Who is Trisha?

Trisha is playing Jessie, a Mallu Christian in Goutham Vasudev Menon’s ‘Vinnaithandi Varuvaya’. Her co-star Silambarasan is doing an aspiring filmmaker, who wants to make it big in cinema, say sources.

Claiming that the movie would be as breezy as Goutham Menon’s maiden venture ‘Minnale’, sources say the knot of ‘Vinnaithandi Varuvaya’ was conceived from one of the real life experiences of the director.

“Even ‘Minnale’ and ‘Varanam Aayiram’ too were inspired by Goutham’s life. ‘Vinnaithandi Varuvaya’ would be a trend setting movie in love genre. Get ready for a different experience,” they say with all hope and optimism.

Echoing them, Silambarasan says, “Though I have already done many action films, I always wanted to do something like ‘Minnale’. ‘Vinnaithandi Varuvaya’ happened thankfully. It is going to be one of the important movies in my career.”

Even Trisha too says the same. ““It is a soft romantic story. It is close to reality and hence, it is so close to my heart. I am happy to work with Silambarasan, my good friend, and Goutham Menon.”

Courtesy:indiaglitz.com

VTV audio will be available online

Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya’s audio was launched amidst much fanfare in London, last month. It is the first Tamil film for which AR Rahman had scored music after winning the coveted Oscar award. VTV audio rights have been lapped up by Sony Music India. The film stars Silambarasan and Trisha and has been directed by Gautham Menon. VTV is expected to hit the screens in February and the music will be available from January onwards.

According to the press release, “The music of VTV will be released physically on CDs & Cassettes across the world and via Amazon online retail store. Digitally VTV music will be available on iTunes, Nokia Store, and iPhone application on the first week of January… A user who downloads the songs on his iPhone or iPod will not be able transfer it to any other
unauthorized device.”

Courtesy:behindwoods.com

‘VTV’ songs from Jan 12

For Rahman fans, this year’s Pongal celebrations would start from January 12 itself. The reason is- audio CDs and cassettes of ‘Vinnaithandi Varuvaya’, the music composer’s first Tamil venture after winning the Oscars, will be available in stores from coming Tuesday.

The music album of the Silambarasan-Trisha starrer, directed by Goutham Vasudev Menon, was released in London recently. The function was attended by top musicians in the United Kingdom, besides select guests from Chennai.

‘VTV’ is the first film for Goutham and Rahman to work together. “I am happy that Rahman’s first film after the Oscar honour is directed by me. His music is one of the major highlights of the movie,” says the filmmaker.

Heaping praises on Rahman, the movie’s heroine Trisha says, “I am a great fan of Rahman since my school days. I was literally flying when I was told that he would compose music for ‘VTV’. I had the opportunity to interact with him. He was so simple and humble.”

Courtesy:indiaglitz.com

The controversial director is back

Deepa Mehta will begin the shooting of her film, which is based on Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children. The book, incidentally, won the Booker Prize. Deepa is a critically acclaimed and controversial director who has directed films like Fire and Water.

As quoted by the IANS, Mehta said, “We’ve just finished the screenplay and we’re going to do the casting in the next couple of weeks. We hope to start filming in September.”

For the time being it looks like Nandita Das, Seema Biswas and Shabana Azmi will be cast in the film for sure. There are also reports that Rani Mukherjee could be signed up.

Courtesy:behindwoods.com

‘Endhiran’ action on train

If an action sequence is filmed on top of a running train then that scene is sure to become one of the highlights of the movie. Movies like ‘Senthoorapove’ in which Vijayakanth and Ramki ran all over the train to fight the villains was one of the much talked action scenes of the nineties. Director Shankar later filmed a memorable train action sequence for his ‘Gentleman’.

Now Shankar is doing it again. And this time it is going to be bigger and better because it is for ‘Endhiran’. Film lovers would not have forgotten the hair rising train action scene in ‘Murattukalai’ in which the super star performed some scintillating actions. The train fight in ‘Murattukalai’ is by far the best action sequence on a moving train so far. The classic action deserves special status because it was done at a time when special effects were very rare and computer graphics was no where. Director SP Muthuraman has himself stated on many occasions that the super star performed most of the stunts with out a dupe for the sequence.

Now Shankar has just completed the shoot of an action scene on a train for his ‘Endhiran’. The location was Lonavala near Mumbai. As the location comes in the railway heritage corridor between Mumbai and Pune special permission was granted by the railway ministry at the behest of our Home Minister P. Chidambaram. Here too the Super Star has performed the action scenes without using body double under Peter Hein master.

When two greats in Shankar and Rajini are coming together for a similar scene you can expect it to be the mother of all actions.

Courtesy:indiaglitz.com

‘Endhiran’ on the Web

We already know Director Bala has his own website to update his activities to his fans and well wishers. Now we learn that ace director Shankar also has reworked his website. Though the site is not updated periodically the site has enough reasons to make it more special than any.

What’s so special? Shankar’s site has the latest working stills and more of ‘Endhiran’ the film. Some of the Rajini pictures show Rajini at his prime youth and at most stylish. Surely a treat for his fans.

What is the reason for Shankar to refurbish his site? Media have been constantly complaining the non availability of ‘Endhiran’ material for publicity.

Shankar being a media friendly person always thinks of innovative ways to keep the media happy and he finally decided to renovate his website and uploaded the photos of ‘Endhiran’ for others to see and use.

Shankar has more online activities planned as the release date gets closer. Watch out fanatics!

Courtesy:indiaglitz.com

Shankar blogs about Endhiran!

Director Shankar’s blog will give you all the information you have been looking for, including his films, both directorial as well as production ventures. The director will answer all the queries that he receives as and when time permits.

Well, the latest news that all of us are eagerly waiting for is about Endhiran. According to the blog, about 90 per cent of the film’s shooting has been completed and the team had recently returned from Pune and Lonavala.

Check out the news about Endhiran and treat yourself to the film’s stills at http://www.directorshankaronline.com/!

Courtesy:behindwoods.com

International standards at Rahman's conservatory

A.R. Rahman’s brainchild, the KM Music Conservatory in Kodambakkam, Chennai now boasts of international faculty brought together from various parts of the world, all of them products of the most prestigious schools of music. The faculty consists of alumni of the Boston Conservatory, the University of California, the Trinity College, the Royal College of Music and many other such esteemed names. With such an imposing line up of musicians in the faculty, the quality of musical instruction available at the KM Music Conservatory is, beyond doubt, of an international standard.

The conservatory, of which Rahman himself is the principal, offers course programs affliated by the Middlesex University. The programs include a preparatory program (2-5 years), a foundation program (1-2 years), a degree program (three year) and a diploma program (2 years).

The conservatory envisions expanding the horizon of musicians in India by offering education in both Indian and Western music besides music technology and its mission is to provide students with a strong artistic, intellectual, and technical foundation. The KM Music conservatory can serve as a model for other similar institutions to be set up in India to enhance the quality of music and musicians produced by our country.

Courtesy:behindwoods.com

Endhiran - Latest Images

Courtesy:oneindia.in

Vinnai Thaandi Varuvaaya ~ Latest Images

Courtesy: vikatan.com

Hosanna... from VTV makes a splash!

Academy award winner AR Rahman’s first Tamil film album Vinnai Thaandi Varuvaayaa (VTV) after he got the Oscars, is creating tsunami waves with fans even before the official release of the album!
A 30 second clip from VTV, “Hosanna..” sung by Blaze, Vijay Prakash and Suzanne has been released on youtube. It has created a stir among fans of ARR, who are still waiting eagerly for the official audio launch of the film by Sony Music in India in the first week of January 2010.
The clipping has been taken from AR Rahman interview in London on the BBC world news, talking about Vinnai Thaandi Varuvaayaa music translated very romantically as “Will you cross the skies for me?”
VTV directed by Gautham Vasudev Menon, a past master in song picturisation has Silambarasan and Trisha in the lead. The ‘Hosanna’ song simply rocks with superb choreography by Flexy Stu ( the guy who choreographed the “Adiye Kollathu..” in Vaaranam Aayiram) and picturised on Simbu and Trisha in Malta, by cameraman Manoj Paramahamsa.
Flexy Stu is Bollywood hunk Hrithik Roshan’s favourite choreographer and they have done hit commercials including the Hide-n-Seek biscuit. In his upcoming film, Kites, Hrithik Roshan and Kangana Ranaut learned the difficult dance steps from Flexy.

The views expressed in the article are the author's and not of Sify.com.



Courtesy:sify.com

I’m waiting for the Grammys: Rahman

They’re being held on January 31, at LA, and the Oscar-winning music composer has won two nominations for his soundtrack from Slumdog Millionaire. The song Jai Ho – which fetched Rahman two Academy awards and a Golden Globe – has been nominated for ‘Best Song Written for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media’ and also for ‘Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media’.

Rahman, naturally, is pleased. “The Grammy is as exciting as the Oscar. It’s the ultimate music award, isn’t it? Although it’s a nomination for a  film song, the Grammy is still another shot in the arm for Jai Ho. Any recognition is welcome.” Not strangely, he feels a huge sense of responsibility. “I hope I never let down my country, my people, my music, my family and myself,” said the music genius who has just returned home from Los Angeles.

Rahman, meanwhile, is unhappy with the outcome of his first Hollywood soundtrack. “The music of Couples Retreat got a good response. But I feel my music was not used properly. I guess you can’t expect music to have much of a place in a comedy. They were more into laughter than music,” he complained, adding, “The music has all been used. But not the way my fans would expect. I was prepared for the outcome when I entered this project.” So he’s not really disappointed by his first foray into Hollywood. “If I had waited for the perfect Hollywood vehicle, I might have had to wait endlessly. It’s not easy for an Asian to enter into Hollywood camps. It’s a new beginning for me. I got great reviews.”

He’s got a lot of offers but also has a tough schedule this year to be able to give any more time to new commitments. And, contrary to rumours, acting is not one of Rahman’s forthcoming commitments. “That’s completely false news,” he said shocked. “I am not going into acting. I’m going to be speaking in a documentary on my friend, the  musician P J Mortan. We’ve known each other for some time. He collaborated with me for a track in Couples Retreat. That’s it. I’ve no aspirations to go into acting. God has given me one skill and I’m very happy with it.”


Courtesy:timesofindia.com

Oscar winner Rahman’s three albums being released in the near future

Oscar winner musician A.R. Rahman’s (Slumdog Millionaire) three albums will be released in the near future, according to reports.

“Sivaji the boss” (Hindi version) has seven tracks and Rahman himself has sung one song “Aandhiki Tarha” in it with Sayonara on the lyrics of Raqueeb Alam. Directed by Shankar, its lyrics have been provided by Nitin Raikwar, Raqueeb Alam, and P.K. Mishra.

“Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa” (Tamil), on the Sony Music label, also has seven tracks, including theme track “Mannipaaya” sung by Rahman himself with Shreya Ghoshal. Lyrics for this film, which are in Tamil and Malayalam, have been provided by Thamarai, while it was directed by Goutham Vasudev Menon.

Adlabs produced animated “Sultan The Warrior” (Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, English) is directed by Soundarya Rajnikanth.

Indo-American statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, commended multi-talented and innovative Rahman for bringing East and West closer through music and for making the world look at Indian film music more seriously. Diversity of his styles and themes was appealing to different sections of the society, Zed, who is chairperson of Indo-American Leadership Confederation, added.

Rahman, who has reportedly recorded sales of over 300 million, was called “Mozart of Madras'' by Time magazine. Rahman sees music “as a way to connect to spirituality and embrace it” and for “creating harmony in troubled times”.

Copyright mediaforfreedom.com

Courtesy:mediaforfreedom.com

Sony bags Rahman's Tamil, Telugu projects

Sony Music has bagged the music rights of  A R Rahman's next project Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya. The music was launched earlier this week at the Bafta Awards with much fanfare.

Divulging the marketing plans for the project, Sony Music Southern Repertoire head Ashok Parwani says, "We intend to make Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya a crossover album as we believe A R Rahman as a brand and this music has the power to transcend language and regional barriers. We will service the song videos to all leading music channels – Tamil and National as AR Rahman has a universal reach. Apart from servicing of songs on the radio and the web, we have a lot of on-ground and retail level innovations planned out in the form of road shows, special contests with instant gratifications, meet and greet with the cast and crew. On the digital and mobile front, we have a lot of innovations planned including the iPhone application – which will be a global first for Sony Music India."

The music label has also bagged Rahman's next regional project. "We also have A R Rahman’s next Telugu blockbuster 'Puli' one of the most awaited movie of the year in the Telugu industry," Parwani adds. The movie stars Pawan Kalyan, Nikisha Patel and Manoj Bajpai and is directed by SJ Suryah.

Widening its regional portfolio Sony would also release the music of Rajnikanth starrer “Sivaji – The Boss” in Hindi. Talking about the Hindi projects whose audio rights Sony Music has bagged Sony Music marketing director Sanujeet Bhujabal says, "As far as the other Hindi projects are concerned, we have three big projects, but we will be announcing them in the next couple of months."

Courtesy:radioandmusic.com

Rahman voted Indian of the Year 2009 by India Today online poll

Music composer A.R. Rahman, who won 2 Oscars for his score in Slumdog Millionaire, was voted the Indian of the Year 2009 in an online poll conducted by www.indiatoday.in.

Rahman got 27 per cent of the votes polled by visitors to the website. The Mozart of Madras was followed at some distance by Congress general secretary and Amethi MP Rahul Gandhi at 17.42 per cent (also the highest ranking politician) and cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar at 16.67 per cent.

The top performing industrialist was Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata who got 12.5 per cent of the votes. Among other politicians, former Andhra Pradesh CM Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, who died in a helicopter crash in September, scored 8.7 per cent of the votes followed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at 7.9 per cent, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi at 4.2 per cent and BJP parliamentary party chairman L.K. Advani at 2.7 per cent.

The only nominee not to get even a solitary vote was former Jharkhand CM Madhu Koda, who has been charged with massive corruption during his tenure.

The other contenders were Telangana Rashtra Samithi chief K. Chandrasekhar Rao, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Home Minister P. Chidambaram, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray, item girl-turned-TV star Rakhi Sawant, killer opener Virender Sehwag, Unique ID card project chief Nandan Nilekani, badminton player Saina Nehwal, film actor Amitabh Bachchan and Team India skipper M.S. Dhoni.

Courtesy:intoday.in

Reliance Big Pictures looks for a big 2010

2009 proved to be a good year for Reliance Big Pictures. Paa and 3 Idiotsturned out to be two of the successes of the year. Now Reliance Big is hoping that 2010 will turn out to be a bigger year. It has lined up a mixed bag of offerings ranging from mainstream masala to regional and art house films.

Take a dekko at its slate for 2010:

• Kites, produced by Rakesh Roshan and directed by Anurag Basu starring Hrithik Roshan, Barbara Mori, Kangana Ranaut and Kabir Bedi, will have its release in Hindi and English simultaneously.
  
  
• Well Done Abba, produced by Big Pictures in association with Sahyadri Filmsand directed by Shyam Benegal stars Boman Irani, Minissha Lamba, Sammir Dattani, Ila Arun, Sonali Kulkarni, Ravi Kishen, Rajit Kapur, Ravi Jhankal and Yashpal Sharma. It is slated for a January 2010 release.
  
  • Mani Ratnam’s Raavan in which Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya RaiBachchan will be seen together on screen for the first time is a modern day adaption of Ramayan. The film is being readied in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu for a 10 August release.
  
  
• The Vinay Shukla-directed Mirch stars Konkana Sen Sharma, Raima Sen, Shahana Goswami, Shreyas Talpade, Rajpal Yadav, Boman Irani, Sushant Singh, Arunoday Singh and Prem Chopra among others. The film, scheduled to release in 2009 got stuck because of the multiplex strike and is to release later this year.

Says Big Pictures CEO Sanjeev Lamba, “2009 was a challenging year for us. We had targeted to release 18 films in 2009 in late 2008. Who knew that we would have to face a long multiplex strike then. We released only 11 films while the rest got delayed for several reasons.
"But, on the whole, the year 2009 was a year of satisfaction for us and we are very happy. With Kites, Well Done Abba, Raavan and other films which would be releasing till the middle of next year, we are hopeful that next year too would be an equally good year for us.”
Big Pictures also has eight regional languages that would release next year.
Prominent among them are Shaji Karun’s Malayalam film Kutty Srank starring Mammooty, Kamilini Mukherjee, Padmapriya and Meenakumari. Then there is Rituparno Ghosh’s Bengali film Abohomaan starring Dipankar De, Mamata Shankar, Ananya Chatterjee, Jishu Sengupta and Ria Sen.
They are followed by Buddhabed Dasgupta’s Bengali film Janala starring Tapas Paul, Swastika Mukherjee and Indraneil Sengupta. Then we have the M S Sathyu directed Ijjodu starring National award- winning actress, Meera Jasmine and Anirudh in the lead roles. Finally,there is a Tamil film titled Singam directed by Hari starring Surya and Anukha. It will release in the second quarter of next year.



Courtesy:www.indiantelevision.com

Bollywood's New Year treat

It’s time to bid farewell to 2009 and welcome a swanky treat from Bollywood in the coming New Year. All the movies are dated to release back to back in the first half of 2010 leaving little scope for the previous film to survive at the box office.
Interestingly, all the bigwigs of B-town will be contending at the box-office to prove their prowess and popularity week after week. Year 2010 will certainly put an end to the long standing dispute over the ‘Number One’ position in Bollywood. But before the drama unfolds, let’s take a sneak peek at what Bollywood has in store for you in 2010.

Salman Khan’s ‘Veer’ is scheduled for release on January 22nd, which is said to be his dream project. Veer incidentally is an epic saga of bravery.  The movie has been directed by Anil Sharma and has music by the famous duo Sajid Wajid.

A week later it will be Amitabh Bachchan’s ‘Raan’ dated to release on January 29. Raan has been directed by Ram Gopal Verma and the film focuses on the press and exposes reality behind the headlines flashed every day.

Then comes the reigning Khan’s most awaited venture ‘My Name is Khan’ on February 12, bringing Shahrukh and Kajol together back on silver screen. Karan Johar makes a comeback into direction after a break of four years. My Name is Khan is based on a muslim child who has Asperger Syndrome which is also known as Autism.

It will then be followed by Farhan Akhtar’s ‘Karthik Calling Karthik’, a romantic thriller starring Deepika Padukone in the lead.  There is also Amitabh Bachchan’s starrer ‘Teen Patti’ based on world's greatest living mathematician. Sources from the industry say that one of these films may get proponed and not release on the same date i.e. February 25th.

Mani Ratnam’s magnum work ‘Raavan’ is all set for release on the 21st May, Starring Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai. Raavan will be Mani Ratnam’s present day version of the Indian epic Ramayan.

Next is Prakash Jha’s biggest venture ‘Rajneeti’ on the 28th May, which reflects contemporary Indian Politicians.  Katrina Kaif will be playing a de-glam role of a politician for the first time. She has also learnt the dialect of U.P. for the role.  Sources also say that her role is based on Sonia Gandhi’s life.



Courtesy:indiainfo.com

A High Note

A project with Mick Jagger, a new studio in Los Angeles and two Grammy nominations.A.R. Rahman has his eyes on the world

It’s been a good year, perhaps the best so far, in A.R. Rahman’s career. If he had a fantastic start with a BAFTA trophy, a Golden Globe and two Oscars for Slumdog Millionaire, Rahman is closing the year with equal shine – two Grammy nominations, one for Slumdog Millionaire in the Best Compilation SoundtrackAlbum category and the other for Jai ho in the Best Song Written For Motion Picture category, alongside Gulzar. This weekend, he was also felicitated by the Trinity College of Music in London.
Rahman subscribes to the philosophy that Slumdog... made him popular. “It was written,” says the musician, without a second thought. “Whether I consider my Sufi teacher’s prediction years ago or this odd incident last year when a gentleman walked up to me and said that I would win an Oscar in 2009. It didn’t seem plausible then, but now, when their words have come true, how can I believe otherwise?” he says.
The Academy win was a proud moment for any Indian but for a musician, the Grammy is more coveted. For Rahman, it’s a double feat because the song that shot him to global fame, Jai ho, was his “most troublesome track”. “The team had sleepless nights for one month to meet the deadline for submitting entries for the Academy Awards,” says the musician, who also had to confront the loss of chief sound engineer H Sridhar and later, the terror attack in Mumbai. “But when I held that Oscar in my hand in Los Angeles, I sensed that I had done each of my fellow countrymen proud. I hoped that I had eased some pain,” he says.
The Oscar led to a wave of interest in his work among top international artistes. First,Pussycat Dolls jived to Jai ho, then Snoop Dogg named the promo single of his album Malice n Wonderland the title Snoop Dogg Millionaire, which featured Jai ho’s singer Tanvi Shah. Now, Rahman is working with composers Dave Stewart and Mick Jagger on a project, the details of which he doesn’t divulge much. He’s also set up his own studio in Los Angeles. “It’s tough to concentrate when you are like a migratory bird. If I am not in a space I am used to, I feel disoriented,” he says.
Rahman would rather not get disoriented by the flood of international work either. Refusing to jostle for projects, he says, “I want to focus on building long-term relationships. It’s good to get to know more international artistes. In the West, a lot can happen over coffee but I want to take up projects in which I can get personally involved.”
The musician is also planning to conduct an international concert series in 2010. The venues aren’t confirmed but will most likely include Dubai, London and a couple of cities in the US. Back home, though, the music of his recent release, Blue, was a rare disappointment.
Rahman isn’t too worried: “It’s important to strike a balance – if you don’t feel right and are not satisfied, there is no way the music will work.” Hits abroad and a flop at home, however, doesn’t deter the musician from where he began. Playing down rumours that he will do fewer Indian projects, he says, “I am happy to be finally working on Indian projects after nearly a year. I already have the Tamil film Vinnai Ehandi Varavaya, whose music releases this week, Mani Ratnam’s Raavan, Abbas Tyrewala’s 1-800-LOVE and Rajnikant’s Robot.”
With such a busy calendar, the reclusive Rahman can no longer ignore the incessant media and public attention. So, he’s changing himself a bit. “I am making an effort to be more open. After all, if I have adopted the role of musician, I better live up to it,” he says. During his concerts in Pune, Delhi, Hyderabad and Kolkata, the shy musician got off the stage to shake hands with and talk to the audience. To push Brand Rahman further, he has also ventured into merchandising, selling Rahman T-shirts and launching a calendar.
The highs, though, haven’t come without compromises, he admits. “My personal life has taken a back seat and I struggle to spend time with my family. I try to skip many events and have refused to accept four honours in the past. These are no justifications but one has to make compromises-some visible and some not-so-visible.”



Courtesy:screenindia.com

Rahman visits Pedda Dargah

Oscar winning music maestro AR Rahman along with his family members visited Ameer Peer Dargah today and offered special prayers on the occasion of Muharram.

Bollywood director Abbas and another film personality also visited Pedda Dargah along with Rahman. After taking the blessings of the religious heads, Rahman left the dargah without talking to the media.


Courtesy:expressbuzz.com

A.R. Rahman marketing his “Best” album

Oscar winner musician A.R. Rahman (Slumdog Millionaire) has come up with “The Best of A.R. Rahman” album which is selling at his official web-Store for 16.49 dollars.


Titled as “The Best of A.R. Rahman: Music and Magic From the Composer of Slumdog Millionaire”, this CD by Legacy label claims to compile “much of A.R. Rahman’’s finest work in one comprehensive package”.


It lists 14 tracks: Rang De Basanti, Khoon Chala, Barso Re, Tere Bina, Mayya, Ghanan Ghanan, Radha Kaise Na Jale, Dheeme Dheeme, So Gaye Hain, Gurus of Peace, Yeh Rishta, Ae Nazneen Suno Na, Shakalaka Baby, and Warriors in Peace (Hindi version).


Acclaimed Indo-American statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, commended Rahman for creating pride and respect among India’s youth about their own rich musical heritage. Zed, who is chairperson of Indo-American Leadership Confederation, credited Rahman for opening new doors to East-West relationship in music.


Rahman, who has reportedly recorded sales of over 300 million, was called “Mozart of Madras”” by Time magazine. Rahman sees music “as a way to connect to spirituality and embrace it” and for “creating harmony in troubled times”. (ANI)


Courtesy:www.duniyalive.com

Endhiran action scenes in Lonavala

Rajinikant has done some daring action scenes in a moving train for his Shankar directed Endhiran, in Lonavala. The scene also featured Aishwarya Rai and was choreographed by action director Peter Haynes.
Lonavala lies between Mumbai and Pune and is a beautiful hill station. The producers Sun Pictures has managed to get one of the most picturesque locations to shoot a train sequence.
Normally train sequences for Tamil films are shot either in Ooty or Shenkottai controlled by Southern Railways. For the first time Lonavala in Central Railways is being used for a Tamil film, giving it an all new look.
Amitabh Bachchan has written in his blog - “ I had a surprise visitor Rajinikant in my room at the Fariyas resort in Lonavala. He is shooting forRobot with Aishwarya in and around Lonavala and dropped in for a chat as he had seen my Paa.”

The views expressed in the article are the author's and not of Sify.com. 



Courtesy:sify.com

Vinnai Thaandi Varuvaayaa to be launched globally

Gautham Menon is back again with yet another sizzling and highly anticipated flick, Vinnai Thaandi Varuvaayaa (VTV), a romantic movie produced with an international audience in mind. Silambarasan and Trisha Krishnan adorn the leading roles. The music is scored by the Oscar Winner, the one and only, A.R.Rahman. 'Vinnai Thaandi Varuvaaya' is the first audio launch in Tamil for Rahman after he brought home Oscars and the Golden Globe and expectations are high among audiences. The lyrics are by Thamarai and the editing done by Antony.

The film was shot in many picturesque locations including the beautiful Malta islands near Italy and various locations in the U.S.A including the Big Apple, New York City, and various scenic spots in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The audio of the film first rocked the public on a calm Saturday, 18th December in London at a glamorous function presided by A.R.Rahman himself with playback singers giving live performances to a full theater. It was received very well by the public and is sure to raise the anticipation levels. “The music is really great, so are the visuals in the songs. I expect it to be a blockbuster” – says Shanker Koladi who attended the audio launch in London.

The movie is scheduled to release on 12th February 2010, very close to Valentines Day. Vinnai Thaandi Varuvaaya has seven songs as part of its music album. The music will available exclusively on Sony Music and will be released on January 7th, 2010 internationally. Two95 Entertainment, Inc has bagged the distribution rights and will be releasing the movie in major cities of US, Canada & Europe on February 12th. Since it is releasing during the Valentines season, distributors are expecting a huge opening for VTV.

Courtesy:behindwoods.com