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Director Arun Kumar’s upcoming film, ‘Aragan’, featuring actors Michael Thangadurai and Sri Lankan Tamil Kavipriya in the lead, will be a fantasy thriller.

Participating in the teaser launch event of the film, director Arun Kumar said: “During the Covid 19 situation, I couldn’t meet the producer in person and hence narrated the entire script only through video calls.

“Despite not meeting him in person, he believed the substantial value of this script and agreed to produce it. Hence, I would call him an angel of God.”

The director also praised his lead actor Michael for the painstaking efforts he had to make to shoot this film.

“The film is a fantasy thriller and there is a particular scene in the movie in which actor Michael Thangadurai had to move through a narrow and steep cave. He had to take excruciating efforts to complete it. Not minding the difficult situation,...

KollywoodActor Chitra, who was popular for her role in TV serial 'Pandian Stores', was found dead in Chennai on December 9. Tnm StaffTamil movie Calls starring late television presenter and actor VJ Chitra will hit theatres on Friday. Calls marks Chitra’s first and last movie to hit the silver screen. Directed by debutant filmmaker J Sabarish, Calls stars Delhi Ganesh, Nizhalgal Ravi, R Sundarrajan, Devadarshini, Vinodhini Vaidyanathan, Jiva Ravi and Sriranjani in important roles. The trailer of the late actor’s debut film was released on January 29. It garnered over 1.5 million views on YouTube. Touted to be a woman-centric film, the plot revolves around the leading lady of the film, who gets caught in the middle of a series of murders. Chitra essays the role of a Bpo professional in the movie. According to reports, Calls is loosely based on Aditi Balan’s debut film Aruvi, which was directed by filmmaker Arun Prabhu.

EntertainmentThe actor’s last theatrical release was ‘Aadai’, for which she received accolades.Digital NativeActo Amala Paul, who spent some time at the Adishakti Ashram of Isha Foundation in Coimbatore, has shared photos from the place on her Instagram page. She wrote, "Sound is a fundamental aspect of creation, if you have mastery over sound you have mastery over creation itself. A chant is a reverberation, a sound. It doesn't matter if you don't know the meaning of a mantra, just involve yourself and chant. ~Sadguru." The actor’s last theatrical release was Aadai, for which she received accolades. Directed by Rathna Kumar, the film also featured Sriranjani and popular VJ Ramya Subramaniam in pivotal roles. Amala currently has Pitta Kathalu, Netflix's first Telugu anthology film. The teaser which was released recently promises an intriguing film about the challenges women face while navigating complications of relationships. This four-part anthology...

Flix FlashbackKrishnan-Panju’s tragedy about a heartless rich man, played by Mr Radha, who contracts leprosy remains immensely popular with film lovers.Nandhu SundaramYouTube screenshotIn Ratha Kanneer, Mohanasundaram, a filthy rich man played by Mr Radha, contracts leprosy; the object of his sinful affection Kantha (an outstanding Mn Rajam) dies in a plane crash; his best friend Balu (SS Rajendran) ends up marrying Mohan’s wife. And, all that is left behind when the movie ends is a statue of Mohan in the town park. But through this tale of clashing morals, unbridled lust and discordant notes on culture, directors R Krishnan and S Panju (often called Krishnan-Panju) weave one of the greatest tragedies ever since the arrival of Tamil talkies. Mr Radha, in his greatest role ever, proves why Evr Periyar conferred on him the title ‘Nadigavel’. If the actor’s turn as the rich Durai (landlord) is funny as it is chilling,...

Flix FlashbackKrishnan-Panju’s tragedy about a heartless rich man, played by Mr Radha, who contracts leprosy remains immensely popular with film lovers.Nandhu SundaramYouTube screenshotIn Ratha Kanneer, Mohanasundaram, a filthy rich man played by Mr Radha, contracts leprosy; the object of his sinful affection Kantha (an outstanding Mn Rajam) dies in a plane crash; his best friend Balu (SS Rajendran) ends up marrying Mohan’s wife. And, all that is left behind when the movie ends is a statue of Mohan in the town park. But through this tale of clashing morals, unbridled lust and discordant notes on culture, directors R Krishnan and S Panju (often called Krishnan-Panju) weave one of the greatest tragedies ever since the arrival of Tamil talkies. Mr Radha, in his greatest role ever, proves why Evr Periyar conferred on him the title ‘Nadigavel’. If the actor’s turn as the rich Durai (landlord) is funny as it is chilling,...

KollywoodWith its meandering storyline and comedy reeking of homophobia and insensitivity, this comedy is best avoided.Anjana ShekarVaibhav’s Sixer is supposed to be a funny film. Remember cook Kandhasamy, Goundamani’s famous role from Chinna Thambi where he plays a man suffering from night blindness aka 'maalaikann'? How much funnier would it be if such a character played the film’s hero, the makers must have thought. Some ideas sure do sound fantastic on paper. The film’s very first scene is an elaborate show of just how much the hero, Aadhi (Vaibhav) readies himself before 6.00 pm every day. He jumps, skids and rolls down, rushing from the construction site where he’s a site engineer to reach his house safely. His friend waits with his bike revving so this Cinderella can reach home before dusk falls. Even while his daily life proves to be a struggle for survival,...

KollywoodWhile a financial issue seems to be the reason, there is no announcement on the film’s release date yet from the producers.Tnm StaffAmala Paul’s most awaited Aadai has been cancelled just hours before its release. Theatres have cancelled the shows on Friday due to non-receipt of the Kdm and are either refunding tickets or offering an alternative to those who’ve booked their tickets. Aadai seems to be embroiled in a financial tussle, a common reason for last minute cancellations in Tamil cinema. Aadai, censored A, was scheduled to hit the screens on Friday. The film is directed by Rathna Kumar and its Telugu dubbed version was to release in Andhra and Telangana regions considering the huge popularity that Amala Paul enjoys there. The film, eagerly awaited by the team and Amala herself, has been attributed to be a “game-changer” in the actor’s career. The film’s first-look posters,...

MollywoodThe film will be directed by Rony Roy and be shot extensively in the Us and Canada. Digital NativeTovino Thomas has signed a film called 563 St. Charles Street that will be helmed by Rony Roy and bankrolled by B Rakesh under the banner Universal Cinema. It is a horror flick that has been inspired by some true-life incidents. The film will be shot extensively in the Us and Canada. Apart from directing the film, Rony Roy has also penned the story of this film. Sangeeth Jain has penned the screenplay and the rest of the technical crew includes Jakes Bejoy for music composition and Sreejith Sarang for editing with Jigme Tenzing cranking the camera. Tovino posted on Facebook about the movie, “It's a blessing for an actor to be able to work on films from different genres. Having debutante director Rony Roy, a veteran producer like B Rakesh sir, and...

InterviewIn this interview, Sriranjani talks about 'House Owner' and why she thinks Amala Paul deserves kudos for her role in 'Aadai'.Anjana ShekarTamil cinema audiences have a fondness towards women character artistes, remembering them as the amma (mother), akka/thangachi (elder/younger sister), anni (sister-in-law), and so on. In most cases, being a character artiste might mean minimal performance space in addition to being stereotyped. Actor Sriranjani, however, is most content playing such roles, being a part of the family’s heart on the big screen, as she puts it. Introduced to us as Madhavan’s anni (sister-in-law) in his 2000 breakthrough film Alaipayuthe, Sriranjani’s latest role will be as Amala Paul’s mother in her upcoming thriller Aadai. In less then two decades, her graph as a character artiste has been steady, appearing mostly as the mother or wife in over 100 films so far. Yet,...

KollywoodThe film will release on July 19.Tnm StaffThe trailer of actor Amala Paul’s much awaited film Aadai was released on Saturday. The trailer shows an assertive Amala Paul (Kamini) wearing shades and gloves. Kamini appears to be in the habit of placing bets and entering challenges. Her mother played by Sriranjani, warns her against this behaviour and says that this may turn into an addiction. In the next scene, the actor is seen drinking with her friends and saying, “Are we humans born wearing a dress? So if everyone removes their dress, that becomes our actual birthday dress.” The title of the film Aadai in Tamil means "dress". We also get to see the crazy avatars of Kamini who loves riding bikes, parties and hangs out with her office teammates. The trailer describes Kamini as ‘arrogant’, ‘audacious’ and ‘artistic’. She’s seen even in the costume of Harley Quinn from Batman.

KollywoodDirected by Rathna Kumar, the film is believed to be a survival thriller.Digital NativeAmala Paul starrer Aadai, which created quite an impact with its teaser, will hit the screens on July 19, its makers announced via a poster on Saturday. Amala took to Twitter to announce the release date and she wrote: “I’ll fight. I’ll survive. Let obstacles come, big or small. I’ll shine, I’ll stand tall. Crush them to bits and blow away the dust. My strength is the only thing I trust. For freedom and happiness combined I thrive because if you have will, then no can fail. Well, this is just me, it’s my tale.” I’ll fight I’ll survive let obstacles come,big or small I’ll shine I’ll stand tall crush them to bits&blow away the dust my strength is the only thing i trust for freedom...

KollywoodDirector and writer Lakshmy Ramakrishnan dug into the December 2015 Chennai floods, and picked out quite an unexpected story that’s both predictable and poignant in ways.Anjana ShekarFor the people of Chennai, as much as the summer of 2019 will be remembered as the year when the last drop of water slipped into the parched earth, the monsoon of 2015 will evoke a different kind of memory. For this coastal city that was least prepared for the floods of 2015, there was no Noah’s Arc, no North Star. For a storyteller, the December floods of 2015, had many prompts. Director and writer Lakshmy Ramakrishnan dug in and picked out quite an unexpected story that’s both predictable and poignant in ways. House Owner starring Kishore, Sriranjini, ’Pasanga’ Kishore, and debutant Lovelyn Chandrasekhar, is a drama with the Chennai floods in the backdrop, with love being its central theme. A majority of the film...

All the actors do solid work, but Sriranjani is remarkable as one of those uncomplaining women who have made peace with their lot, a repository of love and patience and boundless fatigue.

The post House Owner Movie Review: Lakshmy Ramakrishnan Takes Us On A Moving Journey Through The Lives Of A Couple, Over Two Time Periods appeared first on Film Companion.

KollywoodThe film was recently screened to select guests and it had reportedly received a phenomenal response from all quarters. Digital NativeActress Lakshmy Ramakrishnan, who has proved her mettle as a filmmaker with films such as Aarohanam and Ammani, is ready with her next directorial project, House Owner, a story on love and separation inspired by true events that happened during the 2015 Chennai floods. The film was recently screened to select guests and it had reportedly received a phenomenal response from all quarters. Hailing it as one of her best works, people who have seen the film have showered a lot of praise on the film and it is being said that director Lakshmy is buoyed by the response. For all those who took time to watch and gave feed back on #HouseOwner , our sincere gratitude press has always encouraged me I continue with my learning becas if thisWaiting to have...

MusicOn the director’s 88nd birth anniversary, here’s a look at how he integrated Carnatic music with Tamil films to popularise the art.Anand Kumar RSIn one of the most impactful and memorable scenes in the Tamil film Sindhu Bhairavi, the male protagonist, who is a famed Carnatic vocalist, is shown rendering a Telugu kriti ‘Mari Mari Ninne’ in a concert. The assembled audience in a hall in Chennai applaud after the song, though nonchalantly. Even as the singer is revelling in that appreciation of the audience, a hand goes up. This is of the woman protagonist who challenges the singer and demonstrates that Carnatic music, if sung in the local language (Tamil in this case) which people can follow, will be appreciated much better. In a later scene, the singer discovers this for himself when a fisherman profusely appreciates his rendition of a Bharathiyar composition in Tamil. It was felt then (and may be even now) that Carnatic music was elitist in nature. Ace director K Balachander (popularly known as Kb) one of the most revered filmmakers in India, used this film as a medium to plug this important message that for music to reach many, it needs to be understood. By his own admission, Kb was a big fan of Carnatic music and hence didn’t want it to be seen as some highbrow art form. In his own ways – some direct and some subtle -- he did his best to mainstream Carnatic music as much as he could, through his many films. On his 88nd birth anniversary, here’s a closer look at this aspect. The film Sindhu Bhairavi, one of Kb’s later works, that too among his best hits, has a Carnatic musician as the central character. For a filmmaker to indulge in references to Carnatic music in a film like Sindhu Bhairavi which had it as its backdrop is not surprising. But this piece is just not about Sindhu Bhairavi alone but about many of his other films right from his early career days where it would appear that the director was waiting for some opportunity to plug Carnatic music in his films. Right at the beginning of his career, at the height of black and white cinema, one of Kb’s landmark films was Apoorva Raagangal. Though the film was about complex relationships, Kb sets this with Carnatic music playing the interlude. The female lead is a popular Carnatic singer. The male lead happens to play the mridangam which incidentally works in enhancing the romantic quotient between the leads! Another novel idea in the film was to use different aspects of Carnatic music like Sarali varisai, Thani Avartanam, Abaswaram, Sruti betam, Mangalam as placeholders throughout to carry forward the narrative. Kb’s understanding of Carnatic music comes out very clearly when we see these placeholders in the context of the film. For example, when the estranged husband character makes an entry at the wrong time, the card Kb uses is Sruti Betam (pitch distortion). How apt! Apart from Aboorva Raagangal and Sindhu Bhairavi, another film where Kb placed a Carnatic musician in a major role was Unnal Mudiyum Thambi. Here, the hero’s dad is again characterised as a famed Carnatic singer and is called Bilahari Marthandam Pillai, Bilahari being a popular Carnatic raga. And the elder son who is born mute is a Nadaswaram player. Though the film is about ideological differences between a non-compromising dad proud of his “high caste” moorings and his son who wants to break these shackles, I feel Kb’s use of Carnatic music here was only was to draw a parallel. Of the need for Carnatic music to be liberated from the sabhas to the streets, breaking another caste divide of sorts. In what is a typical “Balachander touch” scene, the dad tells the son that he used Ashuddha Danyasi (Shuddha Danyasi being a Carnatic raga) in a song he sang in front of labourers. All these films, Apoorva Raagangal, Sindhu Bhairavi and Unnal Mudiyum Thambi with Carnatic music as the backdrop, gave opportunities for the music directors to popularise this form more widely. In that sense, Kb and the respective music directors need to be credited for making or at least earnestly attempting to make Carnatic music, to use today’s lingo – “mass”. If these were on-the-face attempts, there were other subtler methods which Kb used. He had a penchant for using names of Carnatic ragas to name his women leads in many of his films. Bhairavi and Ranjani in Apoorva Raagangal, Sindhu and Bhairavi in Sindhu Bhairavi, Sriranjani in Jathimalli are some examples. Even in his small screen innings, this continued with the serial Sahana. In the film Duet, one of the male leads is a saxophone player. In one of his interviews, Kb had mentioned that he was a big fan of the very popular saxophone vidwan – Kadri Gopalnath. Kadri, as he is known in music circles, is one of the pioneers in playing Carnatic music with the saxophone. Kb was keen to spread Kadri’s talent among the masses which he did with this film, Duet. This gave an opportunity for film’s composer Ar Rahman to use Kadri in the songs which all became super hits. In the film’s opening sequence with title credits itself, we are treated with a virtuoso Kadri performance. Kb’s not so known film Oru Veedu, Iru Vaasal was a novel experiment in storytelling. It has two different stories split by the interval. The other experiment in this is that both the stories feature the famed Carnatic violinist duo – Ganesh-Kumaresh as the protagonists. Impressed by their stage presence and personality, Kb probably cast them in the film but this was one experiment that didn’t work. However, this doesn’t take away anything from his effort to mainstream Carnatic music – here, by introducing hitherto popular Carnatic musicians as actors in his films. If the film had worked, the “Cine fame” prefix to their names would have helped them get more people to their concerts, just like post the film Shankarabaranam, “Cine fame” Manju Bhargavi attracted huge crowds for her Bharatanatyam programmes. These instances may not be exhaustive but they are enough to drive home the point that Kb, through his films, played a stellar role in bringing Carnatic music to Tamil cinema. For instance, he points out the difference between Arohanam and Avarohanam of a Carnatic composition through the judge character in Sindhu Bhairavi in the climax. This dimension is another feather in Kb’s already crowded hat and remembering this on his birth anniversary is only a small tribute to this genius. Thukkada: As a keen follower of Carnatic music, there is no doubt that Carnatic musicians started including full length Tamil keertanas in their concerts in Tamil Nadu or while singing amidst Tamil dominated audience, post Sindhu Bhairavi. If Tamil songs are no more restricted to Thukkadas (short songs thrown in at the end of concerts usually), K Balachander deserves credit for the same. Also read: 'Mr Chandramouli' review: A half-hearted drama with unconvincing performances...

KollywoodThis is the first Tamil film on gay relationships.Tnm StaffEn Magan Magizhvan (My Son is Gay), touted to be the first Tamil film on gay relationships, has won the Best Film Award at the Second Indian World Film Festival-2018 (Iwff-18) that was held in Hyderabad recently. Directed and produced by Lokesh Rajavel, the film made its international premiere at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne in August 2017. It was also screened at the NewFest: The NYC Lgbt Film Festival in New York. My Son is Gay received a 'U/A' certificate without any cuts from the Cbfc in November last year, following which it premiered in India on November 25, 2017 at the Calcutta International Lgbt Film and Video Festival. The cast includes well-known actors like Anupama Kumar, Jayaprakash, Kishore Kumar, Sriranjani, Abhishek Joseph, and debutant Ashwinjith. As the title suggests, the film is about a young man coming out to his mother about his sexual orientation. Actor Anupama Kumar has played the mother and Ashwinjith, the son. The film is set to release in theatres soon. My Son is Gay was initially supposed to be made in Hindi through crowdfunding. However, the effort did not work out and Lokesh Kumar made the film in Tamil. There have been very few Tamil films which have had gay characters and their portrayal has mostly been derogatory. Indian films which dealt with gay relationships have also run into trouble in the past. Aligarh, which released in 2016, was based on the life of an Aligarh Muslim University (Amu) professor who was suspended from his job because of his sexual orientation. The film ran into trouble with a fringe group called the Millat Bedari Muhim Committee (Mbmc) that asked for it to be banned. The 2016 Jayan Cherian's Malayalam film Ka Bodyscapes finally received an ‘A’ certificate from the Cbfc after a long drawn battle. The film tells the story of a painter named Haris, Vishnu, his lover and rural kabaddi player, and their friend Sia, a woman from a conservative Muslim family in Kerala who questions patriarchal norms.