ShowBiz

Chennai, Sep 10 (IANS) Director Lokesh Kanakaraj's 'Vikram', featuring actors Kamal Haasan, Vijay Sethupathi and Fahadh Faasil in the lead, has now completed a magnificent 100-day run in theatres.

The film, which continues to draw crowds to theatres despite having been released on OTT from July 8, has already grossed over Rs 400 crore from its box office collections worldwide.

Written and directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, the explosive action thriller had its worldwide theatrical release on June 3, 2022.

A delighted Kamal Haasan took to social media to thank fans for the film's success. Posting an audio clip on Twitter, Kamal Haasan said: "With the support accorded by fans, 'Vikram' has now touched the 100-day mark in theatres. I am very happy. In my heart, I hug each and every one of you who have been admiring me beyond generations. My heartfelt thanks to each and every person who was responsible for 'Vikram''s victory. My wishes and love to younger brother Lokesh."

'Vikram', which has been showered with praises from people, continues to hog the spotlight. The movie hasn't just impressed Indian trade circles, but has left International markets awestruck as well.

'Vikram' has broken several box office records and has officially become the number one grosser in Tamil Nadu.

--IANS
mani/kvd

Chennai, Sep 9 (IANS) Director 'Siruthai' Siva, who is now working on a film featuring actor Suriya in the lead, on Friday disclosed that the film was being made in 3D and that it would be released in a whopping 10 languages.

Releasing a motion poster of the film, an explosive action entertainer that is tentatively being referred to as #Suriya42, Siva tweeted, "With the love and blessings of the Almighty, all the fans, media friends and cinema lovers."

The exciting motion poster has a hawk hovering over a battlefield in which knights are battling it out, while Suriya's character, dressed in the attire of a commander, is seen standing on a rock and observing the proceedings on the battlefield.

It is then that the motion poster makes the disclosure that the film is being shot in 3D and that it will be released in 10 languages. The poster also has the tagline, 'A mighty valiant saga'.

The motion poster has led many fans to wonder if 'Suriya 42' is a historical or a war film.

The film is being produced by Studio Green Gnanavel Raja and has music by Devi Sri Prasad. Disha Patani plays the female lead in this film, which has cinematography by Vetri Palanisamy, who had shot superhits like Ajith-starrer 'Veeram' and 'Vedalam'.

Richard Kevin, who did a fine job editing superhits like the critically acclaimed 'Vikram Vedha' and the recently released webseries 'Suzhal', has been brought onboard this film as its editor.

--IANS
mani/dpb

Mumbai, Sep 9 (IANS) Megastar Amitabh Bachchan has paid his tribute to Britain's longest-reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away on Thursday aged 96.

Amitabh took to his blog and wrote: ".. and as we live another day, the life of another has ended .. the Queen, has passed away .. the Queen of England .. and a host of moments and memories go along with her and her presence."

He recalled how his father and legendary poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan was in England when the Queen was crowned.

"Babuji was in England for his PhD, when she was crowned and the Coronation was the huge event of the moment in 1952 .. and the news and the books and the curious designed then were dutifully sent to me in Allahabad."

"Sets of make your own Coronation coach and the various monuments and the finery of a crowning in England were among us at 17, Clive Road, Allahabad and hours spent in building them and getting books and information presented in colourful books were our prized possession ...."

He added: "A private hand shake with her when she was a State Guest during my University days, to India and that exclusive moment at Rashtrapati Bhavan, among the four or five of us."

"The select group of invitees at Buckingham Palace during the time of Babuji's stay in Cambridge when at a private Tea he was called along with, other country guests .. the Indian Cricket team in particular - the likes of Vinoo Mankad, and Hazare and more .. and the signed autographs of them sent to us on the invitation card from the Palace .. now all lost or misplaced when we shifted from Allahabad to Delhi.

"The letters the books and objects of remembrance all lost .. pity .. because the idea of documentation or of reserve and storage in collectibles was never a consideration .. .. now as you look back .. the regret and remorse .."

--IANS
dc/shb/

Dubai, Sep 9 (IANS) Former India captain Virat Kohli said following his century-making effort against Afghanistan in the Asia Cup Super-Four stage that he had come into the tournament with only one goal -- to try and work on the things he needed to improve from a team's perspective.

"My only goal (coming into the Asia Cup) was that, all those things I needed to improve from the team's perspective, I will come and try in the tournament," said Kohli, who struck his 71st international century in the massive 101-run victory against Afghanistan at the Dubai International Stadium on Thursday evening.

Kohli's maiden T20I century though came a tad late as India bowed out of the tournament after earlier losses to Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

"It was a very special day for us as a team. We had spoken after the previous match (loss against Sri Lanka) that we need to take the field (against Afghanistan) with a positive attitude, as that will matter a lot for us. This tournament was very important for us, definitely. We got the exposure of the knockout stages, we got exposed to pressure situations," added Kohli.

Kohli, however, said the main goal was the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia in October-November, for which the Asia Cup had given the team several learnings.

"But our goal, everyone knows, is the (T20) World Cup in Australia, and we are improving in all aspects of the game. We will learn from the matches (here) that did not go well for us," said Kohli.

Rohit Sharma complimented Kohli on his long-awaited 71st international century, saying the batting stalwart picked the gaps nicely and played some delectable shots in his century-making effort.

"71st hundred, the entire country was waiting. The time you have spent playing cricket, I'm sure this milestone was round the corner. I think today's innings was special because we wanted to end the tournament on a winning note. We saw a lot of things in your innings. You picked the gaps nicely, played some lovely shots and targeted the right bowlers," said Sharma in a video posted on BCCI.tv.

Kohli revealed the month-long break from cricket before the Asia Cup was the first time in his 13-14 years of professional career that he had not picked a cricket bat.

"Since the time I've come back to the side after the break... after 13-14 years, for the first time I did not touch the bat. A lot of things came into perspective," said Kohli, adding that support from the team played a huge role in his strong comeback.

"The support from you people (team), management... the communication was crystal clear that 'muhje khelne do' (let me play)... let me bat. I think that was very important for me because the space you all (teammates) gave me, it made me feel quite relaxed in this entire phase. And, when I returned (from the break), I was excited as to how I can contribute to the team," said Kohli.

Kolhi said he had to play the innings he played against Afghanistan in order to contribute more to the team's cause. The 33-year-old smashed an unbeaten 122 off 61 deliveries against Afghanistan on Thursday.

"I had to play this kind of an innings as the (T20) World Cup is ahead of us. If I play well, I can contribute more to the team. 3-4 days back Rahul (Dravid) bhai has spoken to me on batting first and how to optimally utilised the middle-overs phase... how I can improve my strike rate. My only goal was that all those things I needed to improve from the perspective f the team, I will come and try in the Asia Cup," added Kohli.

Kohli said he was pleasantly surprised, in fact shocked, after scoring his maiden T20I ton first following the enforced break.

"I didn't really expect (it). I was in fact shocked like many of you... that I would score a century in this format of the game first after such a long time. But I was pleasantly surprised, and I'm very grateful and honoured right now," added Kohli.

--IANS

akm/

Srinagar, Sep 8 (IANS) Bollywood actor and film-maker, Sanjay Khan called on J&K Lt Governor, Manoj Sinha at the Raj Bhawan in Srinagar on Thursday.

The veteran actor discussed with the Lt Governor the promotion of film-related activities in Jammu & Kashmir.

The Lt Governor observed that the UT Government is taking effective measures to create a vibrant film ecosystem to bring back the golden era of filmmaking in J&K.

Key endeavours like New Film Policy, developing better facilities are aimed at transforming J&K into the most preferred film shooting destination, he added.

--IANS
sq/kvd

Chennai, Sep 8 (IANS) The unit of director Selvaraghavan's 'Naane Varuven', featuring actor Dhanush in the lead, has now released the first single 'Veera Soora' from the film much to the delight of fans and film buffs.

The unit, which had organised an exclusive listening session for the media on Wednesday at the Prasad Lab, later released the song on YouTube for the benefit of fans.

The dark, grim number, which has been sung by Yuvan Shankar Raja, has additional vocals from Sam, Shenbagharaj Narayanan and Muthu Sirpi.

In the song sequence, Dhanush, who is believed to be playing two characters including one with negative shades in the film, is seen driving through a forest and looking to hunt.

The song gives a glimpse of the negative character he plays in the film. Dhanush took to Twitter to announce the launch of the song. He tweeted: "'Veera Soora' -- The theme of the dark side from 'Naane Varuven'."

The lyrics for the song have been penned by director Selvaraghavan himself. The song has got a phenomenal response from fans, with Selvaraghavan announcing the number was trending with more than 2.5 million real-time views.

--IANS
mani/kvd

Chennai, Sep 8 (IANS) Shruti Vijayan, wife of Malayalam actor Siju Wilson, who plays the lead in the 19th-century period drama, 'Pathonpatham Noottandu', has penned an emotional post wishing her husband the best of luck for his film.

The film, which is about the warrior and social reformer Arattupuzha Velayudha Panicker, was released on Thursday for Onam.

Taking to Instagram, Shruti wrote: "Finally, the big day is here after waiting for two years. I recall the day when you called me after meeting Vinayan Sir...'Shruti, it's a huge movie... a historic movie I always wanted to do. This is a great opportunity to learn new things and I want to give my best for this.'

She added: "From that day till this day Siju Wilson, I have seen the spark in your eyes and you did not let it go till this time. I have seen you training like a beast, even after all the tiring sessions on each passing day, your energy for the next day has always stayed high.

"Very happy to see you grow each day with pride. Let this movie be a mark as one of the best movies in your life and as you know Meher loves you the most. She was with us throughout this journey. You know what I mean...."

"All the Very Best appa. Thank you so much to the 'Pathonpatham Noottandu' team for releasing it on eighth September, very excited to see this movie on my birthday! Yippee!

"Eagerly waiting to see Arattupuzha Velayudha Panicker and all great characters journey on the big screen. All the very best to the large crew of 'Pathonpatham Noottandu'. Let this season bring you all lots of good luck, happiness and all that you wish! Happy Onam!"

--IANS
mani/kvd

Bhopal, Sep 8 (IANS) The protest by Bajrang Dal, which forced Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor and his pregnant wife Alia Bhatt to return from Mahakaleshwar temple in Madhya Pradesh's Ujjain without offering prayer, has triggered a controversy.

Reacting to the development that took place on Tuesday night, the state Home Minister Narottam Mishra said, "No one stopped them (Ranbir and Alia) from worshipping at the temple, they themselves decided not to go there, despite requests by local administration to go there and offer prayers. If they were stopped, then how other members of the team offered their prayers in side the temple?."

The opposition Congress and the leaders from other political outfits beyond Madhya Pradesh reacted on the issue, cornering the ruling BJP for "stopping" the couple from entering to the temple.

The state Congress has termed the Hindu outfit's protest as "political terrorism".

However, Mishra said that the protest and the couple not offering prayers at the temple are separate matters.

Mishra, who is known for his stand on Hinduism with his straight forward replies, went ahead to give a piece of advice to Ranbir Kapoor and said, "Whoever it is, Ranbir or anyone else, they should avoid making statements that hurt religious sentiments of people."

Mishra was reffering to Ranbir's decade old statement, in which the bollywood actor had said, "I am a mutton, paya, beef...red meat guy. I'm a big beef guy."

Reacting to the Home Minister's remarks, the state Congress' media wing head K.K. Mishra said, "Ranbir and Aila returned from Ujjain without offering prayers at Mahakal temple due to fear of 'political terrorism'."

Taking to twitter over the same issue, Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Sharing Prime Minister Modi's old picture with film actors, she wrote, "None of this photo op will help if you'll continue to be mute spectators to hate and believe it's not your business to talk politics. They will come after you anyway. Mahakaleshwar temple protests in Ujjain is a case in point. Shame that political prejudice is leading to such ugliness. This selective protest before every movie release has become an industry and a lobby, if not collectively pushed back we are fast heading into an abyss of hate, fear and silence. The entertainment industry is an employment generator, lakhs depend on it. Speak up."

Notably, Ranbir and Alia along with the entire cast and crew of their upcoming flim, Brahmastra: Part One – Shiva, flew from Mumbai to Indore, for offering prayers at Mahakal temple.

Bajrang Dal activists gathered outside the Nirmalaya Gate of the temple in Ujjain and protested against allowing the couple entry into the temple.

Due to ongoing protest on their arrival, the the entire team first returned to Ujjain district collector Ashish Singh's residence. After spending some time there, the couple decided not to go ahead with their temple visit plans, due to security reasons, particularly for pregnant Alia Bhatt.

While Ranbir-Alia returned to Indore after spending some time at the collector's residence, the other members of their crew, including director Ayan Mukerji went to the temple and offered prayers, before leaving for Indore.

--IANS
pd/shs

Mumbai, Sep 7 (IANS) Senior actresses Juhi Chawla and Ayesha Jhulka will be seen in the upcoming thriller series 'Hush Hush' on Prime Video from September 22.

What makes the web series, co-directed by Tanuja Chandra, unique is that it features a cast and crew primarily comprising women, from the production designer and costume designer to the associate producer and co-producer, right to the team managing security.

Writer Juhi Chaturvedi ('Gulabo Sitabo', 'Piku' and 'Sardar Uddham Singh') has scripted the dialogues, Kopal Naithani has directed two episodes and Tanuja Chandra, who doubles as executive producer, has helmed the rest.

Additionally, the story has been written by Shikhaa Sharma ('Jalsa', 'Shakuntala Devi' and 'Sherni'), who is also one of the executive producers on the series.

'Hush Hush' is about a set of women whose picture-perfect lives begin to come undone when an unexpected event brings to the fore secrets from their past and threatens everything that is dear to them.

Knitted in a web of lies, deceit and fighting patriarchy, the story explores the storm that brews behind the seemingly quiet façade of the privileged lives of these women.

Produced by Abundantia Entertainment and co-created by Tanuja Chandra, the seven-episode series also has Soha Ali Khan Pataudi, Kritika Kamra, Shahana Goswami and Karishma Tanna in lead roles.

--IANS
aa/srb

Mumbai, Sep 7 (IANS) Megastar Amitabh Bachchan, often seen indulging in banter with the contestants, will be seen engaged in a fun-filled conversation with 35-year-old Delhi-based businessman Harsh Poddar about how his wife reacts when he returns from office with a smile.

Harsh said: "Sir I have to tell you something about the argument between me and my wife. Whenever I return from office with a smile ...."

Before he completed his sentence, Big B replied: "Aaj hans rahe hain. Aap kya kisise mulakat karke aaye hai? (You seem to be very happy. Whom you met today?)" Then the contestant jokingly replied: "Sir, it happens with you also?" And Big B just smiled.

Moving ahead in the conversation, the host asked him about how he got into the business of medical supplies after coming from a family of doctors and the contestant talked about his father, who guided him in his business. Harsh added that he idolises Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar.

As his wife is a dentist, he told Bachchan that with the winning amount, he wants to open a clinic for her.

He also calls himself lucky to be part of the show hosted by Amitabh Bachchan.

"Being a part of this show made me realise how lucky I am to be sitting on the hotseat because there were a lot of great contestants with me that night sitting on the fastest finger first chairs," he said. "I entered with luck but stayed on with wit. I will always cherish these memories."

Poddar will be seen attempting the question for 'Dhan Amrit' (Rs 75 lakh) in Wednesday night's episode of 'Kaun Banega Crorepati 14'.

It airs on Sony Entertainment Television.

--IANS
ila/kvd