What does an innocent man do when he goes to jail for murder? Well, he learns different methods of murder from actual murderers. Anthony Bhagyaraj’s Siren is a tribute to all the innocent people who have been put behind bars. Jayam Ravi is Thilagan, a former ambulance driver sentenced to life imprisonment who gets out on parole after 14 long years.
Spoilers Ahead
What happens in the movie?
Thilagan is a murder convict, and after several refusals to go out on parole, he finally gets out because his father is sick. His daughter, Malar, is a bright teenager who absolutely hates him and is terrified when she hears about Thilagan’s return. She moves out of the house just to not have to deal with the man. Soon, it’s clear that Thilagan is not a murderer, especially not of his wife’s. Thilagan fights against the reputation he’s...
Spoilers Ahead
What happens in the movie?
Thilagan is a murder convict, and after several refusals to go out on parole, he finally gets out because his father is sick. His daughter, Malar, is a bright teenager who absolutely hates him and is terrified when she hears about Thilagan’s return. She moves out of the house just to not have to deal with the man. Soon, it’s clear that Thilagan is not a murderer, especially not of his wife’s. Thilagan fights against the reputation he’s...
- 4/20/2024
- by Aniket Mukherjee
- Film Fugitives
Rajinikanth’s Lal Salaam vs Lover Box Office Collection Day 7 (Week 1) (Photo Credit – IMDb)
Rajinikanth, Vishnu Vishal, and Vikranth’s Lal Salaam, as well as Manikandan and Gouri Priya Reddy’s Lover, were released during Valentine’s week. However, both movies had only a moderate performance at the box office and failed to make much impact. Read further to know their first-week box office collections.
Lal Salaam, directed by Aishwarya Rajinikanth, had a higher face value and therefore dominated Lover at the box office. Despite the advantage, the cricket drama did not earn as much money as expected.
Despite facing competition from a major movie, Lover managed to generate revenue. The film’s theme possibly resonated well with Valentine’s Day and thus had a positive impact on its performance. Directed by Prabhuram Vyaas, Lover was a contemporary romance drama.
Trending Bramayugam Box Office Collection Day 1: Audience Gives Thumbs...
Rajinikanth, Vishnu Vishal, and Vikranth’s Lal Salaam, as well as Manikandan and Gouri Priya Reddy’s Lover, were released during Valentine’s week. However, both movies had only a moderate performance at the box office and failed to make much impact. Read further to know their first-week box office collections.
Lal Salaam, directed by Aishwarya Rajinikanth, had a higher face value and therefore dominated Lover at the box office. Despite the advantage, the cricket drama did not earn as much money as expected.
Despite facing competition from a major movie, Lover managed to generate revenue. The film’s theme possibly resonated well with Valentine’s Day and thus had a positive impact on its performance. Directed by Prabhuram Vyaas, Lover was a contemporary romance drama.
Trending Bramayugam Box Office Collection Day 1: Audience Gives Thumbs...
- 2/16/2024
- by Nikita Wagh
- KoiMoi
Lal Salaam vs Lover Box Office Collection After 6 Days (Picture Credit: IMDb)
Two movies, Lover and Lal Salaam, were released on February 9 and clashed at the box office on Valentine’s Day weekend. Read on to know the box office collection of Kollywood films after 6 days.
Lal Salaam, directed by Aishwarya Rajinikanth, starred Rajinikanth, Vishnu Vishal and Vikranth while Lover features Manikandan and Gouri Priya Reddy in the lead roles. Considering higher face value with Lal Salaam, the movie dominated Lover on the first two days of release.
Lover, a new age romance drama directed by Prabhuram Vyaas, received a below-average opening but managed to impress select-regions. In fact, on Monday, Lover had higher collections in Tamil Nadu, compared to Lal Salaam.
Trending Naa Saami Ranga Vs Saindhav: Budget, Final Box Office Collection & Ratings – Both Tollywood Biggies Fail To Shine Despite Sankranti Benefit! Yatra 2 Box Office Collection (Worldwide) Day...
Two movies, Lover and Lal Salaam, were released on February 9 and clashed at the box office on Valentine’s Day weekend. Read on to know the box office collection of Kollywood films after 6 days.
Lal Salaam, directed by Aishwarya Rajinikanth, starred Rajinikanth, Vishnu Vishal and Vikranth while Lover features Manikandan and Gouri Priya Reddy in the lead roles. Considering higher face value with Lal Salaam, the movie dominated Lover on the first two days of release.
Lover, a new age romance drama directed by Prabhuram Vyaas, received a below-average opening but managed to impress select-regions. In fact, on Monday, Lover had higher collections in Tamil Nadu, compared to Lal Salaam.
Trending Naa Saami Ranga Vs Saindhav: Budget, Final Box Office Collection & Ratings – Both Tollywood Biggies Fail To Shine Despite Sankranti Benefit! Yatra 2 Box Office Collection (Worldwide) Day...
- 2/15/2024
- by Nikita Wagh
- KoiMoi
CinemaGenelia shared a video of Siddharth singing a song from their 2003 film ‘Boys’ on stage at a party and wrote, “N when Munna met Harini 20 years later this happens.”Instagram/geneliadActor Genelia D’Souza shared a glimpse of her Boys co-star Siddharth while cheering for him as he sang the track ‘Girlfriend’ from their 2003 film, on stage at an event. Genelia took to Instagram stories, where she posted a slew of pictures from her recent trip to Bengaluru. The first image has her sitting in a flight which she captioned: “Leaving on a jet plane.” Genelia then shared a picture with actor Kichcha Sudeep and her husband Riteish Deshmukh, seemingly from his Sudeep’s birthday party. The actor celebrated his 52nd birthday on Saturday, September 2. In the picture, the three of them are looking at the camera and smiling. The caption said, “Happy Birthday Kichcha Sudeepa. What a fun night it was…...
- 9/3/2023
- by Jahnavi
- The News Minute
National Film AwardsCinematographer PC Sreeram and Telugu actor Nani were among those who expressed disappointment over Jai Bhim not winning National Awards.The 69th National Film Awards were announced on Thursday, August 25, and films like Kadaisi Vivasayi, Kashmir Files, Rrr, Rocketry: The Nambi Effect, were among the winners. However, several felt that movies like Sarpatta Parambarai, Karnan, and Jai Bhim were snubbed by the jury because of the social message present in the films and the way these movies took on casteism. Several people took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to express their discontent with the winners of the national awards and that the above mentioned movies did not win. Noted cinematographer PC Sreeram also expressed his disappointment with Jai Bheem being left out. He said, “We in the film fraternity are united in our happiness for this year's National Awards. Did they leave out " jaibeem"due to any...
- 8/25/2023
- by AkchayaaR
- The News Minute
Chennai, Aug 24 (Ians) ‘Kadaisi Vivasayi’, directed and produced by M. Manikandan, feted as the Best Tamil Film at the National Film Awards 2023, announced in New Delhi on Thursday.
The movie is a story of an 85-year-old farmer who stood up against a property developer.
‘Kadaisi Vivasayi’ was released in theatres on February 11, 2022.
The film features the late Nallandi who played the lead role. Vijay Sethupathi and Yogi Babu played supporting roles in the movie.
The cinematography of the movie was also done by Manikandan.
Manikandan had tried to rope in Tamil super star Rajinikanth to play the role of the farmer Mayandi in the movie but the actor turned down the offer. Later, he found Nallandi to play the role of Mayandi.
Nallandi completed the shooting of the movie but passed away soon.
Tamil superstar Vijay Sethupathi played a cameo role in the movie.
Except for Vijay Sethupathi and Yogi Babu,...
The movie is a story of an 85-year-old farmer who stood up against a property developer.
‘Kadaisi Vivasayi’ was released in theatres on February 11, 2022.
The film features the late Nallandi who played the lead role. Vijay Sethupathi and Yogi Babu played supporting roles in the movie.
The cinematography of the movie was also done by Manikandan.
Manikandan had tried to rope in Tamil super star Rajinikanth to play the role of the farmer Mayandi in the movie but the actor turned down the offer. Later, he found Nallandi to play the role of Mayandi.
Nallandi completed the shooting of the movie but passed away soon.
Tamil superstar Vijay Sethupathi played a cameo role in the movie.
Except for Vijay Sethupathi and Yogi Babu,...
- 8/24/2023
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
Disney+ Hotstar recently released an action-packed trailer for ‘Mathagam’, its much-awaited original series. The gripping and intense trailer promises an action-packed entertainer with Atharva and Manikandan’s high adrenaline face-off lighting up the screens on fire. Written and directed by Prasath Murugesan, ‘Mathagam’, features Atharvaa, Manikandan, Nikhila Vimal, and Dd (Dhivyadarshini) in the lead.
Atharvaa plays an ardent cop in the series that will have Manikandan of ‘Jai Bhim’ fame playing the antagonist for the very first time.
The thrilling web series will also feature ace director Gautham Menon, Nikila Vimal, Dilnaz Irani, Ilavarasu, Dd (Dhivyadarshini), Vadivukarasi, Aruvi Thirunavukkarasu, Munnar Ramesh, Sarath Ravi, Rishikanth and Murali Abbas in pivotal roles.
Production for the series, a Hotstar Specials is handled by Screen Scene Media Entertainment. Music is by Darbuka Siva, Cinematography by Edwin Sakay and editing by Praveen Antony. Popular stunt master Dhilip Subbarayan has choreographed the explosive action sequences in the series,...
Atharvaa plays an ardent cop in the series that will have Manikandan of ‘Jai Bhim’ fame playing the antagonist for the very first time.
The thrilling web series will also feature ace director Gautham Menon, Nikila Vimal, Dilnaz Irani, Ilavarasu, Dd (Dhivyadarshini), Vadivukarasi, Aruvi Thirunavukkarasu, Munnar Ramesh, Sarath Ravi, Rishikanth and Murali Abbas in pivotal roles.
Production for the series, a Hotstar Specials is handled by Screen Scene Media Entertainment. Music is by Darbuka Siva, Cinematography by Edwin Sakay and editing by Praveen Antony. Popular stunt master Dhilip Subbarayan has choreographed the explosive action sequences in the series,...
- 8/16/2023
- by Editorial Desk
- GlamSham
ControversyThe protesters in Theni raised slogans against Dmk and said its actions could lead to caste riots. To prevent violence, police protection has been offered to three theatres in Thoothukudi as well.Police in Tamil Nadu’s Theni district detained 20 people who were staging protests in front of a theatre against the screening of Mari Selvaraj’s Maamannan, which was released on Thursday, June 29. According to reports, police protection was given to the theatre in Theni. The protesters reportedly belong to the Tamil Desiya Forward Bloc which supports the dominant Thevar community in Tamil Nadu. During the audio launch of Maamannan, director Mari Selvaraj had said that the film was inspired from Thevar Magan. He said that although Thevar Magan was a masterpiece, it made him feel distressed with its glorification of the feudal nature of the Thevar caste, and its problematic caste politics. After this speech, people began calling...
- 6/29/2023
- by AkchayaaR
- The News Minute
NewsThe petitioner claimed that the release of Maamannan could lead to communal tensions.A writ petition has been filed in the Madras High Court seeking a ban on director Mari Selvaraj’s Maamannan, claiming that the film might stoke communal tensions between Thevars (dominant community) and Devendra Kula Velalars (Dalit community). The film is scheduled to release on Thursday, June 29. Maamannan stars actors Vadivelu, Fahadh Faasil, Keerthy Suresh and Udhayanidhi Stalin. The petitioner, Manikandan, who belongs to Thevar community, demanded the Central Board of Film Certification to revoke the censorship certificate of Maamannan and further completely ban the film’s screening. Manikandan claimed that after watching the trailer and audio launch of the film, he suspects that Maamannan will induce “religious fanaticism” between Thevars and Devendra Kula Velalars. He said that Mari Selvaraj’s previous film Karnan was based on a true incident between Thevars and Devendra Kula Velalars. Mari...
- 6/28/2023
- by Balakrishna
- The News Minute
Berlin, June 21 (Ians) Multi-sport events are a riot of diversity, each sport, each athlete and coach different in character and even behaviour. The energy at one arena is markedly different from the other. And among them, swimming stands tall, and perhaps notoriously apart.
It’s a commonly known fact — swimming arenas are bouncing with energy, coaches, teammates and ‘swim parents’ screaming encouragement from the stands in unison as soon as the starters’ gun goes off.
What separates the swim events at the Special Olympics World Games though, is the audible universality of the cheers that follow the starters gun. There are no bellowed instructions and no single name being screamed at. Instead, in unison, the crowd rises up and cheers onward each heat, each swimmer equally.
It’s a rare phenomenon — so rare in fact that it is definitely exclusive to the Schwimm- und Sprunghalle im Europasportpark (Swimming and Diving...
It’s a commonly known fact — swimming arenas are bouncing with energy, coaches, teammates and ‘swim parents’ screaming encouragement from the stands in unison as soon as the starters’ gun goes off.
What separates the swim events at the Special Olympics World Games though, is the audible universality of the cheers that follow the starters gun. There are no bellowed instructions and no single name being screamed at. Instead, in unison, the crowd rises up and cheers onward each heat, each swimmer equally.
It’s a rare phenomenon — so rare in fact that it is definitely exclusive to the Schwimm- und Sprunghalle im Europasportpark (Swimming and Diving...
- 6/21/2023
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
CinemaThe Madras High Court on Thursday, August 11, quashed the Fir filed against the makers of ‘Jai Bhim’, for the portrayal of the Vanniyar community in the movie.Tnm StaffScreengrab/ YouTubeIn a big relief to the makers of Jai Bhim, the Madras High Court quashed the First Information Report (Fir) filed against actor Suriya and director Gnanavel. The Fir was filed based on a complaint that alleged that the movie hurt the sentiments of the Vanniyar community and that they had been portrayed in a bad light. The order was pronounced by Madras High Court Justice N Sathish Kumar on Thursday, August 11. In December 2021, Chennai-based advocate K Santhosh of Rudra Vanniyar Sena had approached the Saidapet court seeking direction to the police to register an Fir against actor Suriya and Jai Bhim director Gnanavel. The petitioner alleged that Jai bhim was made with an “ulterior motive to instigate communal violence between...
- 8/11/2022
- by SaradhaU
- The News Minute
T J Gnanavel’s critically acclaimed courtroom drama ‘Jai Bhim’, starring Suriya, Lijomol Jose and Manikandan in the lead, will be among the Tamil films that will be screened at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne that is to take place between August 12 – 30, this year. The film narrates the story of a brave […]...
- 7/30/2022
- by Glamsham Bureau
- GlamSham
InterviewMalayalam actor Darshana Rajendran, who has been proving herself afresh film after film, talks to Tnm about her transition from playing the protagonist’s ‘friend’ to doing lead roles, her theatre background, and more.CrisPhoto credit - Aishwarya AshokInteresting thing about Darshana Rajendran, an actor who keeps proving herself afresh film after film, is that she comes off as exactly the kind of person she has just played. In the beginning, when she made shorter appearances in Malayalam movies, you would take her for a supportive friend who hears you out, keeps you company in dark moments, and lets you lie down on her lap and sings to you. When she appeared in grander roles, you saw her as a tragic character that dies of a virus, a young woman trapped in sex trafficking, a lover ending up deserted in a haunted house or the depths of a forest. Darshana,...
- 6/12/2022
- by Cris
- The News Minute
TributeThose in the film fraternity, as well as in political circles, mourned the actor’s sudden death. Tnm Staff“How will I convince myself that Anil is not there anymore," asks actor Biju Menon in a Facebook post on Anil P Nedumangad. The death of Malayalam actor Anil came as a huge shock for his fellow actors and film buffs. അനിൽ ...ഇനി ഇല്ല എന്നെങ്ങിനെ ഞാൻ എന്നെ തന്നെ വിശ്വസിപ്പിക്കും ..? Posted by Biju Menon on Friday, December 25, 2020 Actor Prithviraj Sukumaran also expressed his sorrow in a few words: “Nothing. I have nothing to say. Hope you are at peace Anil etta," his post reads. Anil passed away suddenly, as the 48-year old actor drowned at the Malankara dam site in Idukki at 5.30 pm on Friday. Both Biju Menon and Prithviraj had shared screen space with Anil in...
- 12/26/2020
- by Cris
- The News Minute
KollywoodKS Manikandan of 'Kanna Laddu Thinna Aasaiya' fame will be directing the film.Digital NativeA brand new biopic on the late actor Silk Smitha is on cards, according to reports. Reports are that Ks Manikandan of Kanna Laddu Thinna Aasaiya fame will be wielding the megaphone for this venture which will be bankrolled by Chithra Lakshmanan and H Murali under their respective banners Gayathri Films and Murali Cine Arts. The prep work for this project titled Aval Appadithan is currently on and the shooting is likely to begin next month. Speaking about the project in an interview to the Times of India, director Ks Manikandan said, “Her hotness quotient too has been unmatched till date. And to play her character, we are trying to get the right person who can do justice to the role.” While fans are eager to know who would be playing Silk Smitha in the biopic Aval Appadithaan,...
- 10/4/2020
- by Anjana
- The News Minute
CinemaThe Hindi film 'Gangs of Wasseypur' was the only Indian film to feature on the list and we asked critics for their favourites from south cinema that deserved a mention too.Anjana ShekarScreenshot/NetflixThe Guardian’s List of '100 Best Films of the 21st Century' was announced on Friday and Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs of Wasseypur at No.59 was the only Indian film to feature on the list. Such international lists on cinema turn the spotlight towards a country’s filmmaking talent, giving the films their due recognition. Time Magazine's 'All-time 100 Movie List' had Mani Ratnam's Nayagan apart from Satyajit Ray's The Apu Triology and the 1957 Guru Dutt film Pyaasa. However, it is rare for a film from the south Indian industries to get featured on a global list. Despite several critically acclaimed Indian films being made every year in languages other than Hindi, Indian cinema...
- 9/17/2019
- by Anjana
- The News Minute
Kollywood "I pitched the story to him but he didn’t show interest, so I went ahead and cast someone else,” said Manikandan. Digital NativeDigital NativeKaaka Muttai fame director Manikandan, who is getting ready with his next project Kadaisi Vivasayi, which has a 70-year-old in the titular role of a farmer, has revealed that he had originally approached superstar Rajinikanth with the offer to play the lead role in the film. In his recent interview to a Tamil daily, Manikandan said he felt Rajinikanth would be apt to play the protagonist who swears by farming. “If Rajini sir plays such a character, you can’t even imagine the kind of impact it will have on the audiences about farming. I pitched the story to him but he didn’t show interest, so I went ahead and cast someone else.” The film features Vijay Sethupathi in a cameo. Having worked together in Aaandavan Kattalai,...
- 7/6/2019
- by Luke
- The News Minute
KollywoodTipped to be a thriller that revolves around a family, the film will see Jyothika and Karthi play siblings.Digital NativeWell-known veteran actor Sowcar Janaki, who was last seen on screen in Telugu film Babu Bangaram, has been roped in for a key role in Jyothika’s next yet-untitled project with director Jeethu Joseph, who returns to Tamil filmdom with this project, which also stars Karthi. Tipped to be a thriller that revolves around a family, the film will see Jyothika and Karthi play siblings while Sathyaraj and Anson Paul will be seen essaying important roles. The film's latest addition is Master Ashwanth who had stole the show in Super Deluxe as Raasukutty. Rensil D’Silva and Manikandan have associated with the director for the scripting work and the film is being jointly bankrolled by Viacom 18 and 2D Entertainment which is owned by Karthi's brother Suriya. The project went...
- 7/5/2019
- by Anjana
- The News Minute
Kollywood The project is expected to go on the floors later this month or early May. Digital NativeDigital NativeDirector Jeethu Joseph, whose last Tamil outing was Kamal Haasan starrer Papanasam, returns to Kollywood with a new project starring Jyothika and her brother-in-law Karthi, who will be sharing the screen space for this first time together. More details about the project are yet unknown; however, it is learnt from reliable sources that the film will feature Jyothika and Karthi as siblings. Rensil D’Silva and Manikandan will be associating with the director for the scripting work and it will be jointly bankrolled by Viacom 18 and 2D Entertainment which is owned by Karthi's brother Suriya. The project is expected to go on the floors later this month or early May. Meanwhile, Karthi will complete shooting for his upcoming romantic comedy with director Bakkiyaraj Kannan, and will also wrap up pending work...
- 4/17/2019
- by Luke
- The News Minute
MollywoodThe team is currently stationed in Athirapally where the temperature is soaring high every day.Digital NativeThe sweltering heat across the country due to the rising temperature is having an impact on the film industry as well. Reports are that the shooting time of the upcoming Malayalam film Maamaankam had to be rescheduled due to this. Usually the shooting begins in the morning and goes on till evening but now the timing has been changed to 4 to 6 pm. The team is currently stationed in Athirapally where the temperature is soaring high every day. Scenes involving Mammootty, Unni Mukundan and Manikandan are being canned right now. Made on a budget of Rs 50 crore, the film began its production with debut director Sajeev Pillai wielding the megaphone. But due to creative differences with the producer Venu Kunnapilly, noted filmmaker Padma Kumar was brought in to replace Sajeev. The problems between Sajeev and...
- 4/12/2019
- by Cris
- The News Minute
MollywoodThe film is on the famous protests against the ‘chappa’ system that was practised in the Cochin harbour during the 1950s.Digital NativeCinematographer-filmmaker Rajeev Ravi’s fourth film Thuramukham, with Nivin Pauly in the lead, has begun shooting in Kannur. The first look poster released in March, with Nivin launching it on social media. Rajeev Ravi is the director of critically acclaimed movies like Annayum Rasoolum, Njan Steve Lopez and Kammattipaadam. The filmmaker, who is also penning the script for Thuramukham, has told in an interview to the Times of India, “We began the shooting in Kannur and all is well. The cast of the movie include Biju Menon, Indrajith Sukumaran, Nimisha Sajayan and Arjun Ashokan among others.” Besides Nivin Pauly in the lead role along with Nimisha Sajayan and Biju Menon, the cast also includes Poornima Indrajith and Aashiq Abu in important roles. The film is on the famous...
- 4/12/2019
- by Cris
- The News Minute
KollywoodDirected by Bakkiyaraj Kannan the film also stars Rashmika Mandanna.Digital NativeDigital NativeTamil film industry will now see a villain! Yes, Ram of Kgf fame has been roped in to play the baddie in Karthi's upcoming Tamil movie. He will be marking his debut in this Bakkiyaraj Kannan directorial. Reports are that Ram has shot for a few scenes during the first schedule and will be joining the team for the second schedule. Also, Kannada heroine Rashmika Mandanna will be entering Kollywood with this flick. She currently has two Telugu movies Dear Comrade and Bheeshma and one Kannada film Pogaru. Bankrolled by Sr Prabhu's Dream Warrior Pictures, this film’s technical crew includes music by Vivek-Mervin, cinematography by Sathyan Sooryan and editing by Ruben. This yet to be titled film is touted to be a complete action entertainer. While Karthi’s film with Bakkiyaraj Kannan is in progress, the star also has Kaithi,...
- 4/2/2019
- by Anjana
- The News Minute
Cinema These artists, who work as dupes for heroes and risk their lives for a great scene, are rarely recognised by the audience and receive little support from the film industry.Sreedevi JayarajanThey fall from skyscrapers, crash through glass, explode in car blasts and stagger around ablaze. They even drive into flaming pillars, leap from moving trains and fly bikes over trucks, all to create 3 or 4 minutes of nail-biting, edge-of-the seat action. Yet, chances are, these actors would hardly be recognised on or off-screen. Most times they replace the hero as dupes for stunt scenes. Other times, they are roped in as background fighters to do flash kicks and somersaults. But what is a day like, in the life of these reel and real life heroes? And more importantly, what do these artists feel seconds before each scene that could very well prove fatal? “Free falls are scary. From experience, we already know that we will get injured. What we don’t know is how much we will get hurt. It could be anything from a bone fracture to a nerve cut – but it’s a risk that we knowingly take,” 29-year-old Mahesh, a stuntman who predominantly works in Kollywood, says. Ligament tears, bone fractures, head injuries…Mahesh has seen it all in the 13 years that he has worked in the industry. However, for all their occupational hazards, Mahesh and his colleagues have accepted that recognition and good compensation is hard to come by in this industry. And success, to them, is not getting killed while pursuing that perfect shot. Lack of support “We get paid for the number of days we shoot in a set. If we are hurt, we get to go back home and rest. The production house will attend to us and give us first aid in case of bad injuries. We are also taken to the hospital and if they are kind enough, they will pay off our bills for the first day,” he says. When asked if he gets paid leave for work injuries, he says, “No, then they find a replacement as they have to quickly wrap up the shots. When we are injured, we don’t get paid for one or two months. So our stunt artists' union has an accident fund, where they collect Rs. 100 from all the stunt actors and give us Rs. 10,000. But we don’t get anything from the industry,” he said For the artists, their union is their saviour. “We wouldn’t know where to go if not for the union. We have a solid accident fund and after completing 12 years in the industry, the union gives us Rs. 60,000. It provides us a fund which the industry we work in most time never does,” said Mahesh. Acknowledging their dispensability on the sets of a film, Mahesh adds, “There are several others waiting to grab the opportunity. So unlike the heroes, without whom the show stops, we are let off and another stunt artist does the bit." Stuntman Mahesh with Superstar Rajinikanth. Meeting danger head-on When asked about the levels of danger in doing stunts, Mahesh said that most stunt scenes are extremely risky, but the worst has got to be the fire scenes. 30-year-old Manikandan, also known as Danger Mani, a small time stunt choreographer who has worked in the industry for nearly a decade, agrees. “For a fire sequence, we wrap the artist in layers of protective cloth soaked in cold water and then douse him in soda. He also has a face mask which covers his head and we rub Burnol cream on his face and hair. After this, a flammable gel is applied and he is lit within the next second. Then we see how long he can go ablaze and once he collapses, the fire is doused right then,” he says. Mani says that the soda is applied as it gives that "extra" oxygen which that the artist can breathe. “However, a delay in lighting the artist after applying the flammable gel can result in fatal burns even,” he adds. Recounting the scariest moment in his career, Mahesh spoke about a careless delay in a shooting a fire sequence which almost took his life. “I was shooting for this Tamil film Nadunisi Naaygal. I was the dupe for the heroine and my colleague and I were lying on the bed with the flammable gel on. However, we were not lit on time and gas from the gel engulfed the entire room. A decorative candle that no one noticed resulted in the whole room going up in flames. A panicked crew ran out of the room and I don’t even remember how I escaped from there. That was my one close encounter with death. I thought I wouldn’t live to narrate this tale. A day later, I went to see my colleague who suffered extreme burns. Even his eyes and lips were scorched,” he recalls. Mani, who has acted in films in nine Indian languages, says that he is lucky he has received only two stitches in his entire career. “The risky shots I have done earned me the title 'Danger Mani'. However, not everybody is lucky enough to sustain only minor injuries during shoots. It is very rare. Certain scenes like glass crashing will guarantee you severe cuts. You don’t realise it when you break the glass but as you place your palms and elbows to soften the blow, the shards pierce deep into your flesh, as you cannot cover the exposed parts like hands and face,” Mani notes. However, Mani confesses that it’s a decade long, peril-ridden journey to become a stunt master from an artist. “You join as a fighter and little by little you pick up the art. And then you become an assistant director and learn choreography under several stunt directors before you start off on your own. However, chances are you may not even last those seven or ten years,” he says. Stunt master 'Danger' Mani. Playing the unseen hero Hardships aside, even support and adulation from the industry is often scarce. Mahesh says that most attention is showered on them was when they appear as dupes for the hero “That is when everybody in the crew is attending to you, straightening your collar and fixing your hair and laces. Even the hero wants to check if you look okay,” Mahesh adds, with a chuckle. Having worked on big projects such as Kodi, Polladhavan, Maari, Velayudham and several other films in all south Indian languages, Mahesh also says that despite the general neglect they face, some of the big stars treat them with a lot of regard. “Vijay Sethupathi sir is truly great. He treats us like his friends and has extreme respect for stunt artists. After a risky shot, he comes and hugs me and tells me what a great job I have done,” he shares happily. According to Mahesh, actors like Suriya give them one or two lakhs after a film. “Once, I fainted after a stunt scene in Ajith sir’s film. We were shooting in a rural area in Orissa. He immediately booked my flight tickets back to Chennai and asked me to go consult a doctor,” says Mahesh Unlike in Bollywood, the south Indian film industries have no stunt women and all the stunts are performed by male artist dupes. “I have played the lady dupe for many stars. In fact, I was Priya Mani’s lady dupe for the entire shoot of Yamadonga, a Telugu film,” he says. The allure for this difficult profession may be hard to understand, yet when these artists speak, one understands why they are here, prepared to risk their lives for cinema. “My father was also a stuntman. Known as Ranga in the industry, he had to quit early due to injures. But today, when people say that Ranga’s son did a superb shot, I feel like I have done my dad proud. These scars for me are like awards. Each shoot I get is a new prize and I’m proud to show it off,” concludes Mahesh, his eyes glinting. Read: Small roles, big dreams: The invisible artistes of the Tamil film industry...
- 1/24/2018
- by Editor
- The News Minute
MollywoodDirector Venu doesn't bother giving us the usual crutches for justifying a character's avarice. Sowmya Rajendran'These are called Mareechan, you know, like in the Ramayana', says Pilla chettan (Kochu Preman), pointing to a herd of spotted deer, as his visitors stand spell-bound. That's how myth, legend, and rumour blend seamlessly with reality in Venu's Carbon. And Fahadh plays the dreamer, Sibi Sebastian, who is forever looking for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. He doesn't want the ashes any more, he wants the diamonds. It's hard to place Carbon within one genre. The film begins with a note of mystery. Sibi has gone missing and he's believed to have a valuable stone, a maragatham in his possession. Has he been kidnapped? Murdered? Is the stone magical? Turns out, it's the first of Sibi's many attempts to make a fortune. When it fails, he goes on an anti-capitalist rant, lecturing his friend (Sharafudheen) on how one first needs money to make more money. Venu takes his time to get us to the leap of faith that Sibi must make to get what he wants. But all of these little episodes that come prior to this great journey tell us more about the man and his motives. The narrative flirts with magical realism in the first half (the episode with Soubin as the mahout is pretty creepy) but convinces us that these instances are merely dreams or a figment of Sibi's imagination. However, as the film progresses, we're sucked into a world where it's hard to decide what's fantasy and what is not. The perspective shifts from looking at Sibi to looking from within Sibi, as if we've consumed some 'magic' mushrooms along with him, too. There's a nice balancing of beliefs within this framework. When Sibi laughs at Kannan, a tribal boy's (Chethan Jayalal) fear of what lies in a part of the jungle his ancestors have warned him about, Stalin (a superb Manikandan) points out that Sibi's belief in rahu kalam is no less irrational. Sibi is the educated guy who chucks plastic bottles in the forest, Kannan is the sort who leaves behind some eggs in the bird nest while he takes out a few for a meal. You don't get the luxury of dismissing anyone's perspective or stories and so, the plot keeps us on the edge with the possibility that anything could be true. Perhaps the weakest link in the journey is Mamta Mohandas's character - Sameera. She remains under-explored and we don't really know much about her other than the fact that she's a "jungle junkie". Sameera also looks a bit too squeaky clean and made-up for a woman who's spent a few days in a dense jungle. Fahadh is brilliant as the ambitious Sibi, shifting from the comic (the scene when he explains a grand plan to import cycles from China to Dileesh Pothan is a delight) to the fearful. His eyes growing increasingly desperate, you root for his foolhardy plan though Venu doesn't bother giving us the usual crutches for justifying a character's avarice - there is a sister but she isn't waiting to be married off, there is a mother and though she falls sick, it's not cancer, the father isn't impoverished and is capable of paying off Sibi's debts. Many of the scenes are shot in the dark. Sometimes, you wish there was a bit more light so you can see everything clearly but this is deliberate - you are not supposed to catch every expression on the faces, every rustle in the bush. Pilla chettan, the caretaker, looks harmless in the day but provides us the jumps at night. Ku Mohanan's camera gives us an immersive experience of the jungle, sometimes taking our breath away with its beauty and sometimes striking fear in our hearts. There is patience in how the story is shown rather than told - a forest squirrel munches on fruits merrily from a tree, as a hungry Sibi watches in part-frustration, part-fascination. There is no dialogue but you feel taunted, just as Sibi does. The background score stays subtle and doesn't overpower the frames, playing up the suspense intelligently when needed. The ending seemed sudden to me. I wasn't expecting the discovery that Sibi makes to come so quickly. But that's only if you look at it solely from the plane of reality. The last sequence suggests a rebirth - Sibi is almost defeated but with water, comes life, once again. Carbon is rich in its layers and symbols. From the current generation of Malayalam male actors, it's probably only Fahadh who could have pulled off Sibi so convincingly. And it's riding on his tremendous performance that Carbon sparkles. Disclaimer: This review was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the film. Neither Tnm nor any of its reviewers have any sort of business relationship with the film's producers or any other members of its cast and crew.
- 1/20/2018
- by Editor
- The News Minute
M Manikandan’s latter-day parable mines both laughter and tears from the struggles of two young brothers to put food on the table
After the none-more-lavish escapism of Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, the UK release of Tamil festival favourite The Crow’s Egg (Kaaka Muttai) returns us to reality with a bump. The debut of erstwhile wedding photographer M Manikandan plays out around the margins of Chennai – its dumps, slums and wastelands – among a cast of thugs, drunks, urchins and goats who have neither the time, nor really the joy in them, to make a song and dance of things. No fairytale, then – but this committed latter-day parable mines both laughter and tears from the struggles of India’s poorest to put food on the table.
Our heroes are two young brothers whose shared nickname derives from an unusual dining ritual. Little Crow’s Egg (Ramesh) tempts birds from their...
After the none-more-lavish escapism of Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, the UK release of Tamil festival favourite The Crow’s Egg (Kaaka Muttai) returns us to reality with a bump. The debut of erstwhile wedding photographer M Manikandan plays out around the margins of Chennai – its dumps, slums and wastelands – among a cast of thugs, drunks, urchins and goats who have neither the time, nor really the joy in them, to make a song and dance of things. No fairytale, then – but this committed latter-day parable mines both laughter and tears from the struggles of India’s poorest to put food on the table.
Our heroes are two young brothers whose shared nickname derives from an unusual dining ritual. Little Crow’s Egg (Ramesh) tempts birds from their...
- 11/23/2015
- by Mike McCahill
- The Guardian - Film News
First and foremost Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, a feast for the senses. It is so well-mounted and shot with such a keen affection of aesthetic propriety that we are hooked from the word go.
Sooraj Bajartya’s new collaboration with Salman Khan is a dazzling homage to Shining India. Age-old sanskriti and sanskaar meets new-age values and technology. The clash is not so profound as it is pulsating and provocative.
Significantly there are two Salman Khans, signifying the dual personality in conflict in modern India. Visually, the film scores a greater grandeur than any of Sooraj’s earliers films. Full credit goes to cinmetographer V Manikandan and art director Nitin Chandrakant Desai for creating a world laden with opulence and yet connected to a culture that every Indian can identify with. In this way Barjatya offers us the best both the worlds.
Prem Ratan Dhan Payo is a fable on...
Sooraj Bajartya’s new collaboration with Salman Khan is a dazzling homage to Shining India. Age-old sanskriti and sanskaar meets new-age values and technology. The clash is not so profound as it is pulsating and provocative.
Significantly there are two Salman Khans, signifying the dual personality in conflict in modern India. Visually, the film scores a greater grandeur than any of Sooraj’s earliers films. Full credit goes to cinmetographer V Manikandan and art director Nitin Chandrakant Desai for creating a world laden with opulence and yet connected to a culture that every Indian can identify with. In this way Barjatya offers us the best both the worlds.
Prem Ratan Dhan Payo is a fable on...
- 11/15/2015
- by Subhash K Jha
- Bollyspice
The 2014 Toronto Film Festival lineup got a lot stronger this morning by adding several new titles to the Special Presentations, Masters, Documentaries, Vanguard and Contemporary World Cinema selection as well as announcing the Mavericks and Discovery Programme picks. Most notable selections begin with Special Presentations additions of The Weinstein's St. Vincent starring Bill Murray and Melissa McCarty and James Franco's The Sound and the Fury. The St. Vincent screening will be a world premiere and suggest Murray will be walking the Tiff red carpet... now that's a get for the fest I'm sure brings a smile to their face. In the Masters selection we have Studio Ghibli's The Tale of Princess Kaguya as well as the Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or winner, Nuri Bilge Ceylan's Winter Sleep. The Vanguard selection has added The Voice, the lastest film from Persepolis helmer Marjane Satrapi and in the Mavericks selection...
- 8/19/2014
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Bill Murray starrer St. Vincent will premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival as part of this week’s wave of programming that includes Discovery.
The Discovery section includes the upcoming world premiere of Stories Of Our Lives, a portmanteau of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex testimonies by anonymous filmmakers from Kenya.
Selections include first-looks of Ross Katz’s Us comedy Adult Beginners, Sarah Leonor’s French Legion drama The Great Man, Isidora Marras’ Chile-Argentinian psychothriller I Am Not Lorena and UK drama X + Y.
“Christopher Nolan, Steve McQueen, Lynne Ramsay and David Gordon Green all presented their first features in our Discovery section,” said Tiff artistic director Cameron Bailey. “It’s a great place to spot new talent first.”
Besides St. Vincent, Festival Additions includes concert film cum road movie Roger Waters The Wall, while the world premiere of Krzysztof Zanussi’s Foreign Body takes its place among the Masters strand.
Tiff Docs arrivals...
The Discovery section includes the upcoming world premiere of Stories Of Our Lives, a portmanteau of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex testimonies by anonymous filmmakers from Kenya.
Selections include first-looks of Ross Katz’s Us comedy Adult Beginners, Sarah Leonor’s French Legion drama The Great Man, Isidora Marras’ Chile-Argentinian psychothriller I Am Not Lorena and UK drama X + Y.
“Christopher Nolan, Steve McQueen, Lynne Ramsay and David Gordon Green all presented their first features in our Discovery section,” said Tiff artistic director Cameron Bailey. “It’s a great place to spot new talent first.”
Besides St. Vincent, Festival Additions includes concert film cum road movie Roger Waters The Wall, while the world premiere of Krzysztof Zanussi’s Foreign Body takes its place among the Masters strand.
Tiff Docs arrivals...
- 8/19/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Bran Nue Dae and Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole have been nominated for the Asia Pacific Screen Awards in the Best Children’s Film and Best Animated Film categories respectively.
New Zealand’s Boy was also nominated for Best Children’s Film, and Australian actor Tony Barry has been recognised for his performance in that country’s feature Home by Christmas.
The Jury is headed by producer Lord David Puttnam, and winners will be announced on the Gold Coast on December 2.
The nominees are:
Best Feature Film
Tangshan dadizheng (Aftershock)
People’s Republic of China (Mainland China / Hong Kong)
Produced by Guo Yanhong, Han Sanping, Wang Zhonjun, Peter Lam Kin Ngok, Wang Tonguan and Albert Yeung.
Bal (Honey)
Turkey / Germany
Produced by Semih Kaplanoðlu.
Co-Produced by Johannes Rexin, Bettina Brokemper.
Mengjia (Monga)
Taiwan
Produced by Lee Lieh and Doze Niu Chen-zer.
Paju
Republic of Korea
Produced...
New Zealand’s Boy was also nominated for Best Children’s Film, and Australian actor Tony Barry has been recognised for his performance in that country’s feature Home by Christmas.
The Jury is headed by producer Lord David Puttnam, and winners will be announced on the Gold Coast on December 2.
The nominees are:
Best Feature Film
Tangshan dadizheng (Aftershock)
People’s Republic of China (Mainland China / Hong Kong)
Produced by Guo Yanhong, Han Sanping, Wang Zhonjun, Peter Lam Kin Ngok, Wang Tonguan and Albert Yeung.
Bal (Honey)
Turkey / Germany
Produced by Semih Kaplanoðlu.
Co-Produced by Johannes Rexin, Bettina Brokemper.
Mengjia (Monga)
Taiwan
Produced by Lee Lieh and Doze Niu Chen-zer.
Paju
Republic of Korea
Produced...
- 10/18/2010
- by Miguel Gonzalez
- Encore Magazine
Star-casts: Vikram, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Prithviraj, Karthik, Priyamani, Prabhu, Ranjitha, John Vijay
Production: Madras Talkies, Big Pictures
Screenplay - Direction: Manirathnam
Music: A.R. Rahman
Cinematography: Santhosh Sivan, Manikandan
Editing: Sreekar Prasad
The Brand ‘Manirathnam’ doesn’t mean it’s an A-rated film and it should be credited with 5-star rating. We have been the diehard buffs of Manirathnam and have appreciated almost all his films for its unique themes. When his ‘Thalapathy’ was a modernized tale of Hindu Epic ‘Mahabharatha’, this one is a pure adaptation of ‘Ramayanam’. There are many connections that prove of such instances, which in many places look so amateurish and kiddy stuff as well. We never expected such a thing from Manirathnam.
Let’s start off relating the characters and instances marking the ‘Ramayanam’…
But it’s a best thing to mention this as a disclaimer about not hurting the feeling of any religious groups...
Production: Madras Talkies, Big Pictures
Screenplay - Direction: Manirathnam
Music: A.R. Rahman
Cinematography: Santhosh Sivan, Manikandan
Editing: Sreekar Prasad
The Brand ‘Manirathnam’ doesn’t mean it’s an A-rated film and it should be credited with 5-star rating. We have been the diehard buffs of Manirathnam and have appreciated almost all his films for its unique themes. When his ‘Thalapathy’ was a modernized tale of Hindu Epic ‘Mahabharatha’, this one is a pure adaptation of ‘Ramayanam’. There are many connections that prove of such instances, which in many places look so amateurish and kiddy stuff as well. We never expected such a thing from Manirathnam.
Let’s start off relating the characters and instances marking the ‘Ramayanam’…
But it’s a best thing to mention this as a disclaimer about not hurting the feeling of any religious groups...
- 6/18/2010
- by Editor
- KollywoodToday
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