Southscope July 2010 Issue Side - A

JULY ‘10

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HARIPRIYA’S bare essentials Yogi is having fun -Not the clean kind Shriya Saran: Whole & Soul

Karthi’S

style statement

Jagapathi babu does it again BHUMIKA CHAWLA gets dramatic

POWER STAR

PUNEET RAJKUMAR EXPOSED

+

T-town’s half yearly performance

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VOL01/ISSUE10

CONTENTS/07/10 34

CENTRE STAGE/PAGE Kannada star Puneet Rajkumar’s fame frames

24

On the cover: Puneet Raj Kumar Photographer: Mahen Simmha Stylist: Nischay Polavarapu

20 28

Hair and Makeup: Leila Sharma Coordinated by: Aravind G Shivkamal Clothes Courtesy: Pink T by Sisley, belt and white trousers by Jack and Jones, Cargo shirt and linen cargo trousers

by Celio

22 49 40

44

VOL01/ISSUE10

CONTENTS/07/10 11 Reader Speak

EXCLUSIVES 20 Soul talk with Shriya Saran 22 What Shah Rukh Khan said to

Jagapathi Babu

28 The young and restless Yogi 30 A new biography on Savitri 32 Gnanasekhar comes before the

camera

44 46 54 56

Anand Sai’s sets appeal

30

20

24

Arjun’s music mania Designer Chaitanya’s fashion formula Poster perfect: Anil and Bhanu

FEATURES 42 The half yearly Telugu Box Office report 57 Southscope blogbusters

22 GALLERIA 24

Haripriya like never before. Trust us!

40

Take a sneak peek at the Broadway production, A Streetcar Named Desire featuring southern stars

Bharat K V: I have been following Southscope right from the start. It has been a long awaited wish for cine buffs like me to have a classy magazine for south Indian cinema. Southscope has fulfilled it in a big way. Thanks for entertaining us with such a quality magazine!

Somisetty V Sandeep Kumar: Hi, this is a great magazine with a focus on the southern side. I am happy to see all the super stars of the south in one magazine. Everyone loves Southscope!

Raj: This is a great magazine, really!

N Partha Saradhi: Guys, I am eagerly looking out for the next issue of Southscope. Super job! I hope it continues the same way. Venky was stunning on the cover page, and Suriya was simply wow!

Karthik Ayyagari: Southscope is simply superb. I read all the articles and I’m loving ‘em all!

Sancharika: Suriya looks great on the cover, as does Venky, his styling is great. The layouts in your magazine are also wonderful. Is Bhanu Mehra the Varudu girl? She is looking very different in the magazine, nice! I love the Sing along page. You have a great team!

We, at Southscope, love hearing from you, dear readers. This month, there’s a free copy of Shilpa’s Yoga, the fitness video by Shilpa Shetty up for grabs. The best letter to the editor will win the CD, courtesy Shemaroo.

So keep those mails coming!

Sripadma Deghanuru from Dharwad wins the prize for best letter, a Shilpa Shetty’s Yoga CD presented by Shemaroo, for the month of June.

Congratulations!

JULY’10 SOUTHSCOPE 11

VOL01/ISSUE10

CONTENTS/07/10 FUNDA 13 Junk mail

Trivia on cinema

50

14 Gold Class

Telugu Tinsel / Kannada Capers

18 Loading...Please Wait

Films in the making

62 Bioscope

Movie reviews

64 Kaleidoscope

who, what, when, where

65 Screen test

Launch pad for aspiring actors

66 Chartbusters 67 Flash Back

Pathala Bhairavi (Telugu)

68 HI-5

with Radhika Apte

69 Final Cut

Letter from the editor

15

14

16 STYLE SUTRA

48 Get the look – Sharwanand’s cool quotient 49 IT star of the month – Karthi 50 Style Evolution – Kamal Haasan’s stupendous

style journey

TEL

Gudavalli Ramabrahmam was in many ways the pioneer of social films in Telugu cinema back in 1930s. After making the film Malapilla, the veteran director made Rythu Bidda in 1939. The film depicted the stark reality of the zamindaari system and how the feudal lords exploited the poor in society. But it ran into problems when the zamindars forced the then British government to ban the film and it was the first ever Telugu film to be banned for sometime. When the film was finally allowed to be screened, it went on to become a rage across the state. It starred Bellari Raghava, Bhimavarapu Narasimha Rao, Padmavathi Devi in lead roles. Rythu Bidda was the first ever Telugu film to win the Government of India’s silver medal. It remains as one of the finest films ever made and certainly one of the best in Gudavalli Ramabrahmam’s career before he passed away in 1946.

The film Gundamma Katha had an elaborate star cast at a time when multi-starrers were unheard of. NTR, ANR, SV Ranga Rao, Suryakantham, Savithri, Jamuna and Ramana Reddy played the lead roles in this family drama which was directed by Kamalakara Kameswara Rao. But despite all the stalwarts, it was Suryakantham who stole the show with her fiery portrayal of a pesky, obstinate mother-in-law. The film was a blockbuster and the first to complete 100 days in Hyderabad in 1962. Interestingly, Gundamma Katha was NTR’s 100th film and ANR’s 99th Telugu film. In the same year, the film was remade in Tamil as Manithan Maravillai which had Gemini Ganesan and ANR in lead roles and happened to be ANR’s 100th film. A sheer coincidence that both NTR and ANR completed their streak of 100 films with two versions of the same film.

Thespian Rajkumar and Leelavathi were a hit pair with the Kannada audiences for a long long time. The film that established this successful pairing was Ranadheera Kanteerava. Even before this film though, they had acted in some films, but not as a pair. Though Leelavathi had acted with Rajkumar in 45 films, they were paired together in only 29 films. She also acted as his daughter in the film Bhoodaana (1962), and as his sister in Vatsalya (1965), sister-in-law in Premamayi (1966) and Na Ninna Mareyalaare. The last film in which Rajkumar and Leelavathi were paired together was Bhakta Kumbhara (1974). The last Rajkumar starrer that she acted in was Shraavana Banthu (1984). She had the honour of working with Rajkumar for over 14 years. Other than Leelavathi, actor Jayanti worked with him over 12 years and Bharati over seven years.

KAN

YOU’VE SEEN THEM, YOU LOVE THEM, YOU CAN’T IMAGINE GROWING UP WITHOUT THEM… NOW HERE’S WHAT YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT THEM!

junk mail

B R Panthulu might have hailed from Andhra Pradesh, but he was a household name in Karnataka. Panthulu has directed about 50 films and though he had made classic films like Shri Krishna Deva Raya in Kannada, Kappalottiya Tamilan in Tamil, Veerapandya Kattabomman and Karna, he originally earned fame and acclaim with Kannada film School Master.

Panthulu directed the Tamil film Shabash Meena (1958) starring Sivaji Ganesan and Chandrababu, which was a huge success. After this, he decided to make the same film in Kannada as Aliya-Geleya (1971) featuring Gangadhar. Another famous trait of a Panthulu film was Puraudara Dasa’s music. You couldn’t miss that familiar touch. Yarige Yaarunoto Yeravina Samsara (Gaali Gopura), Matibeku Suganavatibeku (Dudde Doddappa), Dharmave Jayavanta Divya Mantra (Amma), Krishnana Hesarae Lokapriya, Aparadhi Naanalla, Nageyu Barutide, Yenage Nageyu barutide (Aliya Gelaya) are just a few gems from his illustrious career.

JULY’10 SOUTHSCOPE 13

GOLDCLASS

telugutinsel

RAJAMOULI’S BITTEN

BY THE 3D BUG? The stupendous success of Avatar seems to have ushered in a silent 3D movement in the Telugu film industry. We hear a popular production house is going to set up 30 3D screens across the state, which includes five in Hyderabad alone. Meanwhile, director S S Rajamouli is believed to be working on an experimental project, in which the story is narrated from the perspective of a... wait for it… housefly! After Magadheera, we wouldn’t be surprised if Rajamouli came up with a 3D film. It might be only a smatter more techno gimmicks!

NO GIRL FOR RANA

Ever since Leader released, Rana Daggubati has been quite the sensation among girls. Even his co-star Bipasha Basu once remarked that Rana is indeed someone to reckon with. But what’s this we hear, now? Rana apparently can’t find a girl for himself! He signed up for Selvaraghavan’s next film two months ago, but they haven’t found the leading lady yet. We hear that Selva and Rana have been on a lookout for a new face for the film but haven’t found any. Ouch Rana!

VISHNU AND HIS AMERICAN HOLIDAY Vishnu Manchu is having a ball. After toning up his body and completing all the groundwork for his upcoming action film, he has decided to take a break and is currently chilling out in New York, with wife Viranica Manchu. We hear that it’s Vishnu’s first summer in NYC and he’s very excited to be in his wife’s hometown.

14 SOUTHSCOPE JULY’10

GOLDCLASS

telugutinsel

PRABHAS GOES TO THE STABLES! Before you start wondering what Prabhas is doing there, here’s the inside scoop. Fresh from the success of Darling, Prabhas has been preparing for his upcoming film with S S Rajamouli. It is said to be set in the Razakar movement of Hyderabad, which requires Prabhas to horse ride. Buzz is that over a 1000 horses would be used for this magnum opus and Prabhas has been training for quite sometime. We sure are running out of breath as we wait for the film to release!

KRISHNUDU LIVENS UP THE DANCE FLOOR! Who knew Pappu could dance too? In the party that he threw for director Anand Ranga and wife Sowmya, Krishnudu was the cynosure of all eyes as he jigged to the music! The DJ played songs from his upcoming movie Pappu and everyone knew just how well Pappu could dance. So, shall we?

RAM, GENELIA AUR WOH! It’s no secret that Ram and Genelia share a great relationship, both on and off screen. Recently, when Ram joined the twitter bandwagon, Genelia and a few others from the Telugu film industry made a real song and dance about it. But Ram was a little surprised when he saw a shout-out from Riteish Deshmukh. What’s surprising about that? Well, Riteish also happens to be a ‘good friend’ of Genelia. Now we don’t know what Genny must have told Riteish about Ram, but Ram certainly has been spotted. Keep your eyes on this trio!

JULY’10 SOUTHSCOPE 15

GOLDCLASS

kannadacapers

SHIVARAJKUMAR NEEDS HELP!

AINDRITA SNUBBED ALL OVER AGAIN! Aindrita Ray has been snubbed by filmmaker Nagathihalli Chandrashekar once again. The latest spat happened when the director refused to share the dais with her during the promos of Nooru Janmakoo. The film has been in troubled waters ever since Chandrashekar slapped Aindrita during the shoot. Industry insiders reassured the media that all was well between the two, especially after the Karnataka Film Chambers of Commerce stepped in.

But things still look pretty tense on this front. The hassled producer had to hold separate promos of his film for Aindrita!

And by help, we strictly mean the divine sort! Now on the verge of his 100th film, Shivanna has been on a temple visit spree. Going through a lean patch for some time, he is now seeking all the godly intervention he can get. Even as he wraps up the shoot for his 99th film, Mailari, Shivarajkumar was seen offering special prayers at the temple towns of Subrahmanya and Dharmasthala. Holy cow!

KISS-MET CONNECTION! Amoolya could not have asked for the worst. She is already going through a series of personal ‘issues’ and in the latest of her never ending troubles is a kissing episode! An image in which she is purportedly kissing ace director Ratnaja is making the rounds in Gandhinagar, the hub of Kannada film industry in Bengaluru. The two had joined hands for the hit film Premism. A shocked Amoolya claims that the image is digitally morphed. Last year, her father passed away. Earlier this year, she lodged a police complaint against a stalker.

Crank calls have become a routine. Crazy fans had painted her house with cheap graffiti. We hear that the petite 20 year old is now truly fed up and wants to quit showbiz!

16 SOUTHSCOPE JULY’10

GOLDCLASS

kannadacapers

MAMMOOTTY’S MEGA OFFER! Malayalam megastar Mammootty, who marks his debut in Kannada with Shikaari has left quite a first impression on the industry. We hear he has refused to accept any remuneration for the film as a gesture of support for the Kannada industry.

Mammootty will only charge the fee for the Malayalam version of the film, which will be shot immediately after the Kannada version is complete.

SUPERMAN’S NOT TAKING OFF Much in demand actor, Radhika Pandith is mighty upset!

A little birdie tells us that her film, Superman has been lying in the cans for several weeks. Radhika’s busy with new projects and two films ready for release, but there is no sign of Superman hitting the screens anytime soon.

NO HANGUPS FOR POOJA Though most Kannada stars are never too keen to be featured with newcomers and non established stars, Pooja Gandhi is an exception. While she delivered a bunch of hits in the last four years with top stars, she has no qualms about acting with newcomers either. Her last two films featured small-time male leads. Now we hear she has signed up for three new projects, all featuring fresh faces.

Now that’s a sorted actor!

YOGI TURNS FAN-ATICAL! Looks like up and coming actor Yogi’s finally set to make it big. He had been itching to act alongside Ramya for a long time. After a year of waiting, it looks like his dream is about to come true. We hear Ramya has finally agreed to be paired with him in a film in which he is to play a die-hard fan of hers. The scoop: Yogi’s been a huge fan of Ramya, even before he became an actor!

JULY’10 SOUTHSCOPE 17

TELUGU LOADING...PLEASE WAIT

SNEHA GEETHAM

CAST> Shreya Dhanwantari, Ria, Suhani, Sundeep, Venky, Chaitanya, Krishnudu, Venu Madhav, Vennela Kishore DIRECTOR> Madhura Sreedhar MUSIC DIRECTOR> Sunil Kashyap PRODUCER> Lagadapati Sirisha Sridhar BANNER> Larsco Entertainment Sneha Geetham stars newcomers and has a youth flavour. The movie is all about friendship, love and ambition. P G Vinda is the cinematographer for the film. Although it was announced two years ago, and the music was launched twice, the release date kept getting postponed for unknown reasons. But it’s releasing now, finally.

THAKITA THAKITA CAST> Haripriya Chandra, Aditi Chengappa, Eshwar Niwas, Ananth Krishnamurthy, Bhakti Punjani, Trinetrudu Nuthikattu, Eva Ellis, Karthik Sabesh DIRECTOR> Sree Hari Nanu MUSIC DIRECTOR> Bobo Shashi PRODUCER> Bhumika Chawla BANNER> Downtown Films

Bhumika’s first film under her home banner Downtown Films, was announced long ago. Finally, we hear that it’s slated for July release. Apparently, this film is a reflection of the director’s life. It depicts the friction between various cultures and generations. Bhumika Chawla is appearing in the film as a teacher. All the other actors besides Bhumika are debutants. Anushka will be seen in a song, we hear. Nagarjuna does a guest appearance too.

18 SOUTHSCOPE JULY’10

LOADING...PLEASE WAIT

KANNADA

MAILARI CAST> Shivarajkumar, Sada, Sanjjanaa, Rangayana Raghu, Prakash Madhugiri, Lakshman DIRECTOR> R Chandru MUSIC> Gurukiran PRODUCER> Srikanth K P BANNER> Company Enterprises

Mailari is Shivarajkumar’s 99th film. He’ll be seen playing a country bumpkin, who visits the city to become a journalist. It is being shot in rural Karnataka. A highlight of the film is the exciting stunt sequence directed by Thriller Manju. For the first time, Sada and Sanjjanaa will play the female leads in a Shivarajkumar film.

PANCHARANGI CAST> Diganth, Nidhi Subbaiah, Ananth Nag, Raju Talikote, Nagendra Shah, Sudha Belavadi DIRECTOR> Yogaraj Bhat MUSIC> Manomurthy PRODUCER> Yogaraj Bhat & M K Subrahmanya BANNER> Yogaraj Movies

This is the most anticipated Kannada film of 2010. It is directed by Yogaraj Bhat, whose last three films were blockbusters.

With Pancharangi, Yogaraj has also turned producer. He has written the story, screenplay, dialogues and also the lyrics of some tracks. The movie, shot extensively in coastal Karnataka, deals with five different aspects of life.

JULY’10 SOUTHSCOPE 19

SHRIYA // EXCLUSIVE

SOUL-D

OUT! GOOD GIRLS ATTAIN NIRVANA

She has done everything there is to do in her profession. Essayed lead roles with almost every leading man on south Indian cinema screen, seduced people with her on screen acts, blown minds with her powerhouse performances, sang, pranced, in not one or two but three south Indian languages – Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam. Wait, there’s more! She has even done an English film, Deepa and Dilip Mehta’s Cooking with Stella. So what do you do when you’re all of 24 and you’ve already scaled the peaks of fame and success? Look for more success, more fame, more materialistic pursuits? Nah! Not if you’re Shriya Saran, super actor and super achiever. After tasting all there is to stardom, she decided to explore her inner self. Friend Amala Akkineni showed her the right path and off she went to a Reiki workshop on the outskirts of Mumbai when she found herself free for a fortnight in between her schedule. “Nothing had prepared me for the life altering experience,” she narrates, “We had no form of communication with the outside world. Any form of stimulation in terms of speech, vision or mind was not a part of the agenda. We’re so caught up in our own selves and yet so out of touch with ourselves. That’s what we discover when we shut off from the outside world and turn inwards. It’s completely transformational. I have become a whole new person altogether. It’s not like I am doing different things now. I am just doing things differently. Earlier I used to do everything on auto pilot. Now I do even the smallest of things with total awareness. Living in the moment has become a reality now. It’s impossible to translate the experience into words.” Suffice to say that our little miss sunshine’s sunny side has come to the forefront with extra shine. And she is all set to dazzle the world once again in Don Seenu along with Ravi Teja. This time around don’t miss the halo guys. Let the show go on, Shriya. We’re waiting to see the new you…

20 SOUTHSCOPE JULY’10

Photographer - Ranganath Concept & Styling - Asmita Marwa

BAD GIRLS GO EVERYWHERE

So what did you think, huh? That Ms. Saran has turned into miss goody two shoes? You’ve another think coming. Her adventurous spirit is as it was before. In fact, the spirit of fun is far more intense. Sometime back, she had to travel to Switzerland from London where she had gone with her mom Neerja for a vacation. And all hell broke loose almost literally, with volcano ash unleashing its fury. Flights were cancelled indefinitely and the whole unit was waiting for Shirya to land for the shooting to commence. “It was a do or die for me. I couldn’t even imagine not getting there on schedule. See, that’s where my spiritual strength came to my rescue. Normally, I would have panicked and created stress for people all around me. But this time, I handled It with such cool temperament that my mom was in a state of disbelief. My control over myself was so evident.” So what did she do with this absolute control? She travelled through underwater tube in which her car got loaded too. In 45 minutes flat, she was in France. From there to Zurich. And then to Barcelona. Quite a hectic schedule but she did manage to have her bit of Discovery channel kind of museum visits. Her only regret is that she couldn’t make it to Picasso’s museum. “I’ll go back for sure,” she says. Besides having fun with movie masala, she’s currently satiating her literary appetite with Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children.

JULY’10 SOUTHSCOPE 21

TELUGU // EXCLUSIVE

A MAN OF SUBSTANCE

In a career spanning 21 years, Jagapathi Babu has played quite a variety of roles. Hemanth Kumar wonders how he has managed to juggle between roles and stay ahead of the number game in the Telugu industry.

He looks every bit the quintessential ladies’ man and the ideal husband to die for, in most of his onscreen roles. Perhaps, this is what gave Jagapathi Babu a distinct identity on silver screen. Yet, he never shied from experimenting in a variety of roles than his contemporaries. From portraying the role of an angry young man in Gaayam to playing the suave college professor in Pravarakhyudu, Jagapathi Babu has taken us by surprise film after film.

Son of a veteran producer-director, V B Rajendra Prasad, Veeramachaneni Jagapathi Chowdhury made his debut in Telugu in his father’s directorial venture Simha Swapnam in 1989 which had Krishnam Raju in the lead role. However, success eluded him for the next few years. It was Peddarikam which got him noticed although he didn’t play the lead role. But everything changed post Gaayam in which he played an intensely stunning role. The film was directed by Ram Gopal Varma and written by Mani Rathnam and since then Jagapathi Babu never looked back. Offers poured in plenty and Telugu cinema had its new age angry young man. But Jagapathi Babu had other plans.

In 1994, he underwent a complete makeover with S V Krishna Reddy’s Shubhalagnam which established him as the darling of family audience. The hit combo of Jagapathi and S V Krishna Reddy later created the same magic in films like Maavichiguru, Pelli Peetalu.

He bagged his first Nandi Award for Best Actor for his role in Maavichiguru. Jagapathi Babu’s onscreen chemistry with Soundarya was a huge hit throughout their careers and both of them exuded great charm on screen. Another film which brought him laurels apart from the Nandi Award for Best Supporting Actor was Krishna Vamsi’s Antahpuram. The film was later remade in Hindi as Shakti: The Power and Shahrukh Khan filled into Jagapathi Babu’s role. Shahrukh Khan is believed to have remarked, “I am not able to repeat what that b****** did in Telugu for the climax scene.” We kid you not, it’s the truth! Later on, he bagged his second Nandi Award for Best Actor for his outstanding performance in Gunasekhar’s Manoharam.

Amidst all the comedy films and family dramas, he surprised everyone in his avatar as a police officer in Chandrasekhar Yeleti’s Anukokunda Oka Roju. The film was a roaring success and it made Charmee, who played the lead role in the film, a household name. This role in Anukokunda Oka Roju, later snowballed into a phenomenon in his career and he went on to do similar roles in films like Lakshyam, Homam and Siddham.

But how long would he keep himself away from family entertainers? After all, that is his USP. In 2006, he played the lead role in Madan’s Pellaina Kothalo, paired with Priyamani. The film was the surprise hit of the year and it catapulted Priyamani to instant fame.

The ego clash between newly-wed couples was the central theme of this film and both of them dazzled in their roles. Needless to say, the film also established Jagapathi Babu and Priyamani as a hit pair.

In the past two years, he has had his share of ups and downs. His performance in Kathanayakudu was highly appreciated, but the film didn’t exactly set the cash registers ringing. Cop thrillers like Homam and Siddham, directed by J D Chakravarthy, set a new trend in that genre. Especially Siddham, which was like an antithesis to the regular commercial cinema. There were no songs and almost no comedy.

Jagapathi Babu’s recent film Pravarakhyudu brought together the Pellaina Kothalo combination of Jagapathi Babu – Priyamani – Madan for the second time. The film was highly appreciated for its mature approach towards love and Jagapathi impressed both as a college student as well as a professor. However, the Jagapathi-Priyamani combination failed to impress the audience in their third project, Sadhyam.

He will soon be seen in Gaayam-2, which is a sequel to the cult film Gaayam. Pravin Sri, a former associate of Ram Gopal Varma is directing this film and Vimala Raman is the female lead. It will be interesting to see if Gaayam-2 can sky-rocket his career once again like Gaayam did then.

Firing your imagination

Photographer - Mahen Simmha

24 SOUTHSCOPE JULY’10

She has already set the screen on fire. Since her debut three years ago, Haripriya’s come a long way. And guess what? She’s all of 19! Arvind G Shivkamal discovers how much of a firebrand she is off screen too.

HARIPRIYA // GALLERIA

L+ LIGHTS

>

She has starred in some of the most successful Kannada films Manasugala Maathu Madhura, E Sambhashane, Vasantha Kaala, Male Irali Manjoo Barali and Kallara Santhe. Now, the petite actor has forayed into Telugu and Tamil films too. Kannadigas’ very own sexy starlet is currently shooting for her second Tamil film Vallakottai paired with Action King Arjun Sarja. Her first Telugu film Takita Takita, a Bharat Thakur and Bhoomika Chawla production is almost complete.

Haripriya doesn’t rue the fact that she didn’t get films with top notch heroes initially. That’s history now. Soon, she’ll light up the screen with Shivarajkumar in the forthcoming big-budget film Cheluveye Ninna Nodalu. Another film Mukhyamantri, I Love You with big star Duniya Vijay is lying in the cans due to legal complications. For the moment, she has her sights set on the next Kannada film Nande with Sri Murali.

Not many know that Haripriya entered the tinsel town with a Tulu film.

She was spotted outside her college in Bengaluru by a filmmaker, who convinced her mother to let Haripriya act in films. Endorsements and commercials followed later and are a part of her life even now.

For all those filmmakers who complain that the Kannada industry doesn’t have its own glamorous, fashionable and talented actresses, Haripriya is the answer. “But they do not give us any prominence. They prefer girls from outside, over local talent. But I am determined to give them a tough fight,” declares Haripriya.

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The teeny wonder landed in the film industry without the backing of any godfather. And she is not on a film signing spree: “I want to act in movies that bring the best out of me. It does not matter if I have rejected 15 films in the last three years. Some of them have been hits! But I want to act in quality films. Fortunately, I have worked with some good directors all along. My next film Nande is unique. Besides that, I am also exploring several scripts.”

Incidentally, her father, an aspiring actor could never realise his dream due to various constraints.

“Call it luck. I am fulfilling my father’s dream. I have become an actor. He may be watching me from above and smiling,” says the talented actor who has never attended acting or a dance school.

“I am a natural artiste. I don’t know how I gained these skills. I was a regular in the school and college cultural circuits. I would like to call myself a director’s artiste. If the director brings out my best, I will give my 100 per cent to the role”.

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Haripriya does not remember throwing tantrums as a kid. Her parents gave her lots of attention and pampered her to the hilt. “I did have a lot of fun with my friends in high school. Why childhood? My filmy career is not free from any adventures either.

I have become so popular among some directors and star coordinators that they call me “Kirik” (troublesome) Priya! Initially, I used to get bugged whenever somebody used that prefix to describe me. Now, it has become a routine. I care a damn!”

Some directors do not like the fact that Haripriya is straight forward and confronts them without any inhibition. “They fly actresses from Mumbai on a business class ticket; provide them star hotel accommodation; but Kannada girls are treated like second class citizens. Why? They don’t have an answer. Are we not equally talented? I want answers.”

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“Who will not fall in love with the right guy? My first crush was my class mate when I was still in school.

I did not disclose it to him. I never kept track of him.

I don’t know what he does now. It does not matter anymore,” declares Haripriya.

So far, she has not been linked with anybody in the film industry. “See, it is easy for women to fall for men. It has happened to me many times. But none that took a serious tone. I am still young, just 19, and I have to be careful. At this point, seeing somebody is not at all on my agenda. Who has the time? Whenever I return from shooting, I just crash into the bed”.

But when it happens, Haripriya wants to make sure he is the right man. “Commitment matters to me most. Of course, he should adore me all the time…”

What’s the hurry my dear? All in good time…

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KANNADA // EXCLUSIVE

Yearning for Yogi…

Photographer - Mahen Simmha

In Yogi, the Kannada industry has found new superstar material. Aravind G Shivkamal gets down to some serious astral gazing.

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The year was 2007. Duniya Vijay was a struggling actor. He was at best aspiring to break into the league of big stars.

He happened to meet Soori, an aspiring director who had an interesting story. After persuading T P Siddaraju, his brotherin-law, a lawyer-turned-land developer, Vijay brought Soori home to discuss the project.

Yogesh, now known as Yogi, the eldest son of Siddaraju was all of 15 then. When Soori was narrating the story of Duniya to Siddaraju, he immediately laid out the offer. There was an interesting negative character in Duniya named Loose Maada. “Yogi perfectly suits the role,” was Soori’s opinion.

But Siddaraju, who was producing a movie for the first time was skeptical about his son entering showbiz.

“Even I was not too keen on acting. But things fell in place and I took up the role as a challenge,” admits Yogi. When Duniya released, it was the biggest hit and the highest money-grosser of 2007. More than that, it announced the arrival of two stars – Vijay and Yogi – on the scene. The movie became associated for life long with the two actors. Vijay permanently became Duniya Vijay and Yogi, Loose Maada.

It has been fours years since Duniya introduced Loose Maada, Yogi is still 19, but has completed more than 12 films, several being hits. Even after bigger hits like Nanda Loves Nanditha, Ambaari and Raavana, the Loose Maada tag stuck on.

“I am not at all bothered when people call me Loose Maada.

That role gave me my big break. I remain indebted to that character. If not for Loose Maada, I would have never come this far in my acting career,” he states matter-of-factly.

Yogi loves negative characters. But he is flooded with so many films that he never had an opportunity to experiment with negative roles post Duniya. “I love negative roles. But after Duniya, I never got another chance to become a villain on the screen,” he rues.

The Loose Maada character was at an integral part of Duniya. “I earned equal recognition after Duniya became a hit. A number of producers came up with interesting projects for me,” reveals Yogi.

His second film Nanda Loves Nanditha too happened accidentally. Yogi was forced to accept the male lead role with much skepticism. The movie promos created quite some hype and the song, Jinke Marinaa became such a rage that even before its release, Nanda Loves Nanditha was predicted to be a hit.

Yogi, who was until then only Loose Maada, also impressed everyone with his dancing, which makes him one of the fewer good dancing stars of the Kannada industry.

“My fate was sealed with Nanda Loves Nanditha. I had loads of offers. I was destined to act in more movies. But I was in no hurry to sign films. My father has been guiding me,” Yogi says.

They call him the Dhanush of the Kannada industry. “May be because I am thin and not so macho, like Dhanush. Besides, I acted in Kannada remakes of Dhanush’s hit Tamil films. I don’t mind whatever they call me. I am cool and take it in my stride,” Yogi says.

Incidentally, he is a fan of Dhanush: “I have seen most of his films. We are good friends and meet often. He is happy that I have made him famous in Karnataka!”

After Ambaari, Yogi started experimenting with his characters on screen. “I never knew acting would become my bread and butter. I was not prepared for it. I have had interesting experiences. Ambaari was something else. I cycled for nearly 700 kms for the movie. I had lost nearly five kgs. I turned even thinner. But it was a satisfying experience,” he shares.

On working alongside biggies like Prakash Rai and Nana Patekar, Yogi says, “I had watched Nana on the big screen and never even dreamt that I would act with him some day.

He is a great performer. He improvises every scene with ease. I learnt a lot from him,” Yogi recalls. Nana Patekar has even danced for a hip-hop number in Yaksha, his Kannada debut, which is incidentally Yogi’s home production. It is a gangster movie in which Yogi’s brother Mahesh is also making his acting debuting.

So, what’s next for Yogi?

“Well, I am considering five offers. But have not decided yet.” According to him, the Yogi brand is already sold out; but Loose Maada is still in circulation.

“I have already acted in a film titled Yogi. One of the tracks of my film Preethse Preethse is titled Loose Maada…”

Yogi aspires for his favourite director to make a film with him titled Loose Maada. “We have registered the title. We want only Soori to direct it. We are working on the script. It will take some time,” he explains. That’s that for now…

His next film Ambaari was a musical entertainer. All the tracks composed by V Harikrishna became chartbusters.

Ambaari was a movie about two young lovers who cycle all the way to Taj Mahal. Three films and three hits in a row... For someone that new in the industry, this was quite something.

Thin, frail and just 19-years-old, Yogi does not come across as a star. “Sometimes, I wonder too. How did all this happen?

People recognise me instantly on the streets - shout out Loose Maada…It’s kind of funny and weird at the same time.

But I am used to it now,” Yogi narrates.

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LITERARY CONFESSIONS Among the most celebrated actors of southern cinema, Savitri has also been an enigma, a mysterious screen diva whose intriguing life also ended most tragically. But there are secrets spilled and unknown facets of her life written about in a biography by V Somaraju and his brother V K Murthy, finds Hemanth Kumar.

“One day, an elderly man walked in and pleaded for help. She herself was going through a financial crisis and had no money to give. The next day, she asked her driver to go sell her gold and silver shields and give all the money to the man who came looking for help,” recalls V Somaraju who has co-authored the biography of Savitri. This is the story of a legendary actor who had a whole generation of men and women enraptured by simply appearing on screen.

Somaraju too has been a big admirer of Savitri which motivated him to co-author this book. “I had retired as a Welfare officer in the Department of Posts at the age of 58. My brother V K Murthy has been living in the US for nearly four decades now. Both of us were out of touch with Telugu cinema. One day back in 2004, my brother who’s a professor at the Syracuse University in USA

happened to watch one of Savitri’s old films, Chaduvukunna Ammyilu. He was so smitten by her acting that he called me up to enquire about Savitri. To his surprise, he found that she had passed away in 1981. He was shocked beyond belief and later we decided to immortalise our favourite screen goddess and write a book on her.”

Reading the book will tell us a whole lot about Savitri’s life as an actor, her troubled marriage and what she was like off-screen. Somaraju slips into anecdote after interesting anecdote – the result of extensive research that both brothers have put into this book. “Did you know that she was an expert car driver? She even won a prize at a racing championship, but she quit racing because Gemini Ganesan didn’t like it,” he shares excitedly. We didn’t know this. Bet you didn’t either!

Surprisingly, neither Somaraju nor his brother was associated with the film industry or any kind of writing life. And when they decided to write this book, they were both well above 60 – hardly an age to indulge in this kind of adulation.

But Somaraju begs to differ. “We admire her so much that it’s a matter of disgrace if we let her legacy be a fading memory,” he says. The arduous journey took four years and humongous data collection. “I can show you the huge manuscript comprising interviews, reference material and our own personal interviews with scores of people who gave us first hand information about Savitri” adds Somaraju.

This conversation seriously turned into something of a history lesson on Savitri, who was featured in 248 films including Telugu, Tamil and Hindi and paired with every superstar of those days - ANR, NTR, SVR, K V Reddy and many others.

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Savitri’s interests besides acting were not just confined to car racing. She also loved playing chess, horse riding and swimming. She was once the vice-captain of a charity cricket match in Chennai.

Although her first film offer was for a vamp role in Agni Pariksha, Savitri made her debut in Patala Bhairavi as a dancer. Later on, she was roped in as the second heroine in Samsaram, but she was so nervous to act with ANR that the role was given to actor Pushpalata Her first film as a director, Chinnari Papalu, was produced by Sri Mata Films banner. Except for the scriptwriter, most other technicians in the film were women.

The Indian Postal Department issued a commemorative postage stamp on Savitri along with Kanan Devi, Devika Rani and Meena Kumari on March 8, 2009 She studied only till 8th grade, yet she was adept in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Hindi, Malayalam, and English when she got into acting.

She had modelled for select print advertisements for brands like Lux, Pepsodent powder and Nutrine Chocolates in the 50s and 60s.

That resulted in iconic films like Missamma, Maya Bazaar and Gundamma Katha to name just a few.

Somaraju and Murthy convinced several friends, colleagues and friends of Savitri to speak about their relationship with her.

Somaraju shares, “We had to be most careful about this book because we were working with no reference as such. There have been no books dedicated to Savitri, save for a few which mentioned her films at best. We had found that there was some confusion on Savitri’s exact date of birth, so we made it a point to visit her birthplace Chiravvur (Guntur District, Andhra Pradesh) and source the copy of her birth registry to establish the facts.” He shows us the scanned copy of the birth register from the book. For the record, her birth date is 6 December, 1935.

There are plenty of details about her life before she got into films, narrated by Susheela who was a childhood friend of Savitri. “Someone had written 40 articles on Savitri and my brother bought all of them from the writer for Rs.15,000,” Somaraju shares. We reproduced the secret conversation between Savitri and Gemini Ganesan on the day of her secret marriage, which had appeared in detail in G V G Krishna’s

biography on Savitri back in 1964. Apart from that, I collected information from several magazines and news papers spanning more than 20 years to find every detail possible about her life.”

Since neither of them had any experience in writing, Somaraju and Murthy divided the responsibility and wrote four chapters and six chapters respectively.

“Between 2004 and 2008, my brother flew down from thrice from the US for this. And we would spend 10 days in Chennai and rest of the time we would be travelling to every nook and corner of AP to meet anybody who was ever associated with Savitri.” The result of this unfaltering and Herculean task was a 650 page biography. The whole project had cost them nearly Rs.10 lakhs. “We weren’t even looking at the money involved and questions like how many copies we would sell. It was meant to be an ode to one of the finest actors of Indian cinema.”

Incidents ranging from Savitri’s nervousness while acting with ANR in her debut film Samsaram to her astronomical rise to stardom with films like Missamma, Maya Bazaar, Chivaraku Migiledi, and Dr Chakravarthy have been written in detail. She excelled in method acting and even actors like Shivaji Ganesan, ANR and NTR were extra careful about acting with Savitri because they had to match her excellence.

Some call her the Ingrid Bergman of India and another popular actor, the late Shobhan Babu described her as the “definition of acting.” But Savitri’s life turned topsy-turvy in the 70s. She was relegated to secondary roles in countless films; her relationship with Gemini Ganesan had hit the rocks and she became an alcoholic before slipping into coma in 1980. She passed away in 1981 at the age of 44. But she has left behind an unmatchable legacy, which has been painstakingly been captured in her biography titled A Legendary Actor: Mahanati Savitri.

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The stunning camerawork in Vedam was a result of cinematographer Gnanasekar’s genius and a fiery passion for cinema that most certainly comes close to madness. Rahul Ganguly finds a good vantage point.

Gnanasekar watched films voraciously, and continues to do so today. He saw the films of Armenian-Soviet filmmaker Sergei Parajanov and as Gnanasekar puts it, “it changed everything.”

He was blown away by the dream sequence in Parajanov’s Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors. “This was poetry translated to visuals on the screen. Right then, I knew that this is what I wanted to do, and plunged headlong into films.”

An intensely private person, Gnanasekar ideated from everything around him. “I found inspiration in the paintings of Van Gogh, his play of colours; I followed the works of Russian painters. They made my head spin and I knew I had to do something with the visual medium. I was like clay, getting moulded in the shape that I am today.” Addicted to world cinema, particularly European films, Gnanasekar considers acclaimed Swedish cinematographer Sven Nykvist as his guide and guru. “Seeing his effortless play with light and shade on the monochrome film plate gave the final nudge that put me on the course of films,” he reveals.

“The story of my life starts from the moment I finished with my studies. I don’t like dwelling in the past, so let’s just say my journey began when I enrolled at film school,” Gnanasekar rattles off with no preamble. Point taken. We move back to the time when a young Gnanasekar went off to Kolkata to study the art of cinematography. The time was 1999. Gnanasekar had just headed out from Hyderabad to the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute, Kolkata (SRFTI). “Where I am today was by accident, and never the result of calculated decisions,” he adds. Little did he know then, that his years at SRFTI would forever change the way he perceived life and how he’d live it.

“You could say I was a caterpillar of sorts and the metamorphosis to becoming a winged butterfly began then.”

Gnanasekar immersed himself in the Kolkata cultural circles.

“I would spend most of my time reading and seeing plenty of cinema, which opened a window to the world.” Just what sort of books did the budding cinematographer read? “A lot of philosophy and literature, Dostoevsky, Nietzsche, Gorky…

Reading Gorky’s Mother was a revelation. The visual intensity of the text was overwhelming,” he says in one breath, and you can sense the excitement in his voice.

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Gnanasekar moved to Mumbai and started working in ad films, before coming back to Hyderabad for a brief period. “I came to Hyderabad and in time met up with my friend, film editor Shravan, who introduced me to director Krish.” That meeting lead to Vedam. With a path breaking narrative, tight scripting and converging storylines to boot, Vedam was challenging. In other words, exactly what Gnanasekar had been itching for.

“The best thing about working with a director like Krish is that we understand each other easily,” he shares. What got him hooked on to the project, Gnanasekar claims, was Krish’s vision. “He insists that the story is always the most important aspect of a film and as such, he never lost touch with the story.”

Gnanasekar notes that while the director gave him a great deal of creative freedom, arranging the cinematography for Vedam was no mean feat. “Each story within the film had to be shot in a different style. We had to actually use a different lens for each of the five storylines. While the sequences involving the old man were slow and static, scenes with Allu Arjun’s character required a gritty, handheld style. Similarly, whenever Anushka appeared on screen, the shots became highly stylised with a shift in the colour palette. Bringing all the distinct shades and styles together into a single film was the most challenging aspect of shooting Vedam,” he concedes.

His singular focus on the smallest details in the film prevents Gnanasekar from taking up more than one project at a time.

“It can only become your story once you know the story and everything working within the film by heart,” he adds. And while Gnanasekar poured his soul into the film, he admits

that things got easier since he worked in tandem with Krish at all times. That’s when he slips in an anecdote about the making of Vedam. In a radical departure from traditional storyboard-based shooting, Vedam was made under the constant supervision of Krish and Gnanasekar. “While we had a storyboard that loosely defined the shots and composition, we decided to constantly improvise the way the film would be shot,” Gnanasekar, affectionately nicknamed Baba by Krish, shares. The team compensated for changes in light conditions, especially in the outdoor sequences. With no ego hassles between them, the duo kept bouncing ideas off each other, and it worked.

and dry media, Gnanasekar lets out a guffaw when faced with the question of starting a family. “I love solitude. I love living by myself. I am perfectly content doing what I do. If it happens, it will.”

“You know,” Gnanasekar muses, “for me, every new project has to have a fresh approach.” That way, Vedam turned out to be an enriching experience for the cinematographer. Though beyond technicalities, Gnanasekar insists that visuals only have an impact when they have a strong emotional connect.

“Capturing the essence of an emotion, even for a fleeting moment on a lifeless roll of film is what I work for. When that happens, I consider my work done.”

For the time being, he’s busying himself for Ajay Bhuyan’s upcoming film with Naga Chaitanya. And in between maintaining a serious reading habit and the scuttle from locations to studio, Gnanasekar squeezes in time for documentaries. These are independent films made by pals from his SRFTI days. No surprise then that he is also a much sought after man in the independent filmmaking circuit.

After he’s done playing cinematographer, Gnanasekar the man remains restless. “I don’t sleep very well,” he says, “I’d rather have loads of coffee and read a good book.” Ever the night owl, his current reading list includes Sadat Hasan Manto and Khalil Gibran. And when he’s not reading? “I paint, and write sometimes.” Adept at painting in acrylic, watercolour JULY’10 SOUTHSCOPE 33

PUNEET RAJKUMAR // CENTRE STAGE

GOD’S CHOSEN ONE Photographer: Mahen Simmha Stylist: Nischay Polavarapu Hair and Make up: Leila Sharma Co-ordinated by: Aravind G Shivkamal

He sings like a pro, dances like a dream, fights like his life depends on it and performs like he’s born for it. His fans live to see him on screen and die of ecstasy when they meet him in person. How does one begin to describe the one and the only actor of Kannada cinema who is being hailed as a god’s special gift by his legendary father’s legion of fans?

Aravind G Shivkamal gropes for words as he attempts to sum up the inimitable, impeccable and invincible Puneet Rajkumar.

Whoever said that a winner stands alone ought to meet Puneet Rajkumar. He is always surrounded by people, friends, fans and film producers. Getting to meet the most popular and happening Kannada superstar alone is a challenge even for his family! And that sometimes frustrates the superstar too because he yearns to spend some quality time with his precious daughters. More often than not he shoots on Sundays too. “Boss does not get time to unwind or relax for ages. Despite tight schedules and hectic shooting, he is still a cool dude,” sums up his assistant for many years.

He has consistently delivered hits after hits minus the occasional miss. No wonder Puneet Rajkumar, youngest son of the late thespian Dr Rajkumar is busy all the time. However, when things start getting to him, he takes a break with his family and goes off on a week-long holiday to Singapore or Europe.

“Sometimes, I wonder what has happened to my life in the last 8 years. It is a completely different phase. I was nobody until then. Now, I have a lot of responsibilities - my career; my family; my friends – and they keep on growing.

Yet I feel I am milestones away from my father’s achievements,” says Puneet.

PUNEET RAJKUMAR // CENTRE STAGE

Once Puneet gets going, the conversation becomes even more interesting: “My life is an open book. Everyone knows more about me and my father. I am cool with any questions or queries.”

His attitude remains simple on and off screen. He does not ask for a caravan, he eats with the production unit, his demands are minimal. It is just that the ‘Power Star’ of Kannada cinema does not believe in displaying his awesome power! That has made him the darling of the Kannada film industry as much as his elder brothers.

Puneet was still a kid when his elder brothers Shivarajkumar and Raghavendra debuted on the big screen. Both brothers went on to deliver hits and blockbusters. Though Raghavendra stopped acting in films and took over the family’s home production unit, Shivarajkumar continued his stint in films. Today, he is on the threshold of his 100th film.

Pressure is not new to Puneet. No, not from his family or friends but from the legion of Rajkumar’s fans who demanded that he enter films. Once Puneet turned a teenager, predictions of his grand entry and subsequent stardom were commonplace though he had already tasted amazing success as a child actor. He acted in more than a dozen movies and at 10, he won the national award for his stellar performance in Bettada Hoovu! He also sang many songs as a child! Grooming him to take on the mantle was none other than his iconic and legendary father. When the right time arrived, he took the plunge. But before that Puneet had other plans.

“It was just that I wanted to try my hand at something else. I wanted to become a real estate magnate. I even tried that. Then, I was involved in film distribution. But as luck would have it, I did not do well in either. I guess, I was destined to become an actor,” he reveals. But why was he shying away from acting? “My father has left behind such an unsurpassable legacy. Both my elder brothers are actors. Somehow, I was a bit apprehensive about myself. A lot of planning went into my debut. Fortunately, things have gone the right way in my life and movie career.”

His first film Appu, incidentally the pet name his father had given him, was a blockbuster in 2002.

Directed by Puri Jagannath, the movie was remade in Telugu. His next film Abhi too was a mega hit. All the 14 movies he has acted in so far have the distinction of crossing 100 days! Currently, he is shooting for his 15th film Jackie being directed by Soori of Duniya fame. Jackie is Puneet’s home production.

Puneet needed no special training before he turned a full-time hero. More than his brothers, it is his father who inspired him the most: “I grew up watching my father and brothers perform on the sets. If I remember it right, I have been to every film set of my father since childhood. It had become a routine for me.” That’s probably where Puneet imbibed his father’s qualities of professionalism, affable nature and a humble personality. As far as possible, he tries to meet as many people and fans without disappointing them.

If Puneet’s shooting in any part of Karnataka, the producer can be assured of mobs descending on the location. But fortunately for them, Puneet manages the crowd himself. “I am amazed with their adulation. I wonder whether they are my fans or my father’s fans. I don’t know. They want to shake my hand, click my photographs of me. I just love them. Being Rajkumar’s son is such a blessing…”

Dr Rajkumar was so popular among his fans that he equated them to god. In fact, the star actor even coined a new term ‘Fan Gods’ as a mark of respect to his huge fan following. Puneet has realized that these ‘Fan Gods’ have given his father a cult status, which is impossible to replicate.

“The same fan gods have given me the title of Power Star. But I believe I am nowhere near it. What will I do with that power?”

Puneet believes in maintaining his individuality. “I don’t like to imitate anybody. There are advantages and disadvantages when you mimic someone. It can be too risky. Isn’t it better for me to follow my own style? My father always used to tell me that I should be myself. His words are so true.”

Being the youngest, Puneet happened to be the most pampered son of his father. “I miss him every single day. It is an immeasurable loss for me. Fortunately, my mom is of a great help in overcoming the grief.”

No one else could have seen Dr Rajkumar from Puneet’s perspective. Hundreds of books have been written about and documentaries made on the legend. But Puneet is in the process of realizing his dream – that is, writing a book on his father.

“I don’t like to imitate anybody. Isn’t it better for me to follow my own style?

“My father’s life is an open book. He was like public property. His fans know more about him and his life than us. But I have tried to include some aspects of him that are unknown to the outside world,” Puneet reveals adding that he wants to keep those details to himself till the book is published.

The book is titled ‘Rajkumar – Person Behind the Personality’.

Puneet is candid when he says he does not have a penchant for writing: “I am no great writer. I have not written any book in the past. But I always harboured a deep desire to write a book on my father. I have been working on it since 2006. I have put down my thoughts about my father and my experiences with him. You could say the book is the perspective of a son.”

‘Rajkumar – Person Behind the Personality’ will be published later this year. “More than 60 authors have written a book on my father, both in English and Kannada. But I want this book to be available to the audience worldwide. I have tied up with a leading publisher.

Sometimes, I feel it is an honour to write about my father.”

There’s one secret Puneet shares with us. So far, he has not used a body double to perform stunt sequences. Puneet admits that he is a huge fan of martial arts exponents like Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan. “I watched their movies since childhood. Jumping from trees and walls had become a game for me during my childhood.

I have continued it even now,” he points out.

Puneet has performed several dare devilry stunts in some of his movies, including the latest hit Prithvi. “In the last 8 years, I was injured only once when I was shooting for Aakash. I had to jump and kick the car windscreen to smash it. I did it successfully but injured my leg in the process,” he recalls. According to him, actors

PUNEET RAJKUMAR // CENTRE STAGE

should perform their own stunts. “An actor is incomplete without all the skills,” he says. Incidentally, Puneet performs somersaults and gymnastics with ease.

recent times. But before that, I desperately need a break. The last few months have been really hectic. Last month, I shot on all Sundays.”

So has he performed the ultimate stunt of his career yet? “No, I am never satisfied. I am waiting for the day when I feel appreciative of my stunt performance,” he adds. By the way, he has another talent. That of singing! He has sung many hit numbers for his movies: “The director wants me to sing some times. I reluctantly agree. I am happy that they have become hits. But I am always nervous when I face the microphone.”

A memorable incident that Puneet can never forget: “I was in Ramoji Film City shooting for my film a few years ago. I heard that Pawan Kalyan was shooting in the same venue. I am his huge fan.

I wanted to meet him. When he heard about me, he came over and took me to his film set. We had a lengthy discussion. Of all the films, he liked my performance as a child artiste in Bettada Hoovu. I was totally impressed...”

Puneet is also a superb dancer something that he has learnt on his own. The major challenge faced by the choreographers of his movies is to ensure that his leading ladies match his steps! It may not be an exaggeration to say that not many have succeeded in this arena.

That incident made him realize how important each film was to his career. “A star from the neighbouring state recalled my performance as a child artiste. It was totally unexpected. But at the same time, it was a highly satisfying experience.”

The world may go gaga over his movies, but the actor rarely watches his own movies. “I love watching Latin movies that are different from rest. I get to learn a lot. Besides, they are fun to watch.” So what next? “I am eagerly looking forward to working with Yogaraj Bhat, the most successful Kannada film director in

So how does the future seem? “I am not an image-oriented actor.

If I like the script and the role, I just lap up the project. My brothers also take decisions on behalf of me. Let’s see where my movies take me.” We don’t know where they will take you Puneet but we do know that they will take your fans straight to paradise! After all, you’re their chosen one!

TELUGU // GALLERIA

A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE

Photographer - Raj Asthana

A Streetcar Named Desire by William Tennessee is a Pulitzer prize winning play that premiered in New York in 1946. This Broadway play is coming to Hyderabad, India on 11 and 12 July, 2010! Produced by Seema Azharuddin and directed by Dr KSI, the cast comprises Bhumika Chawla (as Stella Kowalski), Dr K Shrikanth Iyengar (as Stanley Kowalski), Seema Azharuddin (as Blanche DuBois) and Harshvardhan Rane (as Harold Mitchell.)

40 SOUTHSCOPE JULY’10

“I was always interested in theatre. I think I was destined to do this role. We are rehearsing methodically but the litmus test would certainly be the audiences’ response when we’re on the stage.”

- Bhumika Chawla

IN MEMORIUM On June 20, Telugu film industry lost one of its most promising actors, Kota Prasad. Son of veteran actor and former BJP MLA, Kota Srinivasa Rao, Kota Prasad was killed when he met with an accident in Hyderabad. He was 39 years old.

Kota Prasad was also a successful businessman and after finishing his MBA, he took care of the quarry business for five years.

But films were always his passion and he convinced his father about his dream. Soon after that, he made an impressive debut in J D Chakravarthy’s Siddham. He also played an important role in Gaayam-2.

He may have left us in person, but the memories and the joy he shared with a lot of us will continue to be there. We share the grief of his family in this moment of mourning.

KABOOM… AND THEY SANK WITHOUT A TRACE The Telugu film industry is bleeding this year. Despite several promising films hitting the marquee, movie revenues are spiraling down the alley in 2010. Southscope takes stock of the balance sheet at the end of the first half.

The success of any business depends on the way it treats its customers. Showbiz though works exactly the other way round. A lot depends on how the customers treat the film.

2009 wasn’t a great year in terms of revenues for the Telugu film industry as a whole with many films biting the dust, failing to live up to the expectations at the BO. The film fraternity was hoping for a reversal of fortunes in the New Year. Far from improving, six months down the line, the industry is struggling to come out from the red zone.

JANUARY . . .

The Sankranthi season rings in the new year with a slew of big budget movies every year. With the Telangana agitation rocking the state in December last, many big budget films were forced to release in January. NTR starrer Adurs, Venky’s Namo Venkatesa and Ravi Teja-Allari Naresh starrer Shambo Siva Shambo were the big hopefuls. There were also films like Nitin – Hansika starrer Seetharamula Kalyanam, NavdeepKajal starrer Om Shanthi, Jagapathi Babu’s Ma Nanna Chiranjeevi. The colour version of the timeless folklore classic, Mayabazar also released amidst much nostalgia and fanfare.

Adurs was easily the biggest grosser among the Sankranthi releases, in spite of being targeted by the T-activists. Similarly Venky’s Namo Venkatesa, also ended up in the green, thanks to Venky’s star power and Srinu Vytla’s brand of entertainment.

Shambo Siva Shambo was wellreceived for its novelty, but it couldn’t withstand the competition. Mayabazar lived up to its billing of a timeless classic, and earned its producers a decent profit. The rest of the movies turned out to be disastrous for the investors.

FEBRUARY . . .

Just nine movies released in February.

Rana Daggubati’s debut flick, Leader was perhaps the most anticipated of the lot. It is the most expensive film directed by Sekhar Kammula till date.

This commentary on contemporary politics struck a chord with the audiences and raked in good collections. Naga Chaitantya starrer Ye Maaya Chesave 42 SOUTHSCOPE JULY’10

released around the same time, albeit with no fanfare. Thanks to Goutham Mennon’s genius, YMC earned rave reviews and broke even, right in the third week. Manchu Manoj’s Bindaas also opened to a hit talk. Nikhil-Swetha Prasad Basu’s Kalavara King and Raja’s Inkosari came and went without much ado.

February might be the month of romance but the filmmakers were left with a heart ache!

MARCH . . .

Things just went from bad to worse in March. Of the ten films that released, only the Allu Arjun starrer Varudu could make any impression at the BO. Varudu released to an opening day collections of Rs 7 crores on March 31. The hype created about the traditional five day Telugu wedding notwithstanding, the film opened to mixed reviews. However, it couldn’t sustain its own pre-release hype and couldn’t recover its budget.

Among the other noteworthy releases were Jagapathi Babu’s Sadhyam, Allari Naresh’s Aakasaramanna and Navdeep’s action adventure Yagam. Unfortunately, they all sank without a trace.

Dil Raju’s Maro Charitra too could not live up to the pre release hype. According to trade pundits, scores of flops in the first three months of the year left the film industry reeling under a staggering loss of over Rs100 crores.

APRIL…

The holiday season was just gaining steam and the number of movie releases shot up week after week. Mounaraagam, Prince, Clash of the Titans came and went but it was the Allari Naresh starrer Betting Bangaraju which surprised everyone.

The film was made with a budget of Rs 2.6 crores and it went on to be a huge hit. Sharwanand, Saikumar starrer Prasthanam earned rave reviews and the film shot Deva Katta, the director into limelight. Despite all the critical acclaim, the film had to compete with IPL and lack of effective publicity worked against it. A week after this, the Prabhas - Kajal starrer Darling released across the world. The film was touted as a breezy family entertainer and the audience lapped it up too. It managed to stand up to the hype and was declared a good hit in Prabhas’ career. After Darling, it was Balakrishna’s Simha which was some sort of relief for the industry. True to the hype, this pure masala film broke several records within the first week of its release and it was declared a blockbuster. Simha is the highest grossing Telugu film of this year.

trace. The Sharwanand, Padmapriya starrer Andhari Bandhuvaya was critically acclaimed, yet it didn’t attract the crowd in large numbers. The Karthi Sivakumar, Tamannaah starrer Aawara created the right buzz in its first week and managed to rake in good collections to some extent. Towards the end of May, Prince of Persia and Golimaar clashed at the box office. While Prince of Persia was given a thumbs down, Puri Jagannadh’s Golimaar starring Gopichand, Priyamani was well received. The film went on to collect almost Rs 15 crores (share) and it’s been declared one of the biggest hits in Gopichand’s career.

JUNE …

One of the eagerly awaited films of the season, Vedam starring Allu Arjun, Manchu Manoj, Anushka came with a bang and true to its pre-release publicity; it proved to be a one of its kind film. Krish’s direction and screenplay along with brilliant performances aided the film to gross Rs 10.5 crores at the end of the first week and has so far collected Rs 15 crores (share).

The film was also a huge hit in the US. A week after Vedam’s release, Anushka was once again seen in the devotional saga Panchakshari. This film was made on a limited budget and the buzz was that it had made table profits even before the release.

Trade analysts have predicted that the film might have collected a share of Rs 4-5 crores (share) in its run so far. Mani Rathnam’s much hyped film Villain (Raavan in Hindi and Raavanan in Tamil) didn’t do well at all.

MAY …

Simha’s stupendous success took its toll on quite a few films which released in the first couple of weeks in May. Rama Rama Krishna Krishna starring Ram and Priya Anand couldn’t set the registers ringing and the collections were above average. Films like Super Cowboy, Young India and Chalaki vanished without a

JULY’10 SOUTHSCOPE 43

TELUGU // EXCLUSIVE

set apart!

What’s common between the hit films Yamadonga, Sainikudu, Pulli, Brindavanam, the forthcoming Orange, Shakti and Badrinath? They’ve all got superstars of the Telugu industry.

But one man common to all these films is set designer Anand Sai. Meet him and he looks like nothing connected to the film industry. Although he designs sets for films, he’s essentially an artist; the sort who never goes anywhere without a sketch book and pencil.

“I have studied interior design from Chennai – where I was born and raised – and cinema is something I grew up on,” he volunteers in that soft spoken manner that barely matches his gym built frame. Anand’s father, Chelam was a well known art director of the southern film industry who worked for popular Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth’s Tamil films besides others. So Anand would unsurprisingly accompany his father to the sets often and picked up some of the finer nuances of art direction at a rather young age.

But he didn’t delve into it immediately. After having studied interior design, Anand was content doing that and wedding décor for a while, till Pawan Kalyan, suggested set designing for movies. That was a decade ago and since then Anand has worked in some three Tamil films and over 40 films in Telugu – most of these being big budget big hero films. “I have designed for most of Jr NTR’s films and it’s an honour to have worked in films featuring all Telugu superstars,” Anand shares.

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If god is in the details, then Anand Sai finds Him everyday on the sets he designs! Mona Ramavat braces for an art attack.

So what is it about him that he is so much in demand in the Telugu industry, we want to know. He smiles accepting the compliment and settles more comfortably to explain. We are finally venturing into what he can talk about hours on end.

“There’s a lot to set design than many know or think. Every little detail that goes into the design can have a different impact on the mis-en-scene or what you see on screen finally. That inspires me to focus on the finest of details when I am getting together a set. I understand the script and the director’s vision first and start formulating a flavour for the film. Then comes the sketching, which I absolutely love. Not many art directors focus on the art part of it, but I still find sketching manually faster than 3D concepts. After this, I make a miniature of the sets I have designed for the director’s approval. By this time, the design is more or less firmed up and I also get more clarity on what the director really wants. There are times when the director looks at a readied set and says this is not what he had in mind. That is a waste of time and effort.”

Effort is something that Anand puts painstakingly in his designs and execution. That is also why he spends more time on design than most other art directors. “If it’s a house I have to erect, then I actually get a house constructed! Complete to the last detail of the wall textures and flooring and finishing of various surfaces.” He’s an interior designer, remember?

“And I like to personally supervise the construction of my sets to ensure that they are precisely what I had in mind.”

To get there – to visualise a design – Anand barely depends on books or other films. He strives to make his designs as original as possible. Also, Anand believes that the attitude in a set design will come from the attitude of the designer. For instance, for the film Shakti, he was asked to do an Egyptian kind of set with the flavour of the pyramids. Anand took off for Egypt the following week, with his sketch book. “I make sure that I travel extensively for every film I work in. It’s the only way I can be exposed to various kinds of designs and colour schemes and textures. The set has to look as realistic as can be possibly made. That is the real challenge involved in set design. If you, as a viewer see the film and can say that it’s an artificially erected set, I have failed in my role as the set designer,” he shares.

ON WEB

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Besides carefully looking into every detail, Anand is also particular about doing his own lighting of the set during the shoot. “Lighting has a huge impact on the way a set looks. So I prefer to design the lighting as well.” He is incidentally a photographer as well and understands lighting enough for cinematographers to trust his understanding. To this, Anand says, “I have worked with some of the finest names in cinematography like Madhu Ambat, PC Sriram and Vinod Pradhan among others, and learnt the art of lighting from them. Along the way, I also picked up the subtle but very important aspect of maintaining continuity through set design.”

But Anand points out that in the middle of all this, the challenge is to not let the set dominate in the frame. “The performer and the performance are more important than the design in the background.” Set design, according to him, is meant to support the actor and not take the focus away from him or her and point to itself.

Interestingly, Anand gives tremendous importance to the vaastu side of things while designing sets. Now this is something that’s not so common in cinema, is it? “Well, that’s how I like to work. Each to his own, I guess. But I feel more comfortable if the vaastu is good of the space I am making a set at. And if an artist in uncomfortable, it shows in the design.”

On his personal style, Anand says, he likes to use a lot of white in his designs, often much to the creative disagreement of many cameramen. “But to use white while also making the cinematography look great is another challenge. I sometimes disagree with directors and cameramen, but always arrive at a solution with which everyone’s happy. So whose is the last word? “The director’s of course.

After all, it is his vision that the rest of the team works for. Fortunately, I have worked only with those directors who are eventually convinced with my designs or come up with better solutions that I have only learnt more from,” Anand offers.

So is he being touted as the next Thota Tharini? Anand take his time responding to that. “Well, I have always looked up to Thota Tharini. All I can say is that we both are artists essentially.”

And that is the reason Anand never supervises the dismantling of his sets. In fact, he is never present as a matter of principle when his sets are being brought down.

“It hurts me. I cringe at the very thought. I am deeply sentimental about my work.

Funny but that’s how I am,” he shrugs.

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KANNADA // EXCLUSIVE

THE RANK OUTSIDER FINDS As Aravind G Shivkamal steps into Kannada composer Arjun’s recording studio, he finds music maestro A R Rahman’s posters all over the walls and discovers that not only his music but also his persona is totally inspired by the Mozart of Madras.

His favorite musical instrument is the keyboard. Adorning the keyboard desk is a collage of Rahman’s pictures from his early days when he visited Bengaluru. His music too is no different from that of Rahman’s. His Kannada music encompassing soft numbers, slow rock and hip-hop tracks have become mega hits!

Welcome to the world of Arjun, a much-in-demand music composer, who is known as the Junior Rahman in Kannada film industry. Not only does his music remind you of Rahman’s music, his looks and personality also resemble that of the musical genius. Arjun, who is just 29, is another example of Rahman’s influence on Indian music.

Today, Arjun’s hands are full. He works for more than 16 hrs each day in his studio trying to compose new rhythms that have to become hits. Songs of Sanchaari, the latest film for which he composed music, have reached top 10 tracks. Gubbi, for which he scored the music was lapped up by the local audio recording company for a record 46 SOUTHSCOPE JULY’10

sum. The music for 2009’s biggest hit Birugaali was scored by Arjun.

Incidentally, Birugaali’s tracks were among the top 10 of 2009.

These achievements are significant for Arjun who calls himself an outsider, as he has no prior experience in tinsel town. None from his family or his relatives had exposure to showbiz. Arjun, is the first in his family to make it big in the music arena. It was purely the idolising of Rahman that brought Arjun to the music world.

Recalls Arjun: “My father was a creative photographer. He was a huge fan of Ilayaraja. When he first heard the music of Roja, he was under the impression that it was composed by Ilayaraja. But later he came to know that it was Rahman. I was 13-years-old. He took me to watch Roja. I was hugely impressed with the music.”

His father explained to him about music and well-known composers of south India. Tragedy soon followed Arjun. A few days after they watched Roja, Arjun’s father passed away. “It was an unbearable

tragedy for me. I was completely lost. I tried to overcome the grief listening to music from Roja. Months later, it dawned on me that I should become a musician.

It was my father who introduced me to music,” he points out.

Arjun’s passion for music took him to a local music school where he tried his hands at keyboards and guitar. For three years, he played keyboards and was part of a local orchestra. He got his first break when he was summoned by music director V Manohar for an audition.

“It so happened that his regular keyboard player did not turn up that day. His assistant came out of the studio and gave me a standing instruction that I had to be the keyboard player for that day. I was completely taken aback. I had not even seen a recording studio till then. But I put up a brave face. We composed music for two tracks. It was a highly satisfying experience,” he narrates.

Photographer - Manu

Arjun worked with Manohar and then K Kalyan, well-known music director and lyricist. For nearly eight years, Arjun honed his keyboard skills under the tutelage of various music directors. “Soon I gained enough confidence to compose music for a movie independently,” he notes.

HIS METIER

In 2002, his dream came true in the form of Autograph Please. Initially, it was supposed to be a full feature length movie. However, it did not work out as the producers anticipated. Consequently, Autograph Please was made into a documentary. Nevertheless, Arjun got a well deserved break in tinsel town.

He went on to compose music for more than a dozen films, half of which have become popular because of the music. Slum Baala, Yuga, Potre Loves Padma and Nam Areadalli Ondina propelled Arjun into the league of top music directors in Kannada film industry.

Arjun has worked with all major singers from Hindi and south Indian film industries except S P Balasubramanyam. “So far, I have not had an opportunity to work with him. But one day, I will surely,” he says with an air of confidence.

The music composer himself is an accomplished singer. He has lent his voice for various films for which he has composed the music. Helbit Helbit Helbitte, I love you antha… a hit song from Birugaali was sung by Arjun. “That gave me a lot of confidence. I started experimenting with my voice,” he points out.

Arjun has high expectations from his next film Rajadhani directed by big budget producer H C Sathyan. “I have really worked for this film’s music. I have sung a song of pathos, which is in the form of slow rock. I am sure it will be a mega hit,” he contends.

He has composed music for another item number in Rajadhani for which the oomphy item girl Mumaith Khan has lent her moves. “Believe me, this song Tightu Tightu…Full Tightu… will become the anthem of pubs and bars of Bengaluru. It is bound to become a hit among the masses,” he exudes confidence.

Arjun has not restricted his music to any genre. “I want to compose music that is globally recognised. Unfortunately, Kannada music has not reached the range of Telugu or Tamil at the global level. I want to demonstrate that Kannada music is on par with any top internationally acclaimed tracks,” he says.

The music guru feels that Kannada film producers need to provide more liberty to the music directors to experiment. “Younger producers and new directors do not mind experimenting with music. We need encouragement like that. Only then can there be scope for creativity. I hope the industry moves in that direction,” says Arjun, who dreams of cutting a private music album.

So from where does Arjun derive inspiration to compose music? Rahman? “Yes” he says. “I don’t imitate Rahman in my music. But I try to ensure that the tracks are technically as superior as those composed by him.”

Arjun has had the opportunity to meet his idol only once so far. “When I met him, I was struggling to become a music director. I want to meet him once I make it big.”

Apart from idolising Rahman, Arjun meditates one hour every day in the morning.

“That’s when I think of tunes and their composition. I closet myself in front of Sri Om Shakti Devi and meditate. So far, it has worked for me.”

He has offers from Telugu and Tamil producers. But for now, Arjun is busy with his Kannada film commitments. Good show, Arjun!

JULY’10 SOUTHSCOPE 47

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Sharwanand may not be your regular commercial celebrity but his flair for acting has left us asking for more. We saw him in many acclaimed films - Gamyam, Amma Cheppindi and Prasthanam. Unlike most others who’d rather put in all their energies in maintaining that celebrated image regardless of the characters they play, Sharwanand grew a beard, went clean shaven, dressed up, dressed down and did practically all else. Impressive, eh? What’s more! When he posed for Southscope, he was more than happy to experiment. The result: Well, see for yourself. And if you want to pull off the same look, we’ve got the low down on where you can get it! - Maya Raj

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KARTHI

MUSIC DIRECTOR KANNADA - ARJUN Nice watch Karthi!

Toned body and ripped jeans – what a combination!

sty esutra

Star of the month

If only we could read who is on his heart!?!

Olala-la-la!!!

Interview or a casual chat, Karthi is all smiles.

- Maya Raj

Guess Karthi has a thing for those jeans and sneakers.

Karthi has a way to make smart casual look waaay cool!

sty esutra KAMAL HAASAN What can we say about Kamal Haasan that hasn’t already been said?

This man was born to be an actor.

Winning a National Award for his very first performance as a four year old, he has carved out a niche for himself in the industry like no other actor could. Although his acting has been celebrated over the years, his style has not been given due credit. Kamal’s look not only changed as he grew as an actor but was strategically chalked out to suit each of his characters. From his haircut, to beard, moustache, his wardrobe, he was one of those pioneering actors in India to extensively use prosthetics for different looks.

One could say he was addicted to experimenting with his looks and characters. Go over his career and you will be amazed with exactly how much Kamal’s style has evolved over the past half century.

- Maya Raj 50 SOUTHSCOPE JULY’10

MADE IN MADE OUT

1960

1975

1978

APOORVA RAAGANGAL Two years later, Kamal was beginning to grow into himself.

Facial hair was well on its way by the time Apoorva Raagangal released. Kamal wore his moustache thin in this film and kept his hair long. Flares and short sleeved polos were the in thing of the time, and Kamal followed this trend thoroughly in this movie.

KALATHOOR KANNAMMA Imagine the cutest four year old holding his arms up to pray. That was Kamal Haasan in Kalathoor Kannamma. The image of Kamal in a short sleeved checkered shirt with khakhi shorts wearing a sad look and holding up his hands in prayer thrust him instantly into the audience’s hearts; Kamal hasn’t looked back since. He became the style icon to a whole lot of child artistes then!

1973

1977 16 VAYATHINILE Kamal started experimenting with his looks from very early on. In 16 Vayathinile, he was seen at his rugged best up till then. He wore lungis, khaddar button-up shirts, the worker’s khandwa and had his hair in long curls.

SIGAPPU ROJAKKAL Check out Kamal in Sigappu Rojakkal and you will see a suave sophisticated side of him complete with the spectacles that were in vogue then and fitted suits with button-up shirts, ties, and flared bellbottom pants.

Although he also wore bright printed button-up shirts with enlarged collars and leather jackets, his suits grabbed the most attention. His sinister character was also seen wearing dark shades, which quickly became the style statement of the time.

1980

1978 VARUMAIYIN NIRAN SIVAPPU ARANGETRAM As a teenager, Arangetram was one of Kamal’s biggest hits. It is difficult to imagine the boy in this film with well oiled and side parted hair, wearing tank tops and sporting barely visible facial hair to become the sensation that Kamal is today.

MARO CHARITRA Maro Charitra once again saw Kamal transform himself, but this time into an out and out urban male. Exaggerated collars, prints and flares were all the rage and Kamal let none of them get left out of his wardrobe in the film.

Kamal represented the quintessential Indian urban male in Varumaiyin Niran Sivappu. He was dressed in printed, fitted button-up shirts paired with fitted denim pants and casual shoes. He also wore his hair slightly long with a French beard that faded off into a stubble towards the sideburns.

JULY’10 SOUTHSCOPE 51

sty esutra 1982

1986

1988

SWATHI MUTHYAM In line with his character of a mentally challenged man in Swathi Muthyam, Kamal dressed with a slight quirk and paired the look with a classic fish bowl hair cut.

SAKALAKALA VALLARAN By the time Sakalakala Vallaran was made, Kamal had metamorphasised into this versatile actor who could play both the urban and rural male of the time with perfection.

This movie had him dress up in what was a very stylish western wardrobe for the time with beaded chains and leather jackets; and also in dhotis and kurtas to suit the two characters in the film.

1983

1987 NAYAGAN Regardless of the age Kamal was playing in Nayagan, he wore a red horizontal tika throughout the movie and combed his hair back mimicking the stereotypical Italian mafia style.

APOORVA SAHODARARGAL In keeping with the fashion of the time, Kamal wore extremely tight fitted pants with sport shoes, that became a statement of 90s.

Denim shirts worn unbuttoned were also a notable feature in the movie. Kamal’s alternate character in the film was that of a dwarf working at a circus so he was shown wearing clown like costumes as well as regular clothes.

1990 MICHAEL MADHANA KAMA RAJAN

SAAGARA SANGAMAM Kamal never did anything in halves so you can understand why many of his films go through the life of his characters rather than just letting you in on a certain incident in their lives.

Saagara Sangamam was one such movie where you can track Kamal from his youthful charming days through to his sorrow filled demise. As a young dancer, Kamal is seen wearing very simple and plain kurtas with a black chain around his neck and short hair that he sported with a moustache. Fast forward to his older look and you can see him in similar kurtas but his face was transformed into one with an overgrown beard and medium length hair with white streaks all across plus spectacles.

52 SOUTHSCOPE JULY’10

1988

We should’ve guessed Kamal’s obsession with playing multiple characters in a film when this movie came out, huh? Yes, for Sathya had a distraught Kamal those of you who did not know, showing off his facial hair with flair. Kamal played Michael, Madhan, Kamal’s thick moustache and beard Kameshwaran and Rajan in this along with the layered spectacles film. Wondering how to tell them with a stylish tint on top, were the apart? Michael had a thick French trademarks of Sathya. beard with long hair, Madana wore glasses and was clean shaven, Kama was also clean shaven but brushed his hair back and wore a vibhuti tika and Rajan wore his moustache thick and straight and had his hair short.

SATHYA

1991

1995

GUNA Kamal Haasan was Guna, a mentally disabled man around whom the film revolved.

Several women as I can remember from my earlier days who were in love with Kamal would also agree that Kamal in Guna was not a pretty sight.

His makeup involved darkening his complexion by at least a few shades and he generally wore low V-neck tees with their sleeves cut off. These were paired with semi formal pants, also not in their best condition and cut his hair short.

KURUDHIPPUNAL As a radical armed forces movie, Kurudhippunal showed Kamal with much intensity. His attire was however what you would expect of a police officer with official khakhi uniforms and polos at casual encounters.

1996

saris draped in the traditional Tamil way and flowers in his hair which was tied up in a bun.

A big red bindi and spectacles were added to the hours he spent in the makeup room with the prosthetics to complete the look. As Pandian, he wore what regular men of the 90s generally wore, pants, and short sleeved button-up shirts.

1992 KSHATRIYA PUTRUDU Kshatriya Putrudu is set in a luscious and conflict ridden village where Kamal is the London-educated and foreign returned son of the village chieftain. In the beginning Kamal is seen as a youthful rural male dressed in colourful button up shirts and jeans.

These were paired with a medium sized beard and a Mullet. After Kamal steps into his fathers’ role, he is shown in all whites and khaddar shirts, wearing gold bracelets and watches. To achieve the village chief’s look, he also wore his moustache thick in the typical south Indian fashion with the sides curling upwards. It really was Kamal in his element.

Indian was the revolutionary movie of its year with Kamal playing Chandra Bose alias Chandru, a young broker outside the Road Transport Office and also his father, Senapathy, alias Indian. This film came out when Kamal was experimenting with prosthetics, not that anybody could tell it was Kamal who was exceptionally transformed into a 70 year old man. He wore dhotis and kurtas to complete the look whereas the younger Kamal was clean shaven and wore what was expected of the men in the 90s, high rise pants, tees and shirts and occasionally jeans.

AVVAI SHANMUGHI Once again Kamal adorned two different roles in one movie, but there was a twist, one was an old woman. He played Avvai Shanmughi, an orthodox baby sitter and also the role of Pandian, a man going through a bitter divorce and fighting for his child’s custody. As Avvai Shanmughi, he wore cotton

VIRUMAANDI Virumaandi was a movie with a message – to end capital punishment. In the film, he wears a signature south Indian look complete with a sizable moustache joined at the sideburns and a loud colourful wardrobe in this film.

2008 2001 ABHAY

INDIAN

2004

Another Kamal Haasan movie, another story with Kamal featured in multiple characters. In Abhay, Kamal decided makeup, costumes, prosthetics and special effects were just not good enough by themselves. He altered his image completely by molding his body into that matching a body builder’s; with diets, supplements and workouts like no other. Kamal went to the extent of putting on about ten kilos weight and a large amount of muscle – concentrated on his now gigantic biceps, shaved off his head and had fake tattoos put on several parts of his body to get into the character of Abhay. His twin brother in the movie, also played by Kamal, was built much more modestly and dressed as an average man. This movie was also monumental in that it used partial animation within it, bringing comparisons between it and some of Hollywood’s masterpieces like the partly animated version of Kill Bill, and the more recent Sin City.

DASAVATHARAM Kamal did what nobody else could have pulled off or even thought of in the industry.

He played ten characters with ten completely different looks in Dasavatharam, which was dubbed into Hindi and Telugu. As the movie begins, we see Kamal as Govindarajan Ramaswamy, wearing your regular 21st century clothing and hosting a show with the President of United States, George Bush, as one of the audience. As the host begins the presentation, he talks of Rangaraja Nambi, a Vaishnavite, who is also played by Kamal in a dhoti and religious markings.

The rest of the movie shows Kamal as Christian Fletcher, an ex-CIA officer; Shingen Narahashi, a Japanese martial arts expert; Balram Naidu, a Telugu intelligence officer, Avtaar Singh, a Punjabi pop singer wearing a turban; Krishnaveni, a 95-year-old woman in a worn sari; Vincent Poovaraagan, a dalit who was neglected by the society; and Kalifullah Mukhtaar, a seven foot giant. As we can imagine, Kamal’s efforts showed through in his prosthetics, wigs, masks, clothes, shoes, fake facial hair and everything else. Truly superb!

JULY’10 SOUTHSCOPE 53

CHAITANYA RAO // EXCLUSIVE

DESIGNER WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO

Chaitanya Rao. Ever heard of the name? If you are into fashion, you could not have missed this young yet highly experienced fashion designer. It took Maya Raj an entire week of chasing up to get personal with the super talented man who has his own clothes line, pride of place in Fashion Weeks besides designs on stars.

54 SOUTHSCOPE JULY’10

Imagine you’ve got a party to go to and you have no idea what to wear. If you are a guy stuck for options, your best bet would be to put on some well fitting jeans and throw on a tee with a linen or checkered jacket or a cardigan by itself on top. If you are a girl, well girls have just about a 1001 options but put on anything designed by me and you cannot go wrong. Well, just kidding. Considering the climate in India right now, layering may be a no-no so just wear something you feel comfortable in and don’t be afraid to experiment.

Reema Sen. Since then, he has designed for and styled several divas including Nayanthara, Priyanka Chopra, Kareena Kapoor, Mugdha Godse, Jyothika, Simran, Isha Koppikar and Amisha Patel. Joining the list of big names are actors like Venkatesh, Vikram, Ajith and Surya.

As if these were not amazing enough, he even designed for Asin in the Tamil version of Ghajini, Trisha in the Tamil version of Yuva and Namo Venkatesha, Dhanush and Shriya Saran in Kutty, Mahesh Babu and Ileana in a couple of songs in Pokiri and co-designed for Abhishek Bachchan and Shilpa Shetty in Phir Milenge.

You see, this man is swamped with projects and runs his own boutique. So you can imagine the chaos when he is booked to design for some of the biggest names in the film industry, has to style ad shoots, design for his boutique and his line for the Lakme India Fashion Week, all the while making sure he is at his friendliest. We finally caught him on a drive from the airport to his home, probably one of the few occasions when he could speak for as long as he did.

The first time we met Chaitanya was when he flew over to Hyderabad to style Venkatesh for a Southscope cover shoot. He barely had two days to put together Venky’s look but the expertise with which he did it; no one could have guessed he pulled it off in such a short span. By the time we got introduced to him, he was tired and sleep deprived, thanks to the hurried shoot and his hectic schedule. Never one to let things get him down, Chaitanya put on a friendly smile and continued to chat with us and the rest of the crew between final touches. Do we even have to mention we were impressed?

Chaitanya was born in a very talented and out-of-the-box Indian family and grew up in Chennai. His father was into advertising, mother, an artist, sister got into hotel management and an older brother who went on to become a national snooker player and a DJ! Chaitanya also had a movie connection thanks to his grandmother who played sitar professionally for movies back in the day. With a family like his, Chaitanya says that his career choice was never an issue. When he was eleven or twelve, he remembers sketching, quite possibly influenced by his artist mother, he says. According to him, he was into fashion right from those times and when he went to Bangalore, he developed his technical abilities at Thai Designs. He worked at Color Plus as an in-house designer and merchandiser for the next three years and hasn’t looked back since. From there Priya Balasubramaniam and then Anish Tanveer took him on to assist with designing for movies, fashion and ad films.

Not so long into it, serendipity had him designing single-handedly for a song in a Tamil movie titled Minnale featuring Madhavan and

Chaitanya also has his own line which he presents at the Lakme Fashion Week and owns a boutique which he has been running for nearly a decade now. Although it is difficult for regional designers to get into the national league, Chaitanya broke the mould quite early on and the demand for his designs has been increasing steadily. Two years ago, some of his collections were picked up by Vogue to shoot their Spring/ Summer spread in Paris. Guess you could say Chaitanya put Chennai on the international fashion map, with that.

You would think a designer so successful might have a few quirks but Chaitanya looks, acts and dresses much like the average Joes among us. He loves his jeans paired with white or black button-up shirts. His personal style is obviously subtle and understated. Maybe that’s why he seems so approachable to most of us. Don’t be fooled though, he definitely has a wild streak. A closer look at his hair cut reveals a tattoo of a dragon etched across the back of his head. When asked why a dragon, he says he always wanted it and it seemed apt also because he was born in the year of the dragon. And where better to put the tattoo then your head because you can grow your hair and hide it when you like or shave it off and show the tattoo off.

By about this time, we can picture you wondering about how you can get advice from such a popular celebrity designer and stylist. So here’re some fashion tips we took the liberty to ask for, since he can’t be everyone’s personal stylist. Oh, how we’d like that to be!

If you need to go to the party straight from work, just make sure you are wearing jeans and a button-up shirt to work and carry a vest or jacket if you are a guy. Or carry some bling and accessories that could go along with a tunic dress and you will be set for all occasions if you are a girl.

JULY’10 SOUTHSCOPE 55

POSTER BOYS

According to a survey, 20 per cent of cinema goers get influenced to watch a film when they see the posters. So what gives? Is it an illustration or a photograph? Vrinda Prasad gets chatty with Anil and Bhanu, the hotshot designer duo of Telugu cinema, who let their trendy poster designs do the trick.

Anil, the not so talkative one, is giving final touches to Rakta Charitra’s posters at their snazzy office while Bhanu talks one to the dozen. This year they complete a decade in showbiz! Their first film was Khadgam in Y2K! So how did it all begin?

“We were friends at Edit Multimedia, where we did an animation course but were in different batches. We bonded at the tea bandi and our love for films got us to form A B Core Design after we finished the course,” says Bhanu. Initially, Anil wanted to be a director and Bhanu, an actor. Since they had flair for design, they decided to start off with this and knock on the doors of producers and directors simultaneously. Their first assignment was designing inlay cards and posters for a year and half for Aditya Music. That’s when Krishna Vamsi, who was working for Boney Kapoor’s film Shakti asked them to design logos for Sridevi Production Company. Of the three designs they came up with, one was approved. Impressed with their creativity, Krishna Vamsi offered them Khadgam. “It was a challenge designing for Khadgam because we had to work on a brief about the movie and no pictures whatsoever. They liked our work,” narrates Bhanu.

RGV’s Sarkar followed. And Anil’s dream came true when he assisted Ram Gopal Varma for Sarkar Raj and Bhanu’s with Oye! He played a minor role in the film. But designing continues to be their forte. The duo has designed for 32 movies till date. Ask them which one is their favourite and they say, “When we worked on Khadgam, it was our favourite, then we thought it was Praanam, later Srianjaneyam and now Rakta Charitra. Every movie we design a poster for becomes our favourite. But our work for Oye! set a trend with many producers and directors following our designs.” One thumb rule they don’t violate is they don’t accept projects without knowing the story line. Ask them on how much do posters contribute to the success of a film, Bhanu states, “posters don’t really contribute to the success of a film. They just create the buzz. After the first day first show, our job is done.

After that it’s the story that takes over.”

Poster designing has seen a lot of change in the last few years. A lot of gimmicks have crept in like depicting character artistes or not revealing the leading lady, sometimes featuring just the props… How

does it work, we wonder. “They create curiosity,” explains Bhanu. Will such posters work elsewhere, for instance in Hollywood? And Bhanu is prompt to reply, “Here we have A, B, C class centres. Hollywood has a standard viewership. Here we have mass-distributors-exhibitor and we have to design depending on the area of release.” And Anil chips in, “It would make our work easier if we work as per Hollywood standards. They have just about two or three posters all over like Avatar.”

And we talk of recent trends in designing and Bhanu explains, “Posters were usually hand painted on canvas and then used as the design source for printing on cheap paper. Since print publicity was the most popular, booklets of film songs and stories, handbills etc flourished in the studio era with the poster becoming the most significant and dominant form. Posters on small dabba shops created all the buzz earlier, now it’s the billboards. Hand painting took lot of manpower and with evolution of technology, pictures were taken and printed. These pictures were pasted on chart papers, but now with digital technology, it has become easier. Now it’s a combination of images and text that makes up the poster. It is created through a complex ordering of various elements that are based on hierarchy of information. For us designers, this hierarchy would be in the order of star/story/title and production credits.”

SOUTHSCOPE BLOGBUSTERS

We have decided to turn you readers into writers! Whether you are the serious film buff, casual movie goer or simply have something to say about southern cinema, here’s your chance. So blogger, blog on!

THAI CURRY ON A BANANA LEAF Nicki, Thai by origin, American by nationality can’t get enough of south Indian cinema. Here she reviews a few of her favourite Telugu films. Check them out!

AATA Siddharth! I had been waiting to see this film for so long. Needed my Sid fix. I should have had my expectations lowered a bit because I was slightly disappointed. It was a bit too long for me. But it was a fun movie. I think Ileana was so adorable and I found a new liking for her. Munna, a politician’s son, is the villain who is in love with Ileana and wants to marry her. Her family is scared of Munna’s family. Sid and Ileana love each other.

Sid manipulates Munna and plays games with him, only to have the game turn around and be in his favour.

ARUNDHATI Woman power! That was enough for me to want to watch the film. No kidding. I had no idea who Anuksha Shetty was but now I know. I love watching women who stand up for themselves and fight! Especially with a weapon. The film is good. The ending is a bit long though but definitely worth a watch. It’s a thriller with a lot of supernatural elements. Without giving away any spoilers, it’s a film about grudges over generations.

CHATRAPATI I’ve been wanting to see a Prabhas film to see who this guy is. He’s tall, good-looking, but just don’t do it for me. Maybe this wasn’t a good film for me to start off for hotness, huh? Yes, I’m shallow. Heard a lot of good things about it.

Shriya Saran was in the film and added humour.

Storyline is nothing new. Prabhas is adopted and the mother who adopted him loves him more than her own son, Shafi, which makes him very jealous.

Shafi’s character is just plain annoying. Of course, Prabhas is just a saint. Maybe I wasn’t in the mood to watch? I will have to re-watch and make caps.

The songs are great, though.

CHIRUTHA Ram Charan Tej’s debut film. Who cares? Well, he’s my Tollywood hubby’s (Allu Arjun) cousin and the very famous Chiranjeevi’s son. Both Cherry and Neha are fabulous dancers bringing on the sexiness. The love story does nothing for the film, which got me hooked from the beginning. If the love story was taken out, then the film would’ve been much better. The songs are great to watch.

The film had so much potential but lost it when the love story surfaced with the guy falling for a snooty, rich girl.

DEVDAS Don’t get it confused with the famous film, Devdas, in Hindi. This film has nothing to do with

that. This Devdas is just the opposite. He’s ruthless, cool, modern, and hip. But he is unselfish. The film is both Ram and Ileana’s debut. Ileana is the NRI who comes to India to learn music but ends up falling for a guy who her father disapproves of.

Admittedly, the film was a bit long. Some parts were entertaining while others could have been avoided.

JALSA Any film that has Kamalinee Mukherjee is entertaining. It is no different with this one too.

She only has a guest appearance but it doesn’t matter. Her other guest appearances in films are good. Definitely my fave film of Ileana. She is just so endearing. I’m so used to seeing guys chasing after her in films but it’s different in this one. She chases Pawan. Once she learns more about his past, she is unsure she wants to be with him. Her father (Prakash Raj) knows about her lover’s past and tells her. Another plus in the film is hearing Mahesh Babu’s voice! He is the narrator!

MOGUDU PELLAM O DONGODU One of the shortest Indian films ever - only 1.5 hours! But it was one of the boringest too! Having the hotties Raja and Shriya Saran did no justice to a boring film. It just focuses on three people.

Yes, three! The groom, the bride, and a thief (Brahmanandam). Raja and Shriya marry but she wants to wait until an auspicious time to “be together.” While waiting, staring, waiting, and more waiting, Raja gets irritated and annoyed. So where does this leave the thief? Just hiding. Just a boring film. Just get a song DVD because that’s the best part of the film.

MR MEDHAVI Mr Medhavi means Mr Genius. It’s about a guy (Raja) who plans his life in order to gain what he wants in life. Whether it’s fame, a job, or the girl who he wants, he calculates every step, even if it’s seems deceiving. He has always loved Sweta (Genelia). They grew up together but were separated and reunited when they were older.

She is in love with another guy (Sonu Sood). Mr Medhavi didn’t plan for another guy to be in the picture and must remove him. The film is cute and I like how it narrates the story through Raja’s eyes.

Genelia looks really pretty and love her hairstyle! I may have to get it soon!

PARUGU Honestly, the storyline does nothing for me. It’s the director’s vision and Allu Arjun who brings the sexiness, making the film worthwhile. It is about

a powerful man (Prakash Raj) who doesn’t believe in love marriages and forces his older daughter (Poonam Bajwa) to marry another guy. Who Instead elopes with her lover. The father becomes furious and finds all of the lover’s friends, one of them being the hottie Krishna (Allu Arjun). He keeps them as prisoners until they confess where his daughter is. In the meantime, hottie must find who this mystery girl (Sheela) whom he has fallen head-over-heels with is. Doesn’t sound that interesting, right? It really isn’t. But trust me, Allu Arjun makes it worthwhile. Must make screen caps very soon! I did like it but mainly because of my hottie.

RADHA GOPALAM The film started off toooo slow for me. I didn’t want to finish it. Almost didn’t. However, it started to get interesting later. Beginning was a bit boring but it picks up after a bit. It’s about a happy married couple (Srikanth and Sneha) and how it turns sour because of the husband’s ego. Being a “man,” he takes a blow to the face when his wife becomes more successful than him in the same career. Just didn’t hold that much interest but had great potential.

SAINIKUDU Mahesh Babu! He’s always like a super hero fighting for justice. That’s what I love about him.

With the crooked government, the Sainikudu (soldier) Siddharth (Mahesh Babu) just wants justice brought to people. In order to get his message across to one of the potential candidates, Pappu Yadav (Irrfan Khan) running for elections, he makes a bold statement by capturing Pappu’s wife-to-be (Trisha). She is blinded by her fiance and thinks he is one of the best men she ever met.

Trisha, again, is the best at comedy. There isn’t much romantic chemistry with her and Mahesh but they are cute together on screen. Overall, the film is okay and is no Athadu.

SYE What I liked most about this film is it has a youthful feel. I love how the film started off with two rivalry departments in school - art and engineering, always battling out to see who is better. They usually battle it out with a rugby match. Then later both come together to better their school and team against villains who want to break and tear down their school. Nithin is a pleasure to watch and want to see more of him.

Genelia is great as always, definitely one of my favourites. Worth a watch!

Southcope invites readers to send in their blogs on southern cinema to info@southscope.in

CAN ANYTHING GET BIGGER THAN THIS?

Who says life is not all games and fun? Take a look at our rocking T-town superstars having a blast even while they give one another a run for their run. After battling it out the entire day, Nag’s Kings went home with the trophy as Balayya’s Lions, Chiranjeevi’s Cheetahs and Venkatesh’s Warriors gave them a tough fight. It was the stars’ day out literally, much to the delight of thousands of fans!

bioscope

TELUGU

PANCHAKSHARI Cast: Anushka, Samrat, Pradeep Rawat,

Chadramohan, Brahmanandam,

Ravi Prakash Direction: V Samudra Music: Chinna

Good Anushka carried the whole film on her shoulders and looked impressive both as Honey and Panchakshari.

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The second half manages to bring back the magic of devotional films - prayers offered to the village deity, oodles of happiness before the tragedy strikes and the resurrection before the finale to end all evil.

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Could have been better...

Although, Panchakshari was marketed as a totally different concept, the film has a strong influence of earlier hits like Ammoru and Arundhati. So it looks like old wine in a new bottle.

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The screenplay takes a backseat in the first half and the film itself takes a long time to establish the story.

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The visual effects coupled with the background score in the pre-climax scenes, were well-handled.

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The concept of Aathma - Paramathma – Jeevathma was the major twist in the tale which set it apart from other devotional films. Needlessly to say, this aspect was one of the very few interesting things about Panchakshari.

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It also falters when it comes to dealing with the thin line of difference between villains and making animated caricatures out of them in serious situations.

The climax scene looks like an exact replica of Ammoru, sans the grandeur. After a fairly impressive CGI and emotional buildup towards the end, this scene ends up being a little too tacky.

- Hemanth Kumar 62 SOUTHSCOPE JULY’10

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KANNADA

KRISHNAN LOVE STORY Cast: Radhika Pandith, Ajay Rao, Pradeep,

Umashree, Achyuth, Sharan Direction: Shashank Music: V Shridhar

Good Shashank’s film is successful in holding the attention of the audience from start to finish with an innovative storyline. For a change, this is not a remake film.

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The filmmaking techniques are on par with the best in the industry. With a free hand given to technicians for experimenting, the film turned out to be technically quite brilliant.

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Radhika Pandith has improved tremendously as an actor. She certainly scores over the rest of the cast in both performance and screen presence. It is Radhika’s show all the way.

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A few scenes have been shot in a realistic manner. For instance, Radhika’s plight because of a sick mother and drunkard brother has been portrayed effectively. The movie is supposed to be based on a true life incident and it shows.

n

The music stands out and nicely complements the narrative.

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The choreography is nice and trendy.

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Could have been better...

The film doesn’t match the hype created before its release. It does not live up to its billing as a trendsetting movie as claimed by the director. The story has several loose ends

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Too much importance is attached to Radhika’s role.

It overshadows the rest of the characters rather obviously. Ajay Rao, who badly needs a hit, has to be content playing second fiddle to Radhika Pandith.

It is evident that Shashank, who directed Radhika Pandith’s debut film Moggina Manassu has written the story keeping in mind his favourite actress.

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Radhika appears deglam for most of the time in the movie. Unfortunately, her make-up needs lot of improvement.

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The comedy at times, particularly scenes involving Sharan is irritating.

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Umashree’s presence in the film is not justified. She has been sparingly used.

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- Aravind G Shivkamal JULY’10 SOUTHSCOPE 63

Cable Raju aka Allu Arjun turned cable boy for promoting his character in his latest film Vedam. The act was well appreciated by the media.

Pic: M N Bushan

Pic: M N Bushan

KALEIDOSCOPE

TELUGU / KANNADA

Pic: M N Bushan

Veteran Hindi film actor Manoj Kumar was felicitated by Kannada film industry in recognition of his contribution to Indian cinema. Veteran actors Bharathi Vishnuvardhana and Jayanthi were among those present.

Pic: Manu

Young Tollywood stars attended the audio launch of Krishnudu’s next film, Pappu. M P, Madhu Yaskhi and Producer C Kalyan were the chief guests.

Balayya and Dasari Narayan Rao come together for Balakrishna’s next project called Param Veera Chakra. The movie opening coincided with Ballaya’s 50th birthday on June 10th. Nara Chandra Babu Naidu graced the event.

Pic: Manu

Pic: M N Bushan

The audio launch of Bheemili Kabbadi Jaatu audio had full attendance by the tollywood brigade, including Rana and Kajal. Nani was the cynosure of the evening and a great host.

Pic: Manu

Pic: M N Bushan

Lakshmi Prasanna and Tapsee visited Music World to promote Jhummandinadam audio.

Chiranjeevi Sarja with Kriti Kharbanda at the launch of the movie Chiru directed by Mahesh Babu. It is Kriti’s first film in Kannada.

64 SOUTHSCOPE JULY’10

Ramesh Aravind, Jennfier Kotwal and Director Omprakash Rao at the audio release of Deadly 2, a sequel to the hit film Deadly Soma.

screentest

MOUMITA The secret to Moumita’s perfect figure is yoga. Not only does she practice but also teaches yoga. She took acting classes with Ramanand in Hyderabad and modelled for a few print ads too. She was also IBIBO’s Miss Face 2010. Unlike many other models, Moumita loves cooking!

Southscope invites aspiring actors to send in their portfolio pictures to vrinda@southscope.in JULY’10 SOUTHSCOPE 65

03 JUST MAATH MAATHALLI 04 RAAM

04 MADHRASAPATTINAM

05 AYYANAR

06 PAIYAA

07 VINNAITHAANDI

08 VARUVAAYA

09 SURA

10 BALE PANDIYA

02 VEDAM

03 JHUMAANDI NAADAM

04 VILLAIN

05 YE MAAYA CHESAVE

06 GOLIMAAR

07 DARLING

08 SIMHA

10 AARYA-2

KRISHNA KRISHNA

09 RAMA RAMA

02 AAPTA RAKSHAKA

03 BAANA KATHADI

01 AWAARA

10 PARICHAYA

09 MALEYALI JOTHEYALI

10 ALEXANDER THE GREAT

09 AAGATHAN

08 THANTHONNI

07 PPRAMANI

06 NAYAKAN

07 KRISHNAN LOVE STORY 08 SHANKAR IPS

05 PAPPI APPACHA

04 ORU NAAL VARUM

03 POKKIRI RAJA

02 KADHA THUDARUNNU

01 MUMMY AND ME

MALAYALAM

06 SAVAARI

05 GUNDRUGOVI

01 SANCHAARI

KANNADA

02 SINGAM

01 RAAVANAN

TAMIL

TELUGU

top 10

10 JAANE TU YA JAANE NA

09 LOVE AAJ KAL

KARTHIK

08 KARTHIK CALLING

07 HOUSEFUL

06 KAJRAARE

05 3 IDIOTS

04 KITES

03 RAAJNEETI

02 I HATE LUV STORYS

01 RAAVAN

BOLLYWOOD

10 IN THE CLUB 2009

AMERICAN IDIOT

09 GREEN DAY-

08 COUPLES RETREAT

THE COLLECTION

07 BONEY M

06 MOS - CLUBBERS

05 EDWARD MAYA

04 POP IT ROCK IT

GREATEST HITS

03 ENRIQUE IGLESIAS

KING OF POP

02 MICHAEL JACKSON -

01 MINISTRY OF SOUND ONE

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