Mumait turns singer for Puri's film

Tollywood’s favourite item girl Mumait Khan has donned a whole new avatar — that of a singer. She provided the vocals for the Puri Jagannath directed Telugu film Golimaar, which has Gopichand and actor Priyamani in the lead.

Mumait, who is excited about her new role as a singer claims that it all happened suddenly. “I keep crooning at home and constantly listen to western music. When Puri Jagannath insisted that my voice be recorded and that I sing for the film, I readily agreed. I got the lyrics and practised for a few hours. The recording was on the very next day and we wrapped it up in three hours.” says the actress. The song, which is touted to be a proper ‘mass number,’ is picturised on Priyamani.

Mumait, who seems to have taken to the new tag of a singer easily, admits she is ready to sing for more films, but only if they are meant to enthrall the ‘masses.’ Says the diva, “My voice doesn’t suit duets. If there is a ‘mass song’ that will be shot in pubs or an item number, I would love to lend my voice to them.”

Speaking about the song from Golimaar, which is slated to hit screens in April, she adds, “I like the song and it has come out well.” Mumait, who is the reigning “item” queen in Tollywood, with hits like Bangaru Kodi Petta from Magadheera and Naa Peru Meena Kumari from Mallanna to her credit is now busy working on a few Tamil projects.

Priya Anand makes T'wood debut with 'Leader'!!

Ever since Shekhar Kammula delivered three back to back hits Anand, Godavari and Happydays, an oppurtunity to act in his film is considered passport to stardom in Telugu cinema. Priya Anand who is two films old bagged the role of heroine in his upcoming movie 'Leader' pairing with Daggubati Rana. An NRI girl, Priya has become the talk of the town of the sorts by signing another film 'Rama Rama Krishna Krishna' with Ram as the hero, even before Leader hit the screens.

Priya says she was always excited about Indian movies and is all excited about her debut film in Telugu. Unlike many Mumbai and Kerala imports, this US brought up girl managed to give dubbing for her charecter in this film.

"I grew up in Hyderabad and Chennai. Since my mom is a Tamilian and dad a Telugu, we only spoke in English at home. I grew up watching Telugu cinema and it wasn't tough for me to pick up the language.I still remember the day when my mom and me went to watch 'Kshana Kshanam' of Sridevi. I gave dubbing for my charecter in this movie. While I am dubbing, I get to see my performance on screen and so I can ascertain myself. It is quite helpful. Now that I know Telugu and I gave my dubbing for my Tamil movies too, I am ready to work in both the industries depending where I get an exciting script from" claims Priya who already acted in two Tamil movies 'Vaamanan' and 'Pugaippadam'.

Priya says 'Leader' is a thought provoking film and the offer to act in this project was 'way beyond her imagination' ."I got my first movie offer from Telugu film industry. But I turned it down. I am a new comer with no film background and so I wanted to be a part of something I love and big for my debut.I went to give my audition for Shekhar and got selected. It is a new vision and wonderful movie to be a part of even for the rest of my career.Leader has a social impact and it gets the audience thinking." she quips.

The actress who shot for the film for over an year says working with Rana was 'awesome' and they have infact become like a family. She says the actor is 'focused'.Though this film was supposed to release last month, it was postponed due to political unrest and now it is touted to release only in the last week of February.

Is she upset with its constant delay in release? "I am not upset with the release getting delayed at all.Everything has time and I am happy with the output.I am sure it will hit the screens soon and audience will like it" Priya says. Priya says that she has learnt that a good rapport with the team involved in the project will lead to better output.

"It is important to get along with people on the sets and that chemistry will certainly reflect on the screen.People on the sets of my movie were very encouraging and I couldn't have learnt Telugu so quickly but for the rapport I shared with them. My director Shekar Kammula was not a typical director and let me learn so much" Despite a US brought up with an exposure to international cinema, Priya feels Indian movies are not just abour running around trees. "Acting is make-believe and people come to watch movies to escape the stress and reality in their lives. Indian movies potray love in the way it suits our culture. We make movies for all kinds of audience and it is not true that our movies are only about running around trees" Well heroines have come and have gone. There have been many one movie wonders in the industry. With the onscreen life span of heroines reducing to less than five years, does Priya have a plan B in place?

"I have an education with media and journalism as a subjects. When I came to India, I wanted to be an assistant director to film maker Shankar. I wanted to be behind the screens as an executive producer. But now after acting in films I realise how tough an assistant director's job is and I don't think I am game for it. As an actor, now I am exposed to various departments involved in film making and I am sure when I have to quit acting, something will come up in the fields I am associated with" For Priya, whose parents are still in US, movies happenend as she came to Chennai to stay with her grandparents.She says it will take time for her parents to digest her as an actor on screen.

"I never spoke Telugu or Tamil at home and they are surprised to see me romance and act in movies.It is quite wierd for them. Shekar Kammula is quite famous in USA and my parents and friends will watch it there. I am sure they are all excited" she signs off.

Comedians, the only saving grace in Telugu movies!!!

Name any recent Telugu film and you’ll see Bramhanandam, M.S. Narayana, Ali or Sunil hogging all the limelight in the promos. Comedians in Telugu movies have become so indispensible that they are not just relegated to a parallel track, but are sharing equal screen space with heroes now. Blame it on poor story lines, lack of good content or just the need for more laughs in such trying times, but fact remains that comedy has become the only “saving grace” in Tollywood films now.

Be it the NTR-starrer Adurs or Venkatesh-starrer Namo Venkatesha, Bramhanandam enjoys the status of “second hero.” The veteran comedian, who is touted as the biggest attraction of every film he acts in, says, “Today, no movie can be made without comedy. Its prominence is increasing with every release and the making the audience laugh has become the biggest aim. I’ve been flooded with offers lately and to put a tab on the number of films I take up, I’ve increased my remuneration now.”

Agreeing with Bramhanandam are other popular comedians in the industry who attribute this trend to the changing needs of the audience. Noted comedian and character artiste AVS, says, “Audience these days don’t come to theatres for sentimental movies or to shed tears. All they want is sheer entertainment and relief from everyday stress. Comedy offers that relief and that’s why we are in demand.”

With their popularity fast growing, their pay cheques have shot up too. Bramhanandam is said to have been paid a neat Rs 1 crore for Adurs and Rs 80 lakh for Namo Venkatesa. These funny men have become the stars of the film’s promotional campaigns too.

Director Jaya, who is soon coming up with a comedy movie, Double Dhamaka, says,

“Comedy is one of the biggest success formulas for movies these days. Earlier heroes like Rajendra Prasad and Chandramohan did only comic flicks. These days, other than Allari Naresh, there are no other actors who are dedicated to this genre. No wonder then that there is a growing demand for comedians. Audience have had enough of melodrama now and they just want some laughs.”

Director Chandrasekhar Yeleti, whose film Prayanam struck a chord with the audience because of its comic track, says, “Comedy has great commercial viability and its importance is just growing. It can be said that comedy is the hottest trend in Tollywood right now.”
Many filmmakers however, blame this trend on lack of good plots too.

Director Sreedhar Reddy, says, “When the story isn’t strong, filmmakers use comedy to fill the gap and keep the audiences engaged. Comedy should be a part of the movie and not forced. I feel that directors are introducing comic scenes every 10 minutes of the film, to make up for the lack of a good story.”

Telugu film industry is too hero-dominated: Reema Sen

Reema sen is one actress who has managed to hold her fan base in Telugu despite not acting in a full fledged role in the industry for years.Sen who delivered huge box office hits like 'Chitram' and 'Manasantha Nuvve' years ago, is making a killer come back in Tollywood with 'Yuganiki Okkadu', the bilingual film with Surya's brother Karthi.

Reema who refuses to accept that she 'avoided' Tollywood for long says her Tamil and Hindi projects kept her busy.

"I made my debut into films from Telugu film industry. I love working in this industry more so since I have had decent hits here and people remember my movies even today.But since my Tamil movies were lined up and they clicked, I was busy in Tamil industry. Besides, I gave two and a half years for my upcoming movie 'Yuganiki Okkadu'. Now that it is ready for release here, I am ready to act in Telugu projects if a good script comes by. It is not the language, but the unit, cast and crew besides the script which matter to me " Sen quips.' Ayirathil Oruvan', the Tamil version of this upcoming Telugu potboiler which already released in Tamilnadu is touted to be one of the 'best fantasy movies made in the history of Indian cinema' aka 'Gladiator' and '300' and Reema's role is considered 'path-breaking for any actress'.

Reema claims she is 'blessed' to have got to play such a charecter even after so many years of being in the limelight. "It is true that the onscreen life span of actresses is very short. I am truely blessed to have got to play such a landmark charecter in a film that is well acclaimed even after being an actress for a decade now.I have given my best performance ever in this movie and am still in its hangover.I was obsessed with this film. This film has put me on a different league in terms of acting" she says.

Does her critically acclaimed performance mean she will stay away from running around trees now?

" I will continue to do commercial cinema. Movies like Yuganiki Okkadu don't come every day and so I won't live under the illusion" Despite not being seen in full fledged roles, Sen appeared in special appearances in 'Anji' in Telugu. The actress who confesses that she will not accept anymore 'cameo' appearances observes 'hero-worship' as a principle differnce between the audience in Tollywood and Tamil industry. "There is a difference in the tastes of the audience in Telugu and Tamil. Since I worked in both these industries, I can say that Tollywood is a little more commercial and the scripts here are more hero-centric than in Tamil. In Tamil, there is a greater scope for heroine-centric movies and neutral films.Recently 'Arundhati' broke the shackles in Tollywood" she observes.

Reema who claims to be 'excited' on her movie being released in Telugu too says she is keen on knowing the public response for this film which is her release in T'wood after years."I go by the verdict of the audience.I can't understand why a few actors say that they make films for their satisifaction. Movies are made for the audience and they are the ultimate judges.I am keenly waiting for the response from Telugu audience" she signs off.

National award winning Telugu film, yet to release in AP!!!

Telugu movie '1940 lo oka gramam' might have bagged the national award for the best film in regional languages category but it is still waiting to hit the screens in Andhra Pradesh. This movie which was made in Rs 60 lakh, is one of the lowest budget films in the recent past has never released in theatres due to lack of interest from local distributors.


'1940 lo oka gramam' is all about a young Brahmin girl who is married to an old man but is impressed with a young boat rider from a different caste. Though the director of the movie tried his best, distributors in the industry refused to buy the film."I screened this movie for about 30 distributors. All of them refused to buy the movie because it didn't have 'commercial' elements according to them. Now that it won the national award, I am planning to release this movie in the theatres if distributors come forward" said Narasimha Nandi, who debuted as a director with this film.


Narasimha worked asassociate director with film maker B Gopal before making this movie.Interestingly, this movie which was produced by NandireddyNarasimha Reddy, bagged three Nandi awards in the last year.

P SarathKumar, member of censor board blames AP Film chamber and the
government for these movies not hitting the screens.
"Theatres in the state are in the hands of a few like DaggubatiSuresh babu. In cities like Kolkata, there are theatres exclusively dedicated for offbeat films. The government should either start theatres exclusively for such low budget movies or make it mandatory for theatres to screen these movies in their morning show" Sarath kumar opines.The star cast in the film claim that they too were initially reluctant to act in such films but agreed considering it was inspired by Gurajada Appa Rao's movement for the women empowerment in the 1930's.


"I was doubtful of accepting this movie when I heard the script. But now I am absolutely spell bound to have been a part of this project. It was inspired by Gurajada Appa Rao and 'Chalam' who is considered one of the most influential personalities in modern Telugu literature"says actor Baladitya who played the lead in the movie.

Amitabh doesn't doubt my abilities: RGV

Ram Gopal Varma is always in news for all the wrong reasons. And the controversy-courting director doesn’t seem to want it any other way. From supporting Lagadapati Rajgopal openly in his united AP stance to inviting trouble by paraphrasing the anthem Jana Gana Mana in his upcoming flick, Rann, RGV is ruffling feathers all the time. And now he is all set to “expose” the media world with his latest release.

Ask him about his love for creating a new controversy even before the old one fades out from public memory, and the director says quite nonchalantly, “I just speak frankly. I am interested in topics that are relevant, hard hitting and which are in news. I also like talking about public figures who are larger than life. It is natural, that people perceive things about me the way they do.”
The director however, insists that these are not publicity stunts to promote his films. “What I say doesn’t affect my movies. The media always exposes things in the society and my movie just aims to expose the media. That doesn’t mean my film portrays the media in a negative light, it just talks about the psychology of people who run news channels, their pressures, targets, compulsions and vulnerability. If we make a film on the corrupt police, it doesn’t mean everyone in the department is corrupt,” he says.

Despite being part of box office disasters like Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag, directed by RGV, Amitabh Bachchan is one actor who continues to work with the maverick director. RGV admits that apart from Sarkar, all the movies he did with Big B were flops. But he claims the super star “understands” him. “Amitabh Bachchan doesn’t doubt my abilities. I may have had flops, but Big B trusts me and he knows that many factors have affected the fate of my films. And that’s the reason he continues to work with me. He is an extraordinary actor and is apt for portraying the realistic characters in my movies. He is in fact, tailor made for most of my roles,” adds the director.

RGV is much in news, even in the city, for his film Raktha Charitra, which is based on the life of politician Paritala Ravi. He says, “I wasn’t present here when the whole Paritala Ravi issue happened. Both the sides give their own versions and there is no ‘concrete truth’ that is agreed upon by everyone. I just talked to the various people involved and arrived at my own interpretation.”

"I am known for rejecting film offers"

While every other star claims that success just came their way, Tollywood’s favourite lover boy Siddharth is not afraid to admit that his good fortune at the box office is the result of carefully crafted strategy. In fact, after his critically acclaimed performance in Rang De Basanti, the actor became notorious in Bollywood for his script-rejecting spree. But a nonchalant Siddharth says he has a plan up his sleeve to cement his position in the Hindi film industry too.

“I’m known for turning down scripts in Mumbai, but I’m alright with this image. I want to do a film only if I am 100 per cent sure of it and I’m convinced about the script. I put myself in the audiences’ shoes and take a decision. After Rang De Basanti, where my performance was appreciated, I was waiting for the right movie to showcase my ability as a lead hero. I have been extra careful while picking scripts and I will only do films I believe in, no matter how long my absence from the silver screen is,” says Siddharth, who is excited about his upcoming Bollywood release, Striker, which he feels is one of his best performances ever.

“Striker is the story of a carrom player who is born in the slums of Mumbai. This movie is all about his dreams, his love, success and the human spirit. I have worked extra hard for this feel good film,” says the actor, singer and screenplay writer who was once an assistant director to Mani Ratnam.Ask him what he enjoys doing the most and Siddharth says,

“Anything remotely associated with cinema is my passion. Even after I completed my MBA, I never took up a regular job as I was averse to the 9-5 routine. I never wanted to crib about going to work. I don’t need an alarm to wake up now as I love my work. Be it singing, acting or directing, all these prospects excite me equally,” says Siddharth.

While the actor may be treading cautiously in Bollywood, down South, he is on a roll. Siddharth who has had two releases in Tollywood last year is currently working on a project with Sruthi Hassan. “I will always maintain a balance between Hindi and Telugu movies. The Tollywood audiences have supported me all through my career and have given me my biggest hits and I will always work in in the Telugu film industry,” says Siddarth.

Abhinaya defies destiny!!

19 year old Abhinaya is busy addressing media with the help of her parents, recieving calls in appreciation of her performance in her latest release at her residence in Tarnaka. Even the best of the face readers can’t even remotely guess that this beautiful actress can’t hear and speak.

Defying destiny, this city teenager who acted in Tamil blockbuster Nadidogal last year, has won critical acclaim for her performance in its Telugu remake with Ravi Teja, Siva Balaji and Priyamani in ‘Sambho Siva Sambho’ that released last week . Abhinaya, the latest poster girl in the city who is serving inspiration to many actresses, has bagged a role in another Tamil film that will hit the screens this July.Born physically challenged, this girl raised quite a few eyebrows with her acting skills in two movies is now touted as the brand ambassador for the hearing impaired kids in the country.


Schooled in Oral school for the deaf in Marredpally and then in Uma montesary in Padmarao nagar followed by St. Ann’s School in Tarnaka, Abhinaya grew up dreaming to be a star. Her dad Anand Varma an ex-service man dedicated his post service life to take care of her , took her to film studios, distributed her portfolios and made her a star.


“The first time I saw her in the hospital when she was born, I named her Abhinaya since I wanted her to be an actress one day. After a few months of her birth, we got to know she is deaf and therefore can’t talk too. We went to several doctors and hospitals but nothing worked. A few years ago, she underwent a cochlear implant surgery and can hear a few sounds. We shifted her from school for deaf to a regular school as doctors suggested us to do so. However, she cant hear what we speak even now. Since the childhood, she wanted to be in the glamour field. I used to take her to film shootings. She used to show us hoardings on the roads and tell us that one day she will be there and now she made it” says Abhinaya’s father Anand Varma who also acted as character artiste in several Tamil and Telugu films.

Movies happened to Abhinaya when Samuthirakani, director of ‘Nadodigal’ saw her pictures that were circulated by her father to a director from Kerala.
“Though Abhinaya’s pictures impressed him, they initially selected a Bombay model for the role. But that model told Samuthirakani that she can’t speak Tamil and won’t act in his film. So, he took it as a challenge and did a movie with a girl who can’t even talk and listen, leave alone Tamil. That movie has changed the life of Abhinaya”


Sweety as she is called at home who went to school till her VIIth standard, stopped as her stardom is disturbing the classes apart from the fact that she can’t decipher what is being taught in the class. Her parents are now planning to get her home tutorials to ensure she completes her Xth standard in open school.
“We joined her in the school so that she doesn’t miss friends and school life. Board also expemts such kids from languages in their exams and hence she just had subjects. But now that she has become an actress, kids from other classes come and see her every now and then. That apart, she can’t understand what is being taught in the class because of her disability and so she dropped with her VIIth standard”


When shooting, Abhinaya’s mom Hemalatha accompanies her and teaches her the dialogue lip movement, expressions, variations in scenes well in advance to ensure she gets the shot right.

“We are good friends and I teach her the lip movement and explain her the scenes. At the most, she finishes the scene in two takes. She can’t hear the lyrics but she can hear the beats and dances to it .She imitates every one on the sets and is mingles with people very fast .She watches films with her elder brothers. She likes Tamil star Surya, Aishwarya Rai and Hrithik Roshan. We feel since God didn’t give this girl the ability to talk and hear, he gave her supernatural talent of acting” says Hemalatha, mother of Abhinaya with tears in her eyes.


Since Abhinaya can’t hear and talk, I got her mom to ask her what she aspires to do in life ?“I want to keep acting in movies. I will continue to act as long as I can” is all she conveys through her mom with a smile as beautiful as her.

'Adurs'--Not worth the wait!!

Adurs review: Rating--- 2/5
Star cast: Jnr. NTR, Nayana Tara, Shela, Brahmanandam, Asish Vidyardhi, Mahesh Manjrekar, Sayaji Shinde, Tanikella Bharani, Raghu Babu, Raghu Karumanchi, Rama Prabha.

Of the three films that released this Sankranti, I was wondering which one to watch first.Since one of my friends called me and praised 'Adurs', I watched it first.After election campaign followed by drunken driving causing an accident that delayed the making of this film, my expectations were very high.

Movie: 'Adurs' is a combination of Nagarjuna's ' Hello brother' and Hrithik Roshan's 'Krish'. Now the story begins with a mother delivering twins in a hospital and another brahmin lady in the same hospital who delivers a dead baby. Nurse plays clever and steals one baby from the twins and places it in the place of dead baby of brahmin lady.

So twin brothers grow up in two different places in different environments. One as a goon, the other as a brahmin. Both have the same name, one is called 'Narasimha'(Junior NTR), the other 'Narasimha Chari'(Junior NTR).(I guess most of you would have already watched this scene in hundreds of 'judwa bhai' movies in various languages).

Then, Narasimha who grows up like a goon, keeps attacking gangs in the city without disclosing his identity.Gangs in the city keep demanding money from rich businessmen and Narasimha snatches away that money from the gangs.All the gangs in the city team up to know Narasimha's identity. However, he finishes them all up. Meanwhile, Narasimha falls in love with Sheela.
On the other hand Narasimha chari, the brahmin boy is purohit assistant to Bhattacharya(Bramhanandam) who is after Chandrakala (Nayanatara). Though Bhattacharya asks Narasimha chari to help him impress Chadrakala, she falls in love with Chari which utterly dissapoints Bhattacharya.

The twist of the story comes when another baddie Aasish Vidyarthi tries to get in touch with Narasimha for the sake of a scientist who is in their captivation in an unknown island.(I guess this reminds us of 'Krish')

The rest of the story is all about how Narasimha and Narasimha Chari meet and their connection with the scientist.

Postivie aspects:

Junior NTR continues to impress with his performance and dance. The song 'Chandrakala' and the background score of the movie given by Devi Sri Prasad are applaudable.Bramhanadam should be given double the remuneration for his performance. But for him, the movie would have been the biggest flop of this year.

Negative aspects:

Whoever did graphics for his film, needs adequate training in 'animation and visual effects'. When audience come to know that it is graphics, why use them at all. I guess the movie crew didnt watch the film after it was made. Poor graphic works let the audience down.
Another irritating part in this movie is fights which consumes 1 hour of the run time.The heroines Sheela and Nayanatara are there in the movie for the heck of it. Sheela can't act and only God knows whats Nayanatara doing in this film.The fights in this movie are very unbelievably bad.Most importantly the story is a mixed Khichdi of several Hindi and old Telugu films.

Verdict:

Junior NTR and his 'Adurs' team should worship KCR's daughter Kavitha for creating a buzz around this film. But for her warning and the free publicity this movie got in news channels, it would have been the biggest flop in the career of NTR.Barring Bramhanandam comedy and one song, the movie has nothing new to offer.If you are planning to watch a good movie and come out of theatre without having to invest in a cup of coffee to get rid of headache, Adurs is not the movie you should watch. Not worth the hype and wait!!!!

TRS and Brahmin organisations oppose 'Adurs'

Just when film industry is limping back to normalcy after a month long unrest in the state forcing Tollywood to postpone the releases, TRS Chief KCR's daughter Mrs K Kavitha hit out at Junior NTR's movie 'Adurs' slatedto release this Thursday and said that the movie will not be allowed to release in Telangana region.

She claimed that TRS decided to boycott 'Adurs' because Vallabhaneni Vamsi one of the producers of this film is a TDP leader from Vijayawada who is actively supporting the united AP agitation, another producer Kodali Nani an MLA from TDP also tendered his resignation recently protesting central government's statement on Telangana formation and Junior NTR's father N Harikrishna too resigned for his MP post against Chidambaram's statement on the initiation of process of formation of Telangana state.

"Telugu film makers get huge revenue from 'Nizam' area collections for their movie. But they are not ready to accept the demand and sentiments of the people from Telangana region. Leave alone supporting us, they are not even acknowledging our 50 year old Telangana movement. We will not allow the release of NTR's movie unless film makers make a statement expressing their support to the people of Telangana" KCR's daughter Kavitha said.

Interestingly, a few Brahmin organisations in the state have also demanded producers of 'Adurs' to delete the song 'where is the pancha kattu...where isthe pilaka juttu' from the movie as it is hurting the religious customs of the community.

"We will start an agitation with other Brahmin organisations in the state if the song is not deleted immediately. The song makes fun of religious customs of Brahmins. If they don't delete it before release, we will also approach the court to take action" said Mr T Yadagiri Rao, secretary, Sri Vipra Seva Samithi, organisation for the upliftment of Brahmins.

However, actor and President of Movie artiste's association, Murali Mohan requested and TRS and other organisations not to link Telangana issue with the film industry and to allow the release and screening of Adurs.

' I will meet Spiritual Gurus soon '

Bandh or recession, elections or political unrest, Venkatesh is one actor who has releases every season. An actor with hardly no controversies in his 25 year old film career has in the recent past won critical acclaim for his comedy entertainers. In continuation of his comedy enterainer series, Venkatesh is eagerly awaiting the release of 'Namo Venkatesha' which is touted as one of the most hilarious films released in the recent past with strong dosage of comedy.

Venky says 'comedy' as a genre is always a crowd puller and he is hoping to recreate the box office magic that his earlier romcoms like 'Malleswari' and ' Nuvvu Naaku Nachavu' created."Comedy films have been a crowd puller always because there is no strain in the film and it is for light watching.I have been natural in comedy with my flat delivery , changing voices and expressions. Though a lot of people warned me against such genre, I took the risk and it clicked. Young audience certainly love my romcoms. My upcoming film has a lot of comedians and Bramhanandam has a significant role in the film. The director Sreenu Vytla is known for his comedy films and the combination of all these is an assurance that the upcoming movie is one of the most hilarious films" Venky claims.

Venky is currently the only actor among the big four in the industry to do two films an year with more hits than flops to his credit. He says while he watches a few good movies of other actors, he is in that hangover and it takes time for him to come out of that and start acting in our own Telugu movies.

" I used to deliver more movies a few years ago. But now when I watch movies like Lagaan, I am in that hangover and none of the local scripts interest me until that hangover dies. I guess every actor undergoes this phase. We don't get such scripts here and so we compromise with the best of whatever comes our way." he explains. Venkatesh who is considered one of the richest actors in the industry now, disagrees with the theory that the remuneration of the stars is responsible for the 'over budgeting' of films, which is plaging Tollywood currently.

"It is not the remuneration of the stars. It is the lack of planning pre-production that is costing the movie making so much. If producers are smart enough and they take strong steps, budget can be curtailed." The actor who attributes his image and success to the directors he worked with and the 'divine intervention'. The actor who is perhaps a Andhra version of Rajnikanth in terms of spirituality, is planning to go on a break to discover himself after the release of Namo Venkatesha."Sometimes you want to be cut off from this world and give time for our 'inside'.It is important to give time for us 'within' as much we give to our career and family. I will for sure take a break and travel to meet the Gurus and sidhha yogis in the country soon" he reveals.

Infact, Venkatesh who believes in destiny and talks passionately about 'postive energy' has even given this upcoming movie a tag line 'Be positive'. He is one of the rare actors, who slips into spiritual conversation very easily even without his notice.

"I believe that if one thinks positively, even negative things turn positive. In life there is nothing to complain and if anyone does, it is a waste of energy. My charecter in this film is close to my philosophy of thinking positive which is why we gave that tag line " he signs off.

Surya's brother Karthi enters Telugu film industry!!!

He comes from a family of actors. His father is Tamilnadu's noted actor and his brother is South India's superstar. Tamil superstar Surya's brother Karthi who is debuting in Telugu film industry with 'Yuganiki Okkadu' a bilingual which is releasing as 'Ayirathil Oruvan' in Tamil, says this movie is one of the best in his careers and will be a perfect kick start for his introduction to the Telugu audience.

"My dad always says that every actor will have only three or four great films in his career. My first film Paruthiveeran in Tamil was one such film. I can say with confidence that this Yuganiki Okkadu is similar movie with fantasy adventure genre.Its a new experience to the Telugu audience.A lot of research went into the film and I worked for more than two years now on this film. I can say with confidence that this film will be remembered forever and people will love me more than before after this hits the screens" Karthi says.

Two films old Karthi who delivered an award winning performance in his debut 'Paruthiveeran' says he loves Telugu language and is waiting for the dubbed version of that movie to be released here soon.
"I have learnt Carnatic music and most of the keertanas are in Telugu.I listen to Telugu film songs too very regularly. I loved the language since my childhood. Mahesh Babu, Allu Arjun, Vishnu are my friends since childhood and most of the Telugu actors used to stay in T-nagar in Chennai where we stay and so I am familiar with the language.I used to watch Telugu movies in Chennai on the first day" Karthi recalls.
The actor says that it is a 'pleasure' to be introduced to people as Surya's brother and that his brother is an inspiration to him and not competitor.
"People here relate to me easily as they already know my father and brother. I have grown up being introduced as the son of Sivakumar and brother of Surya. and it is pleasant to see people talking to me as if they already know me" he claims.

"Every actor has an image in the minds of the audience. My brother has his own market and fan base. When a director enters home, he comes with a clear deciscion on whom to cast and hence there is no problem. My brother has done variety of roles and proved himself. He has a huge film history. We both have different images and hence there is no competition between us at all. We certainly discuss cinema at home and help each other with research on charecters, suggestions and ideas."adds Karthi.

Is his entry into Tollywood an attempt to expand his market just like his brother?
"When we started shooting for this movie, we decided that it will be a bilingual.It is always good to expand the audience base.The best part about Telugu audience is they are people who appreciate good cinema. Films that are hits in Chennai are superhits when released here.I feel cinema doesnt have language and I don't mind doing a Telugu movie provided directors are ready to teach me the language." he laughs.

This 32 year old who was also the assistant director to Maniratnam for 'Yuva', says for now he has no plans to direct a film. "Film making as a process is amazing. But in South India, director needs to be a writer too.Direction is a huge responsibility and I am not ready for it right now."

This Sankranti is a festival of films!!!

After a lull thanks to the Andhra-Telangana tussle, Tollywood is all set to return with a bang. With nearly 15 films releasing next week, filmmakers are hoping to cash in on the belief that Sankranthi augurs well for cinema. And with some big banner films in the pipeline, the audience can look forward to a war of the titans.

Stars like Venkatesh, Junior NTR and Ravi Teja, whose films are slated for a Sankranti release, will be seen vying with each other for box office success. And while there may be some scepticism surrounding the release of so many films, worth Rs 150 crore, in a single week, producers are confident as Sankranti spells good luck for the industry.

Producer Ram Achanta, whose film Namo Venkatesha will release next week, says, “We started shooting the film with a Sankranti release in mind. Since many people go on vacation around this time, business is brisk. And while medium and small budget films won’t have a problem, the big budget films will certainly face stiff competition. Generally, films that release during this period earn good collections.”
Bellamkonda Suresh, whose film Sambho Siva Sambho starring Ravi Teja will also hit the screens this Pongal, claims that competition is inevitable. According to him, earlier too films did exceptionally well during this season thanks to the fact that this is the revenue month for farmers. He is hopeful his movie will click despite the competition,

“Films that couldn’t release last month are hitting the screens now. The season has never let movie makers down and there could be multiple hits this time. Sankranti comes with four days of holidays and considering there haven’t been any big releases recently, films releasing now will definitely click.”
However, film critics warn that with so many movies slated to release, it is going to be a survival of the fittest. “All the releases this season are commercial films with huge stakes. Only films with a difference will manage to survive. The best part about Sankranti releases however, is that fans of every actor have a release to look forward to,” says P. Sarath, a film critic.

Rs 250 crore loss to Telugu cinema, Courtesy:Video Piracy

Video piracy is no longer a shady business, done by amateurs who crouched in dingy corners of a theatre with hand-held cameras.

Operating under the wings of infamous underworld groups, video piracy has a bold new face now. And Tollywood is one of the worst hit targets. Producers are worried because the piracy mafia no longer feels the need to operate anonymously. They don’t even hesitate to make calls and threaten to hold the latest releases to ransom if their demands are not met.Shyam Prasad Reddy, producer of recent Tollywood blockbuster Arundhati points out,

“Earlier we heard of producers who called up pirates operating from Chennai, Benguluru, Malaysia, US and Canada, requesting them to stop pirating their films for a price. But now pirates audaciously call the producers and blackmail them. The pirates’ strategy is to promise the producers that copies of their new releases will be held back for the first 15-20 days, provided a price is paid.”Assuming the nature of organised trade, the pirates now even give out their bank account numbers so that money can be credited to them.

Sravanthi Ravi Kishore, senior producer, says, “Even if there are desperate producers who are willing to pay up, there’s no guarantee that the film won’t be out in grey markets. Those who cough up moolah are just buying time.”

Though 600 cases have been booked against video pirates in the state not a single accused has been convicted. piracy cases are of least priority for city cops, producers complain. “We have done our best to get witnesses against these video pirates. The attitude of the cops is discouraging,” says Keshav Reddy, co-ordinator, anti piracy cell.

Fed up with the lethargy of the authorities, some producers are taking matters in their own hands. producer D.Suresh Babu says, “The pirated CDs of Chintakayala Ravi were available in the grey markets of Chennai days after its official release. I guess we have no other option but to release the DVD of the movie on the day the movie releases. This may save us from bigger losses in the long run.”

Thammareddy Bharadwaja, president, Telugu Film producer’s council says a separate unit within the AP police department alone can check piracy in the state. He also says the producers should keep a watch on their own crew.“Currently, every successful Telugu film loses at least Rs 5 crore on an average due to unchecked video piracy,” he says.

Hyderabad has its own calendar girls!!!

Vijay Mallya’s bevy of bikini-clad beauties in the annual Kingfisher calendar have competition this year — Allu Aravind’s son, Allu Sirish is out with his own calendar featuring a beautiful actress from South Indian cinema for each month of 2010. Ileana, Shriya, Reema Sen, Bindu Madhavi, Kriti, Archana, Mumaith Khan, Nikhita and Madhushalini have all been featured in a limited edition — an exclusive calendar for the first time in Telugu cinema.

Sirish, who plans to distribute it free of cost to a few, says he wanted to publish a calendar with ‘familiar’ faces and so he cast mana Telugu beauties. “I used to follow both Kingfisher and Sports Illustrated calendars, which are very popular. I wanted to come up with something similar, but with known faces. I thought I’d show the glamorous side of actors without vulgarity. It is a limited edition calendar with only 3,000 copies.”
The pictures were shot at Goa and Hyderabad by renowned fashion photographer G. Venkat Ram who shot for promos of movies like Ghajini, Rajnikanth’s blockbuster Shivaji, Boys etc. The ‘calendar girls’ are thrilled with the tasteful photographs and are happy that something like this has come up in the hitherto conservative South. “It was shot very aesthetically without overdoing anything,” enthuses actor Archana.

“The team was professional and there was no compromise on the quality of the shoot. The pictures are very classy and stylish.”

Tollywood’s favourite item girl Mumaith Khan couldn’t agree more, “There are preconceived notions that the South is all about heroes with moustache and heroines with sarees and flowers in their hair. This is a bold initiative and will change the way Telugu actors are perceived.”

Photographer G. Venkat Ram was pleasantly surprised at the professionalism of his ‘calendar girls’,

“This proves that South Indian actresses are ready to sport anything as long as it is aesthetically presented. The costumes were styled according to the backdrop of the shoot. The theme was ‘style’ and the idea was to present the actresses in a sexy yet comfortable pose. Heroines usually worry about exposure in movies as it might harm their image. But here they were cool and co-operative since it was a limited edition that would go only to people who admire beauty.”

Telugu film industry 'tense' on Sankranti releases!!

The Telugu film industry has appealed to the joint action committees (JAC) of all regions not to attack film crews irrespective of the outcome of the January 5 all-party talks in Delhi on the Telangana issue. On an average, 15 movies are released every month, but January is a crucial month. Traditionally, several big Telugu films are scheduled for release around Sankranti.

But there have been no releases in the past one month. Therefore, about 25 movies are lined up for a Sankranti release. Tollywood producers, who incurred a loss of more than Rs 50 crore this season, are hoping that the situation will be back to normal after the January 5 talks. Release dates of movies will be announced only after observing the outcome of the Delhi talks.

“Currently, the situation is bad in the Telangana region due to the bandhs and agitations. If the outcome of the Delhi talks goes against the Andhra and Rayalaseema regions, then collections will drop there as well. We hope there will be peace in the state,” says Mr Vijandar Reddy, a member of the AP Film Chamber of Commerce.

“We request people not to attack film shootings in any region. Mohan Babu has been in politics before and Chiranjeevi is in politics now. Their statements don’t reflect the combined opinion of the industry. We request the JACs to refrain from targeting actors,” Mr Reddy added.Directors, actors, technicians and members from all other associations met on last Friday to discuss the issue.

10 most awaited Telugu movies in 2010!!

LEADER
The most awaited film of the year, Leader marks Rana’s Tollywood debut as an actor. The film directed by Shekhar Kammula has been in the making for over two years. Leader, which has a political backdrop is slated for a January release.

ADURS
Scheduled to hit theatres by Sankranthi, Adurs is Junior NTR’s first release in over a year. The film which also stars Nayanatara and Sheela, was delayed due to Jr NTR’s election campaign followed by his accident.

KEDI
After a year’s sabbatical, Nagarjuna is finally going to come back with his film Kedi. In his 25-year career, 2009 was the first time Nag didn’t have a release. The film, which has Mamta Mohandas playing the female lead, is slated for a Sankranthi release.

NAMO VENKATESHA'
Their last hit together was Adavari Matalaku Ardhale Verule two years ago, and now Venkatesh and Trisha are all set to wow the Telugu audience with their next film Namo Venkatesha. A family entertainer, the film is scheduled to release early this year.

SAMBHO SIVA SAMBHO
Sambho Siva Sambho is one of the most awaited multi-starrers of 2010. With Ravi Teja, Allari Naresh and Priyamani in the lead, this remake of the Tamil blockbuster Nadodigal is directed by Samuthirakani.

VEDAM
Directed by Krish Radhakrish-na, of Gamyam fame, Vedam is one of the several multistarrers slated to release this year. With big names like Anuskha Shetty, Allu Arjun, Manchu Manoj, Seiya and Manoj Bajpai, the film promises to be a compelte entertainer.

KOMARAM PULI
After the 2008 superhit Jalsa, Pavan Kalyan is all set to return with Komaram Puli, which is slated for a summer release. Directed by S.J. Surya, the film will have Pavan romancing debutant Nikesha Patel. The movie which draws its name from Komaram Bheem, who fought for the liberation of Hyderabad state, is expected to have political anecdotes.

MAHESH BABU- ANUSHKA FILM:

After a two-year hibernation, Mahesh Babu is finally ready to make a comeback with an untitled film opposite Anushka Shetty. Directed by Trivikram Srinivas, the film is expected to release in summer.

BRINDAVANAM:

After staying out of the limelight for so long, NTR Junior seems to be on a roll. After Adurs, NTR’s next release this year will be Brindavanam, where he will be sporting a completely different look. The movie which is being produced by Dil Raju will have him romancing Kajal Agarwal.

ORANGE:
Movie buffs have reason to cheer. Director Bhaskar of Bommarillu fame is bringing together two popular stars in his next film — Ram Charan Teja and Genelia. The shooting of this movie is on and it’s expected to release by the end of 2010.

Women on the top in Tollywood!!!

Step aside guys, the ladies are here! Once known to be a testosterone-driven industry, Tollywood has suddenly opened up to the idea of women taking centre stage. Previously present only to add an element of glamour, these leading ladies are now calling the shots. With six heroine-oriented films slated for release in the first half of 2010, the year promises to be all about girl power.

Be it Bhumika-starrer Amaravati, Charmee’s Mangala or Sindu Menon’s Subhadra, the films’ titles are also named after female characters now. And it’s not just breezy chick flicks we are talking about. Genelia’s newly released Katha, Kalyani’s next Chapter 6, and Killer, which has Sindura Gadde in the lead, proves that women are now part of the male world of thrillers, action flicks and whodunits too.

Bhumika Chawla, one of the first actors to carve a niche for herself as a character actor, agrees that women are certainly on top this season. “There is a gradual change in the industry. Heroines are getting good screen space and challenging roles to explore,” she says, adding, “It might take time for the audience to get used to this trend as they have been accustomed to seeing only heroes in lead roles.”

However, senior actors and stars are still not open to playing second fiddle to these dynamic chicks. It is only smaller actors and debutants who are chosen to act opposite them. But the girls are gung ho. “It feels great to be treated on par with the heroes, and it doesn’t really matter who we are paired with. Heroes here have a huge fan base, and they might not accept stories that revolve around the heroine. The films have huge sums of money at stake, so the stars too are not willing to take a risk by acting. But as long as we get meaty roles, there’s are no complaints,” admits Sindhu Menon, who is currently shooting for Subhadra.

Filmmakers claim that the trend also has a lot to do with how busy the heroes in the industry are. Ravi babu, the director of Amravati, adds, “The shift is towards story-centric filmmaking. The success of Anasuya and Arundhati has busted the myth that only heroes can fetch a box office hit. Moreover, most of the big stars are not available easily to filmmakers. So directors are testing other genres of films, including women-centric cinema.”

Girl power:

Panchakshari — Anushka Shetty.

Subhadra — Sindhu Menon.

Chapter 6 — Kalyani.

Killer-Sindhura Gadde.

Mangala — Charmee.

Meera Jasmine’s untitled film.