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Kamal Haasan to play Bush in Tamil film
He is constantly looking for something new and challenging. The latest on superstar Kamal Haasan is that he will play the role of US President George W. Bush in his forthcoming Tamil film "Dasavataram".
 

Congress moves court against 'Sivaji: The Boss'
Rajnikant-starrer Tamil film "Sivaji: The Boss", running to full houses, Monday attracted a second lawsuit, as a Congress activist sought a ban on the film, alleging it portrayed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and party president Sonia Gandhi in poor light.Congressman M. Satyamoorthy, filed a public interest litigation before the Madras High Court. He said the film showed the Congress leaders "in the company of the villain" and that this was done "with intention to defame the Congress party and its leaders".
  
Aamir Khan to star in the remake of hit Tamil flick
Actress Asin, who has been cast opposite Aamir in the film, has said that she intends to concentrate only on this project in 2007.

 
Shooting of Tamil film disrupted near Agra
The shooting of a Tamil film featuring the famous Fatehpur Sikri Fort, close to the Taj Mahal in Agra, was disrupted by villagers when the crew started filming a romantic scene.

Kamal Haasan & Kushboo news :

Kamal Haasan's daughter to bring out album, Khushboo roots for Taj

 
In second week, 'Sivaji' is still the boss
By Aparna Nath

Chennai,  It is raining money for Tamil Nadu box office as "Sivaji: The Boss" is running houseful at all cinema halls. The Rajnikant starrer, released on 17 screens, is recording 100 percent collections.

1. "Sivaji" (Director - Shankar): The most hyped film of 2007 has conquered the hearts of all those who have seen the film. The craze that started before its release has not subsided even after a week.

2. "Chennai 600028" (Director - Venkat Prabhu): This small film has managed to survive the "Sivaji" storm and that speaks for its strength.

3. "Karuppusamy Koothagaitharar" (Director - Murthy): The success of the film is the success of Karan, the hero of the film.

4. "Unnale Unnale" (Director - Jeeva): This is another film that escaped the "Sivaji" tsunami in multiplexes.

5. "Paruthiveeran" (Director - Ameer): "Paruthiveeran" has completed more than 100 days and has done it in style.

 
In Tamil Nadu, 'Sivaji' music rocks
By Aparna Nath

Chennai,  A.R. Rahman's music for the film "Sivaji" has caught the ears of the listeners and the album is being lapped up in the state.

1. "Sivaji" (music by A.R. Rahman): After watching the film, "Athiradee" and "Vaaji vaaji" have become a rage as the scenes are fascinating.

2. "Unnale Unnale" (music by Harris Jayaraj): "June Ponna" sung by Krish and Arun is on high rotation on all the radio stations.

3. "Mozhi" (music by Vidyasagar): The success of this album shows there is space for melody even today.

4. "Chennai 600028" (music by Yuvan Shankar Raja): The film is a surprise hit and has made the album a favourite among young listeners. The song "Jalsa" is a must listen.

5. "Naan Avan Illai" (music by Vijay Antony): "Ean Enakku", sung by Jayadev and Sangeeta Rajeswaran, is instrumental for the album's success.

Record run of 'Chandramukhi' to be celebrated Monday
Chennai, The record run of Tamil film "Chandramukhi", starring superstar Rajnikant whose latest "Shivaji" too has been a phenomenal success, is a cause for celebration, as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi and others come together at a special event to mark the occasion Monday.

 
An African safari for Vikram
African locales will replace Tamil filmmakers' favourite shooting venues in Western Europe and Australia in the forthcoming film "Kandasamy", featuring popular star Vikram.Susi Ganesan, dirctor of the mega-budget film, has chosen locations in three African countries, after a 35-day long tour of the continent.
 
Rajnikant is the emperor: Amitabh Bachchan
Amitabh Bachchan, who calls Rajnikant the true emperor of Indian cinema, admires the Tamil superstar for his simplicity, humility and the way he has brought up his children.Reacting to Rajnikant's remark about himself and the Big B being the king and the emperor respectively, Bachchan told IANS: "Rajni is phenomenal. The largest, the best and truly the boss! It is ridiculous to compare me with him.

Dalit leader bags leading role in Tamil film
By Chitra Prakash,

Chennai, Thol Thirumavalavan, president of the Dalit Panthers of India, an ally of the ruling DMK, has been cast in the leading role of a film titled "Kalaham" (Riot). Thirumavalavan plays the character of a law college professor in the film, which is being directed by Mu Kalanchiyam.
This will be the second film for the fiery Dalit leader, known for his oratorical skills. The first was "Anbu Thozhi", which was directed by Kripa Srinivasan and produced by R. Singaravelu with Shakthiraja as music director. Thirumavalavan dons the uniform of LTTE leader V. Prabhakaran in "Anbu Thozhi", which is currently facing some hurdles from the Board of Censors.
Talking to the media, Thirumavalavan said: "I decided to continue acting in films since I thought it was good to try and take the powerful medium of cinema in the right direction and put it in the service of the people. "There will be songs in my films, but no duets. I won't act in such a manner to harm society. I am not acting in films for money or fame. I believe good messages can be communicated to the people through cinema." He has appeared in a song sequence for Mansoor Alikhan's "Ennai Par Yogam Varum" and is also said to have another movie under his belt.

  
Jayalakshmi moves from scam to screen
By Chitra Prakash,
Chennai, Troubled actress Sivakasi Jayalakshmi will soon be in the limelight again, not as an accused in a courtroom, but as a big screen belle. Jayalakshmi, hailing from Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu, hit the headlines as an accused in a narcotics case involving her and a host of senior police officers in 2004-05. The attractive actress, in her early 30s, became a household name in the state through a long drawn-out courtroom drama, which ended in her acquittal about a year ago. Out of public sight and mind since then, Jayalakshmi has resurfaced as a member of the cast in a Tamil film under production by Anbalayal Films in which she plays the owner of a small tea shop outside a college in the film titled "Pazhaniyappa Kalloori". A scene from the film featuring Jayalakshmi was shot in Myladuthurai last week. The scene, which was originally planned to be shot outdoors, was shifted to the terrace of the hotel she was staying in as the crew saw no other way of avoiding hundreds that thronged the location to catch a glimpse of her.
Whether Jayalakshmi draws thousands to theatres remains to be seen.
  
'Sivaji' leads the music charts
By Aparna Nath,

Chennai, No films, no audio albums - that is how the past few weeks have been in Tamil Nadu. All because of "Sivaji", which is once again on top of the charts this fortnight.

The top five Tamil albums are:

1. "Sivaji" - Music Director: A.R. Rahman. Both "Balleilaka" and "Vaaji vaaji" are a craze among Rajnikant fans, but the pick of the album is "Sahara Pookal", sung beautifully by Vijay Yesudas and Gomathishree. 

2. "Unnale Unnale" - Music Director: Harris Jayaraj. Not a single day passes without "June Ponna" being played on all the radio channels. Krish and Arun have crooned this hit number.

3. "Mozhi" - Music Director: Vidyasagar. What more can one say than "Mozhi" is likely to be the best album of the year 2007!

4. "Chennai 600028" - Music Director: Yuvan Shankar Raja. All the songs by Yuvan are a hit, but "Saroja Saman Nikalo" sung by Shankar Mahadevan and "Prem Gi Amaran" are a rage among the youth.

5. "Naan Avan Illai" - Music Director: Vijay Antony. An average album, it became a hit after the film's success.

Rooftop film festivals catching on
Ganesh A.P.P., a member of Chennai's Rooftop film festival, is very excited. Only a few days ago New York's Rooftop Films asked him and his friends to exchange their movies with the Brooklyn-based group. Rooftop film fests have now become a phenomenon across many Indian cities to screen on terraces for a limited number of people unconventional and classical films of various languages that may not be running in multiplexes . Ganesh, still a student, along with his graphic designer friend Dinesh T.U, loves to watch films. The two are also amateur filmmakers, ready to learn the intricacies of filmmaking. "Not too many film fests happen in Chennai, and most show only the contemporary crop of movies. Or just Andrei Tarkovsky (regarded as the most influential filmmaker of the post-war Soviet era in Russia). "I wanted to see the classics. We wanted to see unusual films, we wanted to show films made by amateurs unconventional films that will not be screened in the halls", Ganesh told IANS. Supported by an NGO called Knowledge Foundation, Ganesh and his team had their first rooftop festival in March on the terrace of a friend's house in Raja Annamalaipuram in the heart of the city. The films screened included "Hard Candy", "Call Center", "Blood Simple", "America, America Parody", "Hi Dad", "Annie Hall" and "That Four Letter Word". Many of these are not popular in India. "But then, would anyone have liked it if we just showed Tarkovsky one after another?" Ganesh asked. Ganesh and his friends have also launched a website http://rtff.pbwiki.com, which has event pages that can be accessed by anyone. The events are organised when people take initiatives and log on to the website and volunteer to contribute with DVD equipments, screen, projector or food for the event. Then, a date is decided and the fest is organised for some 40 people. The festival has caught the fancy of many. Now, National Institute of Technology (NIT) Tiruchirapally's students and teachers are having their own rooftop film fests. NIT Calicut too wants to join the club. In July, Singapore will have a rooftop film fest, with content contributions from Tamil Nadu.

Rajnikanth's 'Sivaji' delayed in Kerala
The release of Rajnikanth's much-awaited "Sivaji" might be delayed in Kerala due to distribution problems. An agreement between the Kerala Film Chamber of Commerce and 48 of the state's theatre owners has proved to be a stumbling block. According to the agreement, new
films will be released in these theatre owners' cinema halls against an advance payment by film producers.  In the event of films failing at the box office, the theatre owners' loss is to be compensated by the producers' next film being released in the same halls. The chamber, however, has decided to release "Sivaji" in a far larger number of theatres in the state to give the film maximum exposure. The 48 theatre owners have now strongly opposed this decision. They fail to hear the chamber's pleas that the agreement applied only to Malayalam films. The biggest losers of this confusion will be Rajnikanth fans in Kerala, who may have to wait it out a while for the film's release.

 
Tamil cinema scouting for a child artist
Malayalam director Lohitha Das is looking for a child actor for his next film, which he says will be about "how today's children are brought up" and "the consequences of the upbringing".
 
Vishal's three role models
Young actor Vishal says that Tamil superstar Rajnikanth, Chiranjeevi and Prakash Raj are his "role models". He named the three in a recent chat with the media.
 
Remake film rules Tamil box office
"Naan Avan Illai", the remake of K. Balachander's old classic that had Gemini Ganesan in the lead, is slicker and technically superior. It has appealed not only to the urban audience but to rural movie buffs too. Jeevan consolidates his position after his successful "Thiruttu Payale".
 
The top five Tamil films are:

1. "Naan Avan Illai" - Director: Selva. It is a great entertainer and Jeevan has done full justice to the role immortalised by Gemini Ganesan.
 

No life without wife's parents, says Madhavan
Sooraj Barjatya will envy this. In a scene straight out of one of his feel good films about family ties, actor R. Madhavan is currently in the US with his extended family. "And that invariably means my wife, son Vedant, my parents and my parents-in-law," Madhavan told In fact, the actor is as close to his wife Sarita's parents as he is to his own."There's no difference in my mind and heart between my parents and my wife's parents. If they hadn't supported me during my courtship days, it'd have been impossible for a Tamilian, born and brought up in Bihar, to marry a Maharashtrian girl from Kolhapur."We include my in-laws in every thing we do. Sarita and I don't go on a single holiday without both sets of parents."For the last few weeks, Maddy has been in Orlando with his family."We've rented a home here and we're staying like normal residents instead of vacationers, just lazing around, cooking, going for long walks and just being ourselves."However, the one thing that Madhavan won't neglect is his physical fitness regime. In fact, he's busy losing weight now."I first lost all my extra baggage in Kent when I was holidaying with my family last year. That helped me to play the gaunt stressed-out middleclass man in Nishikant Kamat's 'Yevanu Oruvan' in Tamil. "Now again I've lost quite a lot of weight in Orlando for Nishikant's next, which will be in Hindi." Apparently Maddy has become unrecognisably slim. "Even my son finds it hard to recognise me," he joked.

 
Rahman floats his own music label
Composer A.R. Rahman has just fulfilled a long-cherished dream by launching his own music label, K.M. Music. "For a long time now I wanted to float my own label K.M. Music. My label won't market the music. It'll just distribute music recorded in my studio in Chennai to large music companies like Sony," Rahman told.

 
'Paruthiveeran' continues dream run
By Aparna Nath,

Chennai, Even though the Tamil New Year films have reached the theatres, there is none that can beat Ameer's "Paruthiveeran" at the box office. The top five Tamil films are:

1. "Paruthiveeran" - Director: Ameer. Even the urban crowd is going crazy about the film with a rural theme.

2. "Unnale Unnale" - Director: Jeeva. This love story is cinematographer Jeeva's gift to the youngsters and they have lapped it up.

3. "Mozhi" - Director: Radhamohan. Mozhi continues to have houseful shows in all cities and has been declared a blockbuster.

4. "Mayakkannadi" - Director: Cheran. This realistic film by Cheran is sure to hit it off with the people of Tamil Nadu.

5. "Pokkiri" - Director: Prabhu Deva. The Vijay-starrer won a fresh lease of life on the Tamil New Year weekend.
 
Kamal Hasan wins court case on 'Dasavataram'
Veteran Tamil actor Kamal Hassan's "Dasavataram" cleared a major hurdle, with the Madras High Court dismissing a petition seeking a ban on the film.Petitioner Senthil Kumar had sought a court order staying the production and release of the film, alleging the story of the film, attributed to Kamal, had been plagiarised. The actor plays 10 different roles in the film.

  
'Mayakkannadi' is main Tamil New Year film
The Tamil New Year has brought fans here a star-less cinematic fare. None of the matinee idols, including Vijay, Suriya, Vikram and Ajith, figures in the five films released on the occasion.
A bigger disappointment is the non-release of the much-awaited Rajnikanth blockbuster "Sivaji", earlier scheduled for this festival date.Of the five releases, innovative director-actor Cheran's "Mayakkannadi" has raised the highest expectations. He plays a hairdresser, while heroine Navya Nair does the role of a beauty parlour employee.

 
Prakash Raj plays Ravana opposite Devgan's Ram
Director Rajkumar Santoshi has selected South Indian actor Prakash Raj to play Ravana opposite Ajay Devgan as Ram in his much-touted "Ramayan". "It's a decision we took after much deliberation. We have decided to take north Indian actors as members of King Dasharath's clan. Hence Ajay plays Ram and Riteish Deshmukh has been finalised to play Lakshmann. All of Ravana's clan will be cast from the south," Santoshi told.
 
Malayalam is 'really tough', says Tamil star Vijay
Tamil cinema's action hero Vijay says he can't act in a Malayalam film because he is unfamiliar with the "really tough" language. "I have been offered roles, but you know Malayalam is really tough so I have not gone ahead with the offers," Vijay told reporters here. He was in the city to celebrate the 75th day celebrations of his latest Tamil blockbuster "Pokkiri", his 46th film.
 
'Paruthiveeran' promises Karthi superstardom
Ameer's "Paruthiveeran" got an amazing opening in Tamil Nadu and it seems nothing is going to stop the film from being a blockbuster.

The top five Tamil films are:

1. "Paruthiveeran" - Director: Ameer. The film is sure to be a huge hit and Karthi Sivakumar may in all probability overtake superstar brother Surya as the next heartthrob.

2. "Mozhi" - Director: Radhamohan. "Mozhi" can be described as a sweet and fantastic film. The film's success is promising for those who dare to be different.

4. "Thirumagan" - Director: A.M. Ratnakumar. A lousy film, but what makes it watchable is Meera Jasmine's spirited performance. The frontbenchers, however, are appreciative of double entendre used by Surya.

 
Vadivelu - once a year hero
Popular Tamil comedian Vadivelu, who played the lead role in last year's hit film "Imsai Arasan 23am Pulikesi", has decided to sign only one film as a hero. The actor, who has been under pressure to do more such roles after the success of "Imsai...", told a Tamil daily that he would still prefer to play a normal comedian's role in most of his films. His next film as a hero will be "Indiralokathil Naa Azhagappan".
  

'Paruthiveeran' runs into legal trouble
Chennai, The Kurava tribal community in Tamil Nadu has raised its voice against the film "Paruthiveeran", which portrays them as an anti-social and criminal group, and have filed a petition in court. The Madras High Court has been approached with the plea for a stay on the screening of the recently released film, now running to packed houses. The stay has been sought on the ground that the film, with Karthi in the main role, has scenes derogatory to the Kurava community and can create animosity between them and the Thevar community. The court, which has heard initial arguments from both the sides, has ordered the film's producer Gnanavel Raja and director Ameer, among others, to reply by March 23 to the notices issued to them.

Hindi remake of Kamal film planned
Chennai, Kamal Haasan's Tamil blockbuster "Vettaiyadu Vilaiyadu" is to be remade in Hindi.
Gowtham Menon, director of the film, says he is talking to a big Bollywood star in this connection.
The film is the first to have shown Kamal as a middle-aged person. Is that a clue to the identity of the remake's hero?

 
Balu Mahendra to start film institute in Chennai
Chennai, Innovative filmmaker Balu Mahendra is set to start a film institute called Balu Mahendra Cinema Workshop in Chennai. Mahendra said he is taking this step because he doesn't want his "experience of four decades" to go waste. His decision to start the institute was also prompted by his recent illness. He suffered a heart attack in 1997 and paralysis in 2000. Mahendra says after his illness when he started thinking about means to preserve his knowledge on the art of cinema, his son Shanki Mahendra, who is also a cinematographer, suggested to him to set up the institute.Pioneering filmmaker Balachander, prominent directors Mani Ratnam, Bharathiraja and Mahendran, and actors Kamal Haasan, Suhasini and Revathy will take classes as honorary lecturers in the institute, which will offer a one-year course, to begin with, from September.
Sri Lanka-born Mahendra is a gold medallist from the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune. He entered filmdom in 1966 as a director of Tamil hit "Motor Sundaram Pillai", starring thespian Sivaji Ganesan. However, he got his bigger cinematic break as a director with the Malayalam film "Nellu" in 1974. His work in "Nellu" got him the first of his five National Awards, for the best cinematography. Mahendra said he is proud to have won awards for direction, cinematography and editing. He said he is the only person to have bagged National Awards for work in all these departments.
 
Malaysian Tamil comedian Param to undergo heart surgery
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian Tamil comedian P. Paramasivam, better known as Param, is getting ready for a heart bypass and spends his time these days joking with other patients, visitors and staff at the hospital.
 

Vidyasagar wins Tamil audio race with 'Mozhi'
Chennai, After a long gap, composer Vidyasagar has come up with an excellent album, "Mozhi", which is worth listening to again and again and is number one on the list.

The top five Tamil albums are:

1. "Mozhi" - Music Director: Vidyasagar. Every song in the album is a gem but the toast of this album is "Kaatrin mazhaiye" sung by Balram.

5. "Oram Po" - Music Director: G.V. Prakash. This is a new album from Prakash, who is A.R. Rahman's nephew. It is as impressive as his first album for "Veyyil". There is
a lot of variety in the songs.

Sada in a role sans make-up
Versatile actress Sada, who impressed as a village belle in "Jeyam" and a glamour girl in "Anniyan", is now attempting a challenging role. She will be seen without any make up in a Telugu re-make of Malayalam hit "Classmates".

Sada, less made up than the typical heroine in recent Tamil film "Unnale Unnale", says she cannot wait to see how she looks in "Classmates".
 
Kamal to direct film on AIDS

Veteran Tamil actor-director Kamal Haasan is set to direct one of the four short films on AIDS, to be produced by Mira Nair. Santosh Sivan, Vishal Bharadwaj and Nair are to direct the other three films.

Prabhu Deva and Rambha will play the lead pair in the film to be directed by Santosh Sivan. The cast for the other films is yet to be decided upon.
 
Actor-legislator Vijayakanth, AIADMK's Pannerselvam face tax raids
Chennai, Income tax authorities in Tamil Nadu Tuesday raided the home of actor-legislator Vijayakanth here, prompting his fans to burn pictures of Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi. They threw stones at the police who tried to control the situation.Raids were also conducted on the premises of Jeppiyar, the owner of the Sathybhama group of educational institutions in which Vijayakanth has interests, and O. Pannerselvam, AIADMK's deputy leader in the assembly.Jeppiyar is the chairman of the Jeppiyar Education Trust and chancellor of the Sathyabhama Deemed University and also president of the Consortium of Self-Financing Professional, Arts and Science College in Tamil Nadu. The AIADMK and Vijayakanth's DMDK termed the raids "politically motivated".
 
New Tamil films, more non-releases for Pongal
Chennai, Tamil Nadu's harvest festival Pongal ushers in several new films but it will also see many that missed the release date. While seven films are hitting the screens during the festival, as many as 10 have turned out to be non-releases.A Bollywood hero stars in the best publicised of the seven films. "Guru", with Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai as the lead pair, is drawing attention here mainly for its director Mani Ratnam. Trade pundits are waiting to see whether the magic of Ratnam and music director A.R. Rahman works for the film in Tamil Nadu, where regional actors are the largest crowd pullers.Actor Vijay plays the lead role in "Pokkiri", a remake of Telugu hit of the same name by Mahesh Babu. Dancing sensation Prabhu Deva has directed the film.Ajith plays an unusual role for a hero in "Azhwar". Chella directs the film, which is about a hospital attendant taking on big-time criminals. Asin lends her glamorous touch to the action thriller. Another action flick is "Thamiraparani", with Vishal as the vanquisher of villains. Newcomer Bhanu is the female lead in the film directed by Venkatram Reddy.

"Pachchaikkili Mutthuchcharam", "Unnale Unnale", "Oram Po", "Deepavali", "Sabari", "Kuppi", "Ninaithale", "Latchiyam Oru Thayin Asai", "Thullura Vayasu", and "Adavadi".
 
Actress Khushboo granted anticipatory bail
Chennai,  The Madras High Court Tuesday granted anticipatory bail to Kollywood and Bollywood actress Khushboo against a cheating charge. Khushboo apprehended arrest in a cheating complaint filed by T.M. Varkey, the US based father-in-law of her brother Abdullah Khan. The actress claimed in her petition that Varkey had wrongly filed a complaint with the Chennai City Police for criminal breach of trust and cheating. Khushboo said in her petition that Khan had married Sherine Varkey in 1997 and subsequently her father T.M. Varkey gave $16,400 in two instalments to help his son-in-law produce a movie in Kannada.

 
Jayaraj's 'Unnale Unnale' tops Tamil albums
Chennai, Music composer Harris Jayaraj's latest album "Unnale Unnale", which is worth listening to again and again, deserves only the top position.

The top five Tamil Albums are:

1. "Unnale Unnale" - Music Director: Harris Jayaraj. With this album, Jayaraj continues his winning streak after "Ghajini" and "Vettaiyadu Vilaiyadu". The pick of the enjoyable album is the opening track "June Pona" by Krish and Arun.

3. "Aalwar" - Music Director: Srikant Deva. The album, slated for a Pongal release, is expected to do well.

4. "Thamiraparani" - Music Director: Yuvan Shankar Raja. Disappointingly, Yuvan, one of the most popular composers, is opting for quantity and not quality.
 

Chennai multiplex theatres
Jayaraj's 'Unnale...' is hit Tamil album
 

Music composer Harris Jayaraj's new album "Unnale Unnale" is doing a roaring business at music stores in the state and tops the music chart this fortnight. The top five Tamil albums are:

1. "Unnale Unnale" - Music Director: Harris Jayaraj. This album has the mark of Jayaraj's signature style all over.

2. "Pokkiri" - Music Director: Mani Sharma. The album is aimed at pleasing hardcore Vijay fans.
 
'Veyyil' winner among Tamil films
Producer Shankar's new film "Veyyil" has been appreciated by critics and lapped up by audiences. And like "Kadhal" and "Imsai Arasan", it is also on its way to becoming a blockbuster.
The top five Tamil films are:

1. "Veyyil" - Director: Vasantha Balan. Shankar, who backs talented directors, was impressed by Vasantha Balan's novel style of story telling. "Veyyil" is a sensitively narrated film with excellent performances by the entire cast, especially Pasupathy.
  

Chennai multiplexes now offer pre-paid cards
The cinema crazy crowd of Tamil Nadu could not have it better. Not only have the fares in cinema halls fallen but multiplexes here are issuing pre-paid cards to keep your seat booked in the hall for a year.Why not? Of India's 13,000 cinema halls, Tamil Nadu accounts for about 4,000. Some of the most innovative ones are in Chennai and its outskirts, just as Asia's largest drive in screen is here at an east coast hall.The year gone by has also seen a dramatic increase in cinema hall crowds as more and more cinemas are upgrading infrastructure, with Satyam Cinema leading the way in innovations for viewer comfort. No matter what picture is showing at Satyam, at weekends viewership is 97 percent. Even Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan catch their 'Mission Impossible' late night show here at Satyam. Inaugurating the fourth edition of the Chennai International Film Festival here, IT Minister Dayanidhi Maran saidthat though interest in IT-based entertainment was growing, "still the joy of cinema remains the same. Cinema is a window of past, present and future. Like cricket, it is a passion in India" Therefore, little surprise that on a request from the Tamil Film Producers Council, South Indian Film Chamber, Chennai City Theatre Owners Association and Film Distributors Associations, the Tamil Nadu government has decided to reduce taxes and lower fares in cinema halls from Jan 1, 2007.

A year of dark horses in Tamil cinema (TAMIL CINEMA YEARENDER)
Chennai, The Tamil film industry has every reason to smile as 2006 draws to a close with the year having witnessed quite a few super hits and many profitable ventures.Of these, at least three films weren't expected to do well at the box office when released. "Vettayadu Vilaiyadu", directed by Gowtham Menon and starring Kamal Haasan, Jyothika and Kamliniee Mukherjee, had to face many hurdles before it reached theatres. The film became a blockbuster, completed 100 days, and is still going strong. Director K.S. Ravikumar's "Varalaaru" is another film that nobody thought would see the light of day. Even Ajith, the film's hero, had lost all hope. But surprisingly, the film released this Diwali. And what an opening the film had! It was the best opening that a non-Rajnikanth film could get. Ajith was back at the top with this film. Asin, the heroine in the movie, was also happy because it was her only release in 2006.

Satyam's Nipuna ties up with British animation firm for films
Chennai, Nipuna Services Limited, the Satyam Group's BPO subsidiary, has signed a $25 million "edutainment" deal with 4K Animation Limited of Britain for the execution and delivery of a television series and a film. The contract is one of the largest ever by a global BPO service provider in the animation marketplace.Nipuna will work with the 4K Animation team for 18 months on two "iconic" European animation projects: the third season of "Marvi Hammer Presents National Geographic World", an award-winning, 52-episode television series, and a movie, featuring Marvi Hammer. The series and movie feature a combination of live action and animation and includes actual studio sets used as animation backgrounds, a furry computer creature and 2D-animated characters.Hamburg-based YOUA Edutainment, National Geographic, and German broadcaster ZDF will co-produce the series and movie.More than 120 Nipuna professionals will produce and deliver animation services for the projects. Nipuna will provide VFX, CGI, 3D and 2D animation services, including pre-production, production, and post-production, along with German artists, from its state-of-the-art studio in Chennai. Nipuna also provides artwork and visualization services involving 2D and/or 3D animation techniques and processes to customers in the engineering, architectural, and medical industries.
 

Sivaji Rajnikanth  : Rajnikanth is 57.

Rajnikant is 'Dancing Maharaja' in Japan
Tokyo, Bollywood magic man Shahrukh Khan may be the best known Indian film icon in Europe, but in Japan it is Tamil superstar Rajnikant, popularly known as "Odori Maharaja" (The Dancing Maharaja) who has mesmerised the Japanese with his machismo and flamboyance."I am delighted to hear the popularity of Odori Maharaja among young people here. Our children were delighted to see Odori Asimo - the dancing robot!" Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said in his historic address to a joint session of the Diet, the Japanese parliament, Thursday.
Japanese are eagerly waiting to have a glimpse of Rajnikant in his new film "Sivaji" - said to be the most expensive Indian film costing over $15 million - to be simultaneously released in Chennai, in southern India, and Tokyo.

 
Shooting for Rajni's 'Sivaji' nearing completion
Chennai, The shooting for Rajnikant's next Tamil film "Sivaji" will be completed this week, exactly a year after it started. "Sivaji" is expected to be the superstar's next blockbuster after  "Chandramukhi". The film took Rajnikant from Chennai to Hyderabad, Bangalore, Mysore, Delhi, Kolkata, Pune and Spain as well. Though the cost of its production has not been publicised, trade pundits say "Sivaji" can boast the biggest budget among all Rajnikant films as well as those produced under the prestigious AVM banner. Producers claim that this is also the film for which Rajnikant has shot the most number of days.

Sivappathikaram and Rendu tamil movies

'Sivappathikaram' overtakes 'Varalaaru' in Tamil film race, Ajith's "Varalaaru" is pushed to the third place by Vishal's "Sivappathigaram" and Madhavan's "Rendu" as "Sivappathikaram" took an extraordinary opening.
 
1. "Sivappathikaram" (Director Karu Palaniyappan) - Vishal had scored a hat trick before "Sivappathikaram", so expectations were high on this film. Naturally, the film took an extraordinary opening. It is to be seen how it turns out later.

2. "Rendu" (Director Sundar C) - "Rendu" is Madhavan's next release after the highly successful "Thampi". It was with "Thampi" that Madhavan broke into the B and C centres. So, filmgoers were curious about the Madhavan and Sundar C combination.
 
Imman, the Tamil music director to watch, Vidyasagar's new album "Sivappathigaram" is doing quite well. With the film expected to do well, the album may do even better in the course of next few weeks.
 
The top five Tamil albums are:

1. "Sivappathikaram" (Vidyasagar): "Atrai Thingal" sung by Madhu Balakrishnan and Sujatha is the toast of the album, which has a mix of folk, melody and 'dappan koothu'.

3. "Thiruvilayadal Aarambham" (D. Imman): Imman is slowly becoming one of the music directors to watch for. "Ennamma Kannu" by Karthik and Ranjith is a huge hit.

4. "Rendu" (Imman): Surprisingly the album has all the songs of Harris Jayaraj from "Minnale". Yet, Imman's songs stand out.
 
'Lage Raho Munnabhai' in Tamil
Chennai, Actor Ravi of "Jayam" fame is likely to play the lead role in Tamil, while Chiranjeevi will be the Telugu avatar of Sanjay Dutt's original Munnabhai.
 
Court to decide fate of film on Rajiv killing

A Tamil film about the assassination of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, held up by certification authorities for 13 years after it was made, may at last see the light of day, thanks to the Madras High Court. Come Thursday and a bench of the high court comprising Chief Justice A.P. Shah and judge K. Chandru would see "Kutrapathirikai" (Chargesheet) to decide whether it is
appropriate for public screening.  The film, produced by Ravi Yadav and directed by R.K. Selvamani, has Tamil actor Ramki in the lead. It also features Anupam Kher and popular actress Roja.
 
Ajith's 'Varalaaru' is top Tamil film
Chennai, Actor Ajith's "Varalaaru", earlier named "Godfather", is the clear winner at the box office. It is on its way to becoming a super hit despite rain playing spoilsport.

The top five Tamil films are:

1. "Varalaaru" - Director: K.S. Ravi Kumar - Kumar gave Ajith a double role and a big hit in "Villain". Now with "Varalaaru", he has gifted Ajith three roles and a new lease of
life.

2. "E" - Director: Jananathan - Directed by Jananathan, the National Award winning director of "Iyarkai", this film was the dark horse this Diwali. Actor Jeeva, a comparatively
new entrant and not a big hero, had to compete with big names. The success of "E" shows that marketing is as essential as making a good product.

3. "Vallavan" - Director: Silambarsan - The film had only hype but no substance. No wonder it didn't do well at the box office.

4. "Vettayadu Vilayadu" - Director: Gowtham Menon - Despite a flood of Diwali releases, this film remains among the top five.

5. "Vattaram" - Director: Saran - The director and his team went around publicising the film. However, women have stayed away from this violent flick even though Arya, who
is plays the main lead, is quite the heartthrob.

 
Paul J scores over A.R. Rahman
Chennai, After staying on top for many weeks, A.R. Rahman's "Chillunu Oru Kathal" has given way to new albums.

The top five Tamil albums are:

1. "Kizhakku Kadarkarai Salai" - Music: Paul J - The young crowd is lapping up the debut album by Paul J, which has some very fast numbers. The album is expected to do
better with the film releasing this week.

2. "E" - Music: Srikant Deva - The film is turning out to be a surprise hit, and so is the music album. Especially popular is the song "Theeppori Parakkum" sung by Tipu and
chorus.

3. "Thiruvilayadal Aarambham" - Music: D. Imam - The song "Ennamma kannu" by Karthik and Ranjith is a huge hit.

4. "Vaathiyar" - Music: D. Imam - "Vaathiyar" was expected to release during Diwali but got delayed due to various reasons. Meanwhile, the album by D. Imam has hit the
market and is doing reasonably well.

5. "Vallavan" - Music: Yuvan Shankar Raja - "Loose penne" sung by Silambarasan is still hugely popular but the film is not doing well.
 
One-film-one-star rule for Tamil actors
Chennai, The Tamil Nadu Film Producers' Association is considering a ban on the release of two or more Tamil films featuring the same male actor in a lead role on the same day. According to members of the association, the move will increase the success rate of all the films featuring the same star. It is also thinking of stipulating a four-week gap between the releases of the films featuring the same star. The first two films likely to be affected by the new rule will be Arjun starrers "Vathiyar" and "Manikanta".

Nana to star in Bharathiraja's Hindi film
By Chitra Prakash,

Chennai,  Well-known Tamil director Bharathiraja has roped in Bollywood actor Nana Patekar for his second Hindi film "Cinema" and describes it as "revolutionary".

Nana Patekar, whom Bharathiraja considers "a different actor", plays the lead role in "Cinema".

Bharathiraja's first Hindi film was "Lovers", a re-make of Tamil original "Alaigal Oyvathillai", which was released in 1983.

The Tamil director, who is known to be a trendsetter, made his directorial debut with "Pathinaru Vayathinile", which also gave Kamal Haasan his first big break as an actor.

"Cinema" is to be remade in Tamil under the title "Bommalattam" (Puppet Show).

 
Rahman is monarch of Tamil audio market
By Aparna Nath,

Chennai, Oct 31  Several new albums have arrived in the last couple of weeks, but none has been able to topple A.R. Rahman's "Chillunu Oru Kadhal" from the top
position.

The top five Tamil albums are:

1. "Chillunu Oru Kadhal" - Music: A.R. Rahman. The film is a huge flop and has been forgotten, but the album is still a rage.

2. "Vallavan" - Music: Yuvan Shankar Raja. The film released during Diwali and there is newfound interest in Yuvan Shankar Raja's album.

3. "E" - Music: Srikant Deva. "Theeppori parakum" sung by Tipu is becoming a big hit.

4. "Kizhakku Kadarkarai Salai" - Music: Paul J. This is Paul J's first film album and he has been able to attract the young with some racy numbers.

5. "Thiruvilayadal Aarambham" - Music: D. Imam. "Ennamma Kannu" by Karthik and Ranjith is becoming popular though some still talk nostalgically about the old SPB
Malaysia Vasudevan song. 

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Ajith's 'Varalaru' gets great opening
By Aparna Nath,

Chennai, Oct 31  Not one or two, but seven Tamil films released this Diwali. And the clear winner is the Ajith starrer "Varalaru", which was previously titled
"Godfather".

The top five Tamil films are:

1. "Varalaru" - Director: K.S. Ravi Kumar. No other actor except Rajnikanth gets the kind of opening that Ajith receives for his films. "Varalaru" got 100 percent opening. It's
good news for Ajith that all those who watched it are happy with the film and are raving about his performance. The film is on its way to becoming a big hit.

2. "Vallavan" - Director: Silambarsan. Expectations were high from the film, which was in the making for over a year. It got an excellent opening, too, but started sliding after
the second day. "Vallavan" can be termed as the biggest disappointment among all the Diwali releases.

3. "E" - Director: S.P.Jhananathan. Jhananathan is the National Award-winning director of "Iyarkai". "E" is different from the usual mainstream films though he has tried to
include some commercial elements to make it appealing. The success of "E" can be a matter of pride for the director and the producer. Of course, credit goes to Jeeva too
for delivering a mind-blowing performance.

4. "Vattaram" - Director: Saran. Another disappointing Diwali fare. This is going to be Saran's second disaster after "Idhaya Thirudan".

5. "Dharmapuri" - Director: Perarasu. This Vijayakanth film may not appeal to the urban audience but there is a huge population out there in the B and C centres who will lap
it up. "Dharmapuri" appears to be a propaganda film for Vijayakanth and his political party.
 
Anand's next move is film by Revathi

Chennai, Oct 29 Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand will soon feature in a guest role in actor-director Revathi's film.

Anand, who became an anti-AIDS campaigner a year ago, is 'Avahan' ambassador for the AIDS/HIV awareness programme in India, which is supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

In the last one year he has carried out several campaigns in his hometown, Chennai, where he has been actively participating in spreading awareness about the disease.

Revathi is known for her critically acclaimed film on HIV/AIDS, "Phir Milenge", starring Shilpa Shetty and Salman Khan.

The proposed film with Anand will revolve round the theme of chess - an idea suggested by Simi Garewal, Revathi told reporters here.

"I won't mind if she casts a glamour girl opposite me," quipped Anand.

The film is still in the planning stage, but the grandmaster is eagerly waiting to appear on the big screen after conquering the world of chess.
 
Arya to be axed?

Upcoming actor Arya may be replaced as the hero of in-the-making "Naan Kadavul", which has received much pre-production publicity.

The poor performance of Arya's Diwali release "Vattaram" at the box office has reportedly prompted this change, said sources.

It may be recalled that the rugged-looking Arya had earlier replaced Ajith as the film's proposed hero.

P.L. Thenappan is to produce the film with Bhavana in the female lead.

Arya has made his mark with films like "Arindhum Ariyamalum", "Ullam Ketkume" and "Oru Kalluriyin Kadhai". 

 
A lonely Diwali For Madhavan
By Subhash K Jha,

Mumbai, Oct 21 Actor R. Madhavan, who has moved into his brand new home in Chennai with his wife, son and parents, is a bit sad because he won't be able to celebrate Diwali with his family.

"Ideally, Diwali is a time when we're all together - my wife Sarita's parents (who are like my parents) and my own. This time moving into a new house meant more reason to celebrate Diwali in a big way. Unfortunately, my wife will be in Dubai and I'll be shooting in Kolkata for Rituparno Ghosh's 'Sunglass'," Madhavan told IANS.

However, Madhavan brightened up at the idea of celebrating it with his co-stars - Jaya Bachchan, Konkona SenSharma and his director.

"But I'll make sure Diwali with Ritu, Jayaji and Konkona will be special. We were supposed to shoot in Sikkim but now it's Kolkata. I'm really looking forward to that. I've discovered a huge fan following in that city. I thought I wasn't even known in the east. But the female attention has been pretty much mind-boggling. I must say fans in Kolkata are very, very affectionate," he grinned wickedly.

Apparently, there were incidents where over-enthusiastic girls in Kolkata barged into his hotel room with their own plans for Madhavan.

"But I've clearly drawn my lakshman rekha with female fans. I could write a book about how to wriggle out of the clutches of insistent fans, who want more than a handshake. A picture of your wife and son in the wallet and a cold shower really help."

Madhavan has already had two releases "Rang De Basanti" and Tamil film "Thambi" this year.

"I've two more, again in Hindi and Tamil, coming up. There's 'Rendu' in Tamil (which is directed by actress Khushboo's husband Sundar C.) where I've played my first double role. Unlike other such films, 'Rendu' doesn't harp on mistaken identities. It's an actioner, which is unusual for a double role film.

"As for 'Guru', Mani Ratnam has done an awesome job. Abhishek Bachchan is going to move forward by at least 20 steps after this film. The rest of the cast is also vital. In a film by Mani sir there're no small roles. I should know. 'Guru' is my fifth film with Mani's unit."

Right now Madhavan is pleased as punch about "Sunglass".

"I can't wait for it to be released. I get to play a man who's itching to have an extra-marital affair. Since I've never had the urge in my own marriage it's interesting to peek into an unfaithful mind."

Any role models for the roving-eyed character?

"Sanjeev Kumar in 'Pati Patni Aur Woh' and Salman Khan in 'Biwi No 1' were devastatingly funny. Ritu says I bring the same quality of mischievous adultery - like a little boy caught with his hand in a cookie jar. Very different from the upright sober and very, very dead lieutenant I played in 'Rang De Basanti'."

Madhavan doesn't want his son to travel much.

"I don't want him to travel too much right now. The bugs are getting really dangerous."
 

Less sparkling Diwali for Tamil film lovers
By Chitra Prakash,

Chennai, Oct 20  It promises to be an entertaining Diwali for Tamil film-lovers this time, with as many as eight releases scheduled for the festival day - Oct 21. However, the festival of lights may seem less sparkling, with none of these films featuring top stars.

No film starring either Rajnikanth or Kamal Haasan will hit the screen on the day. It will be a disappointing Diwali also for the fans of Vijay, Vikram and Surya.

Vijayakanth, Sarath Kumar, and Ajith are the only stars to shine on the occasion.

Vijayakanth, 'Captain' to his admirers, whose "Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam" (DMDK) has just put up a creditable performance in Tamil Nadu's polls, will address a political message again with the film.

He is playing the saviour of the oppressed in "Dharmapuri" directed by Perarasu and produced by Sri Surya movies. Lakshmi Rai plays the female lead in it.

There will be political undertones in a film starring Sharath Kumar, who, defected from the DMK to the AIADMK on the eve of the last assembly elections and has now been elected president of the South Indian Film Artists' Association.

In "Thalaimagan", produced by Radaan Media (a family enterprise), Sarath, who has directed the film himself, plays a journalist fighting for social justice. Nayantara plays the heroine and Seema Biswas of "Bandit Queen" fame will feature in a negative role in the film.

Ajith, who returned to cinema recently from car racing, teams up with glamorous Asin in "Varalaru". Producer S.S. Chakravarty renamed the film, abandoning the original title "Godfather", to get tax concessions available to films with Tamil titles.

Ajith plays three roles in the film, which is directed by K.S. Ravikumar. One of these is that of an effeminate dancer.

Three of the Diwali releases will have younger heroes. Simbu will share the screen with Nayantara, Rima Sen and Sandhya in "Vallavan". Jeeva and Nayantara will be the lead pair in "E", directed by R.P. Choudhary. Arya will play an underground gunrunner in "Vattaram".

The Diwali releases will introduce five debutants on Tamil screens.

Keerat and Adisaya make a triangle with Arya in "Vattaram". Yoga and Purneeta play the lead pair in "Marandein Mein Marandein" made by Footstep Productions. Akshaya features opposite newcomer Abhay in "Manasukkulley", directed by Sri Guru.
  
Veteran actress Srividya no more

Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 19  Veteran south Indian actress Srividya passed away at a private hospital in Kerala Thursday evening after suffering from cancer. She was 53.

Born in Tamil Nadu in 1953, Srividya wore the grease paint in nearly 900 south Indian films. She acted in more than 300 Malayalam films, and played the female lead with all the big names of the film industry - from Sathyan to Mammootty.

She also acted in a few Hindi films.

She began her illustrious film career when she was 13. Apart from acting she was also a popular dancer and singer. She was working in television serials.

Her funeral will take place here Friday.

Ace Malayalam film director K.G. George told IANS: "Despite her glorious acting career her personal life was in turmoil and she was always sad."

"She was a good human being too and her concern for directors is quite well known. I have been personally benefited by her concern," he said.

Srividya's marriage broke long ago and since then she had been a loner.

"I have very few friends in the film industry and she was one. I really wanted to see her but I was told that all visitors have been barred," said ace actor Thilakan.

She was very close to Tamil actor Kamala Hassan, who paid her a visit last month.

Recalling her association with the actress, national award winning actress Sarada said she was shocked to hear about her demise.

"Apart from being a great actor, she was an excellent human being. I am really sad because she was too young to die," said Sarada.
 

Rahman rules as 'Chillunu...' rocks
By Aparna Nath,

Chennai, No new album could topple A.R. Rahman from the top position. None of the new albums of Diwali releases could match Rahman's "Chillunu Oru
Kadhal", though the film is a big flop.

The top five Tamil albums are:

1. "Chillunu Oru Kadhal" - Music: A.R. Rahman. The film's title track continues to be heard on all radio channels. "Munbe vaa", a melody by Shreya Ghosal and Naresh Iyer
and "New York Nagaram" by Rahman himself are popular.

2. "Vettaiyadu Vilaiyadu" - Music: Harris Jayaraj. This can be termed as the best album of 2006.

3. "Vallavan" - Music: Yuvan Shankar Raja. "Loose penne" sung by Silambarasan and Blaze is rocking the charts.

4. "E" - Music: Srikant Deva. "Theepori parakum" sung by Tipu and chorus may be like many other Hana songs but the lyrics have life in them.

5. "Thimiru" - Music: Yuvan Shankar Raja. "Mana Madurai" sung by Shankar Mahadevan is such a huge hit that it is heard regularly on all FM channels.

 
'Vettaiyadu Vilaiyadu' tops pre-Diwali Tamil films
By Aparna Nath,

Chennai, Oct 17  "Vettaiyadu Vilaiyadu" continues to be at the top position, and it is so because there were no new releases in the last few weeks. However, seven
new films are expected to create fireworks at the box office from the coming week onwards.

The top five Tamil films are:

1. "Vettaiyadu Vilaiyadu" - Director: Gowtham Menon. So far, this violent film starring Kamal Haasan is the biggest success of 2006. Kamal's last release was "Mumbai
Express".

2. "Em Magan" - Director: Thirumagan. Slow and steady wins the race - that is what this film's success shows. There was not much fanfare when the film was first released
but now it has turned out to be a big hit.

3. "Perarasu" - Director: Udhayan. The success of a Vijayakanth starrer after a long time might have made his cadres very happy. Coming up for a Diwali release is his "Dharmapuri".

4. "Thimiru" - Director: Tarun Gopi. With "Thimiru", the new action hero Vishal has scored a hat trick.

5. "Sillunu Oru Kathal" - Director: N. Krishna. The film stays on the list just because there are no new releases.
 

Amitabh, Vikram team up for Tamil film
By Chitra Prakash,

Chennai, Oct 9  Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan and veteran south Indian actor Vikram are to share the screen in a big budget Tamil film to be produced by Manickam Narayanan and ABCL.

Narayanan is the producer of the current Tamil hit "Vettaiyadu Vilaiyadu" starring Kamal Haasan.

The yet untitled film is likely to be a bilingual venture with a Hindi version. Narayanan has reportedly held discussions with both Amitabh and Vikram.

The film will be a dream come true for both the stars.

On every visit to Chennai, Big B has expressed his desire to debut on the Tamil screen, according to industry sources.

He made a brief appearance in last year's Kannada blockbuster "Amruthadhare" - his first south Indian film.

Vikram, who got his first break years ago in "Ullasam", which was financed by ABCL, is excited about the idea of acting with Amitabh - his long-time idol.

Vikram has revelled in the role of an angry young man in many of his films - a role popularised by Amitabh in his younger days.

Although Amitabh has not acted in any Tamil movie, he is a familiar face in Tamil Nadu because of the Tamil version of the popular quiz show "Kaun Banega Crorepati".

 
'Chandramukhi' to complete 550 days
Chennai, Sep 26  The Rajnikanth starrer Tamil film "Chandramukhi" will break records when it completes 550 days at a theatre here Oct 14.

The film was released in Shanthi and other theatres across Tamil Nadu April 14, 2005.

The film's success will be celebrated on a big scale and Rajnikanth is also expected to participate in the function.

The details of the event will be decided soon, said Prabhu, son of thespian Sivaji Ganesan.


-*-

Little more of acting for Jyothika

Jyothika, who announced her retirement as an actress after her marriage with co-star Suriya, will return to acting but only for a short while.

She will face the camera again to complete her part in "Mozhi", which is under production. She is paired with Prithviraj in the film. "Mozhi" is produced by Prakashraj and
directed by Radhamohan.

A couple of song sequences featuring her have to be shot and she is to start shooting once she returns to Chennai from her honeymoon.
 

Veteran actress Padmini passes away
New Delhi, Sep 25 Yesteryears noted actress Padmini died of a cardiac arrest in Chennai Sunday night. She was 74.

The actress, who was also a well-known Bharatanatyam dancer, died in Apollo Hospital.

She has more than 250 films to her credit. She has worked in Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi, Telugu and Kannada films. She is the aunt of well-known south Indian actress Shobhana.

Just a day before her death, she attended a function organised by the Tamil film industry to felicitate Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi.

Born in Poojappura in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, on June 12, 1932, Padmini forayed in filmdom in 1949. She was the second of the famous 'Travancore Sisters' along with Lalitha and Ragini.

She acted in the legendary Raj Kapoor classic "Mera Naam Joker". Some of her other memorable films are "Vaasna", "Aurat", "Jis Desh Men Ganga Behti Hai", "Kaajal", "Apsara" and "Mujrim".

She has also acted in "Iru Malargal", "Engaluckum Kalam Varum", "Arasilankumari", "Maragatham", "Raagini", "Madurai Veeran", "Mangayar Thilakam", "Oka Talli Pillalu"
and "Mr. Sampat". She acte