Ananya Panday, Varun Dhawan, and others send heartfelt birthday wishes to Samantha Ruth Prabhu

Chennai, Mar 7 (IANS) Kannada star Duniya Vijay, who will be making his debut in Tamil cinema through director Sundar C’s upcoming magnum opus ‘Mookuthi Amman 2’, featuring actress Nayanthara in the lead, says that he is thrilled beyond words that he is to work with the same director who has directed his favourite star Rajinikanth in Arunachalam.

Talking exclusively to IANS, Duniya Vijay said, “It is a very emotional moment for me. He (director Sundar C) took my name on stage and spoke about me. I love director Sundar C. I am very thankful to him, to the unit of this film and to the people of Tamil Nadu.”

The Kannada star, who will be playing the antagonist in the film, recalled that he had been to Chennai 30 years ago to meet Superstar Rajinikanth. “I am a big fan of Rajinikanth sir. I wanted to meet him and came here 30 years ago. I stayed for 15 days but couldn’t meet him then. I then went back to Karnataka and became an actor there. After some years, I met Rajinikanth sir, who had seen my films and appreciated me,” says the actor who makes no bones of the fact that he loves both Rajinikanth and also director Sundar C.

“I simply love Sundar C sir as well. I became a fan of him 26 years ago when he made Arunachalam, featuring Superstar Rajinikanth in the lead. I am thrilled that I will be acting under the direction of a director who has directed Superstar Rajinikanth,” he says with his face brimming with happiness.

Duniya Vijay will be playing the antagonist in the film and it looks like he has a very big role in this pan-Indian film that will be made at least with a minimum of Rs 100 crore.

Says Duniya Vijay, “I will begin working on this film from the middle of this month. I will be here again next month for this film. I will be shooting for around 40 days for my role in this film.”

The film, which is to be released simultaneously in at least five languages, will feature a host of stars other than Nayanthara and Duniya Vijay.

Actors Urvasi, Regina Cassandra, Yogi Babu, Singam Puli, Gopi Amarnath, Abhinaya, Iniya, Mynaa Nandini, Swaminathan and Ajay Ghosh will be among those who will be a part of this film. Music for the film is by actor and music director Hip Hop Tamizha.

–IANS

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Mumbai, Dec 25 (IANS) Filmmaker Karthik Subbaraj’s upcoming film starring Suriya and Pooja Hegde has been christened “Retro”.

It was on Christmas on Wednesday, when the actors took to their respective social media accounts to announce the title of the gangster drama.

Suriya took to X, formerly called Twitter, where he shared the title teaser and wrote: “Merry Christmas Dear All #Retro Summer 2025. Meet you all soon!@karthiksubbaraj @hegdepooja @C_I_N_E_M_A_A @Music_Santhosh @kshreyaas (sic).”

Pooja took to her Instagram, where she shared the link of the teaser and wrote: “This character has a piece of my heart. #RETRO A love story on adrenaline”.

The film was earlier called Suriya 44 as it marks the actor’s 44th movie.

The two-minute teaser gives a peep into the gritty world of “Retro”. It starts with the two actors sitting on the banks of a ghat. Essaying the role of a village girl, Pooja, who played Suriya’s love interest, ties a sacred band around his wrist.

Suriya is then heard saing: “I will control my temper…. I’ll leave it all behind from this moment. I’ll try to smile and be happy. The purpose of my life in your words, Dhammam is love. Pure love.”

Suriya was last seen in “Kanguva” with Bollywood actor Bobby Deol playing the role of an antagonist.

Talking about Pooja, she has several other exciting projects lined up, including Deva, Thalapathy 69, and Hai Jawaani Toh Ishq Hona Hai. Earlier this month, the actress had commenced another shooting schedule for “Thalapathy 69” in Chennai.

She shared her excitement with fans through a post on social media. Posting a serene view from the set, Pooja captioned the picture, “Chennai Mornings Day 16,” revealing her early 6:30 a.m. start to the day.

“Thalapathy 69” marks Hegde’s first onscreen collaboration with Vijay. The forthcoming film is a significant milestone in Vijay’s celebrated career. Directed by H. Vinoth and produced by Venkat K. Narayana under the KVN Productions banner, the film is set to be a grand tribute to Vijay’s legacy.

–IANS

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Mumbai, March 15 (IANS) There is a lot of ongoing criticism surrounding debutants like Khushi Kapoor and Ibrahim Ali Khan. Weighing in, actor Sonu Sood has urged people to be kind to newcomers in the film industry.

The ‘Dabangg’ actor pointed out that the success or failure of a performance is a collective responsibility. He took to his X (Previously known as Twitter) and wrote, “Be kind to debutants in the film fraternity and elsewhere. Nobody was perfect when they started. We all learn with experience. Only a handful get a second chance. A good or bad performance in any vertical is the collective responsibility of every technician involved. We are all learners. Let’s support and encourage them. Spread love”, along with a red heart emoji.

Prior to Sonu Sood, filmmaker Hansal Mehta expressed his opinion about ‘Bollywood is dying’ and the need to ‘reset’. The director took to social media twice and talked about the new generation of actors, filmmakers, and writers, who are ready to change the game.

Shedding light on the talent in the film industry such as Lakshya Lalwani, Adarsh Gourav, Ishaan Khatter, and Zahan Kapoor, Hansal said, “The past few years have proved: stars don’t necessarily bring audiences; conviction does. A new generation of actors, filmmakers, and writers is ready to change the game.”

The ‘Shahid’ director added, “But it will take producers with vision, platforms that backstories over statistics, and directors who demand authenticity over-familiarity. It will need solid financial discipline, intelligent exhibition strategy, marketing that is well thought out and not the template paid publicity that is making publicists rich and the industry much poorer.”

Hansal further stressed that “Hindi cinema doesn’t need saving—it needs a shift in priorities.”

“The formula is simple: invest in actors, not “stars.” Write without fear. Direct with conviction. Written in good faith. Apologies in advance for any omissions or errors”, he shared.

–IANS

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