Here’s a recap of the significant stories in entertainment across Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada films, and sometimes the odd television series as well.
Sudeep Kishan’s titular Michael takes down different gangsters in this crime drama for a woman he loved. “Some men are destined to face only troubles because they choose to fall for the delusions of women,” warns Gautham Vasudev Menon who plays the main antagonist. Vijay Sethupathi and Varalakshmi Sarathkumar team up to form another gangster group in this film. The film, with music by Sam CS, is slated to hit the screens on February 3. Helmed by Ranjit Jeyakodi, the film co-stars Divyansha Kaushik, Varun Sandesh, Ayyappa Sharma, and Anasuya.
Cinematographer Roby Varghese Raj’s directorial debut starring Mammootty is titled Kannur Squad. Produced by the actor’s own banner Mammootty Kampany, the film is touted to be a thriller. The screenplay has been penned by Rony David Raj. Muhammed Rahil is the cinematographer and Praveen Prabhakar is the editor. The film has music by Sushin Shyam. Dhoni Entertainment's Tamil film gets a title (Tamil)
The production venture of MS Dhoni and Sakshi Singh Dhoni, Dhoni Entertainment, aims to produce films in various languages. Bankrolling their first project in Tamil, it is a road film titled Let’s Get Married. Written and directed by Ramesh Thamilmani, the film stars Nadiya, Harish Kalyan, Ivana and Yogi Babu.
Bollywood actor Anupam Kher who has worked in Tamil, English, Malayalam, and Telugu films is all set to make his Kannada debut with Century Star Shivarajkumar's film. Directed by Srini, Ghost is said to be a heist thriller. The film has a stellar cast with actors from various industries including Jayaram and Prashanth Narayan. Mahendra Simha is the cinematographer and Arjun Janya is the music composer.
The nominations for the 95th Academy Awards were announced on Tuesday, where Indian titles RRR, All That Breathes and The Elephant Whisperers got one nomination each. SS Rajamouli’s fan-favourite RRR got an Original Song nomination at the 95th Oscars for MM Keeravani’s ‘Naatu Naatu’. The song composed by MM Keeravaani and lyrics to which was penned by Chandrabose becomes the first Indian song to get nominated at the Academy. Naatu Naatu had won Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards in the same category. Pan Nalin’s Chhello Show, India’s official entry under the Best International Feature Film category, did not feature in the short-list.
Bankrolled by Pa Ranjith’s Neelam Productions, Bommai Nayagi promises to be a heartfelt, stirring tale about a father’s struggle for justice, all for the sake of his daughter. Yogi Babu seems in fine form as a loving father who sets up and names his first business venture, a small tea stall after his daughter’s name. The trailer rapidly changes in tone, pace, and mood as the film indicates the family’s peaceful life being shattered by the disappearance of their daughter. Like other projects helmed by Pa Ranjith, the film seems to use a deeply personal tale as a fulcrum to explore pressing, burning, social issues. The movie also stars Subatra and Srimathi in prominent roles and is slated to be released on February 3.
“Do you want us to live well at the expense of taking a life?” asks Samuthirakani, a distraught villager who works as a watchman. He is contemplating voluntarily ending his comatose father’s life to ease the pain and suffering, using a practice known as Thalaikoothal. The trailer promises a gripping, deeply emotional drama that will focus on the value of human life and the suffering any family goes through while deciding the fate of their kin who is afflicted by a coma.
While the film is a social drama, the story is an intimate one that connects across communities. The film posits the decision to employ the practice as a moral, philosophical conflict between Samuthirakani and other villagers. Helmed by Jayaprakash Radhakrishnan, the film also stars Vasundra and is slated to release theatrically on February 3.
Actor Venkatesh Daggubati teams up with Sailesh Kolanu for Saindhav. It is Venkatesh’s 75th film and is bankrolled by Venkat Boyanapalli under the Niharika Entertainment banner. The makers of the film have announced on social media that Bollywood actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui has joined the cast. Saindhav marks the actor’s Telugu debut. Garry BH has handled the editing, S Manikandan has lensed the film and Santhosh Narayanan has composed the music.
Helmed by Prem, KD – The Devil is an ambitious multilingual commercial entertainer starring Dhruva Sarja. On the first look launch of the film, the makers announced that Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt will be playing the antagonist in the film. The film is set in the 70s and is inspired by real-life events from the underworld of Bangalore. Produced by KVN Productions, the film will have music by Arjun Janya.
In her sophomore directorial Thugs aka Thugs of Kumari Maavattam (Kanyakumari), choreographer turned filmmaker Brinda Gopal promises an exciting mixture of high-octane-action sequences and a raw brooding story. Hridhoo Haroon plays Sethu, an orphan hailing from Thovalai, who is sentenced to prison for killing a person. And in prison, he teams up with a gangster in Bobby Simha, known to be the king of the Nagercoil market.
The story is perfectly set up for a tense faceoff between Hridhoo and the savage prison officer played by RK Suresh. Sam CS with his impactful background music, underscores the tone and mood of the film. Will Thugs manage to immerse viewers into its aggressive world? We will find out soon. This pan-Indian film also stars Anaswara Rajan.
Billed as an action thriller, the makers of Ravanasura released the first look of the film on the occasion of Ravi Teja’s birthday. The video gives a sneak peek of Ravi Teja’s character and features flashes of blood and murder. The film is slated to hit screens on April 7.
Directed by Sudheer Varma, Srikanth Vissa has penned the story. Produced by Abhishek Nama and Ravi Teja, the film co-stars Sushanth, Anu Emmanuel, Faria Abdullah and Megha Akash. Harshavardhan Rameshwar and Bheems Ceciroleo have composed the music for the film. Vijay Karthik Kannan has cranked the camera and Srikanth has handled the editing.
Upendra starrer Kabzaa is a gangster period drama set in 1940-80 and follows the story of an underworld don. Directed by R Chandru, this pan-Indian film is all set to release on March 17. Produced by Sri Siddeshwara Enterprises, the film also stars Sudeep and Shriya Saran in prominent roles. AJ Shetty is the cinematographer and Mahesh Reddy is the editor. The music for the film is composed by Ravi Basrur.
Set against the backdrop of rural Kerala, the title track of Enkilum Chandrike gives a peek into the world of the film and gives us a glimpse of the characters played by Basil Joseph, Suraj Venjaramoodu, and Saiju Kurup. Vinayak Sasikumar has penned the lyrics for the music composed by Ifthi. The song rendered by Vineeth Sreenivasan has a fun, feel-good vibe.
Enkilum Chandrike is a fun entertainer where Niranjana Anoop essays the titular character of Chandrika. Directed by Adithyan Adithyan Chandrashekaran, the film is produced by Friday Film House. Lijo Paul has edited the film, and Jithin Stanislaus has cranked the camera.
Vijay Jagaadal acts, directs and pens the lyrics for his upcoming action comedy Rupayi. Exploring the importance of money, the film is said to be a perfect combination of comedy, love and action. National award-winning stunt choreographer Vikram Mor has choreographed the action sequences in the film. Backed by Manjunath M and Harish BK, the film also stars Krishi Thapanda and Chandana Raghavendra in lead roles. Anand Rajavikram has composed music for the film and RD Nagarjun has cranked the camera. Rupayi is slated to hit screens on February 10.
Written and directed by Eashvar Karthic, the film marks the 26th outing for both Satyadev and Daali Dhananjaya. Billed as a pan-Indian cinema, it is titled Zebra, with a tagline “Luck Favors The Brave.”
Produced by SN Reddy, Bala Sundaram and Dinesh Sundaram, the film also stars Priya Bhavani Shankar, Jennifer Piccinato, Sathyaraj, Akala and Sunil. Anil Krish is the editor and Suman Prasar Bage is the DOP. Ravi Basur has composed the music for the film.
“Naalumani Poovu” is the first single from Maheshum Marutiyum featuring Asif Ali and Mamta Mohandas creates a sense of nostalgia and takes one back to the school days filled with friendships and first love. Composed and arranged by Kedar, the song was written by B K Harinarayanan and sung by Hari Sankar.
Maheshum Marutiyum is written and directed by Sethu and the story revolves around a Maruti 800. Produced by Maniyan Pilla Raju, the film stars Asif Ali and Mamta Mohandas in lead roles. Jith Joshie is the editor and Faiz Siddik is the DOP.