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Thalapathy Vijay, the megastar of Tamil cinema, has announced his next film, tentatively titled Thalapathy 68. The film will be directed by Venkat Prabhu, who is known for his blockbuster hits like Mankatha, Chennai 28, and Maanaadu. The film will be produced by Ags Entertainment, who had earlier collaborated with Vijay for the 2019 sports drama Bigil. The music for the film will be composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja, who will reunite with Vijay after 20 years since their only film together, Pudhiya Geethai.

Thalapathy 68 is expected to be a grand entertainer that will appeal to all sections of the audience. Venkat Prabhu, who is currently busy with the pre-production of Thalapathy 68, has revealed some exciting details about the film in a recent interview. He said that the film will have a lot of surprises in store for the fans of Vijay and himself. He also hinted at some surprise cast...

KollywoodIn the early years of his career, Rajinikanth did roles that demanded both a wide emotional range and a certain swagger, both of which the actor had.Before Rajinikanth became the ‘Superstar’, fans will recall the string of roles he did that demanded both a wide emotional range and a certain swagger, both of which the actor had. His films from his early years, the 1970s, had him play openly villainous roles to characters with many shades of grey, to budding hero. While it is impossible to include them all, here are some of our favourites to rewatch before the Superstar’s Jailer with director Nelson Dilipkumar hits theatres next week. Apoorva Ragangal (1975) The ten-minute role that introduced Rajini to the world. Apoorva Ragangal was directed by K Balachander, who would also go on to cast the future Superstar in multiple films and help him make his name. Starring Kamal Hassan...

KollywoodThe cast of the film, which is the Tamil remake of Badhaai Ho, includes actors Sathyaraj, Urvashi, Aparna Balamurali and Kpac Lalitha, among others. Tnm StaffTwitter/ Bayview Projects Llprj Balaji’s recently released family drama Veetla Vishesham is gearing up for its Over-the-Top (Ott) release. The makers announced on Monday that the film is releasing on Zee 5 on July 15. Sharing the news, Boney Kapoor, who bankrolled the film under the banner of Bayview Projects Llp, wrote, “Elated to announce that the biggest family entertainer will be releasing on the 15th of July. Watch it only on #Zee5 Premium. Launching the trailer today at 5pm on Zee5, stay tuned.” Veetla Vishesham hit the big screens on June 17. Rj Balaji, who has co-directed the film and essayed a lead role, wrote “Bringing #VeetlaVishesham to your homes. The movie is releasing on the 15th of July only on #Zee5 Premium. Launching the...

KollywoodCo-directed by Rj Balaji and NJ Saravanan, the film is the Tamil remake of 2018 Hindi film ‘Badhaai Ho’. Tnm StaffTwitter/ Rj BalajiWhat happens when a woman gets pregnant in her late forties or early fifties, is the unfamiliar question that Veetla Vishesham, the Tamil remake of Bollywood movie Badhaai Ho attempts to answer, by taking a humorous approach. The trailer opens with Urvashi and Sathyaraj’s characters informing their children that they are pregnant. This is followed by shots that capture the responses of multiple people that are close to the family, including their son (played by Rj Balaji) who is passive aggressive, to his girlfriend (played by Aparna Balamurali) who laughs at the situation. There are also sequences where we see people laughing and taunting the couple. The trailer ends with a humorous scene where Sathyaraj motivates Urvashi when the latter goes into labour, with lines like “Motherhood is...

DeathIndia's nightingale would never be forgotten by the Tamil people for her 'Valayosai' romantic number, a maestro Ilaiyaraaja musical in Kamal Haasan starrer 1988 flick 'Sathya'.PTILata Mangeshkar regarded colossus of Tamil cinema, late Sivaji Ganesan (1927-2001), as her elder brother, and not only the duo, but their families too shared a strong bond of friendship. India's nightingale would never be forgotten by the Tamil people for her 'Valaiyosai' romantic number, a maestro Ilaiyaraaja musical in the 1988 Kamal Haasan starrer Sathya. A duet by Sp Balasubrahmanyam (Spb) and Lata Mangeshkar, its popularity has not faded even after decades. Entertainment industry tracker M Bharat Kumar told Pti, "The pleasant mix of low and medium pitches by Lata ji perfectly suited the romantic theme of Valaiyosai song and absolutely, it is a mesmerising rendition by her". While her diction was stunning, her sweet voice made that song a quintessential romantic number, excellent in every respect,...

67th National Film AwardsThe Best Feature Film has been awarded to Mohanlal’s unreleased epic historical war drama 'Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham'.Tnm StaffThe 67th National Film awards for films that released in the year 2019 were announced on Monday. A number of notable films from south Indian states bagged awards. The award for the Best Actor was this time shared between Dhanush for the Tamil film Asuran and Manoj Bajpayee for the Hindi film Bhonsle. This is actor Dhanush's second National Film Award after Aadukalam in 2011. Actor Kangana Ranaut won Best Actress award for her performance in Manikarnika-The Queen of Jhansi and Panga. Actor Vijay Sethupathi won Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the Tamil film Super Deluxe. The Best Feature Film has been awarded to Mohanlal’s unreleased epic historical war drama Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham. The film that is based on the life of Kunjali Marakkar IV, a Malayali naval chieftain,...

KollywoodFrom Vivek teaching us the meaning of “Awas Anjing” in Malaysia to Yogi Babu playing a hacker in London, here are some hilarious scenes set in foreign lands.Anjana ShekarWe’ve seen Vadivelu as ‘Vakkil' Vandumurugan getting exasperated when his opponent cuts him off mid-sentence during a hearing in court: “I am speaking, no cross speaking. Sit down please!” he roars in one breath and we’re barely able to contain our laughter. But what happens when ‘Vaigai puyal’ Vadivelu plays an advocate in London? Well, we’ve seen that too…only you may not recall the “London” part too well. In the 2005 film London (that was surely shot in Chennai), Vadivelu as Advocate Vedimuthu lives and practises law in London. But, many of our stars have indeed flown to other countries to give us some memorable comedy. One of the earliest references is actor Nagesh playing a bearer at...

TributeAnd like a big wave that approaches towards the shore, gaining momentum as it does, Spb draws his breath and sings...Anjana ShekarInstagram/Radikaa SarathkumarThe song ‘Mannil indha kaadhal indri’, composed by Ilaiyaraaja for the 1990 romantic drama Keladi Kanmani became an immediate sensation when it released. It was director Vasanth’s debut film and starred Sp Balasubrahmanyam along with Radikaa. Ilaiyaraaja’s brother and Spb’s good friend Gangai Amaran wrote the lines. And the amazing Spb delivered a portion of it in what appeared to be a single breath. Speaking to Tnm about the song which was nothing short of a super hit when it released, the director of Keladi Kanmani, Vasanth, says, “There’s no one like him for bhavam (emotion/expression). There is no one who’s as humble as him. In my first film, which was one of his busiest times, he agreed to be a...

Spb It is difficult to believe that we will never hear that hearty voice again or see the twinkle in his eyes. But artists never die for they live on in their art.Sowmya RajendranClose to 15 years ago, when I was a cold and homesick graduate student in the UK, I remember sitting alone in my room and welcoming the New Year with Spb’s ‘Hiii everybody, wish you a Happy New Year!’ from Sakalakalavallavan. I only needed to listen to that booming, enthusiastic voice to feel my spirits rising. It may not be the same song for everyone, but there will be at least one Spb song that is capable of working this magic on anyone who is fond of film music. Sp Balasubrahmanyam recorded over 40,000 songs in 16 languages in a career spanning 54 years. That’s an average of close to 741 songs a year, two songs per day for every day of the year.

KollywoodWhile the film can be called a visual puzzle, its background score brims with nostalgia-inducing music that has now sent all of us scrambling to rediscover old songs.Anjana ShekarThiagarajan Kumararaja’s Super Deluxe has been everything that Tamil film fans can talk about since it released on March 29. The film has been dissected and discussed not just by critics but by everyone who has seen it so far. Super Deluxe comes with many layers and references, making fans examine the film again and again. How many times did you spot the words ‘Super Deluxe’ in the film? Where does Singaperumal from Aaranya Kaandam feature in the film? While the film can be called a visual puzzle, its background score brims with nostalgia-inducing music that has now sent all of us scrambling to rediscover the old songs, especially Ilaiyaraaja's divine music. ‘Andhiyile Vaanam’ Super Deluxe begins with this duet...

KollywoodWhat was Tamil cinema like 25 years ago and how have these films aged?Nandhu SundaramI was in Plus One and my finals had ended that day. We were standing outside Raja Theatre in Nagercoil, my hometown. There were more than 65 government school students -- all of them from my batch -- standing outside, many of us still in uniform. I had never been to the movies with so many people and was very excited. My friends and I were there to watch Gentleman, the newest rage in town. One of my friends was holding on to a sack. I peered inside and found it to be full of lottery tickets. Another friend explained that they were to be used for throwing in the way of the light cast by the projector. Celebrating in this way is still the norm in many theatres across the country. It’s been more than 25 years and times have changed. Raja Theatre, which stood adjacent to the famous Nagaraja Temple, is no longer there. And, no movie will run for the 100 days that Gentleman did any more. In the streaming era of Amazon Prime and the like, films today run for about 35 days in the theatre before being shown elsewhere. Gentleman, arguably the most famous film of 1993, launched the career of director S Shankar. The songs were trendy and became hit, and thus began the famous collaboration between Shankar and composer Ar Rahman. The explosive choreography by Prabhu Deva created quite a buzz, with ‘Chikku Bukku Raile’ becoming a chartbuster. Arjun plays the lead Krishnamoorthy alias Kitcha in Gentleman and he stages multiple heists even as the police are hot on his heels. Kitcha, who has a dark and tragic past, plans to build a medical college for poor students. The film has tedious scenes involving the famous comedy duo - Goundamani and Senthil, who engage in frivolous games with Sugandi, played by Subhashri. Susheela, played by Madhubala, is the main woman lead. None of us knew it then, but the satellite TV revolution in Tamil Nadu proved to be a game-changer for movie-goers. Sun TV had just been launched with much fanfare and we would never treat the cinemas the same way again. Many of the films from 1993 are outdated and campy. Even the blockbusters released that year are not an exception. There are but a few gems that have held up well despite the ravages of time. Here, we take a look at some movies that have completed 25 years since they were first released in theatres. Nostalgia is a potent potion and many movies from 1993 bring a flood of memories with them. Take for instance, the completely inane Chinna Mapillai starring Prabhu, Sukanya, Visu and Radha Ravi. With side-splitting comedy, the movie had dialogues by Crazy Mohan and was helmed by Santhana Bharathi. With a particularly raunchy performance from actor Sivaranjani (who was briefly famous for such roles in Tamil cinema), the movie was later remade as Coolie No 1 with Govinda in the lead. Nuggets like that remind us of a time gone by when cinema was radically different from what it is today. Not all of the films from this era have endured. You may not dare to watch many films from this year on DVD. But the presence of classics like Mahanadhi and Marupadiyum more than redeem the pervading mediocrity that plagued Tamil cinema during this year. This symptom was shared by many films from the 1990s. In the January of 1993, the who’s who of Kollywood released movies. On Pongal (January 14) that year, an array of movies including Captain Magal (Dir. Bharathiraja), Jathi Malli (K Balachander), Kovil Kalai (Gangai Amaran), Marupadiyum (Balu Mahendra) and Walter Vetrivel (P Vasu) hit theatres. None of the films had their legendary directors at their best. In Captain Magal, actor Raja (a Bharathiraja favourite in those days) plays a music composer who is shot and injured when an attack is made on the life of the prime minister. To recover, he and his wife Kavitha (Kushboo in top form) move to a secluded house in the hills where bizzare happenings just don’t end. It’s a thriller that can get your teeth chattering, but none in the audience was too impressed and the film bombed. You may, however, remember the song ‘Entha Pennilum Illatha Ondru’, which became a huge hit. Jathi Malli which brought together the unlikely lead pair of Kushboo and Malayalam actor Mukesh too didn’t do well at the box office. Kushboo plays a Ghazal singer Sivaranjani, who moves to Ooty, after her mother is killed by terrorists. She finds in Kesavan (Mukesh) an unlikely source of solace, but will their hesitant courtship fructify? The late Balachander may have wanted his message of love triumphing terror to reach the masses, but no one was willing to listen. Kovil Kalai must be the most puzzling entry to notch up 25 years since release. Directed by Gangai Amaran, the film must have been regressive even for its times, but is positively bizzare by today’s standards. Made just four years after Amaran’s Karakattakaran, which stuck box office gold, Kovil Kalai, starring Vijayakanth and Kanaka, did reasonably well.at the box office. P Vasu is one of those directors who asks us to digest his films with dollops of sentiment. Best known for movies like Chinna Thambi, Vasu’s take on a cop’s life, Walter Vetrivel, may leave you cold today, but was a massive hit upon release. Sathyaraj's performance as Vetrivel brought audiences in droves to the theatre. The film just appropriated the popularity of former Tamil Nadu director general of police Walter Devaram and had no references to the life of the cop. In the title sequence of the movie, Sathyaraj delivers a line which might be a bit strange today. He says that if rowdies are allowed to roam freely, they would divide and sell the state in 25 years. Thank god, that hasn’t happened! Balu Mahendra’s film, Marupadiyum, starring Revathi, is the only one among the aforementioned movies to have dated gracefully. With his remake of Arth, Mahendra managed to deliver a film that both critics and audiences liked. Rajinikanth was pretty active in 1993. He appeared in three Tamil movies -- Uzhaippali, Yejaman and Valli. The films were box office successes, but may not figure among Rajini’s best. Kamal Haasan had a mixed year. Both Kalaignan and Maharasan were but blips in his career, but Mahanadi was a definite indication of how good a writer the actor was. The National Award winning movie was a tearjerker directed by Santhana Bharathi with whom Kamal would frequently collaborate. The late Malayalam actor, Cochin Haneefa, played the antagonist and his contribution as the sleazy child trafficker cannot be taken lightly. Puthiya Mugam, starring Revathi and her husband Suresh Menon, was an unforgettable movie experience for me. The thriller with its novel and imaginative use of plastic surgery had a couple of moments that were bone-chilling. The soundtrack from Rahman continues to remain among his best. The album also showed lyricist Vairamuthu in superb form. Bharathiraja made another movie that year and it was Kizhakku Cheemayile. I have always thought that Bharathiraja handled sentiment the best in Tamil cinema and that opinion was validated by this movie starring Vijayakumar and Radhika as inseparable siblings. Rahman’s score for this film remains popular even today. Sathyaraj returned to woo audiences with Malayalam director Joshi’s Airport, which rarely for Tamil cinema, had no songs. Though acclaimed by critics, the film didn’t do too well at the box office. Mani Ratnam’s Thiruda Thiruda was one of the better movies released that year. Featuring Prasanth, Anand, Heera and Anu Aggarwal, the movie traces the fate of Rs 1000 crore stolen from the government. With superb camerawork from PC Sreeram, which infused in it a spirit of adventure, the movie was welcomed by audiences and critics. However, I feel that the film is today among the most underrated of Ratnam’s flicks. Prathap was written, directed and produced by actor Arjun. Though Arjun’s film never quite made it into the big league, films like Prathap kept the actor in the market for biggies like Mudhalvan. In 1993, Ks Ravikumar directed three films -- Bandmaster (Sarath Kumar), Suriya Chandran (Anand Babu) and Purusha Lakshanam (Jayaram). We might never guess it, but Ravi Kumar went on to direct both Haasan and Rajini in many movies. It is hard to find common ground among the movies released in 1993. Many films featured songs with rain on the sets. Shots focussing on the leading lady’s navel or the cleavage were mandatory. The loss of the story in Tamil cinema was a complaint that was often heard. My friends often told me that line 'You can watch the movie once'. Naturally, word of mouth made a huge difference in making a movie a success. This was also the year that Ajith Kumar debuted with his movie, Amaravathi. For many of the actor’s fans, this would have been a really special moment. Despite all this, many of the movies from 1993 were so far removed from reality that we can now easily see what frustrated audiences. So when artificiality was replaced by the raw realism of New Cinema, movie-goers made sure they welcomed it whole-heartedly.

How about an actress becoming a filmmaker and indeed introducing her son in lead role? As a famous ad carries tagline ‘Kanna Rendavadhu Laddu Thinna Aasaya’ and this is somewhat similar to it. Yesteryear actress Jayachitra has been pampering her kid Amresh Ganesh like anything as he boisterously speaks a hell lot than any 10 women can do it together.

Now, he’s set to make his debut under his mom’s home banner Senthur Murugan Combines for the film titled as ‘Naane Ennul Illai’.

Having completed his visual communication, Amresh has gone ahead extending his feat across various panoramas of filmmaking, especially music albums. Apart from playing lead role, he strikes by making debut as a music director and lyric writer as well, having written lyrics for couple of songs, he has rendered his voice for one of them. His mother is busy finding hot girls as his pair while Raghav,...