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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.
After the release of Ashwin Kakumanu’s Pizza 3, producer CV Kumar has announced the fourth entry in the Pizza series. Kumar announced that Pizza 4 will be produced under his banner Thirukumaran Entertainments. The details regarding the cast and crew haven't been revealed yet.
The first installment in the series was written and directed by Karthik Subbaraj, who has since directed many films such as Jigarthanda, Mahaan, and Petta. The second film Pizza 2: The Villa starred Ashok Selvan and was not a continuation of the original. Pizza 3: The Mummy was also a fresh story.
The makers of the Hansika Motwani starrer Partner recently announced the release date. The romantic comedy, which also stars Aadhi Pinisetty, will be released on August 25. The film is said to be about two thieves who fall into a trap while trying to steal from a scientist.
Partner is written and directed by Manoj Damodaran and is backed by Goli Surya Prakash under the Royal Fortuna Creations banner. It also stars Yogi Babu, Robo Shankar, John Vijay, and Pandirajan. Santhosh Dayanidhi has handled the music while Shabeer Ahmed and Pradeep E Raghav have handled the cinematography and editing.
The makers of Aishwarya Rajinikanth’s next directorial Lal Salaam announced that lead actor Vishnu Vijay has wrapped his portions for the film. The actor took to social media to announce his last day. He tweeted, “And its a wrap for me for #LalSalaam What a journey this has been… Emotional and overwhelmed.. Learnt so much... Thanks to my director @ash_rajinikanth and @LycaProductions for this memorable journey”.
Lal Salaam is written and directed by Aishwarya Rajinikanth. The sports drama also features Vikranth and an extended cameo from Superstar Rajinikanth. It is backed by Lyca Productions and its technical crew consists of AR Rahman on music, Vishnu Rangaswamy, and Praveen Baaskar handling cinematography and editing respectively. The makers hope to release the film by the end of the year.
Ahead of its release on August 10, the makers of Jailer released a showcase video this week, amping up the expectations of fans with its sleekly cut trailer, which shows us glimpses of the complicated psyche of Tiger Muthuvel Pandian (Rajinikanth). The film, which co-stars Ramya Krishnan, Mohanlal, Sunil and Shiva Rajkumar, among others, has music by Anirudh Ravichander.
Actor Sibiraj recently released the first-look poster of Jackson Durai: Chapter 2, a sequel to the first part of the same name, which released in 2016. The sequel will see Sathyaraj reprise his role from the original. The actor is seen wearing a British army uniform, putting on a poker face. The film, which also stars Sibiraj in the lead, is directed by Dharani Dharan.
Actor Arjun Das seems to be on a roll. The actor who had his breakthrough with Lokesh Kannagaraj’s Kaithi, was last seen in Aneethi. He has now announced that he will be collaborating with Magamuni director Santhakumar for a film. Titled Rasavathi, the film is said to be a coming-of-age tale and also features Ramya Subramanian and Tanya Ravichandran.
The makers of the Chiyan Vikram starrer Thangalaan released the first look poster of lead actress Malavika Mohanan. The poster sees Malavika’s Aarathi in a fiery avatar, holding a weapon resembling a scythe. A bonfire is lit behind her and is surrounded by the people of her village.
Thangalaan is written and directed by Pa Ranjith. The period film is set in pre-independent India and will take place in the KGF mines. KE Gnanavel Raja of Studio Green produces the film along with Ranjith’s Neelam Productions. The film stars Vikram, Malavika Mohanan, Pasupathy, Daniel Caltagirone, and Parvathi Thiruvothu. GV Prakash Kumar scores the music for the film.
According to recent reports, actor Naga Chaithanya has started preparing for his upcoming film. The actor has been visiting villages near Srikakulam and spending time with the local fishermen to prepare for his role. He was seen in Matchiselam, a village in Srikakulam along with director Chandoo Mondeti and producer Bunny Vyas.
Titled NC23, the film is directed by Chandoo Mondeti of Karthikeya 2 fame. Bunny Vyas is set to produce the film under the Geetha Arts banner while Allu Arvind is presenting the film.
The makers of the runaway hit Goodachari recently took to social media to celebrate the film’s 5th year anniversary. The Adivi Sesh and Sobhita Dhulipala starrer is a spy-adventure thriller and received great response upon release. The film was directed by Sahsi Kiran Tikka.
The appreciation note for the film read, "5 Years of Goodachari. A film that brought back the spy genre to South Indian cinema. A film that broke barriers. A film that became a trendsetter. Goodachari enjoys a fanbase that continues to shower us with so much love everyday. This increases the responsibility on the franchise and we are hard at work to give you a blockbuster action spectacle on a grand scale. Our goal isn't just to give you a thrilling action extravaganza. It is to bring you a G2 beyond expectations. A G2 doesn't just go National, it will go international. With pre-production happening in different countries, we can't wait to go to the sets soon. Agent 116 will report for duty."
The Ram Pothineni and Sreeleela starrer Skanda (directed by Boyapati Srinu) recently received its first single. Titled ‘Nee Chuttu Chuttu’, the peppy dance number is composed by Thaman S and features vocals from Sid Sriram and Sanjana Kalmanje, with Raghuram penning the lyrics. The single was accompanied by a lyrical video.
Actor Ananya Nagalla, who is known for her roles in Mallesham and Vakeel Saab, will next be seen in the horror film Tantra. On the occasion of her birthday, the makers of the film released the first look poster of the film. Tantra is written and directed by Srinivas Gopisetti, and produced by Naresh Babu P and Ravi Chaitanya under the First Copy Movies banner.
The trailer of Toby sees Raj B Shetty as the titular Toby and documents his experiences as a simpleton who gets stuck in a world of crime. In classic Raj Shetty style, the film seems to be an exploration of how society shapes a violent man despite his innocence. The three-minute trailer shows various shades of the character, climaxing in a menacing showdown between Raj Shetty and the antagonists.
Directed by Basil Alchakkal, the film is written by Raj Shetty. It co-stars Samyuktha Hornad, Gopalkrishna Deshpande, Chaithra J Achar, and Raj Deepak Shetty.
The makers of the Naveen Shankar starrer Kshethrapathi have announced that the film will be released on August 18. The social drama that explores farmer suicides in North Karnataka also features Archana Jois of KGF fame, who reunites with Shankar after this year’s Hondisi Bareyiri. The film is directed by Srikanth Katagi and is produced by Ashraga Creations. The film also stars Achyuth Kumar.
The makers of the second instalment of Jaggesh starrer Thothapuri have announced the release date of the film. Thothapuri 2 will be released on August 11, competing with Rajinikanth and Shivarajkumar starrer Jailer. The film is directed by Vijaya Prasad and also features Dhananjaya in a more prominent role. The actor made a cameo appearance in the first film. Suman Ranganath and Aditi Prabhudeva reprise their roles from the original in the sequel.
Kichcha Sudeepa has announced that the filming of his next film has begun in Tamil Nadu. Tentatively titled Kichcha46, the action film is currently being filmed in Mahabalipuram. The actor recently interacted with the media and mentioned that the film was approved in July 2022 and that they are currently aiming for a release in December.
Kichcha46 is directed by debutant Vijay Kartikeyaa. Kalaippuli S Thanu produces the film under his V Creations banner, while the film is presented by Sudeep's own Kichcha Creations.
The makers of the comedy Jaladhara Pumpset: Since 1962 released a trailer for the film recently. The trailer was shared on social media by Tamil actor Vijay Sethupathi. The film stars Urvashi and Indrans. The film is directed by Ashish Chinnappa, who has co-written the film along with Prajin MP. It is produced by Baiju Chellamma, Sagar, and Sanitha Sasidharan under the Wonderframes Filmland banner.
The makers of Nivin Pauly’s next film Thaaram announced that noted Telugu music composer Thaman S has been roped in to provide the music and score for the film. Producer Listin Stephens made the announcement. Vinay Govind has directed the film, which is based on a screenplay written by him along with Vivek Ranjith. The film also stars Nikhila Vimal, Vinay Forrt, and Kayadu Lohar.
Actores Sreenath Bassi, Lal, and Saiju Kurup will be headlining a thriller next. The yet-to-be-titled film is directed by debutant Jo George. The film is written by Sagar, who is known for directing films such as Kumbarees, Veekam, and Sathyam Mathrame Bodhippikku.
Fahad Faasil, who was last seen in Tamil film Maamannan will next be featured in Odum Kuthira Chadum Kuthira. The film is a romantic comedy, written and directed by Althaf Salim of Njandukalude Naattil Oridavela fame. The makers have announced that filming for the same will begin in November.