My Blog

Category: South Cinema

  • Pooja Hegde To Feature In Three Big Films In 2025

    The actress had zero film releases in 2024

    Pooja Hegde is one of the most stunning actresses today. She has featured in several Telugu, Tamil, and Hindi films. She has been part of a few hit films. She starred as the female lead opposite Indian movie superstars like Salman Khan, Mahesh Babu, Vijay, Hrithik Roshan, Prabhas, Allu Arjun, Akshay Kumar, Ram Charan and Jr NTR. Her last film release came in 2023 with Salman Khan’s Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan which received poor reviews. The actress had no film release in 2024. But the upcoming year is massive for her.

    Pooja Hegde will star as the female lead in as many as three films in 2025. She will be seen next in Deva, Suriya 44, and Thalapathy 69.

    Deva

    Pooja Hegde’s first release of 2024 is Deva.

    Deva is an upcoming epic drama film directed by critically acclaimed Malayalam filmmaker Rosshan Andrrews. The film stars Shahid Kapoor as Deva and Pooja Hegde as his love interest. The film also features Pavail Gulati and Kubbra Sait among others. The film is produced by Zee Studios and Roy Kapur Films. Deva is set to release on 14th February 2024. It is a hardcore drama film featuring Shahid Kapoor in a never seen before avatar. It is a fast paced edgy film. The film is essentially shot in South Mumbai.

    Suriya 44

    Pooja Hegde’s second release of 2024 is yet untitled.

    Pooja Hegde will feature opposite popular Tamil actor Suriya in his 44th film and as of now, the untitled film is called Suriya 44. The film stars an ensemble cast of Suriya, Pooja Hegde, Jayaram, Joju George, Karunakaran, Prakash Raj, and Nassar among others. Suriya 44 is a romantic drama film directed and written by Karthik Subbaraj. Karthik Subbaraj is highly known for directing and writing the critically acclaimed and successful film Jigarthanda Double X. The film is set to release in mid-2025.

    Thalapathy 69

    Thalapathy 69 is Pooja Hegde’s third and final release of the year 2025.

    Thalapathy 69 is one of the biggest Indian releases of 2025 and the biggest Tamil film of 2025. Yet untitled but known as Thalapathy 69 is Tamil Superstar Vijay’s final and last film before retiring from his film career. One of the biggest superstars of the South Film Industry, the highest-paid actor in India and the most influential actor in the South is retiring from films. Vijay’s last film, Thalapathy 69 is predicted to emerge as a major commercial blockbuster. It is a big drama film starring Pooja Hegde in the lead as Vijay’s love interest. The film features Bobby Deol as the main antagonist. The film is directed by H Vinoth and is set to release in October 2025.

    Pooja Hegde has also signed a film for producer Sajid Nadiadwala’s 2026 Hindi film Sanki. The actress will star opposite Ahan Shetty in his second film. Ahan Shetty is actor Suniel Shetty’s son.

  • Actor Suriya Remembers A Lovely Interaction With Prabhas

    Suriya is presently promoting his upcoming epic film Kanguva

    Popular Tamil actor and one of the biggest superstars from the South Film Industry, Suriya is presently promoting his upcoming epic fantasy movie in all parts of the country. After attending several film promotional events in Mumbai, Delhi, and Chennai, the team of Kanguva has arrived in Hyderabad to promote their film to the Telugu audience.

    The Telugu audience are the most passionate film fans and the reception of films like Baahubali, RRR, and Pushpa proves that. The Telugu audience adores, respects, loves, and treats their film idols like their family members. Telugu film actors such as Prabhas, Jr NTR, Ram Charan, Allu Arjun, and Mahesh Babu are treated like divinity in their home state.

    Suriya who recently attended a promotional event for his film in Hyderabad recalled a lovely interaction with Prabhas. Following the widespread success of the Baahubali franchise, Prabhas today is one of the biggest superstars in the country and the only pan-India movie actor.

    Suriya revealed that during the shooting of Baahubali no outside actor or outsider was allowed on the film sets in Ramoji Film City, Hyderabad. But Suriya who was in Hyderabad during that time was allowed to visit the sets.

    Suriya said that he got late and Prabhas was waiting for him long. The actor revealed that he was supposed to have dinner with Prabhas but he got late and Prabhas was waiting till night with dinner prepared for him. Eventually, they dined together that night and it was a memorable occurrence.

    Prabhas is highly known for his amazing hospitality. Be it Hindi movie actors or Tamil movie actors or Kannada movie actors or Malayalam movie actors, anyone who is Hyderabad and is familiar with Prabhas, Prabhas treats that person with adequate home-cooked delicious food. Previously, Prabhas’s Saaho co-star Shraddha Kapoor, and his Kalki 2898 AD co-stars Amitabh Bachchan and Deepika Padukone have praised Prabhas for his amazing hospitality and treating them with pleasant home cooked Indian food.

    Kanguva

    Coming back to Suriya and Kanguva, Kanguva is a fantasy epic fantasy drama film starring Suriya in the lead role with Bobby Deol as the main antagonist. The film stars Disha Patani as the female lead. Kanguva is Baahubali of Tamil Cinema. It is a massive budget periodic film with an interesting storyline and thrilling climax. With a budget of over 350 crores, Kanguva is one of the most expensive Indian films ever. The film was earlier supposed to be released in October but got postponed to November.

    Kanguva releases on 14 November 2024. The film will be released in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi. A second part of the film is planned too. But makers are waiting for the response from the audience and reviews from critics. According to Suriya, Kanguva is going to be a lifetime experience for everyone and he is quite confident regarding the film. The film stars Suriya in a dual role. The film is directed by highly successful Tamil filmmaker Siva.

  • This Superstar Actress To Do A Song In Pushpa 2

    Pushpa 2: The Rule is set to release on 6 December 2024

    The entire country is wholeheartedly waiting for the release of the second part of the Pushpa. It was the year 2021 when the Pushpa movie was released in theatres in 2021. Primary titled Pushpa: The Rise, the film received widespread popularity upon its theatrical release in 2021 and digital release in 2022. The first part of Pushpa had caused havoc in India and at the box office. The lead actor of the movie, Allu Arjun even received National Film Award for the best actor for Pushpa. And now its second part which is slated to release in December 2024 is expected to emerge as a mega blockbuster.

    We are not saying that Pushpa: The Rise was an excellent film. The film had received mixed reviews too. But overall, the Indian audience enjoyed this entertainer. The film received praise from Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, and Hindi audiences. In the Hindi language, Pushpa: The Rise recorded big numbers by earning over 100 crores.

    Now it’s time for the second part, Pushpa: The Rule

    Popular actress Samantha Ruth Prabhu performed a stunning song in Pushpa 1. It was one of the most widespread songs ever and one of the best songs ever.

    Now according to the sources, superstar actress Shraddha Kapoor is stepping in to do an song in the second part of the film. She will share the stage and dance with Allu Arjun. Do remember, Shraddha Kapoor has just delivered Stree 2 which ranks as one of the highest-grossing Indian films ever. It is believed that the makers have offered a whopping 10 crores to Shraddha Kapoor for the item song and she is confirmed to star in the movie.

    Pushpa: The Rule is a massive entertainer. It is one of the most expensive Indian films ever. The film has been made on a massive 500 crore budget. According to the sources, the makers of the film have already recovered twice the budget through satellite, digital, and song rights. If reports are to be believed, the makers of the film have already made 1000 crores even before the release of their film. Netflix India has bought the digital rights of the film for a whopping 270 crores. Netflix will release the film in Telugu, Tamil and Hindi. Upon its release on 6 December, Pushpa 2 is predicted to emerge as one of the highest-grossing Indian films ever.

    Actor Allu Arjun had dedicated five years of his life to the Pushpa film series. The shooting of the first part began in 2019 but suffered. The shooting of the second part began in 2022 after the release of its first part. Presently, with just a few weeks to the release, the makers are still shooting for the movie.

    All the actors from the first part of Pushpa will be seen reprising their respective roles in the second part as well.

    The film stars Allu Arjun as Pushpa Raj, Rashmika Mandanna as Srivali, Pushpa’s girlfriend then wife, Fahadh Faasil as SP Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat, Jagadeesh Prathap Bandari as Kesava, Pushpa’s best friend, Sunil as Mangalam Srinu and Rao Ramesh among others.

    Besides Allu Arjun, Pushpa: The Rule is going to be a landmark film for Fahadh Faasil.

    Fahadh Faasil is an eminent Malayalam actor. He is highly regarded as one of the greatest Indian actors ever. Of course, he has delivered several critically acclaimed Malayalam films and has been part of several Telugu and Tamil hit films. But he is yet to do a Hindi film. With Pushpa: The Rule, he is set to make everyone go mad with his performance, especially the North audience who are yet to take note of his amazing acting skills.

  • SS Rajamouli Is India’s Indomitable Filmmaker

    SS Rajamouli is the most influential and biggest filmmaker in India.

    Born into a Telugu film family and to writer-director V. Vijayendra Prasad, today SS Rajamouli is one of the most cherished filmmakers in the world. His last few films are critically acclaimed with global widespread popularity and enormous success.

    SS Rajamouli started his film career in 2001 by directing Raghavendra Rao’s ‘Student No: 1’ starring Jr. NTR in the lead role. The film went on to become a blockbuster and the biggest commercial hit of 2001. SS Rajamouli’s debut directional film was a big success but it was also the first success for Jr. NTR. The director–actor duo, Rajamouli and Jr. NTR collaborated for another film in 2003 titled Simhadri. Once again, the film went on to become a blockbuster and one of the highest-grossing films in 2003.

    Following the success of Student No: 1 and Simhadri, SS Rajamouli became one of the biggest names in the Telugu film industry. He received plenty of directional offers at that time. His next few directionals such as Sye (2004), Chatrapathi (2005), Vikramarkudu (2006), and Yamdonga (2007) all were huge successes.

    Critical acclaim and blockbuster films

    In 2009, SS Rajamouli directed a romantic fantasy film titled ‘Magadheera’. The film starred Ram Charan, Kajal Aggarwal, Srihari, and Dev Gill among others. The film proved to be a game-changer for its lead cast and makers. Magadheera received critical acclaim and widespread popularity. The film received highly positive reviews and went on to become one of the highest-grossing films ever in 2009. It was the first Telugu film to earn over 100 crores and gross over 150 crores globally. Magadheera won the National Film Award for Best Choreography and Best Special Effects at the 57th National Film Awards.

    In 2012, SS Rajamouli directed one of his most ambitious projects of that time. He directed Eega (The Fly), a fantasy film starring Kichcha Sudeep, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, and Nani. The film received widespread critical acclaim and emerged as one of the highest-grossing films in 2012. Eega won two National Film Awards and over five Filmfare Awards. Eega is listed as one of the best Telugu and Indian films. The film grossed over 130 crores globally. The film came as an arrival for SS Rajamouli to global success and global fame.

    Pan-India foundation, international recognition, critical acclaim and massive success

    Things changed for SS Rajamouli post the success of Eega. He was confident like never before and presented his most ambitious project to the world. He introduced the Pan-India film moment with his Telugu film dubbed in Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil, and Kannada released in every part of India on a massive scale.

    In 2015, he directed the epic periodic film Baahubali: The Beginning starring an ensemble cast of Prabhas, Rana Daggubati, Tamannaah Bhatia, Anushka Shetty, Sathyaraj, and Ramya Krishnan among others.

    Made on a budget of 180 crores, it was the most expensive Telugu film at that time. Baahubali: The Beginning was released on 10 July 2015 to universal critical acclaim and widespread popularity. It was hailed as one of the best Indian films of all time. The film received highly positive reviews for its direction, writing, screenplay, special effects, background score, music, and performance of the cast. The film grossed over 600 crores globally and is regarded as one of the greatest epic periodic films in India. Post the climax scene of Baahubali: The Beginning, a sequel was announced at the end of the film and its sequel became the most awaited and most anticipated film in India.

    The sequel and second part titled Baahubali: The Conclusion was released on 28 April 2017. The film achieved a record-breaking opening and went on to gross over 1800 crores becoming one of the highest-grossing Indian films ever. In 2017, Baahubali: The Conclusion became India’s most critically acclaimed and biggest hit of all time. It received widespread popularity on the global stage. With Baahubali: The Conclusion, the Pan–India moment was successful with directors dubbing their films in various languages instead of remaking them. Baahubali: The Conclusion ranks amongst the greatest Indian films of all time. The film collected over 500 crores in Hindi language and remained the highest-grossing Hindi film till 2023. In 2023, Shahrukh Khan’s Pathaan broke the record and became highest highest-grossing Hindi film. Baahubali: The Conclusion remains the most influential Indian film of all time.

    Post the Baahubali franchise, SS Rajamouli established international popularity and achieved fame and success that no other Indian filmmaker has ever met.

    In 2019, Rajamouli announced another ambitious project of his starring Jr. NTR and Ram Charan. The film was titled RRR.

    RRR was released on 25 March 2022 and like SS Rajamouli’s past films, RRR too received widespread critical acclaim and became one of the highest-grossing Indian films of all time. The global box office collection of RRR stands at 1300 crores. The film also starred Ajay Devgn and Alia Bhatt in special appearances. RRR met universal critical acclaim and received highly positive reviews. The film went on to become India’s most influential film in the world. The film received highly positive reviews from well-known critics.

    RRR received global recognition like no other Indian film ever. The film aired on Netflix and became the most-watched Indian film in the USA and other countries. SS Rajamouli released Eega, Baahubali Part 1 and Part 2, and RRR in the USA and Japan. The film received several big awards in India and the USA as well. The film won the Best Original Song award at the Academy Awards. Director SS Rajamouli was highly hailed by some of the biggest filmmakers in the world including James Cameron.

    Post RRR, audiences in India, Japan, and the USA audience and fans of SS Rajamouli enquired about his next project.

    Though the film is not officially announced yet but SS Rajamouli has confirmed his next with Mahesh Babu. Like Ram Charan, Jr. NTR and Prabhas, Mahesh Babu is another big actor from the Telugu film Industry. He is one of the most handsome and charming actors in India. SS Rajamouli’s next is a globetrotting adventure set in Africa. The film production is expected to begin by the end of 2024.

    While it stars Mahesh Babu in the lead, according to the sources, popular Malayalam actor Prithviraj Sukumaran is confirmed to play the main antagonist.

  • Vijay Becomes India’s Highest Paid Actor

    Vijay has surpassed Shahrukh Khan to become India’s Highest Paid Actor

    Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar widely known as Vijay is one of the biggest superstars of the country. He is perhaps the most followed actor in the South Film Industry. Many of his last films have been commercially successful and are the highest-grossing films in the Tamil Film Industry. He is one of the highest-paid actors in the South with a huge fan following. He is devoted by his fans in Tamil Nadu state. But, sadly soon he is going to quit the film industry.

    Vijay becomes the highest-paid actor in India

    According to the reports, for his upcoming and his last film, Vijay is charging a massive 275 crore (INR) for his role. The actor has achieved the milestone of becoming India’s highest-paid actor by beating Shahrukh Khan. Shahrukh Khan took home a fee of 200-220 crore for his 2023 blockbuster film Jawan.

    The untitled film is presently termed as Thalapathy 69 and it is actor Vijay’s final film. The film will be produced by the eminent Kannada film production house KVN Productions. KVN Productions has reportedly agreed to pay Vijay a massive 275 crore rupees for his last film. The film will be directed by H Vinoth. According to the rumors, makers are considering Bobby Deol to play the negative lead in the film.

    The buzz about the film has been high since its announcement last night. It is one of the most anticipated films as it is Vijay’s last film and the makers are sure that fans will arrive in big numbers at the theatre to give a final farewell to their bellowed actor.

    Vijay is retiring from films

    Earlier this year Vijay announced his retirement from films. Vijay had one film release in 2024 which he shot in 2023. The actor confirmed that he will do one more film and a final before his retirement.

    In February 2024, Vijay announced his retirement from films. He will wrap up his final film in mid-2025 and the film will release on 20 October 2025.

    Fans of Vijay and the Tamil Nadu people have expressed their disappointment with Vijay’s decision to retire from film. However, his exit from the film industry is a big setback for Tamil Film Industry and filmmakers.

    The last few films of Vijay

    Vijay was recently seen in a film titled GOAT (The Greatest of All Time). The film is presently running successfully in the theatres and will be released on digital platforms in a month. The film is directed by Venkat Prabhu and stars Vijay, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Ajmal Ameer, Mohan, Jayaram, Vaibhav, and Yogi Babu among others. The film generally received mixed to positive reviews. The film has earned over 350 crores globally and will earn over 500 crores in its lifetime run. Vijay has been paid 220-230 crores as his acting fees for the film The Greatest of All Time.

    In 2023, Vijay was paid a whopping 180-200 crore as his acting fees for the film Leo. Leo is directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj. The film starred an ensemble cast of Vijay, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Sarja, Trisha, Gautham Vasudev Menon, and George Maryan among others. Leo generally received mixed reviews from critics with criticism for its writing and screenplay. However, the audience and fans of Vijay enjoyed the movie as it earned over 600 crores globally becoming a major commercial success.

    For his 2022 film Beast, Vijay was paid less than his usual acting fees as the film didn’t perform as per expectations and is one of the least liked films of Vijay. Beast generally received mixed to negative reviews. The film was commercially successful but not a major hit like the past films of Vijay. For the movie Beast, Vijay was paid 100 crores. The film starred Vijay in the male lead with Pooja Hegde in the female lead. Vijay was paid a whopping 150-160 crores for his acting fees in the 2023 family drama film Varisu.

    Besides Vijay, Shahrukh Khan, Prabhas, Salman Khan, Allu Arjun, Ram Charan, Jr NTR, Mahesh Babu, and Rajinikanth are some of the highest-paid actors in India. With a fee of 275 crore, Vijay is one of the highest-paid actors in the world.

    Prabhas who was last seen in the film Kalki 2898 AD was paid anywhere near 200-250 crores for his acting. Whereas Jr NTR, Allu Arjun, Ram Charan, and Mahesh Babu are paid nearly 100-120 crores as their acting fees.

    Salman Khan nearly charges 150 crores for his acting fees. But he can take a larger amount if he is co-producing the film. Shahrukh Khan was paid a whopping 200-220 crores for his last film Jawan. He was paid significantly higher because he produced the film and also his VFX company handled the VFX work of the film.

  • Best Malayalam Drama Movies You Shouldn’t Miss

    Best Malayalam Drama Movies

    Over the last few years, the Malayalam Film Industry has stunned the global audience with its spellbinding movies. Indian film industries such as the Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, and Tamil film industries have largely focused on big films. We have seen countless massive large-scale and high-budget films in the last decade. Whereas the Malayalam filmmakers have largely focused on several critically acclaimed low-budget drama movies. Their films have impressed the biggest actors, producers, and directors of the Indian Cinema. They have received the appreciation tremendously.

    To name a few, we have listed the best Malayalam drama films that will excite you with its tight script.

    [ez-toc]

    Movies Release Year
    Drishyam 2013
    Kuruthi 2021
    Jogi 2021
    Iratta 2023
    Nayattu 2021
    JGM 2022
    Joseph 2018
    Ayyappanum Koshiyum 2020
    Lucifer 2019
    Anweshippin Kandethum 2024

     

    Drishyam (2013 – Beginning)

    In 2013, director and writer Jeetu Joseph received praise for his critically acclaimed film Drishyam. Drishyam is a popular movie franchise in India. It is a drama film that received widespread critical acclaim upon its release in India. It is considered a landmark film in the Malayalam Film Industry. Drishyam won numerous awards including the Kerala State Film Award for Best Film with Popular Appeal and Aesthetic Value. The film starred an ensemble cast of Mohanlal, Meena, Ansiba Hassan, Esther Anil, Asha Sarath, Siddique, Roshan Basheer, and Neeraj Madhav among others.

    Following its success the film was remade in several languages such as Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada. The film was remade in Chinese language as well and the film was titled Sheep Without a Shephed. It was the ninth-highest-grossing Chinese film of 2019. The remake of Drishyam in Indonesian and Korean languages has been announced as well.

    A sequel titled Drishyam 2 was released in 2021. The film was released on digital platform Prime Video. Again, the sequel received widespread critical acclaim and was remade in several languages.

    Drishyam 1 (Malayalam) is available on Hotstar while Drishyam 2 (Malayalam) is available on Prime Video.

    Jeetu Joseph is presently writing the script of Drishyam 3.

    Kuruthi (2021)

    Kuruthi is a neo-noir drama film written by Anish Pallyal and directed by Manu Warrier. The film stars Prithviraj Sukumaran, Roshan Mathews, Shine Tom Chacko, Murali Gopy, Naslen K. Gafoor, and Mamukkoya among others. Popular Indian Malayalam actor Prithviraj Sukumaran plays the character of the main antagonist in the film. He has also produced the film along with his wife Supriya Menon under their production banner Prithviraj Productions.

    Kuruthi was released on 11 August 2021 to positive reviews from the critics. The film was released digitally on Amazon Prime Video. It is one of the most-watched films of 2021 on the digital platform.

    Kuruthi is a mind-blowing film that should fascinate the viewers. The film was shot in just a month, from December 2020 to January 2021. However, the editing and post-production work took a few months. Kuruthi was initially meant to be released in theatres.

    The film is available on Amazon Prime Video

    Joji (2021)

    Like Kuruthi, Joji is another film that was meant to be released in theatres but got released digitally. Joji is a drama film starring Fahadh Faasil, Baburaj, Basil Joseph, Shammi Thilakan, and Unnimaya Prasad among others.

    The film received widespread critical acclaim upon its release. Like always, Fahadh Faasil was exceedingly praised for his performance as Joji. Fahadh Faasil is one of India’s finest actors. The film is directed by Dileesh Pothan. The film won several awards as it is considered one of the best Malayalam drama movies ever.

    The film is available on Amazon Prime Video

    Iratta (2023)

    Iratta is a drama film written and directed by Rohit M. G Krishnan. The film stars popular actor Joju George, Anjali, Arya Salim, and Srikant Murali. Joju George features in dual roles as twin brothers.

    Iratta was released on 3rd February 2023 to positive reviews. The film received high praise from the critics. A month later on 3rd March 2023, the film was released digitally on Netflix and became one of the most-watched movies of the year.

    The climax of Iratta is intense and astonishing. It is surely going to leave the audience dumbfounded.

    The film is available on Netflix

    Nayattu (2021)

    Nayattu is a drama film directed by Martin Prakkat and released on 8 April 2021. The film stars an ensemble cast of Joju George, Kunchako Boban, Nimisha Sajayan, and Jaffar Idukki among others. The film received widespread critical acclaim upon its release.

    In October 2021, Nayattu was nominated for India’s selection for Best International Film at the 94th Academy Awards. The film was remade in the Telugu language as well.

    The film is available on Netflix

    JGM (2022)

    JGM is a legal drama film directed by Dijo Jose Anthony. The film was released on 28 April 2022 to widespread critical acclaim. The film was praised for its story, screenplay, dialogues, writing, editing, direction, and performance by the cast.

    The film starred an ensemble cast of Prithviraj Sukumaran, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Pasupathi Raj, G M Sundar, Mamta Mohandas, Sri Divya, Shari, and Priyanka Nair among others. Most of the scenes of Jana Gana Mana are in Malayalam language but some scenes are also in Tamil, Hindi, Kannada, and English languages.

    The film is available on Netflix

    Joseph (2018)

    Joseph is a drama film directed by M. Padmakumar. The film stars an ensemble cast of Joju George, Athmiya Rajan, Malavika Menon, Madhuri Braganza, and Dileesh Pothan among others. The film was released on 16 November 2018 to widespread critical acclaim and highly positive reviews. Actor Joju George won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Character Actor. He also received a special mention at the National Awards.

    Joseph is being remade in Hindi language with actor Sunny Deol surprising Joju George’s role. The Kannada, Telugu, and Tamil remakes of Joseph are already released.

    The film is available on Netflix

    Ayyappanum Koshiyum (2020)

    Ayyappanum Koshiyum is an drama film directed and written by Sachy. The film stars an ensemble cast of Prithviraj Sukumaran, Biju Menon, Anil Nedumangad, Gowri Nandha, and Anna Rajan among others.

    Ayyappanum Koshiyum is one of the most celebrated films of the Malayalam film industry. The film received widespread critical acclaim for its story, screenplay, and writing. They won numerous awards including two National Film Awards.

    The film is available on Hotstar

    Lucifer (2019)

    Lucifer is a 2019 drama film starring an ensemble cast of Mohanlal, Vivek Oberoi, Manju Warrier, Tovino Thomas, Indrajith Sukumaran, and Saikumar among others. The film is directed by popular actor Prithviraj Sukumaran who also made a special appearance in the film. Upon its release, Lucifer broke several records and emerged as one of the highest-grossing Malayalam films ever. The film received highly positive reviews.

    A Telugu remake of Lucifer was released in 2022 where actor Chiranjeevi reprised the role of Mohanlal and superstar Salman Khan reprised the special appearance of Prithviraj Sukumaran.

    The makers of Lucifer are presently shooting for the sequel titled L2: Empuraan. It is one of the most anticipated Malayalam films.

    The film is available on Prime Video

    Anweshippin Kandethum (2024)

    Anweshippin Kandethum is a 2024 drama film directed by Darwin Kuriakose. The film stars an ensemble cast of Tovin Thomas, Siddique, Thomas, Baburaj, Sadiq, and Shammi Thilakan among others.

    Anweshippin Kandethum was released on 9 February 2024 to positive reviews.

    Anweshippin Kandethum is available on Netflix

  • Rajinikanth’s Next Film Will Be Out On This Date

    The official release date of Rajinikanth’s 170th film titled ‘Vettaiyan’ is announced.

    Vettaiyan is scheduled to be released worldwide on 10 October 2024. Vettaiyan is a large scale drama film starring an ensemble cast of Rajnikanth, Amitabh Bachchan, Fahadh Faasil, Rana Daggubati, Manju Warrier, Ritika Singh, and Dushara Vijayan among others.

    The film is written and directed by T. J Gnanavel and produced by Subaskaran Allirajah of Lyca Productions. T. J Gnanavel previously directed the critically acclaimed Tamil film Jai Bhim (2021) starring Suriya. Lyca Productions has produced several blockbuster Tamil, Malayalam, and Hindi films such as Ponniyin Selvan: I, Ponniyin Selvan: II, 2.0, Vada Chennai, and Ram Sethu.

    Film director T. J Gnanavel was previously thinking of signing his last hero Suriya for Vettaiyan. T. J Gnanavel narrated the script of Vettaiyan to Suriya during the filming of Jai Bhim (2021) and the actor proved it back then. But later Suriya dropped out of the project due to his commitment to other films.

    In July 2022, T. J Gnanavel confirmed that he would start working on Vettaiyan with actor Vijay or Rajinikanth in the lead. Later, Lyca Productions officially announced the film with Rajnikanth as the main lead. After working together in film 2.0 (2018), Lyca Productions still had a two film deal with Rajinikanth and this is how Lyca Productions came on board to produce Vettaiyan. The film is made on a budget of 160 crores. It is one of the most expensive Tamil films. The film is shot in many locations such as Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kerala, and Puducherry. The film will release on Amazon Prime Video post its theatrical release.

    The title of the film was announced on 12 December 2023 on Rajinikanth’s 73rd birthday.

    Vettaiyan is set to release on 10 October 2024. Interestingly, the film is set to clash with Suriya’s Pan India film ‘Kanguva’ which releases on the same day. Kanguva is a high-budget fantasy film starring Suriya, Bobby Deol, and Disha Patani among others. The film is directed by Siva and it is one of the most awaited Indian films of 2024. Both Vettaiyan and Kanguva will find it hard to compete with each other in the southern states of India.

    Vettaiyan also clashes with the much awaited Hindi film ‘Jigra’ which releases on 11 October 2024. Jigra is directed by Vasan Bala and produced by Karan Johar and Apoorva Mehta. The film stars popular Indian actress Alia Bhatt as the main lead. While Vettaiyan and Kanguva are originally Tamil films, they will find it hard to compete with Jigra in the northern states of India.

    Vettaiyan is said to be the Tamil debut film of legendary Indian actor Amitabh Bachchan. He previously shared the screen with his good friend Rajinikanth in the 1991 Hindi film ‘Hum’. Vettaiyan is the fifth Tamil film for Malayalam actor Fahadh Faasil, who is highly hailed as one of India’s finest actors. He was last seen in the 2022 Tamil film ‘Vikram’ directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj starring Kamal Hassan and Vijay Sethupathi among others. Fahadh Faasil is playing a comedy dynamic character, similar to what he played in his 2024 blockbuster film Aavesham.

    All the actresses such as Manju Warrier, Ritika Singh, and Dushara Vijayan are playing the female lead in the movie. Baahubali fame ‘Rana Daggubati’ will be seen playing a prominent role in the film. While the superstar Rajinikanth plays the role of a police officer in the film.

    Rajinikanth has played the police officer role in many of his films including his last film J (2023) which emerged as the highest grossing Tamil film of 2023 and the second highest grossing Tamil film of all time. The film grossed over 600 crores globally. J was directed by Nelson Dilipkumar. The film music was composed by popular young singer and music composer Anirudh Ravichander.

    Anirudh Ravichander is also composing music for Vettaiyan. Anirudh is the most demanded music composer in India right now. Previously he has composed music for several blockbuster films such as Master, Vikram, Jailer, Jawan, Beast, and Leo. His upcoming projects are Vettaiyan, Devara Part: 1, and Coolie among others.

    Rajinikanth is amongst the highest-paid actors in India, one of the biggest superstars of the country, and one of the most influential and loved artists in India. Before J (2023) his last big hit film came in 2018 which was the scientific film ‘2.0’. following the success of J, Rajinikanth signed a few more high-budget films including Vettaiyan. While in India Vettaiyan will be released on 10 October 2024, the film will be released a day earlier in many countries. It is the second film of 2024 for Amitabh Bachchan who is enjoying the success of his recently released film Kalki 2898 AD which is one of the highest-grossing Indian films ever.

    Popular Tamil film director Lokesh Kanagaraj who has previously directed blockbuster films such as Leo, Vikram, Master, and Kaithi has signed Rajnikanth for its next. He is also the founder of LCU (Lokesh Cinematic Universe). He founded LCU following the success of Kaithi, the first film installment of LCU. Followed by Vikram (2022), the second installment of LCU, and Leo (2023), the third installment of LCU. All of his films rank as the highest-grossing Tamil films of all time. He will be directing more films for LCU in the future but for now, he is directing a standalone film titled ‘Coolie’ which will star Rajnikanth in the lead.

    Rajnikanth is expected to start shooting for Coolie once Vettaiyan is released. Coolie is set to release in 2025 with several popular Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam actors joining the cast. Superstar Aamir Khan is expected to make a special appearance in the film.

    Rajnikanth will also star in the sequel of J (2023) titled J2. The film will be again directed by Nelson Dilipkumar. At age 73, following a magnificent movie career in India and working in more than 170+ films, Rajnikanth is dedicated and working hard like never before. He is keen on doing massive films.

  • Sikandar: Salman Khan To Shoot A Massive Sequence

    Sikandar is Salman Khan’s comeback film

    The makers of Sikandar are leaving no stone unturned to produce Salman Khan’s next, a lavish, massive, and ridiculous drama stunt film. The makers are spending huge on Sikandar. According to the reports, the budget of the film is over 200+ crores. The drama of Sikandar will be pretty similar to the 2022 Hollywood film The Gray Man which starred Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans in the title role. The film is set to release in June 2025.

    Salman Khan’s upcoming collaboration is with Sajid Nadiadwala and A. R Murugadoss. Sajid Nadiadwala has produced several films of Salman Khan including the 2014 blockbuster ‘Kick’ which he also directed. They have now collaborated on their upcoming project titled ‘Sikandar’. The film will be directed by ace south filmmaker A. R Murugadoss. The film is written by A. R Murugadoss who narrated the script to Salman Khan and Sajid Nadiadwala. The film has a strong social message for the Indian audience. A. R Murugadoss previously has directed several drama films with a strong message.

    A R Murugadoss and Sajid Nadiadwala unquestionably recognize the kind of film audiences love to see these days and the kinds of films that are acknowledged by Salman Khan fans. The makers are shooting for a grand drama sequence on August 22 in Film City, Mumbai.

    Sikandar is a hardcore drama stunt film. The current shooting schedule of Sikandar is 45 days in Mumbai. Later, the team of the film will shoot a major emotional scene at a palace in India. The film will be shot in many locations in India and Europe as well. Rajnikanth’s 2023 blockbuster movie J was the highest grossing film of the year. The makers of Sikandar have hired the same team of J for their movie.

    With no release in 2024, Salman Khan is all set to return in April 2025.

    The film stars Salman Khan in the male lead and Rashmika Mandanna in the female lead. The film stars popular actor Sathyaraj as the main antagonist. Sathyaraj is popularly known for playing the character of Kattapa in the epic Indian movie Baahubali. Sikander also stars Suniel Shetty, Pratik Babbar, Nawab Shah and Chaitannya Choudhry among others. Salman Khan is wholeheartedly dedicated to Sikandar. He recently skipped to host the third season of Bigg Boss 3 OTT as Anil Kapoor replaced him. Though Salman Khan will return to host the TV version of Bigg Boss.

    Producer Sajid Nadiadwala’s wife Warda Khan Nadiadwala recently spoke about Sikandar in an interview. She revealed that Salman Khan is a bit disappointed since his last few films haven’t achieved extraordinary success whereas the Bollywood industry has seen a couple of ‘ATBB’ (All time blockbusters) in recent times. She stated that Salman Khan is committed to working hard and giving everyone a run for their money.

    Also read: Decoding Salman Khan 3.0

    The last several films of Salman Khan have been failed badly. He has delivered hits and profitable films. But his fans are severely bothered about his discerning. Salman’s last blockbuster film came in 2017. It was ‘TZH’ that grossed over 500 crores globally. His 2015 release ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’ grossed over 900 crores globally. He is a mega movie star with several blockbuster films. But his script selection from 2020 to 2023 has been terrible. His last few films such as Dabangg 3, Radhe, and Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan are terrible drama films that suit a young new actor, not Salman Khan who is hailed as one of the country’s biggest superstars. His last film ‘T3’ was one of the most awaited films of the year. It was predicted to gross over 800 crores globally. Though the film achieved success but didn’t perform to expectations. Also, the storyline, screenplay, and direction disappointed many.

    Thankfully, Salman has accepted his mistake after seeing the kind of reception Pathaan, Jawan, Salaar 1, and KGF 2 have received from the audience.

    Salman Khan is now looking to work with experienced big directors from the South Film Industry, collaborate with big producers, and sign interesting subjects. Sikandar is a big drama film with a strong script and a fresh story. Besides Sikandar, Salman Khan is discussing several big films. He has signed several big films in recent times. After Sikandar, his upcoming rumored films are Atlee’s next, Vishnu Vardhan’s next, Bajrangi Bhaijaan 2, Kick 2, and T vs P.

    T vs P is the dream project of Aditya Chopra. Aditya Chopra owns the YRF Universe which has delivered films like ETT, TZH, T3, Pathaan, and W1 led by Salman Khan, Shahrukh Khan, and Hrithik Roshan. The next film is from the Universe Alpha, a female film led by Alia Bhatt. YRF is also producing W2 which is under production. Pathaan 2 is confirmed too. And we might see T4 in some years. But it’s T vs P that would be a dream project for YRF as it will have India’s two biggest movie stars Salman and Shahrukh together for an entire film. And surely this will take several years to come in reality.

    Salman Khan is also discussing a film with Karan Johar. According to the reports, the film is titled ‘The Bull’ and it will be directed by Vishnu Vardhan (director of Shershaah). Salman Khan is also confirmed to star in Jawan director Atlee’s next. The rumored film will have two big movie stars, one from Bollywood and the other one from the Tamil Film Industry. Salman Khan and Kamal Hassan are rumored to star together in this film directed by Atlee.

    Salman is also looking to announce the sequel of his most loved and his most successful film ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’. Kick 2 is also discussed.

     

  • Superstar Vijay’s Maharaja Impresses The World

    Maharaja is Netflix’s best 2024 Indian drama film

    Netflix India’s newest film release has impressed viewers from around the world. The Tamil language Indian film titled ‘Maharaja’ has stunned Netflix viewers with its terrific storyline and tight screenplay. The movie is trending on Netflix all over the world.

    Maharaja is a 2024 Tamil language drama drama film starring Vijay Sethupathi, Anurag Kashyap, Mamta Mohandas, Natarajan Subramaniam, Abhirami, Divya Bharathi, Singampuli, Aruldoss and Munishkanth among others. The film stars Vijay Sethupathi in the title role with Anurag Kashyap as the main antagonist. The film is directed by Nithilan Swaminathan who also wrote the film and the film is produced by Sudhan Sundaram and Jagadish Palanisamy.

    Maharaja was theatrically released on 14 June 2024 in cinemas. The film received positive reviews from critics who praised the story, screenplay, writing, editing, and performance of the lead cast. Reportedly made on a budget of 20 crores, the film grossed over 100 crores globally becoming a commercial success and emerged as the second highest grossing Tamil film of 2024 as of now.

    It is the most-watched film on the digital platform

    After a successful theatrical run, Maharaja was released on Netflix on 12 July 2024. On Netflix, the film received widespread critical acclaim within a few days. The film was trending globally on Netflix. The viewers were stunned, shocked, and surprised by the twist element in the climax of the film. Whereas Vijay Sethupathi was highly praised for his performance. Social media is bursting with users sharing their experiences after watching Maharaja. Many film celebrities from Telugu, Malayalam, and Hindi film industry are flattering the film. Several people who speak and understand only Hindi are enjoying this film since the movie is available in Hindi language. The movie is available in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam languages as well.

    Maharaja is said to be Vijay Sethupathi’s career’s best performance. Though the actor has starred in many films and has performed supremely well. It is hard to call Maharaja his best performance as he is a great artist and performs every role to excellence. The actor even won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor in the 2019 film Super Deluxe. Before Maharaja¸ Vijay Sethupathi starred as the main antagonist opposite Shahrukh Khan in director Atlee’s 2023 pan Indian film Jawan. Jawan is one of the highest-grossing Indian films ever and a landmark film for Vijay Sethupathi. But Maharaja is career career-defining film for him and the Tamil film industry. Maharaja is certainly one of the best Indian drama films of all time.

    Besides Vijay Sethupathi, it was Anurag Kashyap who surprised everyone with his spectacular performance in a negative role. Now, Anurag Kashyap is not a daily actor. He is a noted filmmaker known particularly for directing several critically acclaimed movies and producing films as well. Though, he takes up the acting job in some cases. And definitely, no other actor could have performed Selvam in Maharaja better than him. Anurag Kashyap has received widespread fame and several awards for directing, writing and producing quite a few critical acclaim films such as Satya (1998), Black Friday (2004), Dev.D (2009, Gulal (2009), Udaan (2010), GOW Part & Part 2 (2013), The Lunchbox (2013), Queen (2014), Ugly (2014), Massan (2015) and the widespread critically acclaim TV series Scared Games (2018). Anurag Kashyap has often done cameo or guest appearances as an actor in many films but Maharaja is the first time where he played a full-fledged role as an antagonist.

    Maharaja is written and directed by Nithilan Swaminathan who narrated the script to Vijay Sethupathi. Vijay Sethupathi was mighty impressed with the story and was immediately signed as the lead actor. It was Vijay Sethupathi’s 50th film and was officially announced on 1 February 2023 as VJ50. The film was wrapped up in July after shooting a major portion of the film. Later the title of the film was officially announced. And, Anurag Kashyap, Mamta Mohandas, and Natarajan Subramaniam were announced as the additional lead cast. The music of the film is composed by B. Ajaneesh Loknath, the cinematography is done by Dinesh Purushothaman with the editing is done by Philomin Raj.

    Maharaja was selected as one of the films at the closing night selection at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles and screened in Los Angeles. Recently popular Indian film celebrity Katrina Kaif called Maharaja as a mind-blowing film. The actress recently shared the screen with Vijay Sethupathi in the 2024 mystery drama film titled Merry Christmas directed by noted filmmaker Sriram Raghavan. The film starred Katrina and Vijay in the lead.

    It is reported that popular film actor and one of India’s biggest superstars Aamir Khan has purchased the remake rights of Maharaja and he is all set to produce the film as well. Besides he will star in the lead and play Vijay Sethupathi’s role. The Hindi remake strategy of Maharaja seems to be a disastrous move since the film is available on Netflix in Hindi language and is already seen by thousands of users. The Hindi remake will release at least a year later and the original film on Netflix will be already seen by millions of users. So, the remake idea is already a catastrophe. But surely Aamir Khan can remake the film with a new twist element or bring some changes to the script.

    The remake of Maharaja in any language has not been officially announced yet.

  • Director Duo Raj And DK: The Kings

    Director duo Raj & DK have caused havoc with their shows on the OTT platforms Amazon Prime and Netflix.

    Raj Nidimoru known as Raj was born in Tirupathi while Krishna D.K known as DK was born and brought up in Chittoor. They both went to the same engineering college where they met. The duo went to the USA to pursue engineering but ended up in the film business.

    Raj and DK worked on a short film before making their full-fledged debut. Their debut film was an English film titled Flavours released in 2003. Their second film and their first Hindi film was titled ‘99’ that released in 2009. 99 starred an ensemble cast of Kunal Khemu, Boman Irani, Mahesh Manjrekar, Soha Ali Khan, Cyrus Broacha, Vinod Khanna, and Amit Mistry among others. The film was a moderate success at the box office.

    Raj and DK received widespread recognition and greater success with their 2013 directional Go Goa Gone, a drama comedy film. The film starred an ensemble cast of Saif Ali Khan, Kunal Khemu, Vir Das, Anand Tiwari, and Puja Gupta among others. Though the film was a decent success at the box office. But it became a cult classic film. A sequel titled Go Goa Gone 2 is currently under production.

    Post Go Goa Gone, Raj And DK directed and wrote a few films. Unfortunately, none of their films saw big victory bearing Stree (2018). They together wrote the horror comedy film Stree starring Rajkumar Rao, Pankaj Tripathi, Abhishek Banerjee, Aparshakti Khurrana, and Shraddha Kapoor in leads. The film was a major commercial success. Post Stree, the director duo moved to OTT to direct and produce web shows.

    With over six shows they are truly the king of OTT platforms.

    In 2019, Raj and DK presented the first season of The Family Man for Amazon Prime India. The Family Man is a comedy drama series starring an ensemble cast of Manoj Bajpayee, Sharib Hashmi, Priyamani, Ashlesha Thakur, Vedant Sinha, Neeraj Madhav, Sharad Khelkar, Sunny Hinduja, Dalip Tahil and Shreya Dhanwanthary among others. The first season was released with ten episodes shot in Mumbai, Delhi, Kerala, Jammu and Kashmir, and Leh, Ladakh. The show stars Manoj Bajpayee as a government officer with Priyamani as his wife and Sharib Hashmi as his partner.

    The first season of The Family Man met a positive response and received critical acclaim for its story, script, direction, and performance of its cast members. The Family Man became one of the most-watched shows in just a few weeks. It received widespread and global popularity. The show was immediately renewed for a second season.

    The second season of The Family Man was released in 2021 with its lead cast reprising their roles. Popular Indian Telugu Actress Samantha Ruth Prabhu made her digital debut as the female lead in the second season of The Family Man. Like its first season, The Family Man 2 became a major hit on Amazon Prime and is one of the most-watched shows ever.

    The third season of The Family Man is set to release in 2025.

    Besides, The Family Man, Raj, and DK also directed G & Gulaabs for Netflix India. G & Gulaabs is a black comedy drama series set in the 90’s. The show stars an ensemble cast of Rajkumar Rao, Dulquer Salman, Adarsh Gaurav, Gulshan Devaiah, Vipin Sharma, and Satish Kaushik among others. The show received a positive response and became one of the most-watched Indian shows ever. G & Gulaabs is renewed for a second season.

    In 2023, Raj and DK released their third show and another show for Amazon Prime India. They directed ‘Farzi’ a comedy drama series starring an ensemble cast of Shahid Kapoor, Vijay Sethupathi, Kay Kay Menon, Raashi Khanna, Amol Palekar, Zakir Hussain, and Bhuvan Arora. Farzi was released in 2023 and instantly became the most-watched show in India. The show is renewed for a second season. Farzi was the digital debut of Shahid Kapoor and Vijay Sethupathi.

    After The Family Man Season 1 and 2, G & Gulaabs and Farzi, Raj & DK are all set to release another drama drama series in 2024.

    Their next show is titled Citadel: Honey Bunny and it is an official adaption of the American TV Series Citadel starring Richard Madden and Priyanka Chopra with the Russo Brothers as executive producers. The Hindi version of Citadel: Honey Bunny stars Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Sikander Kher, Kay Kay Menon, Saqib Saleem, and Soham Majumdar among others. The show was announced in January 2023 and the filming was wrapped up in July 2023. Citadel: Honey Bunny is set to release by the end of 2024 or early 2025. The show was released on Amazon Prime.

    Post Citadel: Honey Bunny, Raj & DK will move to Gulkanda Tales which is another show for Amazon Prime. Gulkanda Tales is a comedy fantasy drama series. The show stars an ensemble cast of Kunal Khemu, Pankaj Tripathi, Abhishek Banerjee, Mantra Mugudh, and Patrelekhaa Paul among others. The show is set to release in 2025.

    Raj & DK recently announced another show. the show is titled Rakht Brahmand and is all set to air on Netflix. Rakht Brahmand is a fantasy drama show starring Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Ali Fazal among others. Ali Fazal is popularly known for playing Guddu Bhaiya in Amazon Prime’s blockbuster show Mirzapur. Rakht Brahmand is the third collaboration between Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Raj & DK after The Family Man Season 2 and Citadel: Honey Bunny. Rakht Brahmand is said to be a marvelous dream project for Raj & DK. The show is currently under production.

    As of now, Raj & DK have two shows set to release soon, Citadel: Honey Bunny and The Family Man Season 3. Both shows will release on Amazon Prime.