Sun buys Vengai

National award winner, Dhanush's film with director Hari, Vengai is gearing for a big release. Sun Pictures have bought the rights to the film for a record amount.

Dhanush having a good track record with this banner following Paddikadhavan and Aadukalam making it big at the box office. Similar results are hoped for Vengai as well.

Tamannah is the heroine. Fresh after the success of her Telugu film 100% Love, she is keen to consolidate her position in the Tamil industry as well. Music by Devi Sri Prasad is said to be rocking and the audio launch has been scheduled for June 10th.

Dhanush and G V Prakash Again ..

The Tamil film industry thrives on winning combinations. Silambarasan-Yuvan, Gautham Vasudev Menon-Harris Jayaraj and the like. Lately the hottest combo seems to be Dhanush and GV Prakash as the duo's Aadukalam and Polladhavan resulted in some great music which became quite the rage among Tamil audiences.

They are all set to recreate the magic for Selvaraghavan's Irandam Ulagam. GV Praksh has worked with Selva in Aayirathil Oruvan and the music was a hit. So it is expected that the trio's chemistry will work once again in Irandam Ulagam too. Let's wait and hear!

No bikinies or liplocks

Tamannah Bhatia seems to dropped off the radar in K’town of late? Though rumour mongers may attribute diverse reasons for her disappearance from the Tamil scene, the actress opened up in an exclusive chat.

“Where could I have gone? My next Tamil flick Vengai, with Dhanush is ready for its release and Hari sir has given me a beautiful role in the movie. I play a simple-looking college girl from a small town. It’s a typical mass entertainer”.

The Sirutthai girl says her call sheet diary is full for the entire year with Tollywood movies. “It is just that I got busy with Telugu films. I am happy with my recent film, 100% Love with Naga Chaitanya, which was a simple love story with lots of interesting and cute twists. My next film, Badrinath with Allu Arjun is also wrapped and will soon hit the cinema halls”, she adds.

Looking at the sizzling promo stills, one wonders whether Tamannah was game for a skin show in T’town. “Oh no,” she denies any such notion and continues, “The movie is set against a temple backdrop and Allu Arjun plays an Indian Samurai. It is just the song sequences where I wear glam outfits.”

According to sources, the movie has set new records at the box-office in Kerala. ‘Bunny’ as Allu Arjun’s friends call him, enjoys a big market in God’s own country.

The Malayalam dubbing rights are said to have been sold for a record breaking 1.10 crore rupees and the movie is being released in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam simultaneously.

Is she dubbing her own voice like she did for 100% Love? “Dubbing my voice in Telugu or Tamil is a time-consuming process since I take a long time to master the language spoken in each film. So, when there’s a lineup of movies, I can’t do justice to each one.”

Even before its commencement, Rachcha, her next flick with Ram Charan Teja, has generated a lot of buzz in tinsel town. Grapevine has it that Tamannah is going to expose her svelte bod to the hilt by sporting a bikini in Rachcha. Industry pundits add that Ram Charan will be flaunting an 8-pack physique. Add Tamannah’s oomph factor and it will be an entertainment unlimited. The pretty girl laughs it off as a ‘pure unadulterated rumour’.

“I guess the producers who approach me for a film know very well that I have a couple of pre-conditions in the contract itself and that I will never sport a bikini or act in an explicit kissing scene. This will probably clear yet another baseless rumour that I will be doing a lip-lock with Jr NTR in my upcoming film Ooseravalli,” asserts the ravishing girl.

There is another film which Tamannah has signed with Ram as the hero, it’s called Mana Love Story. As of now, Tamanaah is going great guns in T’town!

No Dhanush in Vetrimaran's next

National award winning actor-director duo, Dhanush and Vetri Maaran, go back a long way.

They worked together on Maaran's 2007 directorial debut Polladhavan and Aadukalam, their second collaboration, won six National awards this year. But the director has said no to a hat-trick.

The 35-year-old filmmaker says that his next offering, still in the scripting stage, will not star Dhanush, the son-in-law of superstar Rajinikanth.

"I believe in change. If you keep on working with the same people it gets boring for both parties. We need to keep changing. I am not working with Dhanush in my next movie," Maraan told PTI.

Both his films have found success at the box office and the director frankly says that he makes movies to make money, not to gather awards.

"I make films to recover the cost, to make money and not to get awards. Awards are always welcome but acceptance by the audience is more important," he said.

The film's haul at the 58th National awards surprised the director who says that awards should not be a yardstick to judge a movie.

"I was surprised and was not ready to accept it. My friend called me up and said 'Its your day' which I couldn't quite understand. I thought we won the best regional film award.

"Awards are always in tandem with the jury. There are great films that go unnoticed at times and so awards should not be a yardstick to judge films. I was a little sad that my cinematograper R Velraj didnt get an award but then I respect the decision of the jury," added Maaran, who has earlier assisted noted filmmakers like Balu Mahendra and Kathir.

The director who entered filmdom after a stint in TV, said that Aadukalam, which takes a look at the mysterious world of rooster fighting, is not an art house film and was made keeping the mainstream Tamil audience in mind.

"My film was meant for a mainstream Tamil audience. It is not an art film. In the past we have seen that National Awards are usually given to art house films. I think that the ethnic feel of the film impressed the jury. Preserving the identity is very important in any culture and that has always been my aim," said the filmmaker.

Over the years Bollywood remakes of Tamil films have become blockbusters and Maraan says that it is a positive trend.

"Bollywood remaking Tamil movies is fine as long as they are well made. I dont mind if Aadukalam is remade in Hindi but it should be as good as the original if not better.

"I am not sure about the lead actor but I would like either Naseeruddin Shah or Nana Patekar to play the role of the mentor Pettaikaran. It is a very intense character and who better than these veteran actors to essay the role," he said.

Kamal Haasan and his Viswaroopam ..

Padmasree Dr. Kamal Haasan’s grand venture went through some decisive moments today and we at Behindwoods are proud to be the first to be bringing you these exciting revelations about Viswaroopam.

The most important decision made today was that the responsibility of directing this magnum opus will no longer rest on the shoulders of Selvaraghavan. It will be instead taken up by Kamal Haasan himself. He will be directing the film in addition to handling the story, screenplay, dialogue and lyrics. So, we will be getting to see a complete Kamal film; script, dialogues, and all, after a gap of 7 years. The last time Kamal directed a film was in 2004, Virumaandi. And after listening to his lines in Manmadhan Ambu, who wouldn’t want more such poetic songs!

The decision to transfer the reins of Viswaroopam, a mutual one, came after it became impossible to defer the shooting of Viswaroopam until Selvaraghavan completed his current project, Irandam Ulagam. News is that Irandaam Ulagam will take at least another couple of months to get wrapped up and the producer of Viswaroopam, Telephoto Films, feels that it will be too long a wait. That is not without reason because the producer has planned a November 7 release for this opus.

Yes, that is November 7, 2011, not 2012. Less than 6 months from now. And, this is not going to be a simple romantic comedy or drama that can be wrapped up in double quick time within a limited budget. It is in fact the costliest film that has been planned in Tamil to date; the initial estimate running up to 150 crores. And, it will also be released simultaneously in 3 languages, Tamil, Telugu and Hindi.

A 150 crore trilingual in 6 months! Going by industry trends, that is akin to climbing Mt. Everest in a matter of minutes. But, the team seems confident of meeting the stiff target they have set for themselves. And, their confidence is not without reason because the work has already begun. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy have been entrusted with the music of the film and the first song has been recorded. So, as you can see, the team is wasting no time in getting things underway. And, for those of you who feel disappointed at not being able to see the Kamal-Selva combination, there is good news. The producer has expressed optimism that the trio will come together for another film.

There are not too many other details available at this moment except for the fact that Bollywood ‘Dabbang’ sensation Sonakshi Sinha will be seen opposite Kamal Haasan. Well, the young actress really does seem to have many cosmic forces favoring her at the moment; debut opposite Salman Khan that broke all box office records and now her first film in Tamil is opposite one of the finest actors in the country, in one of the biggest ever productions. It does not get better for a one film old actress.

And, what is Viswaroopam about? Well, trust Kamal Haasan! Whatever news comes out about the movie, we are sure to be kept in the dark about the premise until the day it hits screens. And, we know it will be worth the wait. Going by the initial indications, this Viswaroopam is all set to dwarf the benchmarks set by Dasavatharam.

With Superstar recuperating well in hospital, we also hope that Rana will be up and running soon. With that Tamil cinema will have two giant productions getting ready in its wings at the same time. And, who is going to have the best of it all; we, the audience of course.

Tamanna back with "Venghai"

Though she is from north and is a Punjabi, south actress Tamanna is immensely popular and now boasts of a huge list of devoted fans. Tamanna enjoys the status of being one of the most sought after actresses in South film industry. So, whether it’s Tamil or a Telugu film, Tamanna has the best of both worlds.

Her latest Telugu release 100% Love has opened to a good response and she will next be seen with Allu Arjun in the mega budget film Badrinath, but most of her fans are waiting for her masala film Venghai for which she is paired with Dhanush for the first time.

Director Hari is back with another hardcore entertainer after Singham. “The one line story of Venghai is simple and straight forward,” says Hari. “I have worked on the premise that if a security guard takes an aruval it is ok as it is part of his job. But an angry young man should never handle such a weapon.”

The movie is expected to hit the theaters soon.

Dhanush posted an old pic of Rajni?

It was a great relief for over 4 million fans of superstar Rajinikanth across the globe when the superstar's son-in-law actor Dhanush, who just won the National Award for the best actor for Aadukalam, posted a 'latest' picture of Rajinikanth on Twitter, urging fans not to worry about the superstar’s health or about the baseless rumours, as "he's rocking" in hospital.

But many fans now allege that Dhanush was “cheating” the fans by posting an old picture of Rajinikanth, who is currently admitted in the Sri Ramachandra Hospital in Chennai.

They say that the picture Dhanush posted on Twitter was apparently taken when the superstar was admitted in Isabella Hospital early this month and the St. Mary's calendar seen in the background proves the same. Now the fans wonder: Was there any necessity to post an old picture of the superstar to comfort his fans? They also requested Dhanush to post the latest picture of Rajinikanth at Sri Ramachandra Hospital.

Meanwhile, after the confusion erupted, Dhanush reasoned on his Twitter page: "Guys dis s d only pic I ve on my phone. tweetin from d shootin spot. Will update a much more recent nd a much better lookin SS pic soon." He requested the fans to remain calm and signed off, stating that he was shooting an intense scene.

Chimbu Devan's next with Dhanush

Filmmaker Chimbu Devan, who is eminent for his style of making films based on different genres, is all set to join hands with Dhanush.

Sources close to Dhanush have confirmed that the duo recently had some discussions on scripts and the actor was very much impressed. Following the huge success of ‘Aadukalam’, G.V. Prakash comes together with Dhanush again for this film.

G.V. Prakash has already started composing tunes for the film while rest of the crew members is yet to be finalized.

Dhanush has completed working on ‘Vengai’ that is scheduled for release somewhere in July and is now involved in Selvaraghavan’s ‘Erandam Ulagam’.

Latest Sensation ..

Even before her Engeyum Kadhal released, Hansika Motwani was signed up for Mapillai opposite Dhanush directed by Suraj. Mapillai produced by Sun Pictures was the remake of Superstar Rajinikanth's yesteryear film of the same name.

Though Hansika has done a few movies in Telugu as the lead, she became more famous and managed to steal the hearts of Tamil youngsters as well after the photos from Engeyum Kadhal were officially released by AGS and Prabhu Deva.

Along with Tapasee, who also paired with Dhanush in Aadukalam, Hansika became one of the most preferred actresses for Tamil movie producers.

Actor Jayam Ravi, in a recent interview, mentioned how much fun it was to work with her during the shooting of Engeyum Kadhal.

Her career is confirmed for success after she was signed opposite Udhayanidhi Stalin in Red Giant Movies' Oru Kal Oru Kannadi (OKOK) directed by Rajesh (of Siva Manasula Sakthi and Boss Engira Baskaran fame). It is heard that other actresses such as Trisha and Tamannaah who were in the race for the role in OKOK are quite jealous of Hansika!

Hansika’s performance in Engeyum Kadhal has been loved by many, so we should see more of her in Kollywood in the days to come.

Strikes back ..

There has been a lot of controversy surrounding Selvaraghavan and Dhanush’s Irandam Ulagam which originally had gorgeous Andrea Jeremiah in the lead. She has been replaced with Richa Gangopadhyay for professional reasons according to Dhanush. Others have insisted that it had something to do with a fallout between the director and his muse which resulted in the actress walking out.

Andrea has chosen to maintain a strict silence about this fiasco but sources close to her insist that she has been treated badly and that she could not possibly have walked out as that is not the sort of thing the powerful Nadigar Sangam and Producers Council will take lying down.

The singer/actress however is content to let her impressive body of work do the talking. Her twin careers of acting and singing are red hot right now, as she has bagged a meaty role in Ajith’s Mankatha and won two awards at the recent Vijay Music Awards for her exquisite voice. Moreover she is looking like a million bucks and is hugely in demand with topnotch producers and music directors making a beeline for her.

Click here to check Andrea's images striking back with style with her hot looks . .

Wedding Bells ..

Actress Aparna Pillai made her debut in Tamil film industry through the movie ‘Pudhukottaiyil Irundhu Saravanan’ with Dhanush in the lead role. She later paired with Shaam in the film ‘ABCD’ and later vanished into thin air.

The actress is now ready to enter wedlock with Bharani, who is a doctor by profession. The parents have scheduled the engagement at a prominent Hotel at Thyagaraya Nagar, Chennai on May 8 followed by the wedding ceremony to be held at the Thevar Thirumana Mandapam on June 29 followed by a grand reception at the Ramanathan Chettiar Hall.

As all the pieces falls in its places for this actress, We at the crew of CelebsFactory convey our wishes for a happily married bright and cherishing life.

Dhanush and Aishwarya say "All is well"

Rajinikanth was hospitalized last week where he was diagnosed of dehydration and food poisoning.

Though the superstar was discharged with doctors prescribing complete rest, he had to be admitted to the hospital again on Wednesday after he complained of breathlessness and fever.

The press and fans gathered outside the St Isabel's Hospital in Chennai ever since Rajni was admitted. To their respite, Rajni's daughter Aishwarya and son-in-law Dhanush updated them about the megastar's health.

Though the star is in the ICU he is said to be responding well to the treatment. Dhanush and Aishwarya addressed the press in the morning and revealed that Rajni suffered from allergic bronchitis but is now stable. They also said that the doctors advise him complete rest for the next several days.

Dhanush also said that Thalaivar will join the Rana unit only after the doctors give him the go ahead.

Hansika excited about her K'Town entry

Hansika Motwani, who was in the news for quite a while despite not having had a single release in Tamil, is currently thrilled about opening her K’Town innings with Maapillai, which hit cinemas recently.

“I hope people like me in this film, I am keeping my fingers crossed,” said the gorgeous Hansika, who was recently in town for her upcoming flick Velayudham’s shooting with Vijay.

The Tollywood star seems to enjoy every moment that she’s shooting with Vijay. She said Velayudham was the first film in which she played a village belle, a role totally different from her prior performances. “I play a naïve and bubbly girl from a village. It’s an out-and-out mass masala commercial movie.”

She heaped praise on her costar. “Vijay is a sweet person and a wonderful costar. He is very helpful and we share a great chemistry on screen. His energy levels, especially in songs, are amazing!”

We told her we had heard that she’d done a steamy romantic number with Vijay. She shrugged. “It is part and parcel of cinema. There is a cute sizzling number, but it is not as hot as the rumours make it out to be,” she clarified.

Hansika said that Oscar Productions were treating her like a princess and with so much of positive vibes around she was able to perform better. Didn’t she feel threatened by the presence of another Bollywood heroine Genelia in Velayudham? She shook her head emphatically.

“Oh, no. I have a lot of faith in the script narrated by my director Raja. Moreover, I am playing the love interest of Vijay in Velayudham,” she announced with a triumphant glint in her eyes. The message was clear!

Erandam Ulagam: Lives before marriage

Director Selvaraghavan is all geared up to direct Viswaroopam starring Kamal Hassan and Sonakshi Sinha. The movie is expected to go to floors very soon.

Meanwhile, Selvah, who is directing Dhanush for a movie titled Erandam Ulagam, is shooting the movie at brisk pace. Selvaraghavan wants to finish Erandaam Ulagam soon so that he can move on to his venture with Kamal Hassan. With major portion of Erandam Ulagam completed, Selvah hopes to start Viswaroppam by June atleast.

In Erandam Ulagam, Dhanush has Andrea playing his ladylove. The movie speaks about a married couple and how their lives were before marriage. Music is by Selvah's lucky mascot Yuvan Shankar Raja and expectations are very high. The movie is produced by UTV and plans are on to release it by June.

Selvaraghavan has completed penning the script for Viswaroopam and Kamal Hassan is mightily impressed with his work.

Vengai Vs. Singham

Director Hari has finished canning several scenes and songs in Karaikudi, Munnar for Venghai and the latest is that he will move to Malaysia for the final schedule. Some very important scenes will be canned in Malaysia with the leads. After this, the shooting of the film will be over as both songs and talkie portion will be done with.

Venghai (meaning Leopard) has Dhanush and Tamannah in the lead. It has some foot tapping numbers from Devi Sri Prasad and is being eagerly awaited. Will Venghai beat Singam, Siruthai and Singam Puli? Let us wait and watch !