Southscope Magazine

January 2012 | Vol 03 | IssUE 04 www.southscope.in `40

Entertainment Unlimited !

Revealed!

Karthi’s CHILDHOOD LIFE

VETTAI

Sonia Agarwal talks about pain and the value of happiness

for Pongal

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uP CLOSE WITH YOUR FAVOURITE a-LIST sTARS

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sAMEERA rEDDY

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COVER STORY

26 Vettai: Vettai is releasing big this January. Meet the cast and crew in a quick-fire preview

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FIRST CUT

14 Casanova: Mohanlal plays the eternal romantic hero...

16 Saguni: Karthi Sivakumar’s much-awaited film is progressing well. We bring you the details.

18 Nanban: Shankar, Vijay, Ileana and Gemini Film Circuit – recipe for a blockbuster that!!

20 Bodyguard: Venkatesh and Trisha star in this popular remake....

21 Sangolli Rayanna: Audiences wait with bated breath to see if Darshan can essay the role of the legendary Sangolli Rayanna

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TAKE TWO

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ON THE SETS

06 Businessman: This one has the perfect trappings of yet another blockbuster 08 The King and the Commissioner: Superstars Mammootty and Suresh Gopi come together for this sequel 09 Anna Bond: Puneeth Rajkumar is all set to take audiences by storm!

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48 Anirudh Ravichander: ‘My sync with Dhanush is fabulous’ 52 Meghana Raj: ‘The audiences have accepted me as a Malayali actor’ 54 Allari Naresh: ‘I wanted to be a villain like Raghuvaran’ 56 Pranitha Subhash: ‘I never distanced myself from Kannada films’

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SHOWSTOPPER

01 Sonia Agarwal: ‘Time heals everything and makes you realise the value of happiness’

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SPICE IT UP Punch-words, catchphrases and a hope for a tide-over in the Kannada film industry

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HOWZZAT

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Sing along with these lyrics

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TIME CHECK

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STAR STRUCK

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Go back in time with our favourite veteran and bytesized info about her

Our guest columnist this month talks about his childhood friendship with Karthi

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Os BUSINESSMAN (Telugu) Cast: Mahesh Babu, Kajal Agarwal, Prakash Raj, Sayaji Shinde Director: Puri Jagannadh Producer: RR Venkat Music: SS Thaman

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usinessman has the perfect trappings of yet another blockbuster. Ace director Puri Jagannadh and Mahesh Babu had teamed up in 2006 to make the biggest blockbuster in recent times – Pokkiri – which went on to be remade into several languages. The same team has returned after four years to make Businessman.

Mahesh Babu is a man of few words and Puri is playing the cards very close to his chest.

The shooting for the film commenced in September and was wrapped up in more than two months. But no one is willing to disclose the details of the project. The movie will be a surprise on the big screen.

A lot transpired on the sets, as the film took 74 days to be canned. Mahesh Babu remained relaxed and composed on the sets with Kajal Agarwal being the cynosure of the film unit. But everybody was anxious to see the most-awaited shooting of the item song for which Shweta Bharadwaj gyrated in a bikini! The shooting of this song was carried out in a very secretive manner and the makers ensured that only a few members of the team were a part of it.

Shruthi Hassan was originally scheduled to play the Prince’s love interest in the film, but it eventually fell in Kajal’s lap. We don’t know the exact reason behind this. The major highlight of the shooting was Mahesh Babu crooning for the first time for the title track of Businessman, which has music composed

by SS Thaman. The film was shot at multiple locations in Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Goa. And with an acting powerhouse like Prakash Raj playing the villain in the film, we can definitely hope that we are in for another mega blockbuster. Prakash Raj remains the focal point of the movie and if people on the sets are to be believed, it will be a straight contest between the Prince and Prakash in the acting department.

All that Mahesh Babu has to say is, “I am very excited to work with Puri Jagannadh.

Businessman has a tremendous script and will be loved by my fans. I am sure that this film is easily Puri’s biggest film.”

Trade analysts point out that Businessman, scheduled for release in a record 1,000 plus theatres across the world in January, could garner the biggest opening for a Telugu movie. What’s more, the movie is being simultaneously released in Tamil and Malayalam in dubbed versions. Here’s wishing the Prince the very best.

— Aravind G Shivkamal Southscope | January 2012

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nna Bond, as the title suggests, revolves around the lead actor Puneeth Rajkumar, who is being glorified as the local don as well as the super bond!

Director Duniya Soori scripted Anna Bond much before the blockbuster Jackie happened in 2010.

And, the success of Jackie prompted the duo to revive Anna Bond with major modifications in the storyline. The movie has set very high expectations following the stupendous performance of Jackie at the box office. But Soori is known for keeping his script a secret, adding more pressure on the success of this film. While some feel that the director may be superstitious about revealing the storyline, his working style has paid off in recent times.

The movie was launched in November and a significant portion of the shooting has been completed. Soori describes Anna Bond as a soft romantic action film involving the talented Priyamani with glamour doll Nidhi Subbaiah as the protagonist’s love interest.

The film was canned continually at various locations in Karnataka. However, it was the Muttatti location (100 km from Bengaluru), known for natural scenic beauty, which hogged the limelight during the shooting. Apparently, Nidhi, who is a national level sailing champion, jumped into the Cauvery River to go kayaking several times during the shoot. So did Puneeth Rajkumar, who performs amazing stunts in real life as well.

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ANNA BOND (KANNADA) Cast: Puneeth Rajkumar, Priyamani, Nidhi Subbaiah, Jackie Shroff Director: Duniya Soori Producer: V Harikrishna Music: Parvathamma Rajkumar

All three actors had a good time in Puneeth’s company, the actor is known for his mischief on the sets, digging jokes and playing pranks with people, much before those involved in it could take stock of the situation! In their second film together, Priyamani and Puneeth share great on-screen chemistry. Like the popular song Hosa Gaana Bajaana in their previous film Raam, we’ll have to wait and see if the duo have a fast dancing number in Anna Bond; the shooting of the songs have not yet commenced.

While Nidhi chose to swim, Priyamani has had her share of adventure during the shooting as well. On the way to the shooting location from Bengaluru, the actor’s car was involved in an accident. Fortunately, she was unhurt and proceeded to take part in the shooting though the unit was keen on calling the day off.

The team has been through a lot, having stayed incommunicado during the day for over a month, as they were shooting in a mobile dead network zone. While enjoying themselves at the shoot, the team also got their fair share of criticism from the director. If sources are to be believed, Soori who is normally calm and composed, lost his cool several times during the shooting. He ended up yelling at some of the unit members. Fortunately, the actors did not have to face his wrath!

— Aravind G Shivkamal

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Os The King and the Commissioner (MALAYALAM) Cast: Mammootty, Suresh Gopi, Samvrata Sunil Director: Shaji Kailas Producer: Anto Joseph Music: Rahulraj

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t’s easily one of the most-awaited films of 2012, with superstars Mammootty and Suresh Gopi sharing screen-space after the super-hit mass entertainer, Twenty-Twenty. As the title suggests, the actors make their re-entry as the King and the Commissioner, with Mammootty reprising Thevalliparambil Joseph Alex and Suresh Gopi replaying the most popular cop role of his career, the hot-headed, Bharath Chandran IPS. The film is a sequel to the director’s own 1995 super hit film, The King. “It’s all about the hit quotient. Nobody wants to remake a flop film. As for King and the Commissioner, even after 16 years, both the characters are still fresh in public memory, so why not cash in on that? But risk factors are aplenty as there is a huge gap between the two films and the audience have become more tech-savvy. So you have to tweak the sequel to match their taste,” says Renji Panikker, who has scripted the film.

For Suresh Gopi, it’s a role closest to his heart: “The movie is set completely in Delhi and both our characters operate from there. I am sharing screenspace with Mammootty who plays Joseph Alex. It will definitely not have any semblance to the original, neither in script nor in the presentation as the audience tastes have changed. I think the upright and plain-speaking Bharat Chandran remains the most popular of my cop roles till date and also was a major breakthrough for my career at that time. With Ranji Panicker, I don’t need to worry about my role or script; we know each other very well.” Shot in Delhi, Ernakulam, Kozhikkode and Thiruvanathapuram, the film is said to be made on a huge budget. Samvrutha Sunil, Janardhanan, Jagathy Sreekumar and Vijayaraghavan are in the supporting cast.

Slated to release in February, the movie has had its spate of controversies. First being the animosity between the lead actors with Suresh Gopi almost staging a walkout owing to differences between him and Mammootty. In fact, the director was even planning to replace Gopi with Prithviraj. But it’s been said that later the duo buried the hatchet and agreed to shoot the film. In between the shoots, the film was reportedly put on hold following Income Tax raids in Mammootty and producer Anto Joseph’s homes and offices. It is reported that the shooting of this movie was going on in Kochi, when the IT raids took place. Actor Mammootty had to be present before IT investigators. It is also reported that the Suresh Gopi’s ill-health was another reason for scrapping the shooting of the film. To fit into the role, he is said to have dropped 15 kilos to look thinner, which led him to face health problems and take off from the filming schedule.

—Neelima Menon Southscope | January 2012

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TELUGU

Sing along with these lyrics

Panjaa Track: Paparayudu Director: Vishnuvardhan Music: Yuvan Shankar Raja Singer: Hemachandra & Sathyan Lyrics: Ramajogiah Sastry Cast: Pawan Kalyan & Sarah Jane Dias Yekkado puttado Yekkado perigadu Mana Ooriki vachadu Mana vaadai poyadu Macchaleni chandrudu manchi tho mandutunna suryudu Chedutho chedugudadukuntadu..paparayudu.. paparayudu... paparayudu Aa.. ittantodu gani vurikokkadu unte Chiku chintalu ani teeri poyenante chikati Anna mata paripoyinatte ha Arererey nuvvu aapara Jai..ayya Nuvu em chestunav ra... vastunanu ayya Come on i say... vastunanu ayya vastuna Veedentra suryudu chandrudu veluthuru cheekati antadu Ayya tamariguruinche padutunnadu ayya Nakardham avvali kada..!

Nuvu oka pani cheyara... ayya Vadilaga pedda pedda padallo padakunda Chinna chinna padalu upayoginchi nee Notitho nuvve paadu Nenu ah ayya..? paadamma..!

Edavalake edava panikimalina chavata Tagubhotu kuyya tirugubothu jaffa Police dress lo unna 420 gadani Ey!.. abbo... abbaa... come here Ayya endayya kottav atta... tidutunnaventra Adikadu edo flow lo Aagu ardham kaaka poyina vaadu tittinde bhagundi ra Idi mari daarunam ga undi Oka panichey maree antha high lo kakunda Mari antha low lo kakunda medium ga tittey ra You can do better.. please ra Ee sari chuudayya Kottu...

Are bhoomiki jaanadu bhooloka veerudu Chupulaku mamulodu ee monagadu chalane sarukunnodu Meesam leni magaderudu suryudu Superman type ee veedu Jaanala mundhu simple man anipistadu Tana bhalamento tanake teliyani all in one anjaaneyudu Chesina manchini marchipoye gajini cousin ee veedu

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Taruvata..? taruvata enti. kottu Paparayudu... paparayudu..paparaayudu..paparayudu Pai pai looks chusi Vesukunna dress chusi Manishini veyaradu anchana Samayam vachindante sarigga telustundi Evadilo entha vundo stamina Six pack body leka poyina Paparayadu single hand chitakestadi Cut out chuste comedigunna Ee potugadi kanti choopu narikestadi Eeragestadi Aa taruvata..? taruvata enti... kottu Anna ee moment chudu anna Annaa mari idi..arey moment marchararei moment marchu Adi... are arerei... abbo Ninna monna ne paina meditale iccharu Ee vuri janalu arey ippudaite pilichi Niku pilla nistaru Ninna chooste dadakoru... iyyalemo ayyagaru Chi po ani tittinavallu salam salam annaru Chuttupaka padullalo ey samasya vachina Ika pai nuvve dikku devudu Alu vellu vachi kala vella padina Mammalane vadalaku eppudu Anda dandai maa thode nuvve lekunte Mammalani kapadedi evvadu Ayya meeru deevudu ayya.. mari kottu Abbabbabba ah mellagottra.. inka mellaga Koncham mellaga Inka mellakodite tusss inkemi vinapadadu anna Kottra kot kot kottu Bhatikunnapude bhangaru vigraham centerlo nilabettedam Sri papa gari..goppadanam tam tam veddam Holi deepavali lage tanaputtina roju pandhugala jaripinchedam Danikemo papavali ani peredadam Chandalu enno poguchesi palarati gudi kattidam Paparayudee veera gaadanu School lo patam cheydam Taravata...? taravatenti kottu

KANNADA

TAMIL

PARAMATHMA

Rajapattai

Track: College Gatenalli…

Director: Yogaraj Bhat Music: V Harikrishna Singer: V Harikrishna Lyrics: Yogaraj Bhat Cast: Puneet Rajkumar, Aindrita Ray

Track: Podi Paiyan Polave Director: Sussenthiran Music: Yuvan Shankar Raja Singer: Hariharan Lyrics: Yugabharathy Cast: Vikram & Deeksha Seth

College Gate Alli Fail Aagi Bandhavara Kaapadu Chombeshwaraaa Marks Cardinali Sonne Round Aagi Kaanuvudhu Yen Maadli? Maadli?

Chombeswara Olagobba Obba Obba Obba Paramathma Usiradu Adu Adu Adu Anthane Nammappa Appa Appa Appa Punyathma Pass Agu Agu Agu Agu Anthane “Fail Aagadhavarunte Chombeshwara?”

“Pass Aagi Yen Maadli Ondhe Sala?”

Ondondla Ondu Yeraderdla Yeradu, Moor Moorla Mooru Baihartu Maadu “oh My Godzilla What A Calculation” Highestu Marks Kottone Loosu Ardhakke Coursu Bittone Bossu Musikke Sari Illa Yele Swara Inneshtu Koogodu Yemme Thara…

Kai Maadu Yenadhru Byare Thara Cyclellinali Yeru Thengin Mara Hey Rama PUC Yallomme Dumki Aamele Degreeli Moor Mooru Baaki

Exam Hallinalli Nanna Paramthma Morningu Show Ge Hogu Kanda Anthane Class Alli Naanu Obne Olle Punyathmaa Answer Sheet Nalli Barede Questionne “Subjecte Sari Illa Chombeshwara !”

“Syllabussu Irbardha Cinema Thara ?”

Odhkondu Odhkondu Odhkondiru Doubt Idre Hudugirna Kelu Guru Illinda Hogthara Yaradharu?

College Temple Ille Iru Thalondhu Bhagavantha Hakiruva Topi Illindha Pass Aagi Hodhavare Paapi Dana Kayuthidhdha Hari Krishna Paramathma Kurukshethradhalli Driver Aagi Irlilve?

Anisiddh Maaduvavanu Maathra Punyathma Maadodhu Yenu Antha Namage Goththilve “Systeme Sari Illa Chombeshwara !”

“Prime Minister Aagibidla Onde Sala?” “college Saaswatha....”

Podi Paiyyan Polave, Manam Indru Thulluthey Athu Unnai Thaedi Thaedi Thaedi Thaedi Vanthathey Alavillaa Kaathalai, Tharacholli Kenjuthey Thinam Unnai Kaanavae Solluthey, Saetaigal Seiyuthey Engae Naan Ponaalum Pogaamalae Kaathal Pinnalae Varugindrathey Sol Pechai Kaetkaamal Eppothumae Thollai Thannalae Tharugindrathey Podi Paiyyan Polave, Manam Indru Thulluthey Athu Unnai Thaedi Thaedi Thaedi Thaedi Vanthathey Alavillaa Kaathalai, Tharacholli Kenjuthey Thinam Unnai Kaanavae Solluthey, Saetaigal Seiyuthey Nadai Vandi Pinnae Odum Oru Thaaiyaai Kaathal Ennakulae Odakandaen, Silanaalaai Ennai Uppu Mootai Thookkum Muthal Aalaai Kaathal Sumanthennai Poga Kandaen Pagal Raavaai Arivillai En Moolaiyil Athu Unmaiyae Athu Unmaiyae Angae Èppøthumae Èn Anbae Neethaanae Èngae Naan Pønaalum Pøgaamalae Kaathal Pinnalae Varugindrathey Šøl Pechai Kaetkaamal Èppøthumae Thøllai Thannalae Tharugindrathey Urangaamal Paadal Kaetaen, Èzhumbøthey Thaeneer Kaetaen, Inimaelae Kaetpaen Unnaiyae Nadanthey Nee Pøgumbøthu Nadaipaathai Pøøkkal Yaavum Unnai Paarthu Vaikkum Kannaiyae Mazhai Vanthaal Nirkaamal Oduvaen Bayanthøduvaen Ullae Nee Ènbathaal Naan Nanaiyakkøødaathey Èngae Naan Pønaalum Pøgaamalae Kaathal Pinnalae Varugindrathey Šøl Pechai Kaetkaamal Èppøthumae Thøllai Thannalae Tharugindrathey

— Aravind G Shivkamal & Nandini T Reddy Southscope | January 2012

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Songbird of

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hat image, from director K Viswanath’s classic Sagara Sangamam (dubbed into Tamil as Salangai Oli) is still fresh in the minds of lovers of both cinema and music.

And it wasn’t just the film that had her paying her respects to her teacher – but real life as well. “I’ve been inspired by so many people, but I count my mother as my greatest inspiration,” explains the singer / dancer / actress, as I sit her down for a conversation. “She encouraged me so much in my chosen field.

And then, my brother as well; he taught me everything I know,” she says reverently. Small surprise there: when your brother is India’s leading singing sensation, SP Balasubramanian, it’s a dream-cometrue. And his sister is aware of it. “He is such a perfectionist. And at one point, it rubs off on as well.” It wasn’t easy singing alongside a veteran, but Sailaja began her career in 1977, and so far, there hasn’t been a slow moment.

“To tell the truth – I’m really not very busy these days,” she chuckles, but her itinerary says otherwise. She’s currently the judge of the very popular singing contest, Airtel Super Singer on Vijay TV, and a good deal of time is spent juggling episodes, travel, and mentoring contestants. “I meet a lot of youngsters in the age group of 8–14 years. Children are very uninhibited; it’s a joy working with them,” she explains. Besides all these, she does stage shows as well.

Above everything, it’s the 5,000-odd songs she’s sung in Telugu,

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Tamil and Kannada that have listeners still going gaga for her. Her Aasaiya Kaathula Thoodhu Vittu from Johnny, En Purushandhaan from Gopurangal Saivadhillai are eternal favourites, blaring out unexpectedly from even roadside tea-stalls.

“Ilaiyaraja sir was so very good to me, in the beginning,” she recalls, “I was introduced to Srinivasan, who led me straight to him. Raja sir asked me to sing a song, and then I went home. That was it. The very next day, I was told that I was in.” That was Solaikkuyile, the chartbuster from Ponnu Oorukku Pudhusu – and she was well on her way to success.

Acting was still unexpected, though, and she was not much in favour of it when Sagara Sangamam first came her way. She did act in it – but there it ended. The acting chance had come to her post her Bharathanatyam arangetram, and it had taken a good deal to just coax her to do the role, even if she did deliver a stellar performance.

“Music has always been my passion,” she says, simply.

Ask her who her favourite music directors are, and she questions me seriously. “Tamil or Telugu?” Both, I say. And she laughs. “No one.

Or, you know, everyone.”

Seriously? “Well, I do like KV Mahadevan sir’s work,” she reveals.

“A genius. Singing for him was so comfortable. I always felt like I

Veteran singer SP Sailaja’s name evokes the startlingly clear image of a young girl in silvergrey Bharathanatyam attire, eyes brimming with tears of devotion, bending at the feet of her guru Kamal Haasan, before she launches into passionate dance.

Pavithra Srinivasan in conversation with the veteran...

was at home – the level of ease with him was unimaginable. Another person was Chakravarthy sir.”

She doesn’t like to play favourites when it comes to songs though. “I prefer melodies, I think. Old Hindi songs are my favourites.

I have no specifics.” And she’s comfortable with singers of the next generation as well.

That, perhaps, comes with meeting so many talented youngsters; she’s genuinely happy for them, and marvels at the opportunities that are open to them.

As for juggling her work and home, she’s very blessed, she says. Married to Subalekha Sudhakar, the couple has a son, Sreekar.

“They have been so supportive. And now, of course, my son is all grown up, so I have every intention of enjoying myself,” she laughs, “That’s my motto: make use of every opportunity.” And that’s the cue for her to rush to her next assignment. For this veteran, life’s as full as ever.

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Casanova (MALAYALAM) Cast: Mohanlal, Shankar, Jagathy Sreekumar, Shriya Saran, Lakshmi Rai and Roma Director: Rosshan Andrrews Producer: Dr CJ Roy Music: Gopi Sundar, Gauri, Alphonse Joseph 14

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irector Rosshan Andrrews likes to think that there is no better actor than Superstar Mohanlal who can reprise the character of the legendary Venetian adventurer and author, Casanova. It is the tag line attached to the historical womaniser that clinched the deal in favour of Lal for his latest movie. According to the director, this film is about the man who loves women and a man who is loved by all women. “Is there any other actor who can pull off such a stylised Casanova act? I doubt,” says the director who has previously worked with the superstar in two films. The movie will have Mohanlal playing a large-scale flower dealer, who believes in the power of love. He travels to different nations, romances different women and loves them as much as they fall for him. “I think Mohanlal’s on screen flamboyant image goes superbly with this character,” adds Andrews.

In fact for Andrews who started his career with the Mohanlal-starrer, Udayananu Tharam (which was later remade in Tamil and Hindi without much success), Casanova took a pretty long time to make. It’s also one of his most expensive films till date made on a whopping 12-crore budget.

Shot majorly in Dubai and Bangkok, the film also marks the entry of a new producer, Dr CJ Roy of the Confident Group in Malayalam cinema.

Scripted by Bobby and Sanjay, who has earlier writted Rosshan’s Note Book, the movie is not actually based on the Venetian adventurer though. “It’s a sleek romantic action thriller with many stylishly shot action sequences that cost us a fortune,” says the director. Though he ‘hardly enjoyed the process of making’, Andrrews

is confident of the outcome and thinks he has given Mohanlal one of the best characters of his career. “Sure, it was a hassle, what with even Lal getting agitated by the shooting delay owing to my penchant for perfection. But at the end of the day, he knew I could give him a good product,” says the director, who has always given the actor characters of substance, be it the reclusive assistant film director in Udayananu Tharam or the passionate farmer in Ividum Swargamanu.

The movie is slated for a mid January release and has a long list of heroines to keep Mohanlal company, from Shriya Saran, Roma, Lakshmi Rai and even a special appearance by Sameera Reddy.

There are also actresses from different countries playing key roles in the film. The cast includes, Jagathy Sreekumar, Laloo Aalex, Shankar, Riyaz Khan and débutantes Vikram, Abhishek, Shamsi and Arjun. The crew comprises cameraman Gim Ganesh, art director Sunil and costume designer Sai. The film is being distributed by Ashirvad through Max Lab. There was a lot of furore during the shooting of the film, when Mohanlal was injured during a car chase scene while filming in Dubai. Reportedly, it was thanks to the actor’s intervention that they could shoot certain crucial sequences in some parts of Dubai. It was also during the making of the film that Mohanlal reportedly acquired an apartment in the famous Burj Khalifa.

—Neelima Menon

Southscope | January 2012

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ou might be forgiven for thinking that Karthi Sivakumar is on something of a sabbatical; not much has been heard or said about the actor work-wise, ever since the hit Siruthai, which released a year ago. But nothing could be further from the truth: he’s been very busy on his next, a pretty ambitious one at that - Saguni.

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Production first began in April 2011, under the aegis of director Shankar Dayal, erstwhile assistant to director Ezhil, who was well known for his romantic fare. Saguni, by all counts seems to follow the mass masala route with an interesting twist – something Karthi seems to be very comfortable with, post Siruthai. His super-charming boy-next-door looks, not to mention his complete ease in front of the camera assured him success with Paiyya and Naan Mahaan Alla. Saguni, he says, will be a political satire, a fact borne out by the promotional posters released.

Some have him hanging in a carefree fashion out of an auto, but there are others that show him in the attire of a politician raising his hands with a smirk on his face. This is, supposedly, the story of a youngster who arrives in Chennai from rural parts and what he encounters here, sets him on a new path.

Interestingly, Saguni, it’s said, doesn’t have a villain per se; instead, it’s Karthi’s character itself that comes with certain negative shades.

The Dream Warrior Production had been hunting for a heroine for quite a while, and there were even rumours doing the

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rounds that Shriya Saran had been signed on – which was later refuted by the actress.

Then, it was decided that Karthi’s heroine would be a relative newcomer: Pranitha Subhash, who earlier made her debut in Tamil opposite Arulnidhi in Udhayan. Her acting credentials include the Kannada Porki, remake of the original with Mahesh BabuIleana, and later, Vijay-Asin, Pokkiri. It’s also said that Radhika Sarathkumar, who hasn’t acted in films for a while, will be making an appearance. And, in a smart move, glamgirl Anushka Shetty will apparently make a cameo appearance as well.

It was in the midst of filming Saguni that Karthi was engaged to his future wife, Ranjani, and was married, on July 3, 2011.

Later, shooting resumed, and some scenes were reportedly shot near the Napier Bridge Chennai, among other places. The climax is said to be shot in Hyderabad.

Other technicians involved with the project include GV Prakash, who’s currently on a high after chartbusters like Mayakkam Enna; PG Muthiah, who handles the camera, and the 7-time National Award winner A Sreekar Prasad, who is in charge of the editing.

Originally meant to be a Diwali 2011 release, the movie has now been scheduled for release, in early 2012.

—Pavithra Srinivasan

SAGUNI (TAMIL) Cast: Karthi Sivakumar, Pranitha Subhash, Santhanam Director: N Shankar Dayal Producer: Antony Xavier Music: GV Prakash Kumar

Southscope | January 2012

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NANBAN (TAMIL) Cast: Vijay, Jiiva, Srikanth, Ileana, Sathyraj Director: Shankar Producer: Gemini Film Circuit Music: Harris Jayaraj

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remake of the popular Hindi movie 3 Idiots, based on the bestselling novel by Chetan Bhagat called Five Point Someone; Nanban is the much-awaited release for Pongal.

Making a re-entry into Tamil cinema with this film, Ileana D’Cruz is all set to sizzle on screen playing the role essayed by Kareena Kapoor in the Bollywood blockbuster.

A satirical comedy on the education system in top engineering colleges in India viewed from the eyes of three friends, 3 Idiots took Indian cinema by storm by becoming a runaway success. Sathyaraj will don the key role of the professor, while SJ Surya, Anuya and Sathyan form the rest of the key cast. The screenplay of the movie has been written by Shankar and Madhan Karky. Lyrics are by Pa. Vijay, Viveka, Na. Muthukumar and Madhan Karky.

Nanban began its initial schedule in January this year at Ooty and Coimbatore, while the college scenes were shot at Dehradun. A

car chase sequence has been shot at various places in Chennai, while two songs were filmed in London and Buckingham. Some significant parts of the film were shot in Chennai at Sun Studios and the Ampa Skywalk Mall, as well as in the Koyambedu water tank. The climax and other crucial scenes were canned in various locations in Europe, Andamans and Coimbatore. The film was shot in eight months.

The trailer and the music have already created a buzz and after Vijay’s last outing Velayudham being a hit at the box office, this movie certainly has high expectations from traders and fans alike. Director Shankar has also raised the bar since this film is the first, post the success of Enthiran. His pairing with Vijay has already generated a huge buzz in the market, and the film is slated to be dubbed in Telugu as 3 Rascals.

— Nandini Reddy

Southscope | January 2012

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Bodyguard (Telugu) Cast: Venkatesh, Trisha, Saloni Aswani Director: Gopichand Malineni Producer: Bellamkonda Suresh Music: SS Thaman

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hen director Siddique had written and directed Bodyguard (in 2010) in Malayalam starring Dileep and Nayanathara, he may have never imagined its impact and that it would be remade in many languages. Having helmed the Tamil (Kavalan) and Hindi (Bodyguard) versions in 2011 with big stars like Vijay and Asin, and Salman Khan and Kareena Kapoor, the director has now left it in the safe hands of other notable directors to be remade in Kannada, Telugu and Bengali.

The Telugu version, also titled Bodyguard, with Venkatesh, Trisha, Saloni Aswani, Subbaraju, Venu Madhav and Prakash Raj has been directed by Gopichand Malineni (of Don Seenu fame) and is slated for a Sankranthi release in January 2012.

Venkatesh and Trisha come together for the third time after Adavari Matalaku Ardhaale Verule and Om Namo Venkatesa. While Trisha has a full-length role, Saloni Aswani essays the character of Trisha’s friend, quite a substantial one for her. On taking up the lead role Venkatesh says, “The emotion and character suit me a lot. The story is in a different format. There’s sentiment and comedy, and it’s a safe character to attempt.”

It is said that director Siddique who was asked by the producers to

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— Radhika Rajamani direct the Telugu version, declined the offer as he felt that he had already worked in three languages. So Gopichand Malineni was the next choice, owing to the high expectations from the film.

The storyline of Bodyguard is quite familiar to all – it’s the love story of a girl and her bodyguard, who fall in love over phone calls and don’t know each other till the end. It has its twists and turns, and the film is adapted suitably in Telugu to give it a sense of place.

“The love story is new, particularly the telephone bit and the new twist in the end. The film also has some action, which I haven’t done in quite some time. The action is looking great. Also, the Telugu version of Bodyguard is more musical, with one or two more songs.

SS Thaman’s music is already a hit. The movie is shot in Hyderabad mostly with songs filmed in Canada and Chennai. The production has been lavish and the film has a glossy look.” adds Venkatesh.

Ram-Lakshman have choreographed the action sequences and Shyam K Naidu is the cinematographer. “This is a feel-good film and a great release for Sankranthi as families can watch it together,” sums up Venkatesh. The Malayalam Bodyguard was a superhit, while Kavalan in Tamil and Bodyguard in Hindi were blockbusters. It remains to be seen if the Telugu version meets expectations at the box office.

Sangolli Rayanna (Kannada) Cast: Darshan, Nikita Thukral, Jayaprada, Sreenivasamurthy Director: Naganna Producer: Anand Appugola Music: Yashovardhana

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hen the Sangolli Rayanna Kannada film project was announced, the cinema audiences of entire North Karnataka erupted with joy. Sangolli Rayanna is such an important figure in India’s freedom struggle that his legionnaire is still treated and respected with awe. He was one of the first warriors from Karnataka to take on the might of the British Army when he was the commander of the Kittur Kingdom’s army between 1798 and 1831.

Several prominent producers from North Karnataka were keen on bringing the character of Rayanna alive on the big screen. Two such attempts in the last three decades failed miserably. Finally, it was

is more of a mass hero, who has tremendous acceptance among the ‘front row’ audiences. So naturally, Sangolli Rayanna’s ardent followers were upset with the selection of Darshan. Besides, it is Darshan’s first epic film, and stepping into the shoes of a historical personality is not an easy task.

Multi-lingual actor Jayaprada will play the prominent role of Kittur Queen Chennamma, a role immortalised by the legendary actor B Saroja Devi way back in 1961. The rushes of Sangolli Rayanna show that Jayaprada has done complete justice to the role.

Veteran director Naganna has taken up the challenge of showcasing Sangolli Rayanna in the right spirit. But it was the shocking alleged ‘on-set’ affair between Darshan and actor Nikita Thukral that brought the shooting of the film to a complete halt. Several rumours emerged from Sangolli Rayanna’s shooting unit that blew into a fullscale controversy, sending Darshan to the Bangalore Central Jail for several days!

It all started with Darshan allegedly getting cozy with Nikita on the sets, leading to an altercation between the actor and his wife. In the wee hours of the first week of September, the Bengaluru police arrested Darshan in true filmy style for domestic violence. His wife accused him of beating her up and allegedly held Nikita responsible for it.

That incident led to a series of controversies eventually resulting in banning Nikita from acting in Kannada films and withdrawing the same subsequently. This impacted the prospects of Sangolli Rayanna as both Darshan and Nikita were unavailable for shooting the remaining portion of the film.

producer Anand Appugola, who decided to present the legendary fighter on the silver screen.

One of the costliest Kannada films to be made in recent times, it has already overshot the budget of 15 crore, as the project involves several war scenes and historical sets. The movie has been in the making for the last one-and-a-half-years because of various reasons, including the lead actor Darshan’s marital discord.

The film did not start on a good note. There was criticism when Darshan was selected to play the role of Sangolli Rayanna. Darshan

After Darshan was released from jail, the shooting resumed in the absence of Nikita. It is believed that her character was chopped off for the remaining portion of the film with minor twists in the script.

However, producer Anand Appugola claimed that the film was complete and ready for release.

In the last decade, Kannada films based on historical figures have bombed at the box office. After actor Shivarajkumar’s period film Gandugali Kumararama directed by the acclaimed film-maker Bhargava in 2006 received brickbats from the audience, no other film-maker has dared to produce such a film. If Sangolli Rayanna wins, then the producer should thank his stars.

— Aravind G Shivkamal Southscope | January 2012

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KARTHI - THE

PAIYAA

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o the rest of you, he is the latest sensation of Kollywood, a successful hero, a half slice teenage heart throb and a half slice rugged young man. I know him better as Karthik Sivakumar, or even more simply as S.Karthik, a chubby classmate from school. We were two years junior to a skinny S.Saravanan , the brother of Karthi.

Together, they created very little impact in school as sons of the movie star Sivakumar. The maximum interest they generated was that their dad used to occassionally drop them at school in his Nissan. We used to gape at this, because it was an impression that one had to be a movie star in those days to own an imported car. These brothers otherwise led very ordinary lives and had no unduly proud airs about themselves. We ate parotta from the canteen for five rupees, once sat on my apartment floor playing carrom, and beat the heat with stick ice from the local vendor outside the school gate who sold a particular brand called Rita Ice cream. Saravanan had some leadership qualities and was school captain for a year. As for Karthi and I, both of us were a big zero in sports, but we used to sing well. Not that we were nightingales who turned into playback singers, but we were good enough to win competitions. Based on this, my notion is that Karthi will sing soon in one of his films. Once school was over, the news that Saravanan was going to debut in films reached my ears. I was totally surprised to hear this, for at least Karthi showed some interest in films but his brother never did. And within the wink of an eye, Suriya was born. Post the release of his first film, I once remember meeting Suriya driving through Besant Nagar beach road in his Maruti Zen on an early morning for stunt practice. He stopped his car to say hello to me and I wished him good luck, though none could have

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January 2012 | Southscope

Some of the most interesting and insightful nuggets of information about stars can only come from their close friends. As Dr Manoj Beno, Medical Director, Billroth Hospitals talks of his childhood friendship with Kollywood heartthrob Karthi, Southscope brings you a friend’s perspective of an A-lister...

KNEW

predicted the great heights he has scaled today despite his then skinny physique and the initially poor dancer that he was.

A few years later, Karthi, the Biology student who did his engineering decided to give up his career in the U.S to come back and pursue his passion in Chennai. A bold move I should say, for he was still a fluffy teddy bear at that point, and I found him justified to take his position behind the camera as an assistant director to Mr. Maniratnam for the film Aayidha Ezhuthu. And then one day, the cool cucumber expressed his desire to enter films as a hero. Most of you would only be exposed to the good opening that Karthi got in his debut film Paruthi Veeran, what with his father and brother ready to support him with the right advice, contacts and choices. I have personally witnessed how hard Karthi worked to transform himself into a slim and fit person, worthy of hero material. When some of us met up, Karthi would excuse himself blaming it on his workout, dance class, silambattam training, etc. Plenty of sacrifices and the overlooking of personal time just went on to show that hard work always pays. Karthi has closer friends like his classmate Lakshman, his cousins Gnanavel, Prakash and Prabhu. These people have been pillars of support to Karthi. But he always personally tells me that I was also one friend who always had faith in him and encouraged him. I obviously could not predict his success. But I knew one thing for sure. Suriya and Karthi are two very sensible people that I know.

They have the most important ingredient for success in life namely, humility. I am sure that the entire industry would agree on this, and the credit would definitely go to the parents. Several great qualities like respecting elders, keeping in touch, returning phone calls or text messages and giving importance to people’s opinion about their

performance have been inculcated into them by the Sivakumars.

Gnanavel who is also our classmate, along with Prakash and Prabhu spends a lot of time with Karthi giving opinions on his future projects and past performances, speaking so much sense.

Karthi has a good sense of humour and is fairly able to gauge what the audiences expect. When he emerged victorious in his maiden attempt, I was more than happy for him. Soon after the release of Paruthiveeran, Karthi and I went to Inox in Chennai’s Citi Centre mall to watch the film Chennai 600028. For the first time, I heard the public exclaiming his name, and I mockingly told Karthi that I was feeling worthless and offended. For he used to be so insignificant that this star status that he had attained was new to me. I remember going to the preview of Kaakha Kaakha in my car while Karthi had come pillion in a friend’s bike. In fact I helped him transport the film reel to Kalaipuli S Dhanu’s office after the show.

But that simplicity has not changed, and that’s what makes Karthi special. To this day, he calls me on the day his movie releases for my opinion and would sometimes enquire even about other films.I review movies here and there, and he does value my views a lot. For I have a notorious reputation of calling a spade a spade.

Just like when I’ve lauded him for his plus points, I have never hesitated to point out the minuses, be it the choice of a film, his body language, physique or dance. Last year for my birthday, he wrapped up shooting for Siruthai late in the night and came driving quite a distance to my party. Being a teetotaler, he spent all of ten minutes at the party, obliged for some photos with friends and drove back. It was the thought and effort that moved me. Being a doctor and the Medical Director of Billroth Group of Hospitals, I once requested Karthi to be a part of a cancer awareness programme. He not only accepted but flew down from Coimbatore just before his cousin Gnanavel’s wedding for the purpose. It was a short film making and photography competition on cancer for college students, and Karthi patiently sat through the screening session and the entire course of the function. It was good to see his gesture of investing his time in a noble cause in these days of advertisement endorsements. Recently he visited me at Boat Club on a rainy day to personally give me his wedding invitation and I flew to Coimbatore to attend it. I had written about his wedding in a magazine and had not even told him about it, so one afternoon when I saw his car at Gemini Flyover signal I immediately called him up from my mobile. The moment he confirmed that he was inside the car, I asked him to slow down, and as we were still driving I just flung a copy of the magazine across to him. He read it and called me ten minutes later saying that he was truly elated and thrilled. Later, his other family members also expressed their happiness over the article.

I met him this Christmas at his house amidst his busy schedule and we chatted away for a long time. He had not watched Velayudham but was highly appreciative of Vijay as a sustaining hero and a hard worker with great focus.He was expressing his displeasure over too much violence in some recent movies and was saying that he was trying his best to avoid gore in his films. He had just wrapped up shooting for the last scene of his film Saguni, hinting it to be a March release. He looked relieved, but is already working on another film. Quizzed about his New Year eve plans, he said that he preferred to leave town and head to a place with peace and quiet. Quite a plan, I should say. Here’s to a great year ahead, Karthi.

Southscope | January 2012

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Her gleaming presence livens up the ambience. She has a lease of new hope, happiness and a new philosophy: ‘life is full of roses and thorns’.

Sonia Agarwal tells R Richard Mahesh that she feels like God’s chosen child for His unceasing showers of blessings on her in this ‘say-it-all’ conversation

‘TIME HEALS EVERYTHING AND MAKES YOU REALISE THE

VALUE OF HAPPINESS’

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et bygones be bygones; it’s all about the present moment that Sonia Agarwal believes in. With three projects, Oru Nadigayin Vaakumulam, Theervu and the Malayalam movie Grahanam, lined up for release in 2012, the rejuvenated actress looks confident of her second innings. What started as shooting the breeze over a winter evening, turned into an interesting experience as Sonia’s new philosophy and approach to life tells us that she is going to live her life to the fullest. And, a journey down memory lane is a perfect way to begin with….

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January 2012 | Southscope

ADVANCE WISHES TO SELVA-GITANJALI’S BABY

‘ACTING WAS NOT MY DREAM ‘ “Modelling was my passion and I gave it my heart and soul. Taking part in lots of ramp shows in Punjab opened the doors to the film world. Well, my interests towards acting were zero as I had an inevitable fear about it. It was my mom who had intense faith that I would make it big in showbiz. Zee TV auditioned actors for a Punjabi TV series and I got through. I moved to Mumbai to train at an acting institute and this phase helped me gain confidence. The TV series was a mega hit and through my coordinators, I got into the South Indian film industry.

I didn’t have any dream roles to think about. Of course, you have these interests when you have aspirations; that wasn’t the case with me before I got into films, because modelling was my passion. My debut film Kadhal Kondein offered a challenging role to take up. It equipped me with confidence and I started hankering for unique roles, preferably negative characters. For me, playing a calm and innocent girl isn’t a tough task as it is so close to my nature,” says the actress with a newfound energy and spring in her step.

‘NOT A DIRTY PICTURE ‘ Nothing stops Sonia from speaking about her upcoming release Oru Nadigayin Vaakumulam and a couple of other projects as her roles are meaty and quite powerful in their own way. In the context of comparing her ONV with the Hindi film The Dirty Picture, she affirms, “It’s nowhere close to Dirty Picture, which is a biopic based on the life of glamour queen Silk Smitha. ONV is a completely fictitious tale of an actress crafted by the filmmaker’s imagination.

Essaying an actress’ role was so easy for me; there wasn’t any need for homework as I could breathe naturally into the characterisation with ease. My earnest efforts were to appear fit and so I went through vigorous workout sessions.” True enough, the actress has lost oodles of weight and her stunning figure is a sight for sore eyes!

Sonia does not find any incidents in the film to relate with her life as an actress either. She takes a long pause and says, “It is too difficult to point out such similarities as what is portrayed in the film didn’t happen to me at any point in my career.” Joining the dots in the course of our conversation, in all likelihood she plays the character of a mother who has some connections as she dreams of her daughter making it big in films. “But the similarity ends there as the film has a different delineation of that character during the latter half,” she confirms.

‘I’M READY FOR BIKINIS’ Glamour is an inevitable quotient in an actress’ career and playing this role should put her back on top in the list of sizzlers in the industry. “You incisively have what is required for the role. And I’m ready to wear swimsuits like I did in Thiruttu Payale if the situation in the film demands it. It is all about doing justice to the role. It would be a little odd to see me walking on sun-kissed beaches in Indian wear. Obviously, I need to stick to what is required,” she says matter-of-factly.

Gradually nudging her to talk about her private life, Sonia says life has taught her the values of happiness. To my surprise, she opens up about her married life, with her greetings to ex-husband Selvaraghavan and Gitanjali, who are expecting a baby soon.

“Marriage was a part of my life. It’s a bygone chapter and it’s been a good learning experience till the break-up as it was too painful.

But I don’t regret being in a relationship with Selvaraghavan; he’s a nice guy. Sometimes, small little things get blown out of proportion and end a relationship. Everything was good between us except our personality clash and that resulted in the break-up,” she says, in a monotone.

Nothing seems to have kept Sonia’s spirits low as she admits, “Yes, it’s a part and parcel of life. I had to go through it, I went through it and came out strong. I’m so delighted that he has settled down with Gitanjali and it is nice to know they’re going to have a child. The ultimate happiness is to see a person happy.

Especially someone with whom you’ve have spent a good part of your life and shared some good memories.”

REGRETS ABOUT GIVING UP ACTING On the flip side, Sonia has a few regrets about having given up her career because the major reason behind it - her marriage - didn’t last long. Nevertheless, she extends her bounty of thanksgiving to God, her family, brothers and friends for being her support during the times when she badly needed some emotional support, “I am so blessed that the industry still has the same position for me and I didn’t have to start from scratch. Professionally, I have no regrets and I would like to get completely engaged with my career now.”

TOO EARLY FOR A NEW RELATIONSHIP Having said that, Sonia believes it is too early for her to think of getting into a new relationship; she feels she needs to take some time to think about it. For now, it’s her friends who are keeping her humoured, and their motto is simple: keeping her smile – 2 am friends who are ready to hear her cry in the middle of night, when she is grieving or is feeling low.

A RAPID CHANGE IN THE INDUSTRY The film industry keeps going through rapid transitions. With Sonia’s comeback after a long sabbatical of three years, the actress says that the Tamil film industry has reached a new level, specifically over its technical panorama. A lot of emphasis over the costumes and makeovers have been laid, which wasn’t the case when she was an actress here earlier.

ALL IS BIG AND CHALLENGING Speaking about her upcoming projects, the actress doesn’t want to draw any comparisons because her roles are equally-challenging and are sure to win her laurels. Be it Oru Nadigayin Vaakumulam or Grahanam with Mukesh, where she plays a responsible wife or her other Tamil movie Theervu – all three films depict her in very comprehensive roles. With renewed confidence, happiness and peace of mind, we ask her about her mantra of mastering these attributes. “Life teaches us a lot. When you’ve been bound to pain for many years, you understand the values of happiness; I keep looking out for every small reason to feel happy,’ she says, her angelic smile lighting up the room and giving us a glimpse of the Sonia that we recognise once again!

Southscope | January 2012

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Entertainment Unlimited!

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hat do you get when a hugely successful director teams a racy, entertaining theme for the entire family, with a stellar cast, a hot shot music director, a fabulous cinematographer and the clear-thinking business strategy of a film powerhouse? Simple. You get Pongal’s much-awaited release, Vettai.

Indeed, Vettai has all the trumps in its favour with an all-star cast, helmed by one of Kollywood’s leading directors and backed by the business expertise of UTV Motion Pictures. Vettai also marks many milestones for its director, Lingusamy. It is his 10th year in the industry and also his second film with Madhavan, after a long hiatus since their first super hit together, Run. Vettai is also Lingusamy’s costliest film to date and has been shot for over 140 days, in different locations.

“Yes, you could say that,” laughs Subash Chandra Bose, co-producer of the film. “As you know, Vettai was supposed to have been done 26

January 2012 | Southscope

by Cloud Nine Movies, but it didn’t work out. In the end, we decided that we would produce it ourselves.” Production isn’t exactly inexpensive, these days, and the savvy producer is aware of it. “It’s my brother’s work, and who but he would know about costs and how to control them?” he asks, with complete confidence. “He has a very firm control over every aspect. If anyone can do justice to the budget, it’s him.”

The association with UTV Motion Pictures for the release of the movie is also a big move with more producers moving slowly towards corporate tie-ups for better branding and marketing of their films. “We’re looking at making the movie in Hindi as well, so work is going on in that quarter,” Subash Chandra Bose says.

“And the commercial factor is bound to win the masses.” This film is an out-and-out ‘masala’ entertainer from Arya, after memorable performances in his previous films. For this milestone movie, the director has picked a story that promises to be a complete entertainer from the word ‘go’.

The plot revolves around two brothers Madhavan and Arya who are as thick as thieves. Enter baddie, Ashutosh Rana, and the plot moves to how the two brothers overcome their enemies. Amidst all the action there is a quest for love, with the sizzling sirens Sameera Reddy and Amala Paul playing love interests.

Lingusamy has picked a very strong technical team to ensure that Vettai is a thorough entertainer of the highest quality. With the camera being handled by Nirav Shah, and the art department under the aegis of Rajeevan, the film promises to offer a complete visual treat. Of course, it would be criminal not to mention the superb score

by Yuvan Shankar Raja that makes it an eagerly-awaited blockbuster of 2012.

Nandini T Reddy, Pavithra Srinivasan, Richa Tilokani and Samyutha Balasubramaniam meet the entire team to find out all you need to know about Vettai and its making...

SNEAK PEEK ** ** ** ** **

Madhavan - Truly plays the character, has shown tremendous maturity while enacting the role. Has a rocking chemistry with Arya.

Arya - Milestone in his career. Vettai will take him to the next league. The film revolves around him. Powerful role.

Amala - Naughty, livewire. Bold role. Bold performance.

Sameera Reddy - Role of elder sister, Good support to Madhavan. Takes on brother-in-law Arya very well - their scenes are very interesting.

Ashutosh Rana – As the main villain of the film, the Bollywood baddie’s role is very exciting to watch Southscope | January 2012

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“I took inspiration from a story I’ve heard as a child”

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ettai is out for Pongal!” Director N Lingusamy announces triumphantly, and the smile in his voice, mixed with a justifiable sense of jubilation, is unmistakable.

Indeed. 10 years as a director in the film industry, and his movies have been much-anticipated, with most of them being hits. Paiyya, his last, was in fact a blockbuster. No surprise, therefore, that expectations are running high for this intriguingly named one. “See, the name is what makes a movie,” Lingusamy muses. “Take Run or Sandakozhi – the very titles gave you that sense of urgency, to know what it was about. Good titles add a lot of positive energy and zing to the movie. So yes, Vettai is very fitting,” he grins.

And, like his movies, he doesn’t believe in sticking to one genre either.

Paiyya was a road film; Vettai is an action romance, with plenty of sibling affection thrown in. “I’m doing one after Anandam and that was about four brothers. This is about two,” he clarifies. “I usually don’t repeat genres if I can help it. Vettai isn’t a complete romance 28

January 2012 | Southscope

or action movie. It has a bit of both. And the brothers are the most important part of it.”

Brothers, and their affection for each other – that’s been made much of, especially as they are played by Madhavan and Arya, two of the most happening actors around. When he signed them both, though, they were involved in various other projects: Madhavan was riding a high post 3 Idiots, and Arya was awaiting the release of Madharasapattinam and Boss Engira Baskaran – both of which subsequently became blockbusters.

“I signed them on before that, but still that has absolutely no impact on my film,” Lingusamy says, adding, “Their success or failure in projects at the point I sign them on doesn’t matter; what’s important is that they’re great actors and can deliver exactly what I want.” And in fact, his choice proved to be an excellent one, considering the other actors he had first decided on: Vijay, STR et al, who opted out due to date commitments and otherwise. Madhavan, however, had been his first choice, and there had been no change in that. “He’s among my

favourite actors,” Lingusamy confirms. And Madhavan’s commitment to the film was obvious, when he completed the climax fight scene even after injuring himself.

That said, Madhavan doesn’t seem to be playing a macho hero, here.

“Yeah, he’s a frightened police officer,” Lingusamy guffaws. “I took inspiration from a story I’ve heard, from my childhood, about this bombastic man who went around bragging about his courageous acts, when, in reality, he was as scared as a mouse. I loved that story. Vettai is not very similar to this story, but draws a little from it.” Such was the chemistry between Arya and Madhavan that the two were as close as real brothers, during the shoot.

He’s enthusiastic about the heroines, Amala Paul and Sameera Reddy, who were as much sisters as Madhavan and Arya were brothers.

So much so that Lingusamy doesn’t regret not making the film with another favourite, Anushka Shetty. “They’re not just standard heroines, they have their parts to play,” he explains.

Other crew members are people he has worked with, before: “Yuvan Shankar Raja has given me five songs which fit the story, and we share a great comfort level. Yuvan’s songs have always been chartbusters.”

The other is cinematographer Nirav Shah, who joins hands post Sandakozhi, and is known for his snazzy work.

Lingusamy has plans to take the movie to Telugu and Hindi as well.

Produced under his own banner, the movie is being distributed by UTV, and no one could be satisfied more. “The support they have extended is wonderful,” he beams. The Telugu market, Lingusamy also believes, is a very welcoming one, and his other movies have been successes.

As for Hindi – preparations are going on. “Madhavan will remain, of course, while we’re looking for actors to play the other roles,” Lingusamy says, “I’m confident it will work there, too.”

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“I play a wimpy cop!”

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here’s a sense of euphoria and jubilation about the Anna Centenary Hall, one cool evening. It’s the audio launch of UTV’s Vettai, director Lingusamy’s latest venture, starring Madhavan, Arya, Sameera Reddy and Amala Paul.

Cameras flash, celebrities arrive on the red carpet, crews wait for interviews and fans simply throng the area in hordes.

I catch Madhavan or Maddy, as he’s affectionately called, in conversation, as fans and photographers fawn over him for a word.

Director Lingusamy says that Madhavan is among his favourite actors – what does he have to say to that? “Ah, he’s very kind,” Madhavan laughs, even as he fields a dozen phone-calls. “He’s one of my favourite directors. I’ve thought so, right from the time we did Run together. His enthusiasm, zeal and passion for cinema have just multiplied ten times now. For an actor, nothing endears a director more than when he sees the director do his very best to make a story come together. Lingusamy has great talent. He has a great grasp of screenplay writing that I’ve seldom seen in other directors,” he says seriously. “He’s got the complete idea of how the movie should look.

That’s extremely exciting. And he’s very open to suggestions and he’s fine when I give my opinion. You know, you can’t help but fall in love with the person,” he grins.

On the sets, their camaraderie increased even further. “We were like a family,” Madhavan elaborates. “We’d shoot until 6 pm, pack up at 7 pm, eat dinner together. I’m not sure how many movies have their director, cast and cameraman relax by the swimming pool and then, at 11 pm, drive their weary asses to sleep. And playing cards! God, I must have lost about 17,000 bucks in those 50 days,” he guffaws. “It was fun and it was also a great learning experience.”

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He has nothing but good things to say about his co-stars. “I’ve always said that Arya is the guy to watch out for, in the younger set of actors,” he recalls. “And it’s turning out right. I’m very fond of him. He looks very light and jolly, but he’s very passionate about his work. He’s a talent to watch out for. And Amala – she’s so dedicated. Every day she’d ask me for tips about acting, how to do this and that,” and he glances towards Amala Paul, who is smiling as she chats with someone else.

“Even if she’s the style diva, you know?” More laughter. “So was Sameera. Great girls, both of them. Just like sisters in real life. I kind of miss the shooting, it was so harmonious.”

They even shot one song the same way it was done in Run. “Guess it was the location,” he says. “It’s charming, in Kumbakonam. And it fit.”

As for the movie itself? “Yeah, I play a wimpy cop,” he chuckles. “I didn’t choose the script, but when I read it, I was blown away. It was phenomenal. And one doesn’t look a gift horse in the mouth, you know?”

The fact that Vettai is a multi-starrer doesn’t faze Madhavan in the least, “I’ve always been a part of multi-starrers. 3 Idiots was one. In my opinion, there’s too much of emphasis on multi-starrers. First, there needs to be a story. If that doesn’t work, it won’t gel.”

He elaborates, “Directors like Raj Kumar Hirani, Mani Ratnam and Rakeysh Mehra are very specific about the roles they have, and the actors they want. If they offer you something, you may be sure they’re doing it because they want you to,” he says, firmly. “Lingusamy said quite clearly that if I’m not doing the film, he wouldn’t do it either.

And that’s a great honour. See, even if I’m part of a group with ten stars, I would like to be the guy who makes the decisions about my projects. I work only with people who I trust, and who will trust my decisions.” He’s all praise for Lingusamy as a producer, and for UTV as well. “They were fabulous, man,” he enthuses. “We had the best of times. That’s what matters in the end, right?”

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t isn’t hard to think of Arya in a complete action, dishumdishum style entertainer, purely because he has always essayed roles that have left indelible marks in the audiences’ minds and has never typecast himself. Whether it was the heartwarming comic role in Boss Engira Baskaran or the deadly serious and awe-inspiring one in Naan Kadavul, Arya is definitely one actor who has surprised audiences and critics alike. So his choice of a full-fledged ‘masala’ entertainer comes as a good change. “My role in the movie is a bit of a rowdy character. I have not done films typical ‘mass’ entertainers like this in the past, and it has been a whole new experience for me. It’s a good change and I hope the audiences will find my work entertaining,” beams the actor.

Touted to be the film that will give Arya the same kind of boost that Lingusamy’s earlier film Run gave Madhavan, there are a lot of expectations from the pairing with the director. “Lingusamy is a wonderful director and perfect for executing a project like this. The story and screenplay are the strong points and Lingusamy does full justice to ensure that from the first frame to the last the audience gets everything they expected from a commercial flick like this one. I had always wanted to do a complete commercial entertainer like this one, and I think Lingusamy is the perfect director for such films,” says the actor.

The friendship and camaraderie of the two lead actors Arya and Madhavan, has been in the news since the start of the film and when quizzed about how they became such good friends, Arya says, “We didn’t really become friends on the sets. We have known each other for a while now, and have been in touch regularly. During the shoot, we definitely became better friends. Madhavan is a very generous actor. In every shot he ensures not just his own performance but also that his co-actors deliver. His interest in ensuring that everyone gives a good shot is really commendable because most other actors would not really give the kind of time and attention that he does to ensure that others also perform. I think since we played brothers on screen, somehow the bond slowly crept in even in real life,” he smiles.

Several of Arya’s movies in the past have had music scored by Yuvan Shankar Raja. “I like Yuvan’s music because he can really gauge the audience and know what they would like. Whether it’s a melody or a fast number, Yuvan manages to give the right balance to any song.

I think his music reflects his character and that’s why you get some

great songs. In Vettai I really love the songs Thee Pudika and Pappa pappa,” says Arya.

As for his love interest in the film, Arya is paired with Amala Paul, while he has some interesting encounters with Sameera Reddy as well.

Not revealing too much about what to expect from their relationship ‘on screen’, he says, “If you see a certain comfort level on the screen it is definitely because the whole cast and crew were getting along like a house on fire! We really enjoyed making this movie and it shows.

Sameera, who has previously been seen mainly in glamorous roles, has a very tom-boyish character in this one. Amala is a very spontaneous and energetic actress. The way their characters have shaped up will definitely be something new for everyone to see because neither of them have been seen in this kind of a role in the past,” emphasises Arya. For this dynamic actor, the most memorable time on the sets was when the cameras were not rolling because ‘that was when all the actors would spend time relaxing and chatting, like old pals’. And going by some of the footage that’s been made public, the comfort levels between the actors seems to have definitely translated on to the screen as well!

In its first big association with Thirupathi Brothers, UTV Motion Pictures has picked up Lingusamy’s movie for release and Arya is very glad to be a part of it. “It’s a good trend that big companies like UTV are showing an interest in the south. Their style of marketing will certainly help Tamil cinema,” he says, signing off!

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ince Gautham Menon’s Varanam Aayiram, Sameera Reddy has acted in a variety of movies, though staying with the typecast of her first role. But in Vettai, she does spring in a surprise with her character. “Vettai was definitely the kind of movie I needed to do to redefine my ability as an actress. So far, I have only landed roles that had me playing glamorous parts. It is thanks to Lingusamy that I have gotten the chance to play a village belle who is feisty and passionate; it is certainly a character I enjoyed playing,” smiles Sameera.

For someone who is not well-versed with the language, the saucy actress managed quite well on the sets of Vettai. “I have acted in movies in every language – Telugu, Bengali, Kannada, Hindi and Tamil and honestly, I don’t think I would be able to master them all. Even for Vettai, the director would communicate to me in Tamil

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and I would be speaking to him in English. I am not sure what was understood from those conversations but we certainly did manage to shoot a good film! Most often, the scene and the dialogues are given the previous day so if there is a change on the sets, I get a bit worried because I don’t want my lack of knowledge of the language to affect the scene in any way. While I can understand Tamil, I cannot speak it,” she says, frankly.

With most of the shooting happening outdoors in South Tamil Nadu, Sameera is definitely happy to have worked with co-stars like Madhavan, Arya and Amala, who helped her through the difficult part of coping with the language. “Amala and I play sisters in the movie and I think during the shoot we really became sisters. She and her mom have been such a great support for me during the making of the movie. Madhavan is a fantastic co-star to work with and he

has been of great help to me on the sets. Several times he has patiently helped me get the scene right and I think that is very generous on his part. My scenes with Arya in the movie are mainly tiffs and arguments, so it was fun shooting for those scenes. One particular scene required me to say ‘po da’ to him and somehow, I thought that really didn’t sound right. But once I got to understand what it meant in the scene, I think we were more than comfortable screaming ‘po di’ and ‘po da’ at each other,’ she laughs.

Sameera has some great memories from shooting for Vettai. “I love bikes and during the shooting of a song, there was a Bullet on the sets. I asked the director if I could ride the bike and he looked shocked. I have been on bikes before in Mumbai

“Madhavan is a fantastic co-star” and a Bullet is definitely my favourite kind of bike. So wearing a half sari, I got on to the bike and starting riding around and then Amala also joined me. This gave Lingusamy an idea for a bit in a song where Amala and I are riding a bike!” she reveals.

Rumours during the making of the film linked Sameera with Madhavan. While initially flustered by the reports, she laughs about them today, “We just finished a wedding scene in the movie and after that, certain reporters decided that we were really married. You just have to ignore these things,” she smiles. Even during the audio release of Vettai Sameera joked about it on stage thanking Madhavan for ‘marrying’ her….. in the movie!

like my look for the movie. Yes, it was only saris and half saris, things that I have never gotten to wear much of in any of my previous films.

Interestingly, I felt more in comfortable in this than I do in western wear! The look was created to compliment my character in the film and I am really happy with how it has turned out,’ says Sameera.

Speaking of UTV’s association with the film, she adds, “We make some great movies in the south and it is time for big banners like UTV to recognise this potential. It is wonderful that UTV has started to take notice and has a separate division concentrating on the south.

They do some great work in Bollywood and they can definitely do a lot of good work here as well!”

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he general impression one has of popular heroines is that of a diva, generally late for almost anything, flaky and demanding. Amala Paul is the exact opposite of that. At the recent music release of her latest movie, the sure-to-be blockbuster Vettai, she’d arrived well before time, before some of the reporters even, and was sitting pretty, ready and dressed in a gorgeous saree which showed off her svelte figure to perfection.

When I walked in to do the interview, she got up to welcome me with a big smile and a handshake, offering me a seat before sitting down herself. It is easy to see why the whole of Tamil Nadu is crazy about her. She reminds one of the ingénue heroines of the black and white era, combining an appealing vulnerability with oodles of charm. It only takes one question on how the experience of working on this movie was, to start her off, rattling nineteen to the dozen.

Her excitement at working on this project is obvious. The first thing she talks about is how grateful she is to be given this opportunity, especially the director, Lingusamy, for having the conviction to cast her in a glamorous role. As her first large commercial project, and an action movie at that, she is consciously making a decision to break

treated me like a princess!” she enthuses.

Her role in the movie is that of a cute, bubbly, talkative and funloving village belle, not a complicated role but something that was fun to do. The glamour quotient comes out in the songs. She is paired opposite Arya in the movie while Sameera marries Madhavan. It has a lot of potential for humour, which she enjoyed a lot. When we ask if she is anything like her character, she laughs and asks her co-actors if she is. They sure seem to think so!

“Sameera and I were like real sisters” away from any stereotypes which might have been made.

She is quite determined to be a truly versatile actor – not just doing films with meaty, performance oriented roles but also comedies, action movies, family entertainers, the so-called ‘masala movies’.

Having won critical acclaim for her roles in both Mynaa and Deiva Thirumagal and also an award for best debutant, we wonder if Vettai offered her any scope to display her histrionic talents. She replies that while her role in an ensemble cast is certainly more limited, it presented unique challenges of its own.

She has loved working with the cast, especially with Sameera Reddy, who plays her sister in the movie. Amala says, “We were like real sisters, there’s a lot which cannot be portrayed on screen unless there’s some real feeling or chemistry and you can see in the movie the rapport Sameera and I share.” Her male co-actors? “Arya, as everyone knows, is a real fun-loving character, very free and easygoing, friendly and simple. I’m a big fan of Maddy (actor Madhavan), working with him has been a dream come true, a huge learning experience. The entire cast and crew have been so nice to me, they

Amala Paul feels the kind of roles she chooses needn’t be classified as arty or mainstream. She wants to do movies which audiences will enjoy watching, whatever the genre. She wants to be like her idols, Madhuri Dixit and Sridevi, and be remembered for her work even 15 to 20 years later. What about crossover films? She says language is not a barrier, if a good offer comes along and yes, she would definitely do another film with an ensemble cast, especially with one as good as this.

The film is all set for a Pongal release and if the reactions to the trailer are anything to go by, it is sure to keep audiences flocking to the theatres. What next for her? She will soon be seen in two new Tamil films, Kadhalil Sodhappuvadhu Eppadi and Muppozhudum un Karpanaigal. To sum up, here is a quote from one of the speakers at the music release, ‘The only thing more popular than Amala Paul in Tamil Nadu is Aavin paal’!

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The hat-trick combination is back! N. LingusamyYuvan-Na. Muthukumar get together

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he Lingusamy-Yuvan Shankar Raja- Na Muthukumar combination has always proven propitious, when it comes to music; the trio has delivered hit after hit. Vettai seems to be no different. The single track, “Pappa Pappa ...” was released some time ago, and was an instant rage all over the small towns. The song crossed 2,50,000 YouTube hits in just 10 days, making this a hat-trick hit for the Vettai team, after the blockbusters Sandakozhi and Paiyaa.

“After Sandakozhi and Paiyaa, Director Lingusamy and I are working together again in Vettai,” says Yuvan Shankar Raja, music director.

“The songs have already become popular, particularly the one I have sung “Pappa Pappa ...” has more hits on all social network sites. I am delighted that our hat trick of three films is becoming musical hits.”

Paiyya was a musical hit of 2010 and naturally, expectations were sky-high for Vettai. “Vettai, unlike Paiyaa, is folksy and hence we had to move away from melody to folk numbers, which have come out very well. The fact that the song sung by me has already touched the 4th position in the overall radio rating of top songs in Tamil, within a week of its release, is a testimony to the audience response,” he enthuses.

And indeed, all of Vettai’s songs are peppy, folksy in temperament, and in sync with the movie itself.

Karthik and Krish come up with Dham Dham which begins with a staccato rhythm that gradually captures your imagination. It incorporates that Casanova-inspired phrase, Theeradha Vilaiyattu Pillai, and in many ways, brings a nostalgic rush of memories from a similar song from Run – Theradi Veedhiyil. The lyrics have very much the same, appealing flavour.

Damma Damma, is a very enthusiastic, folksy number, sung by Haricharan and Swetha Mohan, and the flute’s notes are beautiful.

Seemingly, this is the song for a married couple, full of advice on how they must start their lives. There’s even a soothing rendering of Vaaranam Aayiram, which is a sort of signature tune for such songs.

The beat is steady and appealing.

Vijay Prakash and Swetha Pandit take up the reigns for Kattipidi Enna, and they come up with a peppy romantic number indeed.

The best part is that, despite it being a song filled with its share of energy, it has its angsty, softer moments which provide an excellent counterfoil.

Lyricist Na Muthukumar, part of the hit-making trio, also shares his experiences, working on the music. “Paiyaa was a romantic story, so all our songs were in that genre. With Vettai, it’s an action drama and romance all rolled in one, so my lyrics also had to be focused on that.

Paiyaa raised expectations about our movies so we had to make Vettai satisfy all those,” he explains.

Obviously the stand-out number of the collection, Pappa Pappa starts out like one of those chartbusters from the 80s, full of enthusiastic beats, sung by Yuvan Shankar Raja, and Renuka. The flute interlude is soothing, not to mention the nayanam segments that add to the folksy appeal. The lyrics are playful, almost bursting with youthfulness. What’s not to like in a song like this?

Most of Vettai’s songs start with rhyming words, a testament to how well-attuned the lyricist was, with the movie’s essence. “I think we realised that only after we had finished around 3 songs,” he laughs.

“When we understood what was happening, we decided to stick with it. And it has turned out very well.”

More energetic beats and this time, Harini and Saindhavi join hands for Thaiyath Thakka. This one seemingly is about the affection between two sisters. The lyrics dance a lively jig, as the younger sister wonders what sort of a husband her elder sister will get, and the other one details her own dreams. Everything is discussed from shopping lists and writing love letters, and of course, never doubting his wife.

In short, Vettai’s music come highly recommended!

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ce cinematographer Nirav Shah is gung-ho about the success of his upcoming movie, Vettai. With an amazing star cast comprising of Madhavan, Arya, Sameera Reddy and Amala Paul, solid action sequences, a strong storyline and breathtaking locales, Vettai is poised to become a money-spinner alright.

Nirav Shah is one of the best cinematographers in the country so once he gets associated with a project; the expectations from it go sky-high. Nirav believes that Vettai will go on to become one of the biggest hits of the New Year. He says, “Vettai has all the elements which make a great movie. It has a great line-up of stars, superb action and a strong script - it would be right to call it the complete package. The movie is set in a rural background, which we have tried to present in an authentic manner. I am sure the audiences will have a great time watching it. In fact, I really believe Vettai will go on to become one of the biggest blockbusters of 2012.”

it will lead to much greater acceptance within the industry.”

Playing favourites We ask him to elaborate on his favourite locales for Vettai but Nirav is unable to choose any one in particular. “It so happened that with every location that we went to shoot Vettai in, we wanted to go back and shoot more scenes there. On the whole, I would rate Kuttralam on top of my list of favourite locales along with Karaikudi. We got some beautiful shots at both these locales. It didn’t feel like work at all,” he says animatedly.

What was the most challenging sequence to shoot for Vettai? Nirav is matter-of-fact, “Every shot comes with its own challenges. However the most challenging were the action sequences, which we were shooting at night on train tracks. The opening fight was another interesting sequence, which has turned out really well. I hope the audiences have as much fun watching them as we did shooting them.”

“Vettai will be one of the biggest blockbusters of 2012” Special elements for a special film

Heart is where the work is

Vettai has a rustic feel and is set in southern Tamil Nadu. He has deliberately kept the scenes as raw as possible to bring out the inherent beauty of the locales. He says, “Tamil Nadu has a lot of beautiful locations and we have attempted to showcase its natural rural charm in all its glory. We have also spent a lot of time focusing on the action sequences, with as much attention given to song sequences. The action sequences have been tightly interwoven with the script, to provide complete entertainment to the audience. We are also using digital cinematography. In Vettai, in a particular action scene, we have used high-speed photography to give it a special look.

Vijay’s and Kamal Haasan’s new films are both being shot in digital.

Once huge budget films started adopting digital cinematography,

This is Nirav’s second film with Lingusamy after Sandakozhi, and it has been a very good experience working with the ace director. “It didn’t feel like work at all. Lingusamy is a very good human being, hugely appreciative by nature and very effusive in his praise. He likes to get all the team members involved in the movie-making process, so it feels like a genuine collaborative effort. Every day of the shoot was fun.” While Madhavan was losing all his money playing cards, guess who was making it? “After pack-up would be announced, we would all get together and play poker. Many days we would actually be waiting for the day to get over so that we could play poker!” grins the ace cinematographer.

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“UTV is proud and excited to be associated with Vettai”

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ith the foray of UTV into southern cinema, the distinction between northern and southern films is slowly blurring. The focus is now on enjoyable, entertaining films, irrespective of the language. As the dynamic G Dhananjayan, Chief - South Film Business UTV Motion Pictures, says, “Today there is only one kind of cinema which sells and that is good cinema. That is exactly what Vettai promises to be. UTV is interested in associating with different genres of cinema.

We want to do them all - whether they are love stories, superhero subjects, or action entertainers. All we are looking for is good cinema.

No special formula, or magic potion, here. UTV makes a difference because our movies are different. We are proud of all our films because we want to be associated with good cinema, irrespective of it being north or south.”

Cinema with a difference Dhananjayan has always had a knack for picking good films. He says candidly, “For a movie to appeal to me, it has to be high on entertainment value. That is what the audience wants and that is exactly what we want to give them. Director Lingusamy is well known for entertaining movies like Run, Sandakozhi, Paiyaa etc. In each of his movies, he brings out the machismo of the hero in very interesting ways and that is one of the key factors that fit his movies into a completely different genre altogether. He makes very racy, feelgood movies and these types of movies appeal to me.”

“A film is more of a director’s medium. So once we have understood the team, and got to know them well, we don’t interfere in their domain. In the beginning, we are only involved in the scripting stage, and we ensure that there is no compromise in production. At that stage, we are more like the back-end team. When the film is complete, we get fully involved in the design process, in making and airing the trailers, doing the promos, and ensuring the build-up till its release. Ours is more of a marketing and distribution job! And this is exactly how it is for Vettai as well. UTV has a lot of initiatives in store, keeping a 360 degree approach to be all over TV, radio, print and the Internet.”

Experience with Lingusamy “He is one of the best directors in the country today. Lingusamy was always on the top of the job, so it was a pleasure working with him.

Plus, he knows the pulse of the audience. So we were always very confident of the final product.

Vettai has come out very well - it has a fantastic story, which the audiences will be seeing for the first time. It also shows a fresh perspective between brothers. It is shot beautifully, has fabulous action, lovely songs, sidesplitting comedy and above all, a great script.

The Telugu dubbed version of Vettai will be released by our partner Bellamkonda Suresh of Sri Sai Ganesh Productions, two weeks after its release in Tamil.”

Association with Tirupathi Brothers

Experience with the stars and the movie

“When UTV wanted to enter Tamil cinema, we were looking at big banners and wanted to offer the entire package to audiences, in the long run, not just one or two films. It’s a known fact that Lingusamy is one of the top commercial directors in Tamil cinema.

So we decided to go with him since he was working on three films in different genres. Today, UTV is proud and excited to be associated with Vettai, which is a great commercial film. But at the same time it is not frivolous, and that is what I love about it. Being a good scriptbased entertainer, an all-out commercial flick, we have very high expectations from it. I want the larger audiences, that is, the mass audiences to connect with it, even though it may be larger than life.”

“The entire association with Vettai has been great. Arya and Madhavan have a lot of respect for each other and are such good friends. The chemistry between Amala Paul and Arya is also sensational. Sameera Reddy and Amala Paul were like true sisters, the characters they play in the movie. The movie has come out so well because of the great camaraderie between all the actors.

360 degree Approach UTV and Dhananjayan are now well known in South cinema for their fresh and energetic ways of promoting films. Says Dhananjayan, 42

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The very first scene is my favourite - it is the core of the film. The film opens with a shot of young boys fighting with the elder brother who is getting beaten up. The elder brother says, ‘I will call my younger brother to help me.’ So all of them start laughing at him. But the younger brother actually comes and beats up the whole gang! This is unexpected but great fun to watch. You must have heard of the old Tamil saying – a man with a younger brother is never afraid of an army. It is based on that premise.”

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Why this

Punch-veri di

With catchphrases in songs becoming the flavour of the season, Pavithra Srinivasan discovers the reason behind the rage

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very speaker blares it out from tea-stalls and marriage halls; auto-drivers plaster it on their vehicles; Amul puts it up on its famous hoarding – but the best is reserved for the Chennai Traffic Police: “Why this Kolaveri di?” screams a hoarding of their own, as they advice against road-rage. Kolaveri, which translates to ‘murderous rage’, is the word of the season.

But then, Tamil cinema has had its fair share of punch-words that always defined a particular song, that became a sensation overnight.

Remember Ilaiyaraja’s classic Oram Po! which even became a film’s title? Or the eternally parodied Lalakku dol dappima from Suryan?

Punch-words in songs usually become famous because they have something sensational in them – a particular spark that the listener instantly connects with. It could be about anything: love, friendship, sorrow or death – but it has an emotion that cuts through boundaries and strikes a chord.

“It was all very spontaneous,” explains Anirudh Ravichander, the man behind Kolaveri..., and the music director for Aishwarya Dhanush’s 3. “We recognised the need amongst youngsters for a word that defines their feelings. It’s the right catchword. There are no language barriers when it comes to being jilted in love. I must say, lyrics are as important as the music, for songs like these.”

Singer Malathi, part of the famous Lakshman-Shruthi troupe, and who has sung numerous ‘item’ songs, as they’re called, agrees. “I have sung so many songs of this genre, and it’s true that sometimes, one word, or a sentence, suddenly shoots into prominence,” says the singer of Manmadha Raasa, from Thiruda Thirudi, which exploded into prominence overnight, and was on everyone’s lips for months.

She is still astounded by the success of the song. “Sometimes, I am a part of the discussion when the songs are written – and occasionally, asked for my input as well. I look at the lyrics and the tune, and decide when I give emphasis to certain words, or give my own spin to

it. In the song Kumbidapona Deivam from Vijay’s hit Thiruppachi, for example, the words in between are mine. Of course, if the lyrics are written by someone like Vairamuthu, you can’t interfere,” she laughs. “But sometimes, music directors like Dhina give us great freedom to sing it our way.”

There is also the factor that punch-words become all the rage not just because of the emotions, but the stars who sing them. Manmadha Raasa, for example, was also famous for Dhanush’s spirited dance, not to mention Kolaveri itself, which again, had Dhanush singing with abandon, in broken English. Also, consider Thaman’s latest chart buster Osthe Maamey! from STR’s Osthe: crowds yell the song through in the theatres. And much of the appeal is because of the star himself.

“Lyrics are very important, it’s like naming your child,” contributes Thaman, “But the star is important too. I mean, look at the popularity of a song like DSP’s Ringa Ringa; It reached such heights!”

Indeed. When Salman Khan remade the original in Hindi as Ready, he transformed it into Dinka Chikka, which became a Bollywood catchphrase as well. But he does agree that some words just capture the audience’s imagination. Kalasala, the Tamil equivalent of Munni Badnaam Hui, did, in its own way, and the team came up with the words in seven minutes flat. The theme song of Dookudu was a similar hit.

“The thing with such punch-words and songs is that they capture your attention only very briefly,” Thaman elaborates, “They last for maybe two or three months, and people are already looking forward to the next release, the next new catchword. These songs are like fast food. You have to look for the right word, the right emotion.

Recently, I was stunned by the songs for Mayakkam Enna – it managed to get everything perfectly! And we, the music directors have to keep in mind that we face plenty of competition,” he grins, “The need to out-perform everyone is always there.”

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With just four blockbusters out of 100 movies in 2011, Sandalwood is desperately looking to forget 2011 and start afresh, says Aravind G Shivkamal

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he Kannada film industry witnessed one of the worst performances in 2011 in the last decade.

Approximately, 100 films were released in 2011 of which just four were declared as blockbusters while six others broke even. The rest of the 90-odd films bombed at the box-office, thereby literally evaporating the investments made by several first-time producers.

The year 2011 began on a high note with Power Star Puneet Rajkumar’s Jackie and maverick Upendra’s Super having an extended run from 2010. The Kannada film industry saw good returns in 2010 with around eight blockbusters and as many moderate hits. In 2010, approximately 134 Kannada films were released, a record in the history of the Kannada film industry in recent times.

The success tasted by filmmakers in 2010 prompted several first-time investors to venture into film production. Unfortunately, 2011 was not a repeat of 2010, with several big budget films falling flat on their faces. The blockbusters of 2011 – Hudugru, Kempe Gowda, Sanju Weds Geetha and Saarathi – earned combined revenue of 67 crores.

Rajadhani (Prakash Rai), Lifeu Ishtene (Diganth), Paramathma (Puneet Rajkumar), Vishnuvardhana (Sudeep) and Johnny Mera Naam, Preethi Mera Kaam and Jarasandha (both Duniya Vijay) were declared moderate hits.

“Of the 100 films released in 2011, nearly 70 were by first-time producers from real estate backgrounds, who were hoping to rake in quick money. Unfortunately, their movies did not perform well in 2011 because of various reasons,” pointed out Baraguru Manjunath, a film trade analyst. Incidentally, the second half of 2011 did not see the announcement of many new big projects after several movies with high-expectations flopped during the first half of the year.

Between September and December 2011, only 23 new projects were

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announced, the majority by big banners and established production houses. It meant that first-time producers had stopped taking risks by announcing new projects. At least six projects, which were announced by first-time producers, were indefinitely called off.

Incidentally, of the four blockbusters of 2011, two were straight remakes of hit Tamil films. The other two super-hits were based on originals stories written by local filmmakers. The first hit of 2011 was Hudugru (remake of the hit Tamil film Nadodigal). For the first time, Puneet Rajkumar was seen in a multi-starrer; Srinagara Kitty and Yogi were the other male leads of Hudugru. The film, directed

by K Maadesh, met with tremendous success with the songs (music composed by V Harikrishna) also becoming hits.

The second hit of 2011 was Kempe Gowda (remake of Tamil blockbuster Singam), directed by star actor Sudeep, who also featured in the lead role. Ragini Dwivedi, the female lead of the movie, lent the glamour quotient on her part. The music of Kempe Gowda composed by the upcoming musician Arjun Janya was popular.

Sanju Weds Geetha, directed by Nagashekar, was the third hit of the year. However, the collections at the box-office were not on par with the other two movies. The film featured Ramya (Divya Spandana) and Srinagara Kitty in the lead roles. Music composed by Jessigift was a big hit. The tracks of Hudugru, Sanju Weds Geetha and Kempe Gowda were ranked among the top 10 hits of 2011.

The unexpected blockbuster of 2011 was actor Darshan’s Sarathy directed by his elder brother Dinakara Toogudeepa. Though the music (composed by V Harikrishna) was average, the film’s performance was top class because of various factors. Incidentally, Darshan spent several days in jail because of a domestic violence case involving his wife. The film hit the theatres without any promotion

or fanfare when Darshan was still in the jail. Sarathy turned out to be the last super hit of 2011.

“Nobody expected Sarathy to perform so well considering the slump in Darshan’s career. In fact, this film was a rebirth for Darshan, as most of his films had performed poorly in the last two years. He owes it to his fans,” said noted film publicist Maruthi Prasanna. Several superstars were left without any hits in 2011, including Shivarajkumar, Ravichandran and Ganesh among the A-list actors. Films with very high expectations – Jogayya (a Shivarajkumar movie, a sequel to the blockbuster Jogi); Kanteerava (Duniya Vijay); Prince (Darshan); Mallikarjuna (Ravichandran); Shrimathi (Upendra); Mr. Duplicate (Diganth); Manasology (Amoolya); Bodyguard (Jaggesh); and Achchu Mechchu (Tarun) – did not perform well. Except Ragini Dwivedi and Ramya, the leading female actors like Pooja Gandhi, Radhika Pandith, Aindrita Ray, Sharmila Mandre and Amoolya also had a poor run.

“The dynamics of the film industry have completely changed. The grammar and composition of filmmaking needs a paradigm shift in the wake of competition. 2011 showed that the old formula does not work anymore. We hope that at least 2012 will be a better year for the Kannada film industry,” says leading film producer Ha Cha Sathya. Big budget films with leading actors Upendra, Puneet Rajkumar and Shivarajkumar are lined up for release during the first half of 2012. And, the Kannada film industry is betting on these films for a turnaround.

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Tt He’s tasted the highs of unprecedented success with Why this kolaveri di? that has rocked the nation. Rinku Gupta catches up with the young and talented music director Anirudh Ravichander to discover more about the man who’s got the country grooving to his rhythm…

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Tt Life has taken an unpredictable turn for the 21-year-old Anirudh Ravichander. ‘Why this kolaveri di’ has become such a rage that he’s no longer just another BCom grad from Loyola College anymore. For this young man, the success was totally unexpected.

“We never expected it to be such a rage. It

still hasn’t sunk in! The first two days after it went viral and clicks on the internet started building up, I was flying! Then I realised I had nine more songs to compose for 3 by December end! So I came back to normal,” he grins.

The song has been playing on 17 BBC FM channels, he informs us, and it’s just won a YouTube award as well, with clicks running into millions and rising as we speak. But the actual composition of such a worldwide hit took just 20 minutes and happened totally by chance! “I was playing the tune and Dhanush started singing. So I hit the record button. He said, ‘why this kolaveri di?’ and I started laughing. The words kept flowing and before we knew it, we had a song,” he recalls. Earlier, debutant director and Anirudh’s cousin, Aishwarya Rajnikanth Dhanush, had given them the song situation in her Dhanush-Shruti Haasan starrer. “She wanted a fun song that would grab the attention of the youth,” Anirudh recalls. He attributes a large part of the song’s success to actor and singer Dhanush with whom he shares an excellent rapport. “My sync with Dhanush is fabulous. We are on the perfect wavelength and he immediately grasps what I am contemplating,” says Anirudh.

Music was always in this whizkid’s blood; he has finished 8 grades at the Trinity College of Music and was part of bands like Zinxi in school and Circuit in college.

“I used to make my own songs in the 6th Standard but they were horrendous!” he laughs. Then, after composing music for cousin Aishwarya’s 35 short films, which he considers ‘homework’, he was elated when 50

January 2012 | Southscope

she roped him in as music director for her debut directorial venture. So what’s the secret behind kolaveri’s success? “Sony Music’s heavy promotions and social network chains helped big time. The tune is simple, doesn’t need any professional singer and has no

language barrier,” Anirudh analyses.

Life certainly has changed for Anirudh now. “My parents, who were my biggest supporters all these years, are proud of me.

Earlier, no one noticed me! But today, even in Mumbai for the song recordings, I was mobbed wherever I went! In Chennai, I can no longer hop across to Subway for a snack without people clicking photos! It’s a great feeling,” he says, elated. More pressure on this young lad’s shoulders to deliver hit after hit, but judging by the success of this song, there’s no reason for panic. Say what?

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“Malayali actor “ The audiences have accepted me as A

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Photography: Mahen Simmha 52

January 2012 | Southscope

Two years and 10 Malayalam films later, Meghana Raj has joined the long list of Kannada actors making it big in Kerala. Aravind G Shivkamal in conversation with this pretty actress

F

or several years, Lakshmi Gopalaswamy and Lakshmi Rai from Karnataka have ruled the Malayalam screens. It is now actor Meghana Raj’s turn.

Meghana’s latest film Beautiful has received rave reviews, earning her two more projects in the process. With just 4 days to say ‘yes’ to a project after being approached by director VK Prakash with the script, it took this glamorous actress just a few hours to sign the deal.

Her decision is now completely justified says Meghana, “Beautiful is now counted among the classics of Malayalam cinema. I am delighted to be part of history.”

Ever since she made her debut in Malayalam cinema with Yakshiyum Njanum in 2010, Meghana has come a long way in establishing her identity as a reputed actor. So far, she has acted in several hit films like August 15 opposite the legendary Mammootty, Raghuvinte Swantham Rasiya, Achante Aan Makkal opposite Sarath Kumar, and six others. Meghana claims that in each of those movies, she has played separate roles, allowing her to showcase her versatility. “In Yakshiyum Njanum, I was a ghost; in

August 15, I was a spy and Raghuvinte Swantham Rasiya was a female lead-oriented film.

The Malayalam film industry has helped me explore my talents and the audiences have accepted me as a Malayali actor. That is my biggest testimonial,” she smiles.

The actor’s dates are already blocked for the next four months with back-to-back Malayalam movies scheduled for shooting.

“It is a different experience for me. Kerala has become my home, as I hardly spend time in Bengaluru with my family,” shares Meghana, who is accompanied by her mother whenever she is in Kerala.

Learning it from childhood Not many outside the Malayalam film industry are aware that Meghana is the daughter of the popular Kannada actor couple Sundar Raj and Prameela Joshai. Both of them are well-known award-winning character artistes, who have featured in more than 100 Kannada films between the 80s and now. It is then natural that Meghana learnt the nuances of acting at home, tutored by her parents; accompanying them on the sets ever since she was a

child.

Meghana had several ambitions in life including joining the Army and becoming a doctor.

She could not make up her mind about being an actor, but on completion of her education at Christ College in Bengaluru, she had made her decision. Besides, there was a greater opportunity knocking at her door. “I guess I was destined be a part of the film industry. Now, I have no regrets… I have proven myself.

I have been able to go beyond Kannada and make a mark in Malayalam as well,” she affirms.

The Balachander influence Though Meghana’s parents were popular Kannada actors, she chose to make her debut on the silver screen with Tamil films. “K Balachander happens to be a very close family friend. When I was 15, he had asked me whether I would be interested in becoming an actor. I could not decide then.

A few years later, I met him at a wedding, where he asked me the same question again. This time I could not say no to him,” she reminisces.

the camera for Balachander’s home production Krishnaleelai.

Though the film ran into several problems, the good that came out of it was Meghana’s announcement into the film world. She went on to act in the Tamil films Kaadal Solla Vanden and Uyarthiru 420.

She is acting in two more Tamil films, including Kalla Sirippu Alaga opposite Shakti (son of P Vasu) and Nanda Nanditha (a bilingual in Tamil and Telugu).

Incidentally, Meghana has very few Kannada films to her credit. In 2010, she debuted in Kannada with Punda opposite Yogi.

Comparisons and controversies In her short but fruitful career so far, Meghana has managed to stay away from controversies, under the guidance of her mother. Even so, she says, unnecessary comparisons between her and Nayantara have been blown out of proportion.

“Somebody made a mention somewhere that I resemble Nayantara and enough has been written about us since then. I guess both of us are now tired of the topic and I am sure Nayantara has forgotten about it as well. We belong to different leagues,” she says. As for her personal space, Meghana says she is too busy to dedicate time for a boyfriend; and that is not on her priority list. “I yearn to spend time with my friends when I am back in Bengaluru on a vacation.

The love and affection that I receive from the Malayalam film audiences and the industry personalities has not given me scope to think of anything else for now,” she smiles. Looks like the actor has clearly set her eyes on the pinnacle of the Malayalam film industry.

Within four days, an untrained Meghana was asked to face

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Tt

‘I wanted to be a villain like

Raghu varan’ He is a household name in Tollywood and well into his 42nd film. Having re-entered Kollywood after a hiatus, with the highly successful Poraali, ‘Allari’ Naresh chats with Rinku Gupta about his career, his passion to play villain and his talent to make your sides split with laughter

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all, dusky and handsome, the hero who tickles your funny bone on screen actually describes himself as ‘reserved and serious’ in real life. “I loosen up only once I am comfortable with people,” says ‘Allari’ Naresh.

Now, that’s hard to believe about a man who has been charming his audiences right from the start of his career. “I am not just about making people laugh; I have done several serious films in my career. But comedy is my forte. After all, everybody loves a laugh!’ he chuckles.

Kollywood after a hiatus post Kurumbu in 2003? He explains excitedly, “I was shooting the Telugu version of Nadodigal when I met Sasikumar, who is director Samudrakani’s close friend. We got talking on the sets and suddenly Kani asked the still photographer to click photos of us chatting together.

Then he told me, ‘You both look good together. Why don’t you be a part of our next film Poraali?’ I had heard a lot about Sasikumar and I was thrilled. Plus Kani is like a brother and mentor.

I grabbed the opportunity of working with him again.”

It is no surprise then that his name has the tag ‘allari’, which means ‘naughty’ in Telugu.

Talking about his prefix, he guffaws and says, “That actually happened after I acted in the film Allari which was Kurumbu in Tamil. Since there is another actor called Naresh, people started calling me ‘Allari’ Naresh to differentiate between us.”

Naresh’s role as the happy-golucky guy who turns mentally disturbed, was so well received that the phones haven’t stopped ringing since. “On my micro blogging sites, I keep getting compliments and comments to do more Tamil films,” he grins.

Comic or serious, films have been his childhood dream.

“However, dad insisted that I finish my studies before I started assisting him as an AD and production executive,” Naresh recalls. Aside of his love for films, his main inspiration has been actor Raghuvaran. “I wanted to be a real baddie on screen. I was inspired by Raghuvaran who could look villainous by just his expressions and voice, and without the characteristic mole, wig, scar, bald head or muscled look! In fact, I never wanted to be a hero and only wanted to be a villain like him. I have always said that being a villain is not about the body. It is about brains on screen,” he explains. But as luck would have it, Naresh turned hero instead, and a very successful one at that! And with Pelli Kaani Prasad, his wish of acting alongside Raghuvaran was fulfilled.

So what is this actor doing in

is going to take me to the next level. It is produced by Dookudu producer Anil Sunkara and is aimed at a summer release,” he reveals. As for continuing his lucky streak in Tamil cinema he tells us, “I’ve got some amazing offers but have to work out my dates. I am raring to go in Tamil and love the response I have received so far!”

His natural style of acting in the film, which he claims was intentional, has won him several laurels. “I didn’t want it to look like I was acting. All credit should go to director Samudrakani for guiding me, especially in the scenes where I am mentally disturbed and the one in the asylum, when I fall into the slush,” says Naresh.

His camaraderie with co-actor Sasikumar too, has drawn a lot of attention. “He is also reserved like me, but gets talking once he knows you. He helped immensely. We were really tuned into each other which aided the final product. He’s an amazing producer who made sure I was really comfortable all through the shoot,” he discloses.

With a packed schedule, Naresh has found time to act in director Narayana’s debut film with Saravanand and Shriya Saran in Telugu. Then there’s the remake of Tamil Padam opposite Monal.

“One film I am hugely excited about is a full-length comedy in 3D, a first-of-its-kind, which Southscope | January 2012

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Tt Pinning hopes on Saguni for her big break in Tamil, Pranitha Subhash chats with Aravind G Shivkamal about her career, rumours and more

“myself I never distanced from

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“

P

orki was the first Kannada blockbuster of 2010 featuring action hero Darshan and debutante Pranitha Subhash.

The song Sakkathaagoule… picturised on Pranitha became such a rage that audiences started identifying her as Porki Pranitha immediately. It was a dream debut for a girl, who had entered showbiz with no prior exposure or family background in films. The success of Porki catapulted Pranitha into the status of the hottest heroine of 2010.

backing of any godfather or actor. In the same way, she earned her first Tamil film, the Arulnithi-starrer, Udhayan directed by debutant Chaplin. Pranitha admits that she was like a ‘fish out of water’ initially in her Tamil debut because of the language problem. “There were absolutely no issues when it came to the acting department. But the language was one of the biggest challenges. I picked up Telugu quickly, but Tamil was not so easy. But that is not the case now. I am at ease with Tamil too,” she smiles.

However, rumours soon began spreading that Pranitha was turning down offers in Kannada, especially with ‘lesser-known actors’. The rumour became stronger when she was selected to play the female lead in the Telugu film, Bava opposite Siddharth. It took more than a year for Pranitha to allay the misgivings about her choice of films and recoup her demand in Kannada.

When she was shooting for Udhayan, she got a call from the makers of Saguni with Karthi in the lead. “Yeah, it was unbelievable for me to play the female lead role in Saguni. I was so overjoyed.

The movie is shaping up superbly and will give me my biggest break in Tamil,” Pranitha hopes, adding that she has already evaluated scripts of two more Tamil films.

“You will not believe how my innocent comments became unexpected controversies. I never distanced myself from Kannada films. I don’t think language should be a barrier for actors. I never turned down any films nor rejected offers from lesser known actors. After Porki, I immediately landed Bava, which required more of my time. After spending nearly two years in the entertainment industry, I have become a mature actor, I think a lot more,” asserts Pranitha.

Interestingly, Pranitha does not have any agent, and picks projects on her own.

She has achieved, at a very young age, what other actors yearn for, having acted opposite Darshan, Siddharth, Karthi and Duniya Vijay. “What else can I ask for? I entered the film industry as a stranger. Now, I have an identity. People mob me in public. Sometimes, it gives me happiness…sometimes, my friends are dumbfounded with the adulation I receive,” she raves.

Slowly but steadily, Pranitha made her way back into the Kannada film industry and the limelight with Jarasandha, directed by the award-winning film-maker Shashaank. One of the blockbusters of 2011, Jarasandha featured Duniya Vijay in the lead role with Pranitha playing his love interest. The songs of the movie are also big hits.

Of all the actors, it is Siddharth, who has left a lasting impression on Pranitha. “I have grown up watching his movies… and when Bava happened, I was on cloud 9. He is such a gentleman and a down-to-earth person,” she shares, adding that acting with Karthi was also equally challenging. “He is too good… Patience, professionalism and commitment are his strong points. I learnt a great deal from him as well.”

“I am very happy because with the success of Jarasandha, film-makers have forgotten the past and have begun offering me meaty roles,” the actor says, jubilantly.

She has now bagged three more Kannada films – Bheema Teeradalli with Duniya Vijay, Snehitaru (multi-actor film) and another untitled project.

Talking about her success against all odds, Pranitha contends that luck has played a major role in shaping her career.

She has been able to grab big projects in Kannada, Telugu and Tamil without the

Being young and inexperienced has put Pranitha in awkward situations with gossip mongers and the media. She recently hogged the headlines when a local publication twisted her comments on exposure in films. “My parents are doctors… and it was embarrassing for me. But nevertheless, I have overcome the problems. I believe I can handle myself,” the actor summarises.

Photography: Mahen Simmha Southscope | January 2012

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