Jagapathibabu’s Sadhyam completed shooting

Jagapathi babu and priyamani starrer hatrick movie Sadhyam has completed shooting and it is presently in post production works. This movie is slated for release during second week of February. Karthikeya Gopalakrishna is directing this film. Kumar Brothers are producing the film. ‘Aadhi’ fame, Kirthi Chawla is playing an important role in the film. The other cast are Tanikela Barani, Kota srinivasulu and etc.

Surya-Anushka’s new movie

Studio Green banner is going to make a movie with Tamil hero Surya and Jejamma Anushka as lead roles. The title of the film could be Bobbili Simham. Even they are planning to release movies of Tamil starred by Surya into Telugu as well in dubbed versions.

Andari Banduvaya Audio releasing today

Sharwanand, Padma Priya starrer ‘Andari Bandhuvaya’ is produced and directed by Chandra Siddharth, the director of the award winning films “Aa Naluguru” and “Idi Sangathi.” The film is made under Utopia Entertainments banner. Audio of this movie will be released at Prasad Labs today(January 30, 2010) evening,music scored by Anoop Rubens.Chandra Siddhartha is planning to release his film Andari Banduvaya in Feburary.

Prabhas & Ntr gonna work together ??!!!

The angry young hero Jr. NTR and hero Prabhas are good friends. So when Prabhas asked Jr. NTR to do a guest role in his new film, Jr. NTR readily agreed. The new film is being directed by K Raghavendra Rao.

Jr. NTR will play a small guest role in the film. The role is that of lord Ram, a role made famous by NT Rama Rao. Jr. NTR is sure to vow the audiences with his role of lord Ram. Jr. NTR made a guest appearance in the Venkatesh starrer Chintakayala Ravi.

NTR in his grandfather’s path

It’s a world of trends. ‘Magadheera’ and ‘Arundathi’ have brought in certain taste of history to the Tollywood. Now, it has caught up NTR too. He has now conveyed his desire to do a movie in similar lines to the one played by Late NTR in ‘Daana Veera Soora Karna’. Referring to the Bheema’s role in that film he told in an interview that that was the role he likes so much in his younger days. Now, he has conveyed that VV Vinayak can direct the movie in a better way after his successes with ‘Aadi’, ‘Samba’ and ‘Adhurs’. So it will not be a surprise if something starts up in a few months from now.

Raja’s new film shooting in Hyderabad

Raja’s new film in Jayakrishna Creations Banner is currently being shot in Hyderabad. Sanchita Padukone is making her debut in Telugu Film Industry with this film. Srinivas is directingthis film. C.Gopalakrishna is producing the film on Jayakrishna Creations Banner. The story of the film is said to be based on a real life love story of an NRI, which happened in Hyderabad couple of years ago. The central theme of the film is how a doting mother reacts when she comes to know that her son is in love. The film is being touted as a youth entertainer. Vengi is composing the music for this film.

Vikarabad set to be reconstructed for Mahesh-Trivikram’s film

Mahesh and Anushka’s new film in Trivikram Srinivas’ direction is left with another 60 days of shooting. 123telugu.com had earlier reported that this untitled film was to be shot in Vikarabad in the third week of January. However, the shooting of the film was disrupted by Telangana activists who also burnt down the set. The specially designed set had cost somewhere between Rs.1-1.5 crores and more than 120 people worked to construct this set for 27 days. Now, the latest news is that this set is being reconstructed for the shooting. The film is currently being shot in Kerala. Some important scenes were shot in Rajasthan late last year. The songs of the film will be shot sometime next month. This untitled film is going to be one of the big releases this summer. Prakash Raj, Brahmanandam, M S Narayana and other are playing other major roles in the film.

Taj Mahal on Feb 12th, a gift for your Valentine

Sivaji’s first production film ‘Taj Mahal’, which is his dream project is finally releasing on February 12th. The release date has been confirmed and the film is hitting theaters as a Valentine’s Day gift for the lovers. It is a romantic entertainer and a remake of a Kannada block buster ‘Taj Mahal’. Besides producing the flick Sivaji played a lead role introducing Shruti as heroine. Alongside the lead pair Kota Srinivas Rao, Nazar and Brahmanandam played prominent roles. With music by Abhiman, Arun Singaraju directed the flick. “All the Very Best” Sivaji, Ragalahari wishes you a grand success for your first production venture.

NTR: 'First Work then Marriage'

We hear that the eligible T-town bachelor NTR Jr. is set to marry 17-year-old student Laxmi Pranitha, daughter of a real estate baron Srinivasa Rao, sometime in the first part of 2010. Pranitha is also the grand daughter of former chief minister Chandrababu Naidu, who reportedly played a crucial role in finalising this much-talked about alliance between the two powerful families. Though the gossip mills had been working overtime about his marriage plans, the hotshot star himself ruled out such plans some days ago. “Right now, I am obsessed with my work and it’s too early to talk about marriage,” he said.

Another 11 black & white classics to be released in Colour!

After putting in heart and soul to make the colour version of evergreen classic, ‘Mayabazaar’, the company behind this daunting task GoldStone Technologies Limited has much bigger plans. The initial response for the colour version of ‘Mayabazar’ has been great so far and taking a cue from this, GoldStone is planning to bring out another 11 black and white classics, mainly from ‘Vijaya Productions’ in Colour version. The first few of these 11 films which would undergo this process would be ‘Jagadega Veeruni Katha’, ‘Pathala Bhairavi’ and both of them belong to fantasy and folklore genre. The Creative Head of GoldStone, C.Jagan Mohan said that after these two, the other films in the pipeline are Missamma, Gundamma Katha, Appu Chesi Pappu Koodu, Shaavukaru, Uma Chandi Gaurishankarula Katha, Sathya Harishchandra, CID and Pelli Chesi Choodu. In Hindi, ‘Hum Dono’ starring Dev Anand will be digitally remastered and will be released soon in Colour. Gold Stone Technologies Limited is also trying to get the rights to digitally remaster some of old Kannada and Tamil hits and release them in colour version soon. This is indeed great news for movie buffs and kudos to Goldstone for taking up this initiative.

Heroine's Sex Video In Egypt With Telugu Hero

Off late, the power of technology has become so strong that it is not sure which is morphed and which is for real. Now, a strong buzz is making rounds that a noted porn site has got a video which has got Malayali heroine based in Chennai along with a Telugu hero, well no confirmations on the face identity though.

It seems that they went to Egypt for shooting and there a spy cam was used when the sexual acts were happening. Though the hero and heroine can be seen in the video, it is not sure if that is morphed or for real. It is said that one among the unit members had taken the video.

Those who have seen the video say that it is the heroine indeed but the element of morphing always exists. Also, given the pile of controversies the heroine often gets involved in (she was involved with two Tamil heroes so far..and first confirmed a break while the second one was assumed to have broken recently), this could be just one of them. Well, at the end of it, the decision is completely up to the watcher to confirm if it was real or not. The URL of the video is now circulating among netizens, as per a birdie. The people are getting shocked seeing the top notch young Telugu hero in the video. Well, he too may be a look alike, say some. How can it be possible to get look-alikes of both actress and actor!!!? That is another question.

Jr NTR's 'Surgery'?

Jr NTR does not prefer coming out abruptly now. It is known that his wedding news has been making big rounds in the industry. But still he has scars on his face those were the result of accident during election campaigning. Hence he is avoiding media glare and remaining in close doors. As his wedding plans are coming nearer, it is said that he is planning to undergo any minor cosmetic surgery to remove the scars on face. We have to see how he looks during his engagement and wedding.

Ten Movies Starting On Ugadi?

This might come across as a surprise but then the festivals of Dussera, Diwali, Sankranthi often see the launch of many Telugu movies. But this time, there were no movies during Dussera, Diwali and Sankranthi as well. But many are hoping that things will change by Ugadi. Well, the impact of recession and also the continuous flops showed a severe impact and so movies were not launched during Diwali and Dussera. When it came to Sankranthi, it was the Telangana trouble that stopped many from hitting the floors. So about ten movies are now being planned for launch on the coming Ugadi festival. It must be said that the 2009 effect has fallen on 2010 and if the Ugadi launches go as per plan then okay otherwise it could spell trouble for the film industry this year as well. Out of the ten, only two or three are expected to be the big budget ventures and others would be the B-banner and low budget flicks.

Color 'Gundamma Katha' TV Rights $$

Speaking about yesteryear classics and today’s technology, many would love to see a color version of those bygone eras. Now, the latest on this is that the unforgettable movie ‘Gundamma Katha’ is gearing up to be transformed into a color version by Goldstone.

It is heard that those who are in charge of this project are looking at selling it to the TV channels and the rights for that are expected to touch fancy figure.

However, another thought is also said to be in the rounds trying to see if the same can be taken to the silver screen as well. Either ways, it is going to be a feast for the audience and some say that TV channels are eager to bag the rights.

An announcement is expected soon on the decision.

Sad Demise of Aswini Dutt’s father Dharmaraju

Chalasani Dharmraju, father of popular producer Chalasani Aswini Dutt passed away in the early hours on 30th Jan , in Hyderabad. He was 90 and is survived by a son Aswini Dutt and a daughter. About 30 films made under Vyjayanthi Movies banner were presented on his name C Dharmaraju. The first film ‘O Seeta Katha’ in 1954 was made by him with his son Aswini in the direction of Dr K Vishwanath.

May his sole rest in peace.We convey our deep condolences to his family.

Marocharitra – Press Meet

Presented by Sri Venkateswara Creations and produced under Matnee Entertainments (Pvt) Ltd., ‘Marocharitra’ featuring Varun Sandesh and Anita has completed its shooting part. The film is jointly produced by Dil Raju, Sirish and Lakshman introducing cinematographer Ravi Yadav as director.

A press meet was held to brief the details of the film’s progress. In this programme Dil Raju, Ravi Yadav, Varun Sandesh, Anita, Sraddha Das, Sirish, Lakshman and Anuradha participated.

Dil Raju while speaking, “Every movie made under our banner has a message in it. That is why we did not try any experimental films. Therefore we started a new banner called Matnee Entertainments (Pvt) Ltd. I personally liked the director’s idea of remaking ‘Marocharitra’. We are experimenting with a film taken by a legend. The songs recording of this film was done some 8 months ago. I started to listen to that music from then onwards. Mickey J Meyer provided excellent music. We are planning to release the audio on Valentine’s Day, i.e., February 14 and also making efforts to release it during summer.”

Director Ravi Yadav said, “We were able to bring out very good output with Dil Raju’s co-operation. We have given a modern touch for old ‘Marocharitra’. We shot the film in places like US, Canada, Dubai, Hyderabad, Vizag, etc. It’s a powerful love story. Hence we crafted this film without disturbing Balachander’s story and screenplay. This is a heart wrenching film with the feelings of love in today’s youth. The film talks about the prominence given to parents by the generation today. Therefore the climax will appear new to the viewers.”

“This is my second film under Dil Raju’s banner. This movie has been designed according to the taste of this generation. Since the director himself is a cinematographer he had captured the shots extremely well. Music rendered by Mickey J Meyer is fabulous”, opinedVarun Sandesh.

“I’m a Telugu speaking girl even though I hail from the US. Acting in this flick gave me a new experience”, expressed Anita, the heroine.

“My role in this flick is very different from that of the ones I played in the past. I’ve got the opportunity to exhibit my performance in this film”, said Shraddha Das, who also played a prominent role in the film.

Script writer Umerji Anuradha said, “It wouldn’t be difficult to write dialogues for a new film. But it’s like an examination when it comes to write dialogues for a trend setter film. This is a real challenge for me in my first chance and I’m lucky to get it. I’m very happy for getting the first opportunity in Dil Raju’s film and that too for a legendry film like ‘Maro Charitra’.”

Allu Arjun’s Marriage In May

It appears that the wedding bells are ringing quite strongly in the film industry these days. Just before many are getting out of the engagement ceremony of Rambha that the news of NTR junior getting married has struck them. While many are figuring out the engagement and wedding dates, another bomb has been dropped now. Sources say that stylish star Allu Arjun is likely to follow suit of NTR junior and if all goes well, then he is likely to get married during the month of May. As it is, the grapevine has been strong that Allu Arjun has been seeing a girl from a while and she is not from the film industry. On the other hand, a few others say that this is just a rumor and it is in fact the talk about his movie ‘Varudu’ which has been converted into a real life marriage topic. The investigations are still on so only time will reveal whether Allu Arjun is going to tie the knot or it was just a creation.

'Mayabazaar-Color' Review: Simply Superb!!!

It’s marvelous. It’s superb. It’s stupendous. It’s suave. It’s spellbinding. It’s vivacious. It’s fantastic….and what else? The adjectives in English dictionary may not be sufficient to express how ‘Mayabazaar’ is! Poetry flows from heart after watching the movie. I don’t say that I’m reviewing ‘Mayabazaar’, the legendary master piece here. I only say that I’m reviewing my own feelings. These are the feelings from the depth of my emotions…the unfiltered and non translated feelings…purely in Telugu!!

Trisha’s 6 Lip Kisses With Old Actor

The petite beauty Trisha is today the most sought after heroine in the southern circuit and though it has been few years since she is part of the industry, there has never been a shady scene that she got involved in. However, all that is likely to change if this piece of news is to be believed. The news from Kollywood is that Trisha has been roped in as the leading lady for the new movie which has Kamal Haasan in the lead. As has been his custom, usually there is atleast one scene of lip lock that Kamal has with his heroine and with Trisha entering the scene, this seems to have been raised. There is a strong gossip that the film will have not one but a total of six kisses between Kamal and Trisha. Well, even if half of this is true then the audience is going to have a hearty feast. For now, the buzz itself is causing a lot of excitement among many who are waiting for the final confirmation.

Young Hero Scratching Head

He is known as one of the talented actors among the young brigade and slowly but steadily, he has been making his mark in the Tollywood circuit. He is none other than Sharwanand and right now he seems to be in a big fix due to tension and dilemma. Apparently, Sharwanand has done two films and due to unforeseen circumstances, both flicks are now being scheduled to release in the same month. The young hero has got ‘Prasthanam’ and ‘Andari Bandhuvaya’ in the marquee. Now, he is not sure how the audience will react to two flicks around the same time. Though the genres are different, the confusion is on. Sharwanand is becoming competition for himself that way. Meanwhile, reliable sources say that ‘Prasthanam’ has been slated for a release on February 21st while ‘Andari Bandhuvaya’ would be arriving on 28th.

Seetaramula Kalyanam Lankalo - Review

Jeevi rating: 2.25/5
Punchline: old format - new movie
Genre: Romance/Action
Type: Straight
Banner: Wellfare Creations

Cast: Nitin, Hansika, Salim Panda, Brahmanandam, Ali, Chandra Mohan, Jayaprakash Reddy, Suman, Subbaraju, M S Narayana, Venu Madhav, Satyam Rajesh, Pragati, Surekha Vani, Sri Lalitha etc

Music: Anoop Rubens

Cinematography: M Josh

Dialogues: Thota Prasad
Fights: Ram - Lakshman
Editing: Kotagiri Venkateswara Rao
Director: Eshwar
Producer: Malla Vijaya Prasad
Release date: 22 January 2010
Theater watched: INOX (screen 1), Hyderabad

Story

Chandu (Nitin) is a student in a college in Hyderabad and he falls in love with his junior Nandu (Hansika Motwani). Nandu’s father (Suman) is a big factionist in Rayalaseema. VP (Salim Panda) is another noted factionist and he falls in love with Nandu at the first sight. He kidnaps her and wants to marry her. The rest of the story is all about how Chandu enters the house of VP as undercover and marries Nandu.

Artists Performance

Nitin is good in the movie. He works hard on dancing aspect and it shows on the screen. Hansika Motwani is glamorous. It is Subbaraju who steals the show with the comedy. Subbaraju who got popular as a villain so far shows the other side of him and entertaining with impeccable comedy timing and nice dialogue delivery. Brahmanandam did another lengthy role in this movie and he entertains partly. Saleem Panda played the role of villain, but doesn’t click due to poor characterization. Ali is good. Suman, Jaya Prakash Reddy and Chandra Mohan are adequate.

Technical departments

Story - screenplay - direction: Story of the movie is stale as we have seen similar stories and similar treatment in many movies. The concept of villain liking the heroine and kidnapping her is seen films like Okkadu and Kasko in the recent past. The hero coming to the wedding of heroine and stealing her away is the most abused second half done by many filmmakers following the success of trend-setting DDLJ movie. The director, who showed lack of skill in directing the first half, comes up with some nice comedy moments in the second half. But the old-fashioned story and treatment mars the movie. The concept of Srilanka Devullu is nice. The character of villain is made dumb as he dances to the tune of hero throughout the movie. The second half screenplay reminds us of Seenu Vytla films (Dhee/Ready).

Other departments: Music by Anoop Rubens is ok. The kiss song is nice. Cinematography is adequate. Fights are nice.

Analysis: First half of the movie is boring and is not handled well. Second half gives some entertainment though the screenplay is predictable. The plus point of the film is the comedy of Subbaraju/Brahmanandam in the second half. On the flipside ineffective screenplay and stale story are the culprits. On a whole, Seetaramula Kalyanam Lankalo is a disappointment.

Ravi Teja ‘Don Seenu’ begins shooting in March in Switzerland

Ravi Teja and Trisha’s new film titled ‘Don Seenu’ will soon be shot in Switzerland. 123telugu.com had earlier reported that the Cinematographer, Sameer Reddy is planning to go toSwitzerland for location scouting. Once these locations are finalized, the film will be shot for a month from March 1st to March 30th. Major part of this schedule will be shot in a college in Berne, the capital of Switzerland. Gopi Chand is directing the film. Venkat is producing the film on R.R.Movie Makers. Although this is Gopichand Mallineni’s first film as a director, he has been in the film industry for a very long time. He has worked for ‘Kick’, ‘Lakshyam’ earlier. Sri Hari is playing an important role in ‘Don Seenu’. Mani Sharma is composing the music. Kona Venkat has written the story.

Naga Chaitanya-Kajal film from March

Kamakshi Kala Movies banner is getting ready with a wonderful script for its next project featuring Naga Chaitanya and Kajal Agarwal as lead pair. This huge budgeted film will be launched in March.

Briefing about the film producer D Siva Prasad Rao said, “In this silver jubilee year of Kamakshi Kala Movies banner, we are happy to announce a film with Naga Chaitanya as hero. Kajal is the heroine. A new director Ajay Bhuyan is making his debut through this film and the cinematography will be handled by VS Gnyana Sekhar. It’s going to be a big budget film with high technical values and huge star cast.”

Presently the production house is busy in post production works of Nagarjuna starring ‘Kedi’, as it is due for release on February 12th.

Buridi at Bangkok from Feb 1st

EVV Satyanarayana’s latest comedy flick ‘Buridi’ with a tagline ‘Thega Navvinchestadu’ is his 50th film being made under Big B Productions banner. This movie starring Aryan Rajesh and introducing Aishwarya with almost all top comedians of Tollywood was launched on January 1st and was progressing in various locations till date. Now the unit is planning its next schedule at Bangkok from February 1st.

Executive producer Eedhara Ravikumar opines that this would be ‘The Best’ comedy flicks that he directed so far. The movie is jointly being produced by Eedhara Srinivas and Eedpuganti Poornachandra Rao.

Nag’s Kedi in re-recording

King Nagarjuna’s latest flick ‘Kedi’ under debutant Kiran’s direction with D Sivaprasad Reddy as producer is getting ready under Kamakshi Kala Movies banner. Featuring Mamta Mohandas as female lead and and an American Actress Linda in a key role, the film is currently progressing with re-recording work. The audio that released some time back has hit the chart busters. Therefore the producer is showing great confidence about Kedi’s success that is scheduled to release on ‘Maha Sivaratri Day’, the 12th of February.

Sarvesh Murari is the cinematographer, Sravan, the editor, and Sandeep Chowta, the music composer of ‘Kedi’.

Deva Katta’s Prasthanam in mid Feb

'Vennela’ fame Deva Katta’s ‘Prasthanam’ starring Sharwanand as male lead and Sai Kumar in yet another prominent role is getting ready to hit theaters in the mid of February. The movie that has a new face Ruby Parihar as heroine is the story on political backdrop. Inside sources claim that scenes involving Sharwanand and Sai Kumar are highlights. Apart from them Sandeep Kishan and Vennela Kishore are also playing central roles in the film. Produced by Vallabhaneni Ravi under VRC Media and Entertainment banner, ‘Prasthanam’ has music by Mahesh Shankar and camera work by ‘Avakai Biryani’ fame Sham Datt.

Lyricist Veturi celebrated his 75th birthday

Veturi Sundararama Murthy, also known as Veturi is a poet, lyricist and song writer. He worked as a journalist for popular magazines like Andhra Prabha and Andhra Patrika and later turned into a lyricist. In his 35 years of film career he penned lyrics for hundreds of songs ranging from devotional, sad, happy, romantic, obscene, friendship, naughty, etc.

Veturi was honored with a National Award for his best lyrics ‘Raalipoye puvva neeku ragaalenduke’ from the critically acclaimed film ‘Maathrudevobhava’. This apart, he won seven Nandi awards. The songs in classic ‘Sankarabharam’ for which Veturi penned lyrics are still fresh in the minds of Telugu people.

Hailing from Krishna district in Andhra Pradesh, Veturi was born on January 29th, 1936.

Glamour completes post productions

'Glamour’ is a message oriented flick for those who are dreaming big of film industry without enough awareness. The film speaks about the reality of the people’s life in this mesmerizing world. Starring Karishma Kotak (Shankar Dada Zindabad fame), ‘Glamour’ completed its post productions work and is getting ready for release soon. The first copy of the film will also be ready shortly. Music is composed by Bombay Ravi and camera work was done by Srinivas. P Satya Reddy is producing and directing the flick under Janam Entertainments banner. The co-producers are D Kishore Kumar and Thalasila Srinivasa Rao.

Besides Karishma Kotak, Farah Khan, Jeeva, Dharmavarapu Subrahmaniam, Kondavalasa, Kavitha and Bhavani play prominent roles in ‘Glamour’.

Yuganiki Okkadu releasing on Feb 5th

'Yuganiki Okkadu’ is a Tamil film dubbed in Telugu by Dreams Valley Corporation banner. Sri Raghava directed the film featuring Karthi and Reema Sen as lead pair. This is a huge budget commercial film with the theme taken from the history of South India. The makers however claim that a fantasy world has been created in the film. The dialogues for the Telugu version are penned by Sri Ramakrishna. Cinematography was done by Ramji and the musical scores were provided by GV Prakash Kumar for the lyrics penned by Anantha Sriram and Bhuvanachandra. To give a new experience to movie goers, ‘Yuganiki Okkadu’ is coming to theaters on February 5th. R Ravindran is presenting the film.

Miss India 2009 pairs with Allu Arjun

Tollywood is going to see yet another new face from the north. Yes! We are aware that Krish is directing a multi-starrer film ‘Vedam’ starring Allu Arjun, Manoj Kumar Manchu and Anushka. For quite some time we have been hearing different names to be cast opposite Allu Arjun in this flick. Now the buzz is that the makers have spotted a new face from the north, who appeared in juicy poses in a newly released calendar. She is none other than the Miss India of 2009, Deeksha Seth. This beautiful young girl who also won the Pantaloon Femina contest for fresh face, has just started her career as a model. ‘Vedam’ is the first film offer that she got, therefore let’s wish her a very bright film career.

Pranathi madly in love with Jr NTR?

Despite fast losing ground in the state politics because of his double standard on Telangana, Telugu Desam party president N Chandrababu Naidu is taking every care in not losing the grip over N T Rama Rao family. The marriage proposal for Jr NTR was made by Naidu himself, so that the family would not slip out of his control in future even if the party plunges into doldrums. Naidu knows that there is a wide gap of 10 years in the ages of Lakshmi Pranathi and Jr NTR and yet, came out with the proposal only to ensure that the young hero would remain under his control. The girl is said to be madly in love with Jr NTR and she had conveyed the same through her father Narne Srinivas, who happens to be husband of Naidu’s niece Mallika. Now that Jr NTR’s mother is being accepted as one of the family members of NTR, there was no objection to anybody. And Naidu saw it as an excellent opportunity to retain his hold on the family. The relationship between Narne Srinivas and Naidu has already been strengthened with establishment of business links between the two families. Naidu’s son Lokesh has gained a major stake in Narne’s television channel StudioN by investing around Rs 40 crore. It will now be further strengthened with Jr NTR’s marriage with Srinivas’ daughter!

Venkatesh Stands Above Chiru, Nag, Bala

The big 4 of the Telugu film industry – Chiranjeevi, Venkatesh, Nagarjuna, Balakrishna have passed their prime and though the following is still strong for them, it must be said that only one among them is truly having that hero image still and is making money at the box office. He is none other than Venkatesh. Apparently, Chiru has got busy with his PRP and politics, yuvaratna Nandamuri Balakrishna has been trying hard but not much is working for him at box office. Nag’s movies are average sorts and it must be said that not all genres get appealed to his flicks. But Venky is one man whose movies are appealing family audience in a big way. His latest was ‘Namo Venkatesa’ which is getting a good response from the audience and many are hailing Venky’s performance as well. So, it appears that this star has still not lost his shine.

Ram Gopal Varma’s New ‘Avatar’

The eccentric genius Ram Gopal Varma is one man who has always believed in one funda when it comes to his movies ‘silent intensity’. There is not much of nonsense and it is all hard hitting realities shown in his movies. However, this time, Ramu’s ‘Avatar’ has given a surprise.

Apparently, the maverick has donned the role of a Media guru through his latest offering ‘Rann’. The reason being, he is said to have taught lessons to media and the people involved in this stream. Of course, the film runs high on performances, technical effects etc.

Usually, Ramu is known as someone who does what he wants and never listens to any teachings. But this time he got into the teaching mode. Well, if the message is relevant and makes sense, then the people will lap it up and ‘Rann’ will run with rushes at the box office. Let us see if Ramu’s new ‘avatar’ will work or not.

Nithin Tasted 13- Adurs Stands Ok

Nithin has tasted 13th consecutive flop with Seetaramula Kalyanam Lankalo. The movie has got outdated tag and hence it has bitten the mud. On the other hand the big movies Adurs and Namo Venkatesa could withstand in the market with good collections. Sambho Shiva Sambho is appealing for a set of audience. And Om Shanti declared as flop. The small films Kaluva and Udata Udata Ooch have become utter flops and no audience is entering into those theaters. It’s just an ‘ok week’ for Tollywood.

Allu Sirish’s New Secret Revealed

He may not be a star but then he has enough or perhaps more longer list of admirers. Many like his brains and his way to handle lower end staff. He is none other than Allu Sirish and now, the secret of his glamorous looks got revealed and this is the key. Apparently, Allu Sirish is one lad who is a major freak of the Subway Sandwiches and it is heard that he is most often seen in the Subway joint in the film city area. Recently, he was spotted with a group of two boys and two girls and as expected, there was the Sub Sandwich in his hands. Some say he has looks to become a star as well. But others say that he sure has the brains to become a star in real life. And with this health conscious approach, Sirish must surely be setting an example for those around him.

Gummadi Memorial Award For Best Character Artiste

A dark moment struck on the auspicious Bheeshma Ekadasi day and this was the passing away of the noted veteran Gummadi Venkateswara Rao. The man was a personification of a true character artiste and has sent a benchmark which is hard for anyone to reach or get past it. Now, the talk in the film nagar is that the Government must come up with a proposal to institute a Gummadi Memorial Award and give it to the best character artiste. Even the Tollywood folks are talking about it seriously and they want to come up with something similar. On the other hand, many private organizations especially the culture wings are keen on doing something on behalf of the late character actor. The film buffs say that it is indeed a worthy move and recall that Gummadi was always the unsung hero so he should be given the due honor.

Lyricist’s Love For ‘Sneha Geetham’ Heroine

True poets often have their own muses and the same goes with film lyricists as well. Right now, the noted lyricist Chinni Charan is making some news and this is due to his lyrics. Apparently, he has composed the music for the forthcoming venture ‘Sadhyam’ and has penned the lyrics for almost all the songs. Now, one song has caught the attention of many and it goes ‘Suhani Suhani….’. The talk in the media circles is whether Charan is referring to the ‘Tuneega’ baby Suhani through this song. Incidentally, Charan is also the lyricist for the film ‘Sneha Geetham’ which has Suhani doing a key role. Few years ago, the noted lyricist Chandrabose wrote a song on Trisha for the film ‘Allari Bullodu’ and some say that maybe Charan has also drawn a similar inspiration. Whatever may be the ‘connection’ between Charan and Suhani, the song has been getting a good response from the audience.

'Minor problem' for Jr NTR’s marriage

It is not even a few hours since young hero Jr NTR confirmed his marriage with Lakshmi Pranathi, daughter of Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu’s niece Narne Mallika; all his jubilation has evaporated. A case was filed in Machilipatnam Legal Services Authority against Jr NTR, alleging that the girl he is going to marry in May was a minor. According to the petition filed by an advocate Shanti Prasad, Lakshmi Pranathi has not crossed minority and as such, is not eligible for marriage. She is still 17 years old and studying her final year Intermediate. “It amounts to marrying a minor,” Prasad said in the petition. The authority issued notices to Jr NTR, Chandrababu Naidu and also Narne Srinivas, the girl’s father. The notices sent the Naidu family in a tizzy. Within an hour, Chandrababu Naidu called up TDP Krishna district legal cell convenor L Balaji and informed him that Pranathi would be completing 18 years by March 18 and therefore, she would not be a minor at the time of marriage. He asked Balaji to convince Shanti Prasad to withdraw the petition.

'Palaabhishekam' For NTR On 30th Jan

The legendary N T Rama Rao is not just a star but he was almost a personification of Lord Rama and Lord Krishna to the Telugu people. Now, he is arriving with the color version of his legendary masterpiece ‘Mayabazaar’ and true to his appeal, even the welcome seems to be quite grand. Our bureau from Vijayawada and Guntur has revealed that fans of NTR would be doing ‘Palabhishekam’ to the huge hoardings of the star in Lord Krishna get up. This has been causing a lot of hype among the masses and the reach of the film is going to them in a big way. While no one knows if it happened in the year 1957 when ‘Mayabazaar’ released but now it is happening in 2010 when the movie is reborn. Many say that the movie deserves that sort of attention and response since it has created an everlasting impact on many. The film is hitting the screens on the 30th of this month.

Prabhas, Kajal Agarwal Starrer ‘Darling’ in April

Prabhas, Kajal Agarwal Starrer ‘Darling’ in April
Karunakaran directed ‘Darling’ starring young rebel star Prabhas and young beauty Kajal Agarwal is currently progressing in Hyderabad. The talkie part of the film has been completed. A couple of song and few action sequences are yet to be shot. Filmmakers are planning to complete shooting by February 15 and release in the first week of April.

‘Darling’ is said to be an action-based, romantic entertainer with sentimental touch. Tamil actor Prabhu is playing a key role.

BVNS Prasad (producer of the ‘Chatrapati’) is producing the film under Sri Venkateswara Cinechitra India Private Limited banner. Music is scored by GV Prakash (Ullasanga Utsahamga fame).

Darling' Prabhas to fight in Bangkok

'Darling' is the upcoming movie being starred with Prabhas as hero is directed by Karunakaran under the banner of Sri Venkateshwara Cine Chitra Pvt Ltd, unit is flying to Bangkok on 21st of January for starting a new schedule which would last for 10 days with Stunt Master Peter Heynes. Some fight scenes would be canned there in which Kajal Agarwal is starring as heroine. Producer B V S N Prasad stated that 70% of shooting of movie is complete and makers are planning to release the movie during March.

Ravi Teja's ' Veera ' Updates

Ravi Teja has recently launched new flick titled ‘Veera’. Ravi Teja is said to romance with three heroines in this flick. However, the cast of the film are not revealed yet.

Veera will be directed by Ramesh Varma, who earlier directed Ride and will be produced by Ganesh Indukuri under Tolly2Holly banner. On this event, the producer of the film, Ganesh Indukuri said, “This movie will become a prestigious one under our banner. We are going to rope in three heroines for the film. The film is scheduled for a release this summer. Not just huge cast, the film has also got high technical values.”

Apart from the direction Ramesh varma will be handling the story and screenplay, dialogues are penned by Paruchuri Brothers. Chota K Naidu handles the cinematography, art is by Narayana Reddy, editing is by Martand K Venkatesh Action will be choreographed by Ram-Lakshman and the music will be scored by Devi Sri Prasad

Allu Arjun & Tamannah on South Scope

Ravi Teja to complete 3 films before Sankranthi 2011

Ravi Teja’s career is going on a high these days. The success of ‘Kick’ has made him one of the most dependable stars when it comes to entertainment. This year alone he has signed more films than all his contemporaries. Recently the poster of his new film ‘Veera’ in Ramesh Varma’s direction was unveiled on Ravi Teja’s birthday. This film will be produced by Ganesh Indukuri on ‘Tolly2Holly’ films banner. Another film in the pipeline is ‘Don Seenu’ in Gopichand Malineni direction. Venkat is producing this film on ‘R R Movie Makers’ banner. This film has Trisha in the lead role. The third film which Ravi Teja is acting in is Krishna Vamshi’s production tentatively titled ‘Kandireega’. Bellamkonda Suresh is going to produce this film. There’s another movie starring Ravi Teja which is being produced by ‘Yellow Flowers’ banner in Harish Shankar’s direction. R R Movie Makers are presenting this film. With so many big films in pipeline, atleast three of them will be completed and release before Sankranthi 2011. It’s good news for the audience who expect entertainment from filmsand Ravi Teja has carved his niche in this segment. And he signing so many films is also a good sign for the Telugu film industry. With more and more big stars deciding to do more films every year, not only will the film business be great in terms of revenues but also it keeps the people engaged in watching more films every year.

Siddharth-Shruti Hassan’s fantasy film to release in Hindi!

Siddharth and Shruti Hassan’s new film is being shot at a brisk pace. This fantasy film is being directed by K.Prakash, the son of K.Raghavendra Rao. K.Raghavendra Rao is producing the film on ‘A Belly Full of Dreams Pvt.Ltd ‘(ABODE) banner. Apart from directing the film Prakash has also written the script. The film is currently being shot in Vizag. The latest buzz is that K.Prakash is in talks with Bollywood producers to release this film simultaneously in Hindi. Also, the budget of the film is said to be going higher than expected. If someone comes forward to negotiate the film’s release in Hindi, then it would be a huge advantage to Prakash’s film. Shruti Hassan is playing the role of an ‘Angel’ in the film. Mickey J.Meyer is composing the music. Cinematography will be handled by Soundarajan. Around 30 minutes of the film is loaded with visual effects and graphics.

NTR Jr gets hitched. Is Allu Arjun next?

Jr.NTR has finally agreed to get married and Chandrababu Naidu himself has played the matchmaker. The bride-to-be whose name is Lakshmi Pranati, happens to be a relative of Chandrababu Naidu. She’s the daughter of Narne Srinivas, a businessman who owns a TV Channel, Studio N. Kodali Nani and ‘Janma Bhoomi Estates’ Ramesh, both close friends of Jr.NTR seem to have played a key role in this decision. Pranati is studying in a college in Hyderabad and she’s almost 10 years younger to Jr.NTR. The couple is going to get engaged sometime in February and the marriage might be scheduled in May. And then according to inside sources Allu Arjun is likely to get hitched in May this year. But as of now we have no inkling as to who the bride is. If this is indeed true, two of the most eligible bachelors in the stat are relinquishing their singlehood status, leaving behind many disappointed female fans.

Rann - Jeevi Review

Jeevi rating: 3.5/5
Punchline: Remote Terrorist
Banner: Vistaar Religare Film Fund, Big Bang Films Production & WSG Pictures
Genre: Drama
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Ritesh Deshmukh, Sudeep, Paresh Rawal, Mohnish Behl, Suchitra Krishnamurthy, Rajat Kapoor, Gul Panag, Neetu Chandra etc
Cinematography: Amit Roy
Editing: Nipun Gupta
Screenply - Director : Ram Gopal Varma
Producer: Sheetal Vinod Talwar & Madhu Mantena
Release date: 29 January 2010
Theater watched: Prasads (screen 1), Hyderabad

Story Vijay Malik (Amitabh Bachchan) heads the TV channel India24X7 which is known for its trustworthiness. Vijay Malik is a man of great ideals and he strictly follows them. His son Jay Malik (Sudeep) is a hot-blooded youngster who thinks that media is like any other business. Purab (Ritesh Deshmukh) is a disciple of Vijay Malik and he emulates the ethics and principles of Vijay Malik in his work. Mohan Pandey (Paresh Rawal) is the opposition leader who wants to become the PM at any cost. Pandey uses Jai to mudsling against the PM through Inda24X7 TV Channel. The rest of the story is all about what happens when Vijay Malik comes to know about the truth. Actors: Amitabh Bachchan comes up with his finest work as an idealistic media man. He adds value to the character he played. He is superb in the climax episode. Sundeep is excellent as the corrupted son. Ritesh Deshmukh is very good as disciple of Amitabh. Paresh Rawal is perfect as the bad politician. Mohnish Behl is apt. Gul Panag is adequate. Rajpal Yadav adds entertaining in this otherwise serious movie. Rajat Kapoor and Neetu Chandra are fine. Suchitra Krishna Murthy is extremely natural. Technical departments: Story - screenplay – direction: Story idea of the movie is good. It shows how media manipulates the minds of viewers and programs the viewers to do what media is intended to achieve. It is a challenge to attempt such a niche subject. One such movie of this genre I saw in the recent past was ‘Corporate’ (Mathur Bandarkar). Ram Gopal Varma comes up with nice screenplay and directs the movie well. He has taken some liberty and simplified the story in order to get his point across. Ram Gopal Varma also used the age-old formula of noble father (Amitabh) – corrupt son (Sudeep) – idealistic protégé (Ritesh) to create some familiar yet effective drama. I also like the way Ram Gopal Varma focuses on actors expressions instead of showing the content of tapes when they get hold of evidence tapes. Other technical departments: Background music is nice. Cinematography is good and watch out for camera angles and camera movements in vital scenes of the movie. Editing is perfect. Dialogues are of top notch (especially the dialogue that says that the target of TV channels should be news and the medium is money – but TV channels target has become the money and the medium is news). Analysis: Rann is a niche movie made on the nexus of media and politicians. It shows us how media which supposed to guard truth is becoming a medium for politicians to doctor the minds of viewers/voters. The movie belongs to Amitab Bachchan in the first half and in the last 20 minutes. Most of the second half belongs to Ritesh. Only flaw in the movie is about how Amitabh blindly trusts his son. Rann might not be a film for everybody, but it is RGV’s best movie since Company. Watch Rann for the performances and the intensity.