooting recently at Ramoji Film City, Hyderabad. This fantasy film is directed by Prakash Kovelamudi (son of K. Raghavendra Rao) and produced by K. Raghavendra Rao. Child artiste Shriya Sharma plays an important role in this film, which has music by Mickey J. Meyer.
After making her debut with the Malayalam film Fiddle, Ananya migrated to Tamil and made it big with her outstanding performance in the super hit Naadodigal. This young and talented actress is now making a comeback to Malayalam with director Shaji Azeez’s upcoming comedy Oridathoru Postman, starring Suresh Gopi in the title role.
Golden star Ganesh will be the hero of National award-winning Priyamani’s second Kannada film produced by Chandrasekhar. Chandrasekhar is planning to start shooting by the end of November or in early December. R.P. Patnaik will score music. Priyamani is currently acting in her debut Kannada film Raam opposite Puneet Rajkumar.
Bharath Reddy is still revelling in the joy of having worked with Kamal Haasan in Unnaipol Oruvan. “It was a once-ina-life-time experience to have worked with Kamal Haasan and Mohanlal. The tips they gave me and the lessons I learned by just observing the way they approached various situations in the movie will go a long way in helping me shape my career and become a good actor,” he exults.
Priyanka Trivedi stepped in films with Raajjiyam, bid goodbye after marrying Kannada superstar Upendra and later made her comeback with Srimathi opposite Uppi. Priyanka, in a recent interview, stated that she will soon host a Kannada TV reality show similar to the Farah Khan hosted Hindi show ‘Entertainment Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega’.
14 Galatta Cinema |december 2009
Dancing for “item numbers” mean fast money in a few days. Hence, many leading ladies have succumbed to the temptation and done a gig in a number of movies. Lakshmi Rai is no exception. But now, after shedding oodles of weight, she is now concentrating solely on main roles. She has absolutely refused to consider any “single dance” numbers.
Photography: G. Venket Ram
Trisha is now migrating to Bollywood with Priyadharshan’s Khatta Meetha opposite Akshay Kumar. While we hear lots about how great she is performing on the sets, rumour-mongers say the actress accepted this film for a very low salary, one-fourth of Rs. 80 lakhs that she demands in Tamil and Telugu, in the desire to advance her career to B-town. Suriya has denied recent media reports that he has signed a Sinhalese movie to be directed by Suresh Kumarasinghe. The actor stated that the rumour is untrue; he is currently fully focused on Singam (directed by Hari) and Ram Gopal Varma’s bilingual Rakta Charitra being made in Hindi and Telugu.
Veteran Malayalam actor-producerwriter-director Sreenivasan was recently presented the Sathyan Memorial Award, instituted by Kerala Cultural Forum in memory of legendary Malayalam actor Sathyan. He was selected for this award for his contribution as an actor, scriptwriter, producer and director.
16 Galatta Cinema |december 2009
PEEKA
Boo
GET A sneak peek into THE LATEST ATTRACTIONS COMING
BANNER: Capital Film Works PRODUCER: S.P. Charan DIRECTOR: Shakti K. Rajan
CINEMATOGRAPHY: Om Prakash MUSIC: James Vasanthan MUSIC LABEL: Capital Sound Works/ Sony Music
Naanayam is an action-thriller-comedy about a bank robbery with Sibiraj in an almost-Sathyaraj, tongue-incheek, villainous style. Yes, Sibi is being introduced as the bad guy in Naanayam.
commercial cinema, the combination is sure to work and I think I have made a calculated move with Naanayam.” So how did he get S.P. Charan to produce the film? “I actually approached Charan for a role in the film. But when he heard the story, he showed interest to produce it. I accepted the offer!.”
This movie, a blend of old-fashioned mind games and exciting chases, promises to be an intelligent thriller. James Vasanthan scores the music and S.P. Charan’s famous father SPB will be seen on screen after a long time. After working with the likes of Mysskin and Venkat Prabhu, Shakti K. Rajan makes his directorial debut.
What kind of producer is S.P. Charan? How does he contribute to the film? “His biggest contribution to the film is his non-interference. He gives you complete creative freedom. He doesn’t even watch a single frame. I think his presence is encouragement enough.
Now something about the cast of the film. There is quite an interesting line-up: “Sibi is the villain of the film, the bad guy. And I must say that he has done a wonderful job. Actually, Sibi was not doing films for some time because he was waiting for a good script. And when So wasn’t he apprehensive about choosing a thriller subject I met him and narrated the story, he agreed immediately. But he also said that he would like his father Sathyaraj to okay it. I for his first film? “Absolutely not, on the other hand I was very nervous when I met the veteran actor, but when he think it is a safe bet. When Hollywood meets South Indian Galatta Cinema spoke to Shakti, who has worked with the likes of Mysskin and Venkat Prabhu and is inspired by Quentin Tarantino’s films, is all set to debut with a thriller Naanayam.
20 Galatta Cinema |december 2009
SOON TO THEATRES NEAR YOU... heard the film, he was more excited than Sibi, He said that the film reminded him of the negative roles he had done under Manivannan sir’s direction.” “Well, what can I say about Prasanna? He is an actor who brings a lot to the table. He is extremely talented and does not require a lot of instructions. Just the scene and he knows what he has to do. Actually, it was the same with Sibi as well. All I had to do was tell them the scene of the day, they would learn their lines and on the day of the shoot, I just had to say ‘Action’ and ‘Cut’.” “Getting SPB on board was the last thing on my mind. I had offered the role to Charan first, but since he was also the producer of the film, he said that he did not want to take up two responsibilities. It was he who suggested that I narrate the role to his dad. I was nervous at first, but SPB sir understood the character so well and agreed immediately. He even suggested that I make the film without songs, but I was not ready to take such a huge chance, not yet!” “The actresses in the film Yasmin and Ramya, are very integral to the plot. They are not eye candy, but contribute to the story. And I happy the way their characters have turned out.” So what are Shakti’s expectations from the film? “I will not say that I am not looking for success and appreciation; I definitely am. But I also feel that Naanayam will not fail me. The story has all the elements of a commercial entertainer and will definitely appeal to the audience. Actually when I wrote the script of the film, I knew that I can not go wrong with this film.”
This is the first time that James Vasanthan is composing for a thriller. Talking about the film, he said, “It was a welcome change for me. Director Shakti and I were on the same wavelength creatively and it helped me a lot. And given the genre of Naanayam, I had a lot of potential to experiment. I always wanted work with a dark subject and I got the opportunity with this movie. And the best part was I am also doing the background score of the film. I must say that I enjoy re-recording much more and working on Naanayam has been immensely satisfying.” So what are his personal favourite tracks? James says that though all the songs have turned out well, “Two songs; one sung by SPB and Chitra and a club number by Sunitha Sarathy are sure to rock the charts.” Visit the official website of the movie www.naanayam.in for more news and downloads about the film. You can listen to Naanayam songs on www.galatta.com
PEEKA
Boo
GET A sneak peek iNto THE LATEST ATTRACTIONS COMING
aval peyar tamilarasi
-Tamil
Jai, Nandagi, Kanja Karuppu | a Meera Kathiravan film Produced by Moser Baer Entertainment, Blue Ocean Banner: Moser Baer Entertainment
WATCH OUT FOR A serious love story
RELEASING December 2009 The story about a girl Tamilarasi, whom the hero is in search of. romance All that is needed is one single moment that can change the course of one’s life. The protagonist of this love story (Jai) also undergoes a similar experience. How he reconstructs his life forms the rest of the story. The movie will premiere at the Dubai International Film Festival to be held from December 9-16, 2009.
goa -Tamil
Sneha, Jai, Piaa, Vaibhav, Premji | a VENKAT PRABHU film Produced by Soundarya Rajinikanth Banner: Ocher Studios
WATCH OUT FOR A complete entertainer set in the beautiful beaches of Goa
RELEASING January 2010 Goa is about four guys who only desire to marry beautiful foreign girls. They head all the way to Goa in search of their dream girls. Goa promises to be a fun and jolly movie like Hollywood’s American Pie and Road Trip. Another highlight of the film is Sneha, who plays a role with grey shades for the first time in her career. Simbu and Nayantara make cameo appearances in the film. Music is scored by Yuvanshankar Raja. Cinematography is by Shakthi Saravanan.
enter tainer
22 Galatta Cinema |december 2009
SOON TO THEATRES NEAR YOU...
katha
- Telugu
Genelia, Arun Kumar | a Srinivas Raga film Produced by Gunnam Gangaraju Banner: Just Yellow
WATCH OUT FOR Genelia’s performance
RELEASING January 2010 Katha revolves around a school teacher, played by Genelia, and her boyfriend, played by Arun thriller Kumar. National Award winner Prakashraj plays a pivotal role in the film. The story takes place in a hill station and a major part of the film was shot at Araku. This is the first time that Genelia is playing such a deglamourized and mature role, a complete departure from her bubbly and cute roles. Reportedly the actress has been paid close to Rs. I crore for this romantic thriller.
Ividam Swargamaanu - Malayalam Mammootty, Sreenivasan | a Roshan Andrews film Produced by Antony Perumbavoor Banner: Ashirwad Cinemas
WATCH OUT FOR Mohanlal, Sreenivasan combo
RELEASING December 2009 Mohanlal plays a traditional Kanjirapally Syrian Christian farmer named Matthew. Thilakan drama will play Mohanlal’s dad nearly 10 years after the blockbuster Narasimham. Mohanlal’s two favourite screen mothers (Kaviyoor Ponnamma and Sukumari) play his mother and aunt in this family entertainer.
Carribeans
- Malayalam
Kalabhavan Mani, Swetha Menon | an Irshad film Produced by Nanda Kumar Banner: Nandana Films
WATCH OUT FOR Kalabhavan Mani’s action
RELEASING January 2010 Carribeans stars comedian-turned-hero Kalabhavan Mani. Despite his hero projects drama doing average business at the box-office, the talented actor has several films under his belt. Swetha Menon plays the female lead. Actors Suman and Biju Menon play pivotal roles in the film, the story of which has been penned by Suresh Pathiseri. The cinematography is by Nambiathiri.
Galatta Cinema | december 2009 23
COOL STUFF Ashok I am not really a gadget/gizmo freak but I like stuff that is more of a necessity rather than a mere piece of luxury. In that regard I love my Acer Laptop and my Nokia 5800 Express Music. I guess that should be enough considering that I said that I am not really a gadget freak! Well, let me explain… my Laptop is the best pal to unwind with when free. It helps me interact with my fans and friends across the globe directly. With chats and networking sites like Facebook and Orkut et al, the world has shrunk so much that it fits into my Acer laptop! Well, on a lighter, funnier note, I am aware of Sony’s new Size Zero laptop. It looks cool and slim, but naah! we have better options to think about when it’s about Size Zero, don’t we?! Kidding! Now getting to the next gadget, my Nokia 5800 Express Music. I love the big screen, the audio output, the 8GB built in memory. It’s user friendly. And friends! As actors, we work on tight schedules (my passion today is my profession by God’s Grace) and these gadgets ‘help me in my life but are not my life’! (They tend to get addictive at times!)
Gen Stuff
XTREME COOL At a glance • Wireless Stereo Headphones HBH-IS800 • Standard charger CST-61 • Carry case • User guide • Charges through Sony Ericsson standard charger (incl.) Weight: 12.8 g Length of cable: 370 mm Colour: Black with silver details No. of keys: 1 Compatibility: All Bluetooth™ music mobile phones that support the Blue¬tooth™ A2DP and AVRCP profiles (music streaming)
24 Galatta Cinema |december 2009
Wireless Stereo Headphones HBH-IS800
Designed to free your music Smallest headphones in the world of their type for ultimate discretion Play/standby time: 4 h talk/music playing time 270 h standby time The HBHIS800 was designed for style and technology leaders who like to spend time with their friends and share their latest discovery. Leading journalists from Connexie, AutoWeek, JouwMobiel, Mobile Cowboys and GSM Helpdesk Nederland gathered at Spyker Cars in the Netherlands to determine the winners of the 2009 Dutch Accessory Awards. And the winner of Best Bluetooth™ Headset was HBHIS800! Main features Wireless convenience: Keep the great sound – lose the cords! Wirelessly connected to your music mobile phone, the HBH-IS800 brings you complete handsfree freedom. The setup is easy and when it has been done you just press play on your music mobile phone to enjoy hours of wireless music. Has never been this small: Made up of sleek headphones and a short cable that give you the freedom to listen to music and answer calls discreetly, this Bluetooth headset is the smallest of its type and a benchmark for the industry and next to invisible. The lightweight design allows you to wear the headphones for hours on end. A small and stylish carry case protects the headphones during transport. Powerful sound: The HBH-IS800 brings wireless convenience and a lightweight design without compromising audio quality. The phone is your remote control, allowing you to change tracks and adjust the volume. When the phone rings, the music mutes and you can take or reject the call. Exclusivity: Style, function and sound quality come together to create an extraordinary wireless music experience. Made of high-quality materials, the HBH-IS800 is not only your best music companion, but looks the part as well.
what’s on Galatta.com
in-house snippets Bharath Exclusive Photoshoot Galatta caught Bharath exclusively as the actor talked about his movies, his aspirations and dreams. It was an interesting and wonderful experience shooting the young actor who is currently riding the success wave of his runaway hit Kanden Kadhalai.
recent updates TELUGU.galatta.com DESKTOP POSTERS You can download the posters of your favourite Telugu stars and movies. Check out the G!Downloads section to get the latest posters. Rambha
Rana Daggubati Special This young actor comes from a rich and successful movie lineage, but this has not affected his dedication to succeed in films. Having dabbled in other fields, Rana will make his acting debut in the film Leader. Check out the latest photos and news about this young actor on telugu.galatta.com. Rana
Photography: Muthukumar Styling: Basics Life Hair & makeup: Poco Salon
26 Galatta Cinema |december 2009
music.galatta.com latest songs
For the latest and hottest movie songs in Tamil and Telugu, the right place to be is http://music.galatta.com. You can listen to your favourite tracks and also download them. And the best part about all this listening and downloading is that it is Movie: Naan Avan Illai 2
December Special
100% LEGAL G! downloads
100% legal. Our latest additions in Tamil include: Paiyya, Naanayam, Aval Peyar Tamilarasi, Naan Avan Illai 2, Kanagavel Kaaka and Appavi.. In Telugu also, songs of all the latest movies are available. The list includes Leader, Kasko, Arya 2, Saleem and Pravarakyudu.
Movie: Arya 2 Other prized additions to the vast music collection are songs from the latest Kannada blockbusters: Gokula, Manasaare and Ullasa Utsaha.
DIVA of the month RaHasya
Movie: Manasaare
Rahasya is our Diva of the Month. Completely down-to-earth, this Mumbai girl dropped into our Galatta office one afternoon and won us all over with her charm and frank attitude. She may be the hot item girl on screen, but off-screen, she is a cool dudette, a complete tomboy. You can learn more about her in our exclusive LookBook in this issue of Galatta Cinema and of course, on www.galatta.com.
Galatta Cinema | december 2009 27
Kamal Haasan at MEBC 2009 Press Conference
Jiiva dubs for Kacheri Aarambam at Super Good Studios
Parties, premieres, launches, birthday bashes... Tinseltown down South always rocks in its own way and don’t let anyone tell you any different! November 2009 was so packed, that we’re not even going to give you long explanations on what happened... Not when we can give it to you in the most vivid, visual manner! Take a look at June through these pages....
Diva of the Month Rahasya at Galatta office
Arun Vijay, S.P Charan at 2012 premiere show
28 Galatta Cinema |december 2009
SCENE about town
Leader audio launch
Shalini, Ajith, Trisha, Ramya Krishnan and Sangitha at Sidney Sladen’s Tudor Party
Celebrities at Chinna Thirai Awards 2009
Paiyya audio launch
Kamal Haasan at Rotary Club of Madras Function
Allu Arjun at Arya 2 press meet
Galatta Cinema | december 2009 29
Tamannaah at Cake Mixing in Green Park
Kanagavel Kaaka audio launch
Kamal Haasan at Abirami Mega Serial Launch
Harris Jayaraj at Saptaswara Musicals opening
Mumtaj, Sandya, Sarathkumar with Radikaa, Suriya, Karthi at Pazhassi Raja premiere show
Celebrities gather for AP Flood victims
30 Galatta Cinema |december 2009
Kandha Kottai audio launch
Director Ameer press meet
Bayam Ariyaan audio launch
Pournami Naagam audio launch
Nanu Nana Kanasu Movie Pooja
Saleem audio launch
Children’s International Film Festival
Jewellery designer Farah Khan & Khushbu
Galatta Cinema | december 2009 31
+ =
just a couple of ingredients that make for a
buttery smooth MOVIE EXPERIENCE Your monthly dose of celebrity thrills, spills and of course, stories with substance (a Galatta USP!) is just a few clicks away: log onto www.galattacinema.com
E
IB R C S
SUB
W O N
f ic o g a em een e th v i l scr e r r e to silv the
&YOU
PHOTOGRAPHY: g. venket ram styling: priyanka gopal | CLOTHES courtesy: BASICS LIFE | make-up: a. jayaraj | hair: rachel
Galatta Cinema | december 2009 36
simbu
genesis of a star
With a candour like never before, Simbu opens up on his life, his movies, his dreams & desires and how he has loved and lost. As top-notch photographer G. VENKET RAM captures this young star’s moods and moments, Simbu breaks the myth that he’s a stray bullet and proves that there is more to him than meets the eye. While Priyanka Gopal styles him with easywear from BASICS LIFE clothing and some knickknacks that match his mercurial nature, Simbu ensnares KAANCHAN with his words and his understated charm...
Simbu is a changed person... And change is not always a bad thing. In his case especially, change is what will take him to a place far removed from his rather notorious image, and let people realize that he is not that hyper, action-seeking hero any more. For an actor who has grown up in front of the camera, it’s always difficult to see the line that separates the reel things from the real. The fog rises and what does Simbu sees more clearly now? That there is so much more to cinema than mass punch dialogues and mass flicks. You can’t blame the young guy for getting carried away by the Mass Mania, but you sure can stick by him as he takes on a new avatar and embarks on a brand new journey through cinema...
What’s new with you? Just the look or does it go deeper? Well, I like to believe there is something new. If you take my movies that have released so far, they will all be varied, but the only criterion for me to sign them on was whether I would suit the role. I did not have the bigger picture in mind, as in the movies’ impact on my image or career. I just did them because I knew I could! But now, I am rethinking that screening process. As an actor, I have grown up now and I must be able to judge for myself the way every movie I do will affect me personally and professionally. I’m redefining myself and my career moves. I won’t do everything that comes my way. I’ve gotten more choosey.
Vallavan had a lot of gray areas. Could that be the reason for its poor show? In real life, when two people are in love, they do not just hold hands and go to the cinema or a park. There’s so much more that happens and I’m not talking just about sex. I wanted the love story in my movie to be different from the usual ones we see in movies. I wanted to add a touch of reality. You may call it a gray area, but it exists and that’s what I showed in it. When I make a movie, I want it to be unique. I want it to touch a new level. Possibly the public did not appreciate my narration.
Vallavan may have touched gray areas, but these areas exist. And that’s what i have dealt with in the movie. 38 Galatta Cinema |december 2009
BUt as a Hero you have done the typical Tamil mass hero several times. How come? As a director, I don’t mind exploring different kind of scripts and characters. But as an actor, sometimes it’s better to go with the popular trend. If the hit formula at the moment is a stunning hero intro sequence, lots of action and a kuthu song, then that’s the movie I will pick. That doesn’t mean I will only do formula films, but offbeat roles require a director who can pull it off beautifully. Sadly or otherwise, it’s the regular mass movies that make more money. But hark! After a complete mass movie like Silambattam, I could have opted to do an action flick with Gautham Menon, but I picked a nice melodic romance instead.
You have an Image, Won’t your fans be disappointed with romance? When I decided to do the movie, I told Gautham not to worry about my ‘image’. That is something that people have developed in their minds. Ultimately, what the die-hard fan wants is for me to give him something good. Vinnaithandi Varuvaya will do that.
Vaaliban; what’s that about? It’s about rewriting the rules of movie making! I want to break the mould. I have always been irked by the way a flashback sequence is narrated, technically and screenplay-wise. Vaaliban has a flashback sequence but a with a screenplay you’ve never seen before. Likewise, there are rules in cinema where the heroine is portrayed as nothing more than a glam doll. Vaaliban breaks that mould as well. In most movies these days, dialogues are inserted just to get applause. I have ignored that altogether and focussed only on the script and its demands. As a director, I have the power to explore. I am tired of doing the same things over and over again.
I’ve been single for three years now. It’s gotten very lonely these days. But I’m not looking for love. Love will find me! Galatta Cinema | december 2009 39
40 Galatta Cinema |december 2009
Music & You: What’s the equation? I am very passionate about music. I created the characters of Manmadhan while listening to music. Music inspires me. Recently, I have sung for a lot of movies. It’s not for the money, but just for the love of it. I’ve been paid a mere 10,000 once for a song, which I accepted without complaining!
Bad boy simbu: That’s the popular notion about you. How did that happen? I think it’s the work of people who feared I may come up too soon! They envy my talent! It’s somewhat like a movie where the guy you thought was the villain turns out to be the good guy! For me, reputation is what people think; character is what you are. I know who I am, I don’t bother about what is being said about me. When you get to know me well, you will see that I am not like what I am made out to be! Hero, Anti-Hero, Villain: What’s your pick? I really hate being restricted by an image and then sticking to roles that suit that image. But the problem is that with me, I have noticed that people judge me in reality by the roles I play in my movies. Rumours about me and various actresses began soon after Manmadhan. People thought I was the same in real life. Being judged like that is very restricting, but I refuse to let that tie me down. If I get to play a villain like Joker in the Batman movie, I will happily take it on.
Simbu’s secret: Tell us something less known about you... I don’t like crowds. I need my space, my alone time every night, where I am not Simbu, but just me. No worries, no deadlines, nothing. I’m not hooked on to my mobile phone. I love to stop at a friend’s house in the middle of the night to chat up, while everyone is asleep... there’s no one to point out at me, Simbu... I am just a normal guy at that time. I revel in these personal moments.
What’s coming up? What’s going on with you? On the personal front, I’ve been single for the last three years. It’s got quite lonely these days. So I’m planning to go for some classes and then sign on movies back-to-back. I’m not looking for love. Love should find me. I can’t scan every girl who comes by and rationalize if she is the one. It should come naturally. Till that happens, I will keep working, movie after movie without a break!
Simbu in style “I am an easy dresser. I buy simple tees, jeans and trousers from brands like Armani XChange and Zara. More than the “design” of my clothing, I am particular about the brand, the quality and the fit. I like quirky clothing, but I prefer part-clean, partlayered styles; like the ones I am wearing now.”
Basic style tips How do you dress a man to show off his personality to the max.? Simbu is young and energetic sometimes and quiet and sombre at other times. His urbanity is the common factor; so a mix ‘n’ match styling suits him perfectly. You can see him in a Chennai Matter t-shirt teamed with simple knit hoodie for a light-winter look; or cool blue workman’s fitted shirt worn with regular dark jeans worn in cuffed style and some quirky bright, white sandals; or even with a formal workwear pink shirt teamed with light khakis, moccasins and a New York-style knitted scarf to add to the metrosexual urban male look. Simple, effective, cool! All of Simbu’s styles can be put together at the BASICS LIFE and GENESIS clothing stores.
Galatta Cinema | december 2009 41
s e i k l a T a t t a Gal
BOX OFFICE HITS OR ABYSMAL DISASTERS ?
Kanden Kadhalai
-Tamil Banner: Moser Baer and Blue Ocean Producers: V.M. Lalitha, G. Dhananjayan On her way to her hometown Theni by train, Anjali meets businessman Shaktivel, who is depressed as his lover is getting married to someone else. By a freak accident, Anjali misses her train and forces Shaktivel to come with her to her hometown as she missed the train because of him. He agrees and this is where the movie begins its roller-coaster plot. The movie is the remake of the Hindi super hit Jab We Met. Cast: Bharath, Tamannaah, Munna, Sapan Saran Direction: Kannan Cinematography: P.G. Muthaiah Music: Vidyasagar Genre: Romantic comedy Rating: +Point: Performances of the actors Letdown: The Jab We Met magic is missing
Adhe Neram Adhe Idam -tamil Banner : Lakshmi Pictures Producer: Ramakrishnan Karthik and Janani are lovebirds, always spending time together. Karthik’s dad comes to know of their affair and strictly instructs Karthik to find a job instead of chit-chatting with his friends all day. He sends Karthik to Australia, promising that he will let Karthik marry Janani in an year. But Janani marries Siva, a leading industrialist. Karthik returns to Chennai and is shattered to know he has been betrayed by Janani. Then, he decides to extract his revenge. Cast: Jai, Vijayalakshmi Direction: M. Prabhu Cinematography: Pavan Sekar Music: Premji Amaran Genre: Romance Rating: +Point: Songs and bold theme Letdown: Slow screenplay
42 Galatta Cinema |december 2009
Saa Boo Thrii
- Tamil Banner: R Studios Producer: Rajesh Khanna Paul, Keerthi and Bala are friends living in the same apartment. Keerthi is married to Joe, but they secretly seek friends and romance on the Internet and mobile. Bala tries to avoid Lekha whom his parents have chosen for him, as he is in love with another girl. Paul has a yen for ladies older than him and fancies getting married to Filomina, a married neighbour, who commits adultery and elopes with her lover. The rest tells whether things end happily for each of the protagonists. Cast: Arshad Khan, Prajin, Akshay Direction: Arshad Khan Cinematography: P.L. Sanjay Music: Abbas Rafi Genre: Comedy Rating: +Point: Commendable effort Letdown: Characters lack depth
HITS OR MISSES? GET THE INFO ON WHICH RELEASES PEOPLE LOVED, LIKED OR SIMPLY HATED.
Top 5 -telugu
Banner: Moon Water Pictures Producer: Mahi Village Lo Vinayakudu, a sequel to Vinayakudu, is about a rotund school teacher Karthik, who is in love with a medico Kavya, who lost her mom at a tender age and is under the care of her loving dad, army officer Col. Lakshmipati. While Kavya finds it difficult to tell her dad that she loves Karthik, the fat guy arrives at the girl’s house by chance and straightaway blurts out to the dad that he loves Kavya. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Cast: Krishnudu, Saranya Mohan Direction: Sai Kiran Adivi Cinematography: Rams Music: Manikanth Kadri Genre: Romance Rating: +Point: No violence or vulgarity Letdown: No mass elements
-telugu Banner: Anandi Art Creations Producer: Kiran A remake of Dhanush’s Tamil film Polladavan, Kurradu is about Varun, a happy-go-lucky guy who purchases a bike with the money that his middleclass father gives him to find his livelihood. The bike eventually gets lost, subjecting him to interminable anguish as he searches for it. During his search, he comes into conflict with the underworld. Although he wants to stay away, he unavoidably gets dragged into rubbing shoulders with criminals, who now target his family to seek revenge. Cast: Varun Sandesh, Neha Sharma Direction: Sandeep Gunnam Cinematography: Sarvesh Murari Music: Atchu Genre: Action Rating: +Point: Music and cinematography Letdown: Too much violence
BLOCKBUSTERS aadhavan Director: K.S. Ravikumar Cast: Suriya, Nayantara Music: Harris Jayara
kanden Kadhalai Director: Kannan Cast: Bharath, Tamannaah Music: Vidyasagar
pazhassi raja Director: Hariharan Cast: Mammootty, Sarathkumar Music: Ilayaraja
Unnaipol Oruvan Director: Chakri Toleti Cast: Kamal Haasan, Mohanlal Music: Shruti K. Haasan
adhe neram adhe idam Director: M. Prabhu Cast: Jai, Vijayalaskhmi Music: Premji Amaran
maGadheera Director: S.S. Rajamouli Cast: Ram Charan Teja, Kajal Aggarwal Music: M.M. Keeravani
TELUGU
kurradu
TAMIL
Villagelo Vinayakudu
HIGH fives
Village Lo Vinayakudu Director: Sai Kiran Adavi Cast: Krishnudu, Saranya Mohan Music: Manikanth Kadri ek niranjan Director: Puri Jagannath Cast: Prabhas, Kangna Ranaut Music: Mani Sharma Mahatma Director: Krishna Vamsi Cast: Srikanth, Bhavana Music: Vijay Antony
bendu apparao Director: EVV Satyanarayana Cast: Allari Naresh, Kamna Jetmalani Music: Koti
Galatta Cinema | december 2009 43
s e i k l a T a t t a Gal
BOX OFFICE HITS OR ABYSMAL DISASTERS ?
Seetha Kalyanam
-malayalam Banner: Revathy Kalaamandhir Producer: Menaka Suresh Kumar Sreenivasan is a simpleton with a highpaying job in Bangalore. He has some beautiful friends in his office, including the bubbly Nimisha. Sreeni’s traditional mother is in search of a bride for him and soon finds the right girl Abhirami. Now, the wedding ceremonies begin at the bride’s residence and Nimisha joins the celebrations. As to the main ceremony gets nearer, Nimisha realizes that she is in love with Sreenivasan. Then what happens? Cast: Jayaram, Jyotika, Geethu Mohandas Direction: T.K. Rajeev Kumar Cinematography: Rajeev Ravi Music: Sreenivas Genre: Family drama Rating: +Point: Jayaram-Jyotika combo Letdown: Weak story
Devaru Kotta -kannada Thangi Banner : SSPI Films Producer: Rajamma Sai Prakash Shivu, who is very attached to his younger sister Lakshmi, works as a labourer in a rich man’s house. Shivu loves his master’s daughter Gauri, but plans to marry her only after Lakshmi gets married. Lakshmi saves the rich man’s son’s life and marries him. This marriage is approved of by the elders in the family, but is resented by the other sons, who hatch a plan to kill Shivu and his sister. What happens next make up the rest of the movie. Cast: Shivarajkumar, Meera Jasmine Direction: Om Sai Prakash Cinematography: R. Giri Music: Hamsalekha Genre: Family drama Rating: +Point: Giri’s camera work Letdown: Clichéd formulaic story
44 Galatta Cinema |december 2009
Chemistry
-malayalam Banner: Vaishanavi Creations Producer: Time Ad Release Chemistry is the story of five plus two students at the fictional Mount Academy School and certain issues concerning the misuse of mobile phones. One day, three of them (Gowri, Aleena and Sindhu) are found to have committed suicide. The incident saddens the students, teachers and local people; however, no one knows the reason behind the suicides. The investigation begins to find whether they were suicides or murders. Cast: Vineeth, Saranya, Mukesh, Krishna Direction: Viji Thampi Cinematography: Sanjeev Sankar Music: M. Jayachandran Genre: Entertainer Rating: +Point: Saranya Mohan’s performance Letdown: Story lacks logic
HITS OR MISSES? GET THE INFO ON WHICH RELEASES PEOPLE LOVED, LIKED OR SIMPLY HATED.
HIGH fives -Malayalam Banner: Colourful Factory Producers: Madhu Warrier , P. Sukumar
Unni Madhavan is a staff correspondent of a newspaper ‘Janachintha’. This hard working man finds it very difficult to make both ends meet with a meagre salary. He is not even able to take care of his wife pregnant Vimala. Meanwhile, an eminent writer is reported to be critically ill and expected to die any time. Unni is sent to report the developments and spends most of his time there with many other journalists, all of them waiting for the writer to breathe his last. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Cast: Dileep, Gopika Direction: P. Sukumar Cinematography: P. Sukumar Music: Bijibal Genre: Drama Rating: +Point: Neat direction Letdown: Unimpressive performances
-malayalam Banner: Backwater Media & Entertainment Producer: Ranjith Kerala Cafe is an amalgamation of 10 short films: Padmakumar’s Nostalgia, Shankar Ramakrishnan’s Island Express, Anwar Rasheed’s Bridge, Revathy’s Makal, Shaji Kailash’s Lalitham Harimayam, Uday Ananthan’s Mrityunjayam, Anjali Menon’s Happy Journey, B. Unnikrishnan’s Aviramam, Shyamaprasad’s Season and Lal Jose’s Puram Kazhchakal. On the common theme of journeys, each filmmaker presents his cinematic impression of contemporary times in Kerala. Cast: Mammootty, Suresh Gopi, others Direction: Shaji, Lal, Anwar Cinematography: Several Genre: Collection of short films Rating: +Point: Brave attempt Letdown: An ideal concept not so ideally executed
BLOCKBUSTERS Pazhassi Raja Director: Hariharan Cast: Mammootty, Sarathkumar Music: Ilayaraja
Loudspeaker Director: Jayaraj Cast: Mammootty, Sasi Kumar Music: Bijibal
Kerala Cafe Director: Several Cast: Mammootty, Dileep, Suresh Gopi, Prithviraj, Jagathy, Salim Kumar robinhood Director: Joshi Cast: Prithviraj, Narain, Bhavana Music: M. Jayachandran Angel john Director: Jayasurya Cast: Mohanlal, Shanthnoo Music: Ouseppachan Ballari Naga Director: Dinesh Babu Cast: Vishnuvardhan, Avinash, Shobaraj, Music: L.N. Shastri rajani Director: Jolly Bastin Cast: Upendra, Arti Chabria Music: Thriller Manju
KANNADA
Kerala Cafe
Top 5 MALAYALAM
Swale
3 Guttu 1 Sullu 1 Nija Director: Dinesh Baboo Cast: Ramesh Aravind, Komalkumar Music: Suma Shastry parichaya Director: K. Sanjay Cast: Tarun, Rekha Music: Jassie Gift
manasaare Director: Yogaraj Bhat Cast: Diganth, Aindrita Ray Music: Mano Murthy
Galatta Cinema | december 2009 45
Rising stars Ever wondered why so many budding Bollywood models choose to begin their film careers through Tamil or Telugu movies? Why do they come down South? The reason is simple: Kollywood and Tollywood dominate the entire Indian cinema, dwarfing Bollywood in terms of box-office hits, number of movies and revenue. Latest reports confirm that regional movies here account for more than threefourths of the country’s total revenues, generating more than Rs 1,700 crores per year! Director Kannan’s current crowd-puller Kanden Kadhalai, a remake of Bollywood super hit Jab We Met, has marked the debut of yet another promising model from North: Sapan Saran, who played Roja, Anjali’s (Tamannaah) youngest sister. Sapan is really excited after meeting new people, been exposed to different languages and feels the experience here is awesome. Sapan Saran was born in Rohtak, Haryana, had her schooling in Jodhpur and then moved to Delhi, where she attended college. Sapan wanted to be an IAS officer, but somehow gravitated towards modelling and then acting. While doing her graduation in Comp. Science, she appeared in commercials like Kitkat, LG, Dish TV, Scooty Pep, Raymonds, Unibic Cookies, etc. In fact, she wanted to step into films through Bollywood, but her destiny dictated something different; her first offer was in Tamil and her first film Kanden Kadhalai was released before SRK, her Hindi film being directed by Joy Varma. Asked how she got the offer in Tamil, Sapan said: “I knew actor Dhanush. I’ve met him twice when he was Delhi and Mumbai. Once I dropped a word to him that I am looking at offers from South. So he was sweet enough to introduce me to Mr. Durai, who said there is no guarantee, but let’s see how it goes. And that was the time when the team for Kanden Kadhalai was being finalized. For a particular role, he asked do you want to do it. I was scared in being cast in a sister role. But the other thoughts were that the entire setup of the film is going to be really big and I thought it is better to be noticed doing a small role, but nicely. However, I was scared that I may go unnoticed. Thank God the response was really good to the extent that people recognize me. The important thing is that I was accepted as a Tamil-looking girl.” After Kanden Kadhalai, Sapan has been approached with a couple of Tamil offers, but she says that is being a bit choosy and does not want to rush into projects, she. Hoping Sapan can make it big in the South, galatta.com wishes her all the very best in her future projects.
48 Galatta Cinema |december 2009
Sapan Sa-
Rising stars “Hard work, not your strength, intelligence or money, is the key to unlocking your potential and success” reminds us many faces, but among them, an unfamiliar face would possibly be that of Malayalam-Tamil actor Munna aka Kenny Simon, a physiotherapist by profession! Of course, Munna may not be very well-known still, but he is not new. Nephew of veteran Malayalam actress Jayabharathi, he has been in the industry for more than six years. His first film Pallavan (Tamil) came in 2003 and his latest is Kanden Kadhalai. Born to a Malayalee father and Tamil mother in Chennai, Munna moved to Kerala when he was 12 to complete his schooling and pre-degree. After completing his graduation, he started working as a physiotherapist in Devaki Hospital. “Being with my aunty Jayabharathi and seeing her as an actress, I always aspired for a dream career in films from childhood. However, I was very particular in finishing my studies. After studies, I worked for one year and then thought of trying my luck in cinema. I knew nobody is going to invest on me just because actress Jayabharathi is my aunty and it’s all my luck and effort that I could enter into films,” Munna narrates his early steps in films. After Pallavan, his second film happened to be Kerala State award winning Gowri Shankaram (Malayalam) starring Kavya Madhavan. Though Munna was the hero, he did not get noticed since the film was commercially unsuccessful. He has later done three more films: Arun Vijay’s Jananam (Tamil), Unnai Enakku Pudichirukku (Tamil) and Silanthi (Tamil), of which Silanthi was a commercial hit. Though his initial movies weren’t successful, Lady Luck started to swish her magic wand in his life when he unexpectedly got a call from ace Mani Ratnam to act in multi-starrer Ravanan. “2009 was a black year for me. I was engaged to a girl last year, but due to some reasons, the marriage was cancelled, leaving me completely desolate. It was a time when I was to face many setbacks and was even thinking of quitting my dream career. But the life took a U-turn with the Ravanan offer. Mani sir came like a God for me,” he says. Revealing a little about Ravanan, Munna said “I appear as the younger brother of Vikram and Prabhu in Ravanan, and I have two get ups. A modern adaption of the epic Ramayana, the film has already completed its production work, except some patch work. Release may be in April-May.” Munna pins his hopes on Ravanan as he believes that the film would give him much-awaited break in films. So do we!
MUN-
- as told to Baiju N.
hollywood special
Rajni and I were friends then and still are. It was great working with him. Even back then I could sense his longevity as an actor and a star.
Around the world & back again - ashok amritraj
a lifetime of cinema
Ever since he made up his mind to make it big in Hollywood, there has been no wavering in Ashok Amitraj’s mind. With over hundred movies completed and several more in the pipeline he is easily one of the most sort after producers in the world. Some of the movies produced by him are listed below [content courtesy www.imdb.com] u The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus (2010) (in
u
production) (producer) u Alcatraz (2010) (announced) (producer) u Jax of Heart (2010) (pre-production) (producer) u Dead of Night (2010) (post-production) (executive producer) u Leonie (2009) (post-production) (producer) u Dark Country (2009) (producer) u Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li (2009) (producer) u The Other End of the Line (2008) (producer) u Trick ‘r Treat (2008) (executive producer) u Traitor (2008) (executive producer) u Asylum (2008/I) (V) (producer) u Battle in Seattle (2007) (executive producer) u Death Sentence (2007) (producer) u Premonition (2007/I) (producer) u Trade (2007/I) (executive producer) u Shopgirl (2005) (producer) u Raising Helen (2004) (producer) u Walking Tall (2004) (producer) u Bringing Down the House (2003) (producer) u Moonlight Mile (2002) (executive producer) u Bandits (2001) (producer) u Original Sin (2001) (executive producer) u Get Carter (2000) (executive producer) u If... Dog... Rabbit... (1999) (producer) u Storm Catcher (1999) (executive producer) u The Boondock Saints (1999) (executive producer) u The Prophet (1999) (producer) u Counter Measures (1999) (V) (producer) u Five Aces (1999) (executive producer)
u Angel in Training (1999) (producer) u
Restraining Order (1999) (producer) The White Raven (1998) (producer)
u Freedom Strike (1998) (producer) u Jeans (1998) (producer) u Invisible Dad (1998) (V) (producer) u Dear Santa (1998) (producer) u Fallout (1998) (producer) u The Boy Who Saved Christmas (1998) (producer) u Inferno (1997) (producer) u he Shooter (1997/I) (producer) u Crash Dive (1997) (V) (producer) u Strategic Command (1997) (producer) u My Ghost Dog (1997) (TV) (producer) u Scorpio One (1997) (producer) u Surface to Air (1997) (producer) u The Elf Who Didn’t Believe (1997) (producer) u Blackout (1996) (TV) (producer) u Steel Sharks (1996) (producer) u Time Under Fire (1996) (producer) u Illicit Dreams (1994) (producer) u Snapdragon (1993) (producer) u
Tropical Heat (1993) (producer)
u Illicit Behavior (1992) (producer) u Double Impact (1991) (producer) u Legal Tender (1991) (producer)
Popcorn (1991) (producer) Bloodstone (1988) (co-producer) u Smart Alec (1986) (executive producer) u Fleshburn (1984) (executive producer) ... aka Fear in a Handful of Dust u u
Galatta Cinema | december 2009 2
2 Galatta Cinema |december 2009
am from Chennai after all. At that point, Shankar was was an upcoming director, a few films old. I had watched a couple of his films and thought he showed promise. We met and got talking. It was during one of several meetings that we hit upon the idea of Jeans and got started on it. Aishwarya Rai had just won her Miss World title and when I offered her the part, she readily came aboard. A.R. Rahman’s music was amazing. The movie was shot at various parts of the world, specifically Los Angeles and the Seven Wonders of the World. It may have taken a while to complete but when it hit theatres, the success we saw was phenomenal. GC: What’s kept you away from Indian cinema after the grand success of Jeans? AA: I have not moved on and away, it’s just that my production company has metamorphosed dramatically in the last decade. All our Hollywood films have been successful, which has been great for the company, so we wanted to expand and have a global presence. While Hollywood remains the base, we have set up branches of sorts in Singapore and Abu Dhabi. We have slowly taken on distribution as well and hence we are busy getting that department working. Lots has been happening with us, which has not given me the time to come back home, but I will. I’m listening to scripts in various Indian languages. Hopefully in the next two years we’ll have a project in India as well. GC: In these years that you have been away, have you been in touch with the Indian cinema industry? AA: Well, in my own way, I have. Stars like Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Mani Ratnam and A.R. Rahman are all very good friends whom I keep in touch with from time to time. I have also had the opportunity to meet and interact with younger stars like Vijay and Ajith. I see there is a lot of scope for growth in front of and behind the camera. In spite of the number of commercial movies being made, I see there is a new opening nowadays for movies with good story lines. The growth of the industry depends on the making and success of
Reality has exceeded my dreams, as far as my production is concerned. I’m thankful to everyone who has stood by me...
such films. The fact that smaller movies are finding success at the box-office is a sign that the industry is growing and evolving. Hence I am sure I will be back soon to make a movie in Tamil or any Indian language. GC: How do you think we can raise Tamil cinema to the global level? AA: Once one has decided to make a film for a global audience, he should focus on the script and screenplay, not just the star. He should see what kind of scripts have met with success worldwide. He must find scripts that interest western sensibilities. Only after that must he consider the stars. If he is aiming at regional audiences, he should go by the stars. But for a global audience, it’s the story and screenplay that matter. He must then find actors who can act well and whose acting style will attract western audiences. Most often, Indian actors tend to go a bit over the top, where American actors would have been more subtle. We should strike a balance with both. These two things come into play majorly while trying to market a film abroad. GC: To conclude. AA: Reality has exceeded my dreams, as far as my production is concerned. I’m thankful to everybody who helped me at the start, and those who continue to support me now. The Indian movie industry and the audiences themselves have been very kind to me all along. I look forward to my next movie here. And I look forward to our next chapter together! - as told to Shailesh K Seran
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SPECIAL FEA-
The reality
There was a time when film stars considered television to be a taboo medium, a small step-sister of the big screen. They never made appearances on TV or participated in TV programmes. But over the years, the trend changed and we have several popular stars on TV. Be it chat shows or festival specials, cinema stars come and greet us at home on our TVs. With the advent of so many mega serials, several yesteryear superstars (fading and otherwise) became superstars of the small screen. The trend is further improving with REALITY TV. We have popular stars participating in game shows, dance shows, music competitions, quiz shows, stunt shows... you name the non-fiction show, there will definitely be a celebrity supporting it, possibly as a judge! She may be the Kalki of the small screen, but what raised Khushbu’s popularity was the game show Jackpot. Hosted by her with charm and style, the show (in which you could win loads of cash and prizes) was also a craze thanks to her blouses!
Khushbu Anu Haasan’s flair for action is wellknown. Well trained in Indian martial arts (Kalaripayattu), she became a popular face on TV, thanks to the chat show Coffee with Anu. And now, with Anu Alavakku Bhayam Illai, she has entered the reality zone as well.
Anu Haasan
Lakshmi Rai
One of the few younger generation stars who made an appearance on TV (and not just as a guest), Lakshmi Rai hosted the second season of Anu Alavakku Bhayam Illai. While the Hindi version of this show was hosted by Akshay Kumar, it is heartening to see women at the helm down South.
Meena became a household name with her mega serials. But she too was bitten by the judging bug! This sweet-faced actress was recently seen on the show Boys vs. Girls, a dance competition.
Ramya Krishnan apparently has an affinity for thangam (gold). She was the host of the popular game show Thangavettai in which families participated to win gold. And now, she is the protagonist of the mega soap Thangam!
Glamorous Namitha stole the hearts of participants and TV audiences with her sweet Tamil and compliments on the dance show Maan Aada Mayil Aada. Her broken Tamil helped break TRP records and was a huge hit across all sections of TV viewers.
Meena
Ramya Krishnan
Namitha
The power of TV cannot be ignored. No longer the idiot box, it has now become an intelligent box. With over 500 TV channels beaming into our homes, thanks to the various satellite TV providers, TV is today one of the most powerful media. And cinema of today has identified the strength of this medium. TV has given a new lease of life to several yesteryear stars and also supported the second innings of less successful actors. Popular actors, especially women, have used the medium to continue their passion
Khushbu hosting Jackpot with celebrities
Aishwarya Dhanush & Sangitha as judges of a dance show
Divya Spandana & Sameera Reddy promoting Vaaranam Aayiram
of acting without compromising on their family commitments. TV is also the nursery of future talent and has given cinema some very good actors. Film makers today are using TV to promote their movies. We have film actors making appearances on popular shows to promote their films. Stars also appear on festival special programmes to connect with their fans, deliver their festival greetings as well as promote their films that are releasing in the near future. A new programme in which six of the top item girls of South Indian films select their dance partners has recently gone on air.
Radikaa Sarathkumar redefined TV in the South. From her first TV serial Chitti to the current Chellamey, she has maintained and expanded her fan base. It would be no exaggeration to call her the ‘Queen of Southern TV’. While most TV soaps are blamed for portraying women as victims, Radikaa’s central characters are always strong women with minds of their own, ready to overcome any problems that they face. At the recently-held Media and Entertainment Business Conclave organised by FICCI at Chennai, this multifaceted personality was a speaker at a panel discussion about Reality TV and its advent in TV today. Radikaa opined that both fiction and non-fiction programmes are here to stay. And in the South, though non-fiction programmes are catching up, the era of daily soaps and mega serials would continue. Radikaa has tried her hand at non-fiction serials too. Koteeswaran (hosted by husband Sarathkumar) and Thangavettai were popular game shows.
Galatta Cinema | december 2009 57
Deepak Dhar - Country Head, Endemol India
already popular Western shows. Of course, we do have original programming at Endemol. Whatever the programme, the most important thing is that it should appeal to Indian audiences. Emotions are a sure-shot success card in India, so it is important that whatever the show, it makes the right emotional connect with the Indian masses. GC: How important is star value for a show? Most of your shows have had big names in the film industry. DD: It is well-known that cinema is a religion in India. But at the end of the day, if the content is not good, no star can save the show. GC: How did you rope in Amitabh Bachchan for Big Boss? DD: He was attracted by the idea, but he did not say yes immediately. He took his time. But the format of the show is such that it gives a wonderful opportunity to look at human relations and attitudes very closely. And I guess that is what appealed to him too.
Endemol, the global leader in television and other audio-visual entertainment, has now entered into the South Indian market for the first time with its popular game show “Deal or No Deal�. The show is aired on the Sun TV network in Chennai, Hyderabad, Cochin and Bangalore. Deepak Dhar, Country Head for Endemol India, was an integral part of the Endemol India team at its conception in 2005. Since then, he has played a significant role in the development of Endemol India operations. At Endemol, he has produced, among others, highly successful programmes such as Big Brother, Fear Factor, Indian Laughter Challenge, Jo Jita Wohi Sikandar and Mission Ustaad. Galatta Cinema spoke to Deepak about Reality TV, working with film stars, and his plans for the South Indian market. Galatta Cinema: Reality TV has grown bigger and better. So how do you come up with a concept for the programmes? Deepak Dhar: Most shows we see today are adaptations of
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GC: Coming to your entry into South Indian TV, you have started with the Tamil version of the popular show Deal or No Deal. Unlike its Hindi version which had Madhavan at the helm, you have settled for a TV actor as the host. Any special reason? DD: We felt that here, TV is as popular as cinema and the channel too felt that a TV actor would be able to connect better with the audiences. And looking at the response that the show has got, I must say we are on the right track. GC: What do you think is the USP of Endemol? DD: I think the ability to adapt the content to Indian audiences. For example, we did the show Khatron Ke Khiladi (adaptation of Fear Factor) hosted by Akshay Kumar, which has only women as participants in the Indian version. This aspect was hugely responsible for the success of the show. GC: Upcoming shows for Endemol and your plans down South? DD: We are planning to make the Indian version of Wipe Out for Hindi audiences. As of now, for South Indian television, we have no plans, but we are definitely looking at this market.
a a S A L
Ajith Kumar the Ultimate star in a brand new look, a brand new role but with director Saran, who has proved he can do magic with the man!
Sivaji Production that saw a thunderous success with Chandramukhi hope to repeat the same with Aasal as well. This time, their hopes are pinned on the ThalaSaran super hit combo!
A director who has tasted success and failure in his stride. and emerged stronger each time. He is Saran who is yet to disappoint devout Ajith fans.
Lover-boy turned Mass hero, Ajith Kumar, will have two ladies to woo in Aasal: Sameera Reddy and Bhavana. Two lovelies to romance and loads of baddies to annihilate! Quite a mission!
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Gorgeous in desi wear and uber-cool in western wear, Sameera oozes confidence and stunning looks in whatever she wears. But in Aasal, we hear she’s ‘All about business!’
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Indian, that too typically South Indian in her sharp features, and absolutely on her way to Size Zero, is Bhavana, the other pretty on board. She’s a ‘philosophical book-loving babe’ in the movie!
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Right in the prime of their careers, Sameera and Bhavana have bagged the opportunity to act alongside one of Kollywood’s most sought-after stars. The movie is expected to create new records at the box office.
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Looks like Pongal 2010 is going to be a day to celebrate with extra fervour, because that’s when Aasal is expected to hit the screens.
ALL pictures, courtesy Sivaji Productions, from the movie Aasal
S A M E E R A
Sameera Reddy. Isn’t there a sense of mystery that hangs about this dusky beauty, like a silken gossamer veil that shows her vividly, yet teases you, saying there’s more than what you see?
After a few minutes chatting with Sameera anyone will figure out that she’s not just a pretty face – she also has a super brain behind the face!
Mindful of the roles she accepts, Sameera is not one to accept a role just because she’s getting a fat fee. above all else, Substance matters!
Endearing and extremely amiable is how she’s described by everyone who has worked with her. She’s picky about who she gets close to, but she won’t keep the rest of the world out either.
Easy-going, Sameera loves to take life as it comes and enjoys every single moment to the fullest.
Ravishing body, dreamy eyes, luscious smile, graceful curves, groovy moves... she’s got it all. And now, she’s got the whole industry vying for her time.
REDDY
Aasal shows Sameera in a brand new role: bold, beautiful and business-like. Next: a soaring Southern career graph?
Galatta Cinema | december 2009 63
She entered South Indian films with Tollywood, but it was her work in the Tamil film Vaaranam Aayiram that made Sameera Reddy a popular face amongst Southern audiences. Her simple demeanour in the film won lots of praise and it was a complete departure from her sexy oomph image of Bollywood. Padma Iyer of Galatta Cinema caught up with the actress in the midst of her Aasal shoot.
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Galatta Cinema: We are talking to you after nearly an year. We last met before the release of Vaaranam Aayairam and here we are again, meeting you before the release of Aasal. How has it been working in Tamil films? Sameera: It has been absolutely wonderful. I have enjoyed every bit of Vaaranam Aayiram and now, I am enjoying every bit of Aasal. Both have been great movies to be in.
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GC: Aasal was to be directed by Gautham Menon, but circumstances have changed since then. Did it affect you? SR: No way. Of course, I share a very good rapport with Gautham. But for me, what was most important was that I was working under the Sivaji Productions banner. Such an illustrious family and such great producers. It has been a pleasure to be associated with them. And at the end, it is the producers that define the look of the film. After all, they are the driving force.
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It is such an honour and sheer joy to be work with Ajith. the entire Aasal experience has been like that. Mr. Ramkumar and Mr. Prabhu are so helpful. they became my family.
GC: Your role in Aasal. What is it all about? SR: I play an attache in the cultural department of the Indian Embassy in France. It is a chic and sophisticated role and so is my look in the film. I have even spoken a bit of French in the film.
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GC: Tell us something more about working with Ajith. SR: He was someone who was always there. Always taking of his co-stars. Whenever I had stunts to do, he would ask me to take care, ensure all safety measures are taken. He was a great support system. And he is such a spontaneous actor. Throughout the shooting, not once did I see him falter or make a mess. It is such an honour and sheer joy to be working with him. Not just Ajith, the entire Aasal experience has been like that. Mr. Ramkumar and Mr. Prabhu are so helpful. They never made me feel that I was an actor in their film, they became my family.
Sameera
Says!
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can never choose between Hindi love commercial cinema. For me >> Iand >> Idance Tamil films. Both these film and music are so important. industries are very dear to me. And now, I am getting positive vibes from Telugu industry as well. And of late, I have been so busy in Hindi and Tamil, I have been practically living out of suitcases. I have become a vagabond according to my family.
I mean, from the time I started shooting for Aasal, all I wanted to know was when we would be doing the songs. And after I heard the songs, I was even more excited, especially one number was too good. I wished it would be mine and guess what? It was mine.
I think of Suriya and Ajith, language has a certain >> When >> Every all I can think of is that there so tone to it. And I don’t want to many similarities between them. Both of them are extremely cool dudes. So down-to-earth, absolutely no egos. Both of them are so hardworking and completely dedicated to their craft. Despite their successes, they never take anything or anyone for granted.
experiment with it unless I am absolutely sure about it. I am only two films old in Tamil. Well if I get more offers and I do more work here, I may start dubbing in Tamil as I do for my Hindi films. Till then it best left to the professionals.
expectations from Aasal are >> My just like for my every film that I have done till now. I know that we have made a good film which will surely hit the right chord with the audience. But I do hope that the movie opens many more Tamil film offers for me. I love being here.
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66 Galatta Cinema |december 2009
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Because she dared to dream... Bhavana always wanted to be an actress. She is living the dream now.
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Hovering around like a colourful butterfly, Bhavana is one of those people who smiles all the time and ensures others around do so too!
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A true professional, Bhavana is not the kind of spoilt celebrity who expects to be pampered even on the sets. She’s ready to make sacrifices when necessary.
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‘Vivacious’ is the one word that best describes this beautiful starlet. She never steps into a room; she flutters into it. There’s a happy ring to her voice and brightness in her expression.
a
An abundance of talent lies within this young actress. She has given us glimpses of her genius in every movie. Will Aasal display more of her potential than any other movie till date?
n
Never get bogged down by failure or pressure: that could easily be Bhavana’s motto. She takes the hits and misses in her stride, never letting the former make her a snob or the latter deflate her spirit.
A
Always in control of her life, Bhavana makes sure nobody can mess with her. Always on alert mode, the starlet never gives scope for gossip or lies.
Bhavana forever seems on the verge of exploding into a million exciting colours. One look and a few words after chatting with her, anyone can see that this chica is not the timid fragile heroine stereotype. Full of fun, her laughs are always ready to reverberate. KAANCHAN finds out her Aasal story...
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GC: How do you think Aasal is going to impact your career? Bhavana: After Jayam Kondan, it was nine months before I did a Tamil movie. I was not impressed with the Tamil offers that came my way and was busy in Malayalam and Telugu. And then, I got a call from Sivaji Productions. I wanted to somehow give my dates for the film, because it had all the right people and my role is very nice. I was working in a Malayalam film at the time, they were kind enough to adjust with my Aasal dates, and hence I managed to make it! And I am so happy I did!
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GC: Ajith... Bhavana: He is the Ultimate Star but has absolutely no such airs about him. He is so humble and down-to-earth, it amazes me! There have been times when I would not have even woken up, but he would make it a point to stop by my room and wish me Good Morning! He often went out of the way to make me feel comfortable and I would be thinking, “What a man!�
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GC: Sharing screen space with Sameera Reddy? BHAVANA: She is a very nice person and we have a few scenes together. There was no room for jealousy or competition, because our characters are completely different. Sameera is a friendly girl and it was great getting to know her.
4
GC: A tellable Aasal secret? Bhavana: Well, the only Aasal secret I can tell you is about my character. I play, Sulabha, a girl, who always carries a certain book with her, a book of answers gifted by her father. Whenever she is confused about something, she opens the book to a random page and the answer to her problem is found on that page.
I do not know how aasal is going to affect my career, but for me personally, it has been a great experience.
5
GC: On Saran and Sivaji Productions? Bhavana: The Ajith-Saran combo has produced many hits. Hence the expectations from this movie are even higher than for a usual Ajith movie. But director Saran shows no signs of tension. He is a wonderful person to work with, a very humble unassuming man. Sivaji Productions are absolute professionals. The way they go about with their work and how they take the pains to be involved with the film every step of the way is superb. I feel extremely lucky to have landed a role in such a movie so early in my career.
n o l
a s a
A
rns and beard suit Ultimate
Two dynamic heroines add to the No pansies, the leading ladies of Aasal.
This Ajith-starrer has all the makings of a slick entertainer. Saran and Ajith have already given some great films in combo and Sivaji Productions has always been known for its old-world traditionalism - sounds like a perfect team. Aasal is look at a January ‘10 audio release and an end-ofJan star-studded release. Watch this space for more!
Star Ajith well!
jazz
ebu The new-look Irish-style sid
Aasal is Bhavana’s first Tamil release after Vaazhthukkal. All grown up and still as fresh, this is a comeback project for her. Galatta Cinema | december 2009 69
Fresh
Face of the
Month
Photography: Kapil Ganesh
PERFECT FIVE Parimal is the new kid on the block and he’s ready to rock! Five things about Parimal that contribute to that big smile on his face are... 1. His name alone is lure enough. The fragrance plays a part in luring the butterflies, right? “I guess it means scent, but I’m not sure,” he says shyly. 2. Parimal has a dazzling sister to back him up. “Honestly Sangitha was very apprehensive about me getting acting. She thought I was too young. But having watched the movie, she changed her mind! She even complimented me!” 3. His mommy is raring to catapult him to success. “Acting was not on my agenda. It was actually my mother’s idea. She wanted to make a movie for me. Though my next movie won’t be a home production, she’s ready to make more movies with me!” 4. He is completely unassuming. He has a movie to his name and a family ready to do anything for him and his career, and he has absolutely no airs. “I always feels that there are guys better looking than me and more talented. It’s just that they have not got the opportunity to show it.” 5. He’s got his boyish charm intact, ready to disarm an unsuspecting gal who might walk his way. Beware of that smile, because it’s sure to be followed by the sweetest words that were ever uttered!
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My sister Sangitha was not For Me Taking up Acting! PIECES OF THE PUZZLE One day he’s just an average guy, then suddenly, he’s getting his grooves right and getting the feel of film making. But Parimal was not new to cinema, though he never really saw himself in the shoes of an actor. “My entire family is into cinema. My father was into distribution. And my mother’s father was into production. After my granddad, my mother took over the production house and hence both my parents were out and out cine people. Eventually my sister Sangitha took up acting and earned a name for herself. So you see, I am not thoroughly alien to the industry. I always knew what it was about and what to expect,” confesses the youngster.
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And so one would think that he always knew where his career path lead to - the dream factory. But that is not the case. “I was not too sure what I wanted to be. I was no good at academics and not particularly skilled at sports or any extra-curricular activity, which is a complete contrast to what my sister was. She was great at everything. We were in the same school but on opposite sides of the spectrum. When she was Head Girl, I was the kid who came to school with his tie half done! It has always been about having fun, for me,” reveals Parimal, true to the clan of pampered kids! “My mother and brother were the ones who wanted to make a movie for me. And when I heard the script of Odipolama, I myself wanted to do the movie. The script required a 19 year old hero and the director believed I fit that part well!”
PACING & PRANCING Parimal may not have been thinking of acting, but that did not rule out cinema altogether. He may have been a reluctant learner when it came to algebra and trigonometry, but he was no shirker when it came to his Digital Filmmaking course! So does that mean he has directing on his agenda? “Don’t ask me that now. It’s way too early. I believe that to be a director one needs experience. I am just one film old. I don’t think I’m ready to captain an entire ship,” gushes Parimal. His humility is not a sign of insecurity but that of a guy who has it all, but prefers to let his skill speak. Parimal’s debut vehicle Odipolama is ready for release. One can sense a slight tension is his voice as he awaits the release of his movie. Being a home production must have had its pressures. “Let’s not call it pressure. I see it as a responsibility. If at all there was pressure it should have been with my brother who was investing money in my name! But he was not doubtful, nor was my mother. And their confidence was enough to make me feel good. I just wanted to do them proud. I did not want to make a fool of myself or them. But I did not let this thought bog me down,” asserts the level-headed actor. Parimal may not have nurtured cine dreams, but now that he has started, he has completely fallen in love with it. But that’s not his only passion. Parimal is a great dancer. “I’ve been learning dance at Shiamak Davar’s institute. My favorite dance styles are Pop & Lock, that people crudely call The Robot dance! I am also into Krumping, a kind of western street dance with some really hip movements, that are fast yet totally fresh.”
Others Better than Me Are waiting for opportunities
PREPARING FOR TAKE OFF! Parimal is untouched by the competition in tinselville. “I’m here to stay. I’m not thinking of competition right now. I’m just focussed on my own career and thinking about making the right moves!” Move No. 1 being Odipolama. About the movie and the team... 1. Director Kanmani. “He is just the best director for a debutant. He has immense patience, and that was something I put to the test. At first I was always overperforming during the rehearsal, and getting weird during the actual take! But I must say that what you see in the movie is not me, but director Kanmani. I merely imitated him as best I could.” 2. Actress Sandya. “Sandya is very much my senior in the field. But she was never rude or pompous about that. She was always very sweet to me. Very encouraging when I was in a tough spot and that was very supportive.” 3. Music director Imman. “I think he has done a great job. I like his style of music. Not just the songs but even the background score sits perfectly on the story!” 4. Odipolama. “It’s a fun romantic comedy that is sure to entertain you all. I thank every member on boar for putting up with me whenever I blundered!” - As told to KAANCHAN
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Kanmani is the best Director A debutant can get!
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Kapoor’s Furnishing Fabrics Class in soft Furnishing 135 Peters Rd, Chennai, India 86| kapoorsfurnish@eth.net| O: 28411516, F: 28525695 |Web: www.kapoorsfurnishingfabrics.com
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No one is above the law when it comes to the Fashion Police. You just cannot pick a T-shirt off the rack, team it up with a faded pair of blue jeans, and expect to be spared the rod! That’s where our dear designers and stylists come in to tell you what you wear. They will come up with the hippest cuts and trendiest flounces, team it up with the best accessories, and make you look like a million bucks! Designers who have dressed South India’s biggest stars tell KAANCHAN what turns them on... in fashion, of course!
ess n i s is e bu “Th signing eeting e of d tially m y with t n esse creativi r you clients” r you
SIDNEY SLADEN A dash of sheen here, a sprinkle of shimmer there and Sidney will dazzle you with his unique designs. But the first item of clothing that he learnt to cut and stitch was the sari blouse! “I have designed hundreds of outfits now, but as a designer, I can vouch for the fact that there is nothing quite as tough as the traditional Indian sari blouse. If you can perfect that - the design and the cut - then you will have no problem designing even the flounciest evening gown,” he smiles. Sidney is of Kenyan origin, but that has never limited his very desi sense of fashion and style. “Designing is a combination of art and business. My first show, for instance, was to be televised and a whole lot of designers were there to display their wares. They came with very Indian clothing whereas I brought bikini tops and micro minis! Thank God, the press didn’t rip me apart; they just called me the new kid on the block! But see how it could have backfired. The business of designing is essentially meeting your creativity with your clients’
style a
State-
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Sidney Sladen
Behind the scenes
requirements,” says Sidney, who has now been designing in South India for a decade. Sidney is a soft-spoken guy, but when it comes to his creativity and designs, his USP is his confidence. “My USP I believe, is a combination of my likes with the clients’. So you have something very wearable and yet, very quirky and ‘designed’. For example, I love Indian motifs like peacock motifs, Indian paisley and all that. I bring in a quirk by throwing these very Indian elements into funky western wear, creating a combo of traditional and new,” reveals Sidney. He’s no longer the new kid on the block. His designs speak volumes, not only of his creative genius, but also of years of dressing up the elitist segment in the South. But that does not mean Sidney won’t take suggestions. “Most of my clients leave it to me if it’s for personal use, but if it’s for a movie, we always discuss it first. I take suggestions and ideas from them, because ultimately they will be wearing the outfits!”
She has a number of success stories to her name, and a few disappointments. “The most challenging project so far has been Simbu’s look in Vinnaithandi Varuavaya. It’s a complete change from what we usually see of Simbu. It took a lot of effort to work out the right look that the role demanded. But eventually we got there and he has carried it off well. It has happened in the past where good designs have not worked because the actor did not carry it well. But the disappointment comes with the territory, just as the encomiums. In that way one person who has been very easy to work with is Sameera Reddy. I’ve worked on her costumes for Varanam Aayiram and now in Aasal. What I like the most about her is she knows what looks good on her and she’s very honest about that from the start. In Aasal, Sameera plays an Indian girl who has lived all her life abroad and she sports a very corporate look. Something that we’ve not done much here and she has carried off the look perfectly.”
here
Chaitanya Rao
Nalini Sriram There’s something truly regal about the woman herself, but there’s always that girly smile giving her persona a silver lining. When presented with a bunch of characters to clothe, she says the script and characterisation are paramount. And the skilled designer admits that over the years, the complexity of the characters has increased; close attention to the smallest details by the film-makers themselves has increased as well. This means her job has become tougher of late (but she’s not complaining). “Scripts and stories are more challenging these days. I like to have a clear breakdown of the character from the director and also the artist. I need to know what really works for the character. How the character progresses through the story - how the various character shifts can be shown through the costumes. People may or may not notice that the heroine is clad in a sombre outfit when Chaitanya’s styling for Ghajini shown she is depressed, but we assume they do notice. Everything about the scene, from the lighting to the music to the dialogue should be in sync, as also the clothes,” insists Nalini.
Anu Vardhan You hear of many cine folk who started out in one direction and ended up doing another roles, like actors who turned directors, directors who turned actors and so on. Well, popular designer Anu Vardhan started out as an associate director with critically-acclaimed director Santhosh Sivan. “We were a very small team, and I was always overseeing the costumes - making sure the designs were as discussed, that they arrived on time and so on. When it came to the Hindi movie Ashoka, I had to do a lot of research before meeting the costume designer. When Mr Santosh Sivan saw how much homework I had done and hence how knowledgeable I was in the subject, he told me to do the costumes myself! When you start with a movie like that, a period film with a mighty star cast and a mightier hype, you can’t falter after that,” reveals the ever-so effervescent Anu. Her work for Trisha and Arya in Sarvvam was in complete contrast to the sombre tones of Billa. “I think Sarvvam is Arya’s cleanest look! I remember that while doing Pattiyal, he used to crib about the dirty faded jeans. He would say I was giving everybody new clothes and neat designs, while for most of the movie he wore the same batteredlooking jeans. But I think we made up for all that with Sarvvam. After a long time, I think audiences got to see a nice clean shaven, goodlooking Arya! Dressing up this handsome hunk was easy and fun. Likewise, for Trisha, we did some real nice salwar suits that fit her well and looked good on her too. It gave her that ethereal look,” says Anu. Anu, who has worked with the likes of Shahrukh Khan in Bollywood and the biggest names down South, is yet to miss out on a movie directed by her husband Vishnu Vardhan. With one of her playful laughs, she insists that working for family is not really as easy as one would think! “Oh man! It’s very very hard to work with family! Well, I have the advantage of knowing the script way ahead of time if it’s for Vishnu. But the trouble arises in the workload. He tends to take a lot more advantage of me! There have been times when I have even threatened to walk out or never work with him again! But he and I know I’m not going to do that! I know his taste and can give him what he wants. Why let someone else do it and then feel it could have been better?” Chaitanya Rao For Chaitanya Rao, designing was in the genes. His mother was a designer and it was just a matter of time before he discovered that his flair for sketching and heightened sense of fashion would lead him straight to his career. “I think I started sketching when I was around 11 or 12 years old, long before I knew there was such a thing as fashion designing. My mom, who was into designing and had even designed the costumes for one of the Miss India contestants when we were in Kolkata, had a lot of design books lying around the house. So I guess inherently I had the talent; from exposure to the field, an interest in it also gradually grew within me. After school, I applied to NIFT in Delhi. When I did not get a response, I took up a tailoring course in Bangalore,” recollects Chaitanya Rao, who gave Simran one of her best looks in Kannathil Muthamittal.
Anu Vardhan
No matter what the department of film making, the competition is deadly and hence the demands even more challenging. It’s no mean task to make a name in such tough conditions and that’s what makes us look up to people such as Chaintanya, who have faced the fury and
come out unscathed. “The cinema industry is highly competitive. It’s very demanding of your time and creative energies. And only the emotionally strong ones survive here. It’s been a hard trek uphill, but not without a streak of luck as well. Before movies happened, I was with Color Plus for three years. Then I designed clothes for Studio Saks as well. Eventually, I was even designing clothes for Miss India contestants, but my movie break was slow in coming. I assisted Priya Balasubramaniam for a while before I got my first break. I designed a few costumes in Gautam Menon’s Minnale. That’s how my movie career started.” Chaitanya, who won approving nods at the Lakme Fashion Week this year, is not a frequent name on the ramp. He has enough filmi folk to dress up, which consumes all his time. “The biggest difference between doing a ramp show and a movie? The audience and the style of clothing. When it comes to something like the Lakme Fashion Week, one has to cater to a more international audience, but cinema is more or less regionally inclined. Another important difference is that for a ramp show, every design is entirely my own idea. I make designs that I like. But for a movie, Nalini Sriram styles for Vaaranam the design is not a result of merely my creativity, but the inputs of the & Vinnaithandi Varuvaayaa director and the cameraman as well. In terms of time spent, once again, the two differ. In cinema, most of it is last minute, whereas for a ramp show, you have good time to work with. You can start months before the show, but you have to have to be able to foresee the changes in trends that could happen by the time your show begins,” explains Chaitanya.
Aayiram
Each designer has his or her own preferred taste, but when it comes to movies, they promptly set aside their own likes and dislikes, and, they work towards the common goal. While many might underrate the role of the costume designers, film makers of today have realized their importance. What their characters wear and where, makes the first impression. And now that has to be the best impression. Right?
Just in: Priya Manikandan for paiyya “I love clothes! That’s where the passion for fashion began! For the past five years I have been designing clothes for ad films and only now have I designed costumes for a movie,” says a truly excited Priya Manikandan. The movie in question is the soon-to-release Karthik-Tamannaah starrer Paiyya. “Going from ad films to cinema is a big leap and that much more difficult. But frankly speaking, everybody in the team made me feel extremely comfortable, I did not have a tough time at all. Fortunately for me, Karthi’s last movie was Pauthiveeran where he had this completely rugged, unkempt look. So to merely show him clean shaven and neatly dressed would suffice as a make-over! Tamannaah is naturally good looking and has a great body. She is open to experimenting, so while in Paiyya there was not much room for that, in her next movie Sura, we’ve done just that. We’ve taken the glam up many notches,” gushes Priya, whose fledging design career shows all the signs of success!
Galatta Cinema | december 2009 79
Look Book
A CLASSIC affair
GC’s LOVE AFFAIR CONTINUES WITH THE OOMPH GIRL
RAHASYA
has always been very special to Galatta. When she graced the cover of our December 2008 issue, little did we know that we could create such a storm. The hot item girl on screen was transformed into a chic young woman who is always bubbling with energy. Rahasya’s association with Galatta Cinema has been there much earlier. She was the first Eye Candy of Galatta Cinema. Her oomph and style made her our cover girl and today, we are so happy that the relationship has continued since then - people may call this no-nonsense bundle of laughs an item girl, but we see the good human being in her! Galatta Cinema | december 2009 85
Rahasya comes from humble beginnings and even after all the name and fame she remains grounded. She knows that all the jazz and razzmatazz is just a phase; what remains is people who care about you. She knows her friends and is always ready to do anything for them. She will go out of her way to help them, but at no cost will she sacrifice her self-esteem. A complete tomboy, Rahasya is nothing like her on-screen persona. Her long association with Galatta brought her to our office in Chennai and we must say that we were completely blown away by her.
A PASSIONATE RENDEZVOUS
WITH GC AT THE GALATTA CINEMA OFFICE, RAHASYA HAD US ENTRALLED WITH HER CHARM & EFFORTLESS STYLE
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an EVERLASTING bond
RAHASYA WILL ALWAYS BE GC’s FAVE PICK. WATCH THIS HOTTIE GRACE OUR MANY ISSUES TO COME
Her name may be Rahasya (secret), but she has nothing to hide. She is an open book. Her frank attitude and bindaas approach to life makes her a true Diva! We love her because of who she is, but we love her the most because she dares to be herself. There’s nothing put on about this chica, and there’s nothing more we would want for her, than what she wants for herself - to be loved and admired for her honesty and not just her looks...
THE INDIAN MOVIE MOGUL
In the United States of America, they say that the impossible only takes a little longer. In India, there is an inspiring wise saying that efforts never fail. Opportunity does knock on the doors of almost everybody in this wide world. Some avail of it. Some pass it by. Some do not bother to find out who is knocking on the door! And some do not wait for the door to knock. They go after opportunities and seize them. To these selected few, success aplenty is assured. To that rare galaxy of men belongs the Madrasbased Indian movie mogul, AV. Meiyappan.
AV. MEIYAPPAN
- Randor Guy
A pioneer of South Indian cinema, Meiyappan fought a valiant battle alone against heavy odds, high hurdles, stone walls and more and made his way to resounding victory. It was not easy. He underwent many trials and tribulations, agony and anguish, stress and strain, sighs and sweat before he discovered the key to movie moguldom. Pioneers never have it easy in human history and Meiyappan was no exception.
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There is no easy road to success. Never. Especially in motion pictures. A high-risk line of activity, insecure even in the best of times. A risky world of shifting sands and clay, a land of ‘Here today, gone tomorrow’. To succeed in such an area requires an extra-plus to make it to the top. Meiyappan had that factor to the brim in his mental crucible. Movie producer, film director, studioowner, enterprising entrepreneur, Meiyappan was all these and more... A shrewd person who could see the mighty oak in the tiny acorn, he was a talent scout and impresario. Many successful movie careers owe their beginnings to him. Above all, he possessed true grit and guts. He ventured ahead where lesser mortals would fear to tread. Many innovations in Indian motion pictures were his contributions. He created history when, in the early 1940’s, he produced the first dubbed picture in India, Harishchandra from Kannada to Tamil. He was the first South Indian film producer to introduce the off-screen voice, lending ‘playback’ singing system in his successful Tamil film Nandakumar (1938). If today the ancient art of Indian classical dance Bharatanatyam enjoys glorious popularity not only in India, but also far beyond the high seas in distant lands like the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Mauritius and elsewhere, the resurgent renaissance of that art form gathered fast forward movement and momentum with the Tamil film classic Nam Iruvar (1947). Meiyappan produced and directed it. Many are his achievements. For a small town lad with limited resources and not much of formal education, it is indeed a far cry from assisting his father’s modest business to the crowning glory of movie moguldom. A stirring story of success of drive and determination, of dynamism and brave spirits that would never take a ‘no’ for an answer. It all began a long time ago in a little town Karaikudi in the then backwoods of the good old Madras Presidency in British India. Karaikudi is today a busy buzzing prosperous town situated about four hundred kilometres from Madras (now Chennai) and the most important place in Chettinad. Even though geographically and officially, there is no area called Chettinad, it has been widely recognized for several decades as the land of Nattukottai Nagarathars. Popularly known as Nattukottai Chettiars, the members of this mercantile community are intelligent, shrewd businessmen who had built their fortunes mostly by money-lending in the decades gone by. In that period, most of them
established their private banking business across the high seas in Burma (now Myanmar), Federated States of Malaya (FMS), now Malaysia and Singapore, and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). Some of the more enterprising Chettiars reached even places like Saigon and Hong Kong. They also have interest in fine arts and Tamil Literature and reveal a flair for collecting antiques and artifacts, books and magazines, gramophone records and other articles of interest. Indeed, in several Nagarathar houses in Chettinad, there are mini-archives of varying kinds. During the British Rule of India, Chettinad, comprising several villages and towns was part of the Ramnad (now Ramanathapuram) District with its headquarters in the temple town, Madurai. One of the leading Nagarathars, a fabulously wealthy person, was recognized by the British Indian Government as its titular head and conferred the title of ‘Raja of Chettinad’. It also conferred on him a knighthood. Thus he became Raja Sir Annamalai Chettiar of Chettinad, a person of much clout with an abiding interest in arts, especially classical Carnatic music of South India. (Chettinad is now part of the newly constituted Sivaganga District.) Galatta Cinema | december 2009 91
Karaikudi came into existence about a century ago and grew into an important town to which several Chettiars from surrounding villages like Senthani, Kottadi and Varivayal migrated to expand their business activities. The ancestors of AV. Meiyappan hailed from Varivayal, a small village between Managiri and Kallal near Karaikudi. Varivayal has vanished like several other villages in this area due to the passage of time. Like most Nattukottai Nagarathars who sailed across the Bay of Bengal to promote their money lending business, Meiyappan’s grandfather had his business firm in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Such foreign businesses disturbed the family living back home and for this reason, his father Avichi Chettiar did not wish to go abroad. Besides, he was not keen in continuing the traditional money lending business because he felt that it contained a certain element of human exploitation and greed. It was a daring thought for the day, especially among Nattukottai Chettiars and deciding to stay back home, he blazed a new trail. Avichi Chettiar opened a shop in Kallukatti area of Karaikudi under the name and style of AV & Sons. Here, he sold stationery articles and others items needed for daily use by the small town folks. The shop, originally housed in a modest tiled building, was earlier owned and occupied by Brahmin temple priests. When such houses came up for sale, purchasers were hesitant to come forward, because it was considered unethical to buy houses from Brahmins, especially temple priests. However, Avichi Chettiar was bold; breaking the taboo, he purchased the building, thus revealing his inner strength and sense of conviction. AV & Sons did not extend credit and terms were strictly cash, irrespective of the personalities involved. Customers were treated alike, irrespective of their age, sex, caste, creed and status. Avichi Chettiar did not have assistants in his shop and served his customers himself, thus offering personalized service. Once a month he would travel to the provincial capital Madras to buy goods in the wholesale market of the city and on such occasions, AV & Sons would be closed for three days. A notice would be found on the closed doors reading as follows: Notice: As I am proceeding to Madras for purchases, this is to announce that the shop will not be open for three days. - Avichi Chettiar Besides, he had small boards on his shop walls in Tamil, reading “Fixed Price”, and “Don’t Ask for Credit!” These were then novel and rare in places like Karaikudi. In the bygone ages, many small commercial establishments, like coffee ‘clubs’ and ‘hotels’ ( restaurants) and grocery stores had framed pictures of two men, one fat and prosperous, and the other emaciated, sick and broken-down. The first caption read, “He sold for cash!” The other read, “He sold for credit!” With his honest and sincere methods of business, personalized service and public relations, Avichi Chettiar began
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to prosper. His business expanded and more articles and commodities were made available at AV & Sons. Cycle spare parts, Kodak film, car batteries, motor car tyres and even distilled water. His flair for enterprise and public relations can be gauged when 90-plus years ago, in 1917, he printed calendars for his company and distributed them to customers, perhaps the earliest instance of such a strategy for a place so far from Madras. With the growing business and expansion of the town, Avichi Chettiar began to add to his list of articles on sale. From motor car spare parts, he began to sell Baby Austin cars. And then came gramophone records. Movies were then silent and electric power was a rare commodity in homes. Radio was not yet a reality and in such a situation, families had to depend for their aural entertainment on the gramophone of the wind-up spring-driven kind. Boys and girls vied with each other for the right to wind up the machine. Some bold precocious children hid the winding key so that they could exercise the privilege every time! Gramophone record companies like the legendary His Master’s Voice (HMV) and Columbia were the leading producers of recorded music in that era and household names. AV & Sons obtained the rights to distribute the gramophone records of these companies for Madurai, Ramanathapuram, Tirunelveli and Trichy districts and also the then princely state of Pudukottai. Records of songs rendered by legendary stage stars S.G. Kittappa, K.B. Sundarambal, S.V. Subbaiah Bhagavathar and such others were bestsellers. Several families were proud owners of such records and today, they are collectors’ items. (to be continued)
Letters to Santa Don’t you just love the whole Santa concept? If only it was true, I’m sure each one of us would have a zillion things to ask for! And even though we know he isn’t coming - not down the chimney, or the front door - we still have a our wish list that runs several feet long; even the glitzy folks of tinselville are no exception. Find out more...
R Ab GONE BY!
It’s that time of the year when you tell yourself, “Time sure flies!” And that is not always a bad thing! As we sit on the brink of a new year beginning, let’s take a look at what we loved and hated about the year that will soon be gone. Let’s stop to remember what to treasure and what to forget. Here’s what the stars are saying...
&
Celeb flick-picks for There’s a movie releasing almost every weekend. Some receive a thunderous applause while many, sadly, slip into oblivion. We know what rocked the box office, and which failed to make much impact. But what do the filmi folk think, what movies would they pick as the best movies of 2009? Let the countdown BEGIN!
2009
Looking back on the year
und ut
a december ‘09 christmas special
a t n a S ecial Sp
YUVA seems to have been waiting to get his wish-list to Santa! “First of all I want world peace. The way things stand, nothing is certain in this world of violence. Then I want to be known as a good actor. And finally I want a girl to love me, take care of me and support me in all I do!”
yuva
“I’m not one to ask for anything,” says Shakkthi, and it may be true, because it takes him a while to even come up with a single wish to put on that note to Santa. “Maybe I’d like a trip to New Zealand! But really, I’d take anything that Santa gave me as a blessing and treasure it!” Looks like some of us do not have long wish lists after all! “Maybe I could get Santa something for a change. A new red suit for next year?” Now that’s a first!
sakthi
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ANUYA’s two movies old with a lot of promise. What would she put in her wish list to Santa? “I would ask him to bless me so I earn the name of being the Best All-round Performer in Indian cinema! Be it acting, dance or singing, I must be the best! I am fully confident in my capabilities, but it won’t hurt to get supernatural support,” laughs the starlet, who tells us she is getting some good roles up North, and is likely to begin work there early next year.
Remember the slightly bearded youngster who was willing to die for his sport in Vennila Kabbadi Kulu? That’s our cricketer-turned-actor Vishnu. Would he wish for an Oscar and a couple of test centuries? No way! “My sister Shubhra is getting married soon. I wish that she has a fabulous life ahead of her. I wish that my family is always happy. I wish that my movies Bale Pandiya and Drohi releasing in January should be big successes at the box office. And then, I want to sing in one of my movies,” he says and then laughs. Why? Because he is a terrible singer! Lithe and lovely Meera Chopra has her list to Santa well-planned. “At the very top of my list is HAPPINESS. I wish for lots of happiness for my family and me, enough to last a lifetime. Then I want success in my profession. I’ve some new projects in hand that I’m excited about, I sure hope they do well. And finally, I wish for a fun holiday to New York to usher in the New Year,” she says with a twinkle in her eyes.
vishnu
ajmal
For this tall and good-looking guy, who is just beginning to make ripples meera in cinema, it’s his career that’s taking up all of Ajmal’s mind space. “All I want at this point is success in my career. I want my movies to do great at the box office. I have a movie releasing in January, then there’s an international film that begins in December and a few more in the pipeline. I wish Santa could make them all blockbusters,” gushes the young actor!
chopra
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Celeb flick-picks for
2009
“My fave movies this year are Kaminey and Dostana in Hindi. While the latter was great fun, I loved the screenplay in the other. Other movies I enjoyed were Changeling, Slumdog Millionaire and The Reader. I think Angeline Jolie is way better at powerful roles like her role in Changeling, rather than action ones. What I loved about Slumdog Millionaire is the well-crafted screenplay. As for The Reader, it’s one of the most moving stories I’ve ever seen on the silver screen.” “So many movies have released this year, but the one that I enjoyed most was Ayan! I found it thoroughly entertaining. What was most special about the movie? The innovative ideas shown to smuggle drugs abroad. I had no clue such ingenious methods were being used! Another movie I loved was Pasanga. I love kids and the kids in the movie were real fun. What tops my list of fave films however is Slumdog Millionaire. I know I like because every time I watch it, I wanna watch it till the very end!”
Snigdha
Poorna
“There is no particular genre in cinema that I like over another. I just love movies and watch all kinds of films from romance to action. The movies of 2009 that make it to my top five are Luck by Chance, Hangover, Gulaal, Wake Up Sid, Inglorious Basterds and Hangover. I’ve watched Hangover at least six times, and the movie is hilarious. Each time I watch it, the comedy hits me afresh and I’m laughing all the way! Simply hilarious!”
Poonam Bajwa
“My No. 1 movie of 2009 is undoubtedly Naadodigal, a fabulous movie taken very realistically. I liked the sequence where Sasikumar sir is in the car, and his girl, who just married someone else, walks past him with her husband. There was a great depth to that scene. Then I like Vamanan for its music and its camera work. Then I also really enjoyed Vennila Kabbadi Kulu because it was quite a pacey. It does not slacken at any point.”
JAI “The movie that I absolutely loved was Rocknrolla. A diehard Guy Ritchie fan, I just love his movies. I also loved The Bank Job. It released in 2008, but since I saw it this year, I’ll keep it on my list. What I love about these movies is that they are fast, cool and thoroughly entertaining! Then of course I liked Modhi Vilayadu. The team was amazing, especially director Saran, who was incredible! I also loved Kandein Kadhalai. I think director Kanna has bettered the original!”
Vinay “Unnaipol Oruvan, Pasanga and Eeram top my list of Tamil films that I thoroughly loved in 2009. I loved Kamal Haasan in Unnaipol Oruvan, and the fact that the movie had no item songs and punch dialogues. As for Pasanga, it was a full-fledged fun film. What was really thrilling about Eeram was that I did not expect a horror movie. Then I loved Hangover because I was able to thoroughly connect with the movie, the story of many youngsters!”
Shiva Galatta Cinema | december 2009 97
Looking back on the year GONE BY! “Professionally, I have two big reasons to celebrate 2009. First, thanks to my role in Ninaithale Inikum, I am no longer seen as the goody goody US maapilai! I have shed that image and have begun to get some real good acting roles. Secondly, my little theatre company Evam dreamt big in 2009 and as a result, Evam is going national in 2010! The national launch is in January, and though I’m a little nervous, I am absolutely ecstatic,” gushes the good-looker. “I can’t quite think of anything that sucked about 2009, except maybe the way Pakistan is crumbling within itself. It’s high time we shed our differences and helped them get some stability, for our own good too!”
Rocking
Karthik Kumar
“What rocked my world in 2009? My brother’s movie Goa! The entire team was in total sync and we had so much fun. Whether we were shooting in the amazingly laidback Goa or in lovely Malaysia or in Theni or Madurai or even in Chennai, it just did not matter. It was one long party! I especially loved gambling in Malaysia and Goa every day after shooting. I must say that I was the luckiest guy in the team at that,” rattles off Premji. “The only thing that was not good about 2009 was that we could not release Goa as planned. But we’re gonna begin 2010 with a bang for sure.” Did you know that Simbu, who does a cameo in Goa, calls Premji ‘Mini Little Super Star’?
Premji
Rocking 98 Galatta Cinema |december 2009
Rocking
“2009 was a good year for me in general. I don’t have many complaints. But what I am really happy about? I managed to make an impact in Bollywood as well. My debut Hindi movie released this year, and did fairly well. I am still working my way to the top, but the fact that Bollywood film makers are now approaching me with scripts makes me feel very optimistic about 2010,” says this lovely lady. “However, on the downside, I was busy in Bollywood and hence turned down many movies in Tamil. I hope next year I will be able to strike a proper balance between both.”
Sada
R
“2009 rocked my world because I made lots of great friends! On the professional front, my movie Jagan Mohini did well at the box office. It released for Diwali, made quite a bang with the audiences and gave my career a good push forward. It’s a heroine-oriented script, and since I am that heroine, it makes me all the more happy,” says Namitha, who has given many a guy sleepless nights! “However, 2009 had its dark side. I lost some great friends, which totally upsets me to even think of. And then there’s that grievance that I am yet to be cast with Suriya and Vikram, which I hope will happen in 2010!”
Rocking
Rocking
Namitha “There are many things that make 2009 a great year. But something that really rocked was the Delhi High Court ruling on Section 377 in the Constitution (which criminalised consensual sexual acts of adults in private). It’s a sign that our society’s small mind is broadening,” says the actor after considerable consideration. “But what really sucked? Pramod Muthalik’s Sriram Sena’s moral policing and the subsequent brutal attack on the girls at a pub in Mangalore.”
Adithya
Rocking
“My movie Siva Manasula Sakthi released on Valentine’s Day and did very well at the box office. So that was a great start to my year and kind of set the tone for the rest of the year as well. 2009 was overall a good year for me, the only setback being that another movie of mine that was supposed to release did not. It’s always disappointing when that happens,” he says, and then adds, “The 26/11 attack may have happened last year but it continues to gnaw at our hearts. It was one of the worst terror attacks in recent times. My heart goes out to those who lost loved ones that day and I hope such a thing never happens again.”
Jiiva
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Bringing
Hollywood Home Avatar Genre: Sci-fi Cast: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Michelle Rodriguez Director: James Cameron Company: Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation Releasing in: December 2009 James Cameron has jumped off the Titanic only to shoot off into space and spin a fantastic tale of intergalactic romance! Avatar is set in the 22nd century on a distant moon called Pandora. The inhabitants of this lush paradise are three metre tall, tailed turquoise blue-skinned humanoids called the Na’vi. Humans begin to plunder Pandoran resources via human-Navi hybrids called Avatars. Jake Sully, a marine, enters into the hybrid programme, converted into an Avatar and sent to Pandora. He is at once mesmerized by the beauty of the land and eventually falls in love with the Na’vi Princess. However, now is not the time for romance, because the Na’vi and the Avatars have begun a war. What becomes of Pandora and of Jake’s extraterrestrial romance? That is the rest of the story.
mutscth
wa
A Christmas Carol Genre: Animation/Drama Cast: Jim Carrey, Steve Valentine, Daryl Sabara Director: Robert Zemeckis Company: ImageMovers/ Walt Disney Pictures Released on: November 2009
Ninja Assassin Genre: Action Cast: Sung Kang, Randall Duk Kim, Jonathan Chan-Pensley Director: James McTeigue Company: Warner Bros. Pictures/ Legendary Pictures Ninja Assassin tells the story of Raizo, one of the deadliest out 09 assassins in the world. He was 0 2 picked up from the streets and nov transformed into a killer by the Ozunu clan, a secret society whose very existence is considered a myth. However, he is constantly haunted by the merciless execution of his friend by the clan. Hence Raizo breaks free from them and goes into hiding, where he plots against the very clan that has equipped him with the most fierce skills. Meanwhile, in Berlin, Europol agent Mika Coretti has stumbled upon a conspiracy of corruption that links several political murders to an underground network of untraceable assassins from the Far East and before she realizes it, she is now a target herself. Raizo saves Mika from her attackers and the two are on the run, with Raizo steadily getting ready for revenge.
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Ebenezer Scrooge is a bitter and miserly old moneylender, who for some reason harbours a hatred for Christmas and everything related to it. He refuses to celebrate the festival and hates it that his employee Bob Cratchit requests for a day off to celebrate it with his family. He even spurns his cheerful nephew Fred’s Christmas dinner party invitation and chooses to spend Christmas eve alone at home. That night he is visited by the ghost of his former business partner, Jacob Marley, who had died seven years ago on Christmas Eve, who reveals to him that his miserly ways had made his afterlife miserable, and the same would befall Ebenezer if he did not change. That’s when the three ghosts - Past, Present and Yet To Come - arrive and help Ebenezer see his flaws.
Hollywood movies in India Planet 51 Genre: Animation Sci-fi Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Jessica Biel, Justin Long Director: Jorge Blanco Company: Ilion Animation/ HandMade Films Released on: December 2009
mutscth
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The Twilight Saga New Moon Genre: Fantasy/ Romance Cast: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Christina Jastrzembska Director: Chris Weitz Company: Summit Entertainment/Sunswept Entertainment Released in: November 2009 When the previous movie in the Twilight series came to an end, we saw Bella Swan narrowly escaping the clutches of the evil vampire James while finding love with ‘vegetarian’ vampire Edward Cullen. And
when this one begins, she is still very much in love with him. At a birthday party, Bella accidentally cuts her finger. The sight of blood gets Jasper Hale, the newest addition to the Cullen clan, hungry. He succumbs to his blood lust and attacks Bella. Bella is saved, but Edward realizes that as long as she is around him and his family, she is not safe. He leaves her and Jacob Black, a member of the Quilite tribe enters Bella’s life. But Jack has a secret: he’s a werewolf! Still in love with Edward, Bella is now torn between the vampire and the werewolf! Action, Drama, Romance, Horror, Comedy, Thriller, Musical, Animation...
Flavour of the season
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Scientists continue to believe that Earth cannot be the only planet in the universe with intelligent life forms. And there have been UFO sightings and reports of alien abductions, though none of these cases have been proven. We humans continue to search the endless space that surrounds our galaxy, hoping that one day, we will meet our companions and that they will not invade and annihilate us! Planet 51 takes the exact opposite take on this situation. What if, like us, there were living beings out there fearing invasions by aliens (us!) to them? American astronaut Captain Charles “Chuck” Baker lands on Planet 51. He roams around thinking he’s the first person to step foot on it. To his surprise, he finds that this planet is inhabited by little green people who are happily living in a white picket fence world. Their only fear? Being overrun by alien invaders like Chuck!
Land of the Lost Genre: Action/ Adventure Cast: Will Ferrell, Anna Friel Director: Brad Silberling Company: Universal Pictures
The Rebound Genre: Comedy/ Romance Cast: Catherine Zeta-Jones, Justin Bartha Director: Bart Freundlich Company: The Film Department/ Process Prodns
Risk Marshal is kicked out of the science department for his time warp theory and is reduced to working as a teacher at a museum. Here, he meets Holly Cantrell, whose finding urges him to create a tachyon amplifier to enable time warp travel. Something goes wrong (or right?), and they end up in a parallel universe in the dino era!
In this hilarious romance, Catherine Zeta-Jones plays a single mom, Sandy, who won’t even try to get a man, until an adorable male nanny turns up at a her doorstep to watch over her kids while she’s out! However, Sandy is soon smitten by the charming lad, nearly ten years her junior but when he reciprocates her feelings, she is not sure how moral their relationship is.
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Rob-Kristen caught kissing! Rumours about Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart’s secret romance have been making news for quite a while. But both stars have constantly denied those rumours, insisting that they are ‘just friends’. Rob and Kristen, who co-star in The Twilight Saga: New Moon, were in Hollywood for the screening of their new movie and supposedly stayed together at The Chateau Marmont. And it was the night previous to the screening that the sparks caught the media eye! “Rob wanted a cigarette so he went outside with Kristen for about 15 minutes. They were hugging, as Rob was smoking his cigarette, and then he leaned down and kissed her on the lips. He had his arm around her almost the whole time,” said an informed source.
Fergie enjoys girlie fun!
Sarah loves the smell of diapers Sex and the City star Sarah Jessica Parker is busy changing diapers these days, but she is not complaining because she loves the smell of her babies’ dirty diapers! Sarah and husband Matthew Broderick chose the ‘surrogate mom’ way to start their family and are now the happy parents of fivemonth-old twin daughters, Loretta and Tabitha. And Sarah is enjoying every moment of motherhood from cuddling her babies to changing dirty diapers! “I love the smell of diapers – I even like when they’re wet and all warm... Being a mother means doing everything for your baby and I’m loving every bit of it,” she said.
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Even after marrying Josh Duhamel, Black Eyed Peas singer Fergie continued indulging in some naughty fun with pretty girls she met at parties! For some reason, she did not feel like she was cheating on her husband, because she was not sleeping with another man! However, when she confided the same to her therapist, the latter made her see that she would still be cheating on Josh by having flings with women. “I’ve had a lot of fun with women, and I’m not ashamed of it. The problem is that I also love a well-endowed man. But just because I enjoy women doesn’t mean I’m allowed to have affairs in my relationship. Talking with my therapist taught me that it’s still cheating even if it’s with girls, so there is a rule there,” she confessed.
Salma’s sexy beard! Oh no, it’s not hormones and it most certainly isn’t the latest trend in Hollywood! Salma Hayek stars in John C. Reilly’s film Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant, in which she plays a bearded woman. Obviously, she felt far from attractive, but John really tried to make her feel better she says. “I never got used to wearing the beard but John C. Reilly made me feel good about it, telling me I looked so hot with the beard. It’s like when I was a whale and swollen from the pregnancy and I’d never looked worse in my life, and people said, ‘You glow!’ ” says Salma. But what she felt worst was that her baby girl had to see her with the beard as she was with her all the time. But then, it was easy to remove and paste the beard as she liked!
Akshay: India’s Olympics Ambassador Akshay Kumar is one among the 15 international celebrities who have been invited for the Olympics torchbearer rally to Canada. Akshay Kumar has been nominated as India’s ambassador for the Olympic Games. At a grand ceremony in Mumbai, Steven Baker, Prime Minister of Canada, will formally invite Akshay to take part in the Winter Olympics rally, to be held from February 12th to 28th next year in Vancouver. “Akshay was selected because he is the only Indian actor who is a sixth degree black belt, and is quite popular with the sizeable Indian population in Canada,” an informed source said. The thrilled actor is getting geared up to run with the torch in Ontario.
Desperate for shirtless Shahid! Female fans of Shahid Kapur are dying to catch a glimpse of the hot bod beneath his clothes! He gave them a taste of his sexiness when he flaunted his beefed-up torso in Vishal Bharadwaj’s Kaminey and now, the ladies want it once more. The actor was recently shooting at a beach in Bangkok. The scene required him to emerge from the sea, remove his shirt and walk along the beach in a tight vest and clingy shorts [remember Daniel Craig in Quantum of Solace? The scene won him the Best Torso Award!]. Female fans watching the shoot clamoured for him to remove his vest as well! The stunned actor rushed to his caravan, but the girls lingered on until a security guard stepped in!
Ranbir strips again! Ranbir Kapoor raised a few eyebrows and broke a few hearts by donning nothing more than a towel in his debut movie Saawariya. It was one of the most sensuous scenes picturized with a male lead in recent times. Well, looks like Bollywood has not had enough of the young Kapoor, who did the towel act yet again in his latest movie Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, where director Rajkumar Santoshi instructed the young star to repeat his sexy look. Once again, comfortably standing with a tiny towel wrapped around his waist, the actor went about his stuff in the movie, thus wooing ladies to the theatres! A good promotional idea!
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The F word stays! “You are f****d up in the head, that’s why you want to f*** me,” says Bipasha Basu to her co-star Maradona Rebello in the upcoming psychological thriller Pankh - The Unbearable Lightness Of Being. The Censor Board members were unanimous in wanting the F words beeped, but director Sudipto Chattopadhyay did not mind battling it out with them till he had his way. The movie was anyway getting an ‘A’ certificate because of its provocative theme, so why censor the profanity? Moreover, the dialogue comes at a crucial point in the film where Bipasha has a verbal fight with Maradona. Sudipto fought for the expletives inclusion for six long months, and has at last emerged a winner!
starry eyed Most of her roles on screen have been vivacious, talkative and sometimes, even arrogant. Who can forget Poo in Kabhi Khushi Labhie Gham, Geet in Jab We Met or Simrita in Kambakkht Ishq. But the real Kareena Kapoor is none of these girls. Of course, there is a little bit of Kareena in each of those roles, but what really epitomizes her? Her roles in her debut film Refugee, Chameli and the recently-released Kurbaan. Kareena, or Bebo as she is fondly called by her family and the media, is a much calmer and down-to-earth person. It was no surprise that Kareena decided to act. After all, with her lineage and a big sister like Karisma Kapoor, acting was very much in her genes. Her performance in her debut film Refugee won her a lot of accolades. Though her initial films failed to make a mark, her performance and skill as an actor always won her praise and fan following. Starting her career in 2000, she had some decent hits (Ajnabee, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham), but her average and below-average successes were deflating her market value. And then, Kareena did the unthinkable. She signed Chameli, an offbeat film opposite Rahul Bose, in which she played a prostitute. Though many thought it would be suicidal for her career, it was this film that made critics sit up and take notice of her again. She continued experimenting with a variety of roles, even attempting a negative role in Fida. Despite all these experiments, Kareena was missing that one big hit until she accepted Omkara. Her role was appreciated and so was the film. She followed it up with Jab We Met, her biggest hit till date. This film was also in the news as she had just broken up with her then boy friend Shahid Kapur, her co-star in the film. Kareena Kapoor continues to do films that she believes in, irrespective of their box office potential. Her recent release Kurbaan with beau Saif Ali Khan has not been well-received by audiences, but the critics have applauded her performance. Bebo, we love you, size zero or no!
kareena kapoor A charming young woman with wits to match
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Man behind Ajith’s Aasal moves
Ganesh Acharya is one of the foremost dance choreographers in Bollywood. He recently choreographed a song in Sivaji Productions’ Asal with Ajith and Sameera Reddy, but his connection with Sivaji Ganesan goes way back. Born near Villupuram, Ganesh was named Sivaji Ganesan as the Nadigar Thilagam’s birthplace is also the same and it is a quirky tradition of citizens there to name their eldest sons Sivaji Ganesan, in honour of the Chevalier. Ganesh went to Mumbai with his parents as a child. He joined the Junior Artistes’ Association at age 12, the Dancers’ Association at age 14 and became a dance assistant at 17. He became a dance master at age 19 and has been involved with choreographing for movies for the last 19 years. He has worked with some of the top names in Bollywood, including amazing dancers like Govinda, Akshay Kumar, Shahrukh Khan and Hrithik Roshan. He also directed a Hindi film titled Swami.
India gets a silver at Cairo One man’s poison is another man’s meat they, say. In the case of Director Krishnan’s Mudhal Mudhal Mudhal Varai, at home the movie may not have hit the mark, but abroad it has created quite a stir. “When I started out I decided two things. One I was going to explore a new idea that may not appeal to the the B & C centers. Two, I wanted to make a film for an International audience. After releasing it in the South, the movie gained National recognition and then eventually went International.” The movie has several credits to it’s name. After having been selected by the Indian Panorama to represent India in International Festivals from out of about 1000 movies, it won Best Feature Film (International) – Drama at the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival. And now it has upped it’s worth by bagging a Silver award at International Competition For Feature Digital Films Cairo International Film Festival! Congrats to Krishnan and team! Published by T.S.P. Shanmuga Raja on behalf of Dot Com Infoway Limited from “GNG House”, K-48, Anna Nagar East, Chennai – 600 102 and printed by B. Ashok Kumar at Rathna Offset Printers, 40, Peters Road, Royapettah, Chennai – 600 014. Editor – Shakthi Girish RNI No.TNENG/200721243, Postal Registration No. TN/CCN/310/07-09
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