Asin in 'Marma Yogi'

Rumours are agog that Asin would share screen space with Kamal Haasan again after 'Dasavatharam'. Sources say Asin has been assigned to do a cameo in 'Marma Yogi', to be directed and enacted by Kamal Haasan. 

Kamal Haasan has managed a casting couch with who's who of the film industry to be a part of the project. Shriya, Trisha, Hema Malini and Venkatesh have already agreed to do prominent roles in the film. 

The buzz is, Kamal has opted for his star cast to do rehearsal in Chennai before commencing the shooting. The star cast will gather and perform a mock performance before going to the floor. 

Asin is considered by Kamal Haasan as his lucky mascot.

Courtesy: indiaglitz.com

Chakravarthy looks up to RGV

The grapevine is abuzz that J D Chakravarthy is playing the villain opposite superstar Rajinikanth in Shankar’s Enthiran. 

J D Chakravarthy (TOI Photo)

Ask him about it and he says with a smile, “Even I got to know about my role in the movie from others. I was surprised when my friends called up and congratulated me. But that isn’t the case. There is no truth in these rumours.”
Chakravarthy, whose performance in Ram Gopal Varma’s Sathya earned him accolades, is currently busy with Vishnuvardhan’s Sarvam.

The actor, who remains tight-lipped about his role in the film, is all praise for the director. “After Sathya, Sarvam impressed me a lot. It’s a fantastic film. If all directors know what to do, Vishnuvardhan knows what not to do,” says Chakravarthy. Prod him a little more for information about his role in the film and he finally relents by saying, “Arya and I are both well represented in the film. My character is that of a suppressed and angry man.”

So, how did his tryst with movies begin? “When I turned 14, I decided to enter films. I knew that I had to struggle as I was not a chikna and had no six-pack. My sister encouraged me saying that I was a born actor. I had a friend who worked in Annapoorna Studio owned by Telugu star Nagarjuna. To try my luck, I went to the studio and a young man in his 20s walked up to me and asked if I was interested in acting. I swear, no one else could have given a screen test worse than mine. I was very nervous when I realised that I was standing in front of the person who was going to decide the future course of my life. To my surprise, when I went to the studio the next day, I was told that I was selected. So, that’s how Shiva happened.”

From the beginning, Ram Gopal Varma and Chakravarthy have shared an excellent rapport. So, how does he explain the chemistry that brought about this lasting bond between the two? “If I were a woman, people would have decided that we were having an affair. Ram Gopal Varma is my inspiration. Every time I lose hope, Ramu recharges me. He is my godfather,” he says.

The actor has also starred in Mani Ratnam’s award-winning masterpiece Kannathil Muthamittal. What does the actor have to say about the acclaimed director? “If you compare Ramu and Mani, they are two opposite poles. If Ramu deals with physics, Mani deals with chemistry. Ramu is a bundle of surprises but Mani hates them. Both are experts in their own way of film-making,” he says.
Chakravarthy was also supposed to do Mani Ratnam’s flick Thiruda Thiruda which later went to Anand.

The actor’s latest Telugu film Homam has brought him laurels and projects have been flowing his way.

Chakravarthy, who is recovering from an accident that he suffered on the sets of Sarvam in which he broke his collar bone and fractured two ribs, is getting into the thick of the action once again.

On his upcoming projects, he says, “I am now making a sequel to Homam called Maran Homam. I’m also doing a Telugu film that talks about the integrity of the police system. Ramu has approved the Telugu version but I am planning to make it in Tamil too. I am also producing two films.”

An actor, director, singer, music director and now producer...with varied avatars, is Chakravarthy planning another Dasavatharam? “Before I reach Dasavatharam, Kamal would have reached a hundred avatharams. He is a genius. I am a great fan of Kamal and Rajinikanth,” he signs off.

Courtesy: indiatimes.com

Marmayogi: Shooting starts October

Kamal Haasan's magnum opus Marmayogi is all set to start shooting shortly. The big budget film is expected to cost over 120 crore, reportedly the most expensive Indian movie so far. Yester years dream girl, Hema Malini has already been signed up for the film. She had graced the audio release function of Kamal Haasan’sDasavathaaram, also spelt Dasavatharam, a while back.
Trisha had already committed herself for the film with bulk dates of about 200 days, which means that she will not be able to shoot for any other movie during that time. Though this meant turning down several plum offers in Telugu and Tamil, she jumped at the chance to work with Kamal Haasan and to get the role of a life time with the great actor.
Working with Kamal is so prestigious that leading heroine Shriya Saran has agreed to play the second heroine in Marmayogi as well. Pyramid Saimira and Kamal Haasan's Raj Kamal films will be producing this magnum opus to be directed by the maestro Kamal himself. Previously, Kamal Haasan had directed Hey Raam and Virumandi, both critically and commercially acclaimed masterpieces. The movie will reportedly be made in four languages: Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Hindi.
The shooting is all set to kick off in Sweden in October.


Courtesy: galatta.com

Trisha in Marmayogi?

It's not official, but the buzz is that Trisha is going to play heroine to Kamal Hassan in his ambitious big budget extravaganza Marmayogi.

Sources close to the development say that Raj Kamal Films and Pyramid Saimira, the producers of the film will make the official announcement in a few days.
Remember last week Kamal had lashed out at the media for getting hyper about Marmayogi reporting. Kamal in his statement had said- "I am well aware that the respected members of the fourth estate are keen on being the first with the "scoop". We request those who indulge in such inaccurate reporting to contact our respective publicity departments, who will furnish you with accurate information on a need-to-know basis".
Anyway those close to Trisha say that she is very happy these days, because it was always her dream to do a film with her all time favourite actor. They say that the busy actress has agreed to dole out bulk dates for Marmayogi, the shooting will start by mid September and complete in a single schedule.
Actually Trisha had missed out on Dasavatharam, as she could not accommodate her dates for the film. It is a major boost for her to be paired with the living legend of Tamil cinema.

Courtesy: sify.com

Kamal snubs Bharathiraja

Director Bharathiraja has always been known to court controversies, of all kinds. And he has also been taking potshots at Kamal Hassan, his protégé, from time to time. And Kamal too never seemed to mind the comments coming from his mentor who gave him the phenomenal hit ‘Pathinaru Vayathinile’ plus many other memorable hits. But this time Bharathiraja appears to have gone overboard and Kamal too chose to react.

Bharathiraja had criticized Kamal’s ‘Dasavatharam’ for lacking in ‘proper script and screenplay’ and he is also reported to have said that ‘Dasavatharam’ had nothing called a ‘story’. Kamal, as usual, chose to remain silent when these comments came up.

Meanwhile, Bharathiraja’s daughter’s marriage is scheduled to take place in Malaysia, in a grand manner. And Bharathiraja has decided to take most of the industry’s VIPs to Malaysia for the wedding at his own expense. And for this, he has instructed his assistants to collect the passports of those on the list of invitees. When these assistants approached Kamal to get his passport, Kamal is reported to have sent them back, saying curtly that he has got to spend more time in writing a ‘proper script’ for his ‘Marmayogi’ so that next time Bharathiraja wouldn’t be criticizing his work. He reportedly said that since he has to concentrate on ‘script-writing’, he won’t be able to come to Malaysia.

Courtesy: msn.com

Kamal Haasan's Rs 150 crore film!

After the success of his last Tamil film, Dasavathaaram, Kamal Haasan  has already started work on his next project titled Marmayogi. The film, which is touted to be Kamal Haasan's answer to Hollywood movies like Gladiator and Braveheart in sheer grandeur, comes at a cost of a whopping Rs 1.50 crores!

A state-of-the-art camera called Red Eye would be used for shooting. Since the camera's daily rent is around Rs 30,000, the producer is planning to purchase a brand new one instead of hiring it.

The film is set against the backdrop of the seventh century BC. Kamal is planning to use up the video footage he had shot for his 'on-again, off-again' project Maruthanayagam. At least, by doing so, he can ensure that some part of the amount spent for Maruthanayagam is used up in a useful manner.

Another interesting thing about the movie is that Hema Malini , who played a brief role in Kamal's Hey Ram, has been roped in to play a negative role -- her first such role in an illustrious career spanning more than three decades.

Courtesy: rediff.com

Marmayogi = Maruthanayagam?

With the commencement of Marmayogi, it's time for controversies to take centre stage. The recent buzz that has been doing rounds in Kollywood is that Kamal Haasan is trying to revive his dream project Maruthanayagam and pass it off as Marmayogi. A few years ago, the ambitious actor started Maruthanayagam amidst much fanfare. It may be recounted that this

film, which was also directed by Kamal, was shelved when a section of the society raised a hue and cry over depicting their community in dark light. But Kamal's new appearance for Marmayogi, which is similar to one he sported during the Maruthanayagam days, has raised doubts that he has plans to serve the old wine in a new bottle. However, Marmayogi is based in the 7th century while Maruthanayagam was a warrior who lived in the 18th century.
Courtesy: behindwoods.com

Oscar Ravi plans film with SRK and Jackie Chan

Oscar Ravichandran, who had produced great blockbusters like ‘Tagore, Aparichitudu and Dasavataram’ planned another sensational film. The film has Bollywood Badshah Sharukh Khan and Hollywood Star Jackie Chan in the lead roles and it would be directed by none other than KS Ravikumar, who had brought out a great film like ‘Dasavataram’. The film had almost completed the story sittings and is likely to go to sets on August 8. The producer is planning to release the film across the globe by dubbing in almost all languages in the world. AR Rahman is being convinced to score music for the movie.
Courtesy: nonstopcinema.com/

Another Dream of Kamal Haasan

'Marmayogi' one more ambitious dream of Kamal Haasan is said to be launched with a classic and high-profile opening in Mumbai in August.

With an estimated budget of over INR one billion, this celluloid dream is based on evidences from history with a story framed in the setting of 7th Century AD. AR Rehman started to work on the tunes to match the contemporary ambience and theme.

According to the sources Kamal is hopeful that this new venture will be a mile mark in his career. He adds that Dasavataram though had little mishaps in accuracy; the experience will help him to eliminate such chances in this new project. He thanked every one for their fair critics.

Courtesy: indiaglitz.com

'Marmayogi' goes to Sweden

Kollywood is abuzz with rumors that Kamal Haasan would commence shooting for his next film 'Marmayogi' in exotic locales in Sweden.

According to reports, the movie is set in the sixth century BC and so has taken precise care in fixing up appropriate locations. A few locations in Sweden appear to be on the mind of Kamal Haasan.

Touted to be a big-budget film, 'Marmayogi' features Hemamalini in a prominent role and efforts are on to cast Amitabh Bachchan in it. The crew would land in Sweden later next month to start shooting.

With 'Dasavatharam' proving to be a major hit for Kamal Haasan, he is all geared up to sustain the good run in the industry.

Directed and enacted by Kamal Haasan, the movie has musical score by A R Rahman.

Courtesy: behindwoods.com

Marmayogi To Woo Larger Audience

Kamal Haasan has moved ahead from his super hit movie Dasavatharam, which has created waves at the box office all over the world. Kamal is now concentrating on his next project Marmayogi, which will also be a biggie.

Though Dasavatharam has been a big hit among the masses, cutting across all barriers, Kamal wants Marmayogi to attract larger audience. Accorsing to sources, he is trying to make the script as simple as possible to make it more popular.

Kamal in a recent interview to a leading national daily, had said that Marmayogi would also be made in such a way that people from all walks of life would find it easy to understand. He also acknowledged that there were some mistakes in Dasavatharam, but it would not be repeated in Marmayogi.

Marmayogi, a period film set in 7the century AD, will start rolling from August in various locations around the world.

Courtesy: chennaionline.com

I suffered being an idealist: Kamal

Kamal Haasan bounces back in Telugu with a sensational hit Dasavatharam.

He claims to have consciously dished out an entertainer to reach out to a wider section of the audience rather than chasing critical acclaim. His ten roles reflect the varied shades of human mind unlike the mythological Dasavatharam. He quotes Emmanuel Kant for a peaceful life and describes his next Marmayogi as a periodic epic. Excerpts from an interview :

You succeeded in winning audience appreciation but you seem to have disappointed some critics? Unlike mythological Dasavatharam, it seems that your ten roles reflect varied shades of human mind?
From the outset we had resolved to reach out to wider section of the audience and our confidence stands vindicated. We consciously overlooked the views of so-called pundits to churn out an entertainer. Again my belief that the audience would definitely patronise anything unique has been strengthened and actually they have raised the bar of expectations. We intended to explore shades of complex human mind. Haven't we seen a baddy like Fletcher, idealist, activist and even a fun-making cop around us. Apparently even the audience related to the real-life characters making it a success. I would have made some mistakes in the film but I will keep committing them since we don't possess sure-fire formula for success. I wanted the film to be more like a 'cocktail discussion'.

You were cynical about tyrant rulers, nature's design to evaporate vial with tsunami and re-uniting soul-mates?
Instead of individuals, I was more cynical about the rulers' obsession to force their fanatic ideas upon their subjects. Because social revolution cannot happen overnight and sometimes it could take few generations to achieve it. So saint Mahavir's ‘Live and let live' idea remains the best approach. Coming to resolution, instead of being so cruel, nature could have chosen a wiser option to end the bio-menace. Re-uniting soul-mates after making them go through tough times and death of idealistic activist is part of its crude design.

Do you suggest that idealistic people cannot survive in the world? How can the world be peaceful then?
That’s true. It is very difficult for an idealist to survive in this selfish world until he develops a strong instinct to live. Personally, I suffered being an idealist but I am alive because of my daunting spirit. It is difficult but not impossible. Even Jesus was crucified before his thoughts were clearly understood. For a peaceful world, philosopher Emmanuel Kant’s thoughts can be remembered "Extract maximum pleasure from the earth with minimum pain to it and its inhabitants'. Even our epics had pragmatic thoughts but interpreters twisted it serving us 'bottled juice' and not a fresh one.

Can you elaborate on your next film Maramayogia?
It’s too early to divulge more details except for describing it as a '7th century periodic epic' in a nutshell. The big-budget entertainer will be a feast for all sections of the audience. It will go on floors from August.

Courtesy: timesofindia.com

“Mistakes in Dasavatharam will not be repeated in Marmayogi”

Kamal Haasan’s Dasavatharam has created waves in the tinsel town with the film proving to be a hit among the masses, cutting across all barriers. It is even more surprising that Dasavatharam is still a hot favorite among the critics though Kamal has moved on to his next project Marmayogi.Speaking about Marmayogi, Kamal had said that it would also be made in such a way that people from all walks of life would find it easy to understand. He also acknowledged that there were some mistakes in Dasavatharam, but it would not be repeated in Marmayogi. Tipped to be a period film, Marmayogi’s shooting will commence from August onwards in various locations around the world. According to the sources close Kamal Haasan, the actor is working hard to attract a large audience for Marmayogi. He also has plans to make the storyline as simple as possible.

Courtesy: behindwoods.com

"I could not accommodate Dasavatharam and Marmayogi!"

Ravi K Chandran has made Bollywood sit and take notice of the talents of technicians down south and as a result is associated with the kingpins of the Indian film industry. In an exclusive interview to Behindwoods recently, he spilled a few beans on his absence from Kamal's Dasavatharam and about his upcoming project with the King Khan.

Ravi revealed that Kamal approached him for Dasavatharam before the movie kicked off and he could not agree to the project owing to prior commitments. He also stated that when Kamal's Marmayogi plans shaped up, he was approached for the cinematography of the movie. "Since I am currently busy with Shahrukh Khan's My Name is Khan, I could not take up Marmayogi," he noted. My Name is Khan is directed by Karan Johar and also has Kajol in the lead role.

Courtesy: behindwoods.com

I believe in excellence: Kamal

“I don’t believe in perfection, but in excellence,’’ said actor Kamal Haasan.

Kamal Haasan said this while interacting with media here on Monday after attending a promotion programme of his latest film ‘Dasavatharam’ in which he acted in ten roles.

Kamal said that the shooting team of the film had to spend one or two days extra to shoot the combination scenes of Govind (hero played by Kamal) and other characters played by him.

“We had to spent one or two days exclusively for the rehearsal. It took two years to complete the project,’’ he said.

Asked about the theme of the film, Kamal said that there was no story first. “I was given the ten-role idea first and I felt it was interesting. The story came later. I tried my best for maximum perfection. A good film cannot be made only with good story, but needs technical support also,’’ Kamal said.

About the box office collection, he said that there was no such an initial pulling for any film in Tamil Nadu before. “I have not seen or heard about such a huge collection in my career,’’ he said. Film director K S Ravikumar said that the project cost Rs 55 crore. Asked about his beard, Kamal said that it was for his new film Marmayogi.

“Marmayogi’ is being shot digitally with technicians from abroad,’’ he said. Asked about the `bullet curing cancer’ incident in the film, Kamal said he got the idea from MGR’s life. ``It was not just a fabricated one.

When MGR was shot in the neck, it was feared that it would affect his vocal cords,’’ Kamal Haasan said. Reacting to the ongoing dispute in film organisations in Malayalam industry, Kamal said: “Film is greater than organisation. I am a fan of Malayalam films and I learnt a lot from Malayalam films.’’

Courtesy:newindpress.com

MGR inspired Kamal with bullet tale

The idea of `bullet curing cancer’ incident in the latest magnum opus Dasavathaaram was in fact brought from the life of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and film icon M.G. Ramachandran (MGR), Kamal Hassan revealed in a press conference in Kochi on Monday, while attending a promo his latest film in which he enacted ten roles. "It was not just a fabricated tale. When MGR was shot in the neck, it was feared that it would affect his vocal chords," he said.

"I had narrated this story to a director before narrating it to K.S. Ravikumar, the maker of Dasavathaaram. The former had said it would not work, but Ravikumar, who heard the idea over telephone, told me instantaneously that it would be a hit. I have worked two years on the movie,” the actor further said, adding that his beard is for his next film Marmayogi. “Marmayogi is being shot digitally with technicians from abroad."

Asked about the theme of Dasavathaaram, Kamal said that at first, there was no story. “I was given the ten-role idea first and I felt it was interesting. The story came later. I tried my best for maximum perfection. A good film cannot be made only with good story, but needs technical support also," Kamal said.

“We spoke months and months about it. We faced several problems, but we were always open to ideas. A lot of inputs have gone into the making of the movie. We had to spend one or two days exclusively for the rehearsal. It took two years to complete the project,” he said.

About the box office collection of the film, he said that the initial demand exceeded any other film in Tamil Nadu till now. “I have not seen or heard about such a huge collection in my career," he said. Reacting to the ongoing dispute in film organisations in Malayalam industry, Kamal opined that film is greater than organisation. “Organisations exist only when films do.”

Courtesy: galatta.com

Battlefield of Marmayogi

Credible sources from Kollywood say that Kamal Haasan’s Marmayogi is based on the 6th century scenario. It is said that a war scene with the aid of graphics would be shot extravagantly in Switzerland. Also, for the first time in Kollywood Red One camera would be employed to film this scene. It is now official that A.R. Rahman will score the music for Marmayogi. It is worth mentioning here that just a few days when A.R. Rahman received that Lifetime Achievement Award at function held in Chennai Kamal Haasan, through video conferencing facility congratulated the maestro and parted with the words “Marmayogiyil meendum santhippom.”

Courtesy: behindwoods.com

ARR, Hema in Marmayogi

Kamal Haasan has selected A.R. Rahman to compose music for Marmayogi. This film is written and directed by Kamal Haasan.

The film will also have Hema Malini. It is said she has confirmed her involvement in the film and even confirmed the dates. She had acted with Kamal Haasan in Andha Kanoon, a Hindi film and she also acted with him in the bilingual Hey Raam

Kamal Haasan and A.R. Rahman had worked together in Indian and Thenali. The music of those films was a hit. Therefore expectations will be higher this time.

Courtesy: galatta.com

‘Marmayogi’ - Fund raiser for ‘Maruthanayagam’?

Every passionate filmmaker has an innate desire to express himself or herself with an ideology or thought that is close to the heart. Everyone who is oriented with Tamil cinema knows that Kamal Haasan has been thirsting for quite a while to make a film called 'Maruthanayagam'. The only reason this film is still waiting in the wings is due to the fact that it involves production costs no other Indian film can ever fathom.


Knowing Kamal Haasan and his precision skills for perfection, the film would involve state-of-the-art technological gizmo and exuberant artistes, technicians, Computer Generated Imagery and sets that do justice to the period film that Kamal Haasan has in mind.

The film did manage to take off some years ago in the presence of Queen Elizabeth but then 'the still to come to terms' Indian film industry was not ready for a trend setting cinematic adventure that Kamal Haasan is very capable of. The venture being called off brought many traits of the film industry into question. The most appalling reason being no production house, not even a conglomeration of production houses wanting to involve themselves in a trend-setting mission and that too having a tried and tested stalwart in Kamal Haasan by their side.

Would all these developments simmer down Kamal Haasan's passion for filmmaking? The answer is an emphatic NO. The maverick in Kamal Haasan was bound to take over and the result could be simply spectacular. He seems to be taking on the 'traditionally adhered to production values' all by himself.

Taking on the mantle of producing ‘Marmayogi’ on a first copy basis, the writer, director, actor is hopeful of cashing it big with this project. No guesses again as to where all the money would go. Obviously to realize his dream of making 'Maruthanayagam' come true.

Despite Dasavatharam's mixed reviews, the film is running to packed houses. This is testimony enough that the film has indeed penetrated and is permeating within the hearts of general audiences. A huge boost for the lone war that Kamal Haasan is fighting.

With general audiences by his side the versatile actor could very well come out on the winning side. If that happens a trend would have been created. A trend that would put Indian Cinema firmly on world screens.

Way to go Kamal….keep fighting….

Courtesy: indiaglitz.com

Costly selection mistake that Kamal made!

It took five years of hard work, sweat and dedication to make a movie, which is bound to make every Indian proud, and take tamil cinema to a different horizon. Sadly though, the musical score sounds as if it has been done in a jiffy. There has been no thought process that has gone into the songs. When a music director gets an opportunity for such a film, he must buckle up and give a album that is never heard so far.

Ilayaraja elevates himself and his music for people like Mani Ratnam and Bharathiraja; Rehman does miraculous music for Mani Ratnam and Shankar. The crux is that when a larger than life director gives you a chance to compose music for his film you give music that is larger than life too. But Himesh, sadly though, remains the same old Himesh giving tunes that are not any different than the tunes he composes for the many low profile Hindi film, which stars people like Emran Hashmi. The songs are heavily inspired or rather borrowed from the many A.R. Rehman classics and the only original tune Oh… Oh… Sanam fails to impress. The orchestration instrumentation and the sound quality are amateurish. We are left wondering how such a great thinker like Kamal, who chose all this resources for the film in a proper way, got the wrong idea of choosing Himesh for the songs part. When here in south there is such raw talent, it was fate that it had to go to someone in the north and that too to some one who did not deserve it. I hope that we can get to hear better music from someone with a richer talent for Kamal`s next magnum opus

Courtesy: behindwoods.com