Mamta Mohandas in \'Karayilekku Oru Kadal Dooram

Mamta Mohandas who has recently made a strong comeback to Malayalam films through Sathyan Anthikkads film Katha Thudarunnu would now be seen in Karayilekku Oru Kadal Dooram; a film to be directed by Vinod Mankara. Indrajith, Lekshmi Sharma, Dhanya Mary Varghese, Jagathy Sreekumar, Nedumudi Venu, Devan, Sreeraman, Bijukuttan, Anoop Chandran, Sudheesh, T P Madhavan, Salu Menon and Sreedevi Unni would also play important roles in the film. M Jayachandran would compose the music, and the lyrics would be written by ONV. Karayilekku Oru Kadal Dooram would be produced by Siddiq Mankara under the banner of ITL Productions

\'24 Hours\' gets ready for release on June 4

24 Hours directed by Aditya Abraham, with newcomer Kuldeep and Manoj K Jayan in the lead roles would release on the 4th of June. The film also has Jagathy Sreekumar, Devan, Shammi Thilakan, Anil Murali, Irshad, Komal and Vinaya Prasad in key roles. The lyircs have been written by Vayalar Sarath and the music has been composed by Adwaith. Produced by Aqua Movies, 24 Hours would be released by Cinevision Release.

\'24 Hours\' gets ready for release on June 4

24 Hours directed by Aditya Abraham, with newcomer Kuldeep and Manoj K Jayan in the lead roles would release on the 4th of June. The film also has Jagathy Sreekumar, Devan, Shammi Thilakan, Anil Murali, Irshad, Komal and Vinaya Prasad in key roles. The lyircs have been written by Vayalar Sarath and the music has been composed by Adwaith. Produced by Aqua Movies, 24 Hours would be released by Cinevision Release

Shwetha denies \"Avalude Ravukal\" sequel news

There were reports that a sequel of the controversial movie Avalude Ravukal will be made shortly. The reports also claimed that Shwetha Menon will play the lead which was played by Seema in the original. However in a recent statement, Shwetha has denied her involvement in the project. She said that she was never contacted properly for the project and that she came to know about it only through media. She claimed that the producer had only mentioned about the project once over the phone

South Indian Film Chamber unites against Bollywood

The southern states would have had their share of issues among themselves. However this time they have united in opposing the IIFA which is going to be held in Colombo. The South Indian Film Chamber has decided to boycott Bollywood films, if IIFA goes ahead in Sri Lanka. The country is being blamed for human rights violations against Tamils. The Bollywood movies will be boycotted in Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, sources claim.

Megastar\'s special preference

Megastar Padmashree Bharath Mammootty, one of the most successful actors in the Malayalam film industry with more than 300 films in his credit as lead actor, is now more interested to work with the young directors. The 57 year old actor claims that he is biased towards young directors as he would rather prefer to work with a debutant director than the others. He feels that these young directors come up with some amazing scripts and concepts. The fresh ideas brought out by the newcomers give him a chance to portray a variety of roles. �Pokiri Raja, his latest super-hit, has also been directed by debutant Vyashakh. Mammootty is now taking one more step torwards the Kannada film industry as he starts shooting for �Shikari�, which is going to be directed by Abhay Sinha. This movie is a bilingual to be made in Kannada and Malayalam. Mammootty will be playing a double role; that of a software technician and a freedom fighter. The dialogues for the Malayalam version are going to be penned by Mammootty himself and he is very much glad to be a part of this project

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In his debut film, Love, back in 2005, actor Aditya had the good fortune to work with Malayalam superstar and multiple National Award-winner Mohanlal. Five years later, the actor is set to repeat the feat, albeit with another superstar � three-time National-Award winner Mammootty. �I have the unique distinction of having worked with two of Indias finest actors. It�s a great honour, says Aditya, whose role in the film Shikari will also see him make his debut in Malayalam films. �Shikari is a bilingual, to be made in Kannada and Malayalam. I have been asked to reprise my role in the Kannada original in the Malayalam version as well,� he adds. And Aditya is excited about the screen time he will be sharing with Mammootty. �I play a dream-seller and my character is required to appear in the movie on and off. But what�s most amazing is that I have an entire song and a couple of scenes in which I share screen space with Mammootty. I am looking forward to my shoot with him. It will be a great learning experience,� he says, adding that he�s also preparing to dub for himself in the Malayalam version of the film. But Shikari�s not the only film on Aditya�s mind. �We�ve just wrapped up Deadly 2, the sequel to Deadly Soma. The film�s turned out really well. So much so that we�re even thinking of making Deadly 3,� he says. How Deadly 2 came about, given that his character dies at the end of Deadly Soma, is the surprise element of the film, he adds. As for his much-delayed home production, Rakthaksha, Aditya says that the project is still on. And heroine Preetha Rao is also still on board, despite several media reports to the contrary. �The reports of Preetha walking out of the project are all humbug. We�ve completed a major part of the film. The next schedule of the film is to be shot in Malaysia. We are just waiting for suitable weather conditions to shoot the rest of the film,� he reveals

Nayanthara tries to commit suicide

Both Prabhu and Nayan have neither acknowledged their relationship in public nor have they denied it. Ramlath on the other hand has been running from pillar to post to get back her husband. Several film personalities from Kollywood intervened to bring in amicable solution between the husband and wife. In one such meeting, Prabhu Deva reportedly told them that Nayan would commit suicide if he moves away from her.

Muktha grabs in \"Room No: 9 B\"

Muktha George has grabbed a meaty role in the film Room No: 9 B to be scripted and directed by V R Sankar. The film is based on the novel Oru Pennum Parayathathu. Muktha plays Hima in the film; a young girl who gets tormented by the pangs of love. Vineeth would play the male lead in the film. Besides Muktha and Vineeth, the film also has Vani Viswanath, Seema G Nair, Bijukuttan, Arun, Aneesh G Menon and M R Gopakumar in key roles.

Mammootty to join \"Oru Cinemakatha\" soon

Megastar Mammootty is on a US tour currently. The actor is expected to join the sets of his next movie Oru Cinemakatha soon. The movie is expected to kick off from June first week, under the direction of debutant Martin Prakkat. He will play the role of a teacher who is keen in acting in movies. This one will be produced by Naushad under the banner of Big Screens.

Tamannah not to debut in Malayalam

There were reports that one of the most popular actresses in Tamil, Tamannah will make her debut in Malayalam soon. However now there are conflicting reports coming out. Sources close to her that these news were just rumors. The report claims that once Tamannah comes back from her holiday in US, she has enough movies in her kitty already. She has two in Tamil and two in Telugu, so she does not have time to do a Malayalam movie

Trade Union condemns denial of work to Thilakan!!

Thilakan was dropped from the TV serial Mattoruval due to his ongoing tussle with AMMA. Now the Television Chamber of Trade Unions has come out and condemned this move. General Secretary of the union, Antony Kandamparambil has claimed that Ganesh Kumar who heads the Association of Television Media Artists was behind this move. He added that the organizations of the industry should work in support of the artists rather than denying work to them. He also said that the union will protest if any of the artists are denied work.

Parvathy Omanakuttan to debut in Malayalam

Former beauty queen Parvathy Omanakuttan has just completed her first Hindi movie and is all set to make her Tamil debut as well. The Malayalam beauty was supposed to make her home debut with a Major Ravi movie but it did not materialize. Now, according to sources, she is indeed making her Malayalam debut with the movie Kandahar. This one too is being made by Major Ravi and stars Mohanlal and Amitabh Bachchan in main roles. The movie also marks the debut of Tamil actor Ganesh Venkatraman in Malayalam

B.Unnikrishna with Prithvi in \"The Thriller

The pooja of The pooja of The Thriller, to be directed by B Unnikrishnan was held at Trivandrum. This film would have young superstar Prithviraj in the lead role. Unnikrishnans last film Pramaani had generated a lukewarm response at the box office. Unnikrishnan said that his new film would be based on a murder that was committed in the state recently. The film would be an investigative thriller and Prithvi would be playing a cop. The film that is being produced by Sabu K Cherian would start its shoot next month. The heroine is yet to be finalised., to be directed by B Unnikrishnan was held at Trivandrum. This film would have young superstar Prithviraj in the lead role. Unnikrishnans last film Pramaani had generated an average response at the box office. Unnikrishnan said that his new film would be based on a murder that was committed in the state recently. The film would be an investigative thriller and Prithvi would be playing a cop. The film that is being produced by Sabu K Cherian would start its shoot next month. The heroine is yet to be finalised.

Nishad\'s next \"Best of Luck

Director Nishad has a come a long way from being a politician to filmmaker. His first three attempts were appreciated for its sincere attempts. However his fourth movie Vairam was well received by the audiences. Now he is all set for his fifth venture which is titled Best of Luck. This movie will star some of the best new talents like Prabhu, Urvashi, Reema Kalingal and others.

Azhikode served legal notice by AMMA

The fight between the veteran Dr Sukumar Azhikode and the Malayalam artist association has made headlines yet again. According to sources, AMMA has served a legal notice against the veteran orator. He had passed on some remarks against the association members including superstar Mohanlal. Ever since the fight between AMMA and veteran actor Thilakan, had kicked off, Azhikode has been vehemently talking against AMMA. He had been particularly targeting Mohanlal on various issues.

Suresh Gopi as Police again in \"Sahasram

Suresh Gopi is all set to play the role of a cop again. This time it is for the movie Sahasram which will be directed by Dr Janardhanan. This is Janardhanans second movie after the Mohanlal starrer Mahasamudram. Sources indicate that this flick is a suspense thriller and will start shooting in the month of July. Others in the cast include Madhu, Bala, Jagathy and others

Thilakan banned from Serials also

Veteran actor Thilakan, who was ousted from the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) on grounds of indiscipline and virtually kept out of Malayalam films, has now been dropped from a TV serial. Speaking to mediapersons Tuesday, the 74-year-old actor said that Monday evening the producer of TV serial Maatuoruval called up to say that he should be ready by 9 a.m. the next morning for the shoot. I was asked to be present near Kovalam where the shooting is going on for the recently started serial being shown on Surya TV. But late night I got calls from a few artistes working in the serial saying that they are helpless because they have been told not to cooperate with me as I have been excommunicated by AMMA and hence the TV fraternity also should keep me away, Thilakan said. Thilakan alleged that Association of Television Media Artistes (ATMA) headed by its president and opposition legislator K.B. Ganesh Kumar was behind his ouster from the TV serial. Ganesh Kumar is also the vice-president of AMMA... But I am not going to lie low, I will fight this injustice, Thilakan added. But ATMA general secretary Poojapura Radhakrishnan said that Thilakan has for long been attacking their president. Only a few days back he lashed out at our president. Any organization has to have some sort of discipline and decorum. We have nothing against him because he is a great actor. We just cant take the abuses all the time, Radhakrishnan said. In April Thilakan was shown the door by AMMA for publicly criticising the associations office bearers. He had called AMMA a mafia that did not take care of the interests of the artistes.

Vijay is busy with \"Velayudham

Ilayathalapathy Vijay is currently busy with his 51st film Kaavalkaran (remake of Malayalam hit Bodyguard) directed by Siddique. The film also marks the re-entry of Asin in South Indian cinema after a gap. Vijay will team up with Jayam Raja after completing Kaavalkaran for a film tentatively titled Velayudham with Devi Sri Prasad expected to compose the music; it will be produced by Aascar Ravichandran. There are reports that bubbly Genelia will play one of the leading ladies in the film. Interesting this will be Genelias second film opposite Vijay after Sachin. The producers are reportedly planning a grand movie launch at Nehru Stadium in June

Prithvi\'s \'Veera Puthran\' to start soon

Young Superstar Prithvirajs Veera Puthran is expected to start its shoot soon. Directed by P T Kunjumohammed, Veera Puthran tells the real life story of Mohammed Abdul Rahman Sahib. The film would chronicle his life from his late twenties to the early forties. Based on a story by N P Muhammed, Veera Puthran would be captured on camera by renowned cinematographer M G Radhakrishnan

Shwetha Menon in \'Avalude Ravukal\' sequel

Avalude Ravukal directed by I. V. Sasi that was released in 1978, had launched the career of Seema who had gone on to become one of the busiest actresses in Malayalam. The film that explored the life of a teenage prostitute is still discussed by film enthusiasts for its bold theme. Now a sequel to Avalude Ravukal is being planned. P H Hameed who had produced films like Ee Thanalil Ithiri Neram and Manathe Kottaram, would produce and direct the film. Shwetha Menon would be playing Raji, played by Seema in Avalude Ravukal. Vijayaraghavan would be playing Somans role, while Mamukkoya would take over from Kuthiravattan Pappu. The film would be scripted by Aleppey Ashraf, who would be scripting a film after a gap of almost fifteen years. The pooja of the film would be held in June

\"Alexander the Great\" was a different movie: Murali Nagavally

Murali Nagavally has been a popular associate director for long and recently turned independent director with the movie Wanted. His second flick Alexander the Great released recently. Though the movie had Mohanlal in the lead, it failed to grab much attention from the fans. However the director is happy with the movie. He said that this was not a typical commercial flick but it was a wake up call from filmmakers and fans to think differently.

Nallavan will hit on second week of June

One of the most awaited movies Nallavan is all set to release during the second week of June, according to sources. The movie stars Jayasuriya in four different get ups. Director Aji John is making his debut with this one. Many believe that this movie will give Jayasuriya a good break, which he deserves. The movie is set to compete with Oru Naal Varum which is expected to release at the same time.

Mohanlal to promote khadi products

Superstar Mohanlal had turned 50 recently and now the news is that he will be promoting khadi products. He is apparently going to be the ambassador for handloom and khadi products for the state. An official statement on the same is expected on 3rd of next month. This announcement will be part of the cultural evening that will be organized on that day. This function will be attended by many fraternities from the industry.

Vikram with Gautham Menon

Tamil cinema has never failed to present big surprises to the audience in regular intervals. One such project is currently in the pipeline, which would bring together Vikram and Gautham Vasudev Menon. If sources are to be believed, it is a long time wish of both the actor and the director to work together, which is turning into a reality now. However, it may take some time for the project to take off, they say. Elaborating more on the film, sources add: Currently, both Vikram and Gautham are busy with two projects each. While Vikram has a film directed by Selvaraghavan and the other with Boopathi Pandian, Gautham is at present busy making a quickie after which he would direct Ajiths 50th film. After the completion of these projects, they would join hands for the new film. We expect the project to go on floors by the beginning of 2011. As usual, Gautham would make the film on a first copy basis to a top producer.

AMMA serves a legal notice to Sukumar Azhikode

AMMA has served a legal notice to Dr. Sukumar Azhikode for having insulted its members publicly. Dr. Azhikode had offered support to Thilakan in the Thilakan - AMMA controversy that had later evolved into a verbal battle between him and Mohanlal. He had also voiced his protest against Lal being selected as the Brand Ambassador of Khadi and also his being honored with a D.Litt by the Sanskrit University.

Mohanlal and Innocent asked to appear before the Labour Commission

The Human Rights Commission has decided to ask Megastar Mohanlal and AMMA President Innocent to appear before the Labour Commission in connection with the Thilakan issue. This is in association with a complaint filed by Sreekumar Nooranadu, a native of Alleppey, regarding the ban that has allegedly been imposed on actor Thilakan in Malayalam films. The Labour Commission has therefore asked Mohanlal and Innocent to appear before it at ten thirty in the morning, on the 24th of May. Thilakan had been expelled from AMMA after a major controversy that had raged on for about a month. The actor claims that there is a ban in the industry that has denied him job opportunities

Pokkiri Raja, a twist to internal crisis in Mollywood

Megastar Mammootty-Prithviraj starrer Pokkiriraja, one of the three Malayalam films that broke the three-week long impasse in the Malayalam film industry, who keeps on interjecting every now and then with the words: There has to be a new twist. Indeed, the film industry, which is mostly based in Chennai, has seen several twists in recent years. Its commercial run has been punctuated by regular spats between the various players in the industry. And when three films, starring three superstars, opened to the relief of movie buffs in Kerala on May 7, they brought to an end a series of parleys that saw some hard bargaining which included some name-calling, anxiety, camaraderie and, of course, snacks. Superstar Mohanlal, whose Alexander The Great (a rip-off of Dustin Hoffman-starrer Rain Man) one of the films that was released, triggered the standoff between cash-starved producers, hassled distributors theatre-owners and cine artistes. Jairams Katha Thudarannu, the third film that made it to the theatres post-stalemate, was the actor-arbitrator. The thaw in theatrics was celebrated mostly by fan associations, especially of the former two actors � yet again proving the kind of mass appeal these actors, well past their prime, are still able to command. A week later the new superstar Dileeps Pappy Appacha hit the screens, bringing back the hit pair of Dileep and Kavya Madhavan after a hiatus. Ironically, except for Mohanlal�s film, all the others are doing well with Mammootty-Prithviraj starrer Pokkiriraja turning into a blockbuster. But this amicable situation was preceded by a storm that exposed the vulnerability of the industry which, till a few years ago, was robust both in content and commerce. Producers and distributors joined hands and declared a strike on April 16. The producers refused to bring any movie onto the floors unless the superstars scaled down their remuneration so that spiralling production costs could be brought under control. Distributors demanded that the collection from noon shows also be included while deciding the �hold over� (return of films to distributors in case of lack of fixed collection). Later, exhibitors joined the melee, threatening that unless the stalemate was solved, no movies would be released in Kerala. The fracas culminated in a bold 25% cut in remuneration, as declared by Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) for anyone who quoted a price higher than Rs 3 lakh. The agreement between AMMA and Kerala Film Producers� Association (KFPA), the body which led the strike, included other drastic decisions like film stars not starring in serials and reality shows, curbs on public shows, discipline on film sets and restricting the size of superstars� entourage. The distributors will get to know the fate of their wishes on May 27 after yet another meeting of all the parties concerned with the state government moderating the negotiation. On an average, a Malayalam movie is made on a budget of around Rs 4-5 crore. Around 50-60% of this goes towards paying salaries of actors while the rest is spent on marketing and distribution. Despite such low budgets, producers are finding it difficult to even recover their investments, owing to sub-standard cinematic output and a dismal audience response. �Actors quote their price, distributors decide the centres and the success or failure is the tight rope that the producers repeatedly tread. We cannot coerce the artists or the distributors. So, a strike was the only way out, says producer Sabu Cheriyan, president of KFPA. When asked how this cut would benefit the producers, Cheriyan candidly admitted that the only profit would be in terms of lowering losses. AMMA, with superstars at the helm of the affairs, has been the centre of many controversies, especially during the past few months. The verbal duel between superstar Mohanlal and respected social and literary critic Sukumar Azhikode brought to light many fissures. It�s not just finances, but there are other infrastructural and social issues that affect the industry in the most adverse ways possible. Because of the sharp rise in the production costs, marketing films becomes difficult. Add to that, Kerala is the only state in the whole of South India which imposes an entertainment tax in the range of 15-25%. Bad marketing, low ticket prices and taxes are a triple whammy for Malayalam films. Jagadish sees the lack of success as the root of all problems. �When the going is good, there is no scope for any fights and misdemeanours. Artists are an insecure lot and for them �tomorrow� is much more important than today, he says. Not that there�s going to be peace and love between all these big players in a small world. Things may get ugly, but for now they have to strike at something new. Because as they say in Malyalam: Pradarshanam Thudarunnu (The show continues).

Happy Birthday Lalettaaa

Mohanlal, one of the most amazing actors that Indian screen has ever produced, celebrates his 50th birthday today. Having started off with Thiranottam, way back in 1978, it has been a long journey indeed for the wonderful actor. The gradual metamorphosis from the villain in Manjil Virinja Pookal to the invincible hero in Narasimham has uncovered before us the several faces of the actor who is widely known all over as one of the most versatile performers around. Winner of two National Awards and six State Awards for Best Actor, Mohanlal continues to mesmerize us with his spell binding performances, year after year. Mohanlal has quite a few interesting films lined up in 2010, and his fans are eagerly on the lookout for Oru Naal Varum that is expected to bring back fond old memories of those golden days when Mohanlal and Sreenivasan used to be the most adored pair in Malayalam films.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LALETTAAA....

\"Actresses need to change their attitude\": Jithu Joseph

Director Jithu Jospeh says that actresses need to change their attitude. He says his film Mummy and Me would have remained on paper had not Urvasi agreed to do the role of the mom. Jithu was talking at a Press Conference here. Jithu said that he had approached several actresses with the script that told the story of a mom and daughter, and that he was turned down by all actresses who said that they didnt want to play mom. Some even said that they didnt want to be upstaged by the daughter character. Jithu says that he got the same reaction even from actresses who have been saying that they were looking for heroine oriented roles. Some said that they felt that the film would tarnish their heroine image. Jithu said that though he has always had the highest regard for Urvasi as an actress, he approached her the last, since he didnt want any similarity between his film and Achuvinte Amma in which the actress had played mom to Meera Jasmine. Actor Mukesh who also took part in the Press Conference said that some actresses were controlled by their Godfathers. The heroine of the film Archana Kavi was also present. Mummy and Me, produced by Jithin Arts would be released today.

Siddhique to Bollywood

Siddhique directed movie Bodyguard had a decent run in Malayalam. Now it is being remade in Tamil by Siddhique himself. Now, according to sources, he is all set to remake the movie in Hindi as well. The Hindi version will start off once the Tamil version is completed. Salman Khan will play the lead which was played by Dileep in Malayalam while Asin will be the heroine.

Swetha Menon injured during shooting

Swetha Menon was today injured while shooting a fight scene for a Malayalam film, near here. The model-turned actress suffered deep cut wounds on her right hand, caused by a knife during the shooting of K M Vinu directed Penpattanam at Shantinagar Colony. She was admitted to a private hospital and discharged after treatment, hospital sources said. Menon had won this years state best actress award for Mamooty-starrer Paleri Manikyam.

Lakshmi Rai out, Sneha in

Lakshmi Rai could not adjust her dates and has lost out to become Mohanlals heroine in Shikar. She has been replaced by Sneha, who has gone out of her way to accommodate the Mohanlal film. For Sneha it is a dream comes true, as it is for the first time that she is being paired with Mohanlal. Remember Sneha has done three films with the other Malayalam superstar Mammootty- Thuruppu Gulan, Pramani and the soon to be released Vande Matram. Sneha will join the unit of Shikar from June 3 in Ramoji Rao Studios in Hyderabad. Sneha will play the role of Mohanlal�s wife in the film while Ananya will play his daughter and Maithali of Paleri Manickam is also doing an important role in the film.

Prithvi with Blessy

Prithviraj is all excited about doing a film with noted writer and director Blessy. The critically acclaimed director has so far made only films with top stars like Mammootty (Kazcha, Palanku) Mohanlal (Thanmatra, Bhramaram) and Dileep (Calcutta News). He has now chosen Prithviraj for his next film Aadujeevitham The shoot of the film is to take place in the deserts of Dubai and Rajasthan from August end. Prithviraj is all excited about the film, which will be another feather on his cap. However Blessy has asked Prithviraj to reduce his weight by 20 Kilos for the character he is going to play in Aadujeevitham The actor who is very disciplined and �will do anything to get under the skin of the character is going to go on a crash diet after he completes Anwar. The buzz around Prithvi is sure to get bigger after Mani Ratnams Raavanan, in which he is looking smashing releases in June.

Siddique set to make a step in Bollywood !

Reports are streaming in from Bollywood that director Siddiq is all set to make his entry into the big world of Hindi films. Siddiq would be remaking his latest Malayalam film Bodyguard in Hindi. Incidentally, Bodyguard is also being remade in Tamil with Vijay and Asin in the lead roles. The Hindi version would have Salman Khan as the Bodyguard, while his lady love would be Asin. The film would be produced by Salmans production company.

\"Penpattanam\"

Penpattanam is the Malayalam movie based on a base story written by Renjith. It has been scripted by TA Razzaq and directed by VM Vinu. Now one thing that is common among all of them is that all three of them are based in Kozhikode. If that is not enough, some popular names from Kozhikode theater groups will be part of the cast. The shooting of the movie has already started in none other than Kozhikode

Prithviraj is on a high these days

Prithviraj is on a high these days with his latest movie Pokkiri Raja being a super hit. Moreover his first movie under the direction of Mani Ratnam Raavanan is all set to release. He is apparently playing a villain role in the movie. Speaking about the same, he said that acting under Mani Ratnam is the biggest ever blessing he has got. He revealed that in his early days, he wanted to be an assistant to Mani Ratnam but now he has managed to star in his movie.

Mammootty geared up for his Kannada film

Now the megastar is ready to shine on the Kannada screen with Shikari. Abhay Sinha is going to direct the film for which he himself has written the story and screenplay. A source told Sampurn Wire that the movie is about the pre-independence and post independence conditions in India. Mammootty is most likely going to play a double role in the movie, one of a software geek and the other of a zealous freedom fighter. The film, produced by K Manju, is a bilingual movie - a combination of Kannada and Malayalam. National Award winner Anmol Bhave is to give music to the movie. According to some sources, the Malayalam dialogues are going to be written by Mammootty himself. His fans are definitely going to awaite the release of this flick

Meera Jasmine in \'Nakshatrangale Kaval\' remake

Nakshatrangale Kaval, scripted by P Padmarajan, and directed by K S Sethumadhavan is to be remade in Malayalam. The film that was released in 1976 was not a commercial success. The makers of the remake claim that they are not aiming at box office success as well. The remake would be directed by Deepan, who had directed Puthiya Mukham. The film would be jointly scripted by Padmarajans son Ananthapadmanabhan and Babu Janardhanan. Anoop Menon would play the major role in the film. Meera Jasmine and Priyamani would be the heroines. Jagathy Sreekumar would also be seen in a key role. The shoot of the film would start by September.

Sneha as Mohanlal\'s wife

The hunt for the actress who would play Mohanlals wife in Shikar has finally ended. It was rumoured that Lakshmi Rai would be playing Mohanlals wife in the Padmakumar directed film. However Lakshmi could not be a part of the project and Sneha has been roped in for the role. Its the first time Sneha would be seen opposite Mohanlal. She has acted in several films opposite Mammootty, the latest one being Pramaani. Shikar also has a host of other actresses like Ananya, Mythili and Lakshmi Gopalaswami doing key roles. The shoot of the film is fast progressing and the film is getting readied for an early release

Parvathy Omanakuttan concentrates in films

Parvathy Omanakuttan, the former Miss World runner up has acted in couple of Malayalam flicks. However she has not been seen in any movie off late but now she is back with a Tamil movie. She was recently sharing her thoughts when she said that there is a misconception that she is not serious about her acting career. She added that she is crazy about movies. The Tamil movie which she is part of is a dance based subject, she revealed

Kalabhavan Mani in \\

Popular and talented actor Kalabhavan Mani is all set to don the title role for the movie Uthapante Kinar. He will play the role of Uthapan. The movie is based on a novel with the same title by Karoor Neelapkanta Pillai. It will be directed by famous critic Vijayakrishnan who will also the write the script. Sources indicate that even Vinoo Mohan is playing an important role in this one.

\"I have very high hopes for Electra\": Nayans

Southern sensation Nayantara who is currently shooting for Shyamaprasads Electra says she has become obsessed with the character. I have high hopes for this character, says Nayan. I am trying to know more and more about this character that offers me plenty of scope to emote. To say the truth, I am trying to be Electra, both physically and mentally. There is nothing in my mind except her. Electra that is an investigative thriller takes a close look at a family of three. While Nayantara plays Electra, Manisha Koitala and Prakash Raj play her parents. The film also stars P Sreekumar, Biju Menon and KPAC Lalitha in key roles.

\'College Days\' a Campus movie gain on set

College Days that is set on a campus would be directed by B N Krishnakumar. The film has Indrajith and Biju Menon doing the lead roles. Along with the actors, four heroines - Dhanya, Bhama, Sandhya and Nithya - would star in the film. Jagathy, Saikumar, Siddiq, Suraaj, Geetha Vijayan, P Sreekumar and Kochupreman form the supporting cast. Scripted by the director himself, College Days would be produced under the banner of Pavitram Creations

What happend to Mohanlal\'s \"Swapnamaalika

Most of us would remember Swapnamaalika as a project that was launched three years ago, that held immense promise. The most important reason for this was that the film had a story by Mohanlal, that was scripted together by the films director K A Devaraj and Suresh Babu. Not much was heard about the film after the initial schedule that was shot at Varanasi. Mohanlal and Italian actress Ileana took part in the shoot. Three years later the film is fast getting readied for release. Apparently major differences of opinion had occurred between the director and the leading star, that has led to the director chopping off Mohanlals role midway through the film. The film would now have Mohanlals character Dr. Appu Nair being killed in a bomb blast at Varanasi. Naturally upset with these developments and the way the story itself has been changed, Mohanlal and the scriptwriter Suresh Babu are reportedly planning to take legal action against the director. The director on the other hand has a different story to tell. He says that Mohanlal had refused to cooperate with the film shooting, on account of his remuneration. Since he could not afford to keep the film in the cans any longer, the director says that he moved ahead with the only option that he had. Whatever be the reason, Swapnamaalika seems to have been built the wrong way. We need to wait for the film to get released to see what has actually happened to this dream mansion.

Mythili- Mohanlal\'s heroine in \'Shikar\'

Mythili, who had made her debut in Ranjiths Paleri Manickyam would now be seen opposite Mohanlal in Shikar. Mythili plays Gayatri in the film who is in love with Mohanlal. The actress who would play Mohanlals wife has not been decided as yet. Young actress Ananya would also be seen in the film as Mohanlals daughter. Mythili was also seen in films like Kerala Cafe and Chattambi Naadu. She has finished shooting for Jayasuryas Nallavan as well.

A novel by Padmarajan turns to cinema !!

Popular filmmaker late Padmarajan had written the novel Nakshatrangale Kaaval which even earned him his first Sahithya Academy award. Now, according to sources, the novel is about to be converted into a movie. This will be done by his son Ananda Padmanabhan who has scripted the movie along with Babu Janardhanan. It will be directed by Deepan with Anoop Menon as the hero. Meera Jasmine and Priyamani are expected to play the heroines.

Thilkan compares his plight to that of V S Achuthanandan

Thilakan, who has been expelled from AMMA, says that his plight is similar to that of the Chief Minister, Sri. V S Achuthanandan. Thilakan was interacting with media personnel at a face to face session organized by the Indian Medial Forum at Dubai. Thilakan said that when he was denied job opportunities, though the Chief Minister had inquired into the matter, no further action was taken. He accused that the Minister for Culture Sri M A Baby after assuring him that the problem would be solved had merely remained silent. Thilakan would start the shoot of Ali Akbars new film Achan shortly.

Mythili again!

Palery Manickyam was a big ticket for model turned actress Mythili who became popular with the movie. Though she received many offers after that, she was careful about choosing her roles. She accepted a role in the flick Nallavan which is expected to be a big one. On the other hand she will also pair up with superstar Mohanlal in the movie Shikaar. Looks like, she is the next big thing in Mollywood.

Thilakan\'s \"Achan

Thilakan, who in the midst of controversy for so long is all set for his next venture. This movie is titled Achan which will be directed by Ali Akbar. According to sources, Thilakan will play the role of a loner in this one which will be similar to his role in Ekantham. The movie is based on a play by SR Raveendran. According to sources, the shooting will start in the month of July.

Prakash Raj to get married again

One of the most popular actors down south Prakash Raj has already proved his talent across languages. The actor was already married and had two daughters but got divorced recently. The actor cum director is all set to get married again. This time it is with Pony Verma who is a choreographer in Bollywood. The marriage is likely to take place on June 24th and further details would be revealed soon. For now, it is advance greetings to both Prakash and Pony.

Mammootty is the most popular Malayali

Megastar Mammootty has been selected as the most popular Malayali in the world in a poll conducted by the Asian Television Awards. The poll was conducted by Asian Television Awards 2010, which were held in Dubai on Friday (May 14). Mammootty beat Mohanlal and Resul Pookutty to clinch the Most Popular Malayali title in a world-wide gallop poll. Mammootty, who turned up at the event said: This award proves that it has not affected the Malayalis judgment. This award proves that no outside force was able to displace the icons in their mind. Later in his acceptance speech the actor said: I am incredibly happy and thankful to all those Malayalis who chose me as their dearest star and I am proud of each and every Malayali in the Gulf, Kerala and the world over.

Pokkiri Raja breaks Twenty20 record

Mammootty and Prithvirajs mass masala entertainer Pokkiri Raja, has created box-office history by collecting a distributors share of Rs 2 crore 21 lakhs in its opening week from 110 screens in India (90 of them are in Kerala). As per trade sources: �Pokkiri Raja has scored at the box-office by beating the collection of Twenty:20, which did Rs 2.03 crore in the first week. The single biggest share is from Kozhikode Apsara (Rs 8.75 lakh), followed by Kavita, Ernakulam (Rs 7.67 lakh). The critics may not like the film, but masses are freaking out on it. Says a theatre owner from Malabar area of the state where the film is doing extraordinary business. Any which way you lookPokkiri Raja, is surely the biggest hit of the year so far.

Vijayakumar arrested in visa racket case

Police arrested Malayalam film actor Vijayakumar for allegedly taking about Rs 7.69 lakh from two persons promising them US and UK visas. The arrest was made on a complaint by Louis DCruz of Thiruvananthapuram and Murali of Pachalam in Ernakulam. According to police, Vijayakumar had taken about Rs 3.5 lakh from Louis on various occasions since June 16, 2007, and had promised to get him a US visa. He had taken Rs 4.19 lakh from Murali and promised him visa to the UK, police said. He also took Muralis passport. He neither returned the money nor helped him get the visas, sources said. Vijay Kumar was arrested and produced before the Judicial First Class Magistrate, Aluva, and remanded to 14 days judicial custody.

FEFCA suspects MACTA behind the bomb blast

FEFCA President B Unnikrishnan said that FEFCA suspects MACTA to be behind the blast that happened at the shooting location at Kuttikkanam. A few members of MACTA had repeatedly asked the shooting to be stopped and had created problems at the location. Therefore, FEFCA thinks that MACTA might have a hand behind the blast. However director Vinayan, the MACTA President dismissed the allegations as baseless, and said that the association had no involvement in the incident. Members of MACTA were simply protesting against their being denied jobs. Vinayan also demanded that an inquiry be held into the unfortunate incident. Earlier in the day a bomb had gone off at the shooting location of the film Aathma Katha at Kuttikanam, destroying two vehicles.

FEFCA to appeal to the Labor Commissioner against MACTA

Representatives of FEFCA said that they were considering appealing to the Labor Commissioner to get the registration of MACTA Federation canceled. The Producers Association has also come up in arms against MACTA, and says that MACTA should be declared as a terrorist organization, taking into consideration the explosion that took place at the shooting location of the film Aathmakatha. They also demanded that police protection be provided at the shooting site of Aathmakatha. The press conference was jointly held by FEFCA and the Producers Association.

Sindhu Menon get married, away from media eyes!

Barely two weeks after news of actress Sindhu Menons engagement came in, it has been reported by a prominent Malayalam film weekly, that the actress has already got married. Sindhu has got married to Prabhu, a businessman based in London. Neither members of the media nor friends from the industry were invited for the wedding. It is said that the wedding was a very private event, with only close relatives of the actress taking part. Sindhu was last seen in Eeram, the much acclaimed Tamil film that has been a box office success as well. She has acted in several Malayalam films like Rajamanickyam, Thommanum Makkalum, Detective and so on.

\"Christian Brothers\" -Onam 2010 Release

!Seems like the big budget multi starrer being directed by Joshey, Christian Brothers, would now make it to the theaters only for Onam. The film that has several busy actors coming together has two schedules left. Joshey is currently busy planning the rest of the films work. While Mohanlal plays an informer by the name of Christy Brothers, Dileep plays his brother Joji. Suresh Gopi plays a cop by the name of Joseph Vadakkan and Sarath Kumar plays an underworld gangster by the name of Andrews Bandra. Besides these stars, the film also has several other actors like Lakshmi Rai, Kaniha, Kavya Mdhavan, Lakshmi Gopalaswami, Priyanka, Babu Antony, Devan, Saikumar, Vijayaraghavan, Biju Menon, Suresh Krishna, Salim Kumar and Suraj Venjarammoodu. With the rest of the shoot wrapped up soon, Christian Brothers would grace the screens as Mohanlals Onam release

Bahadur Award for Sukumar

Popular actress of south India, Sukumari has bagged the Bahadur Award. The actress has acted in more than 2000 movies in Malayalam and Tamil. The award instituted by Kodungalloor Bahadur Memorial Trust is in the memory of actor Bahadur. The award carries a cash prize of Rs 50000. Others who have received the award include Sreenivasan, Thilakan and many other noted personalities. Hearty congrats Sukumari!!

\"Oru Naal Varum\"on legal trouble

Mohanlal Sreenivasan starrer Oru Naal Varum was a much awaited movie. It was supposed to release today but was later postponed to June 25thfor various reasons. Meanwhile the movie has run into some legal trouble and the movie release has been stayed by the Kozhikode District Court. The judge issued an injunction order till May 31st. it was on the basis of a petition moved by a teacher KV Vijayan who claimed that actor Sreenivasan had used his script a long time ago

Shooting to resume tomorrow

The strike which had been going on by the producers is over and finally the shooting is all set to resume from tomorrow. The decision came after a meeting headed by cultural minister MA Baby. The meeting was attended by other state ministers along with people from production, distribution, exhibition, acting and technical department. Meanwhile the cultural minister has suggested an Entertainment Regulatory Board to sort out all the pending issues in the industry. Incidentally, another meeting has been arranged for May 27th

Prithvi in Naduvazhikal sequel

We still remember Naduvazhikal as one of the biggest hits ever in Malayalam films. The film that was directed by Joshey had graced the screens back in 1989. Mohanlal along with Madhu played the key roles. Now after almost twenty years, Shaji Kailas gets ready to prepare a sequel to the hit film. And Naduvazhikal-2 would have young Superstar Prithviraj in the lead role. S N Swamy who had penned the script for the super hit film would do the same for the sequel as well. Shooting would commence in August

Juhi Chawla as Mohanlal\'s heroine

Juhi Chawla who was last seen making a decision choosing between the BigMs of Malayalam, Mammootty and Mohanlal in Harikrishnans, is now back. She would be acting opposite Mohanlal in Gaatha, the film to be directed by Shaji N Karun, based on Kadal, a short story by T Padmanabhan. Its heard that Shjai finally zeroed in on Juhi after considering Jaya Bachchan and Madhuri Dixit for the role. The film is expected to start its shoot at Ladakh soon. Gaatha would be a musical film that would seek the services of a range of Hollywood technicians. It would also be shot on locations at Chennai and Vienna

Sreeni accused of \'lifting\' the story; Court stays \'Oru Naal Varum\' release

A native of Mukkam, K V Vijayan has accused that Sreenivasan has lifted his story and used the same for his new film Oru Naal Varum. Vijayan has approached the court that has stayed the release of the film till the 31st of May. Earlier the film was expected to release on May.14th and later it was declared that the release has been shifted to June end. Taking this into consideration, the court stay order is likely to be extended to June as well. Vijayan says that he had approached Sreenivasan with his script, who had dismissed him saying that there was no comedy in it. Later Vijayan had also published his work under the title Ee Kaliveedil Ninnu. Oru Naal Varum stars Mohanlal, Sreenivasan and Sameera Reddy. Directed by T K Rajeev Kumar, the film has been produced by Maniyanpillai Raju

Thilakan as hero in Ali Akbar\'s new film

Thilakan would do the main role in Ali Akbars new film in which he would play an 85 year old loner. The film is based on S R Raveendrans play Achan. Famous theatre artist Sasikumar Eranjikkal would play another major role in the film. The film that has no female characters will also have several other actors from theatre doing key roles. The script is by S R Raveendran. Besides directing the film, Ali Akbar would also be in charge of the editing and cinematography. Aleena Akbar would compose the music. Produced by Luciyamma, the film would start its shoot in July

Priyadarshan back in Mollywood

Priyadarshan is a busy man in Bollywood these days with as many as five Hindi movies in his kitty. The director is meanwhile planning to comeback to Mollywood after 2004. He has apparently roped in none other than the superstar Mohanlal for the movie which is expected to be a comedy. The movie is expected to go on floors by early 2011. The duo has created many super hits in the past and is expected to repeat the success.

AMMA nod for 25 PAY CUT in leading actors� pay

As the first step for cutting the soaring costs of production in Malayalam film industry, film artists have agreed in principle to reduce their remuneration by 25 percent. The Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) took the decision after its meeting with the Kerala Film Producers Association (KFPA) here Saturday. Suresh Kumar of the KFPA said the pay cut would be implemented with immediate effect and will be applicable to all those who charge Rs.3 lakh and more. �Today, a film with any of the superstars would come to over Rs.3.5 crore. Remuneration alone would come to around 50 percent of the total cost of a film, said Kumar, a leading producer. The current reigning superstars in the Malayalam film are Mammootty, Mohanlal and Suresh Gopi. Mammootty and Mohan Lal reportedly charge Rs.75 lakh per film. The AMMA was represented by its president and veteran actor Innocent and others. �Another thing that has been accepted is that shooting will start at 7 a.m. It has also been made clear that the expenses of those who accompany the actors, will have to be met by them only. With the new guidelines, cost of a film with a superstar will come down by Rs.50 lakh,� said Kumar. Innocent told reporters, �Another grievance of theirs (producers) was the participation of film actors on TV shows. We will take up this issue at our meeting.� The state government intervened in the stand-off after the producers association decided not to shoot any new films from April 16 and films ready for release did not hit the screens.

Explosion at Shooting Location. 2 Vehicles Blew up

Two Outdoor units vehicles blast with Local made Bombs at Kuttikaanam ,Incident happened at the shooting Location of �AthmaKadha � in which the lead role played by Sreenivaasan. Sreenivaasan stated to Media that issues arises 2 to 3 days back . B Unnikrishnan recommended high level probe needed from the Govt Dept to find out who behind the incident . The blast took place at a hotel at Kuttikanam. The damaged vehicles belonged to the crew of the film Atmakatha, which stars popular actor Sreenivasan and Bengali actress Sharbani Mukherjee. Police recovered explosive materials, usually used in quarries, from the blast site, an official said. The film industry has two umbrella groupings of technicians, representing 19 organisations of drivers to directors. The two groupings are the Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA) and the Malayalam Cine Technicians Association (MACTA). Director B. Unnikrishnan, general secretary of FEFKA, accused MACTA members of creating similar problems in the past and demanded that those behind the blast be punished. FEFKA comprises all the big directors and has the support of the Association of Malayalam Movies Artistes (AMMA). MACTA is led by popular director Vinayan, who has been having a running feud with the superstars and top directors. \\This blast has got nothing to do with MACTA... FEFKA always has the habit of blaming MACTA for anything and everything,\\ Vinayan said. Incidentally, the producer of Atmakatha was roughed up last month at the same location. The police are probing that case too. The Kerala government has now stepped in and formed a committee to look into issues plaguing the Malayalam film industry

The standoff in Malayalam film industry is over : 3 Super Star releases yesterday

Finally, the standoff in Malayalam film industry is over and today will see three major films hitting the theatres -- Mohanlals Alexander the Great, Mammootty and Prithvirajs Pokkiri Raja and Sathyan Anthikkads Kadha Thudarunnu. Alexander the Great, produced under the banner of Anugraha Cine Arts by VBK Menon, and directed by Murali Nagavalli was supposed to be Mohanlals Vishu release. It now has become his big summer release. He plays Alexander Varma in the film. Hindi film actress Meenakshi Dixit is the heroine Alexander the Great was shot extensively in Dubai and Mumbai.

Mohanlal and Priyadarshan � much Awaited Combo is back

Malayalam superstar Mohanlals fans have a reason to be really excited. Sources claim that renowned director Priyadarshan is set to work with Mohanlal once again. The film will go on floors from early 2011. They are in plans to cast a Bollywood heroine. The film is expected to be a rib-tickling comedy, like all Priyadarshan-Mohanlal films. The film will most likely be scripted by Priyadarshan himself. At present, Priyadarshan is busy with five Bollywood films. After being away from Malayalam films for quite a while, looks like this will mark his return to Malayalam movies. Priyan�s last Malayalam film was Vettam, which released in 2004, almost six years ago, with Dileep which didn�t make a mark as expected

Amar Singh in Malayalam to play Dimple Kapadia\'s husband

Its common knowledge that Amar Singh, the ex-general Samajwadi Party General, did a miniscule role in Dev Anands Hindi film Chargesheet. The man seems to have enjoyed the stint so much that he has agreed to be part of a Malayalam film next. It is heard that Singh has a full fledged role in this one. Our source informs us, He plays an Indian classical singer in a Malayalam film titled Mumbai Mittai. The high point for the politician, however, is that he gets to share screen space with actress Dimple Kapadia, who plays his wife in the movie! More than anything Amar Singh is excited about acting with Dimple Kapadia. He is known to have been a big fan of hers, and claims it to be an acheievements of sorts... a king of dream being relaised! we are told. It is heard that the movie has another actor with a political connect. Vardaraja Perumals (Tamil leader of Sri Lanka) daughter Neelambari will also be a part of this interesting coup

The 10th International Film Festival is all set to kick off tomorrow

The 10th International Film Festival is all set to kick off tomorrow in Thiruvananthapuram. The festival will go on till May 13th. It is being organized by Film Lovers Cultural Association, National Film Archive of India, Chalachitra Academy, State department of Culture and the Federation of Film Societies. It is expected to be inaugurated by Adoor Gopalakrishnan. The inaugural film will be Phir Kabhi by VK Prakash.

\"Pazhassi Raja\" with another record

Ever since the movie Pazhassi Raja released, it has been breaking records after records in Malayalam cinema. Now even after so many days the movie has created another record. This time it is due to the sale of VCDs and DVDs. According to sources, about two lakh units have been sold in just three days which is a record of sorts. The video was launched by Moser Baer on May 1st and the film has Megastar Mammootty in the lead along with Kollywood star Sarath Kumar, Padmapriya, Manoj.K.Jayan, Kanika, Suman

Pokkiri Raja\" from tomorrow

It will be a double treat for movie buffs from tomorrow. The movie Pokkiri Raja is all set to release om May7th,Friday. The reason it is a double treat is that two popular stars Mammootty and Prithviraj are coming together in this movie.

Pokkiri Raja has been certified by the censor board. It was given a U/A certificate. The reason for the U/A seems to be the club song and a number of action sequences. The movie is all set to grace the screens on May 7th, after facing many problems between theatre owners and distributors. Now all the problems get solved and get to hits tomorrow. According to sources, the movie will release in 118 centers

Suraj Venjarammoodu in \'Sakudumbam Shyamala\'

Suraj Venjarammoodu, the most popular comedy star on the block these days would now croon for Sakudumbam Shyamala. It is M G Sreekumar, the singer turned music director who would be offering Suraj a song in this new film. M G Sreekumar had recently composed the music for Oru Naal Varum, the Rajeev Kumar directed film in which he had offered Mohanlal a song. Sakudumbam Shyamala would be directed by Radhakrishnan Mangalath and scripted by Krishna Poojappura. The film that stars Urvasi, Kunchacko Boban and Bhama in lead roles would be produced by Gopakumar under the banner of Kunchuveetil

\'Njanum Varunnu\': The first Malayalam film to be shot entirely on a ship

Seems like the Titanic has heavily inspired someone. Because the first Malayalam film to be shot entirely on a ship is getting ready. Titled Njanum Varunnu, the film has newcomer Aashiq doing the main role. Besides Aashiq, the film also has Suraj Venjarammoodu, Anoop Chandran, Harisree Ashokan, Bheeman Raghu, Narayankutty and Kochu Preman. The film has as its theme a journey from Goa to Lakshadweep and back. Director Shaji Khalid hopes to shoot the film on board within one month of the journey. Produced by Cameo Films, the shooting of Njanum Varunnu would start in June

Sindhu Menon excited about her marriage news

Sindhu Menon, who has already made her mark in Malayalam and Tamil, recently got engaged to a London based businessman. The actress who is all set to get married soon, is highly excited. She said that though she did not meet him before their engagement, she finds him to be a very nice guy. Meanwhile sources indicate that the couple will settle down in London after marriage. So will she bid goodbye to cinema is a million dollar question.

Prithviraj- Ashiq Abu flick- \'The Coastguard\'

Barely a day after announcing his next project The Gangster starring Mammootty, Ashiq Abu has already made clear his next plan. After The Gangster, he would be doing a film with Prithviraj in the lead, called The Coastguard. The Coastguard would feature the young superstar in the role of a coast guard who is ready to sacrifice his life for the country. The film though, insists Abu would be a romantic thriller and not an action thriller, as the title suggests. The actress who would play Prithvis romantic interest in the film has not yet been decided. The Coastguard would be shot on locations at Lakshadweep. The rest of the crew and cast is being finalised

\'Casanova\' to finally start on the 24th of May

After much delay and speculation, Mohanlals biggest ever project, Casanova to be directed by Roshan Andrews would start its shoot on the 24th of this month at Goa. The project has been caught in several controversies, with producers taking up the project and backing out as well. This was because, several of them felt that the project would prove to be too costly in the long run. Casanova would now be jointly produced by the Confident Group and Impressario Pictures. The film would shot on locations at Chennai, Bangalore, Ahmedabad and Mumbai. It would also be shot on foreign locations in countries as the US, the UK and Italy. Besides Mohanlal, Casanova would also have Tamil actor Ganesh in a chief role. Lakshmi Rai, Sameera Reddy, Honey Rose and Mithra Kurian would also play key roles

SureshGopi as cop again

For probably the umpteenth time, Suresh Gopi gets ready to don the role of the cop. This time around, he plays a police officer in an as yet untitled film to be directed by Janardhanan. Janardhanan who is a popular director of tele serials had earlier tried his hand at film direction with the Mohanlal starrer Mahasamudram. The film though did not turn out to be a success as was expected. Suresh Gopi had played the police officer to perfection in several films, most of which were runaway hits. Lets wait and see if the Suresh Gopi - Janardhanan combination is able to work wonders at the box office!

Mohanlal replaced from \"Saat Khoon Maaf

Superstar Mohanlal was supposed to play a role in a Bollywood flick titled Saat Khoon Maaf. He was supposed to play one of the seven husbands to actress Priyanka Chopra in the movie directed by Vishal Bharadwaj. However Mohanlal had opted out of the movie due to lack of dates. According to latest reports, popular Bollywood star John Abraham has been roped in to play the role

Shwetha gets engaged

Sujatha has been a popular singer who has sung in all south Indian languages. Her daughter Shwetha too has been rendering her voice and is considered as a talented singer. Shwetha recently got engaged to her boyfriend Ashwin. The wedding is scheduled for January 16th in Kochi. The function was attended by personalities from the music world like Vijay Yesudas, Srinivas and others.

Kandahar rolls from June13th !

Kandahar is one of most talked about movies these days. Directed by Major Ravi, it will star the big guy Mohanlal with the legendary Amitabh Bachchan making his debut. It will be made in Malayalam, Telugu and Tamil. Meanwhile the movie is all set to kick off on June 13th. It also has another Bollywood star Sunil Shetty playing an important role of a commando and as the title indicates, it deals with a backdrop of the Kandahar episode

Indrans as hero in \"Dharpanam

Indrans has been a popular comedian in the Malayalam industry for more than a decade. Meanwhile he got a chance to play the lead in couple of movies. Now, according to sources, he is all set to play the lead yet again. He is none other than Indrans and this act as the hero will be for the movie Dharpanam which will be directed by Sukajan. The sensuous beauty Kalpana will be the heroine in this one.

Harrypotter in Mollywood

Well, it is time for the local Harry Potter. To be directed by Shafi, it will have the senior actor Dileep in the lead. Others in the cast will include Suraj Venjaramoodu, Jagathy Sreekumar and others. As expected, this flick will be for kids with lot of humor. The movie is expected to kick off in the month of August. Many are waiting to see if this involves atleast ten percent of the graphics that were used in the Hollywood blockbuster series.

Amar Singh in \'Bombay Mittai\'

Former General Secretary of Samajwadi Party Amar Singh will be essaying the role of a Hindustani Classical singer in Malayalam film Bombay Mittai, which would also feature noted actress Dimple Kapadia. The film, which began its shooting today, also has actor dancer, Neelambari Perumal, daughter of Sri Lankan Tamil leader and former chief of the North East Provincial council of the country Vardaraja Perumal. Talking to reporters here, Singh said he was not living in fools paradise to compare himself with Bollywood superstars Amitabh Bachchan or Shahrukh Khan. I know my limitations. I dont want to live in a fools paradise. Everyone has their niche and forte. They cannot become Amar Singh, he said. Singh said he was excited to act along with Dimple, who essays the role

Mulakupadam files suit against Gemini Labs.

Mulakupadam Films, producer of the big budget film Pokkiri Raja has filed a suit against Gemini Labs, Cochin for deliberately postponing the films release. Tomichan Mulakupadam, the producer of the film says that Gemini Labs had refused to hand over the prints of the film, though the entire work of the film was complete. Hence it became impossible to release the film on the 30th of April, as was planned. Tomichan says that Gemini Labs had given in to the demands of the distributors association. The film was supposed to release today in about eighty centres within the state. Huge losses might be incurred by the makers of the film since they were unable to release the film on time. A new release date is yet to be finalised. Pokkiri Raja is one of the most eagerly awaited films this summer.

T A Razak turns director, Mammootty as hero

Scriptwriter T A Razak who has penned several successful scripts is finally donning the role of a director. And his maiden directorial venture would feature none other than Mammootty in the lead role. Razak plans to create a unique character for Mammootty, but would tell a family story. He is currently busy scripting Prithvirajs film Pakaram Vanna Raajavu. Razak hopes to start the shoot of his film by the end of the year. Razak has scripted several films like Perumazhakalam, Uthaman, Kaanakinavu, Vesham, Parunthu, Ayirathil Oruvan, Bus Conductor and Raapakal. There have been several scriptwriters who had turned directors in the past as well. However it has been often seen that they do not excel in the direction as much as they do in their writing.

Probe ordered into Sreenath\'s death

Police have been ordered to probe the death of popular Malayalam film and TV actor Sreenath, Kerala Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said Wednesday. I have forwarded the request from the actors family for a through probe into Sreenaths death, said Balakrishnan. The actor was found dead with his wrist slashed in a hotel at Kothamangalam in Ernakulam district last Friday morning. On Sunday, the actors brother Satyanath held a press conference here and said they suspected foul play in his death. Kothamangalam is around 250 km from here. Sreenath was shooting for Malayalam film Shikar starring superstar Mohanlal. Satyanath said it was shocking that no one from the sets of Shikar came to attend the funeral and did not even call the actors family. Meanwhile, reports said the actor was omitted from the film Shikar since he was not a member of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA). Actor Thilakan, who was recently thrown out of AMMA, lashed out at the group saying it has become a mafia organization capable of doing any thing. There are allegations that Sreenath was mentally harassed by few people in AMMA. There are many in AMMA who are bearing all the unpleasant experiences silently. They keep quiet out of fear of being ostracized. It is high time the culture ministry intervenes, said Thilakan. Sreenath, who was in his early 50s, began his film career in the 1980s but faded out after an initial burst of movies. After a hiatus, he went on to become a popular television actor though he continued to act in films occasionally. His popular films include Salini Ente Kootukari, Ethu Njangalude Katha, Oru CBI Dairy Kurippu and Kireedom

Police to conduct probe on Sreenath\'s demise

Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan has said that the police would conduct a probe into actor Sreenaths demise. Sreenath was found dead in a hotel room at Kothamangalam on the 23rd. His wrist was found to be slashed. He was there to shoot for the film Shikar. Later Sreenaths family members had alleged that the actors death was not a suicide as it was believed first. Today they met the Home Minister in this regard, who assured them that necessary action would be taken. The Home Minister later said that he had handed over the complaint to the DGP

Dileep as \"Harrypotter\"

The Dileep - Benny P Nayarambalam - Shafi film, the shoot of which is to start soon has been titled Harry Potter! The last time this team had come together was for the hilarious Kalyana Raman that had been a huge hit as well. As is the case with most of Dileeps comedies, Harry Potter would also aim at kids as its target audience. This would be Dileeps Onam release, and Shafi is expected to start working on the project once his Jayaram starrer Makeup Man is complete. The heroine of the film has not been finalised. The supporting cast would include Suraj Venajaramoodu, Jagathy Sreekumar, Salim Kumar, Innocent and Narayanankutty

\"Am not happy with Mummy and me\" :Mukesh

Mukesh played the role of a father in the movie Mummy and Me. He is apparently upset with the way movie was projected. All the promotions and trailers concentrated on the relationship between the mother and the daughter. He feels that his role of a caring father was neglected through out the promotion. Sources indicate that the actor has hence decided not to do any more father roles

\"Pokkiri Raja\" gets \'U/A\' certificate.

Forthcoming Mammootty starrer Pokkiri Raja has been certified by the censor board. It was given a U/A certificate. The reason for the U/A seems to be the club song and a number of action sequences. Directed by Vyshakh, who is making his debut, it also has Prithviraj in the lead. Meanwhile sources claim that the movie is not going to be released until the producers agitation ends, though it is ready for release.

Sequel for \"Ee Parakkum Thalika\"

Ee Parakkum Thalika, the comedy film that was a runaway hit would soon have a sequel. The sequel that would also have Dileep doing the lead role would be directed by Thaha. Its being said that Nithya Das, the heroine of the original film would appear in a cameo. V R Gopalakrishnan would script the movie. The shoot is expected to start by the year end. Salim Kumar and Harisree Ashokan who had played major roles in the film would be there in the sequel as well. Thaha is also planning another sequel to his film Mookkilla Rajyathu. He would start working on the sequel to Ee Parakkum Thalika once Mookkilla Rajyathu - 2 is complete

\'Khandahar\' to start on June.13

Finally the shooting schedule of Major Ravis much anticipated film Khandahar has been announced. This big budget film would start its shoot on June.13. Besides Mohanlal and Amitabh Bachchan, the film would also have Bollywood actor Suneil Shetty in a major role. Amitabh Bachchan has reportedly agreed to act in the film sans remuneration. The film would be produced by Sunil Nair.

Oru naal Varum , Pokkiriraja on May

With the ongoing conflict between the exhibitors and distributors seeing no end, the release of Pokkiri Raja has been postponed. The film that was scheduled to release on the the 30th of April would now make it to the theatres on the 1st of May. Pokkiri Raja directed by Vysakh has a mammoth star cast that includes Mammootty, Prithviraj and Shreya Sharan. Meanwhile Oru Naal Varum directed by Rajeev Kumar and that stars Mohanlal and Sreenivasan with Sameera Reddy would release on the 7th of May. With these two star studded projects releasing together, Malluwood looks all set for yet another star battle in May.