Chandramukhi 2 first look: Raghava Lawrence steps into Rajinikanth's Vettaiyan shoes

 Lyca Productions unveiled the first look poster of the much-anticipated movie Chandramukhi 2 on Monday. The poster featured Raghava Lawrence as the cold-hearted and ruthless king, Vettaiyan Raja, a role previously portrayed by Superstar Rajinikanth.

In the striking poster, Raghava Lawrence's Vettaiyan could be seen descending the grand staircase of his palace, exuding arrogance and an evil grin. The actor seems to have infused his own quirkiness into the iconic character, promising a fresh take on one of the most beloved roles in the history of Tamil cinema. Upon sharing the poster, Lawrence expressed his gratitude to Rajinikanth for his blessings and support in taking on this significant role.

However, the challenge for Lawrence is undeniable, as he steps into the shoes of Rajinikanth, whose performance as Vettaiyan was the highlight of the original Chandramukhi. The 2005 blockbuster's success rested largely on Rajinikanth's portrayal of the character, showcasing his signature style and energy, leaving audiences spellbound. The dynamic chemistry between Rajinikanth and Jyothika further elevated the film to iconic status.

Chandramukhi itself is a remake of the Kannada hit Apthamitra, which was originally inspired by the Malayalam classic Manichithrathazhu. Director P Vasu, who helmed the original and its sequel Aptharakshaka in 2010, returns to direct Chandramukhi 2. It remains unclear whether Chandramukhi 2 will follow the storyline of Aptharakshaka or present a completely new narrative for Tamil audiences.

Chandramukhi 2 is set to have a pan-Indian release during the festive season of Ganesh Chaturthi . Given that it stars Kangana Ranaut as the female lead, the film has an edge in the Hindi belt.

Apart from Raghava Lawrence and Kangana Ranaut, Chandramukhi 2 boasts a star-studded supporting cast, including Radhika Sarathkumar, Vadivelu, Lakshmi Menon, and Mahima Nambiar. 

Ananya Panday asks father Chunky Panday to pull some strings against Ayushmann Khurrana in new Dream Girl 2 promo. Watch

 Raaj Shaandilyaa's comedy Dream Girl 2 has been slowly and surely building a star-studded promotional campaign ahead of the film's release in cinemas on August 25. Ayushmann Khurrana's cross-dressed character Pooja has been seen talking to hunks on the phone, from Shah Rukh Khan's Pathaan to most recently, Ranveer Singh's Rocky. 

But the latest promo of Dream Girl 2 features none other than Chunky Panday, the real-life father of Ananya Panday, who is the leading lady in the film. She is a new addition to the Dream Girl franchise, the first part of which opened to great box-office numbers in 2019, and starred Ayushmann in the lead role.

New Dream Girl 2 promo

Ananya posted the new promo of Dream Girl 2 on Instagram on Saturday. In the video, Ananya is seen complaining to her father and actor Chunky Panday that Ayushmann's character of Pooja is hogging all the limelight in the promotions of the film. She demands he talk to the production house, Balaji Telefilms, owned by Ekta Kapoor and her mother Shobha Kapoor.

He promises to talk to Balaji and pretends dialling a number as Ananya exits the room. But Chunky ends up mouthing his popular dialogue “I'm joking” from the Housefull franchise and ends up dialling Pooja herself. He flirts with Pooja, who reminds Chunky when the film is releasing in cinemas.

The promo is titled ‘Pooja ka Funky Aashiq,’ referring to Chunky Panday. Ananya shared the video on Instagram and wrote in the caption, “Papa?? Really?? I thought you were speaking to Balaji!”

About Dream Girl 2

Dream Girl 2 is the sequel of Raaj Shaandilyaa's 2019 blockbuster comedy that starred Ayushmann as a Mathura guy doubling up as a professional late night caller. He talks to lonely people on the phone in his female avatar of Pooja. However, in Dream Girl 2, he will also appear in a cross-dressed avatar as Pooja. In an exclusive interview with Social Media, Ayushmann said, “This time, we're going to the next level with Dream Girl. It's not just the voice, it's also the visual, as you see in the teasers. It's going to be a 2.0 version literally in Dream Girl 2 and I really look forward to that.”

Tamannaah Bhatia, Vijay Varma hold hands on a date in Mumbai, fans ask them to 'get married soon’. Watch

 Actor-couple Tamannaah Bhatia and Vijay Varma stepped out in Mumbai for a date. After several pictures and videos of the two surfaced on social media platforms, fans showered love on them, with some even telling them to marry soon. 

Tamannaah and Vijay seen on a date

In a video collage shared by a paparazzo account on Instagram, Tamannaah Bhatia and Vijay Varma held hands as they walked together. They also smiled at each other and at the people around them. Tamannaah and Vijay left the venue in a car together.

Fans react to the couple's pics

For the date, both of them opted for casual outfits. Tamannaah wore a white T-Shirt, black denims and heels. Vijay was seen in a sweatshirt, blue denims and sneakers. He also carried a bag with him. Reacting to the pictures, a fan wrote, "They are so perfect. Please guys get married soon." A person commented, "They are madly in love." "They look so good together," an Instagram user said.

Tamannaah and Vijay spoke about each other

Tamannaah and Vijay have been dating for quite some time now. The duo was seen together on screen for the first time in Lust Stories 2. They featured in Sujoy Ghosh's short in the Netflix anthology.

They also spoke about their relationship recently. Vijay told GQ India, "I think it’s fairly understood now that we are dating each other. I am happy and madly in love with her. I call this my ‘I’ve ended my villain era and gotten into the romance era’ phase of life.”

During an interview with Film Companion, Tamannaah had said, “I don't think you can get attracted to someone just because they are your co-star. I have had so many co-stars. I think if one has to fall for someone, feel something for someone it’s definitely more personal, it’s nothing to do with what they do for a living, I mean that's not the reason why this would happen.”

Tamannaah and Vijay's projects

Fans will see Tamannaah in Jailer alongside Rajinikanth. Helmed by Nelson Dilipkumar, the film also stars Priyanka Mohan, Shiva Rajkumar, Jackie Shroff, Ramya Krishnan, Yogi Babu, Vasanth Ravi, Vinayakan in prominent roles. Tamannaah also has Nikkhil Advani’s next directorial venture Vedaa alongside John Abraham and Sharvari Wagh.

Vijay was recently seen in Kaalkoot opposite Shweta Tripathi Sharma. Directed by Sumit Saxena, Kaalkoot also stars Yashpal Sharma, Gopal Datt, and Seema Biswas. It started streaming on Jio Cinema on July 27. He will be next seen in Sujoy Ghosh's thriller which is based on the book The Devotion of Suspect X. It also stars Kareena Kapoor Khan and Jaideep Ahlawat. Apart from that, he also has Homi Adjania's Murder Mubarak in the pipeline.

Jawan first song Zinda Banda: Shah Rukh Khan dances his heart out in foot-tapping track, fans love his swag. Watch

 Actor Shah Rukh Khan on Monday dropped the music video for Zinda Banda, the first song of his upcoming action thriller Jawan. Taking to Instagram, Shah Rukh posted a clip, and wrote, "When principles are at stake, one must fight, This battle is what makes you alive! I thank Wasim Barelvi sahab (sir) with all my heart for letting us use this beautiful couplet with a minor change. The song is written by Irshad Kamil Sir, and the music is by my dear friend Anirudh Ravichander. Presenting Zinda Banda!" 

Jawan song Zinda Banda

In the nearly four-minute-long song, Shah Rukh Khan (SRK) made a grand entry wearing a red shirt and black pants. He is welcomed by a crowd of girls wearing green and white outfits as they cheer for him. Apart from Shah Rukh, the song also features Sanya Malhotra and Priyamani, among others.

The song is a fun and groovy one as it makes you want to dance to its beats. T-Series shared the music video of the song on its YouTube channel. The song is out in three languages – Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. While the Hindi version has been titled Zinda Banda, it is Vandha Edam in Tamil and Dhumme Dhulipelaa in Telugu. Anirudh Ravichander has composed the music of Jawan.

Fans react to Zinda Banda

Reacting to the song a fan said, "Our superstar, our king, our emotion, our favourite actor one and only SRK. You can ignore Bollywood but you can't ignore SRK." A comment read, "Anirudh's music and Shah Rukh Khan's swag are things you can't ignore, literally GOOSEBUMPS guaranteed!"

"There is no competition for SRK, but the era of his romantic movies is something else," wrote another person. A social media user said, "My body literally started dancing." Another comment read, “SRK is not a name, it's an emotion for billions of people all around the world!”

More about Zinda Banda

Earlier, he had unveiled a new poster of the first song on Instagram. Sharing it, he wrote, “The Sound of Jawan! Song out today at 12:50 pm! #ZindaBanda (Hindi) #VandhaEdam (Tamil) #DhummeDhulipelaa (Telugu) #Jawan releasing worldwide on 7th September 2023, in Hindi, Tamil & Telugu.”

Earlier, news agency ANI, had quoted a source as saying about the song, "It was shot on a grand scale in Chennai, over five days, with over 1000 dancers from all across Indian cities like Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Madurai, Mumbai and more. Produced at an impressive budget of over ₹15 crores, Zinda Banda will showcase the spectacular visual of SRK dancing like never before with thousands of girls. With Anirudh composing and helming the vocals as well and the moves are choreographed by Shobi, this track is all set to get the nation grooving."

About Atlee's Jawan

Directed by Atlee, Jawan will release worldwide in theatres on September 7 in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu languages. Apart from Shah Rukh, Nayanthara and Vijay Sethupathi will also be seen in the film. Deepika Padukone also has a special appearance in the movie. In Jawan, fans will also see Priyamani, Sanya Malhotra and Ridhi Dogra in important roles.

Kaalkoot Twitter review: Netizens hail Vijay Varma, request makers to drop all episodes at once

 After gathering immense praise as a baddie in Dahaad and Lust Stories, Vijay Varma is back with another OTT show but this time he plays a good guy and gladly nails that one as well. Kaalkoot, a crime drama series that also stars Shweta Tripathi, is out on Jio Cinema. Fans shared their reaction to the show, praised Vijay's performance and also requested the makers to drop all the episodes at once.

One of the Netizens tweeted, "Was great fun, Bro. Your best so far, and I have watched everything you've done. Really hope they drop all the episodes at once. (Sic)."

Another one praised Vijay and wrote, "Just finished first 3 episodes,..., the Story - the Twist - the Emotion - the Thrills are just WOW can't wait to finish the show. Sir @MrVijayVarma I must say you never disappoint and do justice to all the characters you have played! (sic)."

A cinephile also spoke about Vijay's excellent act and posted, "Vijay is an exceptional actor par excellence! All the best to the team for all success! You deserve it and will Get it ! Best wishes (Sic)."

A Vijay fan praised the actor and penned, "Bhai great times, you're on a roll, Gully Boy, Sasya, Dahaad this will also be a great view. All the best. (sic)."

Another admirer spoke about how consistent and impactful Vijay's delivery is in his project and also praised the actor for the benchmark he has created in the industry.

Check out the full post here:

 

KaalKoot, which also has Seema Biswas, Yashpal Sharma, Gopal Datt and Suzanna Mukherjee in supporting roles, is out on Jio Cinema.

Double iSmart: Sanjay Dutt's birthday surprise - Check out his ferocious look as the Big Bull

 Double iSmart, the wacky Indian production by Ustaad Ram Pothineni and filmmaker Puri Jagannadh and the sequel to their smash hit iSmart Shankar have begun filming in Mumbai. The crew started production on the film by filming a spectacular action sequence. Ram received a fashionable makeover in the Puri Connects movie, which Puri Jagannadh and Charmme Kaur produced. The chief executive officer is Vish Reddy.

The developers have released a significant upgrade today. Sanjay Dutt has a substantial part in the new film Double iSmart and he arrived on set on day one. The actor's character, Big Bull, had his first look poster released today.

The poster depicts Sanjay Dutt, who is sporting a unique hairstyle and a beard, wearing a suit, and accessorising with earrings, rings, a pricey watch, and tattoos on his face and fingers. In the first look poster, Sanjay Dutt is shown smoking a cigar while all eyes are on him and the guns are pointing in his direction. The poster suggests that Sanjay Dutt would play a strong role.

Puri, a master at bringing out the best in his performers, will present Sanjay Dutt in a new light in Double iSmart.

The prospect of a Ram and Sanjay Dutt collaboration is sure to excite both fans and moviegoers. With such a bizarre pairing, curiosity about the film is bound to grow.

Sanjay Dutt tweeted his enthusiasm for working with the film's director, describing it as "immense pride" to collaborate with "the director of the masses," Puri Jagannadh, and "the young, energetic Ustaad," Ram Pothineni.

The actor added, "Glad to be Playing the #BIGBULL in this sci-fi mass entertainer #DoubleISMART. I am excited to be teaming up with this super-talented team and look forward to the film hitting the screens on March 8th, 2024. @Charmmeofficial @IamVishuReddy @PuriConnects."

Ace cinematographer Gianni Giannelli is shooting this high-octane action movie. The production of Double iSmart features substantial expenditures and rigorous technical requirements. The film's other cast and crew members will be unveiled soon.

For Maha Shivaratri on March 8, 2024, Double iSmart will be released in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, and Hindi.

Kangana Ranaut slams Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, says Karan Johar has made ‘daily soap’ with 250 crore

Kangana Ranaut has shared her thoughts on Karan Johar's new romantic comedy Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, starring Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt. She has slammed the filmmaker for calling himself the “flag bearer of Indian cinema and perpetually regressing it.”

Kangana calls Rocky Aur Rani ‘fake’

Kangana took to her Instagram Stories on Saturday and wrote, “Audience can't be fooled anymore. They have rejected atrocious and creatively poor films full of fake sets and over the top fake costumes, who dresses like this in real life also where are tacky houses like those in Delhi??? What rubbish!!!! Shame on Karan Johar for copying his own vintage movies of the nineties… also how come he spend 250 cr on this stupidity? Who gives them this kind of money's while real talent struggle to get funds !!!”

Rocky Aur Rani vs Oppenheimer

Kangana also compared Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani to last week's Hollywood release, Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer, based on the life of nuclear physicist J Robert Oppenheimer. She wrote, “Indian audiences watching 3 hours long film on the origin of nuclear weapon and intricacies of atomic science aur yahan nepo gang ka wahi saas bahu ka rona, lekin why he needs ₹250 cr to make a daily soap …. ??? Shame on you Karan Johar for making the same nth time … calling yourself the flag bearer of Indian cinema and perpetually regressing it … Don't waste funds it's not easy time for the industry, retire now and let young film makers make new and revolutionary films …”

Kangana to Ranveer Singh

Kangana also schooled Ranveer on her Instagram Stories. She wrote, “My sincere advice to @ranveersingh he should stop getting influenced by Karan Johar and his dressing sense … he should dress up like a normal human being, like Dharm ji (Dharmendra) or Vinod Khanna ji dressed in their days, Indian people can't identify with a cartoon looking person calling himself a hero, please see all south heroes how they dress up and carry themselves with great dignity and integrity….. They look manly and dignified… people don't ruin the culture in our country (join hands emoji).”

Meanwhile, Rocky aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani has been getting rave reviews and also earned ₹11.10 crore on day one of release.