september 2009
vol 3
issue 6
monthly
CINEMA
SURIYA NAMASKAR AADHAVAN FIRST LOOK
THIRU THIRU THURU THURU SATHYAM CINEMAS & REAL IMAGE’S DEBUT
SPECIALS FESTIVE FERVOUR TEACHERS’ DAY
JAB
love WE FOUND
BHARATH & TAMANNAAH IN
KANDEN
KADHALAI
a moser baer production . september 2009 release
pg. 95
pg. 104
pg. 80
contents 09.09 06. acknowledgmentS 08. readers’ voices
20MOVIE MANIA 20. PEEKABOO
A look at movies ready for release
24. kollywood Buzz
Movies that are a cut above the rest
28. galatta talkies
Movers and shakers at the box office
58. FIRST CUT
On location with movies in the making
GALA-TTA 32ATIME! 32. SUBSCRIBE!
Get GC to your doorstep - sign up here!
64. WHAT’S ON G.COM
Hot stuff on Galatta.com this month
38. COVER FEATURE
pg. 54
SORBET OF 90ACROSS 10 BORDERS STARS 90. BEYOND SOUTH
10. KICKSTARt
92. BRINGING HOLLYWOOD HOME
54. star of the month
Titbits from the out-of-towners
Hollywood biggies in India
73
ROUND & ABOUT
74. a teachers’ day special Celebrity Gurus and protégées
76. festive beats
Star studded Navarathri, Onam and Eid celebrations
66. behind the scenes
A close encounter with music director Devi Sri Prasad
84. rising stars
Ambitious new kids on the block
70MEMORIES
70. NOSTALGIA
Remembering a nightingale - D.K. Pattammal
94
94. starry eyed
12. galatta grapevine
Asin
95. lookbook An exlcusive first look at the Suriya-Nayantara-starrer Aadhavan
All the info, all the goss!
32. game-time
The King of Tollywood, Nagarjuna
HEY, GOODLOOKIN’
12JUICY STUFF
The new numero uno of Malayalam Cinema, Prithviraj
Contests to win in a flash!
104. eye candy
36. cool stuff
Sadaa
Yuva goes mobile!
60. SCENE ABOUT TOWN Tinseltown’s shimmering dos
80. fast track
Ganesh Venkatraman: cool, candid and classy!
82. stargazing
Travel on the zodiac with the stars
106. wrap up
Just in, super-fresh news
86
NOTE WORTHY
86. iN THE GROOVE
Soundtracks worth your money
89. top of the charts Songs on the #1 lists
4 Galatta Cinema |September 2009
pg. 76
XTRA-G 102
102. GALATTA GUEST G. Dhananjayan of Moser Baer on the business of cinema
38COVER FEATURE 38. kanden kadhalai
pg. 106
The magic behind the romantic tale, featuring Bharath and Tamannaah. A sneak peek with the KK team as they gear up for the movie’s release.
James Vasanthan is gearing up to deliver his blockbuster songs for S.P. Charan’s Naanayam directed by Sakthi S. Rajan. With Naanayam, he brings together Silambarasan and Devi Sri Prasad for a song titled ‘Khaakha’! This peppy number penned by Kavi Varmanis expected to be one of the major attractions of the movie.
National Award winner Priyamani lost out on the prestigious Kerala State Award for the Best Actress for Thirakatha. The jury refused to consider her as she had not dubbed the film by herself. The actress said that she was to dub for the movie but due to some problems she was unable to.
12 Galatta Cinema |September 2009
Who can refuse Mani Ratnam? Apparently Nayantara can! The super hot actress was reportedly offered a meaty role with a song in ace director Mani Ratnam’s Raavan, but the actress had to refuse the offer due to date problems! The offer was made by Suhasini, as she felt that Nayan fit the bill, but the star actress refused the role as she is already committed to a Telugu film and the Malayalam film Bodyguard.
Soniya Agarwal and Selvaraghavan may have call it quits to their marital life, but according to the actress the two are still friends and have an occasional chat. And like a good friend she too is eagerly waiting for Aayirathil Oruvan to hit the screens. So will she work with Selva ever? She might she says!
Vijay is all geared up for his entry into politics. The actor had met his fan clubs in Pudhukotavtai. This was followed by a huge gathering in Puduchery couple of days ago. Looks like Ilayathalapathy is well prepared to become the leader of the people!
14 Galatta Cinema |September 2009
She may have burnt her fingers with Three Roses the movie which Rambha produced, but this has not stopped the actress from taking the plunge into production again. It is heard that Rambha will be producing a Malayalam film under her home banner Parijay Creations. Meanwhile, she’s also having the last laugh with her IndianInternational film Quick Gun Murugan,where she plays Mango Dolly - a role she has carried off with aplomb!
First she said no, then she said yes. We are talking about Honey Rose aka Soundarya. During the shooting schedule of Kaantharvan., when the director Salangari Durai wanted her to enact a kissing scene, she refused, resulting in an argument between them. But when the need for the kissing sequence was explained Soundarya agreed. Lakshmi Ramakrishnan, former Mrs. Coimbatore, made an impact with her performance in Poi Solla Porom and the recent release Naadodigal. Having lived in Saudi Arabia for several years, Lakshmi retunred to India, only to be bitten by the acting bug. She is also an avid filmmaker with 6 short films to her credit.
Ajaykumar alias Undapakru will soon act as Jayaram’s father in a new Malayalam movie titled My Big Father, to be directed by Mahesh P. Sreenivasan. Undapakru will be seen as Kunjumon, a specialist in making biriyani, who runs a catering service along with his son Albie (Jayaram).
16 Galatta GalattaCinema Cinema|September |JUly 2009 2009 16
Sneha has lost oodles of weight and is looking super hot. Known for her girl next door acts, Sneha trod the glamour line with Pandi. This led to speculation if she would go all the way and don the bikini! More so when at a recent interview she hinted that she was game to glamour as long as it is done aesthetically.
Sweet and simple Sunaina has a mean gaming streak within her. This Kadhalil Vizhunthen and Maasilamani heroine was recently spotted enjoying the playstation and arcade games with her friends at Blur Gamezone in Chennai. Her fave games include Resident Evil, Burn Out and Mortal Combat vs, DC Universe.
His debut in Telugu Kick went on to become a blockbuster. This led Shaam to explore more opportunities in the Telugu film industry. It is heard that he has been signed up as hero for the first time in a Telugu film titled Veedu Manavade, rumoured to be the remake of his Tamil film Anthony Yaar?
18 18 Galatta GalattaCinema Cinema|September |JUly 2009 2009
She has taken Tollywood and Bollywood by storm. Not Hansika ha turned her attention to Kollywood. This young actress will be soon seen with Dhanush in Suraaj’s next film, a romantic comedy.
Having refused some very big Tamil movies, including Rajinikanth’s Sultan and the Tamil remake of her superhit Kick, Ileana it is heard has finally relented to return to Kollywood. She is said to have agreed to do Vikram ‘Yavarum Nalam’ Kumar’s thriller 24, which has Chiyaan Vikram as hero. Welcome back Ileana!
i Prabhu, one of ace director Mani Ratnam’s favourite heroes, has left for Mumbai for the shooting of the director’s upcoming Raavan, in which he plays a vital role, similar to Ramayan’s Vibheeshan. The shootingis underway in a remote village, Khireshwar near the Malshej ghat, about 90 kms from Pune.
Charmi replaces Mamtha Mohandas in Dileep’s next film. Charmi made her debut in Malayalam way back in 2002 with Kattuchembakam, much before she became the oomph girl of Telugu films. The shooting of the film is sceduled to start in Ooty from Spetember 4 under the direction of veteran Kamal.
Galatta Cinema | September 2009 19
Cover Feature
sr 01-02
friendship
kanden
all aboa
kadhala
rd the lo
i
ve train
Requiem for love: 2 hearts, pure emotion. Requiem for a successful production: The entire team moving and thinking as one entity; differences and different personalities notwithstanding. This is the beauty of Galatta Cinema’s movie in focus, our cover feature - Moser Baer’s September 2009 release, Kanden Kadhalai, which is a faithful, yet unique remake of the smash hit Hindi movie Jab We Met, directed by young Imtiaz Ali. So what’s different about THIS movie, you ask? What’s the big deal about a remake or even another light love story? The difference, my darlings, cannot be stuffed into a few lines or even a single page. Which is why we’re giving you a vast spread of colour, light, life, love and information on a movie Galatta Cinema has been delighted to be associated with - an association that, rare as it is in this industry, ranges from the producer’s camp to the actors and technicians and even to the publicity managers! In this cover feature, we try to show you what moved us about everyone in this movie, maybe even more than the movie itself. While we are doing that, we also hope to show you how the Kanden Kadhalai team is such an apt one to remake a movie like Jab We Met; and how, despite staying true to the original script and screenplay, the makers of this movie have managed to bring in their own special South Indian flavour and difference to it. Bharath and Tamannaah play the lead roles of Sakthivel, a rich, disenchanted businessman who suddenly finds himself a failure in love and at work; and Anjali, a young running too full of beans to be true, planning to run away from her charming family in Theni with the boy she is in love with. This is just as Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor played Aditya and Geeth in the original Jab We Met. And so the story goes... Shakthi (Bharath), a despairing industrialist, is even more brokenhearted as he is jilted in love as well. Unable to face returning home alone, he aimlessly wanders off to the railway station and boards a train, bounding away into the night. As destiny would have it, on the train he meets Anjali (Tamannah), a beautiful but annoyingly talkative girl who is leaving Chennai to go her hometown, Theni. She tells Shakthi - a complete stranger, but that doesn’t bother her - that she has plans of eloping with her boyfriend. So annoying is this chatty gnat of a girl, that the irritated Shakthi jumps off the train to escape from her. As Anjali tries to get him back on the train, she ends up missing it and the two find themselves stranded on a desolate station. Unwilling to leave a young girl to preying men, Shakthi sighs and decides to get her home safely, not knowing the rollercoaster ride that awaits him. Eventually, just as he begins to fall in love with her, they go their separate ways and he returns with strangely renewed energy at work. How the come back together forms the storyline of Kanden Kadhalai, a beautiful and captivating made-for-each-other love.
- romance - love Galatta Cinema | September 2009 39
the
passengers KK is a product of lots of hard work and superb team chemistry - bharath
i can identify with anjali - all of us have our secret wild side - she is mine! - tamannaah
bharath
As an actor, Bharath skills need no introduction. Kaadhal and Pattiyal proved that this young man can feel every moment of his histrionics. As an entertainer, his last few movies have proven that he can have that fiery “masala” quality that commercial filmmakers look for. But for the first time, he plays a suave, quiet and dignified young heir who has the world at his feet, but also a heart of gold inside. Here is what he has to say about his character, Sakthivel, fondly called Shakthi... “I have enjoyed every role I have done in my career and after a few intense, performance-oriented roles, it was actually a relief for me to indulge in some pure entertainers. Of late, though, I want to get that perfect balance of roles that will click with anyone, not just the masses or the elitist; and yet, give me the space to emote and perform. Sakthivel’s character and the entire screenplay of Kanden Kadhalai is one such project. You know what? This is the real me. I am not a loud, crass person in my off-screen life. I am subdued, I like my quiet spaces and my close friends and I am usually not the jumping-around type of guy! Sakthivel is like that. He wears elegant, dignified clothing (my kind of dressing sense too; even my jeans and t-shirts have to smack of aesthetics and quality!), has his head on his shoulders, has a wry sense of humour and is someone who is enjoyable company, but is also a principled, dependable and compassionate guy. I like to think that I am all that. I personally love the original movie Jab We Met - it was light-hearted and a treat to watch but at no point was it frivolous. The greatest challenge Mr. Dhananjayan and director Kannan have taken as filmmakers and Tamannaah and I have taken as actors, is to remake this beautiful script as faithfully as possible and yet tweak it here and there to give it a special South Indian flavour that will be loved by our people. Yes, I know - Shahid and Kareena had a special relationship and history during the making of JWM, which exuded so much chemistry onscreen but although Tamannaah and I don’t have that kind of relationship, our friendship and comfort levels have helped us portray the same affection and equation - a bigger challenge, don’t you think?”
tamannaAh
berth 2
berth 1
sr 03-04
This petite girl is blessed with angelic good looks and a sprite-like personality but Tamannaah is one tough cookie when it comes to being professional at her job and keeping her image squeaky clean. She plays Anjali, the bubbly, slightly nutsy kind of girl whose life’s philosophy is to follow her heart at every turn and take life by the horns; completely different from her own, says young Tamannaah. In Kanden Kadhalai, she let’s herself go a little and have a blast on the sets in her character... “I am not like Anjali usually. I am a little more subdued and a little less fiery! But you know it is with everyone that we all have a tiny wild streak in even the most introverted of us, that little red devil on our shoulders that says, go for it, have a fun... Anjali is that red person for me and in Kanden Kadhalai, I got that chance to let myself go and bounce off the walls! I did identify with Kareena Kapoor’s character of Geeth in Jab We Met. Maybe not the completely whacko side, but that nuance where she listens to her heart and doesn’t let fear or what she “should” do stand in her way. A good person who can give all of herself if she believes in something. Like Bharath says, our relationship may not have the same sparks of chemistry flying off the screen, but our friendship and complete gusto in getting our roles bang on target helped us display that very same chemistry on-screen, with a unique South Indian twist to it! I must say though, Kanden Kadhalai is one of the few projects I have seen where the until of our cast and crew members has been rock-solid. The producer Mr. Dhananjayan is a thorough professional and yet, gave us creative space. He also ensured we would never lack for comfort because he wanted us fresh and raring and go at every shoot - be it a regular schedule or an all-nighter. I like the fact that he is not one to sit back think only of his money, but also give well-informed suggestions and spend as many long hours with us as we did shooting! Director Kannan, I can tell you, deserves two thumbs up for this movie. He herded us and our sameness and differences like a pro and was a great captain of this ship! He had a task - not just to remake a superhit Hindi movie, but to balance how true he had to be to the original and yet bring about some unique nuances that will appeal to South Indian audiences. All in all, I have seldom seen such fantastic team spirit in a movie...
Galatta Cinema | September 2009 41
the co
passengers
ships which is what relation other human beings, to d ke lin bly .. ica rs. xtr enge ine and here are its pass OR on a train - we are ip and family express sh On every journey - life nd frie g lon e on is n Kadhalai are all about! Kandhe
Santhanam’s comedy is absolutely rib-tickling and unbeatable in KK! - Director Kannan
No movie is the work of one single person or one small team. But almost every project has a core team of visionaries and go-getters that inspire and extract the best from the others in the team. The producer G. Dhananjayan and the director R. Kannan spearhead this core team for Kanden Kadhalai. With diligence, superb planning and 100% faith in the big picture, they have put together a team that worked through the record shoot of under 100 days, as smoothly as a well-oiled machine. Mr. Dhananjayan, fondly called GD, took care of not just the money matters, but is also tech-savvy and well-read enough to offer invaluable suggestions during the making of the movie. Director Kannan smoothly took over the screenplay and direction of the movie from where Imtiaz Ali left it. But, it would not be just to leave out the names of the people who made this happen along with them... Before we salute the others on the team, we have to mention one
42 Galatta Cinema |September 2009
person who made a sea of difference in the movie. There can’t be very many people in Tamilnadu who don’t recognise Santhanam or haven’t laughed their guts out at his comedy. In Kanden Kadhalai, a movie with comedy as one of the high points, Santhanam absolutely rocks in his character as Mokka Raju. Perhaps his best work yet, his repertoire of giggle-inducers is straight from the hip, never forced and we can guarantee, you’re not going to be in your seats for very long when you listen to him; you’re going to be on the floor, rolling in laughter! On the screen Bharath as Shakthivel Tamannaah as Anjali Munna as Gautam Santhanam as (Mokkai) Raju
sr 05-06
everyone has a vital role - there is not a single waste character - g. dhananjayan
Sapan Saran as Roja (Anjali’s sister) - Sapan Saran has been introduced the Southern film industry with this movie Ravichandran as Anjali’s Grandfather Nizhalgal Ravi as Anjali’s father Sudha as Anjalis’s mother Azhagam Perumal as Anjali’s Uncle A technically sound movie - whether it is set in a rustic village or a bustling city - needs sound technicians and a lot of behind-the-scenes expertise. Here are some of Kanden Kadhalai’s unseen heroes Kajal designed the costumes EM & C took care of the entire publicity, from the design stage Rembon spearheaded the art department Kola Bhaskar is the man behind the crisp editing
“Melody King” Vidyasagar churned out the chartbusting music Na. Muthukumar, Yugabharati and Kaargi are the people behind the beautifully woven lyrics P.G. Muthiah was the second-in-command to Kannan, as cinematographer Imthiaz Ali was the “father figure”, writer-director of the original story Pattukottai Prabhakar gave us the peppy, young dialogues Much running around is done by the production team, which handles even the smallest detail of logistics and planning. On this team of most essential people were: N. Nagarajan as the Production Manager S. Saravanan as the Marketing Co-Ordinator P. Prabhu as the Production Controller V.M. Lalitha of Blue Ocean Entertainment heads the team as producer
Galatta Cinema | September 2009 43
ONTROLLER
c
PRODUCER: a team player
“I am not just an investor. I am a team player, a member of THIS team, where the designation of producer is my portfolios where others in the team hold other positions.” This is the philosophy G. Dhananjayan operates on for all his projects, as do the best corporates around the world! Bound scripts, thorough pre-production, strict schedules balanced with creative freedom and the inclination to leave any ego and power-play behind for the collective good of the movie that is GD’s (as we call him) take on every project he spearheads for Moser Baer, under his production banner Blue Ocean Entertainment. From ensuring the personal needs of his cast and crew are taken care of, to offering his wise and informed opinions in several areas during the shoot, to keeping a eye on everything from production details to publicity design - GD was on his toes as much as anyone else on the team. If you ask him, he’d just say - we are all together in this. Why SHOULDN’T I? A MOMENT TO POSE FOR US - FROM L TO R: DIRECTOR KANNAN, TAMANNAAH, BHARATH, PRODUCER DHANANJAYAN
making of a love story Remakes are both easy and difficult to do. Watch a score of hit movies - EASY. Deciding which movie can be faithfully remade to suit your region’s sensibilities - NOT EASY. Putting together the original script in your choice of language with a few modifications - EASY. Finding the perfect cast and crew, adding your own special flavour and finding that perfect, cooperative producer - NOT EASY. All of this is true of Kanden Kadhalai. Kannan and Mr. Dhananjayan always wanted to work together and after much exploration, Kannan loved the light-heartedness of the original Jab We Met and how apt it was to be re-made into Tamil. The producer agreed - the budgets were just right and the team fell into place beautifully. Coincidentally, Bharath and Tamannaan too had seen JWM several times and fell in love with. Like a cosmic connection, everyone who was finally cast on the acting or technical side, voiced their unanimous affection for a script such as this. Bringing in that local flavour was what remained, something beautifully interwoven into the screenplay, with dialogues, locations and small modifications here and there...
FROM CONCEPT TO PUBLICITY, THE KK TEAM WERE THE EPITOME OF UNITY AS THEY SENT THE MESSAGE OF LOVE ACROSS
If you ask the producer Mr. Dhananjayan if he considers this a “corporate” style of filmmaking, pat would come the reply, “It’s not corporate or non-corporate, I would call this a PROFESSIONAL process of filmmaking.” How true. It is seldom seen in this industry that a movie has a fully decided and bound script with little room for major variations. Or that every single shoot schedule has been meticulously planned to the last detail such that not a single entity had any doubts about their tasks at the shoot site. At the same time, the ease of their relationships meant that on one side, the director and the cast were conscious of the investment and efforts of the producer and in turn, the producer understood the quality and creative needs of the cast and crew. One gave way to the other and the result is - even MORE than a good movie - long-lasting professional relationships!
. write . .
win .
thorough . professional .
WIN AMAZING PRIZES STRAIGHT FROM MOSER BAER AND GALATTA.COM Feeling poetic? Just pen your thoughts down - write a poem to us, in less than 10 lines; PLUS tell us what you expect from Kanden Kadhalai and send it to us at: Galatta Cinema, P.O. Box 7166, Chennai 600102 or mail us: webmaster@galatta.com
getting the message across They say that every project is 80% presentation and 20% content. Balancing a healthy quotient of both is the behind-the-scenes publicity and marketing planning of Kanden Kadhalai. It is an urban practice in the Southern film industry these days, for a movie to have fancy graphics for their publicity and several brand associations to rake in the moolah within the movie. Several times, the initial look and publicity have nothing similar to what’s portrayed toward completion and in fact, many a time, not even remotely similar to the movie itself! WIth Kanden Kadhalai, the journey of love and the family ties is the core that binds all visuals and marketing together. Thus EM&C was briefed and they came up with a beautiful concept of the typical Indian train and all its little quirks and intricacies. Take this a step further and the bullock cart, the cycle rickshaw, the bicycle and the rut-put motorbike we roped in. At each stage, a retail brand was also given the space and opportunity to display their core product, but the difference was that it was not a forced placement of a completely unconnected brand; but something that melds in with that particular scene. The movie makes money, the product gets association value and visibility and everybody is happy. Take for example, BSA Cycles sponsoring the slot where the lead pair is furiously pedalling away - it’s part of the script and so; a beautiful fit! Or Capital Foods with their Smith & Jones masala noodles being munched down - another perfect fit (thanks to Galatta Media, by the way)! Don’t forget, there’s Tamannaah’s sweet beauty encompassing the philosophy of Pond’s White Beauty products. Taking the message of KK were also some very unique roadshows - personal celebrity visits to audio storeS for the music launch, the flag-off of the KK bus, a keepsake of personally compiled Tamil romantic video songs from the classics to now... a unique presentation, no doubt.
Galatta Cinema | September 2009 45
kanden
cinematographer
kadhalai
After a cooperative and wise producer, perhaps the most important thing a movie needs is a good director as the captain commandeering his ship and a cameraman who is the second in command, as he visualises what his director wants and brings that to full colour as the output. For Kanden Kadhalai, this chain of command has been given to R. Kannan, director of Jayam Kondaan and P.G. Muthiah, the cinematographer.
Director
IMTIAZ ALI: on directing jab we met and his hopes on kanden kadhalai I am totally honoured to be a part of this project, especially after the most professional and admirable manner in which Moser Baer’s representative producer Mr. Dhananjayan and the director Kannan have gone about acquiring rights for JWM in Tamil and seeking my involvement in their version. In fact, when I made Jab We Met, it was an idea from scratch and fabulous directing it, but I am thrilled to see that intuitively, Kannan has managed to correct even the mistakes I made in the original! I am also touched to have been asked for suggestions every step of the way - it makes me feel like part of their team!
46 Galatta Cinema |September 2009
giving the
green signal director Kannan speaks: I loved Jab We Met. Not just because it was such a big hit, but because of the simplicity of it that will tug at everyone’s heartstrings. I enjoy exploring human relationships - I did that in my previous film also - and I love the challenge of bringing the best out of people. Jab We Met, I felt, had all of that - two people who are poles apart in mindsets and personalities; each learns from the other over the course of their journey; each has rich (sometimes negative, sometimes positive) history and family ties and they fall in love with each other despite their differences or perhaps even, because of them. My challenge was instantly, how do I bring about a unique South Indian sensibility to this movie if I remake it? How do I balance being faithful to its original script and screenplay and yet change all the elements that need change, for our people? Famous question in this regard is, the beautiful last kiss in Jab We Met that we have NOT replicated here. It is this understanding I want you all to know about. You know that Shahid and Kareena had a chemistry that went beyond the film. This chemistry was loved and expected by the masses so this was already a publicity element when people went to watch JWM - the kiss that happened was expected and welcomed. With Bharath, Tamannaah and our comparitively more conservative movie-goers, the situation is different. To understand and respect their lines of acceptance was key in making Kanden Kadhalai work and as we tweaked the script a little to lean more toward the family angles, the bonds of friendship and sweet love, the kiss was no longer essential to be repeated. There is no history, so why should we force a scene onto the cast and the audience? This is but an example, though. Throughout the movie, we have kept same and different elements from the original, but I must accept, Imtiaz Ali’s work would have been more difficult than mine because he had to visualise the entire movie from scratch while we at Kanden Kadhalai had the visuals and the screenplay in front of us. One of the things I cherish most about this project is the above-board nature of everything in the movie. From the actors’ and crew’s uninhibited cooperation and 100% efforts in the movie, to the legal whiteness of acquiring this script to remake (Imtiaz was with us all the way, offering his assistance and valuable advice whenever he was asked) to the thorough professionalism of the entire schedule from pre-production to completion! How often do you see a full feature length film completely shot in under 90 days! Now I am spoilt - this is the only way I want to work on my future projects too! On P.G. Muthiah: A cinematographer is always the director’s right-hand. He needs to understand what’s in my mind and bring it out as visuals. Muthiah has done just that and you will be bowled over by his vibrant colour and the rain-fresh richness of his visuals. We have captured the essence of Tamilnadu in this journey of Sakthivel and Anjali and I can guarantee that you will want to take yourself and your entire family to each of these places once you see it on the screen. For example, if you remember Jab We Met, some of the most vibrant shots were those in songs. You may ask, how do we bring about similar colour in our own simple girl and in our village surroundings with “veshti” and “paavaadai-dhaavani”? That too, minus the big, fancy designers. You will have to see it to believe it; how beautiful our South Indian temples look, how angelic our beautiful saree and paavaadai-clad Tamil girls look. Muthiah has captured the sunny colours of Theni to the cool greenery of Ooty with equal ease, best seen on screen. On the producer and cast: What is left for me to say, when the producer has given me direction, creative freedom and also works as hard as we all have done - even more, perhaps; or when I got nothing but 150% from Bharath and Tamannaah? Tamannaah is a superwoman! She would finish 2 different shoot schedules and land up for mine with focus and ease. She would work weeks at a stretch non-stop and still keep her good spirits. This sense of teamwork is actually more valuable for me than the project itself, sometimes!
Galatta Cinema | September 2009 47
MUSIC STOP quick stop at the tracks 1. venpanju, sung by udit narayan and karthik: A foot tapping number, easy on the ears, this is the title track. 2. suthundu suthundu, sung by hariharan: Another beat based number, which is sure to become
popular among the young crowd.
number, soothing, set beautifully to a western beat.
3. naan mozhi arindaen, sung by suresh wadkar: This is a melodious 5. ododi poraen, sung by romantic song, a soulful rendition. lavanya and rashmi vijayan: This is an infectious, peppy number, an 4. kaatru pudhidhaai, sung by absolute joyful experience, a song to rahul nambiar: Another melodious listen with your girl pals!
HERE, A LITTLE ABOUT THE MUSIC DIRECTOR’S TAKE ON THE MUSIC FOR KK AND HOW HE HUMBLY ACCEPTS IT WHEN PEOPLE SAY HE HAS AN INTUITION AND EAR FOR MELODY, BEATS AND THE COMBINATION OF BOTH. Vidyasagar was very excited about working on the music for kanden kadhalai. He had loved the tunes of the original movie jab we met, which are topping the charts even today. For him this was a challenge as he wanted to show his mettle by giving the music for the Tamil version. And the six tracks prove that he was the right choice for the job. without a doubt vidyasagar is one of Tamil Industry’s most versatile Music Directors.
Music promotion at Odyssey
it is a pleasure to be a part of this event and to watch the solidarity of our producer brothers. - kalaipuli s. dhanu and ramnarayanan producers a great combination of moser baer, a good script and sun pictures’ mascot tamannaah ! i wish this movie all the best! - hansraj saxena, sun pictures
6. oru naal iravil, sung by tippu and benny dayal (english rap): A party number, this song is sure to be a hit on every dance floor, the rapping is crazy and fun.
Audio launch at Sathyam Cinemas
Audio launch at Sathyam Cinemas
the soundtrack launch - a memorable day One of the most unique moments in the making of the movie was the audio launch that happened just a few weeks ago. Apart from releasing the chartbusting songs in an audience of industry stalwarts, wellwishers, peers and the media, the KK team then visited several audio stores in the city of Chennai, interacting with customers, talking about their music and their work. Says music director Vidhyasagar, “It has been a long time since I have been to a music store and it is heartening to be given the opportunity to see so many music lovers and interact with them!” This marketing move proved to be a great crowd-puller, especially since it was from the heart!
did you know that the audio cd of kk also has videos of some unforgettable tamil ballads from the moser baer stable of movies? drown your sense in beautiful songs from subramiapuram, poo, yaavarum nalam, chennai 28, kaaka kaaka, yaaradi nee mohini, santhosh subramaniapuram and more... Galatta Cinema | September 2009 49
“Who’d have ever thought how beautiful Tamilnadu is when
viewed with a lot of ‘josh’ and positivity! As Shakthivel and I
travelled from Theni to Ooty, back again to Chennai and even some
gorgeous little towns in interior Tamilnadu, I was taken aback by the lushness and warmth of the land... a
perfect prelude to our growing love...”
- Anjali
09 y 20 l r a : E Date us orgeo g A e: le Plac temp e r o j Tan e
h ich, t r d n ic a is Rust of th s e i cac t intri e jus r e w ture ship! struc ation l e r ur like o
Date:
Mid 2 009
dszfdPlace sa : A empl e fes i fEcea fsd std val nate n fsdf dta fdssintorSong a onse i nonsnd dance, lit ofT ur, colour edips the of love ae s - d
anjali’s diary: the KK journey
just L OVE
on’t we the fee ling!
Date: Don ’t remember! Place: In my dreams , I think! I discover ed what a super dan cer Sakth ivel can be if h e really wa nts to!
se the s we relea a s u s in o j stry Imtiaz Ali midst indu a K K f o k soundtrac s and friend s t r a stalw
Galatta Cinema | September 2009 51
“We journeyed through some of the most beautiful parts of Tamilnadu. In our wildest dreams - and to have ANY dreams of Anjali when she was at her talkative best was an awful thought - we would never have thought that there is a way to stop for a while and see the beauty of our land. How far we have travelled - Chennai, to Chengleput, Virudhachalam, Pollachi, Theni, Udamalpet, Palani, Ooty, Kodaikanal, Sengottai,
Sep 2009
arrival junction:
Sakthivel’s notes on friendship and love - my God, Anjali
can drive me up the wall! How did we ever fall in love!
friendship & love Madurai, Tanjore and a few other locations before ending up together at Chennai’s famous beaches. Lush paddy fields and coconut groves. Under the Kutralam waterfalls. My memories of a trip that started with despair and apathy turned into a super ride of compassion and colour thanks to Anjali. I can’t believe she planned to run away with someone else, when now, I am willing to take the train with her!
shakthis travelogue
Star of the month
THE
k ng NAGARJUNA Nagarjuna has been wooing the masses for over two decades now, but this star’s charm has not dimmed. He still commands a huge base of fans and admirers who throng to theatres where his movies are released. Age has only made him more dashing, and his fan following continues to grow, even as his son Naga Chaitanya embarks on his cine career! His rendezvous with cinema has not been free from controversy, but those controversies spurred him on, took him to greater heights. He shows no signs of slowing down, and is nowhere near stopping...
Stardom was in his blood. Nagarjuna, son of acclaimed Telugu actor Akkineni Nageshwar Rao, wears the superstar mantle quite comfortably, and his humility is humbling! “It is foolish to even compare me with my father. He (Nageswara Rao) is a living legend; I am content to be what I am. Cine-goers’ attitudes have changed dramatically since the days of my father. Earlier, they revered matinee idols, these days we are merely commodities, consumer products. Knowing that, accepting it, I do not aspire to be anything more,” he says. And while his fans yearn for him to do mass movie after mass movie, the actor prefers romance and family movies. If it were not for the unconditional love of his fans, the actor would probably have given up the mass image, for one which is more performance-oriented. “No, I am not all that happy with the mass image. My fans may prefer me in such roles, but my own preference is for more familyoriented drama films, which really entertain audiences,” he says. Even though he was the son of a Tollywood Moghul, cinema was not Nagarjuna’s first choice. He studied engineering, acquiring a Master’s from San Jose State University, California. But the career of an engineer was not in his luck. In 1986, he made his silver screen debut with Vikram, which became a massive hit. After that, there was no turning back. He had found his calling, right where his father had left off. “My father never expected that I would act. I was busy studying. When I told him my decision, he was shocked,” he recalls. And after so many years in the industry, he insists he often wonders how all this fame and popularity came his way! “I feel I am blessed. The unconditional love of my fans and the fame, money and everything I have now is because of this field. I don’t want to be anywhere except in this honest and noble profession. I always wonder what I have done to deserve all this love. Being Akkineni’s son helped me initially, but it is talent that has helped me survive. No one can achieve anything here without talent; luck may play a role, but a minuscule one. In all the years of my career, I have seen ups and downs, but I have enjoyed every moment. Most importantly, you never feel you are lonely here. The feeling that all your fans are rooting for you is ecstatic,” he gushes.
"
IT iS FOOLiSH TO EVEN COMPARE ME WiTH MY FATHER. HE iS A LiViNG LEGEND, I AM CONTENT TO BE WHAT I AM...
Starting with Vikram, Nagarjuna had four straight hits that established him as an action star and he was happy to welcome the encomiums that followed. But the actor humbly acknowledges that his initiation in cinema had much to do with his father’s name and fame. “My early days in cinema were in my father’s shadow. That is something I could not help then, and cannot deny now. But I can never be what he was. It would take a miracle to take me to such heights. I am more than happy with who I am and exceedingly thankful to my fans for their support - that’s what keeps me going,” he admits. For him, cinema is not about stunts and songs alone. He enjoys the acting part immensely and has a soft corner for soft romantic roles. One movie that remains close to his heart is Mani Ratnam’s Geetanjali. “Though I had hits like Majnu and Collector Gaari Abbayi already, it is Geetanjali that brought me new fans and I came out from my father’s shadow with that,” he says candidly. And thus began a dazzling career on celluloid. Nagarjuna’s career has seen its speed-breakers too, but that
has in no way dampened his fans’ spirits. They continued to shower him with their love, and continue to do so. “I have done my share of bad films. Misjudgments on my part, I guess. But I have no regrets. What still amazes me is that people continued to support me in spite of these flops! My own kids would remark that a certain movie of mine had bored them. It’s embarrassing, but it’s all part of life,” he laughs. But when his movies hit the bull’s eye, they were thunderous successes. When dubbed in Tamil, they were equally successful and his Tamil fans increased manifold. However, the movie that elevated him to Super Star status was Ram Gopal Varma’s Shiva (1990). An out-and-out action flick, the movie’s success echoed all over the South. He had proved that he could play ‘soft’ roles as in Geetanjali and then, he proved he could stun us with his heroic stunts in Shiva. In his enviable and successful long innings, from Vikram to King, he’s seen the fine side and the seamy side of the industry, yet he loves it for the exciting place it is and the joy it has brought to his life. One movie that made quite an impact on his fans was the period film Annamaya [1997] in which he played Annamacharya, the legendary 15th century Telugu poet. It was a challenging role but he pulled it off with finesse and even garnered a National Award for his performance. But the biggest string of successes came to him in 2002, starting with the blockbuster Nuvvu Vasthavani. The five films that followed in quick succession (Ninne Premistha, Aazaadtoo, Santhosham, Manmadhudu and Shivamani) were also huge commercial successes, startling younger heroes who thought Nagarjuna’s time had passed! Mass movies Don and King that showed the actor in rather larger-than-life action roles, were also raving successes, leaving audiences gasping for breath as the end credits rolled. As his son Naga Chaitanya prepares to make a name for himself, Nagarjuna is beginning his next movie. “My son shall always have my blessings. I am sure he will do himself proud. As his father, everything he does, small or big, impresses me! He doesn’t have to work hard to make me swell with pride! I’m confident in him. He will soon be known for his performance, not merely because he is my son,” says the veteran actor. These are indeed wise words from one who once had to outgrow the shadow cast by his father’s colossal fame. Today, Nagarjuna is known for his own contribution to cinema, and he sincerely hopes that one day, his son will be equally famous. “But just because my son has started acting, that does not mean I must stop,” he adds with a twinkle in his eyes.
"
MY SON SHALL ALWAYS HAVE MY BLESSiNGS. AS HiS FATHER, EVERYTHiNG HE DOES, SMALL OR BiG iMPRESSES ME!
Nagarjuna has not reached the plateau of his cinematic journey. Even after more than 20 years of acting, he still approaches every new movie with the same enthusiasm that drove him as a novice. There is no end for creative pursuit - that pretty much sums up Nagarjuna’s celluloid aspirations - they are endless and he is unstoppable! Galatta Cinema always features actors, directors, technicians and those involved with the South Indian film industry who with their relentless hardwork, dedication and constant effort to bring something new to cinema have carved a niche for themselves. You can read more about these superstars on www.galatta.com. G C
Galatta Cinema | September 2009 57
behind the scenes Devi Sri Prasad is a household name now, thanks to some rocking tracks in Kanthaswamy. He started composing when he was completing his schooling - he made quite a splash then, and today, that splash has turned into nothing less than a musical tsunami. What makes him tick? Let’s find out...
“ILAYARAJA IS MY BIGGEST INSPIRATION” GC: How did your first movie happen? DSP: My father and M.S. Raju sir have worked on several films together, many of which have become super-duper hits. When I was in class X, I was working on an album for Magnasound. Every time M.S. Raju sir came to my house, he would see me in my composing room. When my album released, it impressed him; he gave me a situation and asked me to compose a song for it. Without taking it too seriously, I composed a tune just for fun, but surprisingly, he loved it. He immediately declared that I would create the music for his next movie! I was in class XII when I composed for my first movie, Devi. GC: At 17, you were making music for mainstream cinema. How did it feel? DSP: It was amazing, it felt great! Devi is a semi-fantasy movie - lots of devotional numbers. So I’m sure everyone was wondering on what basis M.S. Raju sir entrusted a youngster with the responsibility of composing music for this film. I remember my first day of recording. I had a whole orchestra at the studio - 20 chorus singers, 30 violinists, live rhythm players, keyboard players... and I could sense that everyone was wondering what this kid was going to do. I handed the notes, explained what I wanted and wrapped up the song by the end of the day. By then, everyone felt confident in my abilities! The press was very kind, very encouraging when the movie released! I got more offers! My background score was widely appreciated! Life was good!
GC: How would you describe M.S. Raju? DSP: A very dedicated and passionate producer. I have always admired him for his involvement, for the way he puts cinema before money. He does not make movies just for the money. He loves making movies and if he has his heart set on a movie, he will walk that extra mile or face any trouble to get it done. He faced lots of obstacles while making Devi, but he did not give up at any point. He went ahead and made it a blockbuster. That’s how he is. GC: Making music for Nagarjuna... DSP: The first big hero that I worked with was Nagarjuna for Manmadhudu. The music was a big hit at the time. It was quite a challenge for me, because every song in the movie was a melody. Nagarjuna sir is one actor who can carry off any number of melodies. He has a lot of female fans AND he attracts family audiences. So when the music and the movie were runaway hits, it boosted my confidence a lot. GC: And Chiranjeevi... DSP: The first time I worked with Chiranjeevi sir was for Shankar Dada MBBS. The music was a sensational success. The music hit the stores at 4 a.m., and six lakh audio cassettes were sold by afternoon! I had given the movie my best shot. Chiranjeevi is the biggest hero and I wanted the music for his movie to be unlike anything he’d done before. For the opening number, instead of using Shankar Mahadevan, as had been done many times, I got Mano. It had been a long time since Mano had sung for Chiranjeevi. The song was a tremendous hit. At the audio release, after watching my performance, he said he was quite jealous of me and the way I danced! He said that he might re-shoot some parts of the song for the movie! Later, he called me and made me do a piece with him for the video. It was so nice of him to encourage me. He’s always encouraging young talent. GC: Making the shift to Kollywood... DSP: I’ve lived all my life in Chennai. Even though I was
MUSICALlY YOURS
DEVI SRI
EXCUSE ME MR. KANTHASWAMY
PRASAD
making songs for Telugu movies that were becoming super hits, I never really knew the impact of those tunes, because I live in Chennai. Right from childhood, I dreamt of walking down the street and listening to my songs playing somewhere. That happened only after I started making music in Tamil, more so this year after Villu and Kanthaswamy! I’m really happy that I have managed to strike a proper balance with Telugu and Tamil. GC: When you are asked to use the same tunes that were hits in Telugu for your Tamil movies, do you feel your creativity is being restricted? DSP: Not at all! You are in fact giving your song a chance to be appreciated by more people and thereby making it a bigger hit! For instance, the song ‘Kattu Kattu’ in Thirupachi is actually the tune of my song from Shankar Dada. Vijay sir called me and requested me to let him use that song. This was even before Sachein. When an actor like him wants to dance for your song, that itself is a big compliment. And much as I would love to make a new song every day, when I am asked to repeat a number, I don’t feel curbed. I feel I’m giving my tune the opportunity to expand its audience.
“CHIRANJEEVI SIR LOVED MY DANCE MOVES - I WAS THRILLED!” GC: Does living in Chennai impact your Telugu compositions? DSP: I can’t say that living with Chennai has anything to do with it, but initially people said I imported Tamil folk styles for my Telugu numbers. But I did not mind; I wanted to innovate. You give people a good tune and if they love it; it does not matter if it’s imported or not! Music has no such language or cultural barriers. Take the song ‘Kathadi Pola’ from Mayavi. I had composed it for a Telugu movie first. Making someone like Puspavanam Kuppusamy sing a Telugu number is something totally new. But I did it. The song was a big hit in Telugu. In Tamil, again it was a success. Likewise, Jalsa was a hit in Telugu and in Tamil. Music has no barriers or limits!
68 Galatta Cinema |September 2009
GC: How demanding was it working on the background score for Dasavathaaram? DSP: I usually never work only on the background score for a movie, but I was more than willing to make an exception for Kamal sir! He is a big inspiration and this movie was a milestone in his career. I usually create the songs and background score of my movies in tandem. So working on the background score alone was a tough task, but for Kamal sir, I was willing to take on the challenge. I watched the movie with him. I expected him to have a set bunch of tunes he wanted. But instead, he said, “Now you have seen the movie, and got a feel of it. I’m not going to confuse you with references. I like your style. I want that same fresh youthful energy here too. Do whatever you think is fitting.” I worked on two reels. He checked it out and told me to carry on. When I had finished, he hardly had any changes.
He said I had done just as he had expected, shook my hand and left. I was in a daze! I thought he’d have a million corrections, but he had next to none! DSP’s upcoming movies include the Dhanush starrer Kutty and the Suriya starrer Singam in Tamil, Arya 2 and a Junior NTR flick in Telugu. As he says, Kanthaswamy has taken him to the next level and has directors seeking his tunes. Let’s hope he does himself proud and keeps our feet tapping! Quick Beats! Though my first movie’s name is Devi, the Devi in my name has nothing to do with it! I was christened Devi Sri Prasad, but it was a sweet coincidence that my debut movie was called Devi! I had always dreamed of recording my first song with SPB sir behind the mike! My dream came true! The first song I ever recorded for a movie, was sung by him! Ilayaraja sir is more than God to me! Growing up the only music that touched me was his! I’m a musician entirely because I was so inspired my his music. Watching, enjoying and imitating Michael Jackson is probably the reason why I am interested in singing and dancing on stage. Chiranjeevi sir said to me, about the opening song in Shankar Dada MBBS, “I don’t know in what muhurtham you composed that tune but today that’s become my tagline!” That’s the best compliment I’ve ever got! I enjoyed singing for James Vasanthan in Naanayam. One actor singing for another, one music director singing for another just goes to show how appreciative one artist is of another. It’s a very positive thing and I wish it happens more often.
Devi Sri Prasad ON KANTHASWAMY Working with Kalaipuli S Dhanu... “I’ve worked with him for three movies and I must say - he is amazing. He gives the director and technicians complete freedom, totally non-interfering. He just trusts we will put together a good film. For a producer as big as him, to be so grounded, is quite surprising. He is a blessing to any director or technical person.” The Kanthaswamy experience... “We worked on the movie for a long time, and it was quite an enjoyable experience all the way. Susi Ganeshan sir has made the movie look and feel at par with international films, and I must congratulate him on that, while also
thanking him for giving me the opportunity to work on the movie. Right from the beginning, he had a clear concept of how he wanted the songs. He wanted every song to be catchy. Even kids should be humming our tunes, he said. And that’s exactly what has happened. The success of the music has given my career a big lift, and I must thank Susi sir and the entire Kanthaswamy team for that. I must also thank the press for the kind reviews they’ve given me, and my team of musicians and singers who have stood by me. The expectations of the public and movie makers have increased after Kanthaswamy. They now ask me to make music like I did for Kanthaswamy, so the pressure is greater now. I hope I carry it off well!”
as told to Shailesh
remembering D.K. Pattammal
by Randor Guy
D.K. Pattammal was brought into films as a playback singer by the sadly neglected Indian film pioneer, the lawyer-turned-filmmaker, K. Subramaniam in his Tamil film classic Thyaga Bhoomi (1939). Written by Kalki (Ra. Krishnamurthi), celebrated Tamil writer, journalist, arts critic and all, the film featured the stage and screen star of yesteryears, S.D. Subbulakshmi and K.J. Mahadevan in lead roles. (Mahadevan was the London-educated, handsome son of the famous Mylapore lawyer, K.S. Jayarama Iyer and the knowledgeable musician, Alamelu Jayaraman. Later he turned a filmmaker.) It also had the legendary Papanasam Sivan in a major role as the father of the harassed heroine (S.D. Subbulakshmi) and the sensation of the day, Baby Saroja, hailed as the Shirley Temple of India! The historic Thyaga Bhoomi has a sequence towards the end showing a group of freedom fighters marching in procession, carrying the Indian National Congress party flag and the heroine joins the procession to fight for her motherland. While the volunteers march in large numbers, a song is heard in the background highlighting the Indian Freedom Movement, inviting people to join it and serve the nation. ‘Desa Sevai Seyya Vareer!’ goes this emotion-rich song written by Kalki, tuned by Papanasam Sivan, and sung by D.K. Pattammal. The song and sequence became famous; after it had a successful run of many weeks, the film was banned by the British Indian Government of Madras Presidency! The scene was construed by the alien rulers as an anti-British, Congress party propaganda tract! Strangely, no gramophone disc (or ‘plate’ as it was then known) of ‘Desa Sevai...’ was released along with the other songs of the film as the producers were afraid that it might be banned! Years later, the same song rendered by Pattammal was released as a private disc. No mention was made in it about Thyaga Bhoomi because the film was still - sadly still is - under the unjustified ban order! The song sequence and of course the movie are green and bright in the memory-bank of many to this day. 1947 dawned brightly for Indians with political freedom from the British being only a few months away and AV. Meiyappan released his film Naam Iruvar (We Two). It turned out to be major hit, setting Meiyappan firmly on the path to fame and fortune. In the film, there are two dance sequences choreographed by the famous Bharathanatyam guru and Nattuvanar Vazhuvoor B. Ramaiah Pillai and danced scintillatingly by Baby Kamala. The songs ‘Aaduvomey Pallu Paaduvomey’ and ‘Vetri Ettu Dhikkum’ written years ago by the Rebel Poet of India, Mahakavi Subramania Bharathiar were sung off screen by D.K. Pattammal. The songs and the dances by Kamala not only made the film memorable but also created a cultural revolution in the attitudes of the middle class towards Bharathanatyam. Every mother saw a Baby Kamala in her little daughter, whether she had the talent or not! The rendering of the songs by Pattammal in her silky soft soothing style invested them with immortality. Even after 50 plus years, ‘Aaduvomey’ is telecast by many TV channels to this day on August 15, Indian Independence Day. The music composer was R. Sudarsanam, who was associated with AVM for many years. Interestingly, D.K. Pattammal’s name is announced in the film before the song-dance sequence begins, a rare honour bestowed on Pattammal. It was the first time such a thing was done in South Indian cinema. In 1947, D.K. Pattammal sang two songs in Mahatma Udangar directed by G. Pattu Iyer: ‘Kaana Aaval Kondengumen Iru Vizhigal’ (Raga Mohanam), and ‘Kunchitha Paadham, Ninainthu Urugum’
(Raga Kambothi). The lyrics were by Papanasam Brothers (Sivan and Rajagopala Iyer) and music by S.V. Venkataraman and T.R. Ramanathan. The film had Kothamangalam Seenu, V. Gopalakrishnan, T.R. Ramachandran, Vidwan Srinivasan, Anjali Devi, K.R. Chellam, Hamsa Damayanthi and others. Sadly, the film sank without trace and is barely remembered today. In 1948, Pattammal sang for Pizhaikkum Vazhi, an entertaining comedy produced by noted comedian T.S. Durairaj, who also played the lead role. It was directed by A. Mitradas, who directed Tamil and Sinhala films for T.R. Sundaram and his Salem-based Modern Theatres. Pattammal sang two songs written by Madurai G. Sundara Vaathiyar and composed by G. Aswathamma. One of them is worth mentioning. It highlighted the Indian nation, her perennial rivers, culture, poets, etc. with the words ‘Engal Naattukku Endha Naadu Eeedu Perinba Gnana Veedu’. The song had a pleasing melody and Pattammal’s facile singing added grace and polish to it. Pizhaikkum Vazhi had besides T.S. Durairaj, T.S. Balaiah, and T.A. Jayalakshmi (heroine of Nam Iruvar) but it was not a success and not many remember the film or song today! Besides Nam Iruvar, Pattammal also sang for other AVM films. These included Vethala Ulagam (1948), Vazhkai (1949) and Rama Rajyam (1948). Vethala Ulagam was based on a fantasy play by the founding father of the Renaissance of Tamil Theatre, Pammal Sambandam Mudaliar and had T.R. Mahalingam, (Yogam) Mangalam, K.R. Chellam, K. Sarangapani and Kulathu Mani in major roles. Pattammal sang two melodious songs, both written by Mahakavi Subramanian Bharathiar. One song, ‘Thoondir puzhvinaipol sudarvilakkinaipol’, had been popular for years before it was used in this film. This song goes ‘Paalum kasanthathadee sakhiyey’. The other song was the more popular ‘Theeratha vilayattu pillai’. The excellent, seemingly effortless singing style of Pattammal and the bewitching dancing by Baby Kamala elevated the last scene in the film to great aesthetic heights. This scene, hand-tinted frame by frame, was screened in colour in many cinemas! (Before the advent of colour in Tamil cinema, some songs or dance scenes in the positive film print were coloured by hand, frame by frame. The laborious, time-consuming and expensive process was known as hand-tinting. Murugesan of Newtone Studio was an expert in this process and came to be known as Colour Murugesan! A Madras advocate ran a firm in George Town area for hand-tinting films in those days.) AV. Meiyappan dubbed the super hit Hindi film Ram Rajya in Tamil. In an innovative move, he added a prelude to the film, the popular song ‘Enakkun irupatham ninaikka’ sung by Pattammal describing the main events of the epic Ramayanam. As she sang, the events were shown on screen as ‘shadow play’ (silhouette), a novelty in cinema of that day. Pattammal sang in ragas Kedaragowla, Shanmughapriya, Bilahari, Dhanyasi, Mayamalawagowla and Mohanam. Pattammal also sang in AVM’s Vazhkai (1949) which introduced Vyjayanthimala to movies with a bang. The film was a major hit of 1949 and Meiyappan remade it in Telugu (as Jeevitham) and Hindi (Bahar). Vyjayanthimala attracted national attention, became a multilingual star and never looked back. This talented Bharathanatyam dancer executed a scintillating song and dance number ‘Bharatha samudayam vaazhvey’ written years ago by Bharathiar and rendered by Pattammal. The music composer was R. Sudarsanam.
Galatta Cinema | September 2009 71
Another film of significance but less popular, highlighting the Indian Freedom Struggle, was A.K. Chettiar’s compilation movie on Mahatma Gandhi. One of the earliest Indian globe-trotters, Chettiar, a Gandhian, travelled to many countries, collecting footage and also shooting fresh scenes. Pattammal sang ‘Aadu raattey’ which became popular. Being a documentary, this compilation movie was not popular and did not get the attention it richly deserved. Lavanya (1951), produced and directed by G. R. Lakshmanan (totally forgotten today), had Pattammal singing two songs highlighting the patriotic spirit, and problems of the poor. They were ‘Pazham Bhaaratha nannaadu’ and ‘Thanga oru nizhal illaiye’. Both songs were written by Papanasam Sivan and composed by S.V. Venkataraman. The first song was picturised on Kumari Kamala while the second was picturised on Kumari Kamala and Kumari Anaya with Pattammal lending her voice for both.
Vazhkai (1949)
Because of her family background and Brahmin middle-class values D.K.Pattammal never sang love duets and hardly saw the films in which she sang! Naam Iruvar(1947)
(Noted Carnatic musician Vijay Siva, a devotee of Pattammal, rang this writer while this article was being written and gave an interesting fact not known to many. In DKP’s gramophone record collection, there is a disc carrying both the songs with a rubber stamp reading ‘BANNED’. According to him and DKP’s family, these songs were banned by the British government as they were considered anti-British! Intriguingly, Lavanya was released in 1951 and its song book contains both the songs with Pattammal stated as the singer. So the British government banning the record does not gel with the facts. A possible explanation was offered by Tamil filmmaker, scholar and film person Valampuri Somanathan, that perhaps these songs were penned by Papanasam Sivan during the British rule, recorded for some other film and banned. Later, they were used in the 1951 film Lavanya.) Gemini Studio boss and Indian movie mogul S.S. Vasan invited Pattammal to sing for his ‘intellectual film’ Miss Malini (1947). Based on a story by R.K. Narayan and directed by Kothamangalam Subbu, the film had Pushpavalli, the noted bilingual star and ‘oomph’ girl of her day, in the title role. She plays a poor woman who is forced to go on stage to keep the home fires burning and look after her sick father. Thanks to a friend (M.S. Sundari Bai), she is asked to take a singing test by the stage director (‘Javert’ Seetharaman in his first film). She sings a song ‘Sri Saraswathey Namosthuthey’ for the audition in pure classical Carnatic style. Vasan had the song sung by Pattammal and recorded and paid her a fee higher than given to any singer before. However, Vasan did not use the song in the film! Why not? Thereby hangs a tale, an interesting one at that! (An explanation was given by Vasan years later while chatting with this writer. The character Malini is a poor woman who is forced by poverty to seek a livelihood by going onstage. Her father is unwell and she has no money to buy medicines for him. So she takes the test and sings the song. A person of such background in such a difficult situation will feel nervous and even scared and Malini is not a trained musician. Such a woman could not be expected to sing with the class, perfection and brilliance which Pattammal definitely had and revealed in her singing. Malini could never sing like that! That was the reason he did not use Pattammal’s rendering and got a regular playback singer, T.V. Ratnam to sing that song! A convincing explanation from a serious filmmaker.) Pattammal sang songs in Tamil and Sanskrit in Chittoor V. Nagaiah’s Telugu classic Thyagaiah and also in a few other forgotten films. Because of her family background, tradition and Brahmin middle-class values, Pattammal never sang love duets and hardly saw the films in which she sang! After she rose to dizzying heights of success and fame in the Carnatic music world, she moved away from films. Perhaps she sang in too few films, but her songs of Bharathiar in Nam Iruvar shall ever remain immortal melodies. - Randor Guy
guru darshan onam special
Published By Galatta Cinema
ramzan special
September this year is filled with anticipation and tributes - September 5 is Teachers Day, so we salute gurus and their disciples in cinema; Onam, Navarathi and Eid are just around the corner, so we explore the traditional side of our celebs. All in all, we go Round & About filmdom and bring you the best of colour and inspiration this month. Read on...
navArathri special
Round & About
Round & About
the filmy pathshala They say experience is the best teacher and while everybody unanimously agrees with that adage, one can’t help learning from and being inspired by the people around us. Without exception, everyone looks up to someone for inspiration and guidance. Let’s find out who are the inspiration, mentors and gurus for some of our popular movie personalities...
shruti haasan When you ask most women who their inspiration or source of strength is, more often than not, they speak of another woman - their mother, grandmother, a famous personality or someone else in their family or close to them. I would say, though, that my strongest support system is and always has been my father Kamal Haasan. Yes, the women in my life have been supportive and encouraging of my work - Gauthami is a dear friend; my sisters and I are as close as we can be; my mother too has been always supportive of me... but I truly believe that one needs a strong father figure too, in a family of women, to add that extra brick to this wall of support. I believe that if the father of the family respects and understands the women around him, recognises and encourages the talent and dreams of his wife and children and lets them be as much individualistic as he himself would like to be, then girls like me always grow up with an expanded sense of the world and what we can achieve in it. My father is one such. He has taught me to follow my dreams. Since he is himself an information bank, well versed and well read in several fields of cinema - music, art, technical details and whatnot - he gives me an all-round perspective of anything I pose to him as a query. He has shown me in words as he has by actions, that I need to have my dreams, believe in them, work toward them and never let fear stand in my way.
nirav shah This space cannot fit the names of people who have inspired me ever since I dreamt of cinematography! Difficult to churn out just a few names, but let me try... I think cameraman V.K. Murthy’s work is awesome. I find the work of Gordon Willis, who shot the Godfather series brilliant. Emmanuel Lubezki, who shot the Lemony Snickets movie has superb vision and skills, as does Darius Khondji, the man who shot the 1995 thriller Seven. But of course, they inspire me to do MY work better, not to copy them. And my biggest thanks is to P.C. Sreeram, my mentor who has put me on the track I am on today...
jiiva He does not have to think twice or look to far for a mentor. Pat comes the answer, “My father is my mentor.” R.B. Chowdhary has been a part of the movie business for a very long time. And when his son Jiiva decided to enter films, he too provided the opportunity to his son by giving him a launchpad. But never did he patronise his son. He believed that Jiiva had to work hard to get his place in the industry, and the son too was determined to make his father proud.
preetha jayaraman
priya V.
When you grow up in the shadow of a man who does wonders with light and dark, you can but dream of one day being at least half as good as him! Preetha Jayaraman knew she was going to be a cinematographer the day she was exposed to the work of her uncle ace cinematographer P.C. Sreeram. “When is saw Nayagan, I was mesmerised by the camera work,” she recalls. And that was enough to inspire her for a lifetime! “There’s no doubt that P.C. Sreeram is my mentor,” she says and we see the awe she has for him, in her eyes.
In a male-dominated cine industry, being a woman filmmaker is quite a challenge. Priya V., with her love stories and light comedies has made her presence felt. No one underestimates her and she says, “Director Mani Ratnam is my mentor, a visionary. I love the way he translates simple stories to great moving pictures. The way he deals with human relationships has always inspired me.” It’s no wonder then that the lady, dwells a lot on ties of the heart in her movies; apart from which is the noticeable quality of her movies!
jai “I know so many heroes, but I have met noone quite like Ajith,” gushes the budding star Jai when he recalls how Ultimate Star Ajith called him and congratulated him on his performance in Subramaniapuram. “He called me and told me that he liked my body language. He told me not to hesitate to call him if I need any advice. When I was too hesitant to call him, he himself called back to find out why I hadn’t called him! He is such a sincere person. I have come to appreciate what a nice human being and friend he is. He is very inspiring person,” Jai admits.
nakul “In life, my mentor is my brother Mayur. He has sacrificed a lot for me. When I am happily resting, he’d be awake doing something for me. He’s my pillar of support and strength,” says Nakul. “In cinema, it has to be Shankar sir. I may have had a few acquaintances in cinema, but it was Shankar sir who believed in my potential as an actor. For that alone I am very thankful to him. He gave me a chance to act. He taught me how to act and appreciated me. When he said that he thought I had a lot of potential, it gave me so much more confidence in myself.”
Little toys, poojas, sundal, welcoming Goddess Lakshmi, family get-togethers - Navarathri is just like any other traditional Hindu festival and yet, unique and different. Our “pukka maami” celebs, darlings that they are, celebrate it too! Let’s hear from them... “The end of the year is a time for the most beautiful festivals in India, I feel. Navarathri is one such and it speaks of such a rich tradition in South India. It is not just the Brahmins who light beautiful oil lamps around their home, come twilight. But the ritual of inviting other families home, decorating the house for “golu”, different types of sundal everyday and the general feeling of one-ness is unbeatable! By Varalakshmi Pooja and Vijayadasami, the most delicious payasams and vadais are ready for culinary heaven!
padmapriya
My sister Soundarya and I grew up watching and helping our mom set a special significance for golu every year. It is a beautiful tradition, one that makes a woman proud of her home, fills it with a heavenly aura and “deiveegham” and brings us all together. Last year, I did it for the first time in my home and realised I love being a part of this!
aishwarya Dhanush
I rejoice in our rich traditions and a festival like Navarathri is most cherished. People tell me I keep the most amazing golu decorations, but the truth is, I am so deeply immersed in my art and the godly artefacts that I have collected over decades (including some handed down from my mother!), that I cannot imagine a single year when I have felt, oh, it is too much trouble. I am at peace when surrounded by such celestial beauty. Perhaps, if I have a granddaughter, she and I would one day do this together!
dr. vijayanthi mala bali
NAVARATHRi
Round & About
EiD
arya
arya: Ramzan and Eid are a time of prayer and doing good, for our family as well as Muslims around the world. To everyone else, it may seem like a most difficult task to fast the entire day and only eat and drink before and after sunset. Yes, it is tough; but also extremely liberating. Even in the middle of everyday chores and work, there is God within us, as we do our prayers; and a thank-you for every meal eaten together as a family. A true Muslim is also a charitable and compassionate one and now is the time we remember how we need to help others not as lucky as we are.
ajmal ajmal: Ramzan and Eid are a time to remember that we are nowhere without God. Whether one is a practising devout Muslim or not at any other time of the year, during this time, there is a solidarity in our different sects, where we get together as family, re-group our charitable activities and remember what the Koran teaches us.
shaam: Ramzan is not just about the amazing biryani served up in Muslim households across the world - although it is definitely the most heavenly dish waiting for us at the end of our prayers! This is the time to remember our forefathers, our God, who we are and our purpose on this planet and to cherish a sense of fraternity and familial ties with our friends and family. Even our nonMuslim wellwishers are with us in spirit when we fast and pray for the world and celebrate Eid! shaam
Round & About
Onam
sandya
Before movies happened, we used celebrate it at our home in Kerala. All our close relatives would come to my dad’s house. My sister would dress up like Maveli, I would follow her with a “kooja” and we would all call to the sky, asking the true King Maveli to see how happy his people were, for it is in his honour we celebrate Onam. And strangely, soon after we called out it would rain for a few seconds, as though he had seen us! It happened every year! We don’t do this anymore, but we still have the sadhya – the lavish, yummy lunch!
special
adithya
I grew up in Dubai, and Onam was one of the few occasions that brought all the Indians together, irrespective of whether they were Malayalees or not! It just so happened that 90% of them WERE Malayalees! Away from home, the one Onam ritual that is always kept alive is the lavish lunch spread! The different kinds of vegetarian dishes and the number of payasams! This Onam is extra special, because after 10 years, only now I get to celebrate it with my parents, which means this time I’m gonna indulge in mom’s cooking!
meera jasmine
Back home in Kerala, Onam is not just a festival for Hindus, it is a festive time for all of us to get together, celebrate with our other friends and families and enjoy a memorable day. When I was younger, I too would beg to wear the white “pudava” because I thought it was so ethereal and beautiful! If not in person, at least on TV I’d love to watch the boat races, help in making the most beautiful flower kolams and of course, at the end of it, gorge on the most yummy Kerala food. What times they were!
ajay jose Onam brings to me fond memories of childhood and my younger days! The special lunch was a big highlight – the many varieties of food, the sweet dishes, payasam and palaada... delicious! One very fun thing that happens on Onam is the Pulikali or the Tiger Dance through the streets. Men with their body painted with tiger stripes, dancing to the rhythm of drums, parading the streets all over the city... But nowadays my Onam is much mellowed down; I’d probably just hang out with friends!
yuva Onam is a very special occasion for us. I hail from Trisshur. Like in every other city of Kerala, here too our women decorate our doorstep with kolams made from flowers and we enjoy a lavish lunch. But the best part of our celebrations is on the 4th day when the Pulikali takes place. To the beats of drums, guys with tiger stripes painted on their body dance on the roads as the people watch and cheer from their homes! I’ve never participated, but I’ve enjoyed the sight with my friends.
FIRST THINGS FIRST! First person you go to with good news... My parents! First person you go to with bad news... Mostly my family, but depends on what the news is and how bad it is! First thing you bought with your very first pay... A mobile phone for me and sarees for my mum! First thing that comes to your mind when we say Abhiyum Naanum... Trisha, Prakashraj, Aishwariya and me- one Happy Family! The first thought when you saw yourself on the big screen... I was like, “Wow! That’s Jogindar Singh!” I felt that everybody’s hard work had paid off! First lesson you learnt about cinema, on the job... behind every movie is the effort of an entire team - not just the popular names, but even the little-known spot boy has a part to play. First friends you made in cinema... The Abhiyum Naanum team - starting with Trisha. We hit it off right away and were soon discussing our modelling days. Prakashraj proved a friend and mentor to me. First thing you did to prepare for your debut... Got myself a Punjabi look! From the dress to the turban and beard and even a couple of words in Punjabi. It was my way of showing the director that I could carry off the part. It worked! First scene you acted for the camera... In Abhiyum Naanum, the scene where Trisha takes me to her house for lunch. Being a Punjabi in the movie, I show I am quite curious about South Indian food. Prakashraj is at the table and looks at me with distaste. The last thing he wants is a Punjabi son-in-law! Thankfully, my dialogues were restricted to common courtesies!
LET’S GET WORDY! Three words that describe you the best... Happy-go-lucky, Intellectual [I hope it’s OK to boast!!], dreamer... Your favourite saying... From Alchemist: Never stop dreaming. Because it’s only the possibility of the dreams coming true that makes life exciting! Your most frequent lie... You’re looking nice today! The phrase you use the most... Oh damn!
80 Galatta Cinema |September 2009
The best advice given to you... From the Gita: Work hard without worrying about the result. The worst thing to tell a woman... Call her Aunty! Women hate it when you do that! The best compliment you’ve got yet... A teary-eyed woman came to me after the Q&A round at Gladrags Mr. India and said I deserved the title! [The Q: Who would I choose to explore outer space with? My A: My mom! She was the one who helped me explore this world, unknown to me when I was born, hence she’d be able tp guide me in the unknown spaces beyond this world!] Which is harder to say: ‘Sorry!’ or ‘You’re right, I’m wrong!’ Sorry. It’s always hardest to apologize. To the readers of GC: Thank you for the limitless love you have showered on me. I hope to entertain you and stay in your hearts for years to come!!
ganesh venkatraman PHOTOGRAPHY: G. VENKET RAM www.gvenketram.com
Starry eyed we bet you know this Asin is just 23 years old - she was born on October 26, 1985. What a loooooong list of achievements at this green age, what? laughing point After over 15 movies in all South Indian languages and 10 prestigious awards, it was hilarious to hear that Asin won the Best Debutante Award at a top Awards show last year! homebody Eyes gleaming Bollywood stardom... so you’d expect to find Asin at any one of the watering holes and posh hangouts in Mumbai, 4 nights a week? Wrong. This lass prefers the comfort and privacy of her own room, with a book in hand! no man, no cry? Maid rumours galore aside, Asin is one of the few heroines who hasn’t been in any man-related scandals! Strict daddy or strict personal rules, we like the keep-yourdistance poise! psst psst - no one knows this! Ghajini and Vel with Suriya were her biggest Southern movies and guess what: the industry grapevine is whispering that with FoxStar Studios entering the Indian production market in a big way, their next big project would be a bilingual Suriya-Asin (Tamil) and Akshay Kumar-Asin (Hindi) starrer, to be shot simultaneously and later have the Tamil version dubbed in Telugu. Wow. We fiercely patriotic South Indians think that THIS is her biggest movie yet and not some other mega-budget pure-Bollywood flick!
asin
the allure
Aadhavan look book
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suriya relaxes as he talks about aadhavan k.s. ravikumar's classy entertainer intriguing, interesting, entertaining slick looks, great performances It is Suriya’s time now. Hailed as one of the finest actors of our times in South India, he is also a sensational entertainer and an all-round nice guy. So it’s no surprise that we were thrilled to get a glimpse of his next movie Aadhavan and listen to the lilting songs that prove that there is indeed something special about a Suriya-Harris Jayaraj combo soundtrack. Throw in the added fact that we unabashedly admire K.S. Ravikumar’s work; and we shamelessly border on sycophancy. All the more reason to get the real goop from the stallion’s mouth - we could sense the contentment and peace in Suriya’s voice as he opened up on the movie, the look of it, some cherished moments and what being part of this rich industry means to him. They say Suriya has 10 characters (we despise the word ‘get-ups’!) in this movie; including that of a 10-year-old boy! After his performance as a stumbling teenager in Vaaranam Aayiram, we won’t be surprised if he can play an infant! Speaking of infants, director K.S. Ravikumar says, Suriya is going to be even more emotive than Benjamin Button! Ok, this movie just went from ‘much-awaited’ to ‘can’t wait to see it!’
96 Galatta Cinema |September 2009
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only someone like k.s. ravikumar can make a completely commercial entertainer and still put in enough detailing in the looks and styling to make it utterly classy and slick. from venket’s eclectic sensibilities during the publicity shoots to the nuances of costumes, hair and make-up in the film, aadhavan is something else, i must say!
aadhavan Suriya Namaskar
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working with nayan was great - she was a thorough professonal on the sets
There is a sparkle in his voice when Suriya says, “It’s a pleasure to be surrounded by such fantastic women. My wife Jo is a fabulous mother and a great confidante. My co-star Nayantara, no matter what the media says about her private life, was a thorough professional on the sets. She would arrive on time, work hard at her shots and had an admirable no-nonsense air about her. But the person who captured my heart was grand lady Saroja Devi, who kept us enthralled with stories of her time as a top heroine in the industry; she would show us how a shot would be handled back then, how her expressions would have to be so different from the actresses of today and all that - she is a wellspring of information! And all this, between shots and on outdoor schedules when we would grab a few light moments together! I must say, even today, she is a most beautiful and elegant lady. But that is a K.S. Ravikumar set for you. Incidentally, the man is himself a fine actor, so his direction of each shot has a lot of comprehensive vision behind it. Plus, he is one of the few directors who has juggled acting, directing, technical work AND is also knowledgeable about the production and business side of things. So when he shoots a movie, there is a stability and dependability to the entire project. As far as Aadhavan is concerned, there is also a great go-getter young spirit - the producer is young, the technicians are young and the drive to do something superb is fiery.”
98 Galatta Cinema |September 2009
aadha v an story in style
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there is an incredible amount of detailing even in the smallest thing...
aadhavan colour splash
People have asked me if there are a lot of expectations from this stylish-looking movie, after the super-success of Ayan. Of course! Any hit movie becomes the latest benchmark for a hero or technician’s next. Here, we are trying to make a new one, with new standards and a new look. Every movie is special and as far as Aadhavan goes, after my experience of working with K.S. Ravikumar, the young technicians who are also my friends and the other members of the cast and crew, this too is a thrilling, energising and exciting project that I can’t wait to see release. It is heartening to see that the soundtrack has struck the right chords with musiclovers. Given KSR’s trademark ability to keep a project tight and on schedule, God willing, Aadhavan will be a plume in all our hats! Meanwhile, it is also special to me for very simple reasons - it has a good mix of strong storyline, some slick ‘masala’, romance, fun, bonhomie, beautifully shot visuals, splashes of colour and strokes of detailing that make this a most satisfactory project! Now all that remains is for you to love it as much as we all do! (Signs off with a smile)
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Some celebs are just too hot to handle
Here’s where you can see why feast your eyes & EAT YOUR HEART OUT
sada White Magic My first breath on... February, 17th Lair... My home in Mumbai Lure... There is some confusion on this issue! Some say I have expressive eyes, others says it’s my smile that’s the most attractive thing about me... So I don’t know which to pick! Turnoff... Disloyalty puts me off completely! When someone close deceives you, that is just unforgivable. Turn on... Roles that are challenging, for which I need to push harder, always excite me! Celluloid dreams... I want to be recognised as a good performing artiste and to a certain extent, I think I have already been appreciated for my acting. I have no dream role as such; all I want is to do good roles in good films. Sinful indulgence... I hardly indulge in myself! I’m not a spa person or a foodie... I seldom shop because I get carried away! This happens especially when shooting abroad! Style Mantra... I prefer casual clothes, but my profession demands me to dress up. I buy stylish clothes that I’m comfortable in and don’t cost too much. I still think like the middle-class girl I used to be before cinema happened to me! Life Mantra...Live and let live! Don’t thrust your opinions on others. If you don’t like someone, keep a distance from them. Don’t be cruel to animals. They have a right to live. Body Wise... Exercise and healthy diet are key to healthy living. Above all, stay away from smoking, drinking and drugs. You need cinema because... After a hectic day, cinema provides good entertainment. You can lose yourself in an imaginary world! As an actress I need cinema because I am passionate about acting , have always been! I need to act!! Cinema needs you because... I am a complete performer! I can do any role: serious, emotional, comedy... anything! Pa-Ma’s wise words...The only thing they insisted on was that one of them always accompany me to the shooting and till today, either my mum or my dad comes with me. That way, the chances of people trying to take advantage of me are next to nil. My only advice to young gals who enter cinema is to have your parents accompany you. Their care and love will be your biggest assets. as told to Kaanchan B.
Photography G. Venkat Ram
NE R CO R AS AL Sameera Reddy, who has been busy travelling the world, thanks to all her shooting schedules, took a welcome break with sister Meghna Reddy, who is now in Greece. (If you are wondering where is Sushma, well she is busy with the reality show Khatron Ke Khiladi Level 2, hosted by Akshay Kumar). Sameera has become hot property down South after Vaaranam Aayiram and is now shooting for Sivaji Productions’ Asal with Ajith. She will follow this with Gautham Menon’s next film which is touted to be a thriller. Coming back to her trip, she just returned to base and is looking super hot after having lost oodles of weight. The secret of the curves? Yoga and swimming!
Irrespective of the performance of her films, Namitha continues to be hot property in South Indian cinema. She already has a strong hold in Tamil and Telugu with releases like Billa. With the upcoming Jagan Mohini, she has ensured a dedicated fan following. She has recently signed a new Telugu film with Balakrishna. Namitha makes her debut in Malayalam as well with Black Stallion, which also stars Kalabhavan Mani. It is rumoured that Namitha was offered a very big fee for this movie, thus making her the highest paid actress in Malayalam cinema. The movie promises to show Namitha in a completely new light.
The making of Josh, his debut release in Telugu, has been minutely followed by the media. All eyes are on the Akkineni Nagarjuna camp to see if this scion will indeed prove a chip off the (not-so-) old block. And as we sit discussing this, Akkineni Naga Chaitanya has been busy completing two songs for Josh in Switzerland and preparing for its release across the region on September 3rd... and signing new projects! His next movie will be hope you’re sitting steady - with Gautham Menon who seems to be gripped by Telugu cinema fever. He is going to remake Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya in Telugu with Chaitanya and reportedly a new heroine. The GVM camp has quite clearly said that we can expect at least three Telugu movies by 2010 from them. VTV’s remake is a rapid-fire one, with a tentative release date of end-of-2009.
Published by T.S.P. Shanmuga Raja on behalf of Dot Com Infoway Limited from “GNG House”, K-48, Anna Nagar East, Chennai – 600 102 and printed by B. Ashok Kumar at Rathna Offset Printers, 40, Peters Road, Royapettah, Chennai – 600 014. Editor – Shakthi Girish RNI No.TNENG/200721243, Postal Registration No. TN/CCN/310/07-09
106 Galatta Cinema |September 2009