REDEFINED CLOTHING FOR MEN
REDEFINED CLOTHING FOR MEN
february 15 - 21, 2011
CONTENT 04
notes
06
On Screens
12
Spotlight
18
Focus
26
insight
38
faces
44
stardust
46
S and You
48
guest
Winners’ podium
Movies playing at Sathyam & Escape
Movies to look forward to at Sathyam & Escape
Nagarjuna
Darshini
Jiiva
Natalie Portman
The interactive S page
Suhasini Maniratnam
INSIDER
EVENTS, PARTIES, LAUNCHES, FOOD, KIDDIE FUN, GAMING – ALL at SATHYAM CINEMAS!
she made her debut in cinema with Hindi films in a glamorous avatar and continued the same when she came down south. But with Vaaranam aayiram, sameera became the girl next door. She changes gears with gautham menon’s nadunisi naaygal, a songless, music-less thriller.
28
sameera reddy
20
showcase
24 34
music
40
taste
Blind date at Escape, Escape Contest Winners
Think Music albums
GAMES
Marvel Vs Capcom, COD winners
Ecstasy Valentine’s Day special ID Corporate Lunch
Celebrate the season of love at sathyam cinemas and escape. check out the valentine specials on page 23.
note
february 2011 SIMPLY CINEMA SIMPLY ENTERTAINMENT SIMPLY SATHYAM
Photography: Sunder Ramu Image courtesy: Frappe
Welcome to the Valentine’s issue of “S”. On the cover we have Sameera Reddy whose much awaited Nadunisi Naaygal with acclaimed director Gautham Vasudev Menon also starring Veera in the lead is due for release this month. Also featured in this issue are Nagarjuna whose Payanam hit the screens this month, Oscar hopeful and Golden Globe winner Natalie Portman and the multi faceted actor Jiiva. With this being the month to celebrate love, you can be sure we have something special planned for you. We are offering exclusive packages at unbelievable prices from Bliss (the spa) and Dine (the restaurant) at Escape and Blur, Blur Café, ID and Ecstasy at Sathyam Cinemas. Designed especially for the occasion, they truly are a steal so be sure to check them out! On behalf of the Sathyam team I’d like to wish you all a very happy Valentine’s Day and we look forward to seeing you soon!
Tan ngaronga - COO FOR FEEDBACK & COMMENTS: simplycinema@sathyamcinemas.com
WINNERS’ podium
solution for january ‘11
tell the difference 1. The letters ‘F’ & ‘P’ are missing from ‘FLIP’ 2. The paintings in the frames have been swapped 3. 3 Kites are missing from the ceiling 4. ‘LIVE’ is missing
spot the not 1. Siruthai. The other 2 movies star Shruti Haasan 2. Dhobi Ghat. The other 2 movies are remakes 3. Asin. The other two actresses are singers as well 4. Cher. The latest release of the other 2 actresses is a romantic comedy
zoomed in 1. 127 Hours 2. Hereafter 3. Tangled
contest winners for january ‘10 1. Sebin B Nidhiry 2. Abinaya Bhaskar 3. Sudharsan V.M
Voices Pongal o POngal!!! Thanks to Sathyam Cinemas for making Pongal extra special. The entire theatre was decorated beautifully to honour this festival of prosperity. I also won the SMS contest and enjoyed the awesome Dhanush movie Aadukalam, first day first show. And after the movie I gorged on the scrumptious Pongal platter served at ID featuring. The 5 different varieties of Pongal were lip smacking. - Ramakrishna K.
Content Managers & Design: Galatta.com Printed by: Rathna Offset Printers, Chennai To download the e-book version of S Magazine visit: www.sathyamcinemas.com, www.escapecinemas.com On the cover: Sameera Reddy Photography: Sunder Ramu Copyright: Galatta Cinema Copyright Notice: S Magazine has made all reasonable efforts to ensure that information provided is accurate at the time of inclusion, however it accepts no liability for any inaccuracies, errors or omissions in this publication. S Magazine will not be liable for any loss or damage of any kind, including direct, indirect, special and consequential loss or damage of any kind, arising from the use of this information obtained either directly or indirectly from this magazine. We will use your contact details (your name, job title, telephone and fax number and your e-mail and postal addresses) to provide any services requested by you and also to inform you about important changes to the magazine. These details will be used by us and by businesses within Sathyam Cinemas to provide you with information about other services and products for the same purpose. Copyright © Sathyam Cinemas. All rights reserved through out the world. Reproduction in any manner including design, text, graphics and content is prohibited. All disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of competent courts and forums in Chennai only. Sathyam Cinemas: 25, Mamatha Complex, 5th Floor, Whites Road, Royapettah, Chennai 14.
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Cast: Akshay Kumar, Anuskha Sharma, Rishi Kapoor, Dimple Kapadia, Hard Kaur Director: Nikhil Advani Banner: Hari Om Entertainment Co., T Series, People Tree Films Pvt. Ltd., Credence Motion Picture, Genre: Drama Language: Hindi
Cast: Sameera Reddy, Veera, Samantha, Ashwin Director: Gautham Menon Banner: Photon Kathaas, RS Infotainment Pvt. Ltd. Genre: Thriller language: Tamil In a Nutshell: The experiences of a person in his formative years go a long way to define who he will be and hence how his life shapes up. The world around you and your experiences with it contribute in a great way to the person you evolve into. This is the bases for this psychological thriller. What maiming events from his childhood have pushed the young protagonist offkilter? Is he capable of murder? It’s Interesting... that Nadunisi Naaygal is Gautham’s first attempt at a thriller. …that the movie is one of the few in Tamil cinema to break the ‘musical norm’. Yes, Gautham has chosen to keep the film taut and to the point, by eliminating the element of digression – SONGS! …that 90% of the movie has been shot in the night. …that Sameera Reddy who debuted in Tamil with Gautham’s Vaaranam Aayiram stars in this suspenseful movie opposite debutant Veera, who has worked behind the scenes with Gautham for nearly six years now … that since the movie is an experimental flick, Gautham has taken the task of producing the film upon himself.
│February 2011│6
In a Nutshell: At Patiala House everything works according to Bauji’s rules. A bad racial experience has left him with hatred for all that is remotely connected to the English world. This attitude of his has bridled the dreams and desires of his children, who out of love for him have accepted their fate. But slowly they begin to resent their way of life and the eldest among them who abandoned his dream 17 years ago, decides to stand up for them all. It’s Interesting... that many politicos in Maharashatra objected to the presence of Pakistani cricketer Kamran Akbal in the movie, but Nikhil cast him anyways. …that Akshay Kumar plays a Sikh in the movie and in a few stills sports a turban, but no beard. This led to some controversy in the Sikh community. Nikhil laid their woes to rest by stating that Akshay is a Monga Sikh.
How to buy a movie ticket : 1
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2
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3
on line - Log on to www.thecinema.in
4
For group bookings email groupbooking@ sathyamcinemas.com or Call 044-4392 0219
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Movies now showing at sathyam cinemas and escape
log onto www.thecinema.in
Cast: R. Madhavan, Kangana Ranaut, Jimmy Shergill, Ravi Kishen Director: Anand Rai Banner: Viacom 18 Motion Pictures, Paramhans Creations, Movies N More Pvt. Ltd Genre: RomCom Language: Hindi In a Nutshell: And it always happens in filmdom that opposites attract. They have to. They must. Manoj Sharma aka Manu is an NRI based in London. He is devoted to his family and would never do anything against their wishes. And it’s their wish that brings him to India! He is in the country to meet Tanuja Trivedi aka Tanu, the girl picked out for him to marry. She is his exact opposite. She breaks every rule in the Family Rule Book. Her soul aim is to shock with the outrageous things she does. Manu is OK with marrying her because his family says so, but will she? Is this couple meant to be?
KO
It’s Interesting... that long before the movie’s release was announced, the actors who play parents of the lead couple handed out post cards with a photograph of their unmarried child to movie goers and asked if they could suggest a suitable alliance for each! …that the movie was originally titled Manu Weds Tanu. However, Kangna insisted it be changed to Tanu Weds Manu because the story unfolds from her point of view and she is the domineering character. Anand was not sure if Maddy would agree but to his surprise the actor agreed.
singam puli
Cast: Jiiva, Ajmal, Karthika, Piaa Bajpai Director: K.V . AnandBanner: RS Infotainment, Red Giant Movies Genre: Action Language: Tamil
Cast: Jiiva, Divya Spandana, Santhanam, Soundarya Director: Sai Ramani Banner: Silverline Film Factory Genre: Action Language: Tamil
In a Nutshell: Ko is K.V. Anand’s third directorial venture. Following in the genre of Ayan, Ko is an action-crime movie. However, the movie also has a political vein throughout the plot. Jiiva plays a photojournalist who gets involved in a case that puts his life in jeopardy. Will he get to the bottom of the issue or will the bad guys get to him first?
In a Nutshell: Singam Puli is an action flick and is Jiiva’s first attempt at a dual role. The story is about two guys who look exactly the same and are yet very different in their nature. Just like how a lion and a tiger have very different characteristics in spite of being wild cats, these two guys look alike but are fierce in their own ways.
It’s Interesting...that KV Anand was himself a photojournalist before he turned cinematographer. …that Karthika who plays Jiiva’s love interest in the movie is the daughter of yesteryear actress Radha. ... Kollywood celebs like Suriya, Tamannaah and Karthi will make cameo appearances in the movie.
It’s Interesting...that Santhanam is supposed to have 12 different get-ups in the movie …that director Sai Ramani did not think that Divya Spandana would want to hear the entire story before the agreeing to act in it. He thought it would be enough to tell her about her role in it! │February 2011│7
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Yuddham Sei
Thoonganagaram
Cast: Cheran, Dipa Shah, Jayaprakash Director: Mysskin Banner: AGS Entertainment Genre: Crime Language: Tamil In a Nutshell: A young woman tries to hire an auto rickshaw at night in pouring rain, but the auto driver refuses to take her. She sees an unconscious girl in the auto rickshaw. Suspicious over the whole situation, she tries to call the cops but is attacked by the auto driver. Later random cardboard boxes are found all over the city with severed human hands. This case is thrust upon JK aka J. Krishnamoorthy, a dull CB-CID cop tormented by this parents’ accidental death and his sister’s sudden disappearance. Is there a connection between his bleak past and the serial killings? It’s Interesting... that a kuthu song has been picturized on director Ameer and Neetu Chandra in Mysskin’s signature style with the lead dancer clad in a yellow sari (as was Malavika in ‘Valameenukum’ in Chithiram Pesudhadi and Snigdha in ‘Kathale Kannale’ in Anjaathe)
Cast: Gaurav, Barani, Vimal, Nishanth, Anjali Director: Gaurav Banner: Cloud Nine Movies Genre: Comedy, Drama Language: Tamil In a Nutshell: Thoonganagaram revolves around four youngsters from nearby towns who bond over drinks at a local bar. Kannan is a small time videographer, Rajamani disposes bodies at an electric crematorium, Ayyavu is an electrician and Mariyappan, a mute, works in a shop. The story takes an interesting turn when a priest approaches Kannan for help. Why? The son of a local bigwig is blackmailing his daughter. The rest of the story is all about friendship and betrayal. It’s Interesting...that director Gaurav a native of Madurai shows his city in the best light as opposed to portraying the temple town torn by violence. …that Thoonganagaram is officially the first movie that Cloud Nine Movies agreed to produce after co-producing Tamil Padam.
Cast: Aadhi, Poorna, Suri, Prabhu, K.R. Vijaya, Ravichandran Director: Vijaiprakash Banner: Global Media Infotainment Genre: Family Drama language: Tamil In a Nutshell: Aadu Puli is essentially a family entertainer with elements of action and romance. The movie revolves around a happy family comprising of a young boy, his parents and his grandparents. Life gets better when he falls in love with a charming girl whom his family gladly welcomes. However, with romance comes a subtle sense of strain on the happiness of this cheerful family. The source of this discomfort is at first unknown but once our hero figures out who is trying disrupt the calm of his family, he finds his own shrewd way to get back at the baddie. It’s Interesting... that in order to establish three generations of a family, director Vijaiprakash has cast actors from three generations of cinema in the key roles. …that when Vijaiprakash narrated the story to producer Michael Rayappan he had not yet decided on how to end it! │February 2011│8
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creens Cast: Mia Wasikowska, Schuyler Fisk, Jane Adams, Lusia Strus Director: Gus Van Sant Banner: Columbia Pictures, Imagine Entertainment Genre: Drama language: English In a Nutshell: The plot centers on a 16-year-old-girl who has been diagnosed with a terminal illness. She falls in love with an off-beat boy who likes to attend funerals which is probably because he still hurting from the loss of his family. As their unlikely friendship blossoms into romance, things get only stranger, especially when they manage to awaken the ghost of a young, Japanese kamikaze pilot from WWII! It’s Interesting... that the movie is based on a play by Jason Lew, the story centers on young love and mortality. … that Gus Van Sant is the director behind the Oscar nominated movie Milk(2008) … that the movie’s first-time screenwriter Jason Lew and (co-producer) Bryce Dallas Howard attended New York University together and it was there that Lew first wrote the story as a play. Howard, who had acted in plays with Lew, got a peek at the story and encouraged him to write it as a screenplay
In a Nutshell: Extraordinary teen John Smith is a fugitive on the run from ruthless enemies sent to destroy him. Changing his identity, moving from town to town with his guardian Henri, John is always the new kid with no ties to his past. In the small Ohio town he now calls home, John encounters unexpected, life-changing events-his first love, powerful new abilities and a connection to the others who share his incredible destiny. It’s Interesting...that the film is based on the novel I Am Number Four, written by Jobie Hughes and James Frey. … that writers Al Gough and Miles Millar, the creators of the television series Smallville and Marti Noxon, writer and producer for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer were hired to write the screenplay for the film. …that the film is produced by Steven Speilberg and Michael Bay, and they helped Caruso with their wisdom on special effects!
also showing
Cast: Alex Pettyfer, Timothy Olyphant, Teresa Palmer, Dianna Agron, Callan McAuliffe Director: D.J. Caruso Banner: DreamWorks SKG, Imagenation Abu Dhabi FZ, Media Rights Capital Genre: Action Sci-fi Language: English │February 2011│10
1
tangled
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sirthai
3
kaavalan
4
the green hornet
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127 hours
2 nights and 3 days:
pot
LIGHT
Cast: Nagarjuna, Prakashraj, Sana Khan Director: Radha Mohan Banner: Silent Movies Genre: Action Thriller Language: Tamil
SNAPSHOT
Payanam in the direction of Radha Mohan and produced by Prakashraj’s Silent Movies explores the state of mind of the people involved when a passenger airplane is hijacked. A group of terrorists manage to get on board and gain control over a passenger aircraft. In order to save the innocent civilians on board, the Government officials negotiate with the hijackers and are in a dilemma. Should they give in to the demands of the hijackers which will put the country’s future at stake or make bold decisions at the risk of losing innocent lives. The difference of opinion among the politicians, bureaucrats and the National Security Guards add to the pandemonium. All this happens while the passengers are being held at gun point. Will they be saved? Will the bureaucrats, the NSG and the politicians settle their differences? Or will the terrorists walk away unharmed putting more lives at risk?
Director’s cut
Payanam’s plot was something which I conceived almost a decade ago. I felt that this was the right time for this story to be told and Prakashraj was pleasantly surprised to hear the script and we decided to go ahead. Payanam gained more strength when Nagarjuna happily agreed to do a role once I gave him the narration. Our dream of making this flick would not have been possible but for the mammoth set erected in Ramoji Film City by art director Kadhir. Since the movie deals with a sensitive issue such as a hijack, getting permission in real airports for the time that we needed was close to impossible. The set, a replica of the Tirupathi airport also includes an A 320 airplane. The interiors of the aircraft were also created to match the real aircraft to the last detail. We shot this movie with 3 cameras including the latest digital Red camera. KV Guhan has done a stupendous job behind the camera. Payanam is not a flick about a super hero storming onto the scene to save the day. Nor does he go on a romantic sojourn (mind you there are no songs in the movie). it is a thriller with a cocktail of emotions. It is about the trauma that hostages and their families go through. We have also attempted to project different perspectives like that of the media, the government officials, the NSG and also the terrorists.
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payanam
pot
LIGHT Cast: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel, Barbara Hershey, Winona Ryder Director: Darren Aronofsky Banner: Fox Searchlight Pictures, Protozoa Pictures Genre: Psychological Thriller Language: English
SNAPSHOT
Nina is a ballerina in a New York City ballet company whose life, like all those in her profession, is completely consumed with dance. She lives with her obsessive former ballerina mother Erica who exerts a suffocating control over her. When artistic director Thomas Leroy decides to replace prima ballerina Beth MacIntyre for the opening production of their new season, Swan Lake, Nina is his first choice. But Nina has competition: a new dancer, Lily, who impresses Leroy as well. Swan Lake requires a dancer who can play both the White Swan with innocence and grace, and the Black Swan, who represents guile and sensuality. Nina fits the White Swan role perfectly but Lily is the personification of the Black Swan. As the two young dancers expand their rivalry into a twisted friendship, Nina begins to get more in touch with her dark side - a recklessness that threatens to destroy her.
GIRL TROUBLE
Other thrillers with women and their friendship at the core of the chaos… Single White Female (1992) Allie (Bridget Fonda) discovers that her boyfriend Sam (Steven Weber) slept with his ex-wife and she throws him out of her apartment and her life. │February 2011│14
After interviewing a long list of prospective ‘Single White Female’ roommates, she picks Hedy (Jennifer Jason Leigh) who seems just perfect. The two women grow closer and unbeknownst to Allie, Hedy’s affection for her turns into an obsession. She never passes on Sam’s messages to Allie, she begins to dress exactly like her and even stalks Allie! So when Sam and Allie decide to get back together, what will Hedy do?
Cast: Cher, Christina Aguilera, Eric Dane, Cam Gigandet Director: Steve Antin Banner: De Line Pictures Genre: Musical Language: English
Notes on a Scandal (2006) Barbara Covett (Judi Dench) is a cynical and bitter history teacher, nearing retirement. She leads a solitary life, her confidantes being her cat Portia and her diary. Barbara is re-energized when Sheba Hart (Cate Blanchett) is hired as the school’s new art teacher.
Sheba is in many ways the antithesis of Barbara: relatively young, pretty and popular with both the students and her colleagues. Barbara chooses her as the current focus of her life. Their friendship, which is initially cordial, changes when Barbara catches Sheba in an illegal indiscretion. Unknown to Sheba, Barbara decides to use this information to get out of Sheba what she ultimately wants in life.
pot
LIGHT
SNAPSHOT
Cast: Priyanka Chopra, John Abraham, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Naseruddin Shah, Irrfan Khan Director: Vishal Bhardwaj Banner: UTV Motion Pictures/ Vishal Bhardwaj Pictures Pvt Ltd Genre: Action Thriller Language: Hindi
Susanna Anna-Marie Johannes is a gorgeous woman. But behind the veil of her flawless beauty is a mysterious and morbid life-story. Over the course of thrity-five odd years, she gets married seven times! Each marriage comes to an abrupt end due to the
│February 2011│16
untimely and bizarre death of the husband. The strange circumstances of their deaths, makes Susanna a prime suspect. Did she have a proper motive to murder them? Did they deserve to die? Were the murders crimes of passion? Who gained from
their death? Will Susanna ever find true love?Thus Dil Toh Baccha hai, with its real characters and relatable situations, takes a funny look at love and the extent people will go to avoid it or achieve it! It’s a film that promises to bring a smile to your face!
focu He debuted in 1989 with Mani Ratnam’s Geetanjali. It’s been more than two decades now and you know it only by looking at a calendar or his body of work. For on that chiseled visage you see the same boyish charm. The years have left no traces on the way he looks or on the fervent passion with which he approaches every movie that comes his way. He is a Super Star in Telugudom and when it comes to Tamil cinema, he is very highly respected. Nag is probably the only Telugu actor to have such an intense fan following amongst the Tamil audiences as well. The last time he graced a Tamil film was in 1996 with Ratchagan. Now he’s back with Payanam.
The movie is loosely based on real events but the team vehemently denies the Kandahar connection. “This film is not based on the Kandahar hijacking. The basic premise might be similar but it is not the same. Payanam is about what happened on-board the flight. It also deals with politicos and the NSG who were entrusted with the responsibility of dealing with this grave case. With memories of 26/11 still fresh in every Indian’s mind, the plot of Payanam is something we can all connect to. I channeled all of the anger and anxiety I feel about the current terror attacks all over the world into the role,” confesses the actor.
VINTAGE
RALLY WITH NAGARJUNA
Payanam in the direction of Radha Mohan and produced by Prakashraj’s Silent Movies explores the state of mind of the people involved when a passenger airplane is hijacked. A group of terrorists manage to get on board and gain control over a passenger aircraft. In order to save the innocent civilians on board, the Government officials negotiate with the hijackers and are in a dilemma. Should they give in to the demands of the hijackers which will put the country’s future at stake or make bold decisions at the risk of losing innocent lives. The difference of opinion among the politicians, bureaucrats and the National Security Guards add to the pandemonium. All these happen against the backdrop of passengers from different walks of life being held at gun point. How the hostages are saved is what the rest of the story is about. Nag plays the Commando in-charge of this mission. │February 2011│18
Nag is called the King by his fans, and that has a lot to do with his mass image. Yet his role in Payanam does not seem like it will fall in that category. “In Telugu it’s different. I carry the weight of the film on my shoulders. In the case of Payanam, the burden is shared by everyone. I want to do films that are different from what I usually do. I just hope that my fans appreciate them, because after all it’s their appreciation that is the true reward to all the hard work we put in What’s the point of doing films that they are not interested in watching? I’m not one of those actors who opts for different kind of roles, just to satisfy himself. If my fans don’t like the ‘different stuff’ I come up with, I will go back to doing what they like,” says Nag. As for retiring or taking it slow… “Not any time soon! I love coming to the sets each day. I love everything that goes into making a movie. I will keep coming back for more,” he laughs and we sigh in relief!
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Photography: G. Venket Ram Photo Credits: G.Venket Ram Celebrity Calender 2011
hoW case Escape continues to play host to Blind date every Thursday. As always, the audiences were in for a pleasant surprise not just with regard to the movie they were about to watch but also with regard to our celebrity guests. Celebrities who made an appearance over the last 4 weeks are Vishnu Vishal, Priya Anand, Chandini, Vijayalakshmi, Premgi and Vaibhav. Thanks to our outgoing and interactive audiences and energetic hosts, Blind Date continues to be a success, week after week. blind date at escape
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hoW case
│February 2011│22
MU
IC
Thenner Viduthi Director: S.S. Kumaran Cast: Adith Arun, Reshmi Menon Music: S.S. Kumaran Music composer S.S. Kumaran takes on the garb of writer and director for the movie Thenner Viduthi. The movie is produced under the banner of Peacock pictures by S. Anushadevi and S.S. Kumaran. The lyrics have been penned by There are six tracks in the album which also includes an instrumental piece. S.S. Kumaran, Chinmayi, S. Malavika, J.S.K. Shruti, Sona Mohapatra, Yash Golcha, Kaushik and Mridula have lent their voices to the songs penned by Na. Muthukumar, Murugan Manthiram and S.S. Kumaran.
I miss you! Celebrate the season of love with this melodious collection of romantic songs. The album includes tracks from Paiyaa, Ayannar, Naan Mahaan Alla, Pathinaru, Kanimozhi, Baana, Kadhal Solla Vandhen, Madrasapattinam, Adhe Neram, Adhe Idam, Siddhu +2 First Attempt, Eeram, Thambikku Indha Ooru, Yaaradi Nee Mohini, Sindhanai Sei, Mundhinam Paartheney, Renigunta, Kalloori, Kungumapoovum Konjum Puravum, Vennila Kabadi Kuzhu, Subramaniapuram, Kanden Kadhalai, Kutty, Chikku Bukku and Kaalai.
To set the songs in this album as your ringback tunes sms IMY to 54646 │February 2011│24
in
ight
cupid’s arrow By Darshini
It hit a happy go lucky Jack (Leonardo D’Caprio) who loved to go where his fortunes took him when he was on board one of the largest passenger ships. It hit Lucy Eleanor Moderatz (Sandra Bullock) in a hospital room when she was playing Good Samaritan. Or was it on the slippery sidewalk outside her apartment where she and Jack Calaghan do their best to walk straight to the front door? Kathleen Kelly (Meg Ryan) got hers while she’s on email as “shopgirl” Aditya Kashyap (Shahid Kapur), got hit when he was aboard a train headed for Bathinda, in Punjab. Ambujakshi (Trisha Krishnan) and Major Raja Mannar (Kamal Haasan) succumbed to it in Europe. Regardless of the landscape, the city, country or continent, cupid’s arrows continue to unerringly find their mark. Regardless of the language or country, film makers have relied on this, one of the most powerful emotions to tug at the heart of their audience world over. But there is a crucial difference in the treatment of this theme itself. In a movie like Jab We Met, it’s not at the first meeting of two eyes or the first brushing of two hands that sets off an instant spark. Love is portrayed more as a voyage of discovery where the hero and the heroine get to know each other’s likes, dislikes, beliefs, values, and work their way into each other’s hearts. Each of these movies has been mega successful, yet in very many movies today
love begins with no understanding of who the other person is. It seems to be more a response to a hormonal surge. It is glorified. It shows the parties as shallow people to whom the past and their families don’t matter, the future and their dreams don’t matter but only attaining the want and need of the present. Shekhar’s (Arvind Swamy) and Shaila Bano’s (Manisha Koirala) love blossoms with one look at each other. They hardly speak a word. They know nothing of each other’s lives or dreams and yet, they are willing to throw away their family, their home and home-town for each other. While in their story, their love does turn out to be the enduring kind, it’s not so for Geetha (Shirya Saran) and Arjun (Sameer Dattani). Arjun’s love for Geetha is instant and self-destructing. He threatens to kill himself if she doesn’t return his feelings for him. She professes love but this feeling is based on fear and certainly not on finer emotions. This line of thought is not unreal as our hospitals would reveal almost on a daily basis. A scarier trend that our newspapers reveal now is the number of incidents of passion crimes where the thwarted gent kills or pours acid to disfigure the woman of his dreams. How much of these real life incidents are from the reel life, one wonders. Why are movies made to promote these thoughts, one wonders. Who enjoys watching this perversity, one wonders. Is this the feeling or the emotion that the director wants to incite in his viewers. One ponders!
jab we met
titanic │February 2011│26
manmadan ambu
SHEER photography: sunder ramu hair & makeup: rachel styling: richa goenka jewellery: uniq location courtesy: taj mount road, chennai
R
AMEERA REDDY
She just can’t be pinned down. Nor slotted. Nor taken for granted. She is as much a cerebral actor as she is a glam girl, as filled with fears and what-ifs as she is bold and confident. A favourite in Telugu cinema, Sameera has almost reluctantly been signing other south Indian projects, but Tamil cinema is her biggest thrill she says. From the sweet young grad student in Vaaranam Aayiram to the go-getter in Aasal to holding her own against Mohanlal in her Malyalam debut, Sameera is on the prowl and with three more Tamil projects. But through all this fanfare, she remains a warm and honest person.
DIVINITY because THE LIGHT IN HER EYES CAN PUT THE MOON TO SHAME! DANCING WITH MIRTH, CAPTIVATING AND CHARMING. AND WHEN YOU LEAST EXPECT IT, THEY’LL TURN INTO LURING LAMPS. SHE’LL CARESS YOU WITH THAT SEDUCTIVE GAZE, THAT IF FOR A MOMENT SHE SHUTS HER EYES, A COLD DRAFT WILL FREEZE YOU TO THE BONE! THE SMOOTH CURVES ON HER SVELTE BODY WILL LEAVE YOU BREATHLESS! SHE’S NOT YOUR TYPICAL SIZE ZERO STICK FIGURE THAT MIGHT COLLAPSE AT ANY MOMENT. SHE’S SLENDER WITHOUT BEING SKINNY. WE LOVE THE LUSCIOUS FULLNESS OF HER BODY, LIKE THE FORBIDDEN FRUIT, TEMPTING... THE WARMTH IN HER SMILE HOLDS THE PROMISE OF GREAT JOY AND GOOD FORTUNE. THERE IS SOMETHING COMPLETELY HYPNOTIC ABOUT THE WAY THOSE PINK LIPS CURL AT THE ENDS. A CRESCENT MOON SHIMMERS THROUGH, SETTING OFF THE TICKER IN YOUR CHEST! SUBTLE, GENTLE, QUIET... MESMERISING. │February │January 2011│29 2011│29
SHEER │January 2011│30
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You’re a glam goddess in Bollywood - are they upset with your career move that you’re signing more Southern movies than Hindi? You know, it’s strange that you should ask this. See, I have the great good fortune of being lucky every step of the way in my career (except for just a couple of pitfalls - lesson learnt), but there is a lot here in the South that attracts me. People are professional, they treat me well, pay me well and release their movies relatively on time. I get respect and many a time, deep friendships. So I get very protective and annoyed as hell if media from elsewhere puts down this part of my career or South Indian cinema. Many a time, I’ve been asked to not drag my South Indian portfolio into my Bollywood press meets, but it’s part of the same job yaar! I refuse to put it down like that! In fact, I ask them - what do you think of the South? Too small for you? Do you know Rajinikanth? The craze he can induce like no Bollywood star can? (grins) The Northern press thinks I have a love affair with the South! Yes, I do. Not with a man, but with my units! With Linguswamy’s and Prabhudeva’s projects in 2011, I am on a veritable high! I play a sassy village girl in one, with quite a mouth on her; and a spunky girl-next-door in the other. I want everything to be different from the other and it gives me a thrill to know that I am getting exactly what i wanted from the south as well as Bollywood!
MAGIC because SHE MADE A SHORT BUT LASTING IMPACT IN THAT FIRST MOVIE, VAARANAM AAYIRAM AS THE DISCIPLINED YOUNGSTER, WITH HER HEAD AND HEART SET ON ACHIEVING HER GOAL. AND LIKE THE PROTAGONIST, WE FLIPPED FOR HER STIFLED CHARM AND WE WENT CRAZY WHEN SHE LET HERSELF GO. SHE PLAYED THE DIGNIFIED BUSINESS ASSOCIATE IN AasaL WITH ABSOLUTE FINESSE. FROM THE COLLEGE GIRL IN MOVIE NO. 1, SHE HAD TURNED INTO A WOMAN WITH A MISSION IN THE AJITH STARRER. IN HER DIPLOMACY, IN HER ANGUISH FOR A DEAD LOVER, IN HER PINING FOR LOVE AND IN HER FINAL SACRIFICE, SHE WON OVER OUR AFFECTIONS... ONCE MORE! SHE NEEDS REFUGE AS THE PSYCHO KILLER TRIES TO GET HER (IN NADUNISI NAAyGAL) AND WE ARE DYING TO HOLD HER AND GIVE HER REASSURANCE! THE MOVIE IS A THRILLER AND IN ALL LIKENESS SAMEERA IS THE VICTIM, BECAUSE SERIAL KILLERS HAVE THE KNACK OF PICKING THE PRETTIEST LADIES TO ATTACK! WE JUST KNOW SHE’LL FLOOR HIM WITH HER CHARM, AND EVEN IF HE’S NOT MOVED, WE SURE WILL BE!
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SHEER │January 2011│32
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It’s amazing that you’ve come to love and trust this part of the country (often given stepsisterly treatment) so much. How DO people treat you here? Let me give you an example. When Gautham signed me up, I know several people came up to him and told him, “What! You’ve joined the bandwagon and signed on a Bollywood actress?” As soon as people unanimously accepted me, the same people gushed and said: “We knew she’d be perfect!” You know why? Because, surprisingly, in Tamil cinema, I have been accepted as a South Indian actress and not a Bollywood star. In many ways, I am still the latter in Telugu cinema, but with the young, cosmopolitan boys starting to rule the roost, there also this should change. Like I said, I love it here. Perhaps the people I have chosen to work with are people like you and me, with mutual respect and a wonderful code of ethics. But largely, it also has to do with how one carries oneself. I am friendly but I am not a pushover. I act upon my instincts which have almost always served me well. If I feel positive energy and vibrations, I reciprocate right back. If I sense something amiss or feel uncertain, I recoil emotionally faster that being hit by lightning! There are people who may be complete strangers, but I can bond with them instantly and there are those I wouldn’t shake hands with even in public! So far, I have managed to meet only really nice, really creative people and I am thankful for that!
innocence because SHE HAS NO CLUE HOW MANY GUYS HAVE LOST THEIR SLEEP OVER HER! IN THE WAY SHE ACTS, IN THE WAY SHE MOVES, IN THE WAY SHE GROOVES, SHE HAS THE AUDIENCE IN RAPTURES. WITH JUST TWO MOVIES OUT IN TAMIL AND ONE MORE ON THE VERGE OF RELEASE, SHE ALREADY HAS A FORMIDABLE FAN FOLLOWING, AND SHE DOES NOT EVEN REALIZE IT! SHE IS NOT CHASING AFTER FAME AND FORTUNE. SAMEERA IS NOT AFTER THE BIG BANNERS AND THE EVEN BIGGER BUCKS. IF SHE WAS, HER FILMOGRAPHY WOULD RUN FOR PAGES. SHE BELIEVES IN FOLLOWING HER HEART, DOING MOVIES THAT ARE SOUL SATISFYING. AND IF THEY BRING FAME AND MONEY, SO BE IT. SHE BELIEVES THAT LOVE IS GREATER THAN ALL ELSE. AND WE ARE NOT TALKING FILMY LOVE, WE MEAN TRUE, HONEST LOVE. IT’S NOT IN THE BOUQUETS AND FANCY WRAPPED GIFTS; NOT EVEN IN THE LUXURIOUS HOUSES AND ENVIABLE CHEQUES THAT SHE FINDS PEACE. IT’S IN THE PEOPLE WHO LOVE HER AND SHE LOVES IN RETURN. IN THEIR CARE, SHE TAKES COMFORT.
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Game
Game
Photography: Sunder ramu styling & clothes: basics life makeup: babu hair: rachel special thanks to: art directors rajeevan nambiar and anandhan
face He’s a rare person, that is for sure. Jiiva is a star child - the son of one of Tamil cinema’s biggest producers, an award-winning actor, a popular public figure and yet, extremely personable and down-to-earth. Add to that our new discovery that he’s a wonderful, hands-on dad! “It’s easy to be bogged down and then carried away by the demands of the industry - the danger on this path is that one can fall into the pit of mediocrity and I don’t like to be mediocre. I would rather be a great actor than a great star and if at some point these two meet, well, fabulous! I will always look at Raam as the turning point of not just my career but also the way I looked at cinema and accepting roles and scripts. Let me be honest: I do like the occasional commercial
victim of circumstances, a buddy to the hero... whatever I want! That the people can see me as a chameleon of roles and still consider me a star is god’s grace and their desire to see my versatility!” “If you think that being a big producer’s son means easy roles and pots of success and money... think again. I had to work my butt off because at the end of the day, no matter how much money the producer pumps into your movie, it’s you who has to deliver on your role and if the people don’t like you, well, they simply don’t! In my case, I tried to find my footing for the first few years and when I finally figured out I can do it all, I am addicted to change and varied scripts! Today I have
knotty business entertainer which may not be wholly realistic but hey! This is cinema. It’s an escape from reality most of the time; so my basic requirements in such movies would be simply that they are entertaining, wholesome and well made. For my serious challenges and creative satisfaction, I rely on my movies like Raam and Katradhu Tamizh to give it to me. What this has done for me is so simple and so far-reaching - I am not slotted as any particular kind of “hero”. I don’t have to spend my life only vanquishing baddies single-handedly and winning over my heroines. I can be funny, real, a bad guy, a good guy, a physically challenged
under my belt, both an Siva Manasula Sakthi and a Raam; both a Ko and a Rowthiram and soon, Nanban, Shankar’s remake of 3 Idiots also. Success to me is appreciation, critical accolades and personal satisfaction - fame and money will automatically follow!” “People are surprised how I kept my relationship with Supriya for years before anyone but my closest buddies knew! (laughs) I think keeping the world out kept our focus in! Today we’re blessed with Sparsh, our beautiful son... and it’s such a heady feeling! Like music that you just can’t help but enjoy and feel elated by... and dance to!”
catch jiiva in singam puli with divyaspandana, where he plays a double role for the first time and as a dynamic photographer in K.V. Anand’s Ko with debutant Karthika at Sathyam Cinemas and Escape.
jiiva
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Become a fan of ‘ID at Sathyam Cinemas’ on Facebook to receive latest updates and exclusive offers at ID. │February │November2011│42 2010│42
TARDUST
natalie portman
romancing the swan
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She began acting when she was just 13. She played the orphaned young neighbour of a hitman who teaches her his trade in Leon, The Professional. And that childlike innocence that still permeates through her persona, has us all enthralled. But with her recent release, Black Swan we are introduced to a whole new Natalie. The intensity and ferocity of her character, and the way she has played the part has made her a contender for an Oscar! In this dark, delirious thriller from the director Darren Aronofsky Natalie plays Nina, a member of a New York ballet company. She is highly motivated, disciplined and quite the perfectionist. While she is battling with the insecurities of getting older and nowhere near stardom, Tomas, the company’s arrogant artistic director, fires his star ballerina and gives Nina her first lead role, as the Swan Queen in Swan Lake. But while she plays the virtuous White Swan with ease, it’s the sensual Black Swan that’s the challenge. And Tomas taunts her about her ineptness. She must prove herself, or lose the part… Did you identify at all with Nina’s story? When I started out as a child actress, I wanted to please everyone, and was always looking for approval. Having grown up, I’m not totally immune to approval, but I do look to please myself. It’s all to do with finding a way to express yourself instead of being the way someone else wants you to be. Nina starts out as this childlike woman, trying to please her mother, trying to please her ballet director and fit exactly into the standards of this world that’s prescribed to her. Finally she finds that perfection only lies in pleasing herself. How did you approach transforming yourself for this role? It was a great challenge, and I had really, really amazing support. I started with my ballet teacher a year ahead of time, and she started very basically with me. We would do two hours a day for the first six months, and that was really just strengthening and getting me ready to do more, so that I wouldn’t get injured. And then, at about six months, we started doing five hours a day. And then, two months before, we added the choreography, so we were doing probably eight hours a day. The physical discipline of it really helped for the emotional side of the character because you get the sense of the monastic lifestyle of only working out that is a ballet dancer’s life. You don’t drink, you don’t go out with your friends, you don’t have much food and you are constantly putting your body through extreme pain, so you get that understanding of the self-flagellation of a ballet dancer. How do you find your own balance when you fully put yourself into a role, and how do you pull out of that when you’re done? As soon as I finish a scene, I’m back to being me. As soon as I finish shooting, I want to be myself again. I’m not someone who likes to stay in character. This clearly had a discipline that lent itself to me being more like my character, while we were shooting, than past experiences, but I just go back to my regular life after. I’m not a perfectionist, but I like discipline. I think it’s important to work your hardest and be as kind as possible to everyone you work with. The goal, every day, is keeping focused on that. Watch Natalie Portman in her Golden Globe winning role and Oscar nominated performance as THE BLACK SWAN coming soon to Sathyam Cinemas and Escape.
AND YOU
zoomed in
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Below are zoomed in pics of movies features in this issue of S. All you have to do is identify the movie. Send in your responses to simplycinema@sathyamcinemas.com.
THIS MONTH’S PRIZE: LUCKY WINNERS WILL GET 2 movie TICKETS each
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love is in the air Each image below is a combination of 2 celebrities who have starred in some amazing and evergreen romantic movies. Identify the celebs and name any one movie that they have acted together in. Send in your answers to simplycinema@sathyamcinemas.com.
THIS MONTH’S PRIZE: LUCKY WINNERS WILL GET 2 movie TICKETS each
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SUHASINI MANIRATNAM
STORY TELLERS How are great story writers born? No different from how you and I were born - after our mothers screaming in pain for 8 hours in labour or maybe after an impatient gynaecologist decides to pick up the knife and make a quick incision. While great writers leave their marks in society, all we do is leave C section cuts and stretch marks in our beautiful mother’s abdomen. But a little wise bird told me,”if you can talk for 15 minutes and hold the other person’s attention, you might as well be a writer. “Oh boy! All of us talk. Not just for 10 but several minutes!” That is how some of us gathered the courage and material from our memory to pen down thoughts, deeds and dreams. When it comes to films, it is not just the writing, but the narration also that counts. But for most of us the best story tellers were our grandmothers. They made every story so interesting, adding mystery, humour, morals, suspense, romance and anything and everything that we see in our films. Most of our grandma’s tales were musical too. Some even warranted an “Adults Only ‘A’” certificate. Clever grandmas added anecdotes from their lives, sometimes from your life too - if you had stolen mangoes
Kamal Haasan │February 2011│48
from the neighbour’s garden or a pencil from a friends geometry box - inflicting guilt and identification in fiction. As an actress having acted in 300 films, I have had the privilege of listening to minimum 400 stories. Every Indian film has an enthusiastic narrator and several reluctant listeners such as producers, distributors, technicians, actors and some times, sleepy critics too. As an actor I often jumped from enthusiasm, happiness, astonishment to boredom, indifference and even anger at times. But some masters have made listening worth everything! I would like to list my favourite narrators. First in the list is Kamal Haasan. He could even narrate a film that he has not seen or a story he has never thought of! K. Balachander - for his emotional but honest narration without any frills. Bharathiraja - with whom there is no narration as the story evolves in the paddy fields, parched lands and revolves around the people who live and die there. Mahendran - and his choice of unseen characters and realistic relationships. K. Viswanath - for his flare for bringing the flavour of the society he lives in and cleverly adding dance, music and philosophy to any
K. Balachander
narration. If you notice, the one thing common in all these people is that they narrate other people’s stories and not their biographies. There have been great masters who have brilliantly narrated their own experiences like Truffaut in 400 Blows and Fellini in Amarcord. But what I really admire about our Indian film makers is their selflessness and their interest in capturing the world around them and not indulging in self-analysis. Even after seeing all their films, you can never get an idea of how they are as human beings and how their lives are in reality. That is what makes them great narrators. I really look forward to such narrations from today’s masters Ameer, Selvaraghavan,Vettrimaran, Mysskin, Prabhu Solomon, Sarkunam, Gautham Menon and Simbudevan. Looking forward to their on-screen narrations that make the listening and the viewing worth every decibel and pixel. Waiting for Godard and others…
Federico Fellini
François Truffaut