Captured: Polymath S. Balachander and his great wars
By Madhusree Chatterjee, New Delhi, Feb 10: Storming the world of Carnatic music and Tamil cinema with his non-conformist, controversy-creating ways in the 1940s, polymath and veena exponent Sundaram Balachander steadfastly fought many "unholy cultural nexuses", earning his share of brickbats, says his biographer. Read Full Story

Deepika Padukone to pair Rajini in 'Kochadaiyaan'.
Chennai, Feb 7 : It's official. Bollywood Diva Deepika Padukone would pair with Tamil superstar Rajnikanth for his forthcoming period film 'Kochadaiyaan'. Read Full Story

Singer S Janaki slips, sustains head injuries
Tirupati, Feb 7: Veteran playback singer S Janaki slipped in her bathroom at a hotel this morning and sustained head injuries. Read Full Story

Kollywood in crisis, FEFSI locks horns with Producers on wages
Chennai, Feb 5: Crisis gripped Kollywood as the two-week long stand-off between the Film Employees Federation of South India (FEFSI) and the Tamil Film Producers Council over wage revision, deepened today with members of the former staging a day-long fast seeking the intervention of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa. Read Full Story

'Marina' feel-good movie with strong message (Tamil Movie Review)
By Aravindan DI, Film: "Marina"; Cast: Siva Karthikeyan , Oviya, 'Pakada' Pandian, Sundararajan, Jitan Mohan, Attakati Aarumugam, Jayashree; Director: Pandiraj; Cinematographer: Vijay; Composer: Girish G; Rating: *** Read Full Story

Back on screen soon: Rajnikanth
Chennai, Jan 27: Tamil movie superstar Rajnikanth Friday said he will soon be back on the silverscreen in a movie directed by his daughter Soundarya. Read Full Story

Want to move out of 'Kolaveri' shadow: 21-year-old composer
New Delhi, Jan 27 : He is all of 21 and can boast of over 38 million YouTube hits for his song. But Anirudh Ravichander, composer of the phenomenally popular Tamil-English number "Kolaveri di", is already trying to move out of its shadow. Read Full Story

Shah Rukh Khan in catch-22 situation over remake of Tamil films
New Delhi, Jan 27 : Shah Rukh Khan is apparently in a dilemma, as he is unable to choose between the remake of two Tamil films - Menon's Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu and Murugadoss's Ramanna. Read Full Story

What's on Anirudh Ravichander's playlist?
Mumbai, Jan 26 : He has made the nation groove to "Kolaveri di", but one wonders what 21-year-old composer Anirudh Ravichander likes to listen to in his free time. Read Full Story

Kamal Haasan wants SRK for Menon's remake
By Subhash K. Jha, Mumbai, Jan 24 : If Kamal Haasan had his way, superstar Shah Rukh Khan will be the only actor to step into his shoes for the Hindi remake of Gautham Menon's Tamil film "Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu". Read Full Story

Dhanush signed for Hindi film 'Raanjhnaa'
New Delhi, Jan 24 : Southern actor Dhanush, who became an overnight success across the nation thanks to the song "Kolaveri di", has signed his first Bollywood project "Raanjhnaa". Read Full Story

Dhanush, Mallika named hottest vegetarians
New Delhi, Jan 20 : Tamil superstar Dhanush and Bollywood actress Mallika Sherawat have been voted the hottest vegetarians in a new poll by People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India. Read Full Story

Resul Pookutty to work on Tamil film '3'
New Delhi, Jan 19 : Oscar-winning sound engineer Resul Pokutty, who won the international honour for his work in "Slumdog Millionaire", has been roped in for megastar Rajinikanth's daughter Aishwarya's directorial debut "3". Read Full Story

'Shivaji' changed my life completely: Shriya Saran
Mumbai, Jan 19 : Shriya Saran tried her luck in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam movies, but it was the unprecedented box-office success of Tamil film "Shivaji: The Boss" that she feels gave her acting career a new lease of life. Read Full Story

SC issues notice to Tamil Nadu on ban on movie Dam 999
New Delhi, Jan 13 : The Supreme Court today issued notices to the state of Tamil Nadu on a petition challenging the ban imposed by the Tamil Nadu Government on the release and exhibition of controversial movie Dam 999. Read Full Story

Mumbai girl Anuya bags Shankar's film
Coimbatore, Jan 9 : Mumbai girl Anuya Bhagwat is all set to work with the biggest names in Tamil cinema in 'Robot' director Shankar's next film, 'Nanban', the Tamil remake of Rajkumar Hirani's '3 Idiots'. Read Full Story

Dr M Balamuralikrishna not aware of Kolaveri di....
Bangalore, Jan 6 : Legendary Carnatic Musician Dr M Balamuralikrishna has not heard the net ravaging ''Kolaveri di'' song rendered by Tamil actor Dhanush in his forthcoming film '3'. Read Full Story

Confident Dhanush shoots for 'Kolaveri Di' song
New Delhi, Jan 4 : Southern star Dhanush, who has become a household name after his song "Kolaveri Di" went viral online, reveals that the cast and crew of the film "3" has started shooting for the song and he is confident about the final product. Read Full Story

Pakistan sways to its own Kolaveri Di
Islamabad, Dec 29 : Pakistan now has its own version of Kolaveri Di, the Indian song that is racing towards the 30 million YouTube mark. And it's hilarious. Read Full Story

Roy expresses mixed feelings
Kochi, Dec 28 : Sohan Roy, director of the controversial film ''DAM999'', has expressed mixed feelings on Oscars short listing of his debut film. Read Full Story

Speaking English was a huge problem for me: Dhanush
By Subhash K Jha,Mumbai, Dec 28: "Kolaveri Di" lyrics are a hotchpotch mix of English and Tamil, the singing style doesn't conform to any particular style and it was sung by a non- singer -- despite all that, it became a super hit. Tamil star Dhanush, who lent his voice to it, says his lack of comfort with the English language helped him in choosing the words to connect with people who are not fluent in the language. Read Full Story

Box-office business - a bleak streak for Tamil filmdom
By Aravindan DIChennai, Dec 27 : The Tamil film industry, true to its prolific image, has churned out as many as 135 films this year. But the disappointing news: despite the spiralling numbers, box office success has been hitting rock bottom. According to trade pundits, while total investment has been about Rs.600 crore, filmmakers failed to recover even half the investment. Read Full Story

Dhanush regales Kolkata on Christmas
Kolkata, Dec 25 : Southern star Dhanush added to the Christmas celebrations in the city when he performed his raging hit "Kolaveri Di" to thousands of screaming fans Sunday. Read Full Story

'Rajapattai' - a road unfit to travel
By Aravindan DI, Film: "Rajapattai"; Cast: Vikram, Deeksha Seth, K Viswanath, Mithra Kurian, Pradeep Rawat; Director: Suseenthiran; Producer: PVP Cinemas; Music: Yuvan Shankar Raja; Rating - ** Read Full Story

Rajini's Chitti, ill-health and son-in-Law's 'Kolaveri'
Chennai, Dec 23: Stars led by the superstar Rajinikant alongside some directors kept Kollywood in the limelight this year but Rajini's illustrious contemporary Kamal Hassan found himself in a downturn. Read Full Story

Aishwarya, Dhanush exchange love bands
Chennai, Dec 20 : Popular south cine couple Dhanush and Aishwarya of the 'Kolaveri di' fame celebrated their Platinum Day of Love by exchanging platinum love bands of the 'Soulmates Collection' at Prince Jewellery in Chennai on Tuesday. Read Full Story

'Mambattiyan' outdated, slow-paced
By Aravindan DI, Film: "Mambattiyan"; Cast: Prashanth, Meera Jasmine, Prakashraj and Vadivelu; Director: Thyagarajan; Music Director: Thaman; Rating: ** Read Full Story

'DAM 999' director to move SC against ban on film
Kochi, Dec 17 : Sohan Roy, director of the controversial film "DAM999", today said he would move the Supreme Court against the Tamil Nadu government's decision to extend the ban on his film by six months. Read Full Story

Tamil Nadu Govt extends ban on DAM999 by 6 months
Chennai, Dec 17 : The Tamil Nadu Government has extended by six months, the ban on ''DAM999'', the controversial film, depicting the collapse of the Mullaiperiyar dam and drowning of lakhs of people in the resultant floods. Read Full Story

Dhanush to perform 'Kolaveri di' live in Mumbai
New Delhi, Dec 17 : It will be a perfect confluence -- southern star Dhanush will sing his hit number "Kolaveri di", while TV actress Jiaa Manek, popularly known as Gopi of Star Plus' "Saathiya", will match steps with his tunes at the BIG Star Entertainment Awards in Mumbai Sunday. Read Full Story

A big southern director eyes Bollywood
By Mohammed Shafeeq , Hyderabad, Dec 17 : Tamil film director Vishnuvardhan Kulasekaran, who has made half a dozen films in the southern movie industry, including an impressive debut in Telugu films with the Pawan Kalyan-starrer "Panjaa", is looking forward to directing in Hindi and other languages. Read Full Story

Hansika turns gangster for 'Vettai Mannan'
By Aravindan DI,Chennai Dec 14 : After playing a village belle in Tamil movie "Velayudham", Hansika Motwani has turned gangster for her next movie "Vettai Mannan". Read Full Story

153 films on view: curtain goes up on international festival tomorow
Chennai, Dec 13: The ninth edition of the international film festival being conducted by Indo Cine Appreciation Forum(ICAF), will be held from tomorrow to December 22 in this once capital of South Indian cinema and screen 153 films from different countries where cinema is part of indegenous culture. Read Full Story

Over 20 mn hits for 'Kolaveri Di', still a long way to go
New Delhi, Dec 12 : Southern star Dhanush is perhaps the first Indian celebrity whose song "Kolaveri di" has gone viral on YouTube with over 20 million hits so far. But the song is yet to make it as big as international hits "Baby ft. Ludacris", "On The Floor ft. Pitbull" and "Bad Romance". Read Full Story

Superstar Rajinikanth turns 62
Chennai, Dec 12 : Tamil superstar Rajinikanth turned 62 on Monday amid thousands of birthday wishes from his fans. Read Full Story

At 62, Rajni still an icon
Chennai, Dec 12 : At 62, Tamil superstar Rajnikanth is still an icon -- the quintessential superman in real and reel life. Read Full Story

Renowned cinematographer P S Loknath passes away
Chennai, Dec 9: Renowned cinematographer P S Loknath, who gave the first shot to superstar Rajinikanth in the hit film ''Aboorva Ragangal'', died here this morning following cancer. Read Full Story

Coffee war between Karthi, Suriya
By Aravindan DI, Chennai Dec 7 : If Tamil hit screen pair Kajal Aggarwal and Karthi are promoting Bru Coffee, Suriya along with his wife Jyothika are associated with Nescafe. Read Full Story

Yuvan to his 'Kolaveri' version
By Aravindan DI, Chennai Dec 7 : Emulating a successful trend is a common phenomenon in the film industry. Composer Yuvan Shankar Raja is all set to cash in the success of Tamil song "Kolaveri" by composing and crooning something similar for the movie "Vettai". Read Full Story

It's destination Mumbai for Piaa Bajpai
By Aravindan DI, Chennai Dec 7 : After doing southern movies, Piaa Bajpai shifted to Bollywood and has quietly finished shooting for her first Hindi movie. Read Full Story

Dhanush 'in love' with Neevan Niigaam's 'Kolaveri' version
New Delhi, Dec 6 : Tamil star Dhanush's chartbuster "Kolaveri Di" is being loved by all, but he is highly impressed with the version sung by Sonu Niigaam's four-year-old son, Neevan. Read Full Story

'Porali' lacks finesse and reasoning
By Aravindan DI, Film: "Porali"; Cast: Sasikumar, Allari Naresh, Swathi, Vasundhara, Kanja Karuppu; Writer-Director: Samuthirakkani; Producer: M. Sasikumar; Music: Sundar C. Babu; Rating: ** Read Full Story

'Kolaveri di' success shows regional cinema's mass appeal
Panaji, Dec 3 : South Indian superstar Suriya Saturday said regional cinema had potential for success across the country, in the same manner in which 'Tanglish' song 'Why this Kolaveri di' has become the contemporary chant of the nation. Read Full Story

Rajinikanth in 'Kolaveri Di'?
Chennai, Dec 2 : If you think that spotting every person next to you humming the super hit song 'Kolaveri di' was all, wait a minute because there's more to this one. Read Full Story

IFFI hails K. Balachander
Panaji, Dec 1 : Some of the most memorable and greatest works of K. Balachander, the octogenarian film maker from South India are being showcased in the 42nd edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in the Retrospective section. Read Full Story

Kolaveri-Di earns revenue for techzone, telecom industry
Hyderabad, Dec 1: Tamil actor Dhanush rendered 'Kolaveri-di' for his upcoming film '3' has generatead huge revenue to the telecom industry and techzone, the content provider. Read Full Story

Kamal to chair FICCI business conclave
By Aravindan DI, Chennai, Nov 30: Superstar Kamal Haasan will chair the two-day FICCI FRAMES Media and Entertainment Business conclave, starting here Thursday. Read Full Story

Anushka Shetty to team up with Rajini?
By Aravindan DI, Chennai, Nov 30: Southern actress Anushka Shetty is as busy in Tamil films as she is in Telugu. The buzz is that she may team up with superstar Rajinikanth in his upcoming 3D film "Kochadaiyyan". Read Full Story

Post divorce, Sonia happy to be back on big screen
By Aravindan DI, Chennai, Nov 30: Sonia Agarwal was on top when she quit acting to settle down with director Selvaraghavan, but she has decided to return to the big screen with an aptly titled "Oru Nadigaiyin Vaakamoolam" after her divorce and she is very happy about it. Read Full Story

'Kolaveri Di' crosses 10-million mark
New Delhi, Nov 30 : Tamil star Dhanush's song "Kolaveri Di" has become a sleeper blockbuster by crossing 10,559,994 hits since its release Nov 16 on youtube.com. Read Full Story

Is Rajinikanth's 'Rana' shelved ?
Chennai, Nov 27: Although there has been no official announcement yet, but the rumour doing the rounds is that Rajinikanth's enterprising project 'Rana' has been shelved. Read Full Story

New age drama 'Mayakkam Enna' engaging, entertaining
By Aravindan DI, Film: " Mayakkam Enna"Cast: Dhanush, Risha Gangopadyaya; Writer-Director: Selvaraghavan; Music Composer: G.V. Prakash; Cinematographer: Ramji; Rating: *** 1/2 Read Full Story

Daughter to helm Rajinikanth's 'Kochadaiyaan'
Chennai, Nov 25 : Tamil superstar Rajinikanth, who has been out of action due to his illness, will return with "Kochadaiyyan", which will be the directorial debut of his daughter, Soundarya Ashwin Rajinikanth who is excited about it. Read Full Story

Eight Kollywood stars in legal tangle: summoned to appear in court
Udhagamandalam, Nov 24: The Judicial Magistrate Court here has orderd issue of summons to eight Tamil film actors, including Sripriya, Vijayakumar, Sarathkumar, Surya and Vivek to appear before the court on December 19, in connection with a defamation case. Read Full Story

Rajnikanth to act first in 3D film Kochadayaan: Rana
Chennai, Nov 24 : After the success of 'Enthiran' (ROBOT), Tamil Superstar Rajnikanth, who is looking fresh and fit after undergoing treatment in Singapore, is all set to act in a Hi-Tech 3D film 'Kochadaiyaan'', it was announced here today. Read Full Story

With millions of hits, 'Kolaveri Di' on song
Chennai, Nov 24: If you haven't heard "Kolaveri Di", you are supposed to be out of sync with the world. The Tamil song with nonsense lyrics that came out just eight days ago has already notched up up 3,020,014 hits on YouTube and its fan following includes the young and the old, the commoner and the celebrity. Read Full Story

'Kolaveri di' strikes right chords with audience
Chennai, Nov 24 : Tamil actor-playback singer Dhanush's song 'Kolaveri di' from his upcoming movie '3' has become a vogue among the youth after the release of the song a few days back. Read Full Story

Karunanidhi calls for ban on "Dam 999 " film
Chennai, Nov 23 : DMK president and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi today demanded a ban on "Dam 999" film that suggests the collapse of Mullaperiyar dam. Read Full Story

'Delhi Belly' set for Tamil remake?
By Aravindan DI, Chennai Nov 21: Successful Hindi hit "Delhi Belly" will reportedly be remade in Tamil by director Kannan who has teamed up with John Mahendran to write the dialogues for the film. Read Full Story

Kamal finds his heroine!
By Aravindan DI, Chennai Nov 21 : The search for the feamle lead for Kamal Haasan starrer "Viswaroopam" has ended with NRI Pooja Kumar and the Tamil superstar says the film will be a big break for her. Read Full Story

'Vithagan' not a wholesome entertainer
By Aravindan DI, Film: "Vithagan"; Cast: Parthiban, Poorna and Millind Soman; Producer: Manickam Narayanan; Writer-Director: Parthiban; Music Composer: Joshua Sridhar; Rating: ** 1/2 Read Full Story

Salman Khan plays down Rajnikanth comparisons
Dubai, November 14 : Ever since Kareena Kapoor called Salman Khan the Rajnikanth of Bollywood, the epithet is catching on. Read Full Story

Dhanush's song leaked online
By Aravindan DI , Chennai Nov 14 : A song written and sung by Dhanush for the film "3" has been leaked on the net and the makers have now decided to release it as a single track. Read Full Story

Theatre Doyen remembered
Puducherry, Nov 13 :Rich tributes were paid to Sankardas Swamigal, considered the father of Tamil theatre, on his 88th death anniversary here today. Read Full Story

'I want to do a film on Netaji'
By V.S. Rajapur, Bangalore, Nov 9 : Tamil film actor Sharath Kumar wants to produce and direct a film based on the life of noted freedom fighter Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. Read Full Story

Wedding bells for Sneha-Prasanna soon
Chennai, Nov 9 : Kollywood actress Sneha, known for her sparkling smile, and who shot to fame with the hit film 'Anandam', is all set to marry fellow actor Prasanna soon. Read Full Story

'7am Arivu' spells magic at box office, Surya excited
By Aravindan DI, Chennai, Nov 8: Tamil star Surya is one happy man these days as his latest release "7aam Arivu" has done good business and the actor says the film is a bigger grosser than "Singham". Read Full Story

Vimal's career on a high
Chennai, Nov 8: Tamil actor Vimal is riding high these days. He is working on two films - "Ishtam" and "Anaithukkum Aasaipadu" and has signed two new projects - "Neerparavaigal" and "Unmai Sonnal Nesipaya". Read Full Story

Prakash Raj shoots song with Prabhudeva
New Delhi, Nov 7 : After working under Prabhudeva's direction in "Wanted", southern actor Prakash Raj has directed the former in a cameo for bilingual film "Dhoni". Read Full Story

No celebrations, it's exam time for Hansika
Chennai Nov 3 : Hansika Motwani, who gave an impressive performance in recently released "Velayudham", is not basking in the glory of the film's success. Instead, she is burning the midnight oil to prepare for her exams. Read Full Story

Ilayaraja's wife dead
Chennai, Nov 1: Popular Tamil Music Director Ilayaraja's wife Jeeva died here this morning following a heart attack. Read Full Story

Vijay steals show in 'Velayudham'
By Aravindan DI, Film: "Velayudham"; Cast: Vijay, Genelia D'souza, Hansika, Santhanam, Saranya Mohan; Producer: Aascar V. Ravichandran; Director: Jayam Raja; Music Director: Vijay Antony; Rating: **1/2 Read Full Story

Novel theme makes '7aam Arivu' a good watch
By Aravindan DI, Film: "7aam Arivu" (Seventh Sense); Cast: Surya, Shruthi Haasan, Johnny Tri Nguyen, and Ramanathan; Producer: Red Giant Movies; Director: A.R. Murugadoos; Cinematographer: Ravi K. Chandran; Stunt: Peter Hein; Music Composer: Harris Jayaraj; Rating: *** Read Full Story

Tamil film actor 'LIC' Narasimhan dead
Chennai, Oct 28 : Popular Tamil film actor LIC Narasimhan, who had acted in more than 300 films, died here last night due to cancer. Read Full Story

No sparkle in Kollywood this Deepavali
Chennai, Oct 26: The sound and fury of bursting of crackers ushered in the festival of lights for yet another time, but for Kollywood, the Tamil film industry, it was not exactly a joyful day, by way of new releases, which traditionally used to touch at least a half a dozen new films at the box office. Read Full Story

Rajnikanth offers prayers at Lord Venkateswara temple
Tirumala, Oct 19: After recovering from a major ailment, superstar Rajnikanth, along with his family members, offered prayers to Lord Venkateswara at the famous hill shrine here today. Read Full Story

UTV ties up with Sundar C. for 'Masala Cafe'
New Delhi, Oct 17 : Production company UTV Motion Pictures Monday announced its partnership with Tamil director Sundar C. for his comic entertainer "Masala Cafe", co-produced by his wife, Khushbu Sundar's Avni Cinemax. Read Full Story

'Velayutham' is special: Tamil star Vijay
Bangalore, Oct 16: Tamil superstar Ilayathalapathy Vijay has termed his upcoming release "Velayutham" a special film of his career. Read Full Story

Ace choreographer Saleem passes away
Chennai, Oct 15: Veteran film choreographer Saleem, who choreographed dances for matinee idols like late MGR, Sivaji Ganesan, N T Rama Rao and Dilip Kumar, besides other stars, died here late last night following prolonged illness. Read Full Story

SRK launches Ra.One Tamil music
Chennai, Oct 12 : Ra.One fans were in for a treat when they saw exclusive Tamil and Telugu versions of their favorite songs from the movie. Read Full Story

'King Khan' says superstar Rajni is a great human being
Chennai, Oct 10 : Bollywood icon Shah Rukh Khan today described Tamil superstar Rajnikanth as a great human being and said it was a blessing to shoot with him for ''Ra One''. Read Full Story

Chandrasekar elected as President of Tamil Film Producers Council
Chennai, Oct 10 : Popular Film Producer S A Chandrasekar, the acting president of the Tamil film producers Council, was elected as President of the council in the elections. Read Full Story

Rajnikanth, Rekha give away clothes for auction
Chennai, Oct 7: Celebrating the Joy of Giving Week, leading Chennai hotels are hosting a charity event 'Battle of Buffet' on Sunday where clothes donated by celebrities like Rekha and Rajinikanth will be auctioned. Read Full Story

Rana shooting dates to be decided in December: Eros
Bangalore, Oct 3 : The film shooting dates for the much anticipated Rajnikanth starrer 'Rana' is likely to be decided in December. Read Full Story

Rajini sir has blessed 'RA.One': SRK
New Delhi, Oct 3 : Shah Rukh Khan feels his mega budget film "RA.One" has been blessed by superstar Rajinikanth, who shot a cameo for the superhero film in Mumbai over the weekend. Read Full Story

Actor Thiagu quits DMK, says he was sidelined
Chennai, Sept 22 : Popular Tamil film actor Thiagu, who was one of the star campaigners for the DMK in the recent Assembly polls, today quit the party alleging that he was being sidelined in the party. Read Full Story

Actor alleges molestation by producer
Chennai, Sept 16 : Popular Kollywood Actress Sona, who used to perform some item numbers, today alleged that producer-singer S P Charan, son of veteran playback singer S P Balasubramanyam, molested her at a party hosted to celebrate the success of Ajith's 50th film 'Mankatha' here. Read Full Story

Fox Studios first Tamil film coming out Friday
New Delhi, Sep 14 : After producing a string of Bollywood films, Fox Star Studios is all set to release its first Tamil film "Engaeyum Eppothum" Friday. Read Full Story

Gautam Kurup hopes 'Thiruppangal' to be turning point in his career
Chennai, Sep 8 : Actor Gautam Kurup describes himself as the 'devil from the god's own country'. And now he says that he would make the Tamil moviegoers love to hate him by this performance in "Thiruppangal" ("Turning Points"), in which he plays the villain, while Nanda is the protagonist. Read Full Story