Naan Kadavul in 220 theaters

The long wait is over at last! The hard work of Bala and producer K.S Sreenivasan of Naan Kadavul has paid of handsomely. It is good news that the distribution rights of Naan Kadavul has been sold for a sizeable price worldwide, thanks to the efforts of the duo, Bala and Sreenivasan in providing the right launch pad for the film. The music of Illayaraja is already popular following the gala audio launch. What induced more interest in the film for the distributors is the thrilling trailer that is making rounds on all television channels.

The marketing strategy used by Bala and team is instrumental in selling all the distribution rights for the film. Now the film is all set to hit 220 theatres worldwide on 6th February.

Naan Kadavul was first announced in 2005 and since then has undergone numerous delays, changes in cast and crew and more than two different producers until K.S.Sreenivasan took up the project for good. The film is a result of more than three years of persistence over prolonged uncertainty.

Naan Kadavul is expected to be a landmark film for all those involved in it. Arya’s maniacal makeover with long locks and Pooja’s drubbed and worn down look as a beggar are widely being touted as national award calibre performances. With so many things going for it, the industry is pinning its hopes on Naan Kadavul to provide the first big hit of 2009 after Pongal turned out to be an average experience.

Simbu sings for Renigunta

Just like his father T. Rajendar – who acts, directs, edits, sings and composes music – Simbu too is a multi-talented personality. In fact, Simbu is very keen to learn new fields of filmmaking every day; the talented actor makes sure he assists the editors of his films and actively discusses camera angles, lighting, etc. with his director and his assistants regularly. It will not be long before he directs his first film. And Simbu is a very good singer too! In fact, his style of singing is so popular that he is being invited by several filmmakers to sing for their films. Simbu too is happy to help out!

Recently, Simbu got a call from Ganesh Raghavendra, music director of Renigunta, requesting him to sing for the film. And the star obliged him by singing ‘Thallakulam Santhaiyil Thagaraaru Pannu’ penned by Na. Muthukumar. Ganesh is very happy that the song has come out very well and is confident it will serve as a crowd-puller.

Produced under the banner Film Fabricators and directed by Panneerselvam, Renigunta is a commercial film with an offbeat storyline starring debutant Johnny and Thanusha.

JACKIE'S SON

Sultan: The Warrior in May

The eagerly-awaited animation film of Rajinikanth, Sultan: The Warrior, will be released in May. The buzz is that Rajinikanth himself will make a special appearance in a few scenes of this animated movie! Also, insiders say that this 3-D animation film will be released in more than 15 languages worldwide!

The lead pair of the film has been modeled after Rajinikanth and Vijaylakshmi using high-end motion-capture technology. Producer Soundarya Rajinikanth ensured that she used the latest technology in the field of animation, which makes this film look very close to a feature film. Importing the hardware and paraphernalia required to make such a sophisticated animation film, this young entrepreneurial producer spent about Rs. 50 crores on Sultan: The Warrior. Soundarya has proved that Chennai can also make high-quality animation movies on par with Hollywood.

Mark our words: This film will definitely earn Chennai a prominent position in the international animation film industry. Attracted by it, someday Hollywood might decide to outsource its animation assignments to Chennai, making it the hub of animation industry!

Come May, fans of Rajinikanth and animation movie lovers are in for a big treat!

Pooja expects National Award!

pooja says that she expects a National Award for her role in the film Naan Kadavul. The actress has played a blind girl in the film, which is due to be released sometime soon. Pooja, probably targeting the award, has dubbed for the first time! Her co-star Arya has also expressed his opinion that she may bag the National Award for the role. The actress states that she had concentrated in this film with all her heart and did not accept other roles until the film was completed.



It may be recalled that Naan Kadavul’s award winning director Bala constantly changed the heroine in this film before he finally settled for Pooja.

Tharun Gopi’s brother to direct

Azhagan, director Tharun Gopi’s brother and assistant in Thimiru and Kaalai, is all set to direct his first Kollywood film soon. He will direct Sei to be made with newcomers by Mathura Talkies. Azhagan has penned the film’s beautiful story about a directionless slum-dweller’s reaction when he is handed over a huge responsibility; how he manages it forms the crux of the film. It is heartening to see a director preferring to debut with an experimental story rather than with hoary time-tested Kollywood plots. With his penchant to stand out, Azhagan should be a valuable addition to Kollywood.

The strong bond between the two brothers is quite famous and appreciated in Kollywood. In fact, they are referred to as “twin directors” by some, just like the famous Cohen brothers are referred to in Hollywood!

While Azhagan is busy working on Sei’s screenplay, his brother Tharun Gopi is busy in Mayandi Kudumbattar’s shooting in Vathalagundu.

Simbhudevan’s next

Looks like ‘Arai En...’ has not tired out Simbhudevan’s creative soul. He is up and running with his next venture, the announcement of which is likely to be heard soon. Groundwork of the project has already begun and he has finalized the lead actors of the yet-to-be-titled movie. Sources close to the director claim that the movie will have Lawrence and Sada in the lead.



Sada is trying to get a grip in Hindi and has pinned up her hopes in her upcoming release Khalbali. She also has the Madhavan starrer Leelai in the cans in Tamil.

Tamanna okay to lip-lock scene

Tamanna has hitherto been referred to with adjectives such as cute, sweet etc. The actress might be referred to as hot and sexy after the film 'Raja Rani' (remake of Jab We Met) releases.

For all you drooling virile men out there, petite Tamanna will be seen in a kissing scene in the film produced by Moser Baer. A scene that locked the lips of Kareena Kapoor and Shahid Kapoor featured in 'Jab We Met'. The makers of the remake also seem to be following the original religiously. The film stars Bharath along with Tamanna.

At a time when most heroines are pretty concerned about their onscreen image (especially in South Indian films), the nod of approval from Tamanna for the kissing scene sends the message that the actress would comply with what the script demands. Something directors and producers would be happy about.

Tamanna debuted in Balaji Sakthivel's 'Kaloori' and has steadily climbed her way to being recognized as a desirable actress. She is currently treading the path that takes actors to stardom.

Her Pongal release 'Padikkathavan' with Dhanush has found favor amidst audiences and her lineup of movies that are waiting to release look impressive. 'Ayan' with Suriya and 'Anandha Thandavam' with a debutant. Tamanna has also signed up for Selvaraghavan's 'Paiyya' that stars Suriya's brother Karthi.