STR a Transgender in 50th / Rashmika a slum girl and Dhanush a Dharavi boy in Kuberaa

 During the promotions of his upcoming film Thug Life, with Mani Ratnam and co-star Kamal Haasan, Silambarasan TR revealed that he would play a transgender character in his 50th film. It is a role for a mainstream actor that goes against conventions. The Desingh Periyasamy (Kannum Kannum Kollaiyadithaal) directorial will have music by Yuvan Shankar Raja, who reunites with Silambarasan after collaborating on Vallavan, Manmadhan, Silambattam, Anbanavan Asaradhavan Adangadhavan, Vaanam and Maanaadu. The actor earlier described STR 50 as "a dream project for both me and Desingh. We are pouring our hearts into this!" He is also turning first-time producer for the film, backing it through his banner Atman Cine Arts.

The pilot promo shoot is going to begin any day now, and will happen for 10–15 days. It will be releasing Late May to June. Several VFX companies are working to bring back child Simbu and Dum Simbu with graphics. STR is playing a double role as hero and villain, it’s a period film. Expect Rajinikanth like characteristics. Yuvan has started the musical process and has finished a few tracks and scores. A Pongal 2027 release.

Rashmika posted a series of stories on her Instagram that unveiled the teaser of her upcoming film, Kuberaa. She wrote, "And here we begin... #Kuberaa." Another story, she wrote about her character "So much strenth in her silence... and so much story in her eyes." "Every step... a story, a purpose, a hearbeat." The last story spoke about Dhanush's character, "There's a fire behind his eyes... a story only few can understand."

The teaser offers a gripping glimpse into the film’s intense storyline, with a haunting background score that adds just the right dose of drama. Kuberaa explores themes of power and wealth, tracing the journey of Dhanush’s character—a homeless man from the slums of Dharavi in Mumbai—who rises through the underworld ranks to become a formidable mafia leader.

Nagarjuna steps into a layered and complex role, while Rashmika Mandanna plays a woman quietly yearning for more than the confines of her modest middle-class life. Jim Sarbh adds to the intrigue with his portrayal of a suave, sharp-witted businessman.

The film promises to be a hypnotic descent into a world where ambition knows no bounds and power comes at an unimaginable cost. Titled Trance of Kuberaa, the teaser plunges viewers deep into the morally grey universe of the film, offering a sharper look at its pivotal characters and the chaos they're about to unleash.

 

Kamal - Abhirami liplock faces Mani axe ? / BBMalayalam and Lal / Madras Matinee v/s Thug Life

 Is Mani Ratnam chopping off the liplock between Kamal and Abhirami ? This is latest buzz. The question raised by a Reddit user is : ""It's two consenting adults, but still, they could have cast someone older to be Kamals's wife." …

Many forget that Abhirami and Kamal played wife and husband in Virumaandi. To top it there was a liplock scene that takes place inside a well’s steps. Annalakshmi taking the role of both his wife and his Mother in his life as a substitute of his late grandpa, who he loved so much makes their relationship more divine.

Asianet has started airing the logo of BiggBoss Malayalam. The logo has alphabet ‘L’ on the left side and ‘7’ on the right side  The ‘L’ on the logo indicates Lalettan  ‘7’ indicates the season numberThe logo was released on Mohanlal’s birthday . The Hindi dub of L2: Empuraan has finally arrived on OTT after a record-breaking theatrical run and release in other South Indian languages via streaming. You can now enjoy it on JioHotstar. In addition to its March 27 theatrical release, the political action thriller in Malayalam has been available on the platform along with Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada dubs since April 24. Today's release of the Hindi version enhanced the film's reach to a wider pan-Indian audience.

Madras Matinee starring Sathyaraj- Kaali Venkat is set to take on a day later the gigantic combo of Thug Life Produced by Madras Talkies. Produced by Madras Motion Pictures Productions, directed by Karthikeyan Mani, and starring Sathyaraj and Kaali Venkat, 'Madras Matinee' is a  drama depicting middle-class life and will be released iworldwide on June 6th.

The film's team has released the official poster for the theatrical release of the film, which has created a stir among fans with its first look poster and title look.

The film, which wonderfully portrays middle-class life and its aesthetics on a different platform, has been created to be enjoyed by all fans.

The film stars Sathyaraj, Kali Venkat, Roshni Hari Priyan, Shelly, Vishwa, George Marian, Archana Sandhu, Sunil Sugatha, Madhumita, Sams, Geetha Kailasam, Bhanupriya and many others.


Anand G. K. has handled the cinematography and K. C. Balasarangan has composed the music for this film. Sathishkumar Samuski has handled the editing and Jackie has handled the art direction. The film is produced by Madras Motion Pictures Productions. Moment Entertainment is the executive producer. The film is presented by leading film production company Dream Warrior Pictures.

The film will be released in theaters worldwide on June 6th.

 

Ravi Mohan Net Worth to shrink after paying wife Alimony / Thug Life Trails Aamir Khan's film

Ravi Mohan to  Lose 3.75% Of His Current Assets Per Year – If Estranged Wife Aarti Ravi’s Huge Alimony Demand Met. The actor, who called his wife controlling after 15 years of marriage, enjoys a net worth of 128 crore, as per a report by Asianet Newsable from September 2024. However, paying 40 lakh a month means shelling out 4.8 crore per year to the wife. This would mean that the actor will lose 3.75% of his current net worth every year.

Fight Over Assets

The Kadhalikka Neramillai actor recently sought police help to recover his assets, including his car and other properties, complaining that his wife, Aarti, had barred him from their home. However, later, the matter was sorted out mutually.

Ravi Mohan’s Per Film Salary!

As per IMDb, Ravi Mohan charges 10 – 12 crore per film. His remuneration reportedly jumped as he was rumored to charge a whopping amount of 16 crore for Sivakarthikeyan’s Parasakthi, helmed by Sudha Kongara. However, later, it was reported that all the actors had opted for the profit-sharing model.

Hopefully, the actor and his estranged wife sort out the family turmoil amicably and lead their lives peacefully, choosing their separate ways.

 

 Unbelievable ; Thug Life the coming together of two legends Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam should have been the top in list of most waited film of 2025 of IMDb BUT it is not. Then is it  Aamir Khan film be on the top but it is not. No.1 Film on IMDb’s Most Anticipated List

The most anticipated Indian title on the IMDb top ten list is Sangeeth Sivan’s comedy horror movie Kapkapiii, which will be released in theatres tomorrow.. Yes, Kapkapiii is a Hindi remake of the 2023 Malayalam film Romancham.. Directed by Sangeeth Sivan and starring Tusshar Kapoor and Shreyas Talpade, it is a horror-comedy film. The release date is scheduled for May 23, 2025. 

Sitaare Zameen Par is the third-most anticipated Indian film on the IMDb top ten most anticipated new Indian movies list. On the other hand, Thug Life is trailing behind Aamir Khan’s film on Rank 8 on IMDb. This is surprising because Thug Life will be released two weeks earlier than Sitaare Zameen Par, and the film marks the magical reunion of Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam, who have previously collaborated for the 1987 cult crime drama Nayakan, which came out 35 years ago. So, the buzz surrounding the film should be more intense. But it is expected to catch up soon.

Aamir films comes only after Narivett - 2. Narivetta

• Release Date: 23rd May 2025
• Platform: Cinemas
• Director: Anuraj Manohar

Plot: The Malayalam action-drama features Tovino Thomas, Suraj Venjaramoodu, and Cheran in major roles. The plot is about how a cop is accused of the death of a protester after he tries to speak up for the atrocities against a group of tribals.

Last in the 10^th line up is Bhairavam is the official remake of the Tamil blockbuster Garudan. In an interview, Bellamkonda Sreenivas made interesting comments about remakes.

 

 

 

Thug Life Sugar Baby or Sugar Daddy / / NETFLIX to stream 52 Days later/ Rs 154 cr Overseas Target

 

Thug Life overseas breakeven collection has to be  Rs 154 crores as the selling price is Rs 63 crores (7,362,633.91 US Dollars). The Tamil film "Leo" (2023) earned around ₹199.30 crore (approximately $23.94 million) overseas.

The movie "Vikram," starring Kamal Haasan, grossed approximately ₹122.75 crore (US$15.71 million) in overseas markets. Ponniyin Selvan 2" is estimated to have grossed around Rs 125 crores overseas, including Rs 43 crores from the USA market. The film had strong initial overseas performance, but its screen count decreased, leading to a dip in box office collections

Ahead of the release, Kamal Haasan made a revelation about the film's OTT release and details of when it'll be streamed after its theatrical run. The film will stream online only after a 8 week window.. Confirming the same at the film's promotional event, Kamal Haasan said, “It’s not even an experiment. It was a pragmatic thing to do. And I am glad the OTT agreed. We sat together. It wasn't a negotiation.”

He further added, “It’s a plan which others maybe can follow and will make the industry healthy. And we’re glad that we were the first to be there, to avail of this opportunity.”

For the unversed, the Netflix had already announced that they were the partners for the OTT release of this film. The post read "The Vinveli Naayagan is back—and how?! Thug Life is coming to Netflix in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, and Hindi after its theatrical release!#NetflixPandigai pic.twitter.com/iktkBCQ18I— Netflix India South (@Netflix_INSouth) January 15, 2025"

SUGAR BABY SONG DECODED

Sugar Baby lyric video reveals that Trisha's character which was formerly in a relationship with Kamal Haasan's lead character, has now turned a singer. Sugar Baby in the movie is a song, that Trisha's character's is recording in her own voice, and also filming a music video for.  Sugar Baby has lyrics by Siva Ananth, AR Rahman, rap by Shuba, and vocals by  Alexandra Joy, Shuba, Sarath Santhosh. All songs in Thug Life are choreographed by Kruti Mahesh. Sugar Baby Hindi (Lyrics: Mehboob, RAP: Shuba, Singers: Nikhita Gandhi, Shuba, Shashwat Singh) , Sugar Baby Telugu (Lyrics:  Anantha Sriram, RAP: Shuba Singers: Alexandra Joy, Shuba, Nakul Abhyankar)

From the lyrics it says En Sugar Baby by Trisha and it could be Kamal or STR. Steamy sensual and that too in a white saree and later in black, the song is Trisha all way , It could be that Trisha is a singer and performer of a music video probably for a You Tube channel. Her name is Indrani. Sugar Baby means A sugar baby is a term used to describe a younger person, often a student or young professional, who enters into a relationship with an older, wealthier individual (a sugar daddy or sugar mommy). This relationship typically involves the sugar baby providing companionship, affection, or sexual intimacy in exchange for financial support. Here the Lyricist is confused about it and should have labelled it Sugar Daddy. We get a glimpse of a bearded guy and it is Kamal no doubt.

Roja Madhoo is back / Meiyazhagan with Shahid - Ishan / Sports choreographer joins DQ Game Over

The first look of the Malayalam film Chinna China Aasai, featuring Indrans and Madhoo (formerly Madhubala) in the lead, was released on Monday. Renowned Tamil filmmaker Mani Ratnam officially unveiled the poster. Notably, it takes its title from the popular song from Mani Ratnam’s 1992 film Roja, which starred Madhoo as the titular protagonist.

Chinna Chinna Aasai, shot entirely in Varanasi, is written and directed by debutant Varsha Vasudev, who previously helmed the short film Ente Narayanikku. The upcoming film is produced by Abhijith Babuji under the banner of Babuji Productions. Its technical crew includes cinematographer Faiz Siddik, editor Reckson Joseph, and music director Govind Vasantha.

Madhoo was last seen in Malayalam in Manotharangal, an anthology series based on MT Vasudevan Nair's stories. Up next, she is also part of the Vishnu Manchu-starrer Kannappa, which has cameo appearances by Mohanlal, Prabhas and Akshay Kumar.

Indrans, meanwhile, is part of Suriya's upcoming film directed by RJ Balaji.

   Shahid Kapoor, who last appeared in Deva, a remake of the Malayalam film Mumbai Police (2013), is all set to appear in another remake. Reportedly, Shahid Kapoor and Ishaan Khatter are all set to star in the Meiyazhagan Hindi remake.

he latest reports from the Bollywood circles suggest that Shahid Kapoor and Ishaan Khatter are all set to star in the Meiyazhagan Hindi Remake, with Shahid playing the character of Arvind Swamy while Karthi’s part will be played by Ishan.

As of now, there is no official announcement on this, but it is expected to be out soon. We should wait and see if this remake news is true or not reports Track Tollywood. The Tamil film was produced by Suriya and directed by Prem of 96 fame. The Director is doing the 96 sequel and whether he will do the remake is not known.

roped in noted sports choreographer Rob Miller to handle the cricket scenes in the film. RDX-fame Nahas Hidhayath is directing the film, which is headlined by Dulquer Salmaan. As confirmed by the makers, cricket is an integral part of the film's narrative, and Rob's expertise in staging and choreographing the sport portions is certain to prove handy. He earlier took on the role in Indian films like Chak De India, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, 83, Jersey, Chandu Champion, Maidaan, Azhar, Mary Kom, etc. Notably, Rob was also part of The Zoya Factor, in which Dulquer played the role of the Indian cricket team's captain.

I'm Game is jointly scripted by Sajeer Baba, Bilal Moidu, and Ismail Aboobacker, with dialogues by Aadarsh Sukumaran and Shahabas Rasheed. Along with Dulquer, the film stars Antony Varghese Pepe in a prominent role. The team is currently filming the cricket portions featuring him in Thiruvananthapuram. Dulquer is yet to start shooting for the film.

I'm Game also stars Tamil actor-director Mysskin, Kathir, Samyuktha Viswanathan. Its technical crew includes cinematographer Jimshi Khalid, music director Jakes Bejoy, editor Chaman Chakko, action choreographers Anbariv, and production designer Ajayan Chalissery. It is produced by Dulquer Salmaan and Jom Varghese under the Wayfarer Films banner. Apart from Malayalam, the film will be released in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, and Kannada.

 

Thalapathy Vijay Jana Nayagan crucial scene rights for Rs 4.5 cr / Jhanvi Kapoor slammed

 

As per reports, a crucial good touch bad touch scene from Bhagavanth Kesari, will be included in Jana Nayagan as per actor Vijay's insistence. As per Telugu 360 website, Sahu Garapati, the producer of Bhagavanth Kesari has sealed the deal and quoted for Rs 4.5 crores.

When it comes to Nandamuri Balakrishna, it’s always spread that he gives speeches that are laced with not-so-understandable Telugu poems, and slaps fans and other anger issues. But then, beating all this negativity into the sky, director Anil Ravipudi made sure that he delivered the right message to everyone through Balayya’s powerful stardom. And the iconic good touch bad touch scene is a testimony of that.

The ‘good touch bad touch’ scene from Bhagwant Kesari stands out big time as the message is powerful for young girls about when should they worry about a man’s touch.

The way Balayya details the scene with his powerful expressions and explains to girls that one should not touch them at particular places is something needed for society right now. The likes of hero Rahul Ravindran felt that this powerful communication coming from Balayya would reach everyone in a week which other mediums will take ten years.

In a recent interview with BBC Asian Network, Bosco Martis talked about choreographers being left out while talking about hit songs. While he praised Vicky Kaushal for gracefully giving credit to him for his hit song Tauba Tauba, he talked about Chuttamalle from Devara going viral with no credit for him. "I wish Janhvi would have spoken about it in her promotions, but fine, it's okay.", said Bosco with a smile. He added, "If they don't realise it, I think, then they don't realise it. So, you do your work, and maybe it's a switch I don't know!" Going back through Bosco interviews , he had given gone gaga over NTR Jr dance movements in the song and kept silent about Jhanvi.

'Chuttamalle' song from Jr NTR and Janhvi Kapoor’s film Devara: Part 1 was an instant chartbuster. Although the song initially faced criticism and backlash for plagiarism, it continued to receive support from Jr NTR fans. The song was also trending high for the number of reels and memes that were made.

Nayanthara-Vignesh Shivan's Twin Sons

Nayanthara-Vignesh Shivan's sons are the latest fans to vibe to NTR and Janhvi Kapoor’s super hit song Chuttamalle. The couple’s twin sons, Uyir and Ulag are a huge fan of music director Anirudh Ravichander's rendition. A video shared by Vignesh shows his sons humming to the song while in a car as Nayanthara captures the adorable moment. The songs also recreated Anirudh's famous hook part 'aah' just at the right time – much to the mom Nayanthara’s awe.

 

Thugfluencers Event Report/ Nagarjuna Back in BB Telugu/ Kubera Tamil goes cheap/ Samantha shifts OTT

 The Thugfluencers Event

REDDIT Discussion; Tamil cinema has completely collapsed to the point where they must now rely on a group of so-called social media influencers with at least 10,000 followers to market their work. The majority of these individuals are untrustworthy, hate-mongers, cringe content producers, and truly have no idea what the movie industry is all about.

The end of this era must be imminent.

Omment; GSKGalaxy

•1d ago

Kanni

say what u will, i think the PR team for the movie knows exactly what they are doing. they obviously dont gaf if these so-called "influencers" know shit about the film. but each of them will make their own instagram reel about the experience, and the fact these many influencers are making a reel about it wld drive the popularity of the film to make sure the ordinary person would watch it. or at least make them aware of it.

ps: tho i still dont know why they thought it was okay to call this THUGFLUENCERS. its sending me istg 😭😭😭

 Mid Day reports The launch was an extraordinary affair—The Thugfluencers Event- it was an experience, a full-blown, immersive festival for fans, creators, and influencers who descended from across the country to witness the storm that is Thug Life.

About the trailer launch event

The evening saw the titans of the film grace the stage—Kamal Haasan, Mani Ratnam, A.R. Rahman, Silambarasan TR (STR), Trisha, Abhirami, and Ashok Selvan—each met with roaring applause and standing ovations. As the trailer rolled on giant screens, the atmosphere electrified with gasps, cheers, and goosebumps. Kamal Haasan’s fierce transformation and magnetic screen presence, Ravi K. Chandran’s arresting visuals, and Rahman’s soul-piercing score came together in a montage that evoked power, pain, and purpose. At its core, Thug Life promises a saga of revenge and betrayal, told through the eyes of a man who refuses to be tamed.

The evening also featured candid talk sessions with the cast, where Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam opened up about their collaboration after 36 years. Rahman spoke about how the score is as much a character in the film as the protagonist. STR, Trisha, and the supporting cast shared their experiences of working under Mani Ratnam’s legendary direction and matching steps with Kamal Haasan's powerhouse performance.

To everyone’s pleasant surprise, the Hindi trailer of Thug Life was also unveiled on time, which is not often seen in the case of pan-India biggies. So, in this case, the makers deserve full marks. Thug Life has agreed to Multiplex Associaton of North India to not release the OTT before 8 weeks of the theatre release and so major theatre chains are to screen it in North India. Trailor reviews are positive. Koimoi  reports ; Overall, Thug Life’s trailer promises a crazy ride filled with high-octane action sequences and drama, over a power struggle, of course, with a Mani Ratnam touch.

Nagarjuna Akkineni will return for Season 9 of Bigg Boss Telugu and will reprise his role as the host. There is no change in his contract, and Balakrishna is not stepping in.

Bigg Boss Telugu began with NTR hosting the first season, followed by Nani for the second. From the third season onwards, Nagarjuna took over and has been successfully anchoring the show. In contrast, for the Tamil version, Vijay Sethupathi recently replaced Kamal Haasan, which sparked speculation about a host change in the Telugu version as well.

Initially, it was rumored that Vijay Deverakonda would host the upcoming season to appeal to a younger audience. Later, reports claimed that Nandamuri Balakrishna would take over, riding high on the popularity of his talk show “Unstoppable with NBK.”

However, all these remained mere speculation. Nagarjuna is officially returning to host the show once again. ( telugucinnema.com)

List of probable BB Malayalam contestants are out and no change in host is to take place as Lalettan is very much committed to the show. More so after Empuran L2 was bought by JioHotstar.

Kubera The film’s Tamil Nadu theatrical rights have been bagged by Romeo Pictures, and the rights are said to be valued at 20 Cr on an MG basis. To achieve the target, 40 Cr gross is enough for the film to achieve breakeven, which is for sure a great deal for the distributor, as Dhanush’s Kuberaa’s Tamil Nadu rights have been underpriced. The reason for the film being sold at such a moderate price is that it was projected as a Telugu film, as it has been directed by a Telugu director. The situation is much more similar to Dhanush’s other bilingual movie, Sir [Vaathi].

For the Sir movie also, the same happened, as it did extremely well in Telugu and collected more than 40 Cr gross in Telugu states, whereas in Tamil Nadu it closed under 40 crores.

Samantha Changes OTT platform says no to cut in fees

Samantha Producer of Subham has now signed a deal with JioHotstar for OTT rights after refusing to take a cut in price offered by Zee who had agreed to buy the OTT and TV Telugu rights. Post theatrical release, the film got mixed reviews and an average status at box office.