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Actress Akansha Ranjan Kapoor, who is known for her roles in ‘Guilty’, ‘Ray’ and ‘Monica, Oh My Darling’, has taken a short break from the filming schedule of her debut Telugu movie ‘Maayaone’ alongside Sundeep Kishan.

The actress has returned to Mumbai after from Hyderabad to ring in the New Year with her friends and family.

‘Maayaone’ is being directed by C.V. Kumar, who is known for films like ‘Iraivi’, ‘Kadhalum Kadandhu Pogum’, ‘Soodhu Kavvum’ and ‘Pizza’.

After the celebrations, the actress will resume shooting in Hyderabad.

Talking about her plans, Akansha shared, “I’ve spent most of the months of 2023 in Hyderabad and will be returning there early next year. So I’ve opted for a relaxed time in Mumbai. After the exhaustive month of shooting for ‘Maayaone’, this break feels well-deserved.”

Amid the vibrant atmosphere of Mumbai, Akansha plans to find comfort in the intimacy of her home,...

Mumbai, Dec 26 (Ians) Actress Akansha Ranjan Kapoor, who is known for ‘Guilty’, ‘Ray’ and ‘Monica, Oh My Darling’, has started shooting for her Telugu film ‘MaayaOne’ in Hyderabad.

The film marks her debut in Telugu cinema and also stars Sundeep Kishan.

The film is directed by CV Kumar, who is known for films like ‘Iraivi’, ‘Kadhalum Kadandhu Pogum’, ‘Soodhu Kavvum’ and ‘Pizza’.

Akansha said: “I reached Hyderabad one week before the shoot began, to prepare for the film and to also understand the team. Everyone has been extremely humble and sweet. CV Sir and Sundeep have been extremely supportive; it feels like the entire crew is a family.”

“Since it’s my debut film in the Telugu language, I want to give my best. I have started learning Telugu with the help of a tutor. I am hoping to also dub my own lines; it will be a personal victory.

S. J. Suryah, the versatile actor-director-composer-producer, has confirmed that he is playing the main antagonist in the upcoming film Indian 2, starring Kamal Haasan in the lead role. The film, directed by Shankar, is a sequel to the 1996 blockbuster Indian, which featured Kamal Haasan in dual roles as a freedom fighter and his son.

Suryah is known for his diverse roles in Tamil cinema, both as a hero and a villain. He made his directorial debut with Vaali in 1999, which was a huge hit and catapulted him to stardom. He then directed and acted in films like Kushi, New, Anbe Aaruyire and Isai. He also proved his mettle as a villain in films like Iraivi, Spyder, Mersal and Monster2

Suryah is also busy with other projects, such as Kadamaiyai Sei, a thriller film directed by Sathya Siva, where he plays a cop. He also has Bommai, a romantic thriller directed by Radha Mohan,...

“You know when you have cheerleaders that just want what’s good for you?” asks Banks. “This is what’s good for me.”

It took a pandemic lockdown filled with “isolation in the best way possible” for Banks to shed her old skin and learn to live life in the present moment. It was in that process, where the singer finally took full control of her music and artistry, that she created Serpentina. The singer’s upcoming album arrives April 8 and it’s available for preorder.

“I feel like nothing can touch me,...

Available this week, a three song EP titled Prayers, featuring a collaboration of multi-grammy award winning singer, songwriter and producer Joe Walsh and preeminent classical Sarod virtuoso and composer Amjad Ali Khan.

Joe Walsh Collaborates With Amjad Ali Khan On Prayers

Sonically the difference between rock and roll and classic Indian music could not be bigger – and it was exactly that which compelled them: what would happen if they came together and let their instruments do the talking? The result is music that is truly collaborative, and unlike any Joe has ever created, infused with a spiritual feel, fittingly titled Prayers.

Net Proceeds will go to Intrahealth International.

The two first met while Joe was visiting India. After playing together at the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai (at the suggestion of Amjad’s son) Joe invited them all, Amjad and his two sons, to come to Los Angeles and record...

Kollywood ‘Nethu’ is sung and written by Dhanush, while it is set to tune by composer Santhosh Narayanan.Tnm StaffThe makers of the upcoming Tamil movie Jagame Thandhiram released a new single from the movie on Saturday, May 22. Sharing the new track, titled ‘Nethu’, filmmaker Karthik Subbaraj wrote, “We can't wait to Spread some Love Here is #Nethu from #JagameThandhiram Enjoy the #SuruliLovessu.” Dhanush is seen as the character Suruli and Aishwarya Lekshmi is seen as Attila in this romantic number. From dining to taking a walk in the park together, the melodious track features visuals of what seems like a date between Suruli and Attila. The song is written and sung by actor Dhanush, while it is set to tune by composer Santhosh Narayanan. Three singles have been released from the movie so far: ‘Nethu’, ‘Rakita Rakita Rakita’ and ‘Bujji’. Earlier, there was speculation that the movie might release in theatres,...

OTTThe project marks the first-time collaboration between actor Dhanush and ‘Jigarthanda’ fame director Karthik Subbaraj Tnm StaffFans have been eagerly waiting to watch actor Dhanush’s upcoming movie Jagame Thandhiram. Putting an end to the long wait, Ott platform Netflix announced on Tuesday that the film will be streaming on Netflix from June 18. ‘’Suruli oda aatatha paaka naanga ready! Neenga ready ah? #JagameThandhiram coming on 18th June. @dhanushkraja, @karthiksubbaraj,” the tweet posted by Netflix read. Suruli oda aatatha paaka naanga ready! Neenga ready ah?#JagameThandhiram coming on 18th June.@dhanushkraja @karthiksubbaraj @sash041075 @chakdyn @Music_Santhosh @StudiosYNot @RelianceEnt @Shibasishsarkar @APIfilms @SonyMusicSouth @onlynikil pic.twitter.com/I6Q2UF4a3g — Netflix India (@NetflixIndia) April 27, 2021 Earlier there was speculation that the makers of the movie might opt for a theatrical release, however, director Karthik Subbaraj confirmed that the film will have a worldwide premiere on Netflix. “#JagameThandhiram - A dream film that's...

Less Is More (Lim), a European development scheme for limited-budget feature films, has unveiled its selection of 16 projects, a majority of which are from women filmmakers and talents coming from theater, visual arts or documentary.

In spite of the pandemic, the 7th edition received as many as 350 applications from more than 70 countries. The final roster includes projects from territories that were not represented in previous editions, such as Uganda, Vietnam and South Africa.

Among the projects selected are “I Love My Guodoheaddji,” set in the Arctic Circle within Norway’s Sámi community; “I Matter,” about a Romany community in Romania, and “A Song That Slays,” set in a Pokot tribe in Kenya. Other projects explore a cult in Czech Republic (“Goddess), sex addiction in Lithuania (Sofia’s World), and Celtic tales (“Birds of a Feather…).

Lim, which develops first, second and third feature projects, is organized by the Groupe Ouest,...

Video Version of this Article Photo/Video: Drew Barrymore Primetime Emmy Awards - Nokia Theatre/Everett Collection/Hollywood Insider YouTube Channel The legacy of the Barrymore family is as central to the prosperity of the film industry as Hollywood is itself. In the early 1910s, film production was just beginning to find a new home in the town of Hollywood and several rising stars of the silver screen flocked to Southern California in hopes to establish their burgeoning careers. Of the film actors that were able to find success in what became known as the Golden Age of Hollywood, two kindled a romance that would culminate in a family tree integral to the American film industry. John Barrymore, a prominent star in romantic films of the early 20th century, and Dolores Costello, nicknamed Goddess of the Silent Screen, met while working at Warner Bros Studios. The couple got married in 1928 and,...

While the initial critical response to Wonder Woman 1984 teased a sequel that all but sticks the landing, it seems that fans are having a difficult time trying to make sense of Patty Jenkins’ plot hole-riddled narrative.

Warner Bros. finally released the long-awaited second installment in the story of Gal Gadot’s Diana Prince on Friday and apparently, the reception has surprised studio executives. So much so that they hastily announced a threequel was in the works, with Jenkins and Gadot set to return. It seems, though, that despite millions of people basking in the latest outing for the Amazonian Goddess, a lot of them are having trouble with certain narrative choices. In fact, some are even comparing the flick to one of the worst comic book movies of all time.

The latest issue stems from the story’s numerous plot holes, many of which are too palpable to simply disregard.

To borrow a phrase from the film adaptation of this week’s Canonical Studies text: The plot to get Tariq St. Patrick on the stand in his mother’s murder trial? It’s alive! It’s aliiiiiiiive!

Sunday’s Power Book II: Ghost starts with a discussion of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and ends with Tariq’s hiring Tameika as his lawyer and announcing that he’s going to confess to Ghost’s murder. In between, there’s an unsuccessful hit, the return of Epiphany (insert praise hands emoji) and some casual dismemberment. Read on for the highlights of “Monster.

Good ol’ 2-Bit shows up on the Stansfield campus in this week’s Power Book II: Ghost, just in time for Parents’ Weekend. And that makes sense, in a way: Though he’s no longer with us, the sins of Tariq’s father continue to truly eff with his son’s life.

But the Tejada family is not without its share of turmoil in “Family First,” which chronicles Cane’s ouster from Monet’s inner circle — not to mention her house. Read on for the episode’s highlights.

More from TVLineAmerican Gods Season 3: Shadow Has an Audience With Blythe Danner...

KollywoodThe song is sung by Santhosh Narayanan, Dhanush and Dhee while the lyrics are by Vivek.Tnm StaffThe first song ‘Rakita Rakita Rakita’ from Dhanush’s upcoming film Jagame Thandhiram was released on Tuesday, on the occasion of the actor’s birthday. The film marks the first-time collaboration of Dhanush and director Karthik Subbaraj of Jigarthanda and Petta fame. It is touted to be an action thriller with gangster elements. The female lead opposite Dhanush will be played by Aishwarya Lekshmi, who mainly acts in Malayalam movies and made her Tamil debut last year with Vishal’s Action. Music for Jagame Thandhiram is by Santhosh Narayanan, who has worked with Karthik Subbaraj on several films like Pizza, Jigarthanda, Iraivi and Penguin. The peppy ‘Rakita Rakita Rakita’ song is sung by Santhosh Narayanan, Dhanush and Dhee. The lyrics are by Vivek who has penned several hit songs like ‘Singapenney’ from Bigil and ‘Marana Mass’ from Petta.

Film CommentaryWe've seen films where patriarchy has been normalised, even glorified, but in 'Kumbalangi Nights', it is a sickness.Sowmya Rajendran*Major spoilers ahead.  In a land beyond where kittens are left to die and the village goes to take a shit, in a land which is surrounded by silken green but only has prickly cactus growing in its yard, live four brothers - Saji (Soubin Shahir), Bonny (Sreenath Bhasi), Bobby (Shane Nigam), and Frankie (Mathew Thomas).  The grungy house, in the beautiful small town of Kumbalangi, has a picture of Mother Mary looking down at infant Jesus, but the woman they call mother has left them. Frankie, the youngest, who sorely misses her, steps into her shoes. He makes fish curry for his brothers, does the laundry, tries to keep house, even as his older brothers quarrel and beat each other up.  At the beginning of the film,...

KollywoodPrathap Pothen posted a photo from 'Naalaya Iyakunar', and wrote that he saw great talent in Karthi's team that had actors Vijay Sethupathi, Bobby Simha, music director Rajesh and directors Alphonse Puthren and Manikandan.Anjana ShekarFacebook/Pratap PothenYou see a group of young men, confident, imaginative and excited to make their mark in the world. You’d think, with their potential, they have the chances to become someone memorable. You see a young actor on screen, playing the role of the main lead’s friend or sister or brother, and you’d think to yourself that you might possibly get to see more of them in future. People who listened to Ar Rahman’s Roja in 1992 probably thought that the young and new music director had “a very bright future”. You get our drift? It is this very same feeling of “having spotted talent miles ago”, of telling your companion...

KollywoodAnirudh Ravichander has been roped in to compose music for this film.Digital NativeDigital NativeThe Superstar Rajinikanth’s next will be directed by Karthik Subburaj and produced by Kalanidhi Maran’s Sun Pictures. The star has allotted a bulk call sheet of 40 days for this project and he is currently camping in Darjeeling where a 30-day-long schedule has been planned. The crew will shoot portions involving Rajinikanth in this schedule and rest of the cast will join later. Director Karthik Subburaj, known for making blockbusters such as Pizza, and Jigarthanda also has films such as Iraivi, and Mercury to his credit. His upcoming film will have Rajinikanth playing the lead role with an impressive star cast comprising of Vijay Sethupathi, Bobby Simha, Munishkanth and Yogi Babu. And for the first time, Rajini’s nephew Anirudh Ravichander will be composing music for this film. Interestingly, veteran singer Sp Balasubramaniam will be rendering Rajini’s intro song in the film. In fact, Spb has sung several of Rajini’s intro songs in various films in the past and they have all gone on to become blockbuster hits. Some of the chartbusters that Spb had rendered in Rajini’s hit films include 'Athanda Ithanda' in Arunachalam, 'Vandenthda Paalkaran' in Annamalai, 'Oruvan Oruvan' in Muthu, 'Devuda Devuda' in Chandramukhi, 'En Peru Padaiyappa' in Padaiyappa, 'O Nanba' in Linga, 'Enge Pogutho Vaanam' in Kochadiyaan and 'Puthiya Manitha' in Endhiran. The makers of Rajinikanth’s 165th film, which has not been titled yet, decided to rope in the superstar’s lucky mascot singer Spb for success. It may be mentioned here that director Pa Ranjith, who had directed Rajini’s Kaala and Kabali, had Santhosh Narayanan compose music for the films. Interestingly, these films were not the usual Rajini films that fans would expect and there was no intro song by Spb. (Content provided by Digital Native) Also Read: ‘Curly is beautiful’: This movement is helping Indian women accept their natural hair...

KollywoodThe silent thriller had released everywhere except Tamil Nadu on April 13. Tnm StaffWith the Tamil film industry strike coming to an end on Wednesday, theatres will finally screen Tamil films once again. On April 20, Karthik Subbaraj's Mercury, a silent thriller, will hit the screens. This is the only film from the Tamil industry which will release this weekend. There was some uncertainty on the Telugu film Bharat Ane Nenu releasing in Tamil Nadu because of the strike. However, since the theatres, DSPs, and the Tamil Nadu Film Producers' Council have reached an agreement, Ban will also hit the screens as scheduled. Mercury released on the April 13 outside Tamil Nadu, including in foreign countries. Language was not a barrier since there are no dialogues in the film. The story is about five friends who have to confront a deadly enemy and there is a social message in it, too. Prabhudeva plays the antagonist and is visually impaired. The film opened to mixed reviews, with several critics calling it a gimmicky attempt.  However, Karthik Subbaraj is held high in esteem by Tamil audiences, given his past films Pizza, Jigarthanda and Iraivi have been critically acclaimed. So, Mercury may well become a hit in Tamil Nadu.  Although the film does not have any dialogues and there are only news clippings displayed in regional languages according to the state where it has released, the film did not open in Tamil Nadu. When Karthik Subbaraj made the announcement that Mercury would release on April 13 since it was a silent film, others objected to it. The filmmaker, however, clarified that the film would not release in Tamil Nadu and that he was only speaking of outside state release. He further appealed to people not to leak the storyline or the film and to wait till the film released in theatres.    ...

InterviewKarthik Subbaraj says that he wants to make films which make people think.Hemanth Kumar C RFacebook/Karthik SubbarajIn less than six years, Karthik Subbaraj has come a long way in Tamil cinema. After making a name for himself with a series of short films, he went on to make highly acclaimed feature films like Pizza, Jigarthanda, and Iraivi, and now his latest film, Mercury has captivated everyone’s attention. After all, it’s been a long time since any contemporary filmmaker has made an attempt to make a ‘silent’ film and on top of that, Karthik has turned it into a thriller. The film narrates the story of a bunch of friends who go to a village, for a reunion of sorts, and how an event triggers a lot of things in their lives. Ask Karthik if he has been toying around with the idea of making a silent film for some time now and he says, “I’ve always wanted to make a film without dialogues. And writing a screenplay for such a film is a huge challenge. Apart from the idea that I was excited about, a big inspiration to make this film is the aspect of corporate exploitation and how incidents of chemical poisoning take a huge toll on generations altogether living in that area. We have seen that happen in Bhopal, and there are numerous other instances in countries all over the world where after an accident, there are several protests, but then everyone moves on, except for people living close to the area of the accident. They aren’t aware that such things could possibly happen to them, and they don’t deserve to go through all that pain. Mercury also touches upon an emotional aspect, but it’s a thriller first.” The director acknowledges that he didn’t have too many references to bank upon since he was making a thriller, unlike comedies and dramas of the silent era. “Charlie Chaplin’s films were a big source of inspiration, and I was always amazed with his ability to convey emotion with just his expressions. Pesum Padam is another popular film which I loved, but since I was making a thriller, I couldn’t bank upon these films. I must clarify that Mercury isn’t an experimental film. It’s a thriller right from the first scene and that’s what got me excited about it,” Karthik clarifies, adding, “I suppose each film of mine so far has had some sort of shock value. If it doesn’t come across as a shocker to me first while writing it, I don’t enjoy the process. So, when a silent film excites you, it’s a good thing. Isn’t it? (laughs)” Apart from Prabhudeva, the film also stars Sananth Reddy, Deepak Paramesh, Shashank Purushotham, Anish Padmanabhan, Indhuja and Gajara in lead roles. Karthik says it was a deliberate decision to cast lesser-known actors since he didn’t want their personalities to overshadow the characters they were playing. “It’s just the perception of people is quite different when you cast popular actors. I had to make it more believable, and all the actors have done a fabulous job. We got an acting trainer on board and each and every scene was choreographed and rehearsed extensively for nearly a month. Prabhudeva plays an antagonist in the film, and it’s unlike what he has done so far. When I met him, I told him that I didn’t have any references about how I wanted to play this role, but he understood what we were trying to do. He has done a phenomenal job.” Although Mercury is a silent film, it banks a lot on its sound design and music to convey the story, apart from the actor’s performances. In his own words, Karthik Subbaraj says, “Sound is a character in the story. For a silent film to work, the actors’ performances have to blend well with the visuals, music and sound design. Kunal Rajan, sound designer, has worked on the film, and when Santosh Narayan, music director, saw the first cut, both of them decided to work in sync with each other. Mercury isn’t like a regular film where music and sound effects were done separately. We had a lot of discussions about it, and the post-production itself took a long time to complete.” Interestingly, the director reveals that since he knew what he wanted to make, the biggest challenge for him was to figure out a way to convert the script to visuals. “Dialogues convey a lot of emotion, but we cut it out completely. This means that actors have to be spot on with their performances, the sets had to be designed in a particular way to convey a particular type of sound to make that scene more effective. When we shared this idea with the team, all of them became quite excited. Everyone had to be more responsible about their craft. I’m glad we pulled it off,” he adds. So far, each film that Karthik Subbaraj has made has triggered debates on social media and Jigarthanda, in particular, achieved a cult status among moviegoers. His most recent work Iraivi made news for its portrayal of women and relationships, and now Mercury too is expected to capture people’s attention to its themes of exploitation. Ask him about all this and pat comes the reply: “As a filmmaker, I feel that a film’s success lies in not just entertaining people, but also giving people a lot to think about. That’s when it is complete. There’s nothing wrong with making entertaining audience, but I want films to create a conversation or debate with each film of mine. I know that we aren’t going to change anything or create a revolution or change a person overnight, but it feels great when you hear how much a film has had an impact on people’s lives. For Iraivi, there were a lot emotional feedback. There were a lot of men who confessed that they’re going change their attitude towards women. That’s how I measure the success of a film and I’m hoping that Mercury too will fall in that zone.” This year, Karthik is going to direct a film with Superstar Rajinikanth and post that, he’s expected to do a film with Dhanush. It feels like a dream when you think about how far the director has come in such a short span of time, but he remains firmly grounded. “It’s too early to talk about these two films, but I’m glad that these two films are happening. I was supposed to make Dhanush’s film after Iraivi, but it got delayed due to various reasons,” he says. For now, all his attention is on Mercury and he believes that it’s going to make an impact. “Since it’s a silent film, we felt it can cut across regional and language barriers. Anybody can watch and relate to it,” Karthik signs off.

KollywoodAnjali has clocked over a decade in the film industry.Digital Native Anjali--compressed.jpgDigital NativeAnjali has successfully clocked over a decade in the film industry since her debut with the 2006 Telugu film Photo. Since then, she’s been part of some memorable projects such as Kattradhu Tamizh, Angadi Theru, Engeyum Eppothum and Geethanjali among others. In a recent chat with Deccan Chronicle, looking back at her decade-long career, she said it’s her dream to win a national award. “I have bagged a few awards including the state award in Andhra. But my aim is to get a national award for which I have been working hard and choosing scripts, which would give me scope.” Her next Tamil release is Balloon, a horror-thriller slated for December 29 release. Talking about the project, she said: “Though a horror film, Balloon has everything from comedy to romance to emotions etc. Jai will be seen in a dual dimensional role and he is a balloon seller in one of them. Hence this title, I guess (smiles). People still talk about our earlier flick Engeyum Eppothum. This one is totally different." When asked who is the actual ghost in the film, which also stars Janani Iyer, she said, “That’s the suspense!” Anjali was also asked about her rumoured relationship with co-star Jai, whom she’s believed to be dating for a while. “We are good friends,” she clarified, putting to rest all the rumours about the couple that’s been doing the rounds. She also said she has no time to think about marriage at the moment. “I am doing films like Peranbu with Mammootty, Kanbathu Poi (a female centric action thriller), Vijay Antony’s Kali in Tamil and a few including one with Nandi Award winner Karri Balaji in Tollywood. So, it has been hectic. I completed 10 years in film industry and am happy that I am still received well in Tamil as well as Telugu.” Anjali is one of the few actors who can easily slip into any character she’s offered. Last year, she stunned audiences and critics alike in Karthi Subbaraj’s Iraivi. Her performance as a haunted girl in Telugu film Geethanjali earned her the Nandi Award for Best Actress. Enanble Notification: NoTNM Marquee: No...

“I don’t think I’ll direct a film anytime soon. At the moment, I’m having too much fun playing lead roles to even think about going behind the camera,” Sj Suryah says, in a matter-of-fact tone.

Ever since he surprised the audiences with his performance in Karthik Subbaraj’s Iraivi, he has stuck to acting in films and thanks to Ar Murugadoss’s bilingual film Spyder, Sj Suryah has made it evident that he’s here to stay as an actor.

One of the most interesting filmmakers working in India's Tamil film industry is Selvaraghavan. This director, who happens to be the elder brother of actor Dhanush (Aadukalam and the upcoming project from Persepolis director, Marjane Satrapi), has a very distinct visual style that almost always yields very interesting results. His latest project is a romantic horror film titled Nenjam Marappathillai, starring S.J. Suryah and Regina Cassandra. The film shares a title with a 1963 Tamil horror film about reincarnation, but exactly how much else it shares is still to be determined. Suryah is a fairly busy director in the Tamil film industry but recently made a huge splash with his acting performance in Karthik Subbaraj's Iraivi as an alcoholic movie director looking to put his...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Karthik Subbaraj's third feature Iraivi is proof that no matter how good a writer/director is, there is always the chance that something just won't come together the way you hope it will. Subbaraj took the Tamil film world by storm with a pair of remarkable thrillers in Pizza (2012) and Jigarthanda (2014) and expectations for this latest project have been through the roof. As a keen observer of the Tamil film world, especially when it comes to the young talent coming out of the region, I've been chomping at the bit for Iraivi. However, in this case Subbaraj has missed the mark and delivers a film that is largely devoid of his trademark wit and charm. Like his two previous films, Subbaraj's Iraivi defies easy...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

In 2012 Karthik Subbaraj blasted onto the Tamil film scene with his masterful horror thriller Pizza starring then-new kid Vijay Sethupathi. In 2014 he came back with yet another brilliant piece of cinema in Jigarthanda, a meta-meditation on the influence and prevalence of Tamil gangster cinema starring Kollywood star Siddharth and breakout star Bobby Simha. Subbaraj's latest is Iraivi, and I'll be honest, I have no idea what to expect in terms of plot or story, but he's an incredibly talented writer who utilizes misdirection better than almost anyone in the business. Iraivi stars Vijay Sethupathi, who has become a big time movie star in the years since Pizza, and Bobby Simha, who is trying to make the best of the goodwill he earned with...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...