Gautham Menon's Manuscript about his latest flick Ye Maya Chesave

1. Kundanapu Bomma
Kundanapu Bomma translates as “Beautiful girl”.…Jessie-our female lead is a simple, conservative girl from Kerala who the male lead-karthik falls head over heels in love with at first sight. Karthik follows her to Kerala and is completely captivated by her simplicity and beauty and can’t help himself but call her his ‘beautiful girl’.

The song has been shot at some never before seen locales at New Hope, NJ and is a visual treat for audiences from around the world. Presented differently with stylized choreography and cinematography, it captures the sublime chemistry between the lead pair.

Special Malayalam lyrics have also been written to add to the authenticity of the character and the film. Sung by Benny Dayal with Kalyani Menon adding to the Malayalam flavor, Kundanapu Bomma is a sure favorite for all ARR fans wherever!

2. Manasaa
A song of celebration! Shot at some of the best places in New York, this song tribute love and to the passion that the lead pair share. It’s the kind of composition that you will your replay button on, listening to it over and again. And you still wouldn’t have enough.

Shot at the Brooklyn Bridge, Time Square, New Hope, Bridge Water and other iconic places across New York this song is a mark of celebration that only a creator like Gautham can pull off with finesse along with musical brilliance by A.R.Rahman.

The lyrics marks and celebrates the bond of two people sanctified in marriage. Devan and Chinmayi have lent their voices to this beautiful song with an energy that is truly felt in the music.

3. Swaasye…..
If there is one word alone to describe this song, it would be ‘character’. From the way it’s been composed, to the way Karthik has sung the track, and not forget the simple yet stylish programming. The song has been edited beautifully to showcase the intimacy between the lead pair and the intricacies of their relationship.

4. Hosanna
A song that brilliantly captures the “Love at first sight” concept-that we as Indians and diehard romantics are completely sold on!

Dum-stuck by looking at this classy, beautiful yet simple girl – Jessie, Karthik is filled with an emotion that doesn’t have a name in his dictionary! His feelings cannot be described with mere words and only breaking into poetry could do justice to him, to Jessie, to Love.

Shot against the backdrop of Princeton, the song has some taking visuals that projects Princeton in the best way possible!

The song begins with such a beautiful melody and then progresses into a fast number with English rap! A spectrum that ARR covers with such ease and genius.

Sung in a rap style by Vijayprakash (singer of the Academy Award Winning Song “Jai Ho” from Slumdog Millionaire), along with Suzanne and Blaaze (who has contributed with his flavour of English rap) and beautiful strung words by Anantha Sriram that bring in a regional/local sensibility to the otherwise very international tune.

5. Aakaasam….
Lyrics and Production Design are two things that stand out in this song. Artistically visualized by Rajeevan, the production designer, the idea has taken shape as four different set designs which have to it some brilliant lighting by Manoj Paramahamsa and stylish choreography by Flexy Stu.

Naga Chaitanya and Samantha are sure to win applauds with their performances in this song which has an underlying tension and eroticism running throughout.

Creatively directed by Gautham himself, the song has a dark shade to it which comes out brilliantly in the audio and video!

6. Vintunaavaa
One of the most favorite combinations has finally made comeback with this album – Karthik with Sherya Goshal!

Ever since fans have heard that two are teaming up together once again, anticipation levels have soare.

Anantha Sriram has written some brilliant lines for the song which has aptly captured Jessie’s predicament – being madly in love with a boy and yet causing him pain…. Which also portrays the happiness in the two of them when they’re together!

Shot at Hyderabad at various locations, the song has some lovely moments between the pair completely, madly in love.

7. Aaromale
Compositions that blend seamlessly with some important scenes in the film – this signature track of the film. Well orchestrated and programmed, you need to hear it to believe it. Every frame which has been shot for this music accentuates the mood of the situation hence making it more realistic for the viewer to relate to the story. A travel song as we call it, it blends into the listener leaving behind the strong sounds that the song holds… Sung by Alphonse and special Malayalam Lyrics added by Kaithpram, this song is a sure watch out for…….

Allu Arjun's Movies are Getting High Response in Kerala

Allu Arjun' s Movies from Aarya are being dubbed into malayalam and doing good business.
Now, the rights of the Latest Movie of Arjun's Aarya2 has been soled at a huge price (i.e; Rs2 Crores) for Divya Pictures and it is creating sensation by releasing in 100 screens over the state.
Audio of the Malayalam version already released and got a good response and the movie is going to release on Feb 5th. I Wish Allu Arjun All The Very Best for Aarya2 Malayalam to become a Big Hit.

NTR's "Shakthi" Movie Muhurtham

Vyjayanthi Movies latest movie Shakti starring NTR and Ileana in the direction of Meher Ramesh was launched at Gachibowli Gold Club in Hyderabad yesterday(28-Jan-2010) morning. K Raghavendra Rao switched on the camera, Dasari Narayana Rao sounded the clapboard and Krishnam Raju directed the first shot.

No time/budget limit for Shakti – C Aswini Dutt
C Aswini Dutt said, “We started Vyjayanthi banner in January 1975 with the blessings of NTR and made the movie Eduruleni Manishi. I am very glad to say that Vyjayanthi has completed 35 glorifying years and I am extremely delighted to start a new movie with 3rd generation NTR in January 2010, exactly after 35 years. I worked with great actors and technicians in this journey of 35 years. And I thoroughly enjoyed the process of filmmaking. There will not be any time/budget limit for Shakti.”

Shakti has unique concept and only NTR can do it – Meher Ramesh
Director Meher Ramesh said, “I did my first movie to NTR and Vyjayanthi banner. I am very glad that they gave me opportunity again. Shakti will be made on grand scale and it will have huge technical standards. This movie will be shot in various locations like Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kashmir, Ladakh, Hampi, Rushikesh, Delhi, Agra, Mysore, Egypt and London. Shakti has a unique concept. It is an ambitious project. The shooting of this movie will start on 5 February in Jaipur. I conceptualised this story in 2003 and registered this title at that time. Shakti is going to be a visual feast and only NTR can do the role of Shakti.”

Satyanand pens dialogues. Sameer Reddy handles cinematography. Mani Sharma composes music Anand Sai is the art director. Marthand K Venkatesh edits the movie. Yandamuri Veerendranath, JK Bharavi, Thota Prasad and DS Kannan extend their help in writing department.

Video:

Baabai in US - Abbayi in AP

NTR calls Venkatesh as baabai, because he is also a batch mate of his real baabai Balayya. The news is Sankranthi releases Adurs and Namo Venkatesa collections are impressive now. But while Namo Venkatesa is making good collections in USA, Adurs is making good collections in AP. The other film Sambho Siva Sambho failed in USA but got mixed talk in AP. The fourth film Om Shanthi has got no traces of success anywhere. The family audiences are voting for Namo Venkatesa when compared to Adurs. The Telangana fervor has turned out to be a boon for Adurs as publicity. Namo Venkatesa is getting mileage just for the reason of Srinu Vaitla’s image and family entertainer talk.

Rajamouli's Interview Regarding his Past and Future Projects...

S S Rajamouli is on cloud 9 after the stupendous success of “Magadheera”. The film has been declared an Industry hit and it still rules the box office even after 100 days of its release. He talks about his films, future projects and his dream to make a full fledged mythological film in this candid chit chat…

Rajamouli garu… Congratulations on the huge success of “Magadheera”. The film has recently completed its 50 run. How are you enjoying the success?

50 days is something which I don’t give much importance to. For many years now we have been celebrating 50 days, 100 days functions with great fervor, which really doesn’t matter. So I thought I would distance myself from this 50-100 days long back. I am not at all involved in that. But I am obviously very very happy with the film doing so well even after so many days.

Your film has also been released in other states like Gujarat, West Bengal and also in 12 other countries. What is the kind of response you have been getting from these places?

I don’t really know about the response from these places.

What do you think are the reasons behind this overwhelming success? In spite of new releases, it’s still ruling the box office…

I was thinking about it for so long about it. I mean, none of us were expecting such a big success. I was trying to analyze, thinking about why it’s such a big success. Maybe people have seen what they have never seen on screen before. I think that’s the reason why people are coming back again and again, but I am not sure.

If given a chance, would you like to change anything in the movie? Maybe people will watch the film again to understand your point of view.

There are so many things which I want to change about the movie. Why will people watch it because I found something wrong in the movie? (laughs)…. I don’t know…there arise many things. It’s not that I would want to remove an entire scene. Probably I would have put more pain in the hero’s character in the flashback.

We have also heard that there are plans of remaking the film in Tamil and Hindi. Is that true?

It’s all just in very early planning stages. Nothing concrete has been decided about it. I don’t know, probably I will do it if time permits. As of now I have some commitments, if the proposed project is after that probably I will look at it.

Your wife, Rama Rajamouli has been contributing a lot to your films. Will we see her as a director sometime soon?

No. She isn’t, luckily… (smiles).

One thing which we have observed is, a lot of your movies have a specific formula with a very intense flashback. Is that intentional?

That is probably the only way I know how to make movies. Other than that there’s nothing intentional about it.

With “Magadheera” you have ventured into “Romance” genre, which probably wasn’t the main theme in your previous movies. What other genres would you like to try?

It’s not that I want to try a specific genre. I don’t make a movie to try out some genre. If I find a story that is interesting I will make it. And most of the time, it’s a high voltage action entertainer. Luckily in this film, it was a romance based story. It wasn’t an intentional choice.

You had once quoted that you first choose a hero and then write a script. Is there someone whom you would like to work with?

Not really. Basically why I go for stars is, they have bigger budgets which allows me to make bigger movies. I don’t have any preference as such.

You have been in the film industry for quite a long time now. Whom do you consider to be your major influence as a director?

I don’t know. None of the directors either contemporary, or seniors or from other film industries have had an influence on me. I like some directors, but that doesn’t mean that I like all their movies. It’s the movies that influence me, Braveheart for instance.

Nowadays there are quite a few youngsters making their debut in Tollywood. What would be your advice to them?

I never give advices to anyone.

Tell us about your new projects?

I am starting a new film with Sunil. The shooting for this new film will start next month. And after that I think it will be with Prabhas.

We have seen some really extravagant episodes in films like “Yamadonga” and “Magadheera” which had a fantasy, mythology concept. Can we expect a full fledged film with a mythology backdrop from you?

Yeah. That is the whole intention. My dream is to make a full fledged pauranikam, janapadam, folklore or mythological films.

What are the constraints that challenge you from making a pauranikam..?

Budget constraints. If 4 reels of Magadheera becomes the highest budgeted film, how can I make a 16 reel film within the same budget? That is a code which I have to crack and I think I will crack it soon.

Your messages to the readers of Kalyan's Blog..?

(laughs) I just said that I never give advices….but if you insist, then all I can say to the new directors is “Try to do a film which you like and not what others like.”

NTR to do 7even Roles in a forth coming venture with Vinay

Young tiger NTR junior is all set to arrive with his new movie ‘Adhurs’. This is directed by the mass hit director V V Vinayak and this is going to be the third time that both of them are coming together. Both junior and V V are known to be thick pals and now, another project is likely to arrive.

Sources reveal that the film is going to be a hard hitting action entertainer but the highlight is that NTR would be seen portraying not one or two but seven different characters and all of them would be action oriented. This is said to be the master script being designed by V V for his friend.

It is also heard that the film would be titled ‘Seven’ for obvious reasons and it has nothing to do with the legendary masterpiece ‘Dana Veera Soora Karna’ which had the great NTR, grandfather of junior, portray 3 roles and ‘Srimadvirat Parvam’ where he played 6 roles. A formal announcement is expected soon.

RGV Reveals about the entry of two great music directors in the telugu film industry.

8 October 2009

Cycle I

When I was hanging out around Annapurna Studios trying to get a break, I used to attend the music composing sessions of “Collector Gari Abbayi”. In the course of those sessions whenever its music director Chakravarti and the director B.Gopal used to go for lunch I used to chat

up with the music director’s assistant and once in a while he used to sing tunes which he himself composed. I was very impressed with many of his tunes and one day I described to him a scene from “SHIVA” the way I was intending to shoot it and I asked him about what kind of music he thinks should be there in that scene and he replied that there should not be any music in that scene. I was mighty impressed with the answer especially as it came from a musician and I committed to him that if ever I get a break I will sign him as my music director.

Finally when I got the break I suddenly had this opportunity to get Ilayaraja. So with a lot of guilt I told that assistant that I won’t be taking him for the film as I am getting Ilayaraja. He was obviously very disappointed but said that he understood the situation and wished me all the best. But because of the time I spent with that assistant and the association I developed, the guilt was killing me and the moment “SHIVA” became a big hit I went back to him and signed him for my second film. That assistant’s name was Keeravani (also known as M.M.Kreem) and the film I signed him on for was “Kshana Kshanam” which I think along with “Rangeela” are my best musical

films till date.

A keyboard player used to be working for Keeravani and I used to interact with him a lot especially when he was doing the background soundtracks and I always believed that he can be a very good music director if he ever tries which he used to deny saying that he is technically not a composer. Much later when I had a problem with R.D.Burman during “Drohi” (Antham) and I could not get Keeravani as he was busy, I forced that keyboard player to do one song in that film.

Both the song and the film didn’t work but later on when a film with megastar Chiranjeevi came up I told Chiranjeevi that the “Drohi” song didn’t work but I really believe that the keyboard player is very good, Chiranjeevi said that if he was good enough for me he was good enough for him. The keyboard player was ecstatic and after a great fanfare launch the Chiranjeevi film got shelved due to various reasons which I can’t tell now and the poor keyboard player was devastated. But on the strength of the impression Chiranjeevi developed on the keyboard player due to a song he recorded for my shelved film he gave him another film called “Choodalini Undi” which firmly set the keyboard player well on the way to be one of the top music composers in the Telugu film industry. The keyboard players name is Mani Sharma.

Cycle II

When my first film “SHIVA” was ready for background score there was a musicians Union strike in Chennai and so Ilayaraja and me shifted to Mumbai to get the score done. A musical team chosen by Ilayaraja in Mumbai saw the film and one particular violin player from a group of violin players walked up to me and said that this film will create a sensation. Technically that was the first ever compliment I have ever received from an outsider in my career. After that me and that violin player used to chat once in a while through out the period while the background was going on.

A few years later I signed R.D.Burman for “Drohi” and I went to Mumbai for recording a song. Those days I used to operate from Hyderabad and kept flying up and down to Mumbai. I again bumped into the same violin player in the violin group. After telling me how happy he was for “SHIVA’s” success which he predicted, he brought a guy and introduced him as his closest friend and told me that he is a lyric writer. That guy gave me a visiting card. I put the card in my pocket and in the evening returned to Hyderabad and completely forgot all about it.

Like I told you earlier, as I fell out with R.D.Burman due to various reasons which I can’t tell now, I had to record a song with a new music director Mani Sharma in Chennai.

As I was leaving for Chennai in the evening, my mom brought in a bunch of visiting cards collected over a time to ask me if she can throw them away. I quickly glanced through them and I just kind of registered the card which the lyric writer gave me before telling her to throw all the cards away.

By the time I landed in Chennai I got news that Javed Akhtar who was supposed to come with the lyric to Chennai is not coming as he got stuck in some work. I got cheesed off and I told my guys in Mumbai to send some lyric writer or the other in the night itself as I didn’t want to cancel the recording. I was told that none were available. As I was getting flustered I suddenly remembered the visiting cards my mother showed. So I called up my mom and asked her about it and she said that she already threw it in the dustbin. She searched for it in the bin and luckily found it and gave me the number. I immediately got that lyric writer flown to Chennai and he wrote the song for “Drohi” composed by Mani Sharma and the recording was done.

Both “Drohi” and the song bombed but because of that association my relationship with that lyric writer continued and whenever I was in Mumbai, me, the violin player and the lyric writer used to meet up once in a while and at that time I was just beginning to work on the idea of “Rangeela”. When I mentioned the story to both of them, they got very excited and the violin player composed a tune for which the lyric writer wrote a song. I was very impressed with both and committed to both of them that they will be doing the music for “Rangeela”. They were thrilled to bits.

A few days later Maniratnam made me hear the songs of “Roja” at his home on Chennai and I was simply blown away with the orchestral brilliance of A.R.Rahman. I got too greedy and at any cost wanted to get that sound in my film and went back on my commitment to the violin player and signed Rahman instead, which understandingly left the violin player in a very angry and a heartbroken state. The lyric writer pleaded with me not to do that to his friend and I said it is just a professional decision in the best interest of the film.

I spoke to Rahman about the lyric writer and told him that his first song didn’t work but I do believe that he is very good. Rahman said, “If he is good enough for you he is good enough for me”.

Thus that lyric writer named Mehboob came into “Rangeela” minus the violin player and the first song he wrote was “Tanha Tanha”. I played that song to Maniratnam and he was mighty impressed with the fact that he hasn’t heard a song since a long time which didn’t have the words dil, deewana and sanam and signed on Mehboob for “Bombay”.

With the super success of both “Bombay” and “Rangeela” Mehboob got a very big name and credibility and using that he recommended his closest friend the violin player to Sanjay Leela Bhansali who was looking for a new music director for “Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam” and thus was born Ismail Darbar.

After the tremendous musical success of “Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam” which also timed with a couple of Rahman albums not doing well including my own “Daud” Ismail Darbar was the new musical genius on the block. I called Ismail Darbar up to congratulate him and he didn’t pick up my calls.

Later on Ismail gave an interview where he said that now that he is a success, everybody is calling him including Ramgopal Varma. That was obviously his revenge on the heartache I gave him by dumping him from “Rangeela”.

Both the close friends Ismail and Mehboob who were responsible for each other’s careers broke up after “Devdas” due to various differences which they didn’t tell anyone and both went on a decline in their respective careers and now after years sometimes when they try to call me to patch up and bury the hatchet I don’t pick up both their calls as I moved on to a new set of people and I don’t have neither the time nor the inclination to dwell on old time relationships.

Anyway the point of this whole article is that I am just so f**king fascinated with how the cycle of fortune keeps on throwing people in and out of dustbins.

PS: I just signed Mani Sharma for Rakta Charitra and am planning on to take Mehboob as the lyric writer.

Slumdog Millionaire wins 4 Golden Globe Awards

Slumdog Millionaire took home four awards, including best dramatic film

Slumdog Millionaire, a rags-to-riches tale of an improbable winner of game show Who Wants to be a Millionaire, has swept the Golden Globe awards.

British director Danny Boyle's film won four trophies, including those for best film and best director.

Best original score composer AR Rahman became the first Indian to win a Globe and Simon Beaufoy won best screenplay.

The Globes are often regarded as an indicator of the films and actors who are favoured to win at the Oscars.

'Love song'

Collecting his award, Boyle thanked the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the organisers of the awards.

"Your mad, pulsating affection for our film is much appreciated," he said as he collected his individual award.

Rahman winning the award will take India on to a different platform Madhur Bhandarkar, filmmaker

"The film was made from the heart, really. We never expected to be here."

Boyle has described the film as "a love song" to Mumbai (Bombay) - the Indian city where it is set.

The composer of Slumdog's score, AR Rahman, has been described as the Mozart of Madras by Time magazine.

Madhur Bhandarkar, who has made several movies on the seamier side of Mumbai, said the recognition of Slumdog was "absolutely great".

"It is an excellent film which depicts real poverty and real life in India. Moreover, Rahman winning the award will take India on to a different platform. His music was internationally recognised but now it will be different."

Rafique Baghdadi, film critic, said it was "great news for Indian film industry", adding: "We will have Indian script writers working with filmmakers abroad soon."

AR Rahman is one of India's most celebrated composers

Actor and social activist Gerson Da Cunha said it was "extraordinary that it takes a foreigner to make a true, inventive film about Mumbai".

"This is a film which has raw material and facts fired by creative imagination."

The film's story revolves around Mumbai 18-year-old Jamal Malik, played by Dev Patel, who wins the jackpot on Kaun Banega Crorepati, the Hindi version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?

Jamal participates in the game show not for money but to reach his missing girlfriend Latika, played by Freida Pinto.

She is a devoted fan of the show and watches it without fail.

But when he wins the jackpot, he is suspected of cheating.

The film stars well-known Bollywood actors Anil Kapoor and Irfan Khan.

On Friday the film swept the Critics' Choice Awards in California, winning five prizes, including best film, best director and best composer.

Nominations for the Oscars will be announced on 22 January.

GHAJINI Review

Cast: Aamir Khan, Asin, Jiah Khan
Director: AR Murugadoss
Music: AR Rahman

Anupama Chopra, Consulting Editor, Films, NDTV

At the recently held Indian Screenwriters’ Conference in Mumbai, writer-director Abbas Tyrewala lamented the lack of villains in Bollywood. He said that clearly defined villains used to be our staple diet.

This was true until sometime in the mid-1990s, when happy smiling families and yuppies in designer clothes took over. Well, I'm happy to report that the villain is back.

Ghajini, played ferociously by Pradeep Singh Rawat, is the kind of villain who wears thick gold chains and rings on every finger. He is defiantly brutal - he runs a pharmaceutical company but for reasons never explained, he likes to smash iron rods into human heads and forces young girls into both prostitution and organ trade.

He has one gold tooth, wears shiny white shoes and keeps a posse of henchmen so ugly that they look like they were airlifted from Ram Gopal Varma's last film. And of course Ghajini routinely drops lines like: aise marenge ki uska nakhun bhi nahi milega and my personal favourite: short-term memory loss patient mujhe kya yaad dilaayega.

Ghajini, director A R Murugadoss's remake of his Tamil blockbuster, is a throw back to what Hindi films used to be: a three hour extravaganza of romance, comedy, action, set-piece songs and drama.

It's a standard revenge film given a fresh twist with a dash of Christopher Nolan's critically acclaimed Memento. Like that film, the protagonist here, Sanjay Singhania played by Aamir Khan, is hit on the head and suffers from short-term memory loss. He cannot remember anything for more than 15 minutes.

So, he tattoos his body with instructions: the most important one being that his girlfriend Kalpana was murdered, and he must find the murderer and kill him. The film is riddled with logical loopholes but Murugadoss, who also wrote it, doesn't give you enough time to think about them.

So, you never ask how Sanjay, the fabulously wealthy owner of a cellphone company, conducts a lengthy romance with Kalpana, played by debutant Asin, pretending to be an ordinary man? Or why Ghajini, a master-thug and expert killer, doesn't have a gun when he needs it the most? Or why the key conflict, which leads to Kalpana's death, is such a random imposition on the script?

Instead, you are caught up in the mystery of how a superbly stylish businessman becomes a killing machine who routinely cracks necks and in his introduction scene, plunges a broken tap into a man's stomach. Ghajini isn't for the faint-hearted. The violence is gory and elemental. The climax is pure man-on-man combat with lots of crunching bones.

For Aamir, Ghajini is a 360 degree turn from the sensitive teacher he played in Taare Zameen Par. With a buffed up, eight-pack body, here he is a brutal killer in a murderous rage. Watch him as he explodes with grief and then just as quickly forgets it. It's a memorable performance indeed.

Thankfully Asin is less animated than she was in the Tamil version. Some of their romantic scenes, and particularly her death are nicely done.

Ghajini isn't a great film or even a very good one but I recommend that you see it. It is, as we used to say in the old days, paisa vasool.

Rating : 3.5/5

Neninthe Movie Review

Film: Neninthe
Rating: 2/5
Cast: Ravi Teja, Siya, Mumaith Khan, Riya, Krishna Bhagwan, Surekha Vani, Supreet, Subba Raju, Brahmanandam, Venu Madhav, Rama Prabha, Sayaji Shinde etc
Cinematography: Sam K Naidu
Music: Chakri
Editing: Varma
Art: Chinna
Fights: Ram-Laxman
Producer: DVV Danayya
Story, Screenplay, Direction: Puri Jagannath
Released On: 18 Dec 2008

The much awaited movie 'Neninthe' has seen light today. As it is directed by ace film maker Puri Jagannath, obviously the expectations have rose big. Is the film in tune with expectations? Let's peep into the details.

Story:
Ravi (Ravi Teja) is an aspiring film director who works as an assistant director at Idly Vishwanath (Brahmanandam). Mallik (Subba Raju) is the hero of the film and Mumaith (Mumaith Khan) happens to be heroine for that project. Sandhya (Siya), the junior artiste cum troupe dancer falls in crush with Ravi. But Ravi is goal oriented like Kamal Hasan in Sagarasangamam.

And striking another resemblance, Ravi's mother (Rama Prabha) ails with a cancer. Amidst all this, how Ravi reaches his goal by impressing heroes and producers with his talent forms the main theme.

In the process of narration, the director has touched several corners of film world and slashed several departments surrounding film world.

Performances:
Ravi Teja did his best in his role. He proved to be the best one to portray emotional anger with sentimental touch. His performance when a dying fan calls him on phone is impressive.

Siya is hefty and not possessed with sharp features. But still she is good for the eyes of audiences. She enacted her role satisfactorily.

Krishna Bhagawan portrayed role with villain shades while Supreet made his presence as rugged villain. Rest of the crew is ok.

Coming to technical aspects, cinematography worked well. Music is just average. Apart from the song 'Krishna nagare mama..' nothing is haunting. Puri's direction is filled with anguish and missed logic several times. He gave confused characterization for hero as well. Initially hero appears to be practical and balanced even in fights. But in next scene he fights like any other action hero. The director might have missed the understanding that the atmosphere shown in this movie (overseas rights, reviews, gossips…) wouldn't appeal for mass and rural audiences. The titles of the films are very interesting with ample of nostalgic appeal.

Analysis:
It's the 'confessions of Puri Jagannath on film world'. He has shown a great variety in the concept he has chosen but failed to handle it in proper way. Although the film is insipid there are a few sensibilities in it.

Sensible Dialogues And Scenes:

Ravi Teja: "rupai sampadinchaleni evvadu I love you cheppadaaniki arhudu kaadu" (it appeals for all students and teenagers)

Rama Prabha: "chaduvu sandhyalleni vedhavalanthaa cinemaallo panichesthuntaarani bayata oka talk undi. Anduke daanini cherapadaaniki K Raghavendra Rao BA, SV Krishna Reddy M Com ani vesukunnattugaa nee peru venuka kooda MBA ani pettaanu" (this enlightens the people those assume that film people are illiterates)

Sai Ram's suicide episode moves the hearts of audiences (that's a lesson taught by director for entire fans' community)

Sayaji Shinde: "2% success rate tho nadiche industry lo unnam. Edadiki 150 cinemaalu vasthunte andulo 2 leda 3 hit avvadame kashtam ayipothondi" (it's a macro level analysis that utters a bitter fact)

Target-Websites:
Shyaji Shinde calls his nephew in USA and says to him in anguish, "Don't read reviews and go to films. Watch films first and then read reviews" (What's the logic in this? If that can be done, then producers can screen their films first and then think about collections).

The great dialogue also says, "Don't bother for your mere US$ 8 and kill cinema by not watching it" (How many NRIs support this dialogue? The dialogue says that the dollars should be squeezed out from NRIs by producers and in that process, reviews shouldn't hinder)

Shinde also says, "Websites give ratings for the films as per their whims and fancies. They give positive rating when they distribute them overseas and negative rating when they don't" (if that can be the assumption, the website reviewers can come to conclusion that talented film directors also make films as per their whims and fancies. They make sensible films when they are down to earth and make bullshit when over-confidence hits their heads).

Shinde also says, "Dr Ramanaidu at that age is establishing new studios just for passion and not for money" (if that is the understanding, why can't the director understand that websites are also running just with passion to entertain people but not for money. Well, how many producers give Ads for websites and how many websites run behind producers for Ads? There is that evidence for websites to claim that they are running with more passion and less money. But what is the evidence for Ramanaidu's 'mere-passion' to start a new studio as claimed through this movie?)

The film has discussed lot many things but that is not in tune with the entertainment requirement of audiences. Certainly the movie is a bold venture but the director would have dealt with this with better conviction. It's a personal review of Puri Jagannath on 'Tollywood'. His entire confessions are grooved in this film. He expressed his views on egos of directors, crazy fans, websites and reviews, rowdies in film world, woes of junior artistes and everything. Too many things made the movie over loaded with subject shunning the entertainment value. Both first half and second half run with dull pace. The tempo of the film is not active but appeared lengthy.

Courtesy : www.greatandhra.com

Priyadarshan's 'Kanchivaram' floors audience at Toronto

Filmmaker Priyadarshan has won acclaim at the 33rd Toronto International Film Festival for his Tamil film 'Kanchivaram,' which depicts the plight of famous silk-weavers of Kanchipuram in pre-independent India.

Priyadarshan, more known for churning out money-spinning comedies at breakneck speed, has made a complete break with his new film, which is on an unstoppable roll in Toronto.



The film unfolds against the backdrop of the first rumblings of labour unionism in South India. "I am really excited. I've never made a film like this before and the response is overwhelming," said Priyadarshan, who was in the town along with lead actor, Prakash Raj, to promote the film.

'Kanchivaram' is a neatly crafted, visually lush film that has none of the ingredients that define the nature of Priyadarshan's recent outputs.

The applause that the film is garnering in Toronto, he said, has enthused him to explore the possibility of attempting more offbeat films in the future. "I can assure you that Kanchivaram isn't going to be the only film of its kind that I will make," he said.

After the world premiere in Toronto, ‘Kanchivaram’ will be shown at the Pusan Film Festival in South Korea. Besides, inquiries from several other major international festivals Palm Springs, San Francisco and Stuttgart, among others have begun to pour in.

Priyadarshan admitted it wasn't easy for him to sell the idea of a film like ‘Kanchivaram’.

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Dark Knight makes best film list

Batman film The Dark Knight has been named as one of the Top 10 movies of 2008 by the American Film Institute.
Others include political biopic Milk, animated fantasy Wall-E and Brad Pitt's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

Clint Eastwood's Gran Torino and comic book blockbuster Iron Man also feature alongside the independent dramas Frozen River and Wendy and Lucy.

Frost/Nixon and The Wrestler complete the list, compiled by a panel of filmmakers, reviewers and academics.

Unlike other awards bodies, the institute does not rank films or pick one as the year's best.

The filmmakers behind the AFI's Top 10 choices will be honoured at a luncheon on 9 January.

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Meanwhile, The Dark Knight has also been named as one of the 15 semi-finalists for the best visual effects Oscar.

Others include the second Chronicles of Narnia film, Prince Caspian, and the latest James Bond adventure, Quantum of Solace.

Cloverfield, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and the fourth Indiana Jones film also feature on the longlist, to be whittled down to seven in early January.

Three will then be nominated for the Visual Effects prize, to be handed out at the Oscar ceremony on 22 February.

Last week, the late Heath Ledger was nominated for a posthumous Golden Globe for his role as the Joker in The Dark Knight.

NTR With Talent And Mahesh Babu With Grace

They are rated as the most sought after among the younger lot of heroes and despite the fact that their releases have reduced considerably, the youth audience tends to find a lot of appeal and anything these heroes do send some strong statements among the younger generations both class and mass.

While one happens to be Prince Mahesh Babu, the other happens to be Young Tiger NTR and the experts were trying to figure out what makes them click on a comparative scale. They say that Mahesh manages to rule the roost solely by his looks and stylish get ups but then he might have to focus more on his dancing and stunt areas.

On the other hand, NTR may not have the right kind of looks to make things happen but he is blessed with immense talent and it is without doubt that he is the best dancer among the heroes of today. Then there are his stunts and explosive dialogue deliveries that really send the crowds into frenzy. So while both of them have been enjoying their own demand, their formulae and image are quite different.

Most Awaiting Hollywood Flick of this year is going to be out on 5th Dec

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Review : A story about a man delivering packages, no matter how skilled he is at driving a German roadster on two wheels or skidding onto the roof of a speeding train, is still a story about a deliveryman.

It's a questionable concept for one movie, let alone a trio of them. But Transporter 3 (* * out of four), like its predecessors, rides on the good looks and charisma of star Jason Statham.

The stunts can be impressive, too, though many of them take place in cars that seem like blatant product placements. Though there are a lot of beat-downs, no blood seems to be spilled, presumably to guarantee a PG-13 rating.

Statham again plays courier Frank Martin. Supremely macho and brooding, he essentially is a comic-book hero with a dose of James Bond. He manages to take down dozens of trained fighters and emerge without a bruise.



This time, the chief villain is Johnson (Robert Knepper), who works for an American corporation whose business appears to be dumping toxic waste. But the plot is as murky as the Caspian Sea will be if the company succeeds.

The villains have kidnapped Valentina (Natalya Rudakova), the daughter of the head of the environmental protection agency for Ukraine. She is being held to induce her father to permit the company to dump its sludge.

Valentina is either sullen, asleep or obnoxiously giddy from booze and pills. But she sounds like she could be Borat's sister when she proclaims to Frank: "I want to feel the sex one more time before I die." And when Frank doesn't immediately respond to her overtures, she is convinced his interests lie elsewhere. "You're the gay!" she yells. His response: "No, I am not the gay. Did it ever occur to you that maybe I'm not in the mood?"

Somehow Statham comes out of this improbable thriller with his dignity intact. With classic action-hero qualities and dry wit, he seems woefully under-employed as a deliveryman. (Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense action and violence, some sexual content and drug material.)

Running Time : 1 hour, 43 minutes.

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Courtesy : www.usatoday.com