Southscope October 2012

OCTOBER 2012 VOL 04 | ISSUE 01 40

“I was whatever Vijay wanted ��

- Amy Jackson

��- Jagapati Babu

��

- AL VijayThaandavam”� ��

Shiva’s Dance:��

from the editor...

Managing Editor

Is it already 3 years since Kamal Haasan, Rajinikanth, Venkatesh, Mammootty, Mohanlal, Allu Arjun and Sarath ��

growing from strength to strength, creating trends, breaking records, making waves - in short, offering the most ��!��" ��#

As we enter the fourth year of publication, we pride ourselves in the absolute elegance and class that Southscope has always represented. We cannot wait to entertain you in the years to come, with our glamorous covers and scintillating

!��#��

Aruna R Krishnan

Southscope takes no responsibility for unsolicited photographs or material. ALL PHOTOGRAPHS, UNLESS OTHERWISE �$%�&�'(%��)(�*�(%�+/)��00*�')�'�1(�2*)2/�(��/$04#�)��/!"��5�6787��%��9��

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Design

Editorial Coordinator

Senior Correspondent

Senior Media Executive – Film Promotions

Whoa Mama Design

Maureen FernandoKirthi Jayakumar

Shankaran Malini

Sanjay G

ContributorsAravind G ShivkamalPavithra SrinivasanRadhika RajamaniUnni R NairVijayalakshmi SridharMartina NiranjiniAnkita Rath

Marketing Manager

Publication Consultant

Praveen Kumar `D@�D=X@DYF8D8

Raghurama Raju Kalidindi

Managing Editor Aruna R Krishnan

Founder & AdvisorAllu Sirish

Tapsee’s Pictures2��5�Kunal Daswani �� 5�Vira Shah��0��5�The Hyatt Regency, Chennai, & ��5�Ritu Kumar, Sisley ��5��Aldo, Ayesha in Casablanca, Forever New, +��5�Aldo

We get up close with the cast and crew of UTV’s latest offering Thaandavam ! 36

And the saga has unfolded

PREVIEW

Dil Ka RajaHere’s a look at the ropes of the Prajwal Devraj-Divya Spandana starrer

MaattrraanMaattrraan has a poignant story to tell. Come watch it to know if the winner takes it all!

72

76

Cameraman Ganga Tho RambabuPawan Kalyan and ace director Puri Jagannadh are back together in this hugely anticipated project!

74

Karmayodha��

70

Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum�� industry as Rana Daggubati’s Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum gears up for release!

66

ThuppakkiGunning its way to a successful release in Tamil cinema, is Thuppakki!

68

KalpanaCheck out the scoop on the upcoming Kannada movie Kalpana!

64

This month, the stars tell us �� everything they do to stay healthy!

Here’s what caught our Roving Eye all through September!

52

8

CAMEO

And the Winners are....

�� 7=��;� ��&��#�� ~��!�� !��)��78@7�� !�� !��!�� +��" ��!�� )�'��!�"� ��!��profoundly inspiring event. Set right at the ballroom of the grand Hilton Chennai, the Awardees came together from all walks of life, with a common ��5��#�� !��!�� !�� determination.

�� !�" �� #�%��2��%��!��4��!��9�� > ��#�}�� Z��Z��Z�� " ��!�� congratulated RITZ magazine for putting the event together. Soon after, he burst into dance with a few steps from his iconic hit, Rowdy Rathore, and �� ~��%��)�� '��2��'��%� J�� )��%��" ��!��(��!��4��#�2��( ��!��\'�� ]��)�:��2� ��0��!��'��!"��\?� �� ]��B��1� ��!��%9��\'� ��]��$��9��!��:��}��B��\��]�� 9��!��" ��#�

�� ~��!�" �� &��!�� !��!�� )�'��#��2��Poornima Bhagyaraj and son Shantanoo, Simran with husband Deepak Bagga, director AR Murugadoss, Producers AM Rathnam, Kalaipuli S Dhanu, G Dhananjayan and several others graced the event. In all, the RITZ Awards was a celebration of trail-blazing south Indians who have made us all proud.

The Audi RITZ Icon Awards is an annual ceremony instituted by RITZ, South India’s Premier Lifestyle Magazine and powered by Bols in association ��)��#�'�� ~� �� '�?(��$/}��/��@F��@X��@Y5F8��@=5F8�� #

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Is Deeksha Seth a bookworm? That’s what Tollywood superstar Allu Arjun feels. Deeksha, who is a �� "��:��fun of her several times that she looked like a “girl preparing for examinations.” Apparently, Arjun passed this comment when Deeksha stayed hooked on to books in her leisure time while shooting for Vedam. That habit of Deeksha’s has been observed �� " ��9��#�� actor claims that she maintains a mini-library at home. What we don’t know is whether she is keen on lending ��9��

Deeksha’s a bookworm?

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'��~�� _�multilingual actor Ramesh Aravind is all set to direct *��$��9��!"�� Upendra considering that he is an accomplished director and getting a ‘thumbs up’ from him is next �� #�'��"��)��directing him; incidentally, it is a remake of the Telugu movie Kick. Ramesh has tweaked the storyline to suit Uppi’s image. Well-known producer K Manju, who has bagged the remake rights of Kick, wants to ensure that it is a blockbuster in Kannada. Ramesh Aravind has successfully transformed into a director �� "��#�}� �� deliver another hit? Let’s wait and watch.

Ramesh to direct Uppi

Nikita Thukral, who went through a rough phase in Sandalwood last year for her alleged affair with actor Darshan, was recently ��>�� $�9��who seemed oblivious to last year’s incident, happily declared Darshan as a friend and that all was well between them. The duo’s epic movie, Sangolli Rayanna, which has been in the making !�� "�� !�� #�'��released the audio CDs of the movie in the presence of stalwarts !��" ��#�}��!��%��wife, who last year, accused Nikita of causing trouble in the star’s �� !�#�}��

Nikita back in the reckoning

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Divya Spandana is indeed showing signs of an emerging leader. Recently, when the actor was shooting for her movie in Mysore, a gang of political activists stormed the shooting sets because of ‘Bharat bandh’. They wanted the " ��:��in the bundh. They even tried to damage her caravan when Divya Spandana intervened and gave the protesters a piece of advice. Divya, according to eye witnesses, told the protesters that they had no business attacking the caravan �� !��" ��#�Apparently, the protesters were taken aback by Divya’s courage. The lady, who has joined the Congress recently, even advised the protesters to observe a peaceful bandh. Surprisingly, the �� !��

Divya Spandana’s advice

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��" ��9��be tired of dropping names before �� !�� !��" ��!�superstars. After declaring the debut of Taapsee, Kajal Aggarwal, Deeksha Seth and Tamannaah in Kannada (all !��!� ��]��it is the turn of Hindi hottie Sonam Kapoor to join the list. The actor, who was in Bengaluru recently, regretted not having received any ‘good roles’ in ��" �� !�� \��"��" ��?��)��:��2� ��2� ��]#��!��" ��time in announcing that Sonam would be cast in actor Darshan’s next project. What this producer did not reveal was whether Sonam had given her nod…

Has she?

}��?� �� 9�� $��%�"�� 0� ��>��0� �� $��>��?�#�$��!�� $��!�2�� " ��$��C�2�� #�0� �� $�� $��1�� 2�� " ��!��1�>��#��!��9��'�� " ��$�� #�

Here comes our Isaac Newton!

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2�� 9��" �#�'��9��B��!�� !��9��ever-growing and glorious cap. Reported to be a breathtaking tale of an elephant and its devoted mahout, Kumki has indeed raised �~��#��9��2�� J��"��!��" ��#�� #�'�� " �� #��" ��1�9��2��2�� 5�“I wanted to cast a fresh face with no image recall. Vikram suited my expectations and has done an excellent job.”

2�� Z��%#��9�!��" �#��|��78@@��9��!��9�#�;��9�� " �#�� " ��))�� #�

Is he postponing the release date as he is still aiming to achieve perfection in his product? “Achieving perfection is my job,” he admits. ;��'��!�� #�� 9��!�� " �#�/� ��~�� " ��!� �))�� #

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Kumki all the way!

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Aindrita Ray, who is going through a great phase in Sandalwood, will be seen in a special song in Kaddi Pudi, a movie being directed by Duniya Soori. It looks like Aindrita has joined the league of other A-list actors, who are performing in special songs in movies. But Aindrita calls it a ‘one-off project’ and only because of Duniya Soori. Aindrita remains indebted to Soori because he had cast her in the blockbuster Junglee during the early phase of her career. One particular song, Hale Paatre, shot on Aindrita, made her popular overnight. So, when Soori requested Aindrita to appear in a special song in Kaddi Pudi (featuring Shivarajkumar and )��9��2�� ]�� say no. Hope Aindrita scales new heights with this special song.

Aindrita Ray in a special song

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As announced a few months ago, maverick actor-director Upendra has announced his next directorial venture, which will go on ��/��#�'��came on his birthday and the actor is not willing to reveal much about the project other than the fact its highlight will be ‘new faces’. Apparently, Uppi’s wife, the beautiful Priyanka had a major role in convincing him to commence his directorial. The movie will be made under Uppi’s home banner and, as expected, has not been titled so far. To create curiosity, Uppi released posters of his new project with letters of the alphabet thrown all over. It is left for his fans to take a guess with the title. They have tentatively titled it “Upendra II”. Let’s wait for the actor to speak before jumping to conclusions. His previous �� 9��78@8#�

Upendra’s back

}��!��!�� #��"�� B��1�:��\��@D=D]��?��Z��&�� " �� 9�� ?�� #�>��" �� &��7888#�+��J��!�B��1�:��9��9��?��" �#�'�� 9��" �� )��?�� the superstar in the lead and Ranjith as the script writer. We kept waiting, but nothing happened. Then came the news that GS Vijayan would ��?��?� ��)��:��#�'�� "�� ?� ��>��$�� #�?�� )��:�� #�)��:�� " ��?��$��9�� #��#��!��!��B��1�:��

Mammootty, GS Vijayan, Ranjith - at last!

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Lokpal, that’s the name. But it has nothing to do with the Lokpal bill �� #�'�� !!��?�� !��" �� 09�� Z��" ��!��#�$�� !��joint. But his real business lies elsewhere and he does robs so deftly that no one ever gets to catch him. Successful director Joshiy directs Lokpal. In fact, Joshiy and Mohanlal are teaming up once again as their recent release Run Babby Run, released during Onam, is a box !"��#'��!�09�� $��many hit thrillers in Malayalam. Kavya Madhavan is the heroine !��" ��!�;��Ruby Cinemas.

Lokpal, but nothing to do with the bill...

)��:�� &�!�� #�'��" �� &�!��)��:�� !��#�$�� " �#�� Neerad, whose last directorial outing was Bachelor Party, is the one making this happen. Anchu Sundarikal, which would be �� $��2�� "��"��" ��!��whole. Amal Neerad, Anwar Rasheed, Aashiq Abu, Samir Thahir and Shyju Khalid would be the directors. Anchu Sundarikal would commence in October and would be released by the end of the year or early next year. What is interesting is the fact that Amal Neerad, who is basically a cinematographer, had earlier been a part of an anthology movie, in Bollywood. But that was as ��)B1��%��;��#��

Another anthology!

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'��+��!��!�� !��" ��!��industry. The awards were given in the categories of Stylish Actor, Fashionable Actress, Stylish Movie Director, Stylish Song Choreography, Stylish Cinematography and Stylish Music Album.

Rana Daggubati, Nani, Charmee Kaur, Sonia Agarwal, Richa Gangopadhyay, Divya Spandana, Rima Kallingal, Deeksha Seth, Lakshmi Manchu, Karthika Nair and Pranitha Subhash were among the celebrities who graced the occasion.

Dance performances by Rachana Maurya, Catherine Tresa, Madhu Shalini and Bollywood choreographer Hormuz Khambata and his team were also staged as part of the event, in addition to fashion shows by designers Shravan, Shilpa Reddy, Nishka Lulla and Ishita Singh.

Commenting on the Bharathi Cements South Spin Style Awards, Mr. Moorthy Sreenivasulu, Managing Director, South Spin Talent Management Private Ltd, said, “Fashion and style are complimentary to each other and have, together, created a separate identity for south Indian cinema. Rather than identifying the actors and technicians for their talent in their respective forte, we decided to award them for their style and fashion quotient.”

Kajal Agarwal, Richa Gangopadhyay, Deeksha Seth, Amala Paul, Harris Jayaraj and Krish were among the celebrities who ��#��!��" ��!��2��ZF��#�}�� Jwala Gutta won the Stylish Sports Personality award, Madhu Shalini won the Stylish Model of the Year award. Shilpa Reddy was presented with the Stylish Socialite award and Sarabjeet Singh, General Manager, Taj Group Hyderabad was given the Stylish Executive award.

The event ended in grandeur when four beautiful women came together and awarded the handsome hunk of the evening. Rana was presented with the Youth Style Icon award by Richa Gangopadhyay, Divya Spandana, Deeksha Seth and Karthika Nair. “Going forward, South Spin Style Awards will be an annual event recognising the fashion content in movies and the trends followed by actors,” said Manoj Kumar, CEO, South Spin Talent Management Private Ltd.

Where Fashion met CinemaThe first edition of the Bharathi Cements South Spin Fashion Awards, organised by South Spin Talent Management, saw stars from all the four regional languages


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CELEBRATIONS GALORE!September was jampacked with events as our pages will tell you

SHIVA’S DANCEVikram, Jagapati Babu, Amy Jackson and GV Prakash made waves at the music launch of Shiva Thandavam at Taj %��;��@@#

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MAKE WAY FOR THE MAESTRO! It was a day to cherish for Ilayaraja and his fans, as the maestro and his music were celebrated at the audio launch of Neethane En 2��&��@<��78@7#�'��" ��B��1��?��|�� roles, marks the comeback of Ilayaraja.

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MORE POWER TO POWER STAR2�� !��9��" ��%�� 9� ��1��9��;�� #�

NAG’S NEWS'��!�$��:��" ��%��9�� 9� ��1��9��;��@8��78@7#�'��Zstudded event, brought together thousands of fans from all over the state who had thronged to see Nagarjuna.

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THE NEW ENTRANTLittle Precious Films has now entered mainstream cinema with its debut venture, The Guest in Telugu & Akkam Pakkam in Tamil, produced by Moorthy Sreenivasulu and A Tirumal Reddy. The movie audio release function happened at the N Convention centre on ��D��78@7#�

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A TALE OF MANY COVERS Ever since the launch issue, as the classiest film magazine that celebrates the life and work of A-list film stars, Southscope covers have gained legendary status. Looking at some of our most iconic covers over the last 3 years, one fact stands out: south India’s biggest stars have reposed absolute faith in Southscope and have time and again granted us intimate access to their professional and personal lives. Let’s take a look at some of our impactful covers over the years…

Bold, gorgeous themes are a given, when it ��"��Shot in plush locations with the best of photographers from around the country, using fantastic props and milieu, every Southscope cover offers a rich slice of life in tinselville. From the uber hot Valentine cover of Allu Arjun and Tamannaah, which made waves across the entire south Indian movie industry, to the one featuring the cute chemistry between STR and Samantha, Southscope has featured many couples on the cover. Who ��!��78@7�cover featuring Rana Daggubati and Trisha Krishnan and our September cover featuring the ever-handsome Nagarjuna and the irrepressible Nayanthara?

Couple covers aside, many stars credit Southscope with presenting them in their very �� #�'��"��with Southscope was such a huge hit, that �� 9�� Arjun, Ram Charan and several of the most elusive and super-successful stars have all shot exclusively with Southscope, adding to the irresistible magnetism of India’s leading ��" ��#�

Covers ahoy, each edition has brought to you a unique story. A picture can certainly convey a thousand words, and we love that each of our covers have spoken a million words ��

PRABHUDEVA on Wanted,NAYANTHARA &that special someone

The other side ofMUMAITH KHAN

SOUTH SWEEPSNATIONAL AWARDSSURIYA VS VIJAY

CLASH OF THE TITANS

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SOUTHSCOPE STYLE AWARDS ARE BACK!

Nominate your favourite stars and win exciting prizes!

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FromSuhasini Maniratnam’spersonal diary

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>TRISHA’S DREAM DATE COMES TRUE FINALLY!

>Priyamani - Jagapathi Babu back together

>A tribute to VISHNUVARDHANA

>TAMIL HEROINES ON A STRIP TRIP

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STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART PUNEET RAJKUMAR + PURI JAGANNATH + ASHOK

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Jennifer Kotwal’s quirky side EXPOSED!Upendra at his versatile best

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TRISHAreveals

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Sharmila Mandre

does it again

Rana & Richa’s racy rendezvous

Jaya Prada’s

Amar katha

Gummadi’s swan song

Formula VV Vinayak

Stars’Style SutraStars’Style Sutra

PLUS SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY + RIMA KALLINGAL + RAMESH ARAVIND + NARESH IYER + ARYA + PRIYANKA CHOPRA + DILEEP + SURESH + KARTHI

South stars should stay away from Twitter. We tell you why

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AUGUST 2012 VOL 03 | ISSUE 11 40

“My father was a little

sceptical about my becoming

an actor”

SuperstarSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuupppppppppppppppppppppppeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrssssssssssssssssssssssssssssttttttttttttttttttaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssstttttttttttttttttttttttaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrMammootty’s

son opens up

on movies and mindsets

Sekhar Kammula

on movies, relationships,

friendship and their feelings for

each other

Rana Daggubati

Trisha Krishnan

and

Super Exclusive


JUNE ‘10 VOL

ISSUE

01

09

Celebrating a hundred

years of

SRI SRI

“Coy bride? Who, me?”Bhanu Mehra

Power dressing Power star- Pawan Kalyan

+

Quick GunSreenu Vytla

Prakash Raj

on villainy and some such

Kishan’s making another film. No kidding!

v

NAMOVENKATESHAINDEED!


AND THE SAGA HAS UNFOLDED.../!��Z�� " ��a multi-star cast raises huge expectations. With star power, high technology and new techniques brought together by good promotions, upbeat with hype, one of the biggest challenges before Thaandavam is to match expectations if not exceed them. In his second association with director A.L. 1�:��\��%��'�� ]��&��1�9��9��)�}�!"��Thaandavam, who turns blind in a bomb blast, takes up a challenging role in this action thriller. It is the blind man’s revenge

tale, using the concept of echolocation (use !�� :��]��J��" �� !�Daniel Kish, an American expert in human echolocation. With a mesmerizing music score by GV Prakash and enchanting cinematography by Nirav Shah, comic relief in Thaandavam comes from Santhanam, while there is subtle antagonism by ' ��|��>��"��venture in Tamil. Anushka Shetty and Amy Jackson sizzle in their respective roles, adding to the overall sheen of the movie.


THE DANCE OF SHIVAAs Thaandavam get a warm reception at the Tamil box office, Kirthi Jayakumar has a look at the shebang surrounding the ‘Dance of Shiva’, or Shiva Thandavam

Originally slated for a simultaneous release, much work having gone into ensuring that outcome, there were a few hurdles to cross. The release date of Shiva Thaandavam, is now October 5, 78@7#�$�� !��complaints, for the excitement and enthralling momentum of anticipation run just as high.

Director A L Vijay anticipates that the response for Shiva Thaandavam will be as much as the response for Thaandavam itself. Ask him what he believes the movie to come across as, and he smiles in response, saying, “Thaandavam in my perspective is a beautiful love-cum-action ��#�� Director Vijay counts on Vikram’s role as being ��"��:��" ��#��1�9��!� �role in Thaandavam, and of course in Shiva '��9�� !�'� ��"��!��Thaandavam as well. Director Vijay says that Anushka is nothing short of a natural performer, an actor with élan. “Anushka is the kind of actor who needs a lot of clarity in her role. She absorbs the character and its intricacies and then delivers her performance. I can easily say that Anushka ��@88��!��'��#��!��professional with a deep passion for cinema, she too has proven herself well. To wrap up the '��C��'��~��I would say the entire team lived together as ��!��

We’re all set for this magnum opus in Telugu. ��:��

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THE ROMANTIC COREAt the core of it all, UTV’s Thaandavam has a poignant romance, shared by the lead pair of Vikram and Anushka Shetty. Viji Sridhar caught up with Dhananjayan, the head honcho of UTV to know more about this romanctic angle

Says G Dhananjayan, “Anushka plays an important role of an eye doctor, who gets married to Vikram out of family compulsions. Her dream is to construct an eye hospital and hence she is not too keen on mariage. When she gets forcefully married to Vikram by her parents, she discovers a ‘friend’ in him, who ��!� " ��#�;��!� �in love after their marriage is the basis of this " �#�1�9��9�� " �#�'�� " �� around Vikram’s revenge on those, who created havoc in his life with Anushka and �� "��#��

Having carved a niche for herself, Anushka has fast become a force to reckon with in the industry. And this facet is attributable to her ability to leave behind an indelible imprint ��" ��9��#�%��:��'��" �� #�Vikram as Shiva takes revenge on those who destroyed his love life with Anushka. How Vikram and Anushka fall in love after getting married, through the portrayal of various episodes is an interesting screenplay, which will make the audience fall in love with both the characters.”

Surely there must be some angle to the 1�9��9��_��

random cast assemblage? Or did the pair share a charismatic chemistry? “When it comes to describing the chemistry between the two, ‘Fantastic’ is the word that springs to mind. After ‘Deivathirumagal’ this team has come together splendidly and their onscreen chemistry is amazing. They look mature and ��'��‘Uyirin Uyire…’ and ‘Oru Padhi Kadhavu Neeyadi…’bring out the best of both ��

Dhananjayan continues, “In terms of �� "��Anushka’s role scores over Amy’s. But, in terms of coming out with a fresh and youthful ��!��9��popularity in Tamil and Telugu cinema has won her accolades. Will that automatically mean that she is a major highlight and crowd-�� " ��9�� star in both Tamil and Telugu and has earned the love of the audience in both the markets through her powerful performances in her �� " ��#�;��Zpacked performance alongisde the heroes is �� !��" ��Thaandavam and Shiva Thandavam we can witness Anushka’s special magic,” he says, signing off.

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AMAZING AMYWhen this sprightly young girl headed to India from the UK, little did she know that she would start an exciting career in the Indian film industry with her role of a British girl in a Tamil period film. Catching up with the delicate beauty who stars in UTV’s Thaandavam, Shankaran Malini indulges in a light-hearted conversation

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The pretty Madarasapattinam girl, Amy, is in the middle of building a fabulous career in Indian cinema. After a stint in Bollywood, with the Hindi remake of Gautham Menon’s Vinnaithaandi Varuvaya, Amy has come together a second time with AL Vijay for Thaandavam. In fact, director Vijay was the one who introduced Amy to the industry.

Talking about her role in Thaandavam, Amy is nothing short of ecstatic. She says, “I play the role of Sara, a half-Tamil, half-English girl. Sara is a very charismatic girl, very glamorous too, and very kind-hearted. Sara ��_��J��#�}��" ��she plays a very vital role in the movie. It is �� !�� seems close to her own personal trajectory in life, after all, she is a beauty queen herself. “I didn’t undergo any special preparations ��!�� " �#�>��

could get into skin of the character myself, I was whatever Vijay wanted, as the character ��" ��9��!��the heart.

The experience of working with Vijay a second time has been simply amazing for her. After having debuted under the aegis of his direction, Amy counts on this experience as ��;�� the ball rolling and gave me the best launch ever with Madarasapattinam in the Tamil " ��#�� 9��9��third time if possible. Vijay is very good with � ��"��very different and it’s all very modern, very fashionable.”

>�� 9��" ��1�:��"��9��a choice as to which she prefers more. “It’s very hard to say. I like the look and

costumes in Madarasapattinam. I will never get a chance to wear them outside of the set. Given a choice I would wear more of the Thaandavam kind of costumes.” Working with a banner like UTV has made Amy’s journey pretty interesting. “UTV is a very huge banner. They are very professional and it has been great to work with them. They handle movie promotions quite well.” Shooting for Thaandavam has been very memorable, she says, “We shot in London, and that’s where I am from. We had canned a song all over London, with Vikram. And that song has been very special to me.” On her co-stars Vikram and Anushka, she says, “Vikram is my favourite actor. He is very kind-hearted, very helpful. Although I don’t have ��9��"��fabulous actor.” Amy is currently shooting for ��9��" ��!��'� ��:�� 4��

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THE JUGGERNAUTTollywood star Jagapati Babu’s entry into K-Town with Thaandavam has been written about a lot. With a straight film in Tamil now, a big project at that, Jagapati Babu is all eyes and ears about the review of his performance andhis future in Kollywood. He opens up to Shankaran Malini in a candid conversation

'��5��@7#F8#�'��5�;� �Savera. Jagapati Babu meets me in the lobby of the hotel. “First of all, I am meeting you in a mess,” he begins. “I just came to know about the interview and I wasn’t prepared at all. I came here for the sake of dubbing, and then I was supposed to leave for Kerala. I actually have only two pair of shorts and two vests, because I was heading to Kerala to try ��!��"��;��goes on to tell me that he literally had to run on the roads in Chennai. “I was actually and literally running because I didn’t know much about the shops here. On the way to Savera, I just stopped at a shop and bought three shirts, quickly paid the bill and came back,” he goes on, but in a lighter vein.

After sharing a couple of laughs about the turn of events, Jagapati Babu opens up about his experiences of growing up in Chennai. “I was born and brought up here in this city. I went to school and college here. I have ��"��9��"��9��"�� "��#��'� 9��*'1��Thaandavam, Jagapati Babu says, “One good thing is the size of the project. Vikram is a superstar, Vijay is a very big director and UTV is a very good production house. I have had the opportunity of working with wonderful people and technicians. A few of ��" �� '�� "��'�� " ��call a solid launch here,” he says.

��9�� " ��1�9��)�}�!"��!��!��#�)�}�!"��as you know mean business. They are very ��9#��;��!"�� " ��1�9��as the lead protagonist? “Both of us were very comfortable. It was very healthy competition, and there was no other negative feeling

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between us. We are in equal positions. That’s ��9��" �#��he had to indulge in, for the role? “Vijay is a very good director. After a long time, I didn’t have to involve myself or give suggestions or get worried about scenes and story and thinking and everything. It was completely Vijay’s work. I am a director’s actor and Vijay is an excellent director. I had to listen to him and be a student and follow whatever he said.”

Working with Vikram and on this project brings back a wonderful set of memories !��|��#�� @88�" ��'� �� !�multi-starrers with senior actors. Nothing is ��!"�� !!��#��1�9��_��are very friendly. That way sharing screen

��!"�� #�>�!��'��I didn’t know Vikram at all, maybe once or twice I would have seen him at functions but according to him, during his struggling days ��" ��#�Now having worked with him, I can say that more than a professional acquaintance, I have found a very good friend in Vikram.”

The shooting process for Thaandavam has been nothing short of memorable for the ��!��#�$��"�� !�missing the shoots, the Thaandavam ambience and the team, Jagapati remembers the entire shebang fondly. “Working in the *��" �� and day, interestingly and enjoyably. The �� " �� ~��#��To him, director Vijay was the quintessential

sweet guy. “He gets his work done very smoothly, without getting irritated or showing any sort of anger. He loves cinema so much that he sleeps only two or three hours in a day. He hardly goes home, hardly eats, and it is just cinema, cinema, and cinema for him � ��}�� 9�� 9��

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PRODUCING WITH PANACHE!Stealing some time away to elaborate on his current venture and also throwing light on its challenges, Dhananjayan of Disney-UTV chats up a storm with Shankaran Malini

The Chief of the South Film Business at Disney-UTV Motion Pictures, Dhananjayan starts with what made him connect with '��#��'��" ��!� ��based on human emotions. The combination of Vikram and Vijay excited us after the superb Deivathirumagal last year,” he says.

Dhananjayan gives us an intimate perspective !��" ��'��disability or blindness. Vikram plays a RAW ��!��" ��he becomes blind due to certain situations, how he tackles life and achieves freedom despite his inability forms the crux of the " �#�;�� !��character with élan and as the audiences are already raving, has come out with a brilliant performance. The uniqueness of the script is that despite being in a commercial format with action, songs, dance, comedy etc. it has � �� !��" �#��1�9��played several roles involving a ‘disability’. So what’s different this time? As a producer, ��%��:��"��!� �� 9��9��'��" ��is a complete entertainer with a difference. It has got a stellar cast with Jagapati Babu, Anushka, Amy Jackson, Lakshmi Rai, Santhanam, Nasser, Saranya Ponvannan, Thambi Ramaiah, M.S. Bhaskar, Sayaji Shinde, Kota Srinivasa Rao and many others. Thaandavam also has the best of technicians like Nirav Shah managing the camera and brilliant music from GV Prakash Kumar,” he says.

�?�:��!��" ��0��\*�]��J��

�� #��!"�� " �� 0��#��Y8��!��0��!��Y<��!��^<��extreme weather conditions without taking a break. The fact that it was a continuous �� " ��"��time is testimony to the kind of dedicated ��9��#�'��" �� shot in Chennai and Delhi,” he says.

Elucidating on the technical aspects, that � �� !��" ��especially that of echolocation, he says, “Echolocation is not a technology but a technique, specialised by Daniel Kish. He "��%��1�:��!��works and then trained Vikram so that he could authentically play the character of a blind man with exceptional skills. Vikram learnt the technique and perfected his body language and acting with Daniel Kish, much before shooting commenced.”

/!��" ��0�1�:��%��:��says, “He is a fantastic person to work with and hence there is no need to be tough or demanding with him. He understands the producer’s requirements and goes out of the way to deliver. He is a delight to work with and hence the atmosphere in the sets is always friendly and warm. In his sets, the entire team is focused on the work at hand and hence it is always a memorable experience working this team.”

}��!�" �� _��*'1�� !��right and centre? “UTV is producing sensible commercial entertainers without making

any compromises. We are not working on ��!�" ��#�>��9��" �� well and market it well. More than anything, ��9��" ��!�� marketing them with a difference ensuring widespread awareness and interest in our " ��~� ��#

Shooting Thaandavam was not without challenges. As Dhananjayan puts it, “There were several risks we were worried about �� " �� " ��9��managing the dates of so many cast and crew, �� " ��and within budgets. However, I have to thank Vikram sir and Vijay, who have worked very hard for the project and ensured that none of ��!�� #�'��"�� is authentic, well-presented and highly ��

As regards the simultaneous Telugu release, Dhananjayan says, “Vikram sir has a huge '� ��9��!��" ��#�+��" ��many special characters, which are played by Telugu actors like Jagapati Babu, Anushka, Lakshmi Rai, Nasser, Sayaji Shinde, and Kota Srinivasa Rao, with music by GV Prakash, who is popular even in the Telugu industry. Hence, it makes sense to release it as a bilingual. Thaandavam in Telugu is not dubbed but a bilingual and titled as Shiva Thandavam.”

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I start by taking Vijay back in time and ask ��" ��~��much it has groomed his skills in full-length " ��9��#��" ��"�� !!�� !�challenge, in terms of holding the attention of ��F8��#��" �� ideas. I want to sustain the audiences’ interest �� #�>��" ��~��has certainly groomed my style, elegance and � ��!�" ��9�� !��"��~� ��~��!�@7<��" �� #�1�:�� "� �#�How can he switch back and forth? “Any !��!�" ��9��#�B��a handy-cam and I will be happily canning shots,” he says with a gleam in his eye.

For a director with so much passion, I wonder ��!��" ��inspirations or remakes. Vijay clears the air with his rebuttal. “Except for the title which I attributed to the Malayalam original, Kireedom has my own story and screenplay. Poi Solla Porom was certainly a remake and I was quite open about the fact. As claimed in the award podia abroad, Deiva Thirumagal and I Am Sam are entirely different in terms !��Z�!!��#�'��; ��" �� !��"��government whereas DT was more about relationships and emotions. It is like culling out favourites while reading books. It is a viewer’s inspiration.”

Vijay points out the audiences’ reaction to DT. “It has served as an eye-opener for many. People said they cried watching the " �#�'��!��" �� ponder. The remark gets Vijay elucidating

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THE VICTORHe definitely looks slimmer and dapper in a blue Madras-checks shirt and slim fitting pair of jeans, coming across more like a hero than a director. Simple both in appearance and approach, Vijay is very much the top-line director in Kollywood today. Vijayalakshmi Sridhar catches up with him about UTV’s Thaandavam and more

�� !�" ��9��~�� #��technique for DT. There were simple trolley shots and great performances. We had to use a scale for Madarasapattinam since it was a ��" �#�/��9��for the production,” he says, comparing and contrasting his own creations.

Altruistically Vijay owes all his wisdom to his grooming days with director Priyadarshan. �;�� "��" ��#�;��!�" ��#�Discipline and planning are two things that I have imbibed from him. He always advises me to edit and shoot, not to shoot and edit,” he recalls his guru’s words. And there is ��!��#�1�:��" ��quickies and wrapped up in short yet planned schedules. Does being an ‘economic director’ make him most sought-after? “By default every director must have the responsibility and planning. It is what we are paid for and committed for. I cannot claim to have done anything extraordinary. Moreover I can’t ��" ��!�� #��" ��!��and dwell in that world that is off my family, friends, or any form of indulgence. So I need to get out of it quickly to bounce back to ‘life’,” he states humbly. The apple of every producer’s eye, Vijay is striving to establish a clean, professional working style in the industry by being exemplary in conducting himself as a director.

The young man has never tried to play the fact of being a producer’s son to his advantage. “Appa has been an inspiration. Other than that, I have never mentioned his name to buffer me up,” he says honestly. Having said that Vijay has enjoyed a good

working relationship with all the producers he has worked with so far. Though he watches a �!��" ��new promising line of Kollywood directors have indeed drawn Vijay’s attention.

Vijay smiles as Amala Paul’s name comes up in the course of the conversation. “I have a very small circle of friends and she is vitally in it. But both of us are busy and we don’t even meet. I don’t party.” He lets us guess the root of the rumours.

Thaandavam in Vijay’s perspective is a beautiful love-cum-action story. “An out-and-out entertainer,” he says. Asked why there is repeat of a physically-challenged character in Thaandavam he says, “The physically-challenged character was unintentional. 1�9��"�� #�;��needs a lot of inputs to excite him and I also �� " ��in the cast. But echolocation came as the later addition.”

Vijay is simply wowed by Vikram. The precision in his performance is what draws Vijay back every time to one of the most experimental actors of our time. “He is the master. In his hands your story is completely taken care of. And he also motivates others in the crew to strive for the cause of the story. He delivers more than what you want. He is every director’s dream actor,” he gushes. In Vijay’s words, Vikram’s is the most powerful role in Thaandavam.

“Anushka is a natural performer” he adds. “She seeks a lot of clarity in her role. She absorbs the character and performs. She has ��@88��!��'��#��!��professional with an abiding passion for

cinema, she too has proven herself well. The warm chemistry and bonding that all of us share is palpable. To wrap up the Thaandavam experience, I would say the entire team lived together as a family.”

He also admits that he enjoys being in his comfort zone to give his best. What about diversity in his fabric of creation? “Santhanam and Nasser have brought about ��!!��" �#�'�� :��"��the presence of camp constants in his cast and crew. “Rain played havoc and there were rumours about loss of shot clippings... some Red shots got corrupted,” he lists the challenges he has faced so far. But against all odds UTV has been our great pillar of strength. They have backed this high-budget production each step of the way. Dhananjayan is at the helm of it all. He is an excellent producer and a tremendous marketer. He has created a huge buzz for Thaandavam,” says Vijay.

Vijay is all praise for music director GV Prakash. “Again there is an unspoken understanding between us. I can demand all I want from him. He is a genius, a child prodigy. I am amazed by his understanding and maturity of cinema and music at such a young age.”

With the opening DT has received at the award podia, Thaandavam will soon be making its way through the same route. The " ��;��9�� the choice for the lead actor currently rolling.

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A MUSICAL THAANDAVAMIt takes several tries to get hold of him – but that’s hardly surprising: G V Prakash has long since ceased to be just maestro A R Rahman’s nephew, making his way in the film industry. Now, he’s an accredited composer, having several delivered musical hits. GV Prakash is being actively courted by top filmmakers even as he is busy making award-winning scores. The ace composer talks to Pavithra Srinivasan

G V Prakash is on top of his game, and his albums sell like hot cakes. It’s inevitable, ��!�� Z��" ��:��_��*'1��'��certainly one of these. It is special in another �� _�� 7<�" ��" ��#��1�:��I share a connection. I’ve worked for his " �� 9��?��%��'�� "�� manage to lock him down for an exclusive ��#��'��!��" ��him and it was very interesting, working on it. I had a lot of fun working on the background ��_��~��~� �#��

/�� 0�1�:��_��" �� 9��/��Vijay and I have always gotten along well,” he explains. “He and I almost began our ��" ��"��#�It is like working with a friend.”

&��9��'�� !�_�� 9��!��" ��" ��most. “See, it’s more an edge-of-the-seat thriller, you know? It has to scare you. So I had to come up with a different score for ��" �#��" ��!�� 9��Aayirathil Oruvan and Aadukalam, but this one is a combination of thrills and action. Interestingly, if you notice, all the songs in the movie are love songs. Actually, there’s one particularly beautiful piece, the theme music if you will, called A Poem for You, which comes throughout the movie, like the theme in Deiva Thirumagal and it’s very melodious.”

His own personal favourite happens to be the number Yaaradi Mohini. “It’s a nice song; I like it,” he shrugs. For a movie that required such work from him, he must have faced a good many challenges while he worked on it, right? “No at all,” he avers. “The only challenge I faced, if you can call it that, was ��#�}��"��" ��on time. And we made it happen.” He swears that such constraints don’t place a restriction on his creative process. “When you have a �� _� �9��!��"��Z��!�1��2 ��=��was the best score of all time. When you have a director like that, time is not a problem. You can always do it. With Vijay, it’s more a correlation, a sharing of thoughts; we grow together, see the situation, talk it out, then we come up with ideas.”

He must have had some inspiration for his work. “Inspiration? Nope, not at all,” pat ��#�+��_��he’s an accomplished music director, does he feel that he’s done it all? “It makes me feel more responsible,” he says, after a pause. “I mean, I have to satisfy audiences, keep them happy. A lot of people follow your work and appreciate it. You need to satisfy them.”

On the personal front too, life’s full; he’s getting married next year, to the love of his life, singer Saindhavi. And he rattles off �� !��:��~5��Kashyap’s Ugly; Vetrimaran’s next; director >� ��~#��0�1�:��_�but this time, with actor Vijay…” For G V Prakash, this certainly is no ordinary Thaandavam; it’s the dance of ecstasy.

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CAMEO

What makes your favourite stars look good? We got your favourite actors to talk about what being fit means to them, and even got an insight into their fitness regimen!

FITAS AFIDDLE!

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CAMEO

N a g a r j u n a

��!��"��#

Simple. Fitness, according to me is good health

$��"�� "��%��"��#��"��"��!��!"�#�

\0��]�}��!��~��_��J��!��#�I do it myself.

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I don’t know, really. I see a lot of people 9��"��"�� !��is a different matter altogether. You can look "�� "��out. I don’t really know how many people ��"#��!��_��9�� steroids is something I wouldn’t know. Apart !��"��!!��&��\$��&��]��know what he does.

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I don’t have a dietician but I do have a trainer called Raghu. He plays a big role in my exercise regimen. He has been with me for the last two and a half years. Earlier, I �� "��#��used to go to Helios where Shekhar used to train me. But eventually, I stopped going to Helios because time was a problem. So I hired this trainer Raghu and he took me to ��~� �� !�"��_��didn’t know.

��"��(��!��#

I only work out in the mornings, not in the evenings. It could be cardio, weightlifting, simple stretches for my body, or sometimes pilates. I don’t do the same thing every day. I ��!��78��and the deep breathing also happens while I’m doing the asanas. I go swimming in the evening. I monitor my diet myself. I discuss ��"��internet, browse health magazines and �� !#��"�� eight hours of restful sleep every day.

/�� 78@7� � �� 53

V i d y u t J a m w a l

��!��"��#

�� "�� #�4��don’t need to be super skinny or svelte to be "#�'�� heavy side, but if they are happy and they ��"��

)�"��%��"�� "��#

+��"�� martial arts and gymnastics.

��"��! "�� #�

I don’t go looking for inspiration. I am inspired all the time. I don’t idolise any one �� _�� !�� !��#�

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�� !��"��#��found, when I walked the ramp, there were people who were so tired after walking ��>��!��"��is a part of life. With all the martial arts and ��"��!��was young.

&�� '��#

��?��_��all come in from slums and penury-ridden backgrounds. We get together from 5 in �� =5F8�_�D588��move on to our work. One of them is a compounder, one has a vada pav store, one works at a liquor shop, and another sells books on the pavement. Martial arts bring us together. We don’t get tired, and we make ��!��

CAMEO

<X /�� 78@7� | Southscope

K a j a l A g g a r wa l

��!��"��#

Having a healthy body and a healthy mind.

)�"��%��"�� "��#

I follow my traditional technique, yoga, which I have always been doing. Mine is a good mix of both power yoga and normal yoga.

��"�� #

I think Deepika Padukone has a great body; she has a very athletic and toned body and a ��!��#�>��\>��]�� Ztoned body with superb curves, which looks fabulous. I like Angelina Jolie, as well, for her awesome curves.

��"��#

I think you should eat on time, sleep on time and eat healthy. Be stress-free and happy. Do your exercises regularly.

&�� '��#

I don’t really diet. I believe in eating healthy. ��"��#��yoga on my own, mostly from what I picked up during my school days.

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At home, alone. I like doing yoga in a J�� #��!"�� "��time and such space for yoga when I am travelling, especially during packed shooting schedules.

CAMEO


T a a p s e e P a n n u

��!��"��#

Fitness is eating healthy and just feeling good about yourself, and not feeling lethargic and lazy all the time.

)�"��%��"�� "��!��!��!"�#

I don’t go the gym. I have never gone to the gym. I initially used to dance. Now I swim. I have trained myself in the classical dance form of Kathak. However, nowadays, I don’t get that much time for it - though each time I get the chance to dance, I do it with lots of energy and passion and enjoy it. I recently started swimming which I started learning about three to four months back. It works wonders.

��"�� *�� +��"��#

I am personally a huge fan of Hrithik )��#�� "#��!��he is the only person I am star-struck with. I feel Deepika Padukone has maintained her body really well.

)��"��

Just enjoy what you are doing or else it won’t work on your body. Do whatever makes you happy. Just stressing out and going out to the gym and forcing yourself to work out is not going to work. Do what makes feel you happy. You can work out in so many ways, you see.

&�� '��

I was never a gym person. I have never had any dieticians or trainers. I learned kick-boxing for a month but it was not a ‘gym-gym’ kind of workout. I am a very restless kind of a person. In Yoga, slowly, you are required to do things and it needs patience. So it doesn’t work with me.

��"��#

Depends what I am doing and where I am. Why I took up swimming, is because wherever you go, be it in your city or a hotel, you will have a pool there. So, it’s easy to swim there. Wherever there is a pool, unless of course, if you are shooting at a chill, cold � ��!"�� #

T a a p s e e P a n n u

��!��"��#

Fitness is eating healthy and just feeling good about yourself, and not feeling lethargic and lazy all the time.

)�"��%��"�� "��#�

I don’t go the gym. I have never gone to the gym. Initially I used to dance. Now I swim. I have trained myself in the classical dance form of Kathak. However, nowadays, I don’t get that much time for it - though whenever I get the chance to dance, I do it with lots of energy and passion and enjoy it. I started ��!��9�_��9��

��"�� #

Personally, I am a huge fan of Hrithik )��#�� "#��fact, he is the only person I am star-struck by. I feel Deepika Padukone has maintained her body really well.

��"��#

Just enjoy what you are doing or else it won’t work on your body. Just stressing out and going out to the gym and forcing yourself to work out is not going to get you results. Do what makes feel you happy.You can work out in so many ways, you see.

&�� '��#

Like I said, I was never a gym person. So I have never had any dieticians or trainers. I learnt kickboxing for a month but it was not a workout, per se. I am restless by nature, so even yoga doesn’t work for me, because it requires you to do things slowly, and with with patience.

��"��#

Depends on what I am doing and where I am. A big reason why I took up swimming is because wherever you go, be it in your city or a hotel, you will have a pool there. So, it’s easy to swim there, unless of course, if you are shooting at a chill, cold place ��!"�� #

CAMEO


A m y J a c k s o n

��!��"��#

To be well-rounded. To work out regularly and eat sensibly, but still be able to treat yourself to, say a chocolate cake if you ��

)�"��%��"�� "��#

I work out a minimum of three to four times a week, especially in the mornings. I like to go to the gym and work out. I love jogging; I listen to music and unwind that way. I like doing yoga and Pilates. And horse riding too. It gives you a very toned stomach and back.

��"�� #

Vikram is very dedicated in the gym. He has a great body. He works out sensibly all the time. He has a tasty and healthy diet. I think Bipasha is number one among the women. She has a great body.

��"��#

;��9��!!�

&�� '��#

I do everything myself.

��"��#

I like to work out at the park, it is very relaxing. I like working out at the gym too.

CAMEO

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K u n c h a c ko B o b a n

��!��"��#

}� ��!�"�� Zmaintained body and happy mind.’

)�"��%��"�� "��#

I stay happy, lead a simple life and engage in sporting activities like badminton, and cricket. I also like swimming.

��"�� #

Irrespective of age, for me it’s Mammookka \?��]�� 9��"��in real life. His is an example of a happy �� "��#�;��never ceases to amaze me and it is him that I admire the most.

��"��#

Well, I don’t have anything to offer �~�� _��healthy body.

&�� '��#

Until now I haven’t had one. But I am now all set to hire them as part of my "��

��"��#

I usually like to work out in a secluded, open area. But since that’s not possible, I usually go to health clubs. There is one above my �� 9��9��#�

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N e e t u C h a n d r a

��!��"��#

Fitness, according to me, is mental and physical wellbeing.

)�"��%��"�� "��#

I program my schedule in such a way that I keep giving a shock to my body. I play basketball. I dance, perform martial arts, do weight training and yoga and schedule each perfectly.

��"�� #

;��9�)��"��on and off screen.

��"��#

B��@88��"��program you are doing.

&�� '��#

Satya Chaurasiya is my personal trainer and Pooja Makhija is my dietician.

��"��#

At the basketball court, mostly.

/�� 78@7� | Southscope <D

R a n a D a g g u b at i

��.��!��"��#

It’s a job description, primarily. For me, I �� 9��"��!��my work. And I work out 5, 6 days in a week. In fact, I train even more on off days, if possible.

$��"�� "��%��"��#

Frankly, there’s no day like that, when I can’t go to the gym. I make sure there isn’t. >��"�� !�� exercises, which include heavy push-ups ��!!#��"�� #�I do less cardio in the city, so I make up for that when I go outdoors. There was this time when I had to shoot in Palghat and Pollachi, where I resorted to that. You have to make sure you train everyday; technically, everyone’s always busy but even so, you need to train everyday. Training, in fact, makes sure you work much better. As actors,

we shoot late; our timings are all bizarre. We eat, sleep and party at all hours. Our routine itself is unhealthy, because we don’t follow a normal schedule and have to travel so much. So the only way to make sure our body stays in shape is to constantly train.

��"�� #

�� !�� "#�(�� ;��_��;��9��body structure I like very much. They all follow a strict schedule and he’s someone I look up to. When it comes to the older generation, I guess Hollywood icons like Arnold Schwarzenegger are always favourites. And we have India’s answer to them in Sanjay Dutt and Salman Khan. I guess I’m genetically blessed, so I tend to keep that up by hitting the gym regularly.

��"��#

I tend to stick to a regimen.

&�� '��#

I work with a person called Dinesh, who trains bodybuilders for competitions. Whether it’s the gym or martial arts, the technique of trainers is correct, at a professional level. They advise you when you need to do it right. Dinesh also monitors my diet.

��"��#

In Hyderabad I go to two or three gyms, because when you train everyday, some gyms have special equipment that you want to try out. For martial arts, I go to an old studio that’s now been converted, where I do gymnastics and stuff.

CAMEO

^8 /�� 78@7� � ��

RESH WOODS AND

Unni Nair explores a new trend: A Malayalam filmmaker going places literally and making films in foreign languages

FPASTURES ANEW

^7 /�� 78@7� | Southscope

0�9��" ��9��!��Kerala, Biju Viswanath began with Malayalam cinema. The college lecturer-��Z" ��9�� cinematography, in Malayalam as well as in Tamil. But he decided that his world was elsewhere.

��%�:��(�� " ��with a couple of British actors (Simon Binns ��2��+ ��]��>�:��1��began his exploration abroad. Biju, who also ��9��!��" ��like saying ‘I took the road less traveled.’ I have always been fascinated with roads not �9��!� �� " ��outside India so that they reach across to a wider section of people. Looking back, I feel ��~��9��" ��foreign languages appealed to my sensibilities.”

;�� " ��the works of the renowned Irish poet Celia ��+��#�'��"��0��\��1��]�� )��\��'��]#��!� ��9��!�" ��9��people outside India. I felt I understood their sensibilities and the response that I got from them made me quite comfortable doing ��" ��#��

Biju is based in Thiruvananthapuram when ��9��" ��#�;�� " ��|�� /��9��" ��*�#��!�international awards and acclaim, Biju has � ��" ��;�� ?��;��" �� Parwaaz. It was the recognition that his ��" ��!��*��:��9��" ��#�;��rendezvous with cinema in the US began with Marathon, which was a biopic based on the life of Pulitzer Prize winning poet William Meredith. The poet’s close friend and writer Richard Harteis’ book of the same ��!��!��" ��>�:��and Harteis worked in close association. ?��! ��" ��&��Chronicles and then by a thriller Viola. Biju 1��9��" ��*��starting his own production company. He is ecstatic about working on these lines. “I ��9��" ��intended basically for the US market. The 9��!��~��" ��has encouraged me to go on.”

��9��!��" ��bigger stars in the future, and Biju Viswanath readily agrees with a loud, ‘Yes, why not?” ;�� " ��'��Nail, made with an international star cast and

with a part-Indian and part-US crew. It is a supernatural thriller shot fully in India and all set to be released in the US. Biju is happier ��9��" ��9��#�;��says, “I enjoy far more creative freedom. I �� 9��" ��7��#��9��" ��!�D8��duration and am working with much more disciplined actors and crew. The sensible audience too has impressed me and I am happy with what I am doing.”

}�� " ��9��like Murali Nair (of Maranasimhasanam !��]��9��" ��Malayalam and on the other hand are people like Manoj Night Shyamalan, who were raised abroad and are making Hollywood " ��" ��9�� 9��>�:��1��tread a totally different path. This is indeed a ��!��


KALPANAKANNADA

Cast: Upendra, Lakshmi Rai, Sai Kumar, UmashriDirection: Ram Narayana

Production: Thenandal FilmsMusic: V Harikrishna

^X /�� 78@7� | Southscope

After Upendra’s return to direction �� 9��78@8��expectations of his fans had skyrocketed. Unfortunately, the journey hasn’t been smooth for the actor. While Srimathi, his � ��" ��!�78@@��Z��F%�" ��"��!��1��Sura Sundrangi, did not meet expectations. ;�� " ��_��9��9��B�!��_�� #�There is tremendous pressure on Uppi to return to the winning streak. Incidentally, he has chosen Kalpana (a remake of Tamil ��Z��]��mediocre performances of his movies at the BO.

+��"��0�9��)��paired opposite Uppi. After a long gap, Lakshmi Rai is seen in a Kannada movie. Incidentally, she has played the female lead of the original movie Kanchana. Sai Kumar has been selected to perform the role played by Sarath Kumar in the Tamil version. The rest of the star cast includes Shruti and comedian Umashree.

According to director and producer Ram Narayan, who bought the Kannada remake rights, the character of the protagonist is

tailor-made for Upendra, who excels in such roles. Uppi’s versatility is legendary and only he can do justice to the role, contends Narayan. He pointed out that Uppi’s performance is the highlight of the movie.

The storyline of the movie remains the same as the original, as the director does not want any deviation from the plot. ��!��"��!�the movie has been completed, and the shots have been canned in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

Uppi, as we know, is popular for his practical pranks. This time around, he scared the wits out of one of the production unit members. In one particular scene, blood is supposed to be splattered on Upendra. As he was enacting the scene, the superstar just walked out of the sets to scare one of the spot boys. His sudden emergence from the sets apparently frightened the unit boys, who were busy with their routine work. We know for sure that Uppi entertained the production unit staff, but will he be successful in replicating it on the big screen?

- Aravind G Shivkamal


KRISHNAM VANDE JAGADGURUMTELUGU

Cast: Rana Daggubati, Nayantara, Brahmanandam, Kota Srinivasa RaoDirection: Krish

Production: Y Rajeev Reddy & Saibabu JagarlamudiMusic: Mani Sharma


Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum, titled Omkaram in Tamil, is Rana’s debut vehicle in Kollywood. The bilingual is said to be beautifully narrated with a lot of comic elements, that are sure to go down very well with Rana’s fans.

�1|��" ��9��\)��9��|�� ]��the past has delivered blockbusters such as Gamyam, Vedam and Vaanam.

There is tremendous buzz about KVJ even within the industry. Nayantara is said to �� 9�� " ��public appearances have only added to the ��" �#�� Krish has also directed his stars to avoid speaking about the movie.

The crackling chemistry between Rana and Nayan, easily two of the hottest young stars in south India is sure to be one of the ��!��" �#�

Mani Sharma has composed great music !��" ��!��was wrapped up recently. The movie is now in the post-production phase. Rana is said to have donned several different ��Z��!��1|��9��and he says humbly, “It is a different kind of movie with an interesting plot. I am sure that it will be welcomed by the audiences.”

Unit sources say that while shooting for one of the scenes, Rana’s performance was so moving that the onlookers who had casually gathered to watch the shooting burst out in applause.


/�� 78@7� | Southscope ^Y

THUPPAKKITAMIL

Cast: Vijay, Kajal Aggarwal, Sathyan, JayaramDirection: A. R. Murugadoss

Production: Kalaipuli S ThanuCamera: Santosh Sivan

Art: Thotta TharaniEditing: Sreekar Prasad

^= /�� 78@7� | Southscope

Ilayathalapathy Vijay seems to have perfected the formula for success and !��!��#�;��" ��'��99�� ~�� !��~Z!"��#�Thuppakki, reportedly is the story of a ��'�� |��\1�:��]�� in Mumbai. Kajal Aggarwal too is a girl who hails from Mumbai. Vijay’s hair do, ��9�Z�� 9��" �� anti-thesis to all his screen avatars so far.

Though said to be a thriller, Thuppakki was earlier titled as Maalai Nerathu Mazhaithuli. It is said that the change in the title to Thuppaki has a direct bearing on its relation to the central theme of the movie. However trouble started with the title shift. North East Film Work Company, who had registered the name Kalla Thuppakki for their production, are at loggerheads with AR Murugadoss’s Thuppakki. The controversy has been raging for a while now and the team is waiting to be freed out of the scrapes. Another title change for this " �� !"��#�

Vidyut Jamwal, the charismatic villain in �:��>� ��7�� "��role in Thuppakki. National award-winners editor Sreekar Prasad, cameraman Santosh Sivan and art director Thotta Tharani are on board too. Harris Jayaraj has composed

� ��!��" �#��|��"�� in this extraordinary production.

'��"�� !��|��78@7�� !��F<��#�(�� ~�� 1�:��^8�stuntmen was completed in January itself. Another ten day schedule followed in >��99#��" ��Pune, Thailand and Switzerland. A train set was erected by art director Sunil Babu in the Mumbai-Pune highway for one of the dance sequences choreographed by Shobi.

Instead of the 35 mm camera, Santosh Sivan has used the new Arri technology for Thuppakki. Curious to learn the technique Vijay himself is said to have handled the camera and canned a few shots which was declared perfect work by ace lens man Santosh. A lot of live scenes in Bandra �� " ��cameras strategically hidden at vantage points.

But for two more songs, the shooting of Thuppakki is complete. The entire team is

waiting for the court verdict to release the teaser and the trailer. Will the roadblock be cleared? Will Thuppakki bang on time? Let ��

- Viji Sridhar

/�� 78@7� | Southscope ^D

BANKING HOURS 10 TO 4MALAYALAMCast: Anoop Menon, Meghna Raj, Jishnu, Tini Tom, Kailash, Sathar, Shankar, Sudheesh, Nishant Sagar, Vishnupriya and others Direction: K MadhuProduction: Stephen Pathickal

Y8 /�� 78@7� | Southscope

K Madhu, the maker of the most number of thrillers in Malayalam, comes up with yet another theme of the same genre in Banking ;��@8��X#�� set against the backdrop of a modern bank.

A bank robbery, a murder and the consequent investigation form the plot of Banking Hours @8��X��Amal. Anoop Menon dons the role of Shravan 1��2�� !"��!��" �#�

Anoop Menon, Meghna Raj and Jishnu � ��9�� !"��#�?��)�:�� !��"��" ��?��"��!� ��in Beautiful. She later acted with him in Namukku Paarkkaan.

'��" ��!��X8�popular stars, including Tini Tom, Kailash, Sudheesh, Nishant Sagar, Arun, Manraj, Vishnupriya, Lakshmipriya, Shafna, Sarayu, Krishna, Kiran Raj, Jayakrishnan and others.

Veteran actors Sathar and Shankar too play 9�� " �#�� !��!��77�+�� #�?��!��" ��shot at the Navodaya Studio in Ernakulam, inside the set of a bank, put up by art-director Salu K George.

Saloo George is the cinematographer of the " ��!�Limo Films.

- Unni Nair

/�� 78@7� | Southscope Y@

DIL KA RAJAKANNADACast: Divya Spandana, Prajwal Devaraj, NagineeduDirection: Somanath PatilProduction: Abhiman RoyMusic: Susheela Patil & Bharath Reddy

Y7 /�� 78@7� | Southscope

)��!�� " ��9��seems to be keen on taking advantage of her popularity. These days, the superstar is seen acting with younger and emerging actors. For ��"��Prajwal Devaraj, son of the character actor Devaraj, in Dil Ka Raja.

As the title suggests, the movie is based on the theme of romance. Though it was touted to be the remake of a hit Telugu movie, Ramya � ��"��%� ��)�:��original storyline. Ramya plays the role of a girl hailing from Andhra Pradesh and that lent credence to the rumour that it was a remake project. Incidentally, Ramya admitted that it was the movie’s plot and characterisation that prompted her to accept the project.

Somanath Patil, who worked as an assistant ��'� ��" ��debuting in Kannada as a full-time director. The movie is being produced by his parents, who want him to be a successful director in Sandalwood. The movie, according to sources, is shaping up along expected lines and has won Ramya’s appreciation.

Actor Prajwal is on cloud nine, for he is ��)��!��"��screen. Not many actors get to act with Ramya, since the superstar who is also one of the most successful heroines in recent times, is choosy about her projects. According to Prajwal, who is eagerly looking forward to the release of the movie, Dil Ka Raja has plenty of action sequences apart from romance.

Music composer Abhiman Roy, who is �� " ��has been assigned with the task of scoring hit tracks for this movie. It was Roy who was responsible for Prajwal emerging on the scene last year, because of the chartbuster that he composed for the actor’s movie Murali Meets Meera.


/�� 78@7� | Southscope YF

CAMERAMAN GANGA THO RAMBABUTELUGUCast: Pawan Kalyan, Tamannah, Prakash Rai, BrahmanandamDirection: Puri JagannadhProduction: DVV DaanayyaMusic: Mani Sharma

YX /�� 78@7� | Southscope

��@7��'� ��superstar Pawan Kalyan and ace director Puri Jagannadh joined hands to deliver the blockbuster Badri. Now, the hit pair is back with an unusually titled movie, which apparently, has been tailor-made for Pawan Kalyan by Puri, who wanted to explore the ‘funny side’ of the actor.

Pawan Kalyan had signed the dotted line for this movie much before Gabbar Singh ��J��~�!"��!�the highest grossing Telugu movies of all ��#��"��!��!�Cameraman Ganga Tho Rambabu had also been completed before Gabbar Singh was released. The actor is certain that it will be a blockbuster.

Puri is gunning for a release in the third week of October. It remains to be seen whether Cameraman… turns out to be another blockbuster for the star actor.

Incidentally, Puri is keen that Cameraman… ��#�'��" ��Businessman with Mahesh Babu was a success, it was nowhere near his past BO performances. The director’s Hindi venture too met with limited success. Even the Telugu " ��2��!!��movies. The director went away from India �"��Z�� !��#�}��hear that he commenced shooting only after perfecting the story.

Puri has selected the best of actors for his latest venture, including the reigning queen of Telugu cinema, Tamannaah, in addition to Prakash Rai, Brahmanandam and Ali. We can be assured of a heavy dose of entertainment, thanks to the presence of such a stellar cast.


/�� 78@7� | Southscope Y<

MAATTRRAANTAMILCast: Suriya, Kajal AggarwalDirection: K. V. AnandProduction: Kalpathi S AghoramMusic: Harris JayarajStory: K. V. Anand, SubhaCinematography: S Sounder RajanEditing: Antony

Y^ /�� 78@7� | Southscope

Taking unimaginable risks for the sake of perfecting a character is not new for actor Suriya. The superhit combination of KV Anand and Suriya who earlier delivered Ayan, comes together for Maattrraan which is easily one of the most anticipated movies of the year.

When Maattrraan materialised, bringing about a difference was not only the director-actor duo’s single ambition. When Suriya was raring to get into another pioneering role, director KV Anand was looking for scope to further showcase his potential as a director. A strong storyboard and the maverick idea of incorporating the theme of Siamese, conjoined twins got included in the picture. Consequently each member in team Maattrraan started sprouting creative wings. It was then that cameraman Sounder Rajan and editor Antony got added to the team. Production giant AGS Cinemas are backing this remarkable movie.

Lovely Kajal Agarwal is not one to be pushed over in this superstar ensemble, even though going by Kollywood grammar, her role has very few embellishments. From learning Russian to heartily romancing Suirya in the most exotic locales, she is leaving no stone unturned for the sake of Maattrraan. Stan Winston Studios in the United States has added exhilarating graphics work to this action thriller.

(��"��presentation in commercial guru KV Anand’s deft hands. Add to the package Daniel Balaji’s well-proven mettle. Orbiting around the most familiar lines, Daniel has indeed done the typical villain’s role but against the most �� !��_��#��!!��enough to create waves?

Stunt choreographer Peter Hein who has the Endhiran experience under his belt has worked on the breath-taking stunts. KV Anand’s favourite composer Harris Jayaraj’s album is a ravishing musical medley which has already been very well received. Kaal Mulaitha Poove is one musical and lyrical rhapsody that has topped the charts.

KV Anand has captured scenic locales across most of the Balkans in Russia, Croatia, Serbia, Albania and Macedonia. The much talked-about performance capturing technique is the ��9�!�� Z��" �#�

*��" ��~Z!"�� Z9��>� ��9��Suresh has purchased Maattrraan’s Telugu rights for the novelty-seeking Tollywood audiences. Maattrraan is titled as Duplicate in Telugu. The rumour mill keeps churning masala to keep the audiences enthralled about the movie. The leaking of interesting pictures �� !��" ��the latest dope the media has added in favour of ��" �� #

Two whirlwinds in stunningly synonymous action and their tryst with some important �� !�� 9�� _�Maattrraan does have a poignant story to tell.

- Viji Sridhar

/�� 78@7� | Southscope YY

RNI No: APENG/2009/29389 | Regd No: L II/RNP/HD/1118/2010-12 | October 2012.

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Southscope October 2012