Mani wants Vikram… says so to Selvaraghavan

The last leg of the Mani Ratnam-directed Raavan was being shot at the Malshej Ghats. Unfortunately, the heavy rains that have been lashing in those parts have made it difficult for the unit to film the scenes and as a result the stars and technicians are forced to stay indoors. The worst affected are the busy stars Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Vikram. The trio is involved in several projects and have their diaries of schedule jam-packed already. This sudden delay is said to make things difficult for these stars.

A source says that Vikram needs to be in Ladakh later this month to take part in the Selvaraghavan directed flick and is really concerned about the delay. Sensing this, Mani has requested Selvaraghavan to spare a few days so that he could complete the shooting with Vikram.

Courtesy: behindwoods.com

Bipasha Basu out of Raavan

Bipasha Basu is quite upset these days as she is no longer a part of Mani Ratnam’s Raavan anymore. The actress had allotted 20 days for the shooting and had done the dress rehearsals too. However, Mani decided that Bipasha’s role, which also included an item number, would make the film too lengthy and hence chose not to use her. Sources say that it is still not clear if the actress would be replaced or the role is being chopped off entirely.

Mani is said to have made amends with the dejected actress by promising her a plum role in his future project.


Courtesy: behindwoods.com

Bipasha now in Ravana!

Here is a latest entrant to the much-hyped movie of the year, ‘Ravana’. The Mani Ratnam’s movie has always maintained a hush-hush atmosphere within itself. And the director had roped in this dusky beauty a month ago, on a condition to keep up the secrecy about her involvement in the project.

Now, when the news is out, Bipasha Basu will be playing the character of Mandodhari, wife of Ravana. In the movie, Abhishek Bachchan will be playing Ravana, Priyamani as Ravan’s sister Surpanaka, Aishwarya Rai as Sita, Vikram as Ram and finally Govinda as Hanuman. The movie will only carry the nuances of the epic Ramayana.

Initially, Sushmita Sen was rumoured to be approached for Mandodhari’s role. But as the diva refused, the offer fell into Bips’s lap, who readily accepted it.

Here our modern-day Mandodhari will be doing a sizzling item number. But no, the lady will be doing more than that! Bips will have a full-fledge role of 40 mins sources say. Our sexy lady is now packing up her bags for a 20-day shoot scheduled in coming days this month. “Bipasha’s costumes are ready. She is very happy with her look in the film. She is looking forward to joining the unit of Ravana,” added the sources. Wow, now that’s someone to add-on for the movie. Looks like the movie is getting spicier and hotter by the days…

Courtesy: indiaglitz.com

Forest troubles Ravana again!

Like how Lord Rama underwent troubles in forest, the cast and crew of ‘Ravana’, a film apparently inspired by Ramayana, too is undergoing trouble after trouble in forest areas.

A few weeks after a rouge elephant killed a man during the film’s shoot in Kerala following which the Animal Welfare Board of India sent a notice to Mani Ratnam- the director of the movie. Shooting of the flick once again ran into trouble, this time in a village near Pune, as the forest department has registered complaint against the villagers for illegally erecting two sheds, and dumping materials used for erecting sets on forest land without obtaining permission.

However, reports have it that Mani has not been booked in the case as he cannot be held liable for the acts done by the villagers as the local coordinator of the film did not obtain permission on time to use the forest land for shooting.

"The forest department had handed over some parts of the land to the irrigation department in 1992. As per the law, the land remains a reserved forest. The dam water is used for irrigation. Besides this, no other activity is allowed unless permission is obtained from the competent authority," Forest Officer Sadashiv Raut was quoted as saying.

He added: "Mani Ratnam had visited the village sometime back and had decided to shoot a part of the film here as the location had resemblance with the ancient setting he had in mind for the film."

This ambitious project of Mani, Ravan has Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Vikram and Priyamani in lead roles. Musical score is by A R Rahman.

Courtesy: indiaglitz.com

Mahot killed in 'Ravana' shooting

Manirathnam's Ravana has been facing challenges of it own for some time now. The movie's shooting is happening at Trivandrum and an unfortunate event took place today. Actors Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan were not able to return to their hotel post shooting after an elephant went out of control. The elephant that was brought for the shooting created havoc all of a sudden and trampled the mahot.

The shocking unpleasant incident which occurred after the shooting of the movie ‘Ravana’ around 5 p.m. near the Athirapally waterfalls, blocked the road at nearby Athirapally forest area. Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan were present there and escaped the danger unscathed.

Courtesy:  indiaglitz.com

Raavan’s jinx continues with a tragedy

Raavan, the much-hyped film directed by Mani Ratnam, is now being shot in the forest area in Chalakudy in Kerala. The entire team, including Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan, have been camping there for a couple of weeks. The film has already been delayed over a couple of months due to several unfortunate incidences.

The latest is a tragedy that struck the unit when a wild elephant entered the shooting spot and trampled a team member. However, details about the unit member who succumbed to the attack were not available immediately. Incidentally, the Raavan unit also had a trained elephant at the shooting spot.


Courtesy: behindwoods.com

What caused Mani seethe on Raavan sets?

Director Mani Ratnam is working with some of the best actors and actresses in the Indian film industry for his forthcoming flick Raavan. However, this does not mean that all is well on the sets. The buzz we hear is that Mani is quite upset with Govinda who plays an important role in the film. The reason is that Govinda skipped the shots for three days in a row. While the actor made himself available on time in the previous schedules, trouble started when the unit moved to Ooty to shoot a few shots. 


Courtesy: behindwoods.com

Raavan, a new chapter in Nikhil's career!

Like the typical Bollywood flick, everybody loves the outsider who makes it big. You know, the quintessential rags-to-riches hero sans a celebrated last name, who gets the hits.

Nikhil Dwivedi’s is turning out to be the classic case of the proverbial outsider storming Bolllywood without any star system to support him. He was noticed for his earnest debut performance in My Name is Anthony Gonsalves, and no less than the genius director Mani Ratnam impressed by his talent, signed Nikhil in his next cinematic vision Raavan, which turned out to be the best New Year gift any actor could get.

To Nikhil’s credit, the directors rave about his talent and his attitude, which they are sure will prove his altitude in the bollywood.

And sure enough Nikhil is not disappointing, as he has already signed on with 4 accomplished directors in their future projects. He has already built on the momentum that will pitchfork him as the star to look out for in the near future.

As Nikhil strongly believes that all of us are are in a common time zone, in the end, the hardworking people with talent, who are backed by their destinies will stay.

Well sure looks like Mani Ratnam’s Raavan can turn a new chapter, that one ‘ Zanjeer’ like moment, that will pitchfork Nikhil as the best young ‘Outside’ talent to become deeply rooted in the masses’ psyche like his illustrious predecessors!!

Courtesy: dayafterindia.com

Priyamani to debut in Bollywood with 'Ravan'

After Asin, Shriya Saran and Trisha, Priyamani enters Bollywood with a meaningful role in the Hindi version of Mani Ratnam's 'Ravan'.

She says she took up the offer because it was from Mani Ratnam and not because it was a ticket for Bollywood.

The National Award-winning Malayali actress is one of the busiest actresses in south India and has proved her mettle with an array of quality performances. In Telugu, she has been the female lead in Balakrishna's 'Putrudu' and Nitin's 'Drona'.

In Malayalam, her performance in Rajnith's 'Thirakkatha' was widely acclaimed and is now acting in Prithviraj's 'Puthiya Mugham'. In Tamil, her next release will be 'Ninaithaale Inikkum', directed by GNR Kumaravel.

Courtesy: msn.com

Mani to start climax shoot of Raavan!

Mani Ratnam is planning to shoot the climax of his magnum opus Raavan in his favourite Chalakudy forest locations from July 16.

The buzz is that the artists who are doing this tri-lingual in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu mainly Abhishek Bachchan, Vikram and Aishwarya Rai have told the director that they have already given him over 100 days, and they cannot spare any further dates.
Mani and his buddy cameraman Santosh Sivan is planning to shoot the climax for the next 45 days in Chalakudy and Mysore forest areas. They have to shoot deep inside forest areas, for which permissions have to be granted by the respective state governments.
Added to that a few helicopter scenes inside forest areas have to be shot, for which special permission have to be obtained. Let us hope that Mani is successful in his mission to complete Raavan, this time.

Courtesy: sify.com

Will Mani make money now?

The maverick movie maker Mani Ratnam is back in action and currently he is busy wrapping up his forthcoming venture ‘Ravana’ which is being made in Hindi and Tamil.

The expectations are high on this one given the fact that Mani is leading from the front and the cast is exceptional in the form of Vikram, Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya, Priyamani and others.

Now, the industry pundits are waiting to see whether Mani can spin his magic once again at the box office. The film will be dubbed into Telugu as well and the release would be happening simultaneously across all regions.

Mani has recently recovered from a stroke and he has already embarked onto other projects.

Courtesy: indiaglitz.com

Priyamani opens up on Ravanan

National award winner Priyamani who is working in Mani Ratnam’s Ravan said that she has completed most of her work expect for a few scenes with Abhishek Bachchan.

Speaking about the project she said that she is happy to work with Mani than getting an entry into Bollywood. She also stated that she agreed to be part of this venture, just because it was directed by Mani.

Priyamani will be leaving for South Africa shortly for a Telugu film shooting.

Courtesy: behindwoods.com

Ravan – first images

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Courtesy: behindwoods.com

Vikram – Ravan look – images

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Courtesy: behindwoods.com

Priyamani's indirect Bollywood entry

After Asin, Genelia, Shriya and Trisha, yet another South Indian actress is entering Bollywood, albeit in an indirect way! She is none other than reigning rani Priyamani, who would be essaying a role in the Hindi version of ace Mani Ratnam's big budget bilingual Raavan/ Asokavanam, said to be a modern adaptation of the epic Ramayana.

It is heard that the National award-winning Priyamani is playing Surpanakha’s role in this film, produced by Mani Ratnam's sister Sharda under Ratnam's banner Madras Talkies. Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai are the lead pair in Hindi, while Vikram will play the lead opposite Aishwarya in Tamil.

Speaking about her role in Raavan, Priyamani said that she plays a powerful and tough character in Raavan, and accepted the offer without any hesitation. "It was an honour in itself to be called personally by Mani Ratnam, asking if I’d be interested in doing a role in his film. And why wouldn’t I? He is an institution in himself." According to Priyamani, few directors give artistic freedom, and Mani Ratnam belongs to that group.

Courtesy: galatta.com

Jinxed ‘Raavan’ in trouble again as director Mani Ratnam falls ill

Mani Ratnam’s ‘Raavan’ appears to be jinxed right from the start. The film, which stars the Bachchan couple Abhishek and Aishwarya, seems to fall in trouble every now and then. Recently, when all was going well with the film, director Mani Ratnam fell ill severely. This scared the cast and crew of the film and they decided to invoke the gods to ward off evil eye.

A source said to a news daily, "Raavan has faced problems from the very first day of shooting. However, people started getting worried when they continued. It didn`t seem like a coincidence. Everyone was convinced that someone or something was jinxing this project and they needed divine intervention.
"It was after Mani`s health scare that someone from the crew suggested that they have a puja. This has been the most difficult film Mani has made in his career. Apart from shooting the Hindi and Tamil versions simultaneously, Mani also had to deal with several bureaucratic issues ranging from getting permission to shoot in places to making way for logistical support in the jungles," added the source.
"Mani was not present when it happened; but he was aware of it. Although he is not very religious, at this stage he wants to make sure the film isn`t delayed anymore and he agreed, for the sake of others. One of the unit members even suggested Mani to change the title of the film as it has mythological significance," the source further stated.
Well, apart from the pre-release problems, there may be post-release issues also as the film’s title and concept seems controversial. More troubles ahead for Mani!

Priyamani on her Ravan experience!

Priyamani got rave reviews and accolades for her performance in Paruthiveeran. She has also acted in several Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu films and is fluent in all the four South Indian languages.

After several films in other languages, she was called by ace director Mani Ratnam for Ravan, which also stars Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai. Speaking about her experience, she said that she plays a powerful and tough character in Ravan, and accepted the offer without any hesitation. According to Priyamani, there are few directors who give artistic freedom, and Mani Ratnam belongs to that group.

Her first film was Kangalal Kaidhu Sei directed by Bharathi Raja, followed by Adhu Oru Kana Kaalam directed by the legendary Balu Mahendra, because of which she got noticed for her ability to essay strong character roles.

The actress has two other films in her kitty: Ninaithaale Inikkum and Aarumugam. Both will be released soon and Priyamani is hoping for the best! This National Award Winner has recently signed up for the comedy Raam. She also won the Mathrubhumi Best Actress Award for Thirakkatha in Malayalam.

Courtesy: galatta.com

Priyamani playing a negative role

The latest upcoming movie ‘Ravana’ is directed by maverick movie maker Mani Ratnam and there is a strong grapevine that the sexy bombshell Priyamani is playing an important character in this one.

Now the latest news is that she is playing Surpanakha’s role and definitely this will be contrast to her glamour. Now it has become a big surprise for everyone why she is doing this role.

But no one can miss the opportunity to work with such a big name as Mani Ratnam. Meanwhile, sources close to Priyamani say that she does not have any restrictions on the role as long as it creates an impact in the film and guess that’s what fetched her the National Award.

Courtesy: indiaglitz.com

The Surpanaga of Mani’s Ashokavanam

Ace director Mani Ratnam takes his inspiration from many sources but sticks mostly to our Indian stories and epics. If it was Mahabharatha in Thalapathy, then it is going to be Ramayana for Ashoka Vanam. It is well known that Mani and his crew are currently stationed near Jhansi in Madhyapradesh and are shooting

sequences involving Priya Mani, Prithviraj, Vikram and others. Kollywood sources also whisper that Prabhu’s role is akin to that of Vibhishana and Karthik that of Lord Hanumar. By far Priya Mani is said to be doing the interesting role of Surpanaga in the film. She is said to have been shot at on the day of her wedding by Prithiviraj who in all likelihood plays the role of Lakshmana. Priya Mani’s death will be avenged by her brother Ravana played by our very own Cheeyan. Interesting characterization indeed

Courtesy: behindwoods.com

Priya Mani’s thrilling wedding

Ashoka Vanam being directed by Mani Ratnam is proceeding as per schedule. The unit has moved north from Chalakudy in Kerala to the dense jungles of Madhya Pradesh. Recently a few sequences involving Priya Mani, Vikram and Prithviraj were shot near Jhansi. The shot that was canned was that of Priya Mani’s wedding. Vikram who plays Priya

Mani’s brother in the film hands over the mangalsutra to the bride groom- a new face- who ties it around Priya’s neck. Following this, Prithiviraj shoots Priya Mani ensuing in a fiery action sequences between Vikram and Prithviraj. Vaiyapuri, the comedian plays a transgender in the film and his character is reported to be very crucial to the film. Ashoka Vanam is said to be inspired from the Hindu holy epic Ramayana. Suhasini Mani Ratnam is penning the dialogues for the Tamil version.

Courtesy: behindwoods.com