Dad's the word!
Carrying forward the mantle of actor Sivakumar is quite a difficult task. Fortunately, both Suriya and Karthi have managed to carve a niche for themselves. And, Karthi, following the commercial success of Siruthai , is gearing up for Sakuni . Directed by Shankar Dayal, who had assisted Ezhil, Sakuni will see Karthi in a totally new get-up. The type of roles he chooses and how he gets into the skin of each character is reminiscent of a young Sivakumar.
“That's the whole idea. I would like to be remembered for the characters I play. I wouldn't really say I am a method actor, but I try to live the character as close to how it has been conceived of in the script. Then, I leave it to the director to mould me. As for Sakuni, it is a satire; at this stage, I wouldn't want to give much away,” says Karthi.
All geared up
With G. Dhananjayan moving from Moserbaer to UTV Motion Pictures, the latter is gearing up for a slew of Tamil film releases. First off the block will be Muran starring Cheran, Prasanna and Haripriya, directed by Rajan Madhav, an associate of Mysskin.
Slated as an action thriller, Muran has music by Sajjan Madhav and is produced by Cheran's Dream Theatres. The second film acquired by UTV is the Selvaraghavan directed Erandaam Ulagam (tentative title) starring Dhanush.
Ode to a theatre
In a departure from usual storylines, director Saravana Jeevan's Parimala Thirayarangam revolves around the life of a movie theatre. New actor Vikas plays a projector operator's son. The theatre has gone to seed and the owners plan to close it down or convert it into a marriage hall. An upset Vikas approaches them and requests six months' time to turn things around.
“For him, the theatre is not just brick and stone, it is a place where people of all kinds meet under one roof, irrespective of their backgrounds, to enjoy a movie. When the owners finally decide to renovate the theatre, Vikas breathes a sigh of relief. He then proves that the venture can be profitable if run properly. It is a story relevant to everyone associated with films, be it actors, technicians, movie goers or exhibitors,” says Saravana Jeevan. Sanusha plays Vikas' love interest; she is the theatre owner's (Kishore) daughter, while Arya appears as himself in a brief scene.
Going international
A.R. Murugadoss' thriller 7amArivu, which has Suriya in a double role opposite Shruti Hassan, is creating waves in Kollywood. The U.S.-based Stan Winston Studios (which worked on Avatar ) is taking care of the visual effects in this film. Meanwhile, the main villain is a Vietnamese-American film and TV actor, Johnny Tri Nguyen, who is also a stunt double and martial artist.
Johnny Nguyen comes from a family with deep roots in the Vietnamese entertainment industry. His acting roles include the martial arts films Tom-Yum-Goong and Cradle 2 the Grave . His work as a stunt double includes the role of Spider Man in Spider Man 2 and as the Green Goblin in Spider Man . He practises Lien Feng Kwon (which was founded by his grandfather), Wushu, Taekwondo, Tai Chi, Aikido, and Vovinam.
Director speak!
Delhi-based theatre actor Huma Qureshi is in the news, and how! Says Chakri Toleti, who's signed her up for Billa 2: “The leading lady in Billa 2 has a demanding role, and it was a challenge to find an actor with the right mix of talent, looks and attitude. We searched nationwide, looking at newcomers as well as stars. Huma is a tremendous actor with great range and charisma and we are happy to have her on board.”
