Former Vijay's heroine is his new heroine

Priyanka Chopra did her first film in Tamil, opposite Vijay, fresh after winning the Miss World crown. The film was Tamizhan and the duo even sang a song together for it called Ullathai Killathey. Vijay must have been her lucky charm because her career really took off after that film. A couple of films with Akshay Kumar later, Priyanka became one of the hottest stars in Bollywood and even went on to win the National award for her film, Fashion.

Now it looks like Priyanka will work with Vijay again for his film with Murugadoss. Apparently the script wowed Vijay and Priyanka also fell in love with her role and was eager to team up with her first co - star. Besides Murugadoss is a big name in Bollywood after Ghajini with Aamir Khan became a blockbuster and launched Asin's career north of the Vindhyas. If this trio come together successfully we are sure that there will be fireworks.

Source: http://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movie-news-1/aug-11-03/vijay-priyanka-16-08-11.html

'Velayudham' audio on August 28! - Breaking News

'Velayudham' that features Ilayathalapathy Vijay, Hansika Motwani and Genelia D' Souza is one of the biggies that's lined up for a release this year. The music for this action-packed superhero project has been scored by Vijay Antony who has earlier given a few chartbusters for Vijay, while the megaphone is wielded by Jayam Raja.

Jayam Ravi, the director's younger brother has now announced to Ilayathalapathy's fans that the film will see an audio launch on August 28! Speaking on this, he said, "Velayudham audio launch on August 28 in Madurai amidst thousands of Vijay fans! It can't get bigger and better than this!

Yes Ravi, truly can't get bigger than this, can it? It's going to be the magic of this superhero by the end of this month... click here to know about the plot and other interesting tidbits from the 'Velayudham' front...

The film has been worked on with a whooping budget of Rs 45 crore rupees and more than Rs 2 crore has been spent on each song! Not just that, the climax alone has been canned in 25 days and at four districts.

Source: http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/tamil/article/69698.html

Deivathirumagal Movie Review-For the Family

Deivathirumagal stars Vikram,Baby Sarah,Anushka,Amala Paul, and Santhanam in the lead roles. Its directed and written by Madrasapattinam fame, A.L Vijay. Music is by G.V Prakash,Cinematography is handled by Nirav Shah,and Edited by Anthony. DTM was also released in Telugu as Nanna.


Story: Nila(Baby Sarah) gets taken away from her father,Krishna(Vikram), by Swetha(Amala Paul) and her father(Sachin Khedekar); because he is a mentally challenged adult. Nila was born to Krishna and Swetha's older sister. How Krishna,and his lawyers: Anuradha(Anushka),Vinod(Santhanam),Priya(Priya) help him gain custody of Nila forms the rest of the story.

Performances: Vikram was outstanding! He had that childish innocence completely in him, we could feel what he was feeling throughout. Its amazing to see him be so flawless in his act.  Sarah is another great performer, totally on par with Vikram in terms of performance, and a cute little thing too. Anushka, this is definitely one of her best performances in Tamil till date,her role had power. Santhanam had a good role too, though comical, his role had scope. Anuska and Santhanam were a nice comedy pair. Amala Paul, her role was a bit small, but she performed well in what she had. But she did seem a bit stiff in some scenes.


Direction: All of us know that DTM is an adaption of the American film I am Sam. But Vijay hasn't taken all the scenes from I am Sam, he has only taken the basic plot. It's Indian to the T. Vijay does a great job in catering everything needed for the family audience,such as comedy,sentiment, a bit of romance,etc. Not to forget, the flow of the movie, everything transitions smoothly, though the song Vizhigalil oru Vanavil didn't seem to be needed. But overall, he has done a nice job.


Cinematography and Editing: Nirav Shah, is one of the most sought after cinematographers in Kollywood,and he lives up to his name in every single movie. Its movies like DTM that make him popular.  He knows exactly when to give what type of tone to which scene. Vizhigalil oru Vanavil ix exceptionally beautiful; Anushka looks gorgeous, so do her surroundings. The credit for the flow of the movie goes to Anthony,his job has been well done, but still a bit iffy on Vizhigalil oru Vanavil.


Music: G.V Prakash, totally steals our hearts with the Background music, exceptionally done. His BGM adds to the emotions of a particular scene, the BGM
 itself makes you cry. When it comes to the songs, sadly G.V Prakash has plagiarized two songs: Pa Pa Pappa(Walt Disneys Robhin Hood) and Jagada thorn(Amaan Ali Khan and Ayaan Ali Khan's Truth). Music seems average,my picks are: Vizhigalil oru Vanavil,Pa Pa Pappa,Aariro,and Vennilave.

Pros: 

• Performances
• Cast
• Direction/Story
• Cinematography
• Editing
• BGM
• Some of the Music
• Family entertainer
• Vikram and Sarah, workout so well as father and daughter
• Court Scene at the end

Cons: 

• Vizhigalil oru Vanavil, seemed a bit out of place, wasn't really needed..
• Plagiarizing of the two songs.
• Credit hadn't been given to I am Sam, which should happen.

Final Say: Watch it, you WILL cry more than a bucketful,for sure. Its heartbreaking but, touching, the end is a bit unexpected. Watch it for sure! You will not regret it! Take your whole family! :)


Rating: 3.5/5

The Month for Ajith, Suriya, and Vijay Fans!

August is going to be a very happening month for Tamil cinema, with several huge projects lining up for release. Audio launches and movie releases have been scheduled for as many as 13 films in this month alone! Vijay, Ajith, and Suriya films are also a part of this mix.

The past few months have been sluggish for Tamil cinema with hardly any big name films releasing. Insiders have attributed this to the fact that Tamil cinema’s biggest competitor cricket was monopolizing audience attention with the World cup and IPL. So from the beginning big filmmakers wanted their films to have their releases later in the year.

Be that as it may, fans who have been starved for a slice of their favorite stars are in for a treat. Vijay’s Velayudham, Ajith’s Mankatha, and Suriya’s 7am Arivu are likely to have audio launches this month with the view to have a big Diwali release hopefully. Nothing is confirmed but tentative dates for audio launch have been set for August 10th (Mankatha), 15th (Velayudham), and 20th (7am Arivu).

The makers of other films have also confirmed release dates for this month. Doo, Potta Potti, Ramanathapuram, and Singakottai will be screened on August 5th. These films feature fresh talent and are hoping to have a good showing.

Jiiva’s Rowthiram with Shriya is set to release on August 12th. The star is having a great year so his fans are waiting to see his latest offering. The music in this film has been hugely appreciated. Sharing the honors with them will be Sagaakal, Sankaran Koil, and Yuvan.

On August 19th, Mudhal Idam, Puli Vesham, and Theni Mavattam will be releasing. On their heels Kalavani Sargunam’s Vaagai Sooda Vaa with Vimal in the lead which has generated a lot of expectations will be screened on August 26th. Yuva Yuvathi will also release on the same day.

Looks like a super fun month ahead as Tamil cinema fans can sit back and enjoy the latest work of their favorite stars.

Source: http://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movie-news-1/aug-11-01/ajith-suriya-03-08-11.html

'Velayudham' audio around August 15

Expectations on this Vijay starrer are sky-high, and the many reasons for this need not even be explained upon. Fans are eagerly awaiting the audio release date of this film but no official announcement has been made yet, although it has been confirmed that this would be an August release.

Meanwhile, the director's brother and actor Jayam Ravi, has expressed to Ilayathalapathy fans that 'Velayudham' will see an audio launch around August 15!

"Got this out of the lions mouth, director Raja says Velayudham audio launch will be around August 15, enjoy Thalapathy fans. The wait will be worth it", says an excited Jayam Ravi who will be shortly traveling to Goa for the shoot on 'Aadhi Bhagavan'.

'Velayudham' is Vijay's superhero project where he romances Hansika Motwani. Genelia D' Souza plays a television reporter and the tunes are composed by Vijay Antony.

Source: http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/tamil/article/69430.html

Vijay plays a cop in ‘Pagalavan’

Looks like the Seeman – Vijay duo is keen on starting ‘Pagalavan’ right after Vijay finishes up with ‘Nanban,’ a multi-starrer under Shankar’s direction.

We had earlier told you the script consisted of a doctor Vijay, who plays the role of Pugazhendi and serves the poor in a village and then fights a mafia who deals with expired medicines.

But now, Seeman has brought about certain changes in ‘Pagalavan’s script, making it a whole-new-package altogether!

This new aspect will show a young Vijay fighting for a cause, against the privatization of certain sectors by the Government. ‘Pagalavan’ will see a rough-tough war between Vijay who is a doctor and a police officer. And during these fights, Vijay realizes he can do better for the common man if he is a part of the police force.

He then studies IPS, rises to power as a police official in the society and puts an end to the mafia who is dealing with expired medicines.

So yes, Vijay dons the avatar of a doctor and later a police officer in ‘Pagalavan.’ We must remember that Vijay’s earlier movie where he played a cop - ‘Pokkiri’ was a blockbuster.

Source: http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/tamil/article/67849.html

Vijay's Kaavalan to be screened at the Shanghai Film Festival

Vijay's Kaavalan directed by Siddique has been selected for the Shanghai International Film Festival. It is one of the most distinguished film events in Asia. Kaavalan is one among the 200 films that were selected from nearly 2500 entries from all over the world. The 14th edition of this festival will get started on June 11th.

Director Barry Levinson, who won an Academy award for his Rain Man starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise will head the panel of judges. Vijay's film will be screened on the 12th, so he will be flying out to Shanghai to participate in this event. He will be rubbing shoulders with some of the most talented people on the globe.

Source: http://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movie-news-1/jun-11-02/vijay-kaavalan-11-06-11.html

Nanban nearing completion

Shooting for Nanban is going on at breakneck pace at Sun Studios, Chennai. Currently Vijay and Srikanth's scenes are being filmed. Word is that Nanban will be wrapped up by August 5th and post-production will get underway.

Shankar being quite the perfectionist is working very hard to ensure that there are no glitches. Insiders are claiming that the ensemble cast which Shankar and the producers took so much time to finalize have gelled perfectly and the results will be evident on the big screen. If all goes according to plan, Nanban will be a Diwali release.

Source: http://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movie-news-1/jun-11-02/nanban-vijay-10-06-11.html

'Pagalavan' to roll out in two months

We had already updated you regarding Vijay agreeing to director's Seeman's 'Pagalavan.' The script of this film has been ready since two years but did not take off for various reasons. But all that is history now. Vijay will start working for 'Pagalavan' after he wraps up 'Nanban' and 'Velayudham.'

With many government organizations getting privatized, if this trend continues the nation will have to dance to the tunes of the rich and the affluent. This being the backdrop Vijay will appear in this film as a bold and outgoing youngster who will be seen fighting for his rights as well as that of his peers.

The director of the film is positive that this film will be a milestone in Vijay's career. Seeman is working on certain aspects of the film to suit Vijay.

This film has two heroines. The director is busy finalizing the heroines. Since no names have been finalized yet it leaves us wondering if it will be a known face acting opposite Vijay or whether a debutante will find herself acting opposite Vijay. We will let you know soon as to who will share screen space opposite 'Ilaya Thalapathi.'

The director also recently revealed that 'Pagalavan' will start rolling in a couple of months!

Source: http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/tamil/article/67569.html

Velayudham is looking for a buyer

Velayudham, Vijay's 52nd film directed by Jayam Raja has been produced by Aascar Ravichandran. It is a big -budget extravaganza which is close to the finish line as only 15 days of shoot is pending. Word from insiders is that the film has overshot the budget in a big way. The producer has Leelai also ready for release, so he will not be able to pump in more money for Velayudham.

Consequently, the makers are looking for buyers. It is expected that some of the big production houses in the industry will be more than happy to snap it up.

Source: http://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movie-news-1/jun-11-01/vijay-velayudham-06-06-11.html

Vijay on Ajith!

It's quite usual for stars to face questions asking them to comment about their contemporaries in interviews. Vijay found himself in one such spot recently when he was interviewed by a Tamil tabloid. He was asked to comment on Ajith and he did not wait a moment to express his views. Ajith follows his heart and he is a perfect example of someone who does things the way he wants it to be.

"My Pokkiri punch dialogue about me not listening to myself after deciding once is a perfect tribute to his style of work," Vijay was quoted as saying. Well that is good camaraderie in display for you.

Source: http://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movie-news-1/jun-11-01/vijay-ajith-06-06-11.html

Velayudham gets Hollywood touch!

Vijay’s Velayudham just got bigger! Director ‘Jeyam’ Raja has successfully roped in the top Hollywood stunt master Tom Delmar who is joining the cast and crew soon. The stunt master will be choreographing an interesting fight with Vijay in Chennai soon. With a top stunt man on board and superb fight scenes to watch out for, Velayudham seems to be enhancing its mass appeal.

We are hoping for the stunts to be mind blowing but certainly not gravity defying. The film starring Hansika Motwani, Genelia and Saranya Mohan will be complete soon and the audiences are awaiting its release soon.

Source: http://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movie-news-1/mar-11-03/vijay-velayudham-15-03-11.html

Hansika’s ‘sweetest’ friend

Hansika Motwani has found a new friend and she is all smiles about it. “He is the sweetest friend I have ever had,” says the actress on Ilaya Thalapathi Vijay, with whom she is sharing the screen space in ‘Velayudham’.

“We are having a great time on the sets of ‘Velayudham’ directed by ‘Jayam’ Raja. Vijay is very co-operative and so down-to-earth,” says the actress, who is expecting three big releases in Kollywood.

Apart from ‘Velayudham’, her forthcoming movies in Tamil include the Dhanush-starrer ‘Maappillai’ and ‘Jayam’ Ravi-starrer ‘Engeyum Kadhal’ (both to be released by market leader Sun Pictures).

“It is not easy for a budding actress to bag three meaty offers even before her first release. In that case, I consider myself very lucky,” says the chirpy girl, who is a name to reckon with in Tollywood and Bollywood.

Source: http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/tamil/article/64869.html

Kaavalan Movie Review- Not your norm Vijay film.

Kaavalan stars Vijay,Asin and Mithra Kurien in the lead roles. Its a remake of the Malayalam movie "Bodyguard" directed by the same director as the original Siddque. The music is by Vidyasagar :) This is the 3rd time Vijay and Asin are working together, 2nd time Siddique and Vijay are working together and the 7th time Vidyasagar and Vijay are working together :) 


Story: Boominathan(Vijay) is a peculiar guy, who wants to be a bodyguard. He gets a job to be Muthuramalingam's(Rajkiran) bodyguard, but he wants him to be his daughter, Meera's(Asin) and friend Madhu 's (Mithra Kurien) bodyguard;when they go to college. What happens after that forms the rest of the story. :)


Performances: Its a cake walk for Vijay, reminds you of his lover boy days. He has a mesmerizing throughout the film.  Same for Asin, its easy for her, and she looked fab. :)  Mithra played the same role as the one in the Malayalam version, so its easy for her, but it seemed she had more in the Tamil version; she looked gorgeous also. Who says Vadivelu is losing comicality?! He sure cracks you up in this film! :) The rest of the supporting cast(Rajkiran,Roja,M.S Bhaskar,etc.) were good for their roles they had. 

Finally Asin has done a South movie after being away in the Hindi film industry! Vijay said on "Koffee with Anu" that Asin declined many of the offers, when she was to act with Vijay. Guess she found scope in this role, which there is :) Vijay was outstanding in the film, but I must comment on the hairstyles: the hairstyle at the end and in the song "Sada Sada" didn't suit him well, for some reason; they weren't his thing. Oh my and Asin's costumes in some scenes were just TOO peppy and girly. They didn't suit the mood of the film, and they were too unrealistic in some parts. Vijay was apt for the role of the bodyguard, because he looks young, whilst Dileep looked a bit too old for the role. Though both carried out the role really well, Vijay was a bit more applicable. But when it comes to the heroines its the other way around, Nayantara seemed a bit more calm and cool in the role, while Asin was a bit more perkish. Even Kareena Kapoor, who is to do the Hindi version, liked Nayan better; and I agree with her. 


Music: Once again, music is by Vidyasagar, the one who loves the "kuthu" songs. But in this film he proved himself that he can do classy/calm tunes like "Yaradhu Yaradhu" or "Sada Sada". There were the college-type songs like "Step Step" and "Pattamboochi", which made you tap your feet. "Vinnai Kappan" was the closet thing to a mass number in this film. If you here for the first time it sort of sounds messy, but its at about the 5th or 6th listen, everything falls in place. :) My favs: "Step Step" and "Pattamboochi" :) 





Technical Side: I really don't have anything to mention here other then about the settings. The settings were very eye-catching,especially in the scene where Vijay goes to see "Ammukutty" :D But other than that everything was normal :)


Pros:

• Cast
• Settings
• Basic Story
• Music
• Comedy
• BGM
• Vijay's energy 

Cons:

• The roles(everyone's including Vijay's) definitely needed more depth, cause sometimes the roles just left you hanging. 
• Vijay's hairstyle in some scenes
• Asin's costumes in some scenes
• The cutting out of a couple of scenes, as in some scenes from the Malayalam version aren't in this version.

Kaavalan is a decent remake, I understand that Siddique had to take out some scenes from this film, to suit the Tamil audience. But some parts aren't convincing at times. Maybe if I didn't see the Malayalam version, I might have not noticed that some scenes aren't convincing. But I happen to see it, so I noticed. This is a great comeback for Vijay, as an actor and box office wise.


Bottom Line: A heart touching, romantic film. VIJAY IS BACK! Watch It! :)


3.5/5 

More details on Mani’s film

Mani Ratnam’s yet-to-be-started ‘magnum opus’, which is said to be inspired by Tamil’s much celebrated novel Ponniyin Selvan by Kalki, is getting more additions each passing day.

A day after it was said that Arya would be part of this multicrore multistarrer, we have it now that Anushka, who is making waves in Kollywood and Tollywood simultaneously, has also been roped in for this project.

“Anushka has signed on the dotted lines. She is playing a very crucial role in this film. Others who had been finalised for the project so far are Vijay, Mahesh Babu and Arya,” say sources.

A bilingual, the film will be produced by Mani’s Madras Talkies. However, plans are on to join hands with other production houses at a later stage. “It is still a question that whether the movie would be in historic background or Mani would give the script a contemporary look,” sources add.

Source: http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/tamil/article/64789.html

New addition in Shankar's Nanban!

Tamil remake of the blockbuster Three Idiots, directed by Shankar and titled Nanban, is already on he floors now what with the first schedule of the shooting just wrapped up in Ooty. Meanwhile, Shankar seems to be adding up to the cast list. Last heard, Raghava Lawrence will be a part of Nanban in a role that was earlier offered to Prasanna. Prasanna could not honor the offer as he is busy with his other commitments.

Originally adapted in Hindi from Chetan Bhagat’s bestselling novel, Five Point Someone, Nanban has Vijay, S J Suryaah, Jiiva and Srikanth playing prominent roles with Ileyana and Anuya playing the female leads.

Source: http://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movie-news-1/feb-11-02/shankar-nanban-12-02-11.html

Genelia does it for Vijay’s Velayudham

Vijay-starrer Velayudham will be Genelia’s first film in which she will dub using her own voice. This north Indian actress, who has starred in many Tamil films earlier, has never lent her voice till now. However, Genelia feels that she has gained enough experience and is confident that her voice and accent will be accepted by the Tamil audience now.

Velayudham also has Hansika Motwani, Saranya Mohan, Pasupathy and MS Bhaskar in important roles. The film is directed by Jayam Raja and Vijay Anthony is scoring the music. It is produced by Aascar Films V Ravichandran.

Source: http://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movie-news-1/feb-11-02/vijay-velayudham-11-02-11.html

Vijay, Vishal, Vikram in Mani Ratnam's film

Veteran filmmaker Mani Ratnam, sources say, has decided to cast Vijay, Vishal and Vikram in his next film. The director is getting the script ready for his next film and is penning it down with these three stars in mind.

Mani Ratnam is one of the few directors who cast multi-heroes in his films and tasted success in films like Agni Natchathiram, which had Karthik and Prabhu; Iruvar, which saw the coming together of two legends Mohanlal and Prakash Raj and Thalapathy which had two superstars Rajinikanth and Mammootty.

This time the ace director will be instrumental in bringing the three current biggies of Kollywood together – Vishal, Vikram and Vijay.

Source: http://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movie-news-1/feb-11-01/vijay-vishal-05-02-11.html

Siddique on Vijay’s rough patch

Vijay’s Kaavalan directed by Siddique is a huge success despite all the initial hiccups and the star once again proved that he can romance, create a laugh riot and emote with élan.

In an interview recently, Siddique said that he is very happy with the response Kaavalan has garnered and that he is going to remake it in Telugu too. It is noteworthy that Kaavalan itself is a remake of Siddique’s Malayalam film Bodyguard and it is being remade in Hindi too.

The director says that the biggest challenge about remaking a film in different languages is to make it suit to the mentality of the audience and also work on the different budgets that each industry offers. But he also says that there is scope for making the film better and can rectify the mistakes that have been made previously. Justifying this statement, Siddique says, “People who watched the Malayalam and the Tamil version tell me that the Tamil one is better.” He added that Vijay was going through a rough patch not because of lack of talent but because he did not get good roles to play. 


Source: http://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movie-news-1/feb-11-01/kaavalan-vijay-04-02-11.html

Vijay and cousin Vikranth’s fight

Vijay’s cousin Vikranth has expressed a desire to play baddie in one of his films and an opportunity to exchange blows with him. The starlet says that he knows that Vijay enjoys wide popularity among the masses and that is the reason he has a strong desire to fight with him on screen.

There are chances that his wish may come true soon. With Vikranth playing a role in Sattapadi Kuttram, film directed by Vijay’s dad director SA Chandrasekar and Vijay agreeing to do a guest role in that film, hopefully he should get an opportunity to fight his popular cousin.

Source: http://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movie-news-1/feb-11-01/vijay-sattapdai-kuttram-04-02-11.html