Mohanlal to play Saravana Bhavan Annachi / Conjuring beats Indian releases, Anirudh under Fire

 the Vettiayan director narrated his long-pending Dosa King project to Mohanlal, and the project may materialize this time.Suriya’s Jai Bhim, which was released on OTT, received huge acclaim, and the director, Gnanavel, made Vettaiyan with Rajinikanth, which emerged as a failure and did not get much positive response from the critics either.It is said that the film is based on the real-life story of Saravana Bhavan founder Rajagopal, who was sentenced to life imprisonment on charges of murder. Mohanlal is on a high note in his career as he scores three back-to-back successes in 2025.

The term "Dosa King of Chennai" refers to P. Rajagopal, the founder of the globally renowned Saravana Bhavan restaurant chain, which specializes in South Indian cuisine, including dosas. Despite his culinary success, Rajagopal was convicted of murdering a former employee and died in 2019 while facing a life sentence for the crime. 

Unexpectedly, The Conjuring: Last Rites overshadowed all the releases this weekend, emerging as the audience’s first choice to watch. With more than 317K tickets sold in the last 24 hours on BookMyShow, this Hollywood horror film beat the rest in both word-of-mouth and sales. AR Murugadoss’ Madharaasi trailed behind with over 212K tickets sold in the same period.

The final installment of The Conjuring franchise was released in multiple languages, including Telugu, and earned around Rs. 21 crore on day 1, becoming the biggest opening day ever for a Hollywood horror film in India.

A Hollywood movie is leading the way, and it remains to be seen whether Indian films will outshine it today or in the coming days in terms of sales.

Anirudh test work for Madharaasi has received only average response. Fans feel that beyond the film’s own flaws, Anirudh’s music no longer sounds fresh or engaging. Once he could uplift even average films like Jailer with strong background scores, but now doubts are rising about his spark. The BGMs often feel repetitive, missing the creativity that defined his earlier style. Recent tracks have failed to go viral, except Monica from Coolie, which also faded quickly. Projects like Madharaasi, Coolie, Kingdom, Vidamuyaarchi, and Vettaiyan have been widely criticised as mediocre. Anirudh is now under pressure to bounce back. In the coming year, he has several big-ticket films lined up, including Pradeep Ranganathan’s Love Insurance Company, Vijay’s Jana Nayagan, Rajinikanth’s Jailer 2, Gautam Tinnanuri’s Magic, Nani’s Paradise, and Shah Rukh Khan’s King. These films will test his consistency.

Why Sridevi did not work in Baahubali ? / Aamir- Lokesh film shelved

 In an interview with Komal Nahta, Boney Kapoor blasted producer Shobu Yarlagadda of Baahubali over her claims that his deceased wife, Sridevi made unreasonable demands as a condition for signing S S Rajamouli’s two-part epic. Boney began by saying, “The film with Rajamouli, Baahubali, didn’t happen. But I still have a message sent by Rajamouli, stating that he was a fan of Sri as an actor but after interacting with her, his respect for her has increased manifold because of the inputs that she had given (for Baahubali).”

When asked why she didn’t work in the film, Boney Kapoor revealed, “It was a misunderstanding created by the damn producer. Rajamouli came home and we had a lengthy discussion. When the commercials were being talked about, he left the room. That producer offered her money which was less than what she got for English Vinglish (2012). My wife was not a struggling actor. By casting her, the producer would have got some advantage in the Hindi and Tamil speaking markets. If he was not going to respect that aspect, then why would she work in his film? I guess producer ne yeh cheez Rajamouli ko nahin batayi thi. Rajamouli was told that she demanded a full floor of the hotel, entourage etc. The only thing we had requested was to try and plan the big schedule when the children have holidays so that they can also attend.”

Boney Kapoor further said, “During English Vinglish’s outdoor shot, I paid for the hotel room and flight tickets of the kids. I used to stay in Sri’s suite as it had two bedrooms. So, these producers were the culprits who fed the wrong things to Rajamouli. I am a witness to it and I can say it to the producer’s face. In one of the interviews, Rajamouli said that she asked for a full floor of the hotel and an entourage. Aisa kuch nahin tha. If it were the case, why would D Ramanaidu work in 6 films with her? Why would K Raghavendra Rao work in more than 20 films with her? Why would Rakesh Roshan work with her in 3 films and Yash Chopra in 4? Would they have cast her repeatedly if she were unprofessional?”

Boney ended his answer by explaining, “There was no regret that it didn’t happen. But the way it didn’t happen was wrong. They could have said that they can’t afford to pay so much. The producer is related to K Raghavendra Rao. He told K Raghavendra Rao a different figure. He told him that he was offering a huge amount to Boney and yet we declined. It was a lie. I told K Raghavendra Rao, ‘They never offered this money’.”

Latest buzz from Bollywood is that Aamir Khan is not to do the film with Lokesh due to several reasons. Primarily, the portrayal of aamir in Coolie is not what the actor has expected. What was told to him and what came on screen was different. Aamir shot for 10 days and only a fractured version came on screen. It lead to many trolls from Aamir fans. Apart from this the bad vibes from Coolie has made  damaging effect. Apart from this Lokesh is now concentrating on the own production Benz and his debut as hero and then shift to Kaithi 2.

Madharaasi : Treat for action lovers and SK fans. For other’s ??

 Overall Madharaasi is an average action thriller which is better than many biggies in both Kollywood and Tollywood till now like Hari Hara Veera Mallu, Game Changer, Vidaamuyarchi, Thug Life, Coolie, Kingdom.

It is far better than ARM’s last 5 films (Akira, Spyder, Sarkar, Darbar and Sikandar).

But don’t expect a cracker of a film and go. You will be disappointed.

Negatives

• Second Half screenplay has many issues
• Story is pretty generic
• Love scenes are cringeworthy
• Songs except Vazhiyiren, Thanga Poove and Salambala are pretty mediocre. BGM is okay. Madharaasi is the worst album in Anirudh and SK combo when compared to other albums like Ethir Neechal, Maan Karate, Kaaki Sattai, Remo, Velaikaran, Doctor, Don.
• Lengthy film which is a major minus. Could have ejected out a few scenes
• Concept of that gun culture is good but execution wise a bit faltery.
• 
  
  
  

• Positives

  • Sivakarthikeyan’s performance - be it dance, fights, comedy and acting, he aces it all. He has transformed into a complete package of entertainment. He is doing good in all departments.
  • Sivakarthikeyan’s character arc is good
  • Rukmini Vasanth looks cute
  • Superbly choreographed fight scenes
  • Interval scene is as usual has the typical A.R.Murugadoss’ touch which is very good
  • Other characters like Shabeer, Biju Menon, Vikranth, Vidyuth Jamwal had done a very good job
  • Technically sound film with excellent cinematography, production values, making and editing
  • Screenplay in first half is engaging

Udhaynidhi son Inban heads Red Giant / Keerthy back after marriage /Anushka new promotion

We had reported that Udhaynidhi son Inban had joined a financial head of Red Giant Now has a significant change in its journey as it gets its nsew CEO, Udhayanidhi Inban. Inban Udhayanidhi, the son of actor and politician Udhayanidhi Stalin, is stepping up to run Red Giant Movies, a production company that his dad started back in 2008. The news was announced while they shared that they have got the theatrical rights for Dhanush’s Idli Kadai. Red Giant Movies kicked off its film production journey in 2008 with Kuruvi, starring Vijay and Trisha and directed by Dharani. The banner also made Aadhavan in 2009, followed by Manmadhan Ambu in 2010, 7 Aum Arivu in 2011, Oru Kal Oru Kannadi in 2012, Neerparavai the same year, Vanakkam Chennai in 2013, Manithan in 2016, and Maamannan in 2023.

This year, the banner dropped two films: Kadhalikka Neramillai, directed by Kiruthiga Udhayanidhi, and Thug Life, from Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam.. The Tamil Cinema fans are excited to learn that Red Giant Movies’ new CEO is Inban Udayanidhi. Reportedly, he is said to have concentrated on taking the banner to a huge level with some path breaking combinations, with a few discussions already underway.

Keerthy Suresh has finally signed a new project, nearly nine months after her marriage. The actress, who was said to be eagerly looking for offers, saw her efforts pay off as a new film was formally launched today. This marks her first film since tying the knot with Antony Thattil in December 2024. Now, in September 2025, she is back on sets with a Tamil project where she plays the lead role alongside noted director-actor Mysskin. Reportedly, the film will be female-centric.

Zee Studios, which is producing the project, announced on social media: “We marked the beginning of our much-anticipated project, Production No. 9 starring @keerthysureshofficial and @directormysskin, with a pooja ceremony today.”

Meanwhile, Keerthy is still said to be in talks for Telugu projects, as fans await her return to Tollywood.

Instead of media interaction, Anushka  has started a new trend of audio promotions for Ghaati, her upcoming release.

Anushka’s phone conversation with Rana went viral and she also promoted Ghaati today through audio interactions. The film’s production house UV Creations arranged a twitter interaction with fans and movie lovers today. Anushka has interacted and responded through audio conversations. The actress called promotions crucial for any film and she also said that Ghaati is a special film. She also heaped praise on Prabhas calling their chemistry is wonderful on screen. Anushka during the promotions said that she has signed more films and she will be busy from the next few months.

 

Audience Mistake - Not Mine - Lokesh about Coolie / Rajinikanth Still Overseas Darling

 

I do not make films to suit the audience. I am never said that Coolie is a sci-fi film or part of LCU, If they went with different expectations then I am not to be blamed.- This is  what Lokesh Kanagaraj Director of Coolie has to say about the film not fulfilling audience expectations.

Rajinikanth’s Coolie is in the final stage of its box office run. The film’s box office collections stand at 510 Cr gross worldwide for 20 days. It’s a pretty good total considering the film received unfavorable WOM and reviews.

Coolie Area-Wise Collections

Tamil Nadu: 148 Cr
AP/TG: 69 Cr
Kerala: 25 Cr
Karnataka: 42 Cr
North India: 48 Cr
All India Gross: 332 Cr
Overseas Gross: 178 Cr
Worldwide: 510 Cr

Coolie in the final stage of Box Office Run: To end as an average fare

The 20 Days Box Office Collections of Rajinikanth and Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Coolie are decent. This week, several new films are getting released in theaters, and this action drama is also not posting big numbers now. The film is likely to close around 520 Cr, with around 87% recovery, and settles at an average status at the box office and as the 4th biggest grosser of Kollywoo

Rajinikanth’s Coolie crossed another milestone at the box office. The film becomes the 10th film in South Indian Films to cross $20M+ in overseas gross. Superstar Rajinikanth has three films in the list, with Prabhas following him with two movies. Overall, Rajinikanth and Prabhas lead the list of South Indian films to cross $20M+ in overseas gross collection.

Here’s the list of South Indian films with $20M+ overseas gross collection:

• Baahubali 2
• 2 Point O
• RRR
• KGF 2
• PS-1
• Jailer
• Leo
• Kalki2898AD
• Pushpa2
• Coolie

As said above, at the age of 75, Superstar Rajinikanth still competes at the box office with 3 movies in the list, with Prabhas having 2 movies. 

Thalapathy Vijay has 1 movie with Leo, while Allu Arjun has Pushpa 2. Yash has one film with KGF 2. Ram Charan and NTR have RRR, while Vikram/Ravi Mohan/Karthi have one film with Ponniyin Selvan-1.

 

 

Pawan Kalyan OG First ticket Bought for Rs 5 Lakhs / Lokesh Drops Sam / Lokah in Hindi

 Now another twist comes with Kaithi 2’s music director choice. A few days back, Sam CS said in an interview that Lokesh said that only he needs to compose Kaithi 2. 

However, in his latest media interaction, Lokesh Kanagaraj said that he will not direct a film without Anirudh, and the latter will be the music director for all of his films. This means that the music of Kaithi 2 is also confined to Anirudh, which will definitely hurt Sam CS and even audiences too.

Lokah is a 5-Part Epic Franchise

The director reveals that Lokah is planned as a 5-part movie saga! All five stories were locked even before Chandra went on the floors in part one. Right from the opening scene of the very first film, there is a hidden clue about the ultimate villain of the series.

With the astonishing success of Lokah, the audiences are excited about the other films, and they will expect very big and grand films from this franchise.

The film was made on around a 35 Cr budget, but its visual quality has stunned everyone as it was so brilliant. Many felt that even movies with more than a 100 Cr budget fail to bring such quality.

The team has now confirmed that the movie will soon be released in Hindi. While the exact date hasn’t been revealed, the announcement itself is a big push, especially since the film continues to add shows in multiple centers due to audience demand.

If the Hindi version clicks, it could open new ground for the film at the national box office. It would also mark another milestone for Malayalam cinema breaking barriers across languages.

Apart from Kalyani Priyadarshan, the cast includes Naslen, Sandy Master, Tovino Thomas, Sunny Wayne, and Dulquer Salmaan, who also produced the film. Music is by Jakes Bejoy.

The film, produced by Dulquer Salmaan’s Wayfarer Films and directed by Dominic Arun, has collected around 80 Cr gross in 5 days, and it will easily do more than 200 Cr gross in its full run.

Tocket for Pawan Kalyan movie OG auctioned through X has been bought for Rs 5 lakhs. This buyer gets the distinction of having bought the first ticket in Nizam area, After this auction ended obly the ticket sales were opened. Yet another thing is that the money from this auction goes to Pawan Kalyan's Jana Sena party fund.

The Hindi dubbed version of Maargaan starring Vijay Antony 's Tamil film premiered on Jio Hotstar, according to a recent report by Ormax, Maargan (Hindi) is the third most-watched film for the last week in India, i.e., August 25 to August 31, amassing a solid viewership of 2.2 million views, competing with the new titles like Kingdom, Thalaivan Thalaivii, and Maa.The Tamil version performed decently in theatres, but the Telugu version didn’t leave much impact. Maargan’s Tamil and Telugu versions recently arrived on Prime Video and fetched a good response.

Vetrimaaran no ro Production / Did Shah Jahan build Taj Mahal ? Rukumani Big Leage

 Vetrimaaran is all set to shut down his production house, Grass Root Film Company. He says being a filmmaker gives him freedom, but being a producer puts a lot of pressure on him. 

Bad Girl will be his last film as a producer. He has produced a lot of movies, including the national award-winning film Kaak Muttai.

Coming to the direction, Vetrimaaran is now working with Simbu for a film, and after this project, he will start the shoot of Vada Chennai 2 with Dhanush.

The teaser for Bad Girl, a Tamil coming-of-age movie with Anjali Sivaraman, hit the internet on January 26th. Anurag Kashyap and Vetri Maaran are the presenters of the movie, written and directed by Varsha Bharath.

Rukumini  has Madharaasi, starring Sivakarthikeyan, scheduled for this week, 5th September release. Rukmini Vasanth also has a big film in her upcoming streak, Kantara: Chapter One, which is scheduled for a 2nd October release.

The actress is also the female lead of NTR-Neel’s film, Dragon, which is announced for a June 2026 release.

Rukmini is part of all these big films. Along with Yash’s Toxic, announced for summer 2026 release,  She rose to fame with the Kannada movie Sapta Saagaradaache Ello: Side A

 ‘The Taj Story’ recently won the Best Film award in the international category at the Global Business Awards 2025, held at the House of Commons in London.According to industry sources, the film was under the Censor Board’s scanner for several months. The reason for the long delay was its “sensitive content,” which directly revolves around the history of the Taj Mahal. The film fearlessly explores untold stories and questions the official narrative of the world-famous monument.

The Taj Story is not just a typical historical film; it’s being described as a “cinematic debate.” The story’s central theme is fueled by the ongoing discussion about the Taj Mahal’s true origins. It directly tackles the question: Was it truly built by Shah Jahan, or does history hide a more complex and concealed truth? With a powerhouse performer like Paresh Rawal leading the charge, audiences are expecting a truly powerful and thought-provoking experience.

The film is all set for a grand nationwide theatrical release on October 31, 2025

The challenge for the makers was immense. The writer-director, Tushar Amrish Goel, and the producers were asked to submit “extensive proofs and documents” to support the historical claims and arguments made in their film.

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