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EntertainmentAllu Arjun was last seen in ‘Pushpa: The Rise’, co-starring Rashmika Mandanna and Fahadh Faasil in the lead. Tnm StaffInstagram/ Allu Arjun During a recent visit to Bengaluru, Tollywood star Allu Arjun made a stop at late actor Puneeth Rajkumar’s residence, and met his family. Allu Arjun had shared a picture of himself with Puneeth’s family members and also paid his respects to the late Sandalwood legend. Sharing the photos on Thursday, February 3, Allu Arjun wrote: “My Humble respects To Puneeth Garu . My respect to rajkumar garu’s family , friends , well wishers & fans.” Puneeth Rajkumar, who was fondly known as ‘Appu’ by fans, passed away after a massive cardiac arrest in October last year. Condolences poured in from all quarters, with fans, members from the film fraternity and politicians mourning the actor’s untimely death. He was 46 years old. Puneeth was the youngest son of legendary Kannada star Rajkumar,...

Prime Video announces the exclusive world premiere of three films from Puneeth Rajkumar’s Prk Productions directly on the service Man of the Match, One Cut Two Cut and Family Pack

The streaming service will also make five of late Puneet Rajkumar’s most popular movies, free for all customers starting February 1.The collaboration aims to carry forward late Puneeth Rajkumar’s cinematic vision and bring the best of stories for his fans in India and across the globe

Paying a tribute to the legend, Prime Video will also make five of his most memorable movies— Law, French Biryani, Kavaludaari, Mayabazaar and Yuvarathnaa, available to watch for free, even for non-Prime members, for 1-month starting February 1. Not just limiting to Prime members and making these five movies free-to-stream worldwide on the service for anyone who has an Amazon account is a modest attempt to allow wider audiences and fans to...

AwardsThe ninth edition of the Siima Awards ceremony will be held on September 18 and 19 in Hyderabad, and will include nominations for both 2019 and 2020. Tnm Staffhttps://siima.in/The nominees for the South Indian International Movie Awards (Siima) 2019 and 2020 have been announced under various categories for all four south Indian languages— Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada. The ninth edition of this award ceremony will be held on September 18 and 19 in Hyderabad. The 2020 ceremony was cancelled due to the pandemic, and the awards for 2019 and 2020 will be held in September. Under the category of Best Film for 2019, Ajith and Nayanathara’s Viswasam, Mammootty’s Peranbu, Dhanush and Manju Warrier starrer Asuran, Karthi’s Kaithi and Sivakarthikeyan’s Namma Veettu Pillai are the nominees. In Telugu, Mahesh Babu’s Maharshi, Nani’s sports drama Jersey, Naga Chaitanya and Samantha Akkineni’s Majili, Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy and F2, which featured an ensemble cast of actors.

Sandalwood Neo-noir films usually have a cynical attitude and revolve around crimeSanjana DeshpandeRooted in the German Expressionist Movement, the style film noir emerged in the United States against the backdrop of the Great Depression which lasted from 1929 to 1933. The noir films usually had a cynical attitude and presented stories of crime. The films were largely associated with the black-and-white visual style and had low-key lighting. Neo-noir was an attempt at revival of the noir. Although the two genres are stylistically the same—replete with low-key lighting, unbalanced framing, Dutch angle, blurry boundaries between good and bad— a distinct feature sets them apart. Neo-noir was rooted more in the French New Wave which emerged in the 1950s. Quite a few Indian films have been made in neo-noir style, and the Kannada film industry too is trying to push boundaries with the genre. Here’s a list of five Sandalwood neo-noir films...

KollywoodWith just a day left for the reopening of cinema halls in the state, the two groups are yet to arrive at a conclusion on the long pending issue.Anjana ShekarImage for Representation/PTIWith the Tamil Nadu government allowing the reopening of cinema halls beginning November 10, four days ahead of Deepavali, Kollywood seems to be doing what it does best — last minute hiccups in its best-laid-out plans. With Tamil film producers and theatre owners yet to arrive at a consensus with respect to the Virtual Print Fee (Vpf), it looks like theatres will re-open with reruns of old releases. Speaking to Tnm, producer Dhananjayan, whose production company Creative Entertainers and Distributors is producing the Tamil and Telugu remakes of the Kannada film Kavaludaari that released in 2019, says, “We have not arrived at a solution, we’re still talking.” With discussions on, Dhananjayan hopes for some headway within the next two days.

KollywoodG Dhananjayan's Creative Entertainers and Distributors will produce this film.Digital NativeThe Bengali film, Vinci Da, that released last year turned out to be a hit. It is a thriller written and directed by Srijit Mukherji and was bankrolled under the banner Svf Entertainment Pvt Ltd. Vinci Da starred Rudranil Ghosh, Ritwick Chakraborty, Anirban Bhattacharya, Riddhi Sen, Gautam Moitra and Sohini Sarkar in important roles. The technical crew of this film comprised Indradeep Dasgupta for composing the background music and Anupam Roy to compose the soundtrack. Sudipta Majumdar and Pranoy Dasgupta handled the cinematography and editing respectively. Following the success of Vinci Da, it is all set to be remade in Tamil. Reports have emerged that ace producer Dhananjayan and director Ram have jointly penned the screenplay and dialogues for the Tamil remake. To be bankrolled by G Dhananjayan's Creative Entertainers and Distributors, this film will go on the floors...

KollywoodIn his tweet, he has said that he tested himself for the disease after showing symptoms like fever and body pain.Digital NativeJSK Sathishkumar the producer who backed films like Paradesi, Thanga Meenkal, Kuttram Kadithal, Taramani and Peranbu has tested positive for novel coronavirus disease. Sathishkumar took to Twitter to inform that he has tested positive for Covid-19 and is currently undergoing treatment. In his tweet, he has said that he tested himself for the disease after showing symptoms like fever and body pain. He also mentioned that he has taken all precautions as per the doctor's advise and requested his friends and colleagues in the industry who came in direct contact with him over the past few days to undergo Covid-19 test. Today for me Deducted #covid have symptoms fever body pain undergoing treatment suggest people who had contact with me for past few days to undergo Covid test...

Kollywood 'Kabadadaari' is the Tamil remake of Kannada film 'Kavaludaari'.Digital NativeAfter Sathya, Sibiraj and Pradeep Krishnamoorthy are coming together once again for a thriller titled Kabadadaari - the Tamil remake of Kannada film Kavaludaari. Nandita Swetha will be playing the lead opposite to Sibiraj. Sibiraj essays the role of a police officer in the film. The first look of the film was launched by actor Suriya and the even co-incided with Sibiraj's birthday. Releasing the first look Suriya tweeted saying, "Glad to release the First Look of #Kabadadaari Happy birthday @Sibi_Sathyaraj & best wishes @Directorpradeep @Nanditasweta @JSKfilmcorp @adityamusic @CreativeEnt4 @dhananjayang Glad to release the First Look of #Kabadadaari Happy birthday @Sibi_Sathyaraj & best wishes @Directorpradeep @Nanditasweta @JSKfilmcorp @adityamusic @CreativeEnt4 @dhananjayang pic.twitter.com/WTbr3dkl8i — Suriya Sivakumar (@Suriya_offl) October 6, 2020 This film is also being remade in Telugu under the title Kapatadhaari with Suman Ranganath playing the lead...

KollywoodThe Tamil film is a remake of the hit Kannada thriller ‘Kavaludaari’.Digital NativeThe Tamil Nadu government recently announced some relaxations on the Covid-19 lockdown, and shooting of several films have re-commenced. Shootings are taking place with the film units following strict safety measures and ensuring minimal crowding. While film buffs and people from the film industry are relieved with this decision, producer G Dhananjayan has come forward with a statement on the losses he had to incur in the making of his ongoing project, Kabadadaari. The producer took toTwitter to write: “After almost 200 days of waiting due to various reasons, happy & relieved shoot of #Kabadadaari got wrapped up yesterday. Been thro' challenging times. The delay escalated cost by over Rs.10 million only in this project. Just imagine how much cost escalation for whole industry.” After almost 200 days of waiting due to various reasons, happy & relieved shoot of #Kabadadaari got wrapped up yesterday.

ReviewRagini is earnest as a young woman fighting the system for justice, but there's barely any thought given to her character. Sowmya RajendranRaghu Samarth's court room drama Law joins the long list of films about rape and revenge that have become a staple in women-led cinema in recent years. While the trend may mark a welcome shift in narratives about sexual assault that traditionally indulged in victim-blaming, quite a few of these films fall into the trap of easy solutions offered by vigilante justice. Like Ponmagal Vandhal, the first south film to have a direct release on Amazon Prime Video, Law too has a rape survivor arguing her own case in court. Ragini Prajwal plays Nandini, a law graduate who files a police complaint of gangrape against three well-connected men. The film opens with Nandini flagging down a car to take her to the police station. The officer in charge...

FlixThere's a wide variety of new era, well-directed Kannada films to choose from online.Tnm StaffStill from the movie 'Gantumoote'With theatres unlikely to open anytime soon thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, most film buffs are stuck at home, entertaining themselves with content on Ott platforms. Why not take the opportunity to explore Kannada films online too? There's a wide variety of new era, well-directed Kannada films which have good storylines and are streaming online. These films will appeal to people across states and deserve a much wider audience. Here are some of our favourite new generation Kannada films that we recommend you watch: 1. Humble Politician Nograj (Amazon Prime Video): Danish Sait is on everyone’s screen these days, with a fresh new take on current affairs in short one minute clips. While we wait for his latest film French Biryani to come out on Amazon Prime Video, you can...

FlixThere's a wide variety of new era, well-directed Kannada films to choose from online.Tnm StaffStill from the movie 'Gantumoote'With theatres unlikely to open anytime soon thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, most film buffs are stuck at home, entertaining themselves with content on Ott platforms. Why not take the opportunity to explore Kannada films online too? There's a wide variety of new era, well-directed Kannada films which have good storylines and are streaming online. These films will appeal to people across states and deserve a much wider audience. Here are some of our favourite new generation Kannada films that we recommend you watch: 1. Humble Politician Nograj (Amazon Prime Video): Danish Sait is on everyone’s screen these days, with a fresh new take on current affairs in short one minute clips. While we wait for his latest film French Biryani to come out on Amazon Prime Video, you can...

Cinema The film is a criminal justice drama debuting Ragini Prajwal.Tnm StaffThe trailer of Law, Kannada's first film to have a direct Ott release was launched on Friday. The nearly two minute trailer launched by Amazon Prime Video promises a gripping crime suspense drama. Law debuts actor Ragini Prajwal who plays the character Nandhini, a law student who demands justice for a gruesome crime. The film is produced by Ashwini Puneeth Rajkumar, M Govinda and directed by Raghu Samarth. The legal Kannada drama also stars Mukhyamantri Chandru, Achyuth Kumar, Sudharani among others. Law is the fifth direct-to-service movie to premiere on Amazon Prime Video after the successful release of Ponmagal Vandhal (Tamil), Gulabo Sitabo (Hindi) and Penguin (Telugu and Tamil with Malayalam dubs) and Sufiyum Sujatayum (Malayalam). Law will be released on Juny 17, in India and in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. “Law is close to my heart,...

KollywoodA cop thriller, the film is written and directed by U Anbarasan.Digital NativeOn ‘Walter’ sets | Digital NativeActor Sibi Sathyaraj who was last seen in Sathya, the Tamil remake of Kshanam, awaits the release of Walter, a cop thriller written and directed by U Anbarasan. The film was originally scheduled to hit theatres on January 24 for the Republic Day weekend and the date was later pushed to 6 March but now it is finally set for release on 13 March. The film also stars Natty, Samuthirakani, Shirin Kanchawala, Sanam Shetty, Riythvika and Charle in crucial roles. Bankrolled by Shruthi Thilak under the banner 11:11 Productions, the film will have music by Dharma Prakash, while Rasamathi is handling the cinematography. Elayaraja S (editor), Arivumathi-Arun Bharathi-Uma Devi (lyrics), Ar Mohan (art), Dastha (choreography) and Vicky (stunts) are also part of the team. Initially, filmmaker Gautham Vasudev Menon was roped in to...

KollywoodA cop thriller, the film is written and directed by U Anbarasan.Digital NativeOn ‘Walter’ sets | Digital NativeActor Sibi Sathyaraj who was last seen in Sathya, the Tamil remake of Kshanam, awaits the release of Walter, a cop thriller written and directed by U Anbarasan. The film was originally scheduled to hit theatres on January 24 for the Republic Day weekend and the date was later pushed to 6 March but now it is finally set for release on 13 March. The film also stars Natty, Samuthirakani, Shirin Kanchawala, Sanam Shetty, Riythvika and Charle in crucial roles. Bankrolled by Shruthi Thilak under the banner 11:11 Productions, the film will have music by Dharma Prakash, while Rasamathi is handling the cinematography. Elayaraja S (editor), Arivumathi-Arun Bharathi-Uma Devi (lyrics), Ar Mohan (art), Dastha (choreography) and Vicky (stunts) are also part of the team. Initially, filmmaker Gautham Vasudev Menon was roped in to...

After grabbing attention for its interesting award nominations and winners’ list last year, Critics’Choice Film Awards are back again with even more intriguing nominations spread across eight Indian languages.

While the first edition of Critics’ Choice Film Awards witnessed Best Film category for varied languages, for the second season the makers have upped the ante by introducing Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, Best Film as well as Best Writing across Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Bengali, Marathi, Malayalam, Gujarati and Kannada.

Offering a surprising twist to the usual nomination lists as usual, this year there are surprises with Best Actor nominations including names like Manoj Bajpayee for SonChiriya and Gulshan Devaiah for Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota, Geetika Vidya Ohlyan for Soni, and Hamid bagging a nomination for Best Writing. Critics’ Choice Film Awards holds its ground to honour cinematic brilliance irrespective of the mass appeal of the films.

Film...

ReviewWonderful performances by Achyut Kumar, Raj B Shetty, Vasishta N Simha, Prakash Raj and Sadhu Kokila ensure that there isn’t a single dull moment in the whole film.Aravind ShwethaClean cinema, that too in the comedy genre, is a rarity in Sandalwood. Too often we see filmmakers blending double entendre jokes and offensive sequences to pass it off as comedy. But Mayabazar 2016 is here to make a difference. The movie is not only hilarious, but the story is entertaining too. Set in the backdrop of the 2016 demonetisation, Mayabazar is the comic relief that Sandalwood needs right now, after a series of boring films in the last two months. Joseph (Achyut Kumar) is a sincere police officer who is known for his honesty among his seniors. So, during demonetisation, he is entrusted with one of the most important jobs – to track phone calls of the big fish trying to exchange demonetised currency.

Film FestivalThe Bengaluru International Film Festival (BIFFes) will be held at four venues across the city.Tnm StaffThe much-awaited Bengaluru International Film Festival (BIFFes) is here. The 12th edition of the annual affair, where movie buffs of all age groups gather to binge-watch on acclaimed national and international films for an entire week, is set to take place from February 27 to March 4. A total of 220 films will be screen across four different venues in the city: Orion Mall, Rajajinagar; Dr Raj Bhavan, Chamrajpete; Navarang Theatre, Rajajinagar; and Suchitra Film Society, Banashankari. Many of the films being screen at the festival will be adjudged under three award categories: Chitrabharati (Indian Cinema) Competition, Kannada Cinema Competition and Asian Cinema Competition. Incidentally, the Kannada Cinema Competition segment was embroiled in a controversy, as director Roopa Rao’s critically acclaimed film Gantumoote was excluded from the final list of films under this section. Instead,...

Kollywood The actor has opted out of the Tamil remake of 'Kavaludaari' for political reasons. Digital NativeThe Kannada film Kavaludaari turned out to be a big hit following which its remake rights were lapped up like hotcakes. It was reported earlier that Sibiraj would be playing the lead role in the Tamil version titled Kabadadaari. Pradeep Krishnamoorthy is helming the project and the shooting of this film began in Chennai some time ago. Nanditha Shwetha and Pooja Kumar were earlier signed up to play the female leads in this entertainer. However, it now appears that Pooja Kumar has opted out of the project due to personal reasons. Suman Ranganath, who played the role in the original version, has been brought on board for the Tamil remake as well. She was last seen in the Tamil film Arrambam, which had Ajith in the lead. Kabadadaari also has Nasser and Jayaprakash in pivotal roles.

SandalwoodTNM also spoke to the directors who made these wonderful films to understand why they approached the films the way they did.Subha J RaoAfter a dazzling 2018, in which Kannada cinema shone, bringing to the fore new talent, interesting voices and scripts that pushed the envelope in more ways than one, 2019 was a pretty tepid affair. The one major connecting link between the two years would be the release of two biggies, Kgf in 2018 and Avane Srimannarayana in 2019, that could possibly change the way the country perceives Kannada cinema. Kgf went past the goal post and everyone’s waiting for its sequel, while Avane, which released on December 27 (the versions in other languages are releasing soon), is still fresh in the theatres, and it’s too early to predict the level of its reach, across languages. 2019 was also the year Kannada scored high at the National Awards. The industry took home a total of 13 awards,...

ReviewSet in a fictional town called Amaravati, the film has a drama troupe, dacoits, cowboys, a bad cop, lost treasure, and a lot more for viewers to savour.Aravind ShwethaIn future, if somebody chronicles the story of the Kannada film industry, it shall have two parts – one before Avane Srimannarayana and the second after Avane Srimannarayana. Presented in a new genre called the Southern Odd Fiction, the movie raises the bar for Sandalwood in terms of technical standards and filmmaking. If Kgf had set a certain standard for the industry, Asn takes it up by a notch. The unusually lengthy trailer had set the tone for what could be expected. The trailer did get a mixed response as many felt that a bit too much was revealed in it. But, once inside the theatre you get transported to Amaravati – the fictional town where the movie is set – there is no coming back.

Interview'Kavaludaari' actor Rishi recently got married to Swathi and the two of them speak to Tnm about how they met, what Swathi thinks about Kannada cinema and more.Ikyatha YerasalaHe stole the audience’s hearts as Purmy in Operation Alamelamma and kept us intrigued as Inspector Shyam in Kavaludaari. Sandalwood’s rising star Rishi, whose next film Sarvajanikarige Suvarnavakasha is expected to release in December, was also recently in the news for a personal reason – he got married to the love of his life Swathi Parasuraman, a content writer. The striking couple, who tied the knot in Chennai on November 10, had a star-studded reception in Bengaluru last week. The duo took time out for Tnm to chat about how they met, cinema and more. Firstly, congratulations! Tell us where the two of you met and Swathi, please tell us a little about yourself. Swathi: Thank you so much. I was born in Chennai,...

KollywoodWhile Sibiraj plays the lead role in this Tamil remake of ‘Kavaludaari’, Sumanth has been roped in for the Telugu version.Digital NativeThe Kannada film Kavaludaari which released earlier this year turned out to be a big hit, following which its remake rights were lapped up immediately. While it was reported earlier that Sibiraj would play the lead role in the Tamil version, titled Kabadadaari, Pradeep Krishnamoorthy is helming the project. Reports have now emerged that the film will be remade in Telugu with Sumanth in the lead. Both the Tamil and Telugu versions will be shot simultaneously. Kabadadaari’s shooting is currently going on in Chennai. Nandita Swetha and Pooja Kumar have been signed up to play the female leads in this entertainer. Simon King is composing the tunes with Rasamathi wielding the camera. Kabadadaari is bankrolled under the banner Creative Entertainers and Distributors. The film also has Nasser,...

KollywoodA National Award winner, Dhananjayan has authored four books and is also the founder-dean of Bofta Film Institute.Digital NativeNational Award Winner and producer G Dhananjayan is all set to make his debut as a director in an upcoming film. Touted to be a suspense thriller, the film is set to go on floors from January 2, 2020 and will be bankrolled under his banner, Creative Entertainers & Distributors. Announcing the news, Dhananjayan tweeted: "Yes friends. Finally after associating with number of films in various capacities, taking the plunge as 'Director' for a film with the encouragement of @lalithagd. Had great deliberations on my Screenplay with "Karundhel' Rajesh, Dir.Stanly sir & Young team and locked it now”. Yes friends. Finally after associating with number of films in various capacities, taking the plunge as 'Director' for a film with the encouragement of @lalithagd . Had great deliberations on my Screenplay with "Karundhel' Rajesh, Dir.

Kollywood Directed by Pradeep Krishnamurthy the film is said to be the official remake of the critically acclaimed Kannada film, 'Kavaludaari'. Digital NativeLast seen in the sequel of Kamal Hassan's Vishwaroopam 2, Pooja Kumar will be making a comeback in Kollywood with Sibiraj’s Kabadadaari. Directed by Pradeep Krishnamurthy the film is said to be the official remake of the critically acclaimed Kannada film, Kavaludaari. The remake marks the reunion of Sibi and Pradeep, who had previously worked together in Sathya, a remake of Telugu film Kshanam. Dhananjayan, the creative producer had said, “Pooja Kumar joining is a great addition of strength to Kabadadaari and her presence is expected to augment the intensity of this film. Her role is very crucial and it takes forward the story where each and every character is connected in one way or the other from one level to the next.” The makers have...

KollywoodDirected by Hemanth Rao, the Kannada film ‘Kavaludaari’ was centered on a traffic police who stumbles upon a three-decade old case by accident and decides to investigate it.Digital NativeDigital NativeThe critically-acclaimed Kannada thriller Kavaludaari is all set to be remade in Tamil. Actor Sathyaraj and his son Sibiraj have been roped in together to play the two key roles in the film, which will be directed by Pradeep Krishnamurthy. A murder mystery, the yet-untitled project will go on the floors from October. Pradeep has assured that the film will be different from the ones that have previously featured the father-son duo. The team is currently in the process of finalising the rest of the cast and crew. “I’ve interacted with Sathyaraj sir when I did Sathya and he told me that he really liked the way I handled that film. I’d expressed an interest to work with...

SandalwoodStarring Anant Nag and Rishi in lead roles, ‘Kavaludaari’ is an investigative neo-noir film set in the 1970s.Digital NativeKannada movie Kavaludaari hit the marquee on April 12 and is doing very well at the theatres. According to trade reports, this edge-of-the-seat thriller has gained the attention of film buffs and critics alike, and its box office collections are soaring. Written and directed by Hemanth M Rao, Kavaludaari is bankrolled by Puneeth Rajkumar’s wife Ashwini Puneeth Rajkumar under the banner Prk Productions. This is the director’s second film after the massive success of Godhi Banna Sadharana Mykattu. Kavaludaari’s star cast includes Anant Nag, Rishi, Suman Ranganathan, Achyuth Kumar, Roshni Prakash, Siddharth Maadhyamika and Siri Ravikumar. While Anant Nag is seen as a retired police inspector, Rishi plays a sub-inspector in the movie. Charan Raj is the music composer of this flick and Advaitha Gurumurthy is the cinematographer. Set in the 1970s,...