Singam Puli is Jiiva’s first dual role flim

The audio and trailer of Singam Puli will be launched today. Sun Pictures’ Hansraj Saxena will release the audio CD and it will be received by actors Arya and Jayam Ravi. The trailer of this film will be launched by Rama Narayanan and Abhirami Ramanathan.

Singam Puli is Jiiva’s first film in which he dons a dual role and Divya Spandana plays his heroine. The music for this film has been scored by Mani Sharma. Sai Ramani has directed this venture.

Shruthi Kamal Haasan Pair With Udhayanidhi Stalin ?

There is more action in the Udhayanidhi Stalin camp on the film which will launch him as the hero. The film which is to be directed by the King of Romantic Comedies’ Rajesh has found its heroine in Shruthi Kamal Haasan.

Shruthi who was waiting for a film which is as big as her debut film ’7am Arivu’ in terms of quality and grandeur has accepted the Red Giant Films offer without a second thought.

Director Rajesh who is playing it safe this time too with a feel good romantic comedy has changed the previously suggested ‘Oru Kal Oru Kannadi’ and has now finalised his catch phrase he created for ‘BEB’ “Nanbenda” as the title of the film.

‘Nanbenda’ will start rolling any time from now and will have all the fireworks associated with a Red Giant Film.

Sonam on Punjabi shopping spree

Fashionista Sonam Kapoor, who has been shooting for Pankaj Kapoor’s “Mausam” in Patiala, couldn’t help but go on a shopping spree.

“Last day in Patiala… bought beautiful mojris, patiala salwars, phulkari dupattas and parandas, great craftsmanship here…,” Sonam posted on Twitter.

Though she sports a lot of high-end international labels, street shopping is also quite Sonam’s cup of tea.

She laments that a lot of Indian crafts are taking a backseat.

“Local artisans are extremely talented. But a lot of the local crafts like phulkari embroidery are dying. It’s really sad because their work is so fine and beautiful.”

December 2010, Kollywood New release Movie details

December 2010 is one of the busiest months in the year for Tamil cinema with about 30 films waiting for release. Most of them have been to the Censors and the scissors have chopped off scenes while some other films have genuinely passed certifications.


Now, some of the top films are seeing the light of the day while some other films will release in January and Pongal. Out of the 30 films which are ready to hit the screens, only 10 of them will be released this month in December 2010.

Let us see what those films are. Out of the five weeks of December, 4 weeks will be busy weeks at the theaters while the last week will see this year dusking to a close. Here are those films releasing on December 2010:

December 3: Chikku Bhukku, Rattha Charitram and Thaa.
December 10: Ayyanar, Sanikizhamai Sayangalam 5 Mani, Siddhu +2 and Virudhagiri.
December 17: Easan and Manmadhan Ambu
December 24: Kaavalan

Chikku Bukku Movie Review – A Deviously Colorful Travelogue

Chikku Bukku is a travelogue for three-fourth of the film – feel good in fact. Starting off with ‘Pixar-like’ Animation for the title credits, Media One Global Entertainment’s and Majestic Multimedia Limited’s ‘Chikku Bukku’ promises colorful picturesque hues. Soon after the title, a song hips-hop the ‘leadster’ (not the acronym) Arya, whose RJ/DJ profession in London wins him girls – one of his two primary interests – and Facebook – the other.

Young Arya happens to carry his father’s (played by Arya himself) diary when his granny suggests him go to his father’s native place – Karaikudi – to redeem his father’s house from his creditors. Shriya comes to India from London on a different agenda. As flight schedules get canceled in the Bangalore Airport, they board a train together in the guise of a couple.

When the ‘Ticket Examiner’ finds out they are not man and wife, the two have to embark on a journey from ‘Chikmagalur’ to ‘Madurai’ and ‘Karaikudi’ for Shriya’s and Arya’s respectively. In between, a subplot of the father Arya, falling in love with a village school teacher (played by Preetha Rao), back in 1985, is read on a diary by both Arya and Shriya intermittently and the flashback happens to be poetic in parts. We find ourselves immediately comparing the past and the present. We are led to feel that the past is better than the present.

Preetha Rao puts on a pleasing performance recreating the 80’s ‘coy yet beautiful heroines’. In stark contrast, Shriya’s performance is a disappointment – a synthetic clay-modeled Genelia. The actress displays all her ineptness by blatantly copying her fellow actress. Her costumes and antics fully depicting Genelia – in long shots you might well be under the illusion that it is Genelia.


Father Arya is more matured while young Arya’s costumes set trends. Even as father Arya, his age old problem of defying the time period through his looks continues. If in Madrasapattinam, it was his designer stubble; if in Boss Engira Baskaran, it was his urban costumes for a small town guy; here it was his fashionable ‘Ray-Ban’ sunglasses he sports in the 1985 back story, again as a small town guy.
Ironically, the devious travelogue does not keep the audience engaged whereas the flashback does. After leading to a few twists that separate the couple, our heart longs for their reunion. The flashback is abruptly stopped in between to continue with the 2010 travelogue which is made easy by the editing. The editing aids the flit between the past and the present.

Finally, when the flashback draws to an end, the whole movie is almost set for a climax and a few more twists lead us to there. Also, there is another twist that awaits us on who Arya’s and Shriya’s parents are. Santhanam is once again given a huge welcome although some of his dialogues sure make the audience cringe. He is an immediate delight to any audience as he releases the pressure in the enclosed atmosphere.

The travelogue sequences, some of them, are forgivably inspired by a popular German or European film which also inspired ‘Pudhukottaiyilirundhu Saravanan’. Arya and Shriya lying on the rooftop of a bus against the original European film’s boat’, the ambience in the interiors of a bus resembling the original film’s boat and the calculation of distance between two shores of a lake which Arya decides to jump across with 92.3 kilometers speed on a Mercedes Benz car. All these sequences are part of the European film.

The film traverses across various points deviously to find a central plot and even if it is the father Arya’s reunion with Preetha Rao, the travelogue part finds prominence. The younger Arya and Shriya’s portions are enjoyable in parts. One thing that we would marvel at the end of the day is the RB Gurudev’s cinematography, which covers the vast expanses of Chikmagalur with an aesthetic touch, along with the colorful costumes of Arya and Shriya. The differentiation of the past and the present with a sepia-like tone also comes handy in alleviating the confusion, as the lead actor is the same in the two versions.

Colonial cousin’s, Hariharan and Leslie Lewis’s music is vastly inspired from the other two stalwarts AR Rahman and Harris Jayaraj and even the similarity in lyrics was slightly intriguing – ‘Mazhaiyai thaanae nesithoam’ which features in ‘Ullam Kaetkumae’, which incidentally is also an Arya starrer. However, the songs are murky too with lesser comprehension of the tune itself let alone the lyrics. The costumes of Arya and Shriya are a revelation – kind of trend setters.


The greenery and the jocose moments along the travel part are all borrowed without much originality. In the end, Chikku bukku satisfies with the resolution, the climax and the light hearted moments in the beginning, but it is the misleading central plot which makes it slightly less enjoyable.


Positives

• Arya (Father)
• Preetha Rao
• Cinematography
• Entertainment
• Santhanam

Negatives

• Shriya (Very Inept)
• Groping for the Central Plot
• Travelogue Scenes
• Slow Progression of Story
• Dialogues

Verdict
Chikku Bukku is worth its flashback as Arya looks matured enough to play the role while Preetha Rao is lovably coy and plays her part well. But the main leitmotiv of train, as the title goes, is far-fetched and few and far between. Shriya puts up an irritating act which is one of the major let downs for the film where you may also wonder if she can act out even an easy role entrusted upon her.

Chikku Bukku is about its playful entertainment and is a Saturday evening movie. Part entertaining and part interesting, the outcome is an uneven and inconsistently devious travelogue.

Akshay surprises Lara by shooting non-stop for 20 hours

Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar recently surprised friend Lara Dutta by shooting for almost 20 hours at a stretch for her home production in spite of having to work round the clock.

Lara approached Akshay Kumar for a cameo in her home production to which he readily agreed. The scenes required three days from the actor, however, he couldn’t comply to the schedule since his film “Tees Maar Khan” is up for release this Christmas and he is also busy shooting for his next “Desi Boyz”.

Instead he shot from 8 a.m. in the morning to 6 p.m. the next day at a stretch since he had committed to the film.

“As a friend and as an actor Akshay kept to his professional commitments. He shot for 20 hours at a stretch since he couldn’t give them the dates they required.

Lara was overwhelmed with his gesture,” said a source from the production unit.

Suriya’s Back Injury puts him to Rest

While his coveted movie Rattha Charitram has hit the theaters today, Suriya’s injury in the sets of 7aam Arivu puts him in to rest. The actor couldn’t make it to the premiere show of Rattha Charitram in Malaysia which took place on Thursday evening.

The AR Murugadoss’s flick had inflicted the injury on the actor during the filming of an important scene. Doctors suggested Suriya stay in to rest him after the injury. The actor reportedly cancelled his Malaysian trip.

It was due to the stunt scenes which required a lot of action, says the actor. His ligament at the end of the spinal cord tore which resulted in a lot of pain.

Although Suriya wanted to see his Malaysian Tamil Diaspora in the country, the actor is advised even against taking part in any film shoot for the next couple of days.

Zaheer returns for last three ODIs against New Zealand

Opener Gautam Gambhir's stint as captain will continue for the entire one-day series against New Zealand after India decided on Thursday to carry on testing their reserve strength ahead of next year's World Cup.

Paceman Zaheer Khan returned to the squad but batsman Suresh Raina and seamer Shanthakumaran Sreesanth will join the other seniors being rested for the remainder of the series which India lead 2-0.

The selectors continued to rest regular captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar and Harbhajan Singh ahead of the three-test series against South Africa which starts on Dec. 16 in Centurion.

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Yamla Pagla Deewana - 2011 First cut tailer (3 mins)

Yamla Pagla Deewana - 2011 First cut tailer (3 mins)

Bebo calls Shahid sexiest and Saif a bragger on KJo's show

Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor, Bollywood's hottest couple, have reportedly made some bold comments on the talk show Koffee with Karan.

Saifeena, as they are popularly known, will spill the beans about their love life in a forthcoming episode featuring the two and also comment on their contemporaries.

Saif and Kareena have been together since 2007 and their relationship is often the subject of much talk in the media.

The boldest statement on the episode is reportedly made by Saif, who, while describing himself, says: "I am reliable, strong and very long." The pun seems entirely intended.

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Popular Tamil-Telugu actress Hansika is upset with false reports

Popular Tamil-Telugu actress Hansika Motwani, who is currently busy with the promos of ace choreographer-director-actor Prabhu Deva's directorial venture Engeyum Kadhal starring Jayam Ravi, has denied a report in an English tabloid alleging that she was seen with Prabhu Deva in a Hyderabad hotel.

The tabloid added that Hansika were spotted sharing an intimate moment with her director, when Nayantara came and blasted her in public! Some say that Prabhu Deva has grown so fond of the young actress that it has started to affect his relationship with Nayantara.

Hansika is naturally upset with these false reports being circulated by many websites and she condemned them, saying that Prabhu Deva is like elder brother to her.

How can people have such a nasty mind? I am just 19 and how could they link me with my director who I consider as my mentor and guru? He is like my elder brother and whoever is spreading such rumours is clearly out of his mind, she said to a leading website.

Abhishek and Aishwarya at Dr Batra's Positive Health Awards

Star couple Abhishek and Aishwarya at Dr Batra's Positive Health Awards.

Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai lit up the evening with her megawatt smile and yellow churidar dress at Dr. Batra's Positive Health Awards at the NCPA in Nariman Point, Mumbai on Tuesday, November 30.

Aishwarya wore an embellished long sleeve kurta, matching churidar and dupatta.

Her reddish brown hair, styled in loose waves with a side asymmetrical parting, draped her left shoulder.

She wore angled eyeliner, bronze eye shadow and Cinnamon lipstick.

Aishwarya and husband Abhishek Bachchan were the chief guests at the event.

Abhishek looked dapper in black suit, black shirt and Grey silk tie.

The couple felicitated individuals who are leading a positive and purposeful life despite being afflicted with a serious disease or disability.

A cultural show by children entertained the guests.

Aishwarya and Abhishek were appreciative of Dr Batra's initiative.

"It celebrated the triumph of the human spirit the way I look at it and it celebrates life. We are very very thankful to be here this evening but at the end of the day we feel very very fulfilled, inspired and humbled and blessed," Aishwarya said after the event.

Both actors firmly told media that any talk about their careers was off limits at the event as they were not there to promote a film but just to spend an evening with the awardees and the performers of the evening and celebrate the cause.


Aishwarya said she and her husband like to keep their philanthropic efforts private as they do not do it for publicity.

Other celebrities attending the event included Zayed Khan and wife Mallaika Parekh and Dolly Thakore.