Vaaranam Ayiram shooting is almost complete and will hit the screens on August the 15th. Suriya, Simran, Sameera and Divya are starring in this movie. This film is being produced by Oscar Ravichandran and directed by high flier Gautam Vasudev Menon Suriya reportedly plays three different characters — a teenager, a middle-aged man and an elderly citizen. Harris Jeyaraj has scored the music for the movie. The success combination of Gautam Menon and Harris Jeyaraj is expected to rock in this movie also. This film has evoked interest from various sectors. It is also learnt that a buyer in UK was willing to buy it for a whopping amount.

A Mumbai based corporate offered a ridiculous Rs 27 Crore for all rights of the movie, but producer Oscar Ravichandran kept numb on this issue. The reason for this hype is that the magic combination of Surya and Gautam coming together nearly five years after the smash hit Khakka Khakka, two glamour girls Divya and Sameera Reddy, and Harris Jayaraj providing music for the last time with Gautam as they are temporarily parting ways.

Jayam Charitable Trust, an association for the remedy of AIDS affected Children, is being structured for a grand Film Music Award distribution event on 18 May. Conducting an award function exclusively for film musicians is the first of its kind in the history of 75 years old Tamil Cinema. The organization will contribute a lump sum from the collections to the welfare of AIDS affected children at the conclusion of the event.

All the leading film musicians will participate in this event. The award distribution event will be held at the University Centenary Hall on May 18th evening at 6 PM. The list of Awardees:

Best Sensational Musicians : AR Rehman (Shivaji), Yuvan Shankar Raja
Appreciation awards : Bharadwaj (Muni), Srikanth Deva (Many Films)
Best Song of the year : Unnale Unnale… (Harris Jayaraj), Pona Varuveero… (Iman)
Best Sensational Song : Uppukallu… (Singers- Dheena, Bombay Jayasree : Film: Karuppasamy Kuthagaithar)
Best young Musician : GV Prakash Kumar (Many Films)
Best background music : Vidyasagar (Periyar)
Lifetime Achievement award : MS Viswanathan
Best lyricist : Vairamuthu (Shivaji)
Best Commercial lyricist : Pa Vijay (Unnale Unnale)
Sensational Award : Na Muthukumar (Many films)
Appreciation award : Yugabharathi (Karuppasamy Kuthagaithar), Kabilan (Pokkiri), Snehan (Paruthi Veeran)
Life Time Achievement Award: Vaali, Gangai Amaran
Best Playback Singer : SP Balasubramaniyam – Chinmayee (Sivaji)
Sensational Singer : Anuradha Sriram (Malai Kottai), Sadhana Sargam (Giridam)
Appreciation Award : Arun, Girish (Unnale Unnale), Ranjith, Tippu, Premji, Haricharan and Karthik (Chennai – 28), Synora (Sivaji)
Special Award : Jayee (Veerappu), Haricharan, Yuvan (Thottal Poo Malarum)
Best Rap Singer : Yogi B (Polladhavan)
Life time Achievement award : T.M. Soundararajan, P.Susila

Actor Sibiraj was not seen for sometime after Lee. This fast paced action hero is donning an entirely different off beat role in the film Siddhartha which will be directed by debutant Sivadevan, a one-time associate of veteran director K Balachander. The shooting for the film will start by the end of May. Sibiraj despite having lot of offers waited patiently to get a good script and when he heard Siddhartha his joy was leap and bounds. He immediately opted for this film which would be a turning point in his career.

His cool patience has really paid him. Siddhartha” means “he who has attained his goals” or “every wish fulfilled” The Buddha’s name, before his renunciation, was Prince Siddhartha Gautama, later the Buddha. The story line of this film is that a person who was very much absorbed in earthly pleasures wants to reform himself like Buddha. He returns to the new life renouncing all the earthly pleasures. Does the society allow him to reform, forms the crux of the film. Vijay Anthony is composing the tunes for this film while Velraj wields the camera. S.Sudhakaran is producing this film under the banner Friends Festival Films. The shooting will take place in and around Madurai.

Dasavatharam has always been facing external problems from the time of its inception. Now it is the International Sri Vaishnava Dharma Samrakshanaa Society who had filed a writ petition seeking for a direction to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to remove “offending scenes” in the film ‘Dasavatharam’.

According to forum president Govinda Ramanuja Dasa, the scenes depicting a violent clash between Saivite and Vaishanvite sects of Hinduism; Kamal stepping on ‘pranava mantram’ and the Bhagvad Gita; and the scene in which Kamal is tied to the idol of Lord Ranganathar and pushed into the sea, offended the faith and sentiments of Vaishnavites. Admitting the writ petition, a vacation bench of Justice Rajasuriya and Justice M Sathyanarayanan issued notices to the censor board, producer Oscar Films and director K S Ravikumar.

A counter filed by advocate K. Ravi on behalf of film director K.S. Ravikumar said there was no scene depicting either Mr.Kamal Hassan or any other character in the film trampling on the mantra ‘Om’ or the sacred Bhagavat Gita. The regional officer of the Central Board of Film Certification, Babu Rammasami, in his counter-affidavit, said the petitioner had not explained as to how and why the title, ‘Dasavatharam,’ offended the religious faith. The title does not violate any of the guidelines in the Cinematograph Act and a film with the same title had been certified by the CBFC.

It does not contain any violent sectorial clash between Saivites and Vaishnavites and no scene in the film would foster hatred between the sects, he said. The Board, which issued certificate to the film on April 22, said it was fully convinced by the film. The bench posted the matter for hearing to next week and asked the respondents to file counters.

Bada Dost a block buster Malayalam film is now being dubbed in Tamil titled Kavazl Nilayam. This film has Suresh Gopi in the lead with Meghana Naidu and Jyotirmayi are pairing up with Suresh Gopi. Karthik, Devan, Hanifa, Riyaz Khan, Risha Baba, Vijayakumar are also in the cast. Suresh Gopi plays the role of a sincere police officer. Though he remains a terror for the corrupt and mafia gangs, he faces some kind of obstacle.

Learning that he cannot serve the society in the uniform, he sheds it and joins hands with some anti-social elements and finally he teaches them a lesson. The villain’s role is played by another popular Malayalam writer and director Siddique which will remain as a highlight of the movie. The role of Police Commissioner played by Manoj K Jayan will also be good to watch. The screenplay and dialogues are penned by V.C.Guganathan while Piraisudan and Kamakottian write the lyrics.

The movie Achamundu Achamundu is being produced by Srinivasan for Project East West Productions and directed by Arun Vaidyanathan. A software professional-turned-director, Vaidyanathan has started making short films across genres. This film has Prasanna and Sneha in the lead and the rest of the crew is from Hollywood. The entire movie is being shot in New Jersey a host of Hollywood actors and technicians form part of the team.

Achamundu Achamundu is an Indian-American and Prasanna plays an IT professional. Vaidyanthan’s sole aim is now to create a market for Tamil cinema across the globe. Though quality movies are made in Kollywood, it is released in only select centres. His motive is to create an international market for Tamil films and Achamundu Achamundu is the first step towards that. John Shea the Hollywood actor will play the villain role in this Recent releases of Shea include ‘A Broken Sole’, ‘The Insurgents’ and ‘Heartbreak Hospital’.

Shea, who won an Emmy for ‘Baby M’, a 1988 mini-series, will also be seen in a Hollywood forthcoming release ‘Bombshell’. Karthik Raja has been signed to score the music.

The culpability game between directors and their assistants was sorted out in an atmosphere of good relations. The matter was sorted out amicably between the warring units following the formation of a body of assistant directors under the taxonomy of Nalaya Iyakkunar Ani. Candidates of various groups contesting for posts of office-bearers in the directors association expressed a wish to withdraw their nominations in the presence of Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi during a meeting Wednesday.

Confrontation in the Tamil Nadu film industry between directors and their assistants came to an end following political and police intervention. The association has a total of 1450 members. Of these, 850 members have voting rights. Almost 100 members are from other states and therefore will not come down to vote as each of the three other southern states have their own directors’ associations. Another 100 members are out of town shooting in various places. So, only 650 members are expected to cast their votes.