Sameera Reddy Is Vijay’s Heroine - Yohan Adhyayam Ondru

If reports from Kollywood are to be believed, Sameera Reddy would play the female lead in Yohan – Adhyayam Ondru. Speculations about the leading lady in this film ranged from Samantha to Trisha but it is now being rumored that Sameera is the girl for Vijay.

Though Gautham Menon is now busy with Neethaane En Pon Vasantham, a trilingual, he has also set the ball in motion for Yohan – Adhyayam Ondru which will commence next year. The film is expected to hit the screens during the early part of 2013.

Courtesy:behindwoods.com

Rajini's fitness regime

Superstar Rajinikanth is on a strict fitness regime, making himself able and active to shoot for 'Rana'. Since the film's shoot is set to be restarted soon, the numero uno actor of Tamil cinema is equipping himself to play a triple role with morning walks, yoga and simple exercises.

"Rajini is seen going on walk in the mornings inside the Sri Raghavendra Kalyana Mandapam premises and in the Poes Garden area, where his residence is located. This is after completing yoga sessions. He is also doing minor exercises," sources say.

Those in the upmarket Poes Garden neighbourhood get a pleasant surprise to see the Superstar on the road. Since the area comes under high security zone as it houses Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's residence, Rajini walks without any disturbance, add sources.

Director KS Ravikumar is ready to start 'Rana' anytime and is just waiting for Rajini's nod. Deepika Padukone and Ileana D' Cruz will play the Superstar's love interests in this film, produced by Eros International in association with Soundarya Ashwin Rajinikanth, music is by AR Rahman.

Courtesy:indiaglitz.com

Jiiva Says It’s Rumors About Gautham Menon’s Film

Following reports that Ram had walked out of the Telugu version of Nee Thaane En Pon Vasantham, it was said that Jiiva had bagged the offer. But, Jiiva has now confirmed that he is not doing the Telugu version. The star said that the Tamil version is being filmed at the moment and he is very busy with it.

Jiiva, however, refused to disclose who would be doing the Telugu version of NTEPV. It may be recalled that Gautham Menon has signed up Jiiva, Ram and Adithya Roy Kapoor for NTEPV’s Tamil, Telugu and Hindi version respectively but Ram moved out of the film and the director is looking for another suitable replacement.

Courtesy:behindwoods.com

Mani Ratnam’s Next To Begin

India’s ace director Mani Ratnam is all set to begin his next venture from October first week onwards. It is said to be a breezy romantic entertainer with actor Kathik’s son Gautham making his debut. There are several speculations about the leading lady in this film but no official confirmation has been made yet.

Karthik enjoys good rapport with Mani Ratnam and they have given a couple of hit films in the past like Mouna Ragam and Agni Natchathiram. The actor also played an important role in Mani’s last release Raavanan.

Courtesy:behindwoods.com

Aamir Khan Brings Glory To India

Aamir Khan's legendary film, Lagaan was released in 2001 and was nominated for an Academy award. Now 10 years down the line, the film continues to make waves. Time magazine in its compilation of the 25 greatest sports films of all time has given Lagaan the 14th spot. According to Time, "... this Bollywood epic is cause for joy of meteorological proportions" and is "the longest and most enthralling underdog - sports movie ever" .

Lagaan is the only Indian film on the list. It joins immortal Hollywood films like the Coen brothers' The Big Lebowski, Body and Soul, Breaking Away, Bull Durham, and Caddyshack.

Courtesy:behindwoods.com

Gautham Film Renamed

The Hindi version of Gautham Menon's Vinnaithandi Varuvaya has undergone a title change. The film starring Prateik Babbar and Amy Jackson was originally called Prem Katha but it was felt that the title was not as lyrical and impressive as the Tamil one. The new name that has been decided is Ek Deewana Tha.

Gautham has a penchant for naming his films after popular songs like VTV, Pachaikilli Muthu Charam etc. Ek Deewana Tha is derived from an old Rishi Kapoor song and everybody thinks it suits the film perfectly.

Courtesy:behindwoods.com

Gautham's Hero Explains Why He Walked Out

Actor Ram who was supposed to work with Gautham Menon in his trilingual, Neethane En Ponvasantham had to face the heat as there were reports that he was throwing bad attitude and walked out because he refused to be kept waiting while the other actors finished their scenes. It was opined by many that he was being unprofessional.

Ram has cleared the air and said that he really wanted to do the film and had somehow found the dates in a jam packed schedule. However, the decision to make it a trilingual was sudden and that would cause delay. Moreover the dates would clash with his other film Endhukante Premanta. The other stuff that has been reported were all rumors made up to add masala to the story, he added.

Courtesy:behindwoods.com

Gautham Menon's Hero Walks Out In A Huff

Gautham Menon's ambitious trilingual, to be released in Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi has suffered a setback. Jiiva, Ram and Aditya Roy Kapoor were roped in to play the lead roles and Samantha was the lucky heroine who was to be in all three versions. Ram apparently has opted to leave the project.

The reason is that Ram was kept waiting while Jiiva and Aditya finished shooting the scene in that order. He felt that he was wasting precious time and decided to walk out. Gautham had timed the shoot so that the actors could perform in order of seniority but Ram following his recent hit, Kandireega is big news in AP and did not take kindly to this treatment.

Now Gautham is wondering who will be willing to step in at the nth hour. Jiiva has quite the fan following in AP after Ko released as Rangam went on to score at the box office, so he might just do the Telugu version as well.

Courtesy:behindwoods.com

Rajini’s One-minute Scene For Shah Rakh

The buzz on airs is that Rajinikanth will do a one-minute guest role in Ra. One, a film that has Shah Rukh Khan in the lead. It will be interesting to see the Superstar and the King Khan share the screen space.

Though everything is kept under wraps, some unofficial sources say that Rajini will shoot for this scene at the Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad on October 4^th.

Sources say that Rajini may do this guest role for Eros International, as they are the co-producers of Rana and the distributors of Ra. One.

Courtesy:behindwoods.com

Rajinikanth's Ra.one cameo alongside Shah Rukh Khan

In one of the biggest collaboration for Indian cinema, Telugu portal 16reels reported that the god of South Indian Cinema Rajinikanth and Bollywood's baadshah Shah Rukh Khan will first time share the big screen in the movie Ra.One.

Rajinikanth, who will play cameo in the film, will start shooting for the film on October 4th in Hyderabad at the Ramoji Film City, sources said.

Directed by Anubhav Sinha, Ra.One stars Kareena Kappor and Arjun Rampal besides Khan, who is the producer of the film.

Reportedly the most expensive film in Indian cinema is a science fiction which will, according to Khan, revive the definition of superhero in Bollywood and will be released in 3D and 2D formats.

The film is slated to release on October 26, 2011.

Courtesy:dnaindia.com

Jiiva - Gautham Menon Film A Trilingual

Gautham Menon's film with Jiiva evocatively called Nee Thane En Pon Vasantham is going to be a trilingual which will be released in Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi. In the Telugu version Ram is the hero and Samantha will be reprising her role as the heroine. In Hindi, Aditya Roy Kapoor seen in Zor Ka Jatka and Guzaarish will be the hero.

Samantha just might do the film in Hindi as well though it is not officially confirmed. If things work out for her, this could be her dream Bollywood launch pad.

Courtesy:behindwoods.com

Jiiva - Gautham Menon Film A Trilingual

Gautham Menon's film with Jiiva evocatively called Nee Thane En Pon Vasantham is going to be a trilingual which will be released in Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi. In the Telugu version Ram is the hero and Samantha will be reprising her role as the heroine. In Hindi, Aditya Roy Kapoor seen in Zor Ka Jatka and Guzaarish will be the hero.

Samantha just might do the film in Hindi as well though it is not officially confirmed. If things work out for her, this could be her dream Bollywood launch pad.

Courtesy:behindwoods.com

Valentine’s Day Special From Gautham Menon

Gautham Menon directed Nee Thaane En Pon Vasantham (NTEPV) will be a Valentine’s Day special. The film has Jiiva and Samantha as the lead pair, and shooting of NTEPV is now progressing in Chennai.

We are told that Gautham intends to complete the shooting in Chennai and London in a single schedule as he has plans to release the film on Valentine’s Day 2012. Interestingly, Santhanam has been roped in as the comedian in NTEPV which is being produced by RS Infotainment. The film is touted to be an out-and-out romantic flick with loads of humor added to it. It will be a perfect gift for the lovebirds this Valentine’s Day, we hear.

Courtesy:behindwoods.com

Gautham's does it for second time in 'Neethane En Ponvasantham'

Well if your wondering what we are referring to, Gautham Menon has roped in a comedian for the second time in his films so far! Santhanam who is ruling the roost in Tamil cinema has booked himself a berth in 'Neethane En Ponvasantham'. Gautham had earlier worked with Vivek in 'Minnalae' that starred Maddy and Reema Sen.

Santhanam plays an important role in this film and Gautham insists that he will be presenting not just Jiiva, but also Santhanam differently. So does he have a love story as well in this film, we'll have to wait to know that...

Tunes will be composed by AR Rahman. Costumes are designed by Nalini Sriram who was well-accredited for her casual styling that revamped Simbu's image in VTV.

The film has also been officially announced in Telugu with Ram playing protagonist, and Samantha again as the heroine. The film is titled 'Nithya', after her character, in the Telugu version.

Not just that, grapevine is abuzz that Gautham will be making this film a trilingual by making it simultaneously in Hindi as well, again with Samantha as heroine! If all goes well, it will mark Samantha's debut in Bollywood. An official announcement on this front will be made soon.

Courtesy:indiaglitz.com

Changes in 'Rana' script

Certain changes are being made to the original script of 'Rana' considering the health condition of Superstar Rajinikanth, who recently underwent treatment for kidney related ailment at a Singapore hospital.

This has been confirmed by lyricist Vairamuthu, who called on the top actor recently at Sri Raghavendra Kalyana Mandapam in Kodambakkam. "I was so happy to meet Rajini after a gap," he says.

Vairamuthu adds: "Rajini is perfectly alright. And he is in a very good mood, cracking jokes and analyzing things in his own style. But still, some minor changes are being made to Rana as director KS Ravikumar is not ready to give any strain to the Superstar."

"We discussed many issues in the meeting that lasted for 45 minutes. The topics we covered including literature, politics, philosophy and life. Rajini is happy with the care and concern showered on him by Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, DMK president M Karunanidhi and of course, his fans."

Courtesy:indiaglitz.com

‘Romba’ super, OC!, Entertainment

‘Romba’ super, OC!

You may have missed swinging to Rajinikanth’s Balleilakka in the film Sivaji, but there’s no escaping the infectious energy of this Michigan symphony chorus that does a super job of the Tamil hit

Prashanth Vidyasagar

Posted On Wednesday, September 07, 2011 at 07:40:04 PM

Michael Mitchell, the conductor and the professor of the group, during the performance of Balleilakka Of his long list of chartbusters, A R Rahman’s Balleilakka from the Rajinikanth-starrer Sivaji - The Boss caught the attention of an unlikely group — a symphony chorus in Michigan in the US. The Oakland Chorale’s version of the song is on YouTube and many have pasted it on their profiles on social networking sites. The Oakland Chorale (OC) is made up of students of music at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan. The conductor and professor of the group Michael Mitchell says, “I am influenced by different artists and types of music. I grew up listening to classical music such as Mozart and Beethoven. But I also love rock and roll. Growing up in the 1970s, in the US, I loved Elton John, The Beatles and Bruce Springsteen. So my musical influences are diverse. It is because of this I especially love music that bends or blends genres. I love the idea of a university choir like the Oakland Chorale doing music from all over the world.” Tongue twister It’s this attitude that prompted OC to attempt their own version of Balleilakka. “I first heard a performance of Balleilakka in 2010 and was immediately excited about the possibility of doing it with the Oakland Chorale. It turned out that someone had written a version of the song and published it in the US. I was able to find and purchase this version. We wanted to do a performance that was as close to the original as possible. So we listened to a lot of recordings and watched the video from the movie so that we could do our best with the language and the singing style. It’s not easy for Americans to sing in Tamil, so we spent a lot of time working on the words,” says Michael. It was a challenge for them considering it’s not just a Tamil song but a pacey one at that. It took the OC about three months of hard work to memorise the lyrics. Andy Vanscoy, who sings the male solo in the performance, deserves the best compliments. Andy says, “It took me about a week to memorise my solo and about two weeks to memorise everything else. The language was a pleasure to learn and I caught on very quickly.” Once members of the OC learnt the song, they went onto add their own spin to it. The percussionists who are spot on with their beats are bound to catch your attention in the video. “The members of the Oakland Chorale have very diverse musical backgrounds, ranging from pop to musical theatre to nearly no background at all,” says Cheyanne Coss, who sings soprano in the group. That might surprise those who watched the video. She adds, “The response to the song has been wild, both when it has been performed and on YouTube. Often after the song at concerts, the crowd explodes — you can hear their reaction in the video.” Spiced with spunk Their diverse forays with music make the OC unique. “The thing that separates the Oakland Chorale from other groups is our passion and commitment to every piece we take on. Mitchell is the finest conductor I’ve ever worked with, and his high passion, high energy outlook makes for a completely different atmosphere than at most other choirs or other musical groups,” says Cheyanne, quite nailing the reason for those several replays of the video. The OC plans to work on more music from India and especially with pieces created by Rahman as he is popular in the US. “I love the rhythm and pace of Indian music I’ve heard. As with many other musicians, the drum is the heartbeat of the music. The pacing of the music, the story told through the lyrics, all make for a fantastic song to sing and perform. Between Slumdog Millionaire and the brilliant choreography on So You Think You Can Dance by Nakul Dev Mahajan, Americans have been introduced to Indian music. I think that the interest is enormous,” says Megan Higle who is a singer and an assistant director with the group. The OC have started rehearsing again. “We will be doing one of my favourite new songs from Haiti that is very exciting, much in the same way that Balleilakka is and we will be performing in New York City in the spring of 2012,” says Michael. What does the OC think of Rahman? Michael says, “We didn’t know anything about the actor or the movie until we decided to do the song. The performance of Balleilakka in the movie is stunning. We just wanted to do a good enough job so that people like it and feel like we had honoured the composer, the actor, and the movie. I hope we did.”

Courtesy:bangaloremirror.com/

The Scoop On Jiiva - Gautham Menon Film

Gautham Menon's film with Jiiva and Samantha, Neethane En Ponvasantham boasts of an excellent cast and crew. AR Rahman is doing the music in a bid to recapture the musical magic of VTV. Art direction is by Rajeevan and cinematography will be handled by MS Prabhu. Nalini Sriram is doing the costumes and editing will be done by Antony.

The shoot commenced yesterday and today, filming is going on at Cafe Coffee Day, Nungambakkam. The team will be shooting in and around Chennai till the 24th of this month and then they will pack their bags and fly to London to film the later portions and a couple of songs.

In further news, Neethane En Ponvasantham is going to be a bilingual and will be released in Tamil and Telugu. Samatha will be seen in the Telugu version as well and word is that Ram, recently seen in the hit Telugu film, Kandireega with Hansika will play Jiiva's role. There is every indication this film is going to be a charming love story along the lines of Minnale and VTV.

Courtesy:behindwoods.com

Rajini Is All Set To Rock And Roll!

Rajini is ready to work again and he is raring to go. He has recovered nicely from his illness and is strong and fit now. The Superstar will be reporting for work on the sets of Rana from October 3rd. To make up for lost time, KS Ravikumar and the team intend to finish shooting in one long schedule. It is reported that the filming will go on in Chennai and Hyderabad and the unit will be flying abroad for the songs.

Deepika Padukone is the heroine and Sonu Sood is playing the villain. AR Rahman is doing the score. Art direction is by Rajeevan and cinematography by Ratnavelu. Editing is to be done be Antony. Soundarya Rajnikanth and her Ocher Visual Effects will be supervising the technical department.

Courtesy:behindwoods.com

AR Rahman's 'Satyameva Jayathe' from today!

AR Rahman's latest offering, 'Satyameva Jayathe' is due for a release just before Independence Day which falls on August 15.

This song is by international legends such Mick Jagger, Dave Stewart, Joss Stone and Damien Marley; incidentally, Mick Jagger singing in Sanskrit on the track is definitely a treat for every music fan!

Speaking on the release of 'Satyameva Jayathe' A R Rahman says, "When Dave said A R we want your voice in this album we want this to be a great Indian song too; a long dream for me was to take one of the morals of Indian culture which is Satyameva Jayathe and make it as a song. This is historic if Mick Jagger, Joss Stone, Damian Marley and Dave Stewart and I come together for a song like this; it is iconic in a way. I hope people like it."

The song will be premiered exclusively by a leading radio station today, across 22 cities.

Courtesy:indiaglitz.com

Superstar to sign one more film?

When 'Rana,' which stalled for a couple of months due to Superstar's health issues, is back on track here is news that Telugu director Puri Jagannath might likely rope in Superstar to star in the Tamil and Telugu remake of the Bollywood hit film 'Buddah Hoga Tera Baap.' The Bollywood version which had Big B in the titular role was a good hit up north.

Now the director of the film Puri Jagannath is planning to remake the film down south and the only name that he can think of to carry the role of the protagonist played by Bachchan senior is Rajinikanth. Well none from the superstar's side have confirmed this news but there is a buzz from the director's side that he has already spoken about this to the superstar. Speculation is running rife that Superstar might give his nod to this project, though nothing is confirmed as of now.

Rajini is at the moment busy getting ready to carry off being 'Rana.' Now if he nods his yes to the southern version of the Puri Jagannath film then we are sure the audience might get to enjoy some punch dialogues and the larger-than-life image of the central character.

Though we are sure that this film will rock if Superstar gives his thumbs up to this Puri Jagannath's bilingual film, there still remains uncertainty as to whether superstar will give his green signal to this venture. We will get back with more interesting news on this soon!

Courtesy:indiaglitz.com

Rahman completes 4 songs for 'Rana'

Normally our filmmakers would wait for Rahman to compose music for their movies. But it is the other way around for 'Rana', for the Oscar-Grammy winner is ready with four songs, and is eagerly awaiting Superstar Rajinikanth.

"Work related to Rana came to a halt after the Superstar suddenly fell ill and shifted from one hospital to another. However, without wasting time, Rahman has completed four songs," sources say.

"Rahman is waiting for an approval from Rajinikanth after which he would proceed further. The Superstar is expected to sit with Rahman in a couple of weeks," they add.

'Rana', a multi-crore and multilingual film project, is directed by K S Ravikumar and produced by Eros International in association with Soundarya Ashwin's Ocher Studios. Deepika Padukone is the heroine and the shooting would start in October.

Courtesy:indaiglitz.com

Rahman changes his work-style

It was the silence of night that brought out the best of A R Rahman. The Oscar-Grammy winner is known for working non-stop during night hours and taking a break during day time. But there seems to be a change now.

Since Rahman has collaborated with international bands and artistes, he has altered his working pattern. "For the convenience of other members of his team, Rahman is now working in daylight," sources say.

The music maestro is working with the popular Super Heavy band, which has Mick Jagger, Dave Stewart, Joss Dtone and Damien Marley. "I am happy to join hands with a team like Super Heavy," Rahman said earlier.

Back home in Tamil cinema, Rahman is scoring music for Superstar Rajinikanth's 'Rana' and forthcoming films of mentor Mani Ratnam and good friend Gautham Vasudev Menon. "He is shuttling between India and America," say his colleagues.

Courtesy:indiaglitz.com

Rajini’s Call To Ks Ravi Kumar

Rajinikanth had called director KS Ravi Kumar from Singapore to inform that he would be out of the hospital in four days time. The Superstar had enquired about Rana’s progress and has told KSR that he is eager to participate in the shooting. In return, KSR had told him that his health is his priority and Rana shall begin when he is completely alright.

The director has revealed that Rajini will be in Singapore for a few weeks after his discharge for various follow-up check ups before returning to India.

Courtesy:behindwoods.com

Rajnikant resumes 'Rana' shoot in August

Let all speculations come to rest. Rajnikanth is hale and hearty and raring to resume the shoot of 'Rana'. Come August he would be back on sets all over again. The production team is already putting together plans for the shoot and it is now only a matter of a few more weeks before the Superstar is back in action.

Confirmed Sonu Sood, one of the principal characters in 'Rana', who is in close touch with Rajnikanth's family and has already sorted out his dates to go well with the revised plan. "Yes, I have been informed that 'Rana' will get going in August. We would be assembling in London to start the film's shoot."

Rubbishing all speculations and rumor around Rajnikanth's health, Sonu says that none of the perceived issues around his kidney are true. Also, the superstar is basically taking some good rest in Singapore before he returns all rejuvenated and charged up.

"Don't go by everything that you read," he warns, "There isn't anything overtly serious with Sir. In fact, he has been inquiring about the shoot. We all want him to be in the best of his health when he charms us all over again. Starting August, it would be back to lot of fun."

This should stop the wagging tongues from creating any more misconception around Rajnikanth's health and his 'Rana' being shelved.

Courtesy:indiaglitz.com

Rajnikanth admitted to top Singapore hospital

Tamil superstar Rajinikanth has been admitted to Singapore's top hospital, the Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre, according to medical sources.

The 61-year-old actor arrived in Singapore on Saturday with his wife and two daughters after he was discharged from a Chennai hospital where he spent two weeks being treated for respiratory problems.

He is now at the Mount Elizabeth centre which is considered one of the best hospitals in Asia.

However the hospital has refused to comment on Rajinikanth's health saying that it was not obliged to disclose the identity of its patients when they request complete privacy.

After the 'Endhiran' star was discharged from the Sri Ramachandra Medical Centre in Chennai on Friday, the hospital had released a bulletin saying that the actor was "cheerful" and doing well.

"He is cheerful, taking his food himself, spending time with family. He has scheduled his trip abroad for a change and relaxation and incidentally to go in for selective checkups," said the bulletin.

The actor suffered from exhaustion on April 29, the first day of the shoot of his latest venture 'Raana' and was admitted to the Isabel Hospital in Chennai.

He was discharged the same day only to be readmitted on May 4 for allergic bronchitis and viral fever. He was then admitted to the Sri Ramachandra Medical Centre on May 13 for respiratory infection and other problems.

He was shifted to a private ward last Sunday after being in the intensive care unit.

Courtesy:rediff.com

Meet A R Rahman's Canadian-Italian Bollywood singer

Canadian-Italian singer Natalie Di Lucciocaught India's eye when she posted a video of her singing Tu Jaane Na from Ajab Prem Ki Gajab Kahani on YouTube. It got over million hits in a day.

Then the 21-year-old caught A R Rahman's eye when she posted her rendition of Kahin Toh Hogi Woh from Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na, an ARR composition, on YouTube again.

She is now touring with the Oscar-winning music composer's troupe, and will be next seen performing in Bengaluru on May 29.

Natalie talks to Patcy N about her fascination for Bollywood songs and her big break.

How did you get into singing?

I have been singing all my life; I was singing ever since I was six. I have trained in Western classical. By the time I was 18, I decided to go to university to study opera. After that I had a hard time, as now I wanted to be a main stream artist and not necessarily an opera singer. I was getting lots of singing opportunities, but I couldn't take them because I was in the school.

Why did you decide to come to India?

One day I was in my school library and got a message on MySpace from some Tusshar Pandey in India. He messaged me about coming to India. I wasn't even going to respond because you get random messages on MySpace, but I did, saying, 'Thanks so much, may be one day'.

A few months later he messaged again and said he was working on a project and wanted me to sing from Canada. So I recorded and send him what he wanted. After a few months I got a CD. My voice was on Sonu Nigam's Maha Ganesha album. That time I did not know who Sonu was.

I have an Indian aunt [married to her uncle]. She saw the album and told me how big Sonu is in India. I started looking for Sonu and his music and I loved his work. Then I also started researching more on Indian music.

During this time I decided that I wanted to leave my school. I messaged Tusshar with whom I had stayed in touch, and asked him what I should be doing. His wife is a singer and he wanted to do a fusion album. That's when I thought of coming to India, not for a career or anything, just for fun. I was 18. My parents thought I was crazy to I want to come to India, so my brother accompanied me.

Where did you live when you first came to India?

I came to India in January 2009. I lived in Mumbai and Pune most of the time and I fell in love with the place. I felt like I had been here in a past life. Other than my aunt I had never been exposed to anything about Indian culture. I roamed here for few weeks and went back to Canada. But I started missing this place.

I was in touch with Sonu on Facebook. After Michael Jackson passed away, Sonu was doing a Jackson tribute and he asked me to be a part of it. He asked me to record my version on video and send it to him. That was my second job in India. I posted that on Facebook. I guess lots of music composers saw me and my work. One day I was talking to Sonu and I told him I wanted to come to India. He asked me to come. This was in October 2009. The next day I booked my tickets. I didn't even know where I would stay. Every one thought I was crazy, as I had some stuff going in the West as well as, but something kept pulling me back to India.

When was your next trip to India?

I came back last year to meet a few music directors for a month, but I kept extending my stay, and my poor mom kept worrying. I ended up living here for three to four months.

Bollywood just sucks you in, I love Bollywood films and I love Hindi. I got a tutor to learn Hindi, as all my friends were speaking Hindi, and I was frustrated because I could not understand anything. I started getting shows and singing projects. I did ads and some acting stuff (Jaane Kahin Se Aayi Hai). I did all this for fun and some experience in Bollywood.

Then I went back to Canada. This time in Canada was the toughest time. My whole life I had wanted to be an Italian classical singer, but once I came to India I completely lost touch with it. I did not feel like I was Italian any more, because I was talking about India, going to Indian restaurants, watching Bollywood films.

During the same time I got a chance to work with Universal Records on an album. If this had happened two years back, I would have been on cloud nine, but when this happened I was not passionate anymore. I was asked to practice Italian songs and I would be listening to Bollywood songs. The album was taking lots of time to happen and it had been a while since I had returned from India. I was really missing it.

Why did you think of singing Tu Jaane Na?

My brother is a guitarist. He told me to do something on YouTube. He suggested an English cover. On YouTube I heard Tu Jaane Na and loved it. I found an instrumental piano [of the song] uploaded by a 14-year-old boy from Chennai [Sanjay Das].

I called my brother and told him I know this song and can sing it. The next day I sang the song on video. I was scared to post it, as I didn't know whether my pronunciation and my accent were right. I also posted it on Facebook, but when I went to remove it, as I did not wanted it to become a laughing stock, within four days it was the most watched video in India. I wanted to comeback to India, but I did not know how. After this video I got lots of opportunity to do shows in India and small acting offers. I figured that if I come back, I have seamless opportunities. After I came here, my life really changed. I am in India since last December.

How did you get a chance to join Rahman's tour?

His manager saw my YouTube video Kahin Toh and showed it to him. Apparently every body liked that, so they called me to join the tour.

What are the other assignments that you did?

I have worked with composers like Salim Sulaimain, Amar Mohile, Pritam, Vishal Shekhar. Hopefully I will sing a song for Rahman. My parents are happy with my achievement, though they think there is so much more still to do.

I got a chance to sing in Chalo Dilli [Moments In Life]. I have recorded a Hindi song, too. I am still taking Hindi classes. My Hindi is good now; I mean I can understand it. I am forcing myself to speak it now. I have told my friends to speak to me only in Hindi. When I sing a song I translate each word to understand it better. So far I have sung three Hindi songs and uploaded them on YouTube: Tu Jaane Na, Kahin Toh and Pehla Nasha [Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander].

Why Pehla Nasha?

One of my goals is to decrease the gap between the East and the West. Lots of people have this vision of Slumdog Millionaire in America because that's what they have been fed. They don't know how amazing India is. It is one of my goals to show what India is. It is not just poverty and slums; India is about spreading love to all types of people. I thought of Pehla Nasha, because to me it is just not about first love, but about love for India and love between different kinds of people.

Which places in India have you seen?

I have been to Shimla, Agra, Delhi, Goa, Pune and Kutch. I will be going to Chennai, Nagpur, Bengaluru with my tours with Rahman. I loved Goa and Pune, Lonavala, Amby Valley. Every place is so different; it has different language and different cultures. I like something about every place.

What are the things that you like about India?

I like the family values in India. Now when I go home, I love my parents so much more. I realised that for Indians parents are very important, but there everyone is so busy that we don't appreciate our family. [I also like] The value people here have for friendship. I have better friends here than I have had in my entire life. There we are in bigger houses, so we are different from one another. Also since it is very cold, we stay indoors most of the time, and there is no social life. In Mumbai everyone is in close proximity.

The food here is too good. I love spicy food; my favourite food is Sabudana Khichdi, Butter Chicken, Chicken Tikka, Mutton Rogan Josh. There is so much good food here that it is a problem to stay slim.

Do you miss home?

I do miss home. I speak to my parents every day. My brother came and stayed with me for a month

What next?

I haven't planned anything, but I am sure I will be here for some more time. I don't see myself soon in Canada. [But] I don't know where I will be in my old age. I am talking to directors for a few film roles. I am also working on a Hollywood documentary about my journey to India. [Filmmaker] Shekhar Kapur is associated with it.

Courtesy:rediff.com

Ar Rahman, Srk And Yash Chopra

AR Rahman has said that he is happy to work with the legendary filmmaker Yash Chopra. The musician said that he is humbled by the faith that the director has in him. Speaking about the offer he had bagged, AR Rahman had said, “I am very excited to work with Yashji and I am humbled by his faith in me for his film. I have seen that Yashji always portrays music as the inevitable essence of love and divinity in his movies. I hope, as a team, we can bring tremendous joy to all.”

Yash Chopra had also confirmed his association with AR Rahman and said that Shah Rukh Khan will play the lead role. He said the SRK is like a family member to him. The film will go on floors once Aditya Chopra finalizes the script. Yashji also confirmed that there will be two heroines in the film and they will be finalized shortly.

Courtesy:behindwoods.com

‘Rana’ progresses despite superstar’s ill health

We are all aware that the superstar took ill on the first day after shooting for the big-budget ‘Rana.’ Rajini, who was first admitted at St. Isabelle Hospital, Mylapore, allegedly for dehydration and breathlessness, was discharged on the same day only to return to the hospital with more complications a few days later. The medicos carried out a battery of tests on the superstar and concluded that he was suffering from allergic bronchitis. After spending a few days in the hospital the superstar was discharged and advised complete rest for a few days. Now when all of us thought the superstar was getting back to normalcy comes this news that he has been admitted to Sri Ramachandra Medical Centre for suffering from pneumonia and gastro intestinal problems. But the director of ‘Rana,’ K.S. Ravikumar is positive that the superstar will be back with a bang. The director who recently came back after finalizing locations for filming in Thailand has revealed that he will be flying to London soon for the same reason. Sources also indicate that a song has been filmed on Deepika Padukone, the lead lady of the period movie. We had earlier mentioned that Rajini sports three avatars in ‘Rana,’ and the film will see three heroines belonging to three different generations. There are rumors running wild that the superstar is seriously ill. There are also reports doing the rounds that the superstar might be flying to UK for treatment. But the family of the superstar has either been quashing rumors or remaining quiet about it all. We truly hope the superstar gets on to his feet and regains his normal health…

Courtesy:indiaglitz.com

“rajini Won’t Act For The Next Six Months”

Rajinikanth’s brother Sathyanarayana Rao spoke to a private television channel about his health. He said that Rajini is responding to treatment and there is no cause of concern. Sathyanarayana said that Rajini will not get back to acting for at least six months as the doctors have advised him complete rest.

He added that he feels Rajini’s crash diet to tone down his body for Rana is the main cause for his health condition now.

On the other hand, Dhanush had said that the Superstar is fine and there is no reason to go abroad for treatment. Some of the prominent visitors that Rajiin had yesterday were Chandrababu Naidu, Narendra Modi and Cho Ramaswamy.

Courtesy:behindwoods.com

Mani Ratnam To Recreate ‘alaipayuthey’ Effect?

The news about Mani Ratnam’s ‘Ponniyin Selvan’ shelved has disappointed the fans of Vijay and Mahesh Babu. However, Mani Ratnam’s team members are reportedly happy that he didn’t involve in the project that is profitably not viable.

The latest we hear from the closer sources is Mani Ratnam is glimpsing through three different scripts that he had crafted before the completion of ‘Raavanan’. It looks like his next preference is a breezy rom-com starring newcomers in lead roles. The inside reports mention that audition for new faces is going on at initial levels. However, the technical team will have P.C. Sriram and A.R. Rahman, who are considered as the lucky factors of Mani Ratnam’s films.

Courtesy:behindwoods.com

Bolton Collaborates With Rahman For New Album

American singer-songwriter Michael Bolton has collaborated with Grammy award winning music composer AR Rahman for his latest album Gems - The Duets Collection.

The new album, to be released on June 21 on Sony music, will feature productions by acclaimed songwriters, producers and musicians including David Foster, Dann Huff, Rudy Perez, besides Rahman.

"The opportunity to work with legendary talent like David Foster, Dan Huff, A R Rahman and some of the absolute greatest singers and recording artists in the entire world was inspiring. I can't wait to share the special music we all created with the world," Bolton said in a statement.

Oscar winning Indian composer Rahman's song Sajna from Couples Retreat will be part of the album.

"When I first met Michael, we got to talking about music, philosophy, the universe and many things that we had in common," shares Rahman. "I wanted Michael to do a bit of singing that he's never done before, without compromising on his musicality."

Gems - The Duets Collection also includes musical collaborations with Grammy award-winning American band Rascal Flatts, international pop star Seal, Australian singing sensation Delta Goodrem, and famed late vocalist Eva Cassidy.

Courtesy:ndtv.com

Peter Haynes nominated for international award

Popular South Indian film stunt master Peter Haynes has been nominated for 2011 Taurus World stunt awards for his work in the film 'Raavan'. Peter was nominated in the 'Best Action in a foreign film' category for his work in Maniratnam's film 'Raavan' which released as 'Villain' in Telugu. Taurus World Stunt academy in Los Angeles, California gives away these awards every year. "2011 Taurus World Stunt Awards Foundation event will be held on Saturday evening, May 14, 2011 at Paramount Studios in Hollywood, California. Winners for the 2011 TWSA will be announced at the event. It promises to be an exciting evening and we hope to see you." said a message sent by the academy to Peter. These awards are considered prestigious in the field of stunts men and the award ceremony is telecast on entertainment channels in USA every year. Peter is a student of veteran stunt master Kanal Kannan.Peter worked for blockbuster films like 'Magadheera', 'Shivaji','Aparichitudu',et al.He even trained Allu Arjun for his upcoming film 'Badrinath'. We are yet to see if Peter wins this award.

Courtesy:indiaglitz.com

Mani plans a mass film

Now that it has been almost confirmed that Mani Ratnam has dropped his magnum opus project based on Kalki’s ‘Ponniyin Selvan’, we hear that the director would start a fresh film, that too at the earliest.

“This one would be a contemporary entertainer with mass elements, quite on the lines of the ace filmmaker’s earlier ventures Agni Natchathiram, Nayagan and Thalapathi,” say sources in the know.

A popular actor will play the lead role, they say and add: “As in the past, Mani Ratnam may not make an official announcement on this project too till he completes considerable part of the shoot.”

“Will the protagonist be Vijay, who has been roped in by Mani for Ponniyin Selvan?” To this question, the sources say: “Though there is a possibility for it, the director has to take the final call.”

Courtesy:indiaglitz.com

AR Rahman Lends Track to New Michael Bolton Album

Michael Bolton is gearing up for the release of his new album, Gems. Bolton is using the album as a platform to work with artists from around the globe. So, it only seems natural that Mr. Bolton would want to recruit the help of Academy Award-winning composer AR Rahman. Apparently, Rahman has given Bolton a reworked version of his track “Sanja” from the film Couples Retreat. Although Rahman was originally supposed to sing the chorus on the track, Bolton will now be recording the entire track himself, including the chorus which is sprinkled with Hindi.

The collaboration almost didn’t happen, as Rahman was committed to other projects before being contacted by Michael. Rahman was originally asked to produce a completely new single for Bolton, but wasn’t able to meet Michael’s proposed deadline. Intent on working with Rahman, Michael asked the Oscar-winner for a song he could reinterpret on his album. Rahman gave Michael the right to use “Sanja”, and the rest is history!

Do you guys think this is a good team-up? Or, do you think AR is wasting his talents?

Courtesy:desihits.com

Deepika Padukone can’t stop thanking her stars to have landed ‘Rana’

DP got the opportunity of her career by being offered to play superstar Rajnikanth’s leading lady in upcoming flick ‘Rana’. It is the first time the dusky actress will be working in a Tamil film.
She revealed her happiness at a press conference by saying, "I will not even call this a dream come true because it seemed so impossible that I did not even dream that this would happen one day.”

She is currently busy shooting a song sequence at a studio in Mumbai. She said to a daily, "Friday was my first day of shoot. We are shooting a song sequence to a number tuned by A R Rahman, the composer of the film."

Deepika has a lot of respect for Rajnikanth and considers him to be one of the legendary actors in the country. "It can`t get bigger and better than this. I`m south Indian myself and have long wanted to debut in Kollywood with a big film. Though I`ve been listening to scripts, it was when ‘Rana’ came along that I decided that this is the one for me. I think it`s destiny." Has she seen any of the Superstar`s films? "I`ve only seen ‘Robot’ till now."

So after green-eyed actress Aishwarya Rai played the leading lady to the epic star it’s now time for Deepika to get the limelight. Well we can’t agree less it is one of those big opportunities she has got in her career. And we wish the tall beauty all the very best for her dream venture.

Courtesy:zeenews.com

Mani is likely to drop Ponniyin Selvan

Director Mani Ratnam was actively involved in the groundwork of 'Ponniyin Selvan' and was making all arrangements to get the film on floors .

He had in fact roped in Vijay, Mahesh Babu, Anushka, Priyanka Chopra and others for this movie. But, it now looks like, the film may be dropped. Sources close to Mani Ratnam say that the director is likely to drop the project but has not disclosed any reasons for it.

Several actors in the past have expressed their desire to make 'Ponniyin Selvan' and notable among them are MG Ramachandran and Kamal Haasan. Though, both of them announced the project they could not go further with it, it may be recalled.

It seems that a similar thing had happened with Mani too.

Courtesy:indiatimes.com

Deepika Padukone Will Essay 17th Century Glamor in Rana

Deepika Padukone , 25, will portray 17th century glamor in her trilingual - Tamil, Telugu and Hindi – film Rana with co-star Rajnikanth. Photo Credit: Sawf News

April 30, 2011, (Sawf News) - Deepika Padukone , 25, will portray 17th century glamor in her trilingual - Tamil, Telugu and Hindi – film Rana with co-star Rajnikanth.

She shot her first scene for the film Friday, April 29 in Chennai, a solo dance sequence scored by AR Rahman.

"It'll be a period look, as the film is set in the 17th century, my look and hair will be done in a very different way. Costume designer Neeta Lulla, who has handled films like Devdas, has worked hard on my look and come out with brilliant results. It's a 17th century look with a south Indian touch," Deepika told TOI.

Deepika's 60-year-old co-star Rajnikanth fell sick on day one of shoot and had to be rushed to the hospital. He has been advised complete rest for a few days.

According to director K. S. Ravikumar, Rajnikanth is anyways needed much later in the schedule; his role will be shot in London.

A bearded Rajnikanth is seen in a warrior look in the first look poster of Rana. Photo Credit: Eros Entertainment

Deepika gushes about her pairing with the South superstar.

"Rajini sir wished me success at the pooja. I'm eagerly awaiting to start work on the scenes that feature both of us."

Rajni will be seen in three looks - young, middle aged and old in the film. Deepika has been paired with him in his young age role. She is the only confirmed female cast till now. Two more female leads will feature opposite Rajni.

The film additionally co-stars Sonu Sood. Amitabh Bachchan will play a cameo.

The film is scheduled for a summer 2012 release

Courtesy:sawfnews.com

AR Rahman to score for the Kannada ‘Varalaru’!

‘Varalaru’ by KS Ravikumar that featured Ajith, Asin and Kanika in the lead roles was released a few years back in Tamil with Ajith playing three roles, the father and twin sons.

Sources say that the movie is being remade in Kannada as ‘Godfather.’ In fact, 'Godfather' was the original title that was chosen for the Tamil version but wasn’t used so that the production house can experience tax exemption benefits from the Government if the movie is named in Tamil.

The Kannada version will be directed by PC Sriram, who was the cameraman for the original version. AR Rahman who had scored the music for the original movie will be composing fresh tunes for the Kannada version. While the original version consisted of nine tracks, the remake will have only six tracks. The original score music was used for a Kannada flick, ‘Sajani.’ Anand Audio has signed the contract for the audio rights.

AR Rahman’s career started in Karnataka, but this is said to be AR’s first official entry into Kannada film industry! Stay updated with latest film tidbits at IndiaGlitz!

Courtesy:indiaglitz.com

Mahesh Babu and Mani Ratnam ‘Ponniyin Selvan called off

Gossip winery is abuzz that Mani Ratnam’s dream project Ponniyin Selvan that is to be made with Mahesh Babu, Vijay and Arya had been put on the backburner! This film is a historical movie set in period backdrop and needs crores of rupees.

A rough estimate says that Ponniyin Selvan needs at least Rs. 100 crores. That is a huge amount and many producers including few corporate groups are not ready to risk on this movie. Also this film lacks commercial elements says the buzz. Hence, no one is willing to spend so much money on it and Mani Ratnam’s previous film Raavan’s result is making them to think twice.

Hence, Mahesh Babu, Mani Ratnam’s Ponniyin Selvan is called off for the moment. It will go to sets if any producer comes forward to invest 100 crores in it. Bad news indeed.

Courtesy:supergoodmovies.com

What Happened To Ponniyin Selvan?

Rumormongers in Kollywood say that Ponniyin Selvan may be dropped. Though the reason for this is not out, the rumors are getting strong day by day. At a stage when all the actors and actresses were said to be finalized, this comes as surprise to many. Also director Mani Ratnam went on a tour recently to scout for locations to shoot this trilingual.

Vijay and Mahesh Babu were roped in to play the male leads while Anushka and Priyanka Chopra were touted to be their onscreen pairs, it may be recalled.

Sources close to the director say that Ponniyin Selvan may be postponed and that the director has already conveyed this message to Mahesh Babu. Let’s wait for an official announcement on this project.

Courtesy:behindwoods.com

AR Rahman to score for the Kannada ‘Varalaru’!

‘Varalaru’ by KS Ravikumar that featured Ajith, Asin and Kanika in the lead roles was released a few years back in Tamil with Ajith playing three roles, the father and twin sons.

Sources say that the movie is being remade in Kannada as ‘Godfather.’ In fact, 'Godfather' was the original title that was chosen for the Tamil version but wasn’t used so that the production house can experience tax exemption benefits from the Government if the movie is named in Tamil.

The Kannada version will be directed by PC Sriram, who was the cameraman for the original version. AR Rahman who had scored the music for the original movie will be composing fresh tunes for the Kannada version. While the original version consisted of nine tracks, the remake will have only six tracks. The original score music was used for a Kannada flick, ‘Sajani.’ Anand Audio has signed the contract for the audio rights.

AR Rahman’s career started in Karnataka, but this is said to be AR’s first official entry into Kannada film industry! Stay updated with latest film tidbits at IndiaGlitz!

Courtesy:indiaglitz.com