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Sandhya of Premisthe and Annavaram fame will soon be seen in yet another role of a female lead in Hasini. The film is directed by BV Ramana and produced by B Kamalakar Reddy. It is slated for a release in April. So far, except for two songs, which will be shot in Marutius from this month end, the film has done with filming. The film boasts of various commercial elements like love, action and comedy, according to the director. He promises that the film will taste distinctly. "The two songs left will be shot in a schedule that begins by the end of this month. After the post-production works, the film will be released in the first week of April. Aphia, Giri Babu, Venu Madhav, Krishna Bhagawan, Ali, Dharmavarapu Subramanyam, Hema, Surekhavani are the various other casting. For Sandhya, who plays Kamalakar's pair in the film, Hasini is important because she has not delivered a hit after Premisthe. Marudhuri Raja is the dialogue-writer. Koti has composed the music. The

The wait for Kalavar King is finally over. The film is expected to set for a release on Feb 25. In the film, Nikhil plays a wisecrack, whose forte is making clever, if cunning, talk. The film was earlier slated for a Sankranthi release, but has been postponed. Producers Chandrasekhara Rao and Dammulapati Srinivasa Rao said, "Kalavar King is the apt title going by the hero's characterisation. The title is already on the lips of the audience even prior to release." The film is set in the backdrop of city and the hero is someone who has no iota of thought for studies or family. All he knows is tricking people. Kalavar King shows what happens when such a youth falls in love. The film will also have loads of entertaining scenes between Nikhil and Ajay, who plays a villain. Anitha of Nuvvu Nenu fame will be seen in a special song. Nikhil is playing a naughty role and comedians like Ali, Venumadhav, Dharmavarapu, Raghubabu will be seen. Kashi Vishwanath, seen playing

In a recent interview to a popular vernacular daily, Naga Babu told Pawan was a big fan of Amitabh Bacchan in his childhood. Though the actor's fans, who have always shown interest in personal tastes and preferences of their favourite star have always known this, it came as a surprise that it was confessed by someone close to the star himself. When the interviewer asked the two brothers of Pawan, Chiru and Naga Babu, the latter told that Pawan as a child was always no-nonsense kind of one, who always lived in himself. On one occasion, Naga Babu wanted to provoke Pawan by saying that Big B was not a great actor, at which Pawan was thoroughly outraged. He shared the light moment saying that the star, who usually did not get into fights with anyone, was incensed when the former deliberately tried to belittle Amithab's prowess, just to tease Pawan. Wonder how the 'Power Star' felt when he was invited to the premiere show of Sarkar some years ago, which was attended by

SP Balasubramaniam's son Charan is all set to release his production no. 7 'Padmavyuham' in Telugu (which is Nanayam in Tamil). The Tamil original will be dubbed in Telugu and released in the first week of March. Its music will be released soon. The film runs in the backdrop of a bank. A brilliant employee of a famous bank invents a software to secure the deposits of the bank. But circumstances force him to plot a heist himself. What makes him do so and whether he succeeds in the game is to be seen on the screen. The film is directed by Shakthi Rajan and Junior SP is producing it under the banner Capital Film Works (P) Ltd. Charan says that this one is going to be a never-seen-before cinematic plot. The film has music by James Vasanthan and dialogue by Vennelakanti. Charan is planning to release the film with 150 prints in Tamil Nadu. He is hoping that though the film is going to strike the right chord with the audience. Hope Charan becomes a producer of fame he

‘Srimath Sundarakanda’, a devotional album based on the ‘Sundarakanda’ episode from the holy epic ‘Ramayana’ was launched in the holy precincts of Sharada Peetham, Visakhapatnam recently. ‘Srimath Sundarakanda’ was released by His Holiness Sri Sri Sri Swaroopanandendra Saraswathi Maha Swamiji. Other eminent personalities present at the launch were Honourable Union minister Smt. Daggupati Purandareswari and honourable MLA from Visakhapatnam Sri Malla Vijaya Prasad. Also in attendance were Sri Ravi Shankar, Music Director, Smt C.L.Rajakumari, lyricist and Sri C.N.Nageswara Rao, Producer. The music album is released in to the market by Times Music. The music is provided by Ravi Shankar Sadaram, a veteran music composer with vast experience in the movie field. The music is composed of many ragas ranging from ‘Shankarabharanam’ to ‘Charukesi’, all well set in tune with tone and tenor of the events in Hanuman’s great mission. The episode of ‘Sundarakanda’ with a duration of 32 minutes is

Mr.Sandeep Dallas based exhibitor who have screened Jalsa, Arya 2 etc films successfully in the past, now entered in U.S distribution and bagged rights of much waited movie Varudu. IKON entertainment LLC brought stylish star Allu Arjun’s latest flick VARUDU theatrical screening for North America (US & Canada) and overseas DVD rights. The movie is going to release last week of March 2010. Allu Arjun is doing a different character to all the roles he played so far in his career and his performance would remain a highlight. Another specialty is that popular Tamil hero Aarya, who gave big hits like Pattiyar, Naan Kadavul is making his debut as villain on the Telugu screen and scenes between Allu Arjun and Aarya would remain another highlight. The film will have different elements like entertainment sentiment, romance, comedy and action. Mani Sharma’s melodious tunes going to be another highlight for the film and getting ready to fill audio racks end of Feb. The film has a beautiful

Known for novelty and stunning ideas from the days of ‘A’ Kannada film in which he made his debut as an actor under his own direction Upendra has been making startling surprises. In his come back film for direction after 10 years (the last film he directed was titled ‘Upendra’ for producer Shilpa Srinivas) he has given a big dose to the media. The whole idea is a teaser. What you are going to report we have given it means! Using the style of reporting made by different major newspapers in Karnataka with a few information related to his new launch symbol title Upendra has sent 16 pages newspaper size information pack of his film. It was sent to only film media person’s houses via PRO of the film. It was not handed over but put at the door step of all film media persons. Using the newspaper names and making different page design of some of the newspapers Upendra proved yet again that he is different. Related to the film he has the information and opinion of producer, Upendra and actr

The Rajakumar sons - first son Shivarajakumar and last son Puneeth Rajakumar of Dr Rajakumar on Monday left for the sacred place Shabarimalai in Kerala. At 6.45 pm the 37 member’s team left for Shabarimalai in a KSTDC Volvo bus from the residence of Shivarajakumar in Nagavara Bangalore. Inside the bus there was a portrait of Dr.Rajakumar reminding the ‘Annavru’ journey to Shabarimalai when he was living. Shivaramanna who was the Guru Swamy to the team of 37 also accompanied Dr Rajakumar and took the lead for the conduct of the rituals. Director of ‘Cheluveye Ninne Nodalu’ Raghuram, actor Tarun Sudhir, and Suvarna Tarun were among the 37 persons who left for Shabarimalai. In the morning at the residence of Shivarajakumar in Nagavara the religious function was held and guests were fed on this occasion. Sisters of Shivarajakumar, SA Chinne Gowda, SA Govindaraj, actor Premkumar, Honnavalli Krishna, MN Suresh, MS Rajasekhar and others took part in the function.

Ace Bollywood director Priyadarshan has pleaded an apology to Shahrukh and Karan Johar for his comments on a recent television interview, where he has termed the Shiv sena-Shahrukh conflict a publicity stunt. Priyan who pleaded innocence says that he was quoted out of context. ''Since both are very much dear to me, I will never speak anything like that about SRK or Karan. I would like to openly apologize if they are hurt and also want to assure that I will be always in the part of the film fraternity in conflicts between them and politicians'', clears Priyadarshan.

Priyanandanan's much acclaimed movie ‘Sufi Paranja Katha’ (A tale told by a Sufi) will grace the theatres by the 19th of this month. Featuring Prakash Bare, Sharbani Mukherjee and Thampi Antony in the lead roles, the movie is based on the popular novel by K P Ramanunni. Telling a story about communal harmony between religions, the movie is cleared by the censor board with a U/A certificate. Babu Antony, Samvrutha Sunil and Jagathy Sreekumar are also part of this movie, which is produced by Silicon media. ‘Sufi Paranja Katha’ was one of the films at the competition section of this year's IFFK, held last December.

Malayalam film world is not new to Prabhu. He debuted in Malayalam with ‘Kaalapani’ which had Mohanlal in the lead. After that he was seen in films like Malayali Maamanu Vanakkam, Kanninum Kannadikkum and War and love. He has worked with Mohanlal, Dileep and Jayaram. Now he is working with Mammootty for the first time. Prabhu is doing a cameo role in a new movie ‘Pramaani’ in which Mammootty is the hero. Prabhu will be appearing the role of Varkey, a former panchayat president. Mammootty plays Viswanatha Panikkar, is present panchayat president. Prabhu was in Kochi recently for the shooting where he also enjoyed the hospitality of Mammootty’s home.

Adobe said its army of Flash developers on the desktop will now be able to launch mobile applications too. The company unveiled Adobe AIR for mobile devices and said it will support Google’s Android platform this year. Adobe, which is in a high profile spat with Apple over Flash support on the iPad and iPhone, announced the following from the Mobile World Congress 2010 ( statement , Techmeme ): Flash Player 10.1 beta is available to content providers and mobile developers with general availability in the first half of 2010. This version is a consistent runtime across PCs, tablets, smartphone and consumer electronics. AIR for mobile devices is designed to allow developers to cover multiple operating systems and browsers. The big selling point is that developers can create applications once and sell them across multiple platforms and app stores. AIR will support Android in 2010. Symbian will join Adobe’s Open Screen Project , which is designed to take Flash across multiple screens. M

These words from one of the main founders of modern political science Niccolò Machiavelli ’s 1513 book ‘ The Prince ‘ show how timelessly resistant human nature is around change: “…and one should bear in mind that there is nothing more difficult to execute, nor more dubious of success, nor more dangerous to administer than to introduce a new order to things; for he who introduces it has all those who profit from the old order as his enemies; and he has only lukewarm allies in all those who might profit from the new . This lukewarmness partly stems from fear of their adversaries, who have the law on their side, and partly from the skepticism of men, who do not truly believe in new things unless they have personal experience in them.” Lukewarm allies and fair weather friends are something all too many practitioners of grass roots Enterprise 2.0 collaboration initiatives grapple with. Shifting political clouds and the fickle hand of fate cause many promising initiatives to fizzle at th

We are going to see lots of mobile phone news coming from Barcelona this week with the Mobile World Congress event kicking off today. One of the first pieces of news comes from Samsung as they announced their first bada-based phone, the Wave . You may recall that Samsung announced their own operating system in December, called bada . bada takes the familiar Samsung TouchWIZ user interface to the operating system level and the Wave is designed to show off what Samsung can do with its own operating system. I have to admit, the Wave is a very nice looking device with some high end power and features, but I have never been much of a fan of TouchWIZ. The Samsung Wave is made from a single piece of aluminum with a glass 3.3 inch Super AMOLED 800×480 pixel resolution display. It is powered by a 1GHz processor and appears to be similar to my fantastic Google Nexus One device. The TouchWiz 3.0 UI has the ability to be customized by the user, has an integrated phonebook (think Nokia Maemo and

This is an extension for Google Chrome. Simply hides the invite box using CSS only. http://downloads.zdnet.com/abstract.aspx?docid=1503837

MyDefrag is a disk defragmenter and optimizer (a maintenance utility to make your harddisk faster) for Windows 2000, 2003, XP, Vista, 2008, and for X64. It is freeware, with no time limit, and is fully functional with no advertisements. It is fast, with low overhead and many optimization strategies. It can handle floppies, USB disks, memory sticks, and anything else that looks like a disk to Windows. Included are a set of easy-to-use scripts for end users, a scripting engine for demanding users, a screen saver, and a combined Windows plus command-line version that can be scheduled by the Windows task scheduler or for use from administrator scripts.MyDefrag is based on the standard defragmentation API by Microsoft, a system library that is included in Windows 2000, 2003, XP, Vista, and 2008. Most defragmenters are based on this API, including the free defragmenter that comes with Windows and many commercial defragmenters. http://downloads.zdnet.com/abstract.aspx?docid=1503839

This is an extension for Google Chrome. Simply hides the invite and chat boxes using CSS only. http://downloads.zdnet.com/abstract.aspx?docid=1503835

This is an extension for Google Chrome. A simple button in your toolbar that opens the Extensions directory in Google Chrome, allowing you to edit extensions and extension option. http://downloads.zdnet.com/abstract.aspx?docid=1503833

This is an extension for Google Chrome. Adds a button to your task bar that gives you instant access to everything Olympics. http://downloads.zdnet.com/abstract.aspx?docid=1503831

Schedule It is the ultimate in room, people and resource planning software. Six scheduling programs in one, single or multi users, local or remote access. Use Schedule It to plan and schedule just about any collection of resources or tasks with detailed filtering, reporting, expense tracking, and cost analysis for each. Automatic email alerts and reminders keep everybody informed of any schedule changes. Includes new remote synchronization, customizable reports, and views. http://downloads.zdnet.com/abstract.aspx?docid=1503829

TinEye is the first image search engine on the web to use image identification technology rather than keywords, metadata or watermarks. When you submit an image to be searched, TinEye creates a unique and compact digital signature or 'fingerprint' for it, then compares this fingerprint to every other image in our index to retrieve matches. TinEye does not typically find similar images; it finds exact matches including those that have been cropped, edited or resized. http://downloads.zdnet.com/abstract.aspx?docid=1503827

When we post stories and blogs that are focused on individuals, it’s easy to forget what comes of them. The story loses attention and presto, off the front page it goes and it’s onto the next news topic. And if they do make back into the news, it winds up in the leisure section. Often that is hard to argue that is where it belongs. On other occasions, there simply isn’t enough time to go back and follow up. Here’s a few that I have attempted to check up on after doing a blog about each of them. Gary McKinnon on January 14 th won a hearing to review his extradition case. The hearing will argue if his human rights were violated. McKinnon’s date before the Judge is expected in April or May of this year. McKinnon has two websites dedicated to obtaining his release and are publishing all you would ever want to know about Gary . A request for comment from the U.S. State Department went unanswered. Perhaps they’ve forgotten about the incident… Carly Fiorina is in what is likely to be a v

Just ahead of its Windows Phone 7 (Series) unveiling on February 15 at the Mobile World Congress show in Barcelona, Microsoft is making public information about some of the new bosses running things there. First up is the newly minted Corporate Vice President of Windows Phone Engineering — Terry Myerson . According to new information published on February 12, Myerson is the lead of the team delivering “the software at the heart of Windows Phones and Zune devices, including the user interface, applications, supporting web services, and the operating system.” Windows Compact Edition already is “at the heart” of both Windows Mobile phones and Zune HD devices. But the wording of Myerson’s bio leads me to believe there’s even more synergy between these groups. Hello “Zune Phone” (a k a Windows Phone 7 offerings running Zune music/video services….? (Windows Phone 7 increasingly is sounding like the new name for Windows Mobile 7. If so, the new branding is a departure for Microsoft , w

It’s not positioning itself to be a competitor to Best Buy like Walmart has, but Target manages to come up with a cheap TV special almost every week. This week it’s offering a couple of Westinghouse LCD sets at bargain prices for those not put off by the second-tier brand. If you’re looking for a real inexpensive TV, Target has the 32-inch Westinghouse 32H640G for just $299. Our sister site CNET didn’t love it , however, and it doesn’t seem to be available online to comparison shop. Likewise, you can’t compare the $499 price for Westinghouse’s 42-inch 1080p 42F810G, but it’s an aggressive price for those looking for a decent-sized set around which to build a budget home theater. Best Buy’s weekly circular promises some clearance prices—no surprise considering the 2010 models should be hitting stores in a few weeks—but a quick check on prices online show that the LG LCDs and most of the Samsung plasmas listed are priced pretty much the same at online retailers. So they’ll satisfy your

First of all you need to keep one thing in your mind, which is that you cannot increase the connection speed from the ISP but tweak your computer to make sure that you can use 100% of what the connectivity you get and optimize the same. If you are on a 256kbps connection, the download speed of any file you would get would range at around 25-30kbps, calculated at the rate which the Internet Service Provider offers you divided by 8, hence for the 256kbps connection, it would be 256/8 = 32 but ultimately some of the programs which run in the background would take up the connectivity speed along with the operating system and other software updates which continuously monitor your PC for updates and keep connecting to the Internet and upload or download this information. Hence we need to try to block all these problems and make sure that the speed we get is optimized and used to the maximum by implement the following steps. Read More Here : AmitBhavani Blog

Film promotions are of different types and one is that to announce contests asking fans to send in their answers with a proof they watched that particular film. This time tested idea of promoting films through contests was there even in the sixties. In the 80s AVM Productions was good at it and tried innovative promotions for their films with top stars. Of late this was not tried for any film with big stars. After a long time ‘Asal’ has embarked on a promo like this. Accordingly winners in Tamil Nadu who fulfill all the eligibilities of the contest will be given gold coins as prizes. Another first from ‘Thala’.

Usually song sequences in a film are the ones that take maximum days of work and effort from the creative unit of the film. But turning a new leaf in this regard are actor Suriya and director Hari. Their latest film together 'Singam' has made news for shooting songs in the shortest possible time. The 'Singam' team which went to Dubai for shooting songs has surprised the pundits by completing two songs in just seven days. When Suriya suggested completing two songs in seven days director Hari was pleasantly surprised. Action man Hari then got his dancers on the foot and made it possible. The songs otherwise would have taken 15-20 days to complete. Seven days in Dubai and Muscat. Two songs picturised. One great team at work.

After the success of ‘Malai Malai’ film, Arun Vijay is getting closer to Lord Murugan every day. His fondness for the Tamil God has made him inscribe a tattoo image of the Lord on his back. Four inches below his neck is to be precise. Arun also has created a lot of sequences to show his devotion for his God in the upcoming film ‘Maanja Velu’. Meanwhile ‘Maanja Velu’ is going to do its post production work in Malaysia. The audio will be launched in the first week of March. Plans are also on to celebrate the 100 days function of ‘Malai Malai’ soon.

Even as ‘Vinnaithandi Varuvaya’ is all set to release Goutham Menon hasn’t come out of the film fully say circles close to him. So much so that he is even planning a sequel. “Goutham is yet to fully come out of ‘Vinnaithandi Varuvaya’. The film had its impact on him since it is inspired by some of his real life experiences,” they add. “However, he didn’t have the idea of a sequel until a few days ago till he saw the final version on screen. He may start the venture after completing two of his commitments- Ajith’s 50th venture and the film with Kamal Haasan. He considers ‘VTV’ as his best so far” sources add. With Silambarasan playing Karthik (an aspiring filmmaker) and Trisha as Jessie (a Malayalam Christian girl), the film produced by Escape Artists Motion Pictures and R S Infotainment, will be released by Red Giant Movies (Udhayanidhi Stalin) on February 26

Last week Super Star Rajinikanth had a preview of Vishnunaradhan’s last film ‘Aptha Rakshaka’ directed by P.Vasu. After watching the movie Rajinikanth was seen visibly moved and almost in tears, according to sources. "I could not control my emotions after watching this film. It looks as if my friend is alive today and talking. I was really emotional watching this film. I had a feeling that I was watching my own film- Rajinikanth reportedly told director Vasu. Even others who saw the film along with the super star like Ramkumar and Prabhu could not control their emotions. ‘Aptha Rakshaka’ is the 200th film of Kannada Super Star Vishnuvaradhan who died on December 30 last year. The film is all set to be released on February 19. Now will ‘Aptha Rakshaka’ be made in Tamil and will Ramkumar and Prabhu produce the ‘Chandramukhi’ sequel? Director P Vasu has made it clear that he surely is remaking it and his first choice will always be Rajinikanth.

We all know him as an actor, a car racer and an avid fan of aero modeling. And now, Ajith wants to fly and is taking steps to get a private pilot license. "I always wanted to become a racer or a pilot. Now that I am already into aero modeling, I am hopeful of getting my pilot license by June 2011. People say those doing aero modeling are already half pilots," he says. On Sunday, Ajith was at it his favourite act again- motor sports. He took part in the last round of the MRF Challenge amidst cheer from fans who even tried to break into the track as the race was on. However the actor couldn’t finish the act as he wanted. "The gear box got stuck and I could not go beyond the first gear. But life is full of ups and downs, and I have learnt how to accept such things."

After 'Goa' Venkat Prabhu is starting some thing as big as ‘Goa’. The film which was to be produced by Lingusamy and directed by Boopathy Pandian has now fallen on the lap of Venkat Prabhu. Boopathy Pandian is moving to direct Vikram for Mohan Natrajan and so Lingusamy has roped in Venkat Prabhu. Venkat has already impressed Silambarasan with a story and his favourite Tamannah has also been signed to play the heroine. Venkat is so exited about the new project that he has even reduced his remuneration substantially for producer Lingusamy. Then what happened to the film in which Lingusamy was to direct Silambarasan? Lingusamy is busy on his entry into Bollywood and so Silambarasan is there for Venkat..

Indian Institute of Management- Ahmedabad (IIM-A), the top B-school in the country, had a celebrity lecturer on Friday. It was none other than Shriya Saran who was invited by the institute to give a guest lecture after the likes of Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan. The actress gave a lecture to the second year students of contemporary film industry (CFI) which is an elective course for the postgraduate programme at IIM-A. And the topic was marketing and branding of a film. “I feel elated when I got an invitation from IIM-A. Because I am well aware that it is one of the prestigious management schools in India and lecturing there is no short of a national honour. I was thrilled to interact with some of the brilliant minds of the country,” says Shriya. After the actress described how things move in Tamil and Telugu film industries, a question-answer session followed where she handled all the queries with spontaneity and humour. “I did a lot of research for almost five days to impress the

Several eyebrows in political and film circles went up to note Latha Rajinikanth going without the super star to invite the chief minister Karunanidhi for the engagement of Soundarya Rajinikanth. The incident assumed more significance as the super star himself went to invite the former chief minister Jayalalitha. But all doubts were put to rest by the super star himself at a function organised by Sanga Thamizh Peravai to felicitate Karunanidhi in Chennai yesterday. Speaking at the function the super star said he would be inviting the Chief Minister personally for Soundarya’s wedding. “Because, there is a saying that a ruler is like fire and one should neither be too close nor too far from him. So I would always maintain a distance with those in power. However, nothing could stop me from inviting him personally for Soundarya’s marriage” he added amidst thunderous applause from the audience The felicitation function was also attended by Kamal Haasan and Mammootty from the film industr

Ace filmmaker Bharathiraja has urged youngsters not to perform 'palabishekam' or 'arathi' before the cut-outs and hoardings of actors whenever a new film is released. Addressing students at a programme organised by a Madurai-based college, he said, "films are just to enjoy. You can spend your leisure time watching movies. But you should not worship actors or actresses." Urging younger generation not to go crazy about heroes, the veteran director said, "education is very very crucial for students to excel in life. At the same time, art too is essential to bring out change in society." He added: "I was not educated. I only studied the people of this part of the country which helped me make films on them. Likewise, art will help to locate the unique talent of every person." Bharathiraja, who had introduced many fresh talents to Tamil cinema, including a long list of actors and actresses, is known for making his stand clear on various issue

Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi was at a function organised by the Sanga Thamizh Peravai on Sunday. Lot of celebrities from political and film worlds spoke in praise of the chief minister at the function. Union Minister Jagathratchagan, state Law Minister Duraimurugan, film stars Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan and Mammootty were among others who offered their felicitations. Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister M K Stalin, External Affairs Minister S M Krishna and Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah were also there at the function. In his acceptance speech the chief minister said “I for one construe felicitation functions as a call to remind me to put in more effort and strive vigorously for the development of the people.

It has been a suspense as to who will fill the slot of the second heroine in Junior NTR's forthcoming film Brindavanam. The suspense is over now. It has been confirmed that Yemaya Chesave girl Samantha will be cased with NTR in the actor's first-ever full-fledged love story. The film has been on the floors for more than two months now. Scenes involving Kajal Agarwal and the Junior have been shot in different locations, including at Hyderabad's Shabdalaya Studios. Soon, Samantha will join the unit. The film is produced by Dil Raju, a producer with high success rate as well as the owner of a banner that has scouted for family entertainers. The girl has just done a film opposite Nag Chaitanya, which is directed by Gautham Menon, a talented Tamil director. Now, her second film is yet again going to be a prestigious one. It is only any one's guess that Samantha would be on Cloud Nine nowadays. The promos of Yemaya.. have wowed the makers of Brindavanam, who were promp

Varudu's shooting will be complete with the filming of one song in the first week of March. It is known that the film is slated for a March end release. The film will be released by Geetha Arts, which has bought the distribution and release rights of this film, produced by DVV Danayya. ItThe film has been shot in the picturesque locations of Allapuzza's backwaters and Ramoji Film City. Its log, released recently, has caught the attention of Allu's fans who are expecting to see their favourite star in a whole new avatar. Simultaneously, the post-production works are also under way. After the failure of Sainikudu in 2006, Guna Sekhar is making this film after a gap of almost 3 1/2 years. Besides, Tamil actor Arya will be seen in a negative role, while Singeetham Srinivasa Rao has a distinct role here. As his last film Arya2, which is currently showing in theatres, is a class flick, it is said that Varudu is going to be more important for him, since it targets the rural

Shriya may have so far boasted of laurels and appreciation heaped upon her by her co-stars, but now she can claim to be the first actress in South India, or probably, India, to be invited as a guest lecturer at the premium Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. The reputable institute of higher learning invited Shriya, the actress of Shivaji - The Boss and such popular Tamil and Telugu movies, on the 12th of February. She lectured on the topic marketing and branding of a film. She has been associated to big budget movies like Shivaji, which was aggressively marketed. It is said that Shriya did not go about downloading a lecture prepared by someone, but did research on the topic by herself for, well, five days. Contemporary Film Industry - A Business Perspective was the programme under which the lecture was given. Incidentally, she used the opportunity to speak high of the business of films conducted in the two most popular and rich film industries in the South - Tollywood and

Bhoomika Chawla is playing an air hostess in her forthcoming film 'Yagam', directed by PA Aruna Prasad. The film also has Navdeep and Kim Sharma in crucial roles. Yagam, a film with a distinctive story and narrative, will be based on the interactions between the three characters. It is set in Bangkok hotel, where in Navdeep works. Produced by Raju and Praveen, the film has Ajay, Brahmanandam, Rahul Dev, Ali, Harshvardhan in important roles. The film will be released by the end of this month. We will see Navdeep playing the romantic interest of Kim in the film. Yagam, which has just completed Censor formalities, has Mani Sharma playing the music. Other major technical departments are helmed by seasoned ones like Marthand K Venkatesh (Editing) and Selva (Stunts). Bharani S Dharan is the cameraman. The director says that Yagam chronicles the incidents happening in the lives of these three individuals, in an interesting way. The makers believe that, for Bhoomika, Yagam will

Director Sagar is the new president of Film Directors' Association. He has been elected the President after an election process in which many members participated. In fact, he defeated the formidable Tammareddy Bharadwaj, much to the surprise of the industry members. The election, conducted on February 14, threw up this surprise. Also, G Ramprasad has been elected the Convenor, while Krishnavamsi and Mallikarjuna have been jointly elected for the post of the Vice-President. Kasi Vishwanath has been elected the Treasurer. SS Rajamouli, VN Aditya, Malli and Prabhu have been elected as members of the Executive Committee.

The Tekula Krupakar Reddy-directed film, starring Prakash Raj and Bhoomika is nearing completion. The last schedule of the film will go on up to March 15, with which the film will be wrapped up. The film stars the actor and actress as husband and wife. It is publicised as a film that details about the delicacies and subtleties that are an integral part of a husband-wife relationship. In fact, the National Award-winning actor and actress Bhoomika, who are usually choosy, immediately agreed to do the movie because the storyline thoroughly convinced them that it had so much meaning in it. It seems to be a rare film coming with a mature concept and revolving around two middle-aged couple. The film has dialogue and screenplay by Paruchuri Brothers, while Chinna composes the music. Produced by Amod Entertainments, the film has Prakash Raj playing an IAS officer, while Bhoomika will be seen as a Management graduate. Let's wait and see if turns out to be an interesting film that ca

Yet another popular Tamil-Telugu actress is all set to make an impact in Sandalwood. Swathi the petite girl who has done good films like ‘Aadavari Maatalaku Ardhale Verule’ in Telugu and ‘Subramaniapuram’ in Tamil is likely to make her debut in Kannada opposite Shivrajkumar. The director of the film tentatively titled as ‘Mylari’, Chandru has confirmed that Swathi has been approached and the dates are being discussed to be finalized. Swathi is now doing a Tamil film with Vikram so she is careful not to mess up with the big film in Tamil. So she has been given time to plan and take a decision by director Chandru. But the title ‘Mylari’ is now registered in KFCC by Ashwini Ram Prasad. The film’s co-producer Srikanth hopes to get the title for him as he shares a cordial relationship with Ashwini. The new film will be produced by Kananapura Sreenivas who had earlier made hit films like ‘Yuvaraja’ and ‘Santha’ with Shivarajkumar. Guru Kiran will be the music director. Swathi was a pop

We all know that Andari Bandhuvaya is a film to watch out for. Latest, the film has been described by its director Chandra Siddhartha as a 'heart' film, by which he probably means an art film, spruced up with commercial elements, yet touching the heart with its realism. After the failure of Idi Sangathi, expect the director to deliver with a vengeance. Like his previous ventures, this one is spun around sensitive emotions and human sensibilities, according to the director. As the director feels that Gen N's thoughts are not limited and superficial, and they stretch beyond the purview of "my life and my family", the protagonist here is someone who is universal in his thinking. It is produced by Utopia Entertainments. Let us expect a film with some depth from the talented director-writer. The film also has Naresh, Krishna Bhagawan, MS Narayana, RK (mama of Hyderabad Nawabs fame) playing key roles. Anoop Rebens is the music director. Lyrics are by Chaitanya

Last week Tamil Super Star Rajinikanth had a preview of Vishnunaradhan’s last film ‘Aptha Rakshaka’ directed by P.Vasu at a theatre in Chennai. After watching the film Rajinikanth was seen visibly moved and in tears, according to sources. "I could not control my emotions after watching this film. It looked as if my friend is alive today and talking. I was really emotional watching this film. I had a feeling that I am watching my own film- Rajinikanth reportedly told director Vasu. Even others who saw the film along with the super star like Sivaji Ganesan’s sons Ramkumar and Prabhu could not control their emotions. Now will ‘Aptha Rakshaka’ be made in Tamil and will Ramkumar and Prabhu produce the sequel? Director P Vasu has made it clear that he surely is remaking it in Tamil and his first choice will always be Rajinikanth. It may be recalled that it was Sivaji Productions run by Ramkumar and Prabhu brothers that remade ‘Aaptha Mitra’ in Tamil as ‘Chandramukhi’ in 2005. ‘Chandr

Director Dayal Padmanabhan for his latest film ‘Sri Harikathe’ starring Sri Murali, Pooja Gandhi, Radhika Gandhi and Naveen Krishna generated opinions by showing the film to a cross section of 80 persons. The 20 percent of the audience raised objection the 18 minutes lengthy climax and he made necessary changes to it already. Dayal Padmanabhan as executive producer of ‘Gaalipata’ of Yogaraj Bhat direction gave the story and screenplay reading of the film before the start of the film to get opinions. ‘Sri Harikathe’ is releasing on 5th March. Due to big films around the corner Dayal Padmanabhan has applied the theory of wait and watch. Right from the beginning of the film Dayal went on adding good elements to the film ‘Sri Harikathe’. Srimurali initially thought of backing out of the project, but later thought this would be a good one in his career. This was a tough role he explained. As an audience I am satisfied to the core said actor Naveen Krishna. I came to know that I can do co

The cameramen fraternity of Karnataka honored the doyen cinematographer V K Murthy with a memento, shawl and garland on Sunday morning at G M Rejoyz auditorium in Malleswaram, Bangalore. The Patel and Patel International Company and Fuji Films Mumbai jointly organized this program with another purpose to introduce the new 500 VIVID film. Ujjwal Nirgudkar Technical head of Patel and Patel International demonstrated the new Vivid 500 film. Cinematography film advancement then and now was discussed on the occasion. The new invention of vivid 500 does not need the DI technology for films shot here afterwards expressed the technical head. The veteran cameraman G S Bhasker anchored the event to honor the Dada of cinematography V K Murthy. V K Murthy after receiving the honor turned emotional and thanked the cameraman brothers of his fraternity. The 90 percent of cinematographers of Karnataka were present at the felicitation function to V K Murthy. The Cinematographers Association of Karn

We reported on 12th February that director ‘Saiprakash is depressed’ after his ‘Devaru Kotta Thangi’ debacle but no one thought the director would take the extreme step of attempting suicide. Just a day after the report in IndiaGlitz.com Saiprakash took the ultimate step to end his life. He consumed sleeping dose and before that he sent messages to a few industry friends that he is ending his life. The family members of Saiprakash found him at the right time and brought to Global Hospital for treatment. After 48 hours of observation director of 88 films in Kannada and Telugu Saiprakash is out of danger.

The top actress of Kannada cinema Ramya aka Divya Spandana in a novel way celebrated the Valentine Day that was very meaningful. She spent the day at the Kidwai Hospital where 300 cancer patients of different age group are treated. The novel event was organized by Yuva Bengaluru. Lyricist and music director K Kalyan also spent time with the patients of Kidwai Memorial institute of Oncology and shared his good times. For the actress spending time and offering love to the patients who are in the last stage of life was emotional. She received the greeting cards made by the students from lower socio-economic background. Lyricist and music director K Kalyan appreciated the commendable work done by Yuva Bengalugu. Yuva Bengaluru is a registered NGO under the Societies Act of 1960. Educate, empower, enable and practical implementation to bring change are the set goals of the Yuva Belgaluru.

Looks like K.V. Anand's Ko is in trouble again. Earlier, lead actor Simbu opted out of the movie after doing the photo shoot and heroine Tamannaah was replaced by Karthika, daughter of yesteryear beauty Radha. Now the latest we hear is that actor Jiiva, who replaced Simbu recently, was denied a visa by the Chinese government. The team was planning for a shooting schedule in Northern China-Mongolia border. Sources say that the entire team applied for the Chinese visa but the lead actor Jiiva alone was rejected for the second time.

If it had to do with Tamil cinema, he's likely to be in the Top 3, but on the racing track, given the long break he's taken, it's quite a fabulous achievement to have finished in the Top 10! Kudos to that Thala! Ajith quit racing a few years ago following a back injury and has since dedicated his time to cinema and family. But like all racers say, racing is an addiction that no amount of rehab can cure! The adrenaline rush and pure thrill of the sport blurs all harbingers of ill-fate! Once a racer, always a racer! So that quite explains why Ajith could not resist a race when it happened right at home. The actor participated in the MRF Formula 1600 International Challenge series held at Madras Motor Race Track, Irungattukottai, Sriperumputhur on February 14. Race fans and Thala fans thronged the venue, and things went haywire when Ajith's vehicle had to be steered off course due to a mechanical glitch. Fans were everywhere and it was absolute mayhem. Track security were

It's hard enough to so a scene in one single take, but dear Jayam Ravi has reportedly done an entire song in a single take! His brother, Jayam Raja, who has played a big part in Ravi's hit movies, having been the director of all of them, is directing Thillalangadi, the Tamil remake of Telugu movie Kick. The movie stars Ravi, Tamannaah and Shaam, who acted in the Telugu movie as well. Thillalangadi is like every other movie the Jayam brothers have successfully done before it is a through and through commercial flick, one much needed for Ravi after Peranmai, his pet project with Jananathan, did not do as well as expected. In Thillalangadi, we will once again see Ravi romance the heroine, groove to some good music and kick ass when the baddies turn up. So what's new? Raja came up with the idea of shooting an entire song in one single take, and Ravi gladly obliged! The song is the best in the album, tunes for which have been composed by Yuvanshankar Raja. We hear that Kick is a

Actor Sathyaraj is popular in Tamil cinema for his sarcastic humour and his daring to mock the industry and government through his cutting humour. While he may have fans who enjoy such comedy, and critics who hit the sarcasm right back at him, it goes without saying that he is one of Tamil cinema's powerful performers. The actor has not had half as exciting a career in Tollywood but that did not stop him from signing a supporting role in Sankham. Starring Gopichandh and Trisha, the movie is an action-packed extravanganza. Sathyaraj plays a powerful landlord revered and loved, and the actor admits that it was the characterization that truly appealed to him. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Sathyaraj insists he wants more roles that suit his age and since the one in Sankham fit the bill, he jumped at it. The movie is to be dubbed and released in Tamil under the name Sivappusamy. Meanwhile, the actor's performanace has been well appreciated in Tollywood and he has been receiving

What could possibly be in common between Ajith's latest movie Aasal [Asal], and Jayam Ravi's upcoming Ich? The location! 90% of Aasal was shot in France and we hear that Prabhu Deva, who is to direct Ich, has zeroed in on France for the backdrop of his movie! 90% of Ich will be filmed there as well! There is nothing else in common, because heroine Hansika assures us Ich is an out and out romance, and it was the sugary sweet love story that attracted her to the project. Of course, the fact that Prabhu Deva is directing it, Ravi plays the hero and Harris Jayaraj is doing the music, did play a big part in confirming her presence on the cast list! Harris has a way with romantic tunes and we sure hope comes up with something stupendous for Ich the buzz on the grapevine is that Prabhu and Harris flew off to Australia for musical inspiration and that the two melodies that they hit upon there are absolute soulful delights! We can't wait to hear more!

In the backdrop of the tiff between veteran actor Thilakan and Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA), Education and Cultural Affairs Minister M.A. Baby said in Kochi on Sunday that the State government would intervene to solve the differences between Thilakan and AMMA if the film industry failed to sort them out. The association recently served a show cause notice on Thilakan, seeking an unconditional apology from him for his allegations against some actors. People in the film sector will themselves solve the problem. They have the efficiency and patience," Baby told presspersons on the sidelines of a function to give away the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi awards. On Thilakan's complaint that he had received a threatening call after the controversy broke out, Baby said the Home Department would take action. Thilakan lodged a complaint with the police on Friday that he had received a call from the Gulf saying that a gang had been engaged to kill him within a week if he di

As Goa is running successfully in theatres, director Venkat Prabhu is now ready to move on. Earlier, there were reports that the director is joining hands with Amma Creations for his next flick. But the latest buzz is that Venkat Prabhu will team up with Simbu for his next flick to be produced by Lingusamy. Reports suggest that beautiful Tamannaah has been signed to play the heroine.

South India's talented young actor Siddharth made a visit to Vijayawada on Saturday to promote his new release Striker, directed by Chandan Arora. Interacting with selected customers, dealers and distributors of Idea Cellular Limited, which organised the promotional event at The Gateway Hotel, the actor described Striker as a kind of art film that got rave reviews. Many film magazines gave a rating of four to four-and-half stars out of five for the film, which indicates its high quality. The audience too are enjoying the film, he said. The actor felt that working for such films was a rare opportunity in the present set up in the film industry. He thanked the Idea Cellular for coming forward to promote the film. The actor also used the occasion to strike a chord with the people there by recollecting his bond with the city. Besides the United States, I always depend on Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam to get to know the talk of the film on its release date, so that I can come to a conclu

We all know about director Shankar, the man of innovations. Now the latest buzz is that he is planning to convert part of Endhiran into a 3D version. We also hear that the director has already discussed these plans with subject experts and asked for a budget estimate. So get ready to wear the 3D spectacles soon. Looks like the Avatar mania has affected our directors too. Endhiran (also spelt as Enthiran) brings back the famous duo of Superstar Rajinikanth and director Shankar after their blockbuster Sivaji, The Boss. The movie will also see Aishwarya Rai in Tamil after a long gap, paired opposite our superstar. Endhiran is also is special for its choreography by Prabhu Deva. Lyrics by Vairamuthu, art direction by Sabu Cyril and cinematography by Ratnavelu comprise a regular Shankar team. The stylish director has also roped in Oscar winner Resul Pookutty for sound effects; it is also said that a unique sound effect has been created for the film. Sources say that the story of Endhiran is

No, we are not talking about his Valentine's Day plan, but we bring you the handsome actor's upcoming releases! More than two years after his debut movie Paruthiveeran, Karthi had a recent release to his credit in Aayirathil Oruvan. Though the movie has been getting mixed responses, there is no doubt that his performance in the movie is stupendous. And the movie by itself is an important chapter in Tamil cinema. Read Aayirathil Oruvan review. Listen to Aayirathil Oruvan songs. Breaking away from rustic roles, Karthi will be seen in a urban look in his forthcoming film Paiyya (also spelt as Paiya, Paiyaa), followed by Naan Mahan Alla with director Suseendran, which is 60% complete. According to Karthi, though he enjoyed playing rustic roles, he is also happy that he can finally play a city boy, something that is close to his real self. After these, Karthi will star in Vada Chennai directed by Vettrimaran. The buzz is that the handsome actor will play the role of a good fisherman

Two renowned directors of Kollywood will come together in Yutham Sei. Who are they? One is Cheran, who has proved himself as a talented actor and director in Tamil films. He will be the hero in this film directed by Mysskin (who impressed us through his work in both his films Chithiram Pesudhadi and Anjathe) and produced by Kalpathi Agoram. Sources say the director is currently busy finishing the final draft of the script. Also, Mysskin who introduced music director Sunder C. Babu in his first film Chithiram Pesuthadi will introduce another new music director -- Krishna Kumar aka Ke -- in this film. Ke has made the music for many short films and documentaries.