Venghai Release on July 7th ?

Finally, Venghai seems to have managed to come out unscathed from the legal wrangle that was imposed on it. The film ran into trouble with a wannabe director, Kalai Selvam claiming that the title belonged to him as he had it registered.

This created a lot of confusion and the matter was taken to the court for settlement. Now, everything seems to have been sorted to the satisfaction of all the parties concerned. Director Hari and Dhanush have got the title Venghai and the film will be released on July 7th 2011 as planned earlier.

Venghai stars Dhanush and Tamannah in the lead roles and this movie has been awarded an U/A certificate.

Yuvan Shankar Raja Starting Film production company!

Although he hails from a music background and is the youngest son of music maestro Ilayaraja, time and again, Yuvan Shankar Raja has lived up to the expectations of those in the film industry and movie-goers, and has also successfully carved a niche for himself.

The latest is that, Yuvan Shankar Raja will be starting up a film production company!

Although the name of this production company is not yet out, reliable sources tell us that his maiden venture as a producer will have Venkat Prabhu wielding the megaphone as a director. The duo are currently working together for 'Mankatha' that features Ajith and Trisha.

So what about the script and cast of this film?

It seems, Venkat and Yuvan are toying with two scripts, one with a big star cast and top-notch heroes, and another that will feature an ensemble of new faces, and considering various factors, they will kick start with either of these scripts post 'Mankatha.'

So it's Yuvan and Venkat Prabhu again, but, not as music composer-director for the film, but as producer-directors, and of course, Yuvan may be composing the tracks for his production venture.

We wish Yuvan Shankar Raja all the success with his production venture and hope he gives us a biggie, as his tracks have always been!

Trisha Loved to Work With Ajith ?

Trisha, in a recent interview to a Tamil magazine, has said that she agreed to star in Mankatha only because the film had Ajith playing the lead. The actress said that she loved to work with Ajith and hence decided to sign the dotted lines despite her role being small.

Trisha made it clear that her role in Mankatha will not be as significant as it was in Vinnaithaandi Varuvaya or Manmadhan Ambu but still she did it for Ajith.

On Ajith’s cooking at the Mankatha sets, Trisha said that he is a wonderful cook and Shalini is lucky to have him as her husband.

Deiva Thirumagal Gets "U" Certificate

Deiva Thirumagal that is directed by AL Vijay has Chiyaan Vikram, Anushka Shetty and Amala Paul essaying lead roles, whereas, the music is tuned in by GV Prakash Kumar. This film that showcases Chiyaan Vikram as a mentally challenged with the mental ability of a five year old, is touted to be loosely based on 'I Am Sam.'

The movie met with the censor board today who gave them a clean 'U' with not a single cut!

It seems, the censor board officials were full of appreciation for the film and mentioned that it is one of the finest films that Director Vijay and Chiyaan Vikram have put together. The movie is said to be an emotional tug of war between Vikram and his wife and child who do not accept his state, whereas, Anushka Shetty will be seen as a lawyer who fights for some justice to our protagonist.

'Deiva Thirumagal' will hit the screens on July15 and this 'U' certificate with not a single cut shows us already of what a family entertainer it will prove to be us.

Narain Play Villan Role in Mughamoodi ?

Narain has been signed to do the 'bad man' in Jiiva's Mysskin directed Mughamoodi. The film is about super hero played by Jiivaa and is strongly rumoured to be on similar lines like Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight.

The buzz is that Jiiva will play the super hero, while Narain would be an equal and strong foil to him by playing the 'Joker'. Mysskin in his first meeting with Jiiva told him that unless the bad guy character is as strong as the super hero, the film will not work.

For Mughamoodi, Narain has started to attend special karate classes. He will also have a look which would be menacing. The pre-production on the film is going on in the full swing with shooting likely to start end August.

Mysskin is writing the script with equal footage for Jiiva and Narain. Narain has signed the film for his highest ever salary, as he is playing a negative character. The film will be a turning point in his career.

Sivakumar Family Invite CM J.Jayalalithaa for Karthi's Wedding

The Sivakumar family consisting of Sivakumar and wife, actor Suriya and his wife Jyothika went personally to invite Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa for Karthi's wedding.

The wedding will take place on July 3 in Coimbatore and later there will be a big reception on July 7 in Chennai for the newly married.

Jayalaithaa and other VVIP's are likely to attend the wedding. For making the final preparations for the wedding the entire Sivakumar family is leaving for their native Kasigoundar Pudhur near Sulur on Thursday.

A very private Mehendi ceremony for Ranjani is being held at a Chennai five star today.​

Mankatha Audio Release July 18 - Will Ajith Come ?

Ajith fans have a lot to cheer about as the music release of Mankatha will take place on July 18th. It is scheduled to be a grand function, with a lot of heavyweights from the industry expected to attend. Yuvan has composed nine songs for the film and the album in keeping with the spirit of the film, will have a lot of racy tracks that is intended to get your energy levels soaring through the roof.

As far as the shooting is concerned, Mankatha is in the home stretch. The unit will spend two weeks in Bangkok to wrap up the final schedule. Post production and dubbing work are also being carried on simultaneously. The makers are aiming for an August release, and they are racing towards the finish line. Arjun, Trisha, Lakshmi Rai, Vaibhav, and Andrea are all part of this big project.

Samantha Pair Jiiva in Gautham Menon Film ?

Earlier, we have reported that ace director Gautham Menon will soon direct Jiiva in a romantic thriller. The film will be produced by RS Infotainment, which made VTV and Ko. Interestingly, after the success of Ko, Jiiva has possibly become one of the most popular actors in Kollywood.

Now the latest buzz is that pretty actress Samantha, who made her debut in Gautham Menon's Ye Maya Chesave (Telugu version of Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa), is likely to play the female lead in this forthcoming film. An official announcement is expected soon.

5th Vijay TV Awards 2010 Winners

The Vijay TV awards returned with a big bang. The star studded ceremony which took place in Chennai on Saturday began by honouring the nine recipients of the National awards, which included Saranya Ponvannan, Vairamuthu, Thambi Ramaiah, Dinesh and Dhanush.

Here is the list of winners...

Best Film: Angadi Theru

Best Director: Vasantha Balan for Angadi Theru

Best Actor: Vikram for Raavanan

Best Actress: Anjali for Angadi Theru

Best Music Director: A.R. Rahman

Best Villain: Rajinikanth for Enthiran

Best Entertainer: Suriya for Singam

Best crew: Mynaa

Special Jury Award: Seenu Ramasamy for Thenmerku Paruvakatru

Chevalier Sivaji Ganesan Award: K. Balachander

Viewers' choice awards

Favourite Actor: Rajinikanth for Enthiran

Favourite Actress: Trisha for Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa

Favourite Director: Shankar for Enthiran

Favourite Film: Enthiran

Favourite Song: 'Enn kaadhal solla' from Paiyya

Venghai Stills

Mankatha Release on August 12!

Dhayanidhi Alagiri of Cloud Nine Movies has said that Mankatha will hit the screens in less than 60 days. The producer also confirmed that the patch work for this film is going on at the moment and the team will travel to Bangkok where a few scenes will be shot for a week and after that postproduction work will begin full-fledged.

Dhayanihi Alagiri revealed that Ajith is required for a day’s shoot and one more song with Lakshmi Rai needs to be shot.

Ajith fans have been expecting this flick with bated breath because it happens to be his landmark 50th film. Venkat Prabhu has said that Mankatha is an action film that Ajith fans are going to love. The film’s audio launch is slated to be held next month.

Nayanthara Play Sita Role in Sri Rama Rajyam

Marriage reminds us of Nayanthara, who must be wondering why people are more anxious about her personal life and marriage.  Every second day there is a report about her marriage in the media and they have even gone ahead and given reports about the month, venue and her wedding couture.

But the actress is keeping a studious silence and is her own world, with close friends and avoiding public attention. The actress who is completing work on her Telugu mythological Sri Rama Rajyam is shooting in Hyderabad is said to be on 'Vrath'

The grapevine has it that during the entire shoot of Sri Rama Rajyam, which she plays Sita, the actress is on a strict vegetarian diet, having only home-made food, and avoiding functions. The buzz is that she is not meeting Prabhu Deva during her shoots in Hyderabad, and is more or less cocooned in her five star hotel suite.

The idea seems to be to get into the skin of the character she is portraying on screen. Meanwhile the shoot of Sri Rama Rajyam will be over by mid July. Till then it looks like Nayan will be on hibernation, not easy for an actress who has tasted big time success as glamour queen of south movies

Namitha as Glamorous Cop ?

Namitha, who is well-known for her glamorous image, has been trying hard to change that perception in everyone's mind and wants an image makeover. So what better way to do that than by playing the role of a brave cop who fights the bad guys?

The actress has signed a Kannada film Sikkapatte Ishta Patte in which she plays the role of a police officer. In the film, she reportedly goes to a forest to rescue five top heroines who have been kidnapped.

The film is to be directed by Hari Rajan and the cast includes Kiran Rathod, Meghana Naidu, Tavare, Keerthi Chawla and Shivani. It is reported that Namitha will join the film's crew to begin shooting from 25th June.

Speaking at the press meet of the film, the director said: “Since the film is a thriller, I have chosen to stress on factors other than the glam quotient.”

Will he be able to do that, considering the fact that the film has Namitha and five other stunning actresses? Let's wait and watch!

Aravaan Release on Deepavali 2011 ?

Director Vasanthabalan's much awaited epic film Aravaan will reportedly grace theatres during Deepavali 2011. The film has Aadhi, Pasupathy, Archana Kavi and Dhansika in the lead roles. Aravaan, set in the mid 18th century, is the story of an ordinary man with an extraordinary talent. Aravaan is based on one of the many stories that were part of 'Kaavalkottam' (a collection of novels penned by Su. Venkatesan).

Aravaans are security guards named after Aravaan, the son of Arjuna, who sacrificed himself before Goddess Kali for the victory of the Pandavas in the Kurukshetra war in Mahabharata. The story revolves around one such Aravaan.

Illaya Thalapathy Vijay and A.R. Murugadoss Combo!

With Ilaya Thalapathy Vijay gearing up to celebrate his birthday in a big way today (June 22), here is DC giving you a sneak peek at his next fascinating project.

According to tinsel town buzz, post Kaavalan, Vijay, who was part of a planned strategy to move away from commercial cocktails and join hands with sensible filmmakers like Shankar, will be teaming up with none other than gen-next director Murugadoss for the first time.

Reliable K’town sources claim that Murugadoss, who’s busy with the postproduction work of his highly- anticipated Suriya starrer 7 Aum Arivu, met Vijay recently and narrated a one-line summary of his script.

A source said that the Nanban star, immensely pleased, has given the go-ahead to the Ghajini director. And hold your breath; Murugadoss is said to have Bollywood biggie Sonam Kapoor in mind to play opposite Vijay.

Nirav Shah is the cinematographer and sources say talks are on with Harris Jayaraj for the music. Grapevine has it that Murugadoss has been signed for a massive, undisclosed amount.

Though there’s mixed info on who would produce the big budget venture, it is said that Vijay’s dad SA Chandrashekaran and Aascar Ravichandran (who is presently producing the actor’s movie Velayudham) would jointly produce it.

Either that or SAC will produce it on first-copy basis for Mumbai-based Fox Star Studios.

Meanwhile, our Thalapathy has urged his fans from Narpani Iyakkam to donate their eyes on his birthday, apart from the regular charity works that are normally conducted on the occasion.

Vijay will also be gifting gold rings to children who are born on his birthday at the Egmore Children’s Hospital, where the star was born 38 years ago. 

Source : Deccan Chronicle

2011 Tamil and Telugu Actoress Salary

Leading South Indian actress Ileana, who is currently busy with Vijay's Tamil film Nanban and Ranbir Kapoor's Bollywood film Barfee, has reportedly hiked her remuneration to Rs. 1.25 crores per film.

If this is true, Ileana would be the highest paid actress in the South presently, overtaking her rivals Anushka, Genelia and Tamannaah who are paid somewhere between Rs. 1 crore and Rs. 80 lakhs.

2011 Tamil and Telugu Actress Salary List:-

Ileana - 1.25crores

Anushka - 1 crore

Genelia - 1 crore

Asin - 1 crore

Tamannah- 70 lakhs

Tapsee - 40 lakhs

Hanishka- 30 lakhs

Vikram's Deiva Thirumagal Release on June 15 ?

Vikram's Deiva Thirumagal directed by Vijay was supposed to have been released in April, but it was postponed. The film has been dogged by controversy regarding the title and the portrayal of a certain section of the populace. Changes had to be made and the offended people pacified before the film could proceed to its release.

And now it is confirmed that the film will be released on July 15th. The team is relieved and everybody is waiting to see the audience response to all their hard work. Anushka and Amala Paul will also be seen in this film in addition to comedian Santhanam.

Vikram plays an autistic character. Sean Penn received an academy award nomination for a similar portrayal and closer home, Shah Rukh Khan attempted it. Insiders who have seen the rushes are swearing that this is one of Vikram's finest performances and might just win him another national award.

Anushka Pair With Karthi ?

Nowadays very busy boy Karthi for his marriage (July 3) at one side, Karthi Sivakumar is on a signing spree on the other. The actor, who is currently busy shooting for 'Saguni', has given consent to be part of a film directed by Suraj.

If sources are to be believed, the full-length commercial entertainer, which will be quite typical to Suraj's style, will have Anushka as the leading lady. "The shooting will start once Karthi completes his portions in Saguni."

"Karthi and Anushka were about to share the screen space in Siruthai itself, but it did not take place as the actress found it difficult to allot dates at that time," sources say. Interestingly, Siruthai's original version 'Vikramarkudu' had Anushka as heroine.

Meanwhile, talking about marriage, Karthi said in a recent interview, "I don't think marriage will change much. More than change, marriage will make me a bit more responsible. I think when you're a bachelor, taking risks doesn't matter much but after marriage, I think I would be taking less risks."

Happy Birthday to Ilayathalapathy Vijay!

Today is the birthday of Ilayathalapathy Vijay, the darling of the young and the old. One wave of his hand is enough to send the public into a cheering and screaming frenzy.

After successfully making an impression as a mass hero, Vijay has now instilled confidence in audiences' minds that he will also be a good leader. Today, the launch of his political party is being discussed along with news about his next release Velayudham.

Vijay's earlier movies were based on romance and friendship. Slowly, he moved toward more mass films with liberal doses of action and comedy along with his dances. This genre made him the favourite of young and old.

To use his widespread popularity for the greater good, Vijay converted all his fan clubs into service organisations. Today, it is said that there are 60,000 fan clubs functioning exclusively for Vijay. Fan frenzies range from pouring milk and honey on his cutouts to organizing health camps and offering donations. Last year, he released a flag for his fan clubs. This year, talks about his forthcoming political party are circulating.

Vijay has a series of film coming up this year. He is currently busy with Jayam Raja's Velayudham with Genelia and Hansika as his heroines, Shankar's Nanban (remake of 3 Idiots) and Seeman's Pagalvan.

So will Vijay enter politics? The whole industry and audiences are looking forward to his response and official statements. Happy birthday, Vijay!

Sun Pictures Dropped Venghai ?

In a sudden twist, Sun Pictures which had snapped up Hari's Venghai with Dhanush and Tamannah in the lead have backed off and are no longer associated with the project. But despite this setback, Venghai is still on schedule for a July 7th release and all is in readiness.

The original producer, Bharathi Reddy will be releasing it directly and will also take care of the publicity. He is in talks with distributors to finalize things and to ensure that all goes smoothly.

In the meantime, Devi Sri Prasad's music is getting talked about and all signs point to this album becoming a big hit. This is Dhanush's first release after his National award and his fans are eager to see his next offering.

Andrea Role on "Oru Kal Oru Kannadi" ?

Andrea Jeremiah is pretty, confident, honest, boasts off a brilliant voice and what not. She is the perfect package for performance-oriented roles and there’s no denial to that. But things seem to be going in the wrong way for her as controversies seem to sniff her out in every project.

She opted out from Selvaraghavan’s forthcoming ‘Irandam Ulagam,’ following an issue with the team and a row with the director. Richa Gangopadhyay replaced her in no time. Now, she’s roped in to play a key role in ‘Oru Kal Oru Kannadi’ that stars Udhayanidhi Stalin and Hansika Motwani.

Andrea wanted to bring in a renowned make-up artist from Mumbai and arrived at the set with her. But this led to a fury among our Chennai technicians as they did not want an outsider to do this and the artist did not posses a local card…

This led to a chaos and Andrea backed-up her make-up artist and supported her and the unions here didn’t back out either. Udhayanidhi had to step in and settle the issue by requesting the make-up artist to leave the set!

Gautham Menon’s next With Jiiva ?

Gautham Menon’s next Tamil project will be with Jiiva. Pairing up with him will be Samantha. The director has decided to direct an action-romance flick and has found Jiiva to be the most suitable for this. This venture will go on floors once Gautham is done with the Hindi version of Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya.

Manoj Pramahamsa may wield the camera for this venture. Gautham has decided to retain Rajeevan (art director) and Anthony (editing). The icing on the cake for this venture is AR Rahman. The Oscar winner has been roped in to score the music for this flick.

Jayam Ravi’s Boologam ?

Jayam Ravi has said that his next project will be Boologam. This film is to be directed by debut director Kalyana Krishnan. In Boologam, Jayam Ravi will play a boxer and is now undergoing special training course in this form of martial arts.

Sources say that Jayam Ravi will essay the role of boxing champion Madan, who had won a medal in the Asian championship. Madan is taking a keen interest in this project and is training Jayam Ravi for the role. The star will learn the nuances of boxing from Madan and will put it to good use onscreen.

Jiiva and Myskkin Film "Mugamoodi" ?

Jiiva is on a roll and there in no stopping him. Ko has enhanced his star status considerably and he has filmmakers queuing up to sign him on for their projects. But Jiiva is not one to grab everything that comes his way and he is waiting for the right scripts. When Mysskin approached him with a project he has dreamed of making for a long time, Jiiva was floored and agreed at once.

The film will be called Mugamoodi and it is going to be a superhero flick, the first of its kind in Tamil Nadu. A Mumbai based production house has agreed to bankroll this mega venture, so it is time for Jiiva and Mysskin to rock and roll!

Kajal Agarwal Opposite Allu Arjun ?

We have earlier confirmed that Ileana is no longer in writer-director Trivikram Srinivas' upcoming Allu Arjun starrer, produced by D.V.V. Danayya under the banner of Universal Media.

Now the latest news is that Kajal Aggarwal has been finalized as the heroine opposite Allu Arjun for this untitled flick, which is all set to start rolling on July 3. After Arya 2, this is the second film in which Kajal will team up with Allu Arjun.

According to sources, Ileana was replaced after she quoted a whopping Rs. 1.25 crores plus an additional Rs. 40 lakhs as remuneration.

Velayudham Audio Lanuch on July 5 ?

Reliable sources close to the unit have confirmed that ‘Velayudham’s music will hit stands on July 5. The music director of the film is Vijay Antony, and if you remember, the past Vijay-Vijay Antony combo has worked wonders as far as the music goes! The previous time the two came together was for ‘Vettaikkaran’ and every single song in this film was a huge hit among youth as well as children!

‘Velayudham’ music disc will have a total of seven songs all inclusive of melody, “kuthu,” as well as an intro song for the hero – Vijay.

Vijay Antony had revealed that the music for this album has come out really well. The expectations among the fans are sky high already, and they are confident that their icon will not let them down this time too.

We had already informed you that the intro song of Vijay was choreographed for a whooping 2 crore rupees! This particular song has been shot with the Thirumoorthi Hills as the back drop. Ashok Raj is the choreographer; he is the same guy who has choreographed many intro songs for Vijay. We guess the Ilaya Thalapathi believes Ashok to be his lucky charm!

The film deals with an action, superhero subject with Vijay helming the show. We will also get to see Genelia and Hansika Motwani as his heroines. Saranya Mohan plays his sister in the film.

Mankatha Delay to Release ?

The Cloud Nine produced film was supposed to be completed in the last week of May. However, there still is some news of the shooting going on in Hyderabad.

Meanwhile, Yuvan Shankar Raja the music director of the film has said that the songs will be recorded from Thursday (June 16). A single track from the film, "Vilayadu Mankatha" was released a few days ago.

So now it looks like more songs have to be recorded and then shot, which means it, will take more time. The audio launch of the film will be delayed along with the release.

Earlier it was said Mankatha will release in August, now it looks like it will be further delayed.

Vidya Balan Denies Kamala Hassan Offer ?

Reportedly, Bollywood diva Vidya Balan has turned down an offer to star opposite the legendary Kamal Haasan in Viswaroopam due to date problems. According to sources, Kamal was keen to have Vidya Balan in his film, but the actress had to complete and promote two films, Dirty Picture and Kahaani this year. She was actually very keen to act opposite Kamal but was forced to turn down the offer.

Apart from directing, Kamal will also pen the screenplay, dialogues and lyrics for the film. Sources also confirm that Viswaroopam, which also has Sonakshi Sinha in a pivotal role, will be a trilingual being made simultaneously in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi. And if all goes well, this will be the costliest Indian film ever made.

Salman Khan and Vijay at Markandeyan Function

The thronged crowds at Ampa Skywalk in Chennai were frozen in excitements watching the titans of Bollywood and Kollywood walking together. Nothing could put off their irresistibility as they howled with whistles and claps as Bollywood’s Box Office King Salman Khan and Ilayathalapathy Vijay graced over the audio launch of Markandeyan that marks the onscreen debut of action choreographer FEFSI Vijayan’s son Sabarish. The celebrities who graced the occasion were K.S. Ravikumar, Jeyam Ravi, and Shriya among others.

‘I am literally dumbfounded over the scenario here’ started off Salman Khan who continued adding that he is surprised that the actors in spite of their busy schedules from various locations have flocked here for this occasion. It’s because of the love they have for FEFSI Vijayan.

Though the crowd expected that he would render a lengthy speech, the actor remained as a man of few words as he concluded saying, ‘Junior Master Sabarish is gonna rock and kick everyone’s ass. Brother (Sabarish) if you’re planning for a trip to B-town, you’re most welcome…’

Following him was Vijay, who kept his speech sweet and simple wishing very best of success to Sabarish.

Shriya Saran, director Mysskin, Dharani, Jeyam Ravi, Seeman, Udhaya Kumar, cinematographer Gopinath, music director Sundar C Babu and other crewmembers were present for the occasion.

Salman Khan’s eyes were moistened when music director Sundar C Babu admitted that his mother was a great fan of actor and wanted to be with him on this occasion, but unfortunately couldn’t make it as she passed away a few months back.

Veteran Telugu actor Sri Hari proved his multi-lingual skills by addressing in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu saying that having played lead roles in 60 films, he accepted to take on a negative role only because of FEFSI Vijayan.

Three songs along with the film’s sleek trailer were screened for the special invitees while Salman Khan released the Audio CD and first copy was received by Vijay.

FEFSI Vijayan expressed his special thanks to Salman Khan, who flew down to Chennai all the way from Chandigarh and Vijay for making his way back soon from China for this occasion.

Superstar Rajinikanth is Well Now

South Indian Superstar Rajinikanth, who has been undergoing treatment in Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre in Singapore, was discharged on Wednesday. He was admitted in the hospital late last month due to respiratory problems.

The actor's son-in-law and actor Dhanush tweeted: "Superstar discharged from hospital. He has recovered completely and taking rest. Soon national award celebrations :) god bless." The actor is expected to return India in July.

Meanwhile, a press release from the Tamil Nadu government said that Rajinikanth greeted Chief Minister Jayalalithaa over phone on her assuming office.

"The 61-year-old actor greeted Jayalalithaa, saying the state had been 'saved' after she won the April 13 polls by a massive mandate against DMK, thus becoming chief minister for the third time," it said. Jayalalithaa expressed happiness over his recovery and wanted him to come back to Chennai at the earliest, the release added.

Anushka Engaged Nagarjuna's Son ?

Looks funny? But this is the news being circulated over the Net for some hours! Telugu action hero Nagarjuna's son Naga Chaitanya has reportedly got engaged to actress Anushka at a private ceremony earlier this week.

According to a report, the Naga Chaitanya-Anushka couple's engagement was a private ceremony attended by close friends and relatives. Sources claim that their marriage will be held after Anushka completes her current projects.

It is heard that Naga Chaitanya knew Anushka from the days of her yoga class and had recommended her for his dad Nagarjuna's 2005 film Super, Anushka debut film. Since Super, Anushka has maintained a super close relationship with Nagarjuna and his family.

Priyamani Pair With Jr.NTR ?

South Indian actress Priyamani currently has no films in Telugu. But why? Already, there are lots of young heroines in the industry, including a bunch of newcomers and naturally, a senior heroine like Priyamani can be easily sidelined in India’s second largest film industry. But the actress is not ready to give up!

In a bid to regain her lost glory in Telugu, Priyamani has reportedly put pressure on her Yamadonga co-star Jr. NTR to give her a chance in his next film, tentatively titled Dammu, under the direction of Boyapati Sreenu.

Notably, the makers have already finalized Sruthi Haasan as the main heroine and were on a search for the second fiddle. Knowing that second lead is still vacant, Priyamani is now trying hard to grab it. Dammu is produced by Alexander Vallabha under the banner of Creative Commercials Media and Entertainment.

Vijay At Shanghai Film Festival Stills

Mankatha Remake of Hindi Movie Jannat ?

Buzz is that Mankatha is a remake of the Hindi movie Jannat. The media came up with this news because Jannat, which had Emraan Hashmi and Sonal Chauhan playing the lead roles, also dealt with match fixing and bookies. Reacting to this news, Mankatha’s producer Dhayanidhi Alagiri has said that the news is definitely not true.

He has said that fans will come to know that both the films are very different from each other when Mankatha releases and not to believe in such baseless rumors. It may be mentioned here that Mankatha also deals with bookies and hence the rumors began circulating.

Karthi Reject Gautham Film ?

There was a buzz in Kollywood that Karthi Sivakumar would soon join hands with Gautham Vasudev Menon, who gave two hits ('Kaakha Kaakha' and 'Varanam Aayiram') to his brother Suriya.

The actor however denies it now, saying, "Looks like all actors will be linked with Gautham. There are no such plans as of now. But I don't know what will happen in future."

Working on his forthcoming film ‘Saguni’ on a fast track, Karthi will take a break soon, as he is all set to tie the knot in July. "He is thrilled about entering into a new phase of his life," circles close to him say.

On 'Saguni', the actor says, "It is about a clever man, who climbs great heights in life from a humble beginning. A political thriller, the film has loads of humour and romance too. It is a commercial cocktail on the whole."

Ramya Krishnan in Trouble ?

A Chennai court has issued bailable warrants against Ramya Krishnan and her sister Vinaya Krishnan, acting on a complaint filed by Kutti Padmini, who alleged that the sisters violated an agreement with her.

According to Kutti Padmini, she entered into an agreement with Ramya Krishnan to make a mega serial titled 'Kalasam'. "As per the arrangement, I am the creative director of the serial and they would pay me the salary. But they have violated the terms," she said.

It is said that when the issue cropped up earlier, it was solved by the Society for Television Production of South India office bearers, following which a fresh agreement was signed between the two.

However, Kutti Padmini has now approached the court, as the serial is now being reportedly aired in Telugu without giving credit to her. Meanwhile, the counsel for Ramya Krishnan and Vinaya Krishnan has filed a petition to recall the bailable warrant.

Deiva Thirumagal Release on July 1st ?

We had reported earlier that the Mumbai based corporate UTV Motion Pictures has entered the Tamil market with a bang by bagging the Indian theatrical rights of Deiva Thirumagal.

Vikram's AL Vijay directed Deiva Thirumagal, produced by Mogan Nadarajan of Sri Rajakallamman Medias has Anushka , Amala Paul,Santhanam, KK and Nassar in the supporting cast. GV Prakash

provides music and Nirav Shah is the cameraman.

Deiva Thirumagal is in the final process of getting ready and should be censored by June 20. As per trade sources the film is likely to release on Friday July 1 worldwide.

It will take a bumper opening as Vikram is a star and the film is releasing in the maximum number of screens.

UTV Motion Pictures has planned to release the Tamil version of the film in 400 to 500 screens across India, including all multiplexes in all metro's.

This will be a big boost to the marketing of the Vikram starrer. In Tamil Nadu all popular big screens will show DT, and thereis unlikely to be any competition till Mankatha or Velayudham releases in August.

Gautham Menon Next Hero Karthi ?

Word on the grapevine is that Karthi will be Gautham Menon's next hero. Karthi is currently working on Saguni and hopes to finish it before his wedding. Gautham Menon is busy with his Hindi remake of VTV, Prem Katha. After fulfilling their prior commitments, the duo is likely to do a film together, as Karthi likes the script Gautham has in mind for him. Once Gautham finds a producer, the film is likely to take off.

It must be remembered that Gautham Menon's best films were with Suriya, so it is to be hoped that he will have a similar dynamic with Karthi. However, there are also rumors that Gautham has committed to do a Kannada film with Puneet and is hoping to work with Kamal Hassan for his next Tamil film. Only time will tell which of these projects will see the light of day. Keep watching this space for more on this front.

Vijay in Shanghai International Film Festival

Kavalan was screened at Cathay cinema, one of Shanghai's oldest and most popular cinema halls and it was a house full show. This was the first film that inaugurated the ‘Focus India’ section of panorama. In fact all tickets for five shows of Kavalan were completely sold out.

There was a big round of applause when Vijay, on behalf of South Indian Film Artitst's Association, presented as a gesture of friendship between the two countries, a hamsa lamp, incense sticks of various fragrance and a peacock representing India’s national bird. Brochures and bookmarks were distributed to the audience who surrounded Vijay for autograph. The show was called ‘meet and greet’ Vijay which started with Vijay’s speech which was translated to the audience.

VJ as Vijay is called fondly by everyone there, looked debonair and suave, spoke with a lot of feeling and emotion which was well received by the audience. The screening of Kavalan happened after the speech which had the English sub titles by Rekhs and also the Chinese subtitles below it.

The film was well enjoyed by the audience who surrounded him after the completion of the movie and the comments ranged from, “He is fantastic” to “He is hot” to “Bhoomi you rock!!!!” to “We love Indian films and never get a chance to see them” to “Why did he wait for so long to marry Meera ( film)? Some of the audience felt that Vijay is the Jackie Chan of India as he dances and fights very well.

Avan Ivan Releasing 700 screens on June 17

The AGS Entertainment produced Avan Ivan in Tamil and its dubbed version in Telugu Vaadu Veedu, is releasing worldwide in nearly 700 screens.

Says a trade source: "Bala has always been identified as a serious director who makes dark and disturbing films. So far all his films had limited release but Avan Ivan, has been projected as a light hearted comedy and is releasing big in Tamil Nadu like a superstar film. InChennai city it is releasing in 15 screens."

Avan Ivan can expect to get a thundering opening in TN as Arya and Vishal have a decent opening by themselves and with Bala thrown in, it becomes even bigger.

Tamil Movie Avan Ivan Trailer

Vikram Play Gym Boy in Raja Paattai ?

Vikram will play the role of a gym boy in Raja Paattai, said director Suseendran. There were several rumors about the star’s role in the film and putting it all to rest, the director has revealed Vikram’s role.

Speaking about the film, he reiterated that Raja Paattai being a commercial movie will have all the elements that Vikram’s fans would look for. Director K Viswanath plays an important role in this film.

Vengai Audio Release Today!

Dhanush's mass entertainer Venghai, directed by Hari, had a soft audio launch in Chennai today. Devi Sri Prasad has composed the music for this film. Dhanush, Tamannaah, Devi Sri Prasad, Hari, singers Karthik and Suchithra were present at the event. The music launch is expected to be aired in Sun TV soon.

The film is expected to be a typical Hari style mass entertainer. Kalanidhi Maran's Sun Pictures has bagged the release rights of Venghai for a whopping price recently. Venghai will be a complete action entertainer; there are reports that comedian Vadivelu and Dhanush will have a rib-tickling comedy track.

Vijay's Velayudham Clash Ajith's Mankatha in August ?

Tamil Cinema is gearing up for a vijay cersus Ajith battle as their films, Velayudham and Mankatha, are getting ready for August release. The talkie portions of both films are almost over. What remains is some patchwork and a song or two which will be picturised overseas.

Director M.Raja, Who is busy with velayudham, says, "We have almost completed the entire talkie portion of the film and have to shoot two songs. The post-production work will take a moth. We are looking at a mid-August release "The producer of Mankatha, Dhayanidhi Alagiri had recently, through a tweet, confirmed that his film would be released in August. Says Annamalai, a leading distributor, "It is almost certain that vijay's Velayudham will clash with Ajith's Mankatha in August. Both the films will be ready by july but since it is the beginning of 'Aadi Masam', traditionally big films will not release. As of now, the best date is August 12, when you have a three-day Independence Day weekend, at one point considered the most populat date fot the release of Tamil biggies".

The development is sure to cause concern among the fans of both the stars. Recently, when the shooting of these films was taking place on adjoining floors in a Chennai studio, Vijay had paid courtesy visit to Ajith's caravan. And in a few hours time, websites were flooded with pictures of their new-found friendship.

Meanwhile, the trade is abuzz on how to accommodate the two biggies. This will have a bearing on the price factor and Minimum Guarantee being offered by the exhibitors. The buzz is that both the films are looking for a single party buyer to market the film worldwide. Blood may be spilled as the year's biggest battle unfolds at the box-office this August.

Vijay Request His Fans

While Ilaya Thalapathi's fans all over the state are gearing up with enthusiasm as the star's birthday falls on June 22, Vijay has something else to say.

Vijay sent out a press note asking fans not to celebrate his birthday in a grand manner and hype about it but rather do good deeds, help the poor and students.

Fans were overwhelmed by this and decided to proceed as per Vijay's words and chose to do good throughout June. In fact, in a day's time, ten of his fan clubs had distributed note books to children in North Chennai and clothes to the poor. Not just that, they also provided computers to ten top-ranking Government school tots.

While fans are busy doing nice things and trying to uplift the society, Vijay's father announced that on his son's birthday, we will witness good deeds that will be completely unexpected. We wonder what that will be.