Malavika Mohanan - CHINCHU RANI - Drishyam 3 -BiggBoss 7 Malayalam

Why is Malavika Mohanan rooting for BiggBoss 7 Malayalam ?  Prive and Family Chunchu Rani shortlisted for Bigg Boss 7 ? it because her co= star Mohanlal is hosting the show that Malavika is all praise for the promo ? Partly Yes. Mainly that the promo is shot by her father the legendary cameraman K U Mohanan . Director is Mridul Nair. The previously released promo had already attracted significant attention from fans. In the video, Mohanlal addressed certain behaviors commonly seen in earlier seasons, cautioning contestants against using familiar strategies such as the "fake card," "safe card," or "victim card." His dialogue included pointed remarks like, "Don't pretend to be an angel. Don't play it safe. If you come to entertain, don't annoy." The teaser also unveils the season’s powerful tagline, '7-nte Pani,' hinting at a high-voltage, mass-filled season packed with drama, energy, and unexpected twists.
Now why did Asianet choose August 3 as launch date ? It is on August 2  that Mohanlal visited Parel Palli with family and used that an alibi to escape from cops in Drishyam. So the date of launch programme shoot of Season 7  has got to do with Drishyam 3 says fans. The possible link could be that Ansiba Haasan who was last year contestant and played daughter to Mohanlal in the film is making her apperance as past contestant and another alibi for Lal and Family. The launch will be telecast on August 3.

Latest buzz is that Raniya Raana heroine of just released film Prince and Family with Dilip has hero is shortlisted for the Season 7. Whether she comes with the first lot of contestants who are to arrive in Chennai or will be a Wild Card entry is not known. She played a blogger crazy girl whose obsession for views leads to her family life being ruined. Raniya Raanaa is trained classical dancer, who is a member of the International Dance Council UNESCO CID Paris.

Raniya began playing the violin, veena, singing, dance. Talking about finding encouragement from her family she said EVT Bharat. "There was never any difficulty from my parents in letting me walk this path of art." She is the youngest of three sisters.
The official list of contestants for this season has not yet been announced.  The final round of contestant selection is reportedly underway. Names like actors Anumol, Binny Sebastian, Jishin Mohan, social activist Maitreyan, and internet personality Renu Sudhi are already creating a buzz on social media.  Names circulating in fan prediction lists include Lakshmi Nakshathra, Adithyan Jayan, Araattannan (Santhosh Varkey),  Beena Antony, Sarath Das, Rohan Lona, RJ Anjali, Naga Sairandhri, Fara Shibla, and Biju Sopanam


The much-anticipated show is set to kick off with a grand launch on August 3, 2025, with non-stop drama available to stream 24×7 on JioHotstar and the premiere airing on Asianet. Contestants will arrive in Chennai and after rehearsals will head for EVP Film City on outskirts of the metro.. The teaser also unveils the season’s powerful tagline, '7-nte Pani,' hinting at a high-voltage, mass-filled season packed with drama, energy, and unexpected twists.

 

A M Ratnam Kollywood TOAST Now Tollywood's ???

 At one time in Kollywood, the name A M Ratnam meant hits and viewers clapped when his banner name came on screen, His success ratio was high. He made films with Kamal Haasan, Pawan Kalyan Vijay, Ajith Kumar, Chiranjeevi, Vikram ,Prabhu Deva and Dhanush. Then we saw that Ajith gave him a three film deal so as to bail him out of a financial crisis. Whether it helped him or not is not known but trade figures show that these films were hits. Later I was told that his two sons – Jyoti and Ravi ‘s ambition to turn Director and hero and Dad funding them were reasons for his downfall. In fact, there is a Kerala connect to Rathnam’s success story. He acquired the rights of film God Father directed by Siddique- Lal and he cast N N Pillai itself in the Telugu version and Bhanumathi for role played by Philomina. He put Sukunya ( Telugu debut) for Kanaka and Jagapathi Babu for Mukesh. He took upon himself the Director’s mantle. It was a blockbuster hit that put Babu in the running. Tasting success, he took Malayalam film Mithunam and remade it with Jagapati Babu and Gautami and also directed it. It was a super flop.

When Ratnam turned Independent Producer after graduating from Vijayshanthi’s makeup man  to her executive Producer for her home Production, many traditional Producers ( ones who are second generation producers) looked at him with shock . Walking around with a small towel on his shoulder he was rolled into a production boy to the BOSS. His success created lot envy. With flops, they all had this look of `I Told You So’. I put him as jury member of our South Screen Awards . Then Editor Rauf Ahmed came to Chennai to meet the jury  members. He got introduced to the jury. After the meeting, he came out and asked me on what basis I had  put Rathnam as jury member representing the Producer’s category as he was a makeup man turned Producer, Rauf said that iconic names from Producer’s list were those that were in Bollywood awards jury member list.

I told him that from Kamal Haasan to many have worked in the banner of Ratnam and his hits total box office figures far outreached the so called iconic banners. I told him that I could have got the icons to give consent to be on the jury but they would not be coming for the screenings. In contrast Rathnam took his job seriously. Anyway in Rauf’s words- Harm has been done and cannot be undone.

I lost touch with Ratnam. Once me and a few Shirdi Bhakths visited the temple that he had built in Chennai suburbs.. Today in Telugu filmdom most talked about name is A M Ratnam. As producer of the film which has Pawan Kalyan as hero , he is facing a barrage of notices from people who have given him money for films that he started and never took off or one that got released but he did not pay back. Read on :

Hari Hara Veera Mallu has landed in unexpected trouble just a few days ahead of its release. A complaint has been filed against the film’s producer, AM Ratnam, with the Telangana State Film Chamber of Commerce by Asian Enterprises for recovery of dues amounting to Rs. 2.60 crore with interest for the refundable advance they paid for the movie ‘Oxygen.’

Another complaint was filed by Mahalaxmi Films against Sri AM Ratnam for recovery of Rs 90 lakhs for the movies ‘Muddula Koduku’ and ‘Bangaram.’ The chamber has requested the distributors of HHVM to cooperate in resolving the matter and help Asian Enterprises and Mahalaxmi Films in recovering their dues before the release of the HHVM in the Nizam region.

It remains to be seen how HHVM producer AM Rathnam will resolve the issue and ensure a smooth release for the movie on such short notice. Stay tuned to 123telugu.com for further updates. The website uploads a circular from Telangana Film Chamber.

If Rathnam clears his debts or still better makes profits, he will come back to Kollywood  and with this film , his son Jyoti Krishna as a Director would arrive. If not ? LETS BE POSITIVE

 

Mohanlal Effeminate Act for Jwellery Ad rocks / Kalyani Priyadarshan Onam Bonanza

Mohanlal appearing in an advt for VINSMERA Jewels is talk of the town and add to it that the ad Director is Prakash the baddie of Thodarum. After seeing the advt, I searched for reactions on the net and I copy paste a post by Karthik on X. I found this concise. Personally I had to revisit the advt to see the name of the client that has footed the bill.

A man yearning for his feminine side in a jewellery advertisement? That's precisely what Mohanlal pulls off with ease here! Directed by Prakash Varma (veteran ad film director and the one who recently debuted as an actor/villain the recent Mohanlal starrer Thudarum), the ad's narrative starts with a routine idea - big star is going to act in an ad and walks into the set. When the jewellery goes missing, there are enough signs for you to see what's going on. But not the why. As in, why would a superstar "steal" that? The 'why' is the ad's highlight. This side of Mohanlal is familiar to his fans, from films like Kamaladalam and Vaanaprastham. While we do have men's jewellery (the Men of Platinum campaigns have been showcasing sports stars like MS Dhoni, Suryakumar Yadav, among others) being endorsed by famous men, they don't go into getting those men to demonstrate or showcase their feminine side. They simply use the jewellery within the confines of 'manliness'. And many jewellery brands use male brand ambassadors already - Malabar Gold (including Mohanlal as a brand ambassador!), Jos Alukkas, etc. have used literally the who's who of Indian male film stars already. In this ad though, Mohanlal seems to be transfixed with the jewellery, removed from a female model's neck moments ago, in a way that he not only remembers his feminine side but also embraces it momentarily... till he is interrupted by Prakash Varma. The idea is particularly admirable in these days of the 'Animal' and Manosphere where men seem to forget XY and imagining that they are the non-existent YY. The only other actor who can pull such a thing effortlessly in India is Kamal Haasan. But Mohanlal is adequately versatile enough too, for this idea. While I admire the gender fluidity showcased in the ad, the larger question is this, though: Would women prefer/crave for jewellery if it is shown as being craved by a man (who happens to be Mohanlal, no less)? Or, would they prefer it if they see how it sits on another woman, Source; Karthik on X

Kalyani Priyadarshan has two Malayalam films slated for release during the Onam festival in 2025: "Odum Kuthira Chaadum Kuthira" and "Lokah Chapter One: Chandra". "Odum Kuthira Chaadum Kuthira", a romantic comedy co-starring Fahadh Faasil, is scheduled for release on August 29th, while "Lokah Chapter One: Chandra", a superhero film with Kalyani as the lead, is expected to be released during the Onam season, but the exact date is not specified. 

Here's a breakdown:

• "Odum Kuthira Chaadum Kuthira":

This film, directed by Althaf Salim, features Kalyani Priyadarshan and Fahadh Faasil in the lead roles. The movie is set to be a romantic comedy with a blend of humor and heartfelt moments. It is scheduled to clash with another film, "Maine Pyar Kiya", on August 29th. 

• "Lokah Chapter One: Chandra":

This film marks Kalyani Priyadarshan's foray into the superhero genre and is the first Malayalam film to feature a female superhero. The movie is produced by Dulquer Salmaan's Wayfarer Films and directed by Arun Gopy. It's described as a visually rich and action-driven story with a contemporary setting. The film also stars Naslen, Chandu Salim Kumar, and Arun Kurian, with Dulquer Salmaan rumored to make a cameo appearance. 

 

Suriya 46 - Ghajini cum Thief / Coolie gets Hindi Distributor/ Lokesh Production over

 

Suriya – Venky second schedule wrap up. The plot we hear is - The vintage like story revolves around a classy Tycoon (Similar shades of Ghajini Sanjay character) and how he falls in love with a simple girl. How they fall in love and make both their families like each other is the concept. There might be a strong twist factor which sets it apart, a quirky Lucky Bhaskar style moment from Venky. Reports suggest that Raveena Tandon and Radhika Sarathkumar also play pivotal roles in the film. At the time of its launch, the film's production banner tagged both Raveena and Radhika in the announcement post on X. Going by the tags, the film's technical team includes composer GV Prakash Kumar, cinematographer Nimish Ravi, editor Navin Nooli, and production designer Banglan. Apart from family angle, the film is described as a heist, noir thriller.

In fact Lawyer marks Raveena’s third Tamil film, following her roles in Arjun Sarja’s Saadhu (1994) and Kamal Haasan’s Aalavandhan (2001). The film is directed by Joshua Sethuraman, known for his debut Gentlewoman, and produced by Vijay Antony’s home banner, Vijay Antony Film Corporation

Film OTT rights according to Times of India has already booked by NetFlix for Rs 85 crores.

The shooting of the upcoming Tamil romantic comedy "Mr. Bhaarath" has been officially wrapped up in July 2025. The film is produced by Lokesh Kanagaraj under his banner G Squad and marks the acting debut of popular YouTuber Bhaarath. It also marks the directorial debut of Niranjan, Bhaarath’s long-time comedy partner. The film features Samyuktha Viswanathan as the female lead, along with Bala Saravanan, R Sunder Rajan, Nidhi Pradeep, Adithya Kathir, and Linga in key roles. Music is composed by Pranav Muniraj, and cinematography is handled by Om Narayan. Samyuktha Viswanathan was born on 19 November 1998. She is an actress, known for Jackson Durai: The Second Chapter, Oh Manapenne (2021) and Chutney Sambar (2024).

Details about Coolie's Hindi distribution, the makers have now announced that Pen Marudhar and Pen Studios will handle the release of the Rajinikanth-starrer across a wider North Indian market. distributed notable South Indian films like RRR, Jersey, Vikram, PS-1 and 2, Vikram Vedha, and Sita Ramam. 

Coolie's third single title Power House is now all set for a grand release on July 22, 2025, and the song's premiere that Tuesday will be marked with an event at Quake Arena, Hyderabad at 9:30 PM. Actor Nagarjuna who plays villain in Coolie, Shruthi Haasan who plays the female lead, and writer, director Lokesh Kanagaraj will be seen alongside Anirudh at this event. 

Coolie's plot on Letterboxd reads,  

"An ageing gold smuggler uses stolen tech hidden in vintage golden watches to revive his old mafia crew. But his plan to reclaim his empire spirals into something bigger, a new universe forged from crime, greed, and broken time."

 

Nayanthara says she is only on INSTAGRAM / Kavin in Two Big Ticket Films

 In an exclusive chat with Zoom, Nayanthara's team spoke to us about her social media presence. On being asked if Nayanthara has an account on X (formerly known as Twitter), they responded "No she does not. Nayanthara has only one social media account, and that is Instagram." Nayanthara currently has 10 million followers Instagram. On her official Instagram page, Nayanthara posts pictures of her husband, director Vignesh Shivan, and her twin sons Uyir and Ulag. The images she posts are usually from special occasions, festivals and their exotic vacations.

An account which has 3.30 million followers on X, under the username NayantharaU is operational with a verified tick, however, it is a fan account dedicated to her. It is not her official account.

About Nayanthara's upcoming films

Bearing her Netflix documentary titled Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairytale, Nayanthara didn't appear in any feature films last year. In 2025, Nayanthara started her year with Test which released directly on Netflix. She has an incredible lineup of a minimum of 7 movies to her filmography in the coming months

She will be a part of Patriot, Mahesh Narayanan's film, headlined by Malayalam superstars Mohanlal and Mammootty. It also stars Fahadh Faasil. She is also busy working on Toxic, starring Yash in the lead, it is directed by Geethu Mohandas. She will also work with Chiranjeevi and Anil Ravipudi currently known as Mega 157. She also plays the lead in the Rs 100 crore film with Sundar C titled Mookuthi Amman.

Apart from that, Nayanthara's films include Mannangatti Since 1960, the Malayalam film Dear Students starring Nivin Pauly, Rakkaiye and Vishnu Edavan's film.

 After Prestigious Prince Pictures production pooja. Kavin next film with Priyanka Mohan as heroine and the Director of the music video that launched composer Sai Abhayankar helming it was launched/ Read ON:

Kavin teams up for the new film with Priyanka Mohan. It was launched with a pooja ceremony in Chennai. The film, tentatively called Kavin 09, is directed by Ken Royson, best known for helming the 2024 web series Kana Kaanum Kaalangal and the music video of singer-composer Sai Abhyankkar’s hit indie track Katchi Sera.

Kavin 09 is a fantasy romantic comedy, the upcoming film will have music scored by acclaimed rapper-composer OfRo. Details regarding the cast and crew of the film will be revealed soon, revealed the makers. Swaroop Reddy is producing under the Think Studios banner.

Just two days ago, Kavin teamed up with director Ram Sangiah, who made a debut with 2023’s Thandatti. The film's shoot is expected to begin soon, the film is produced by S Lakshman Kumar. More details about the cast, crew and other details are yet to be announced. Prince Pictures has previously backed several films including Singam 2, Dev, Sardar, Kaari, Run Baby Run, Lubber Pandhu and upcoming films Mr X, Mannangatti since 1960 and Sardar 2. Meanwhile, Kavin, last seen in Bloody Beggar, he also stars in Kiss, co-starring Preethi Asrani, Mask, co-starring Andrea Jeremiah, and an untitled film with Nayanthara in different stages of production.

 

 

RAJINIKANTH - FUTURE PROJECTS - DREAM COMBOS IN KITTY

 Below is the list of films that Thalaivar has okayed and Of these H Vinoth, Mari Selvaraj and Vetrimaaran have not been confirmed with any production House. The order may change.

1. 
   Vivek Athreya & Mythiri Movie Makers - A commercial Mumbai gangster film. Most likely will be Thalaivar’s next film, followed by his few month break to begin writing his autobiography 
2. Nithilan Swaminathan & Red Giant - That’s right after Nithilan completes another film post Maharaja (Likely with Vijay Sethupathy), he will be teaming up with Thalaivar for a gritty drama. This will be out of his zone completely, and features a beautiful non-linear narration.
3. Lokesh Kanagaraj & Sun Pictures - The biggest action fantasy in Tamil Cinema, fully shot in IMAX. The film was going to happen before Coolie, but due to time constraints they decided to do it after Lokesh completes his LCU.
4. H Vinoth - During Jana Nayagan shoot Vinoth narrated an action thriller to Thalaivar who loved it and asked to develop it. Will happen after Vinoth’s project with Dhanush.
5. Mari Selvaraj - Was going to take off post Karnan, but Mari wanted to begin his period magnum opus with Dhanush first before this one- which Rajini said okay to. That project after many delays and producer changes is starting early next year, so if that film even breaks even then this film will happen right after. A rural political action film- one of the best scripts narrated to Thalaivar in a long time said by himself.
6. Lokesh Kanagaraj & RKFI - Staged to be one of the final projects of Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan, both of them have agreed to act in a violent gangster drama revolving around two aged sons overseeing and navigating their vast empire. One of Lokesh’s dream projects. They have worked together in 21 films in 5 Languages - Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi.It includes 3 Bi-lingual Thappu Thalangal (Tamil - Kannada), Alavuddinum Athbutha Vilakkum (Tamil - Malayalam) and Ninaithale Inikkum (Tamil - Telugu)..Balachander has directed both of them in 7 films Apoorva Raagangal, Anthuleni Katha, Moondru Mudichu,Avargal, Thappu Thalangal, Ninaithale Inikkum and Thillu Mullu.Sripriya acted in 6 films which starred both Kamal and Rajini. This list of films includes Illamai Oonjaladukirathu, Aadu Puli Aatam, Alladinum Arputha Vilakkakum, Aval Appadithen,Vayasu Pilichindi and Natchathiram.Sri Devi acted in 3 films which starred both Kamal and Rajini. It includes Moondru Mudichu, Pathinaru Vayathinile, and Thayillamal Nannilai.Jaya Prada acted with both Kamal and Rajini in 2 films Anthuleni Katha and Ninaithale Inikkum.Both had Guest Appearances in Natchathiram, Saranam Ayyappa and Uruvangal Maralam.Rajinikanth had Guest Appearances in Apoorva Raagangal, Thayillamal Nannilai and Geraftaar where Kamal Hassan played the lead role.Kamal Hassan had Guest Appearances in Anthuleni Katha, Thappu Thalangal and Thillu Mullu where Rajinikanth played the lead role
7. Mani Ratnam & Lyca Productions - A slick and classy spy thriller, with a strong flashback and a present bit to fit the age of Rajinikanth. Highlights the true life of a spy and the challenges they face throughout their personal and professional life
8. . Karthik Subbaraj & Sun Pictures - During Jigarthandha Double X days he narrated a script to Thalaivar which he liked a lot and asked to develop. This is not the same script or similar as Retro it’s a different grey shaded film on the lines of Iraivi.
9. Vetrimaaran - During Viduthalai time he narrated a script which Thalaivar liked and he asked to develop it. Not green-lit yet but in talks. A gritty rural gangster drama.

Rajinikanth Fans worried over Thalapathi comparison / PLOT and Salary

 A recent comment from Rajinikanth, shared by Lokesh Kanagaraj himself, has left fans feeling uneasy. According to the director, Rajini watched Coolie, hugged him, and said, “It looked like Thalapathi to me.”. For one Thalapthi is an iconic movie but not a blockbuster HIT. After Kamal Haasan saying that Thug Life reminded him of Nayakan, audience expected a similar high emotion charged film but was disappointed.. Rajinikanth fans are asking their idol to be cautious with such comparisons. They feel that emotional or exaggerated statements before release can create unnecessary pressure and expectations, Here a collage of Lokesh on Coolie :

Rajinikanth plays an aged grey shaded Coolie with a violent past, and is somehow connected to the massive gold smuggling operations happening in the harbor by major big wigs (Lead by Nagarjuna).

Lokesh Kanagaraj stated that this is his attempt in showing Rajinikanth in a darker and more villainous shade, but in the positive note of Thalapathi.

• Lokesh initially wrote a proper action fantasy for Rajinikanth, which is shot with IMAX cameras and is the biggest budget Tamil film. But the project took too long to materialize after Rajini immediately agreed, so they decided to do it after some time- but the project is on with Sun Pictures.
• Every day on set there were 700–1000 people working on set, and it’s that kind of massive film which talks about the truths of harbor politics and gangsterism.
• It’s been 4 months since shoot ended, and because Lokesh misses Rajinikanth dearly, he visits the shoot of Jailer 2 as much as possible.

It took four months to convince Nagarjuna to do the villain while Rajini okayed it after first half of narration.

Lokesh Kanagaraj himself said that he is taking Rs 50 crores for the film and he has dedicated over two years for Coolie. He also said that Rajinikanth watched the rough cut and he is extremely satisfied. Speaking about post release, Lokesh Kanagaraj said that he would fly away from the world for three days after the release of Coolie. He also expressed his confidence in impressing the audience. Lokesh Kanagaraj has Khaithi 2, Vikram 2, Rolex and a superhero film with Aamir Khan lined up.