If reports doing the rounds in the industry are to be believed, director A M Jothi Krisna's eagerly-awaited magnum opus 'Hari Hara Veera Mallu', featuring actor Pawan Kalyan in the lead, is likely to get postponed yet again. The film, which has been in the making for over five and a half years, was finally all set to hit screens on June 12 this year. However, it now looks that may not happen. It may be recalled that director A M Jothi Krisna had told IANS in May that the film was completely done and that they were all set to send the film for clearance to the Censor Board shortly. Jothi Krisna had disclosed to IANS that they had shot the film in 200 days. The period film features Nidhi Aggarwal as the heroine and Bollywood star Bobby Deol as Aurangazeb. "This is a 16th century story. Bobby Deol plays Aurangazeb in the film. It is a story that happened during Mughal rule. It is based on a small incident that happened back then. It is an untold back story. The film will be part fiction, part fact. We have clubbed both and made this film. Pawan Kalyan plays a Robinhood kind of character in this film. He plays a thief," Jothikrishna disclosed. Although a section of the media claimed that the makers had already issued a statement announcing the postponement of the film's release, neither director A M Jothi Krisna, nor producer A M Rathnam have shared any such statement on any of their X timelines. The film's X handle too did not put out any statement on postponement. Reports doing the rounds claimed that in their statement, the makers had said that despite their relentless efforts, the film would not be hitting theatres on June 12 as scheduled. This decision, the makers reportedly said, was necessary though difficult. Reports also claimed the makers had promised to release a new trailer soon, which would contain the new release date of the film. The film's music has been scored by the iconic M.M. Keeravaani. Incidentally, Keeravani released the third single from the film 'Asura Hananam' in a grand event in Hyderabad last month. The film has cinematography by Manoj Paramahamsa and Gnanashekar V.S. and production design by Thota Tharani. Editing for the film is by National Award winning editor K L Praveen. Apart from Pawan Kalyan, Nidhi Aggarwal and Bobby Deol, ‘Hari Hara Veera Mallu’ will also feature Nassar, Sathyaraj, Thalaivasal Vijay, Raghu Babu, Subbaraju and Sunil among many others. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
06 June,2025 05:32 PM IST | Mumbai | IANSNagarjuna's home at Jubilee Hills in Hyderabad lit up this morning as son Akhil Akkineni tied the knot with his long-time girlfriend and fiancée Zainab Ravdjee. The two had been reportedly dating for three years before they got engaged in November last year. They had announced their engagement by sharing cosy pictures of themselves flaunting their rings. And now, the couple got married in an intimate ceremony attended by close family and friends. While the pictures of the newly we couple are making rounds on the internet, a video of Nagarjuna has also been going viral, where the father of the groom is seen dancing with joy at his son’s wedding. Nagarjuna’s viral video from Akhil Akkineni’s wedding Videos of Nagarjuna, Naga Chaitanya, and Sushanth dancing on DJ beats at Akhil’s baarat have been going viral. In one of the videos, Nagarjuna is seen jumping and shaking a leg on the DJ mixed version of the famous Amitabh Bachchan song, ‘Apni to Jaise Taise’ from his 1981 film Laawaris. He is seen dressed in a printed kurta. Father n sons rocks 👌🔥😎 on legend #amitabhbachchan songs king #NagarjunaAkkineni #nagachaitanya #AkhilAkkineni last night at baraat function#AkhilZainab wedding pic.twitter.com/hEMcPVThlq — Jagadeesh A ™ (@Jagadeesha92013) June 6, 2025 Naga Chaitanya, in a red kurta, and Akhil Akkineni, dressed in a yellow kurta, are then seen joining him on the stage and shaking a leg too. A few pictures of Naga Chaitanya have also been circulating, wherein he is seen holding a huge smoke gun. Similarly, in another video, Sushanth is seen dancing on the stage to DJ beats. Akhil Akkineni and Zainab Ravdjee’s wedding Akhil Akkineni and Zainab Ravdjee got married in an intimate ceremony at Nagarjuna’s Hyderabad home early this morning. The private ceremony was attended by some of the biggest names in the film industry, such as Chiranjeevi, Ram Charan, and Prashanth Neel, among others. ఈ ఉదయం బ్రహ్మ ముహూర్తం లో 👌🏻కుటుంబ సభ్యులు అత్యంత సన్నిహితుల మధ్య అఖిల్ జైనబ్ ల వివాహం!#AkhilAkkineni#AkhilZainab@iamnagarjuna @AkhilAkkineni8 😍 pic.twitter.com/VAOYPjGIAa — Lakshmi Bhavani (@iambhavani1) June 6, 2025 A few pictures of the newly wed have been going viral. In one of the pictures, Nagarjuna and his wife can be seen sitting beside the groom as they perform the wedding rituals. In other pictures, the newlywed couple can be seen posing together. Zainab looked ethereal in a pastel ivory saree paired with diamond jewellery. On the other hand, Akhil was seen donning a simple white kurta and dhoti, embracing his Telugu roots.
06 June,2025 01:36 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentTelugu film superstar Nagarjuna's younger son, Akhil Akkineni, has tied the knot with his longtime girlfriend, Zainab Ravdjee. While the couple is yet to share an official announcement, pictures from their wedding ceremony have gone viral on social media. The couple had a traditional wedding ceremony in Hyderabad on June 6. Akhil Akkineni and Zainab Ravdjee get married Reportedly, the wedding was attended by some of the biggest names in the film industry, including Chiranjeevi, Ram Charan, Prashanth Neel, and others. In one of the pictures, Nagarjuna can be seen sitting beside the newlyweds and participating in the rituals as the groom’s father. For their big day, Zainab opted for a pastel ivory saree paired with diamond jewellery. Meanwhile, Akhil looked elegant in a simple white kurta and dhoti, embracing his Telugu roots. Congratulations to #AkhilAkkineni and #Zainab on their beautiful journey together. 💖@AkhilAkkineni8 #AkhilZainab#AkhilWedding pic.twitter.com/rqBO6PQJHI — Vamsi Kaka (@vamsikaka) June 6, 2025 Wishing heartfelt congratulations to two wonderful souls beginning their journey together. @AkhilAkkineni8 🎉🥳#AkhilAkkineni#AkhilWedding pic.twitter.com/DSh1C5sJuI — Akhil Akkineni FC (@AkhilFreaks_FC) June 6, 2025 Father n sons rocks 👌🔥😎 on legend #amitabhbachchan songs king #NagarjunaAkkineni #nagachaitanya #AkhilAkkineni last night at baraat function#AkhilZainab wedding pic.twitter.com/hEMcPVThlq — Jagadeesh A ™ (@Jagadeesha92013) June 6, 2025 While not much information is publicly available, it is known that Zainab is an accomplished artist who has lived between India, Dubai, and London. According to her Instagram, Zainab is a lifestyle blogger specializing in skincare. She is also recognized for her contributions to Hyderabad exhibitions and is celebrated for her abstract paintings. Akhil Akkineni's engagement announcement Akhil Akkineni took to Instagram and posted a set of dreamy pictures to announce his engagement to his lady love. While sharing the pictures, he wrote, "Found my forever. Happy to announce that Zainab Ravdjee and I are happily engaged." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Akhil Akkineni (@akkineniakhil) In the photo, the actor could be seen beaming as he held Zainab’s hand. The couple looked stunning, with Akhil wearing a white shirt paired with white pants, while Zainab stole hearts in a gown straight out of a Bollywood fairytale. Another picture in the carousel showed them hugging. The third one captured a romantic moment, with Zainab flaunting her engagement ring. Interestingly, Akhil had restricted comments on the post, leaving fans curious about the reason behind this move. Nagarjuna welcomes Zainab to the family Meanwhile, Nagarjuna welcomed Zainab Ravdjee into the Akkineni family after the engagement. Extending a warm welcome, he wrote on X (formerly Twitter): "We are thrilled to announce the engagement of our son, @AkhilAkkineni8, to our daughter-in-law-to-be, Zainab Ravdjee! We couldn’t be happier to welcome Zainab into our family. Please join us in congratulating the young couple and wishing them a lifetime filled with love, joy, and your countless blessings." We are thrilled to announce the engagement of our son, @AkhilAkkineni8, to our daughter in law to be Zainab Ravdjee! We couldn't be happier to welcome Zainab into our family. Please join us to congratulate the young couple and wish them a lifetime filled with love, joy, and… pic.twitter.com/5KM7BU00bz — Nagarjuna Akkineni (@iamnagarjuna) November 26, 2024 It’s worth noting that in 2017, Akhil had called off his wedding with Shriya Bhupal, the granddaughter of business tycoon GVK, just months before their planned Italy ceremony.
06 June,2025 12:08 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentPopular Malayalam actor Shine Tom Chacko met with a road accident in Salem, Tamil Nadu, that left him injured. Unfortunately, the accident claimed the life of his father, C.P. Chacko. Reportedly, the family was travelling from Ernakulam to Bengaluru when the accident occurred around 6 am near Salem. Shine Tom Chacko's family meets with road accident According to a report in Manorama Online, Shine Tom Chacko and his family left Ernakulam at 10 pm on Thursday night. They were headed to Bengaluru for medical treatment after an initial course of treatment in Thodupuzha, located in Kerala's Idukki district. Reports claim the accident occurred when a truck veered off its lane and rammed into the car carrying Shine and his family. Shine’s father was seated in the middle row along with his wife. He initially sustained critical injuries but later succumbed to them at the hospital. Shine, who was asleep in the backseat at the time of the crash, reportedly injured his right hand, which might require surgery. The actor's mother, brother, and the driver also sustained injuries and are currently receiving treatment at a hospital in Dharmapuri. Shine’s brother was seated beside the driver. Other recent news about Shine Tom Chacko In April this year, Shine was arrested by Kochi police following a Narcotics Department raid at the hotel where he was staying. He was interrogated for about four hours in connection with a drug case that surfaced after a complaint by actress Vincy Aloshious, who alleged that a co-star had misbehaved with her on a film set. The issue came to light when Aloshious accused Shine of misbehaving with her during the shoot of the film Soothravakyam last year. Although she initially withheld his name, she later identified Shine and alleged that he spat a white powdery substance. Aloshious had filed a complaint with the Kerala Film Chamber on the condition that the accused’s name remain confidential. However, Chamber General Secretary Saji Nandiyattu later revealed Shine’s identity to the media and promised that action would be taken. Following this breach of trust, Aloshious expressed disappointment and announced she would no longer cooperate with the inquiry. Shine’s past with drug accusations Earlier this month, Shine’s name also surfaced during the interrogation of an arrested woman drug peddler, who claimed to have supplied narcotics to both Shine and actor Sreenath Bhasi. The woman and her associates are currently in judicial custody. Following her arrest, the Excise Department announced that notices would be issued to both actors.
06 June,2025 11:33 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentActor Ravi Mohan has been in the news for his personal life ever since he announced his separation from his wife and his alleged link-up with singer-healer Keneshaa Francis. He was recently clicked with Keneshaa while visiting a temple. The two went to the temple to seek blessings for the launch of the logo of his studio, Ravi Mohan Studios. Visuals of Keneshaa and Ravi posing with the temple priests are now going viral on social media. Keneshaa and Ravi visit temple For their temple visit, Ravi was seen dressed in a shirt and jeans, while Keneshaa opted for a kurta. In the pictures doing the rounds on social media, Keneshaa and Ravi are seen standing with garlands around their necks. They also posed with the temple priests before leaving the premises. Posts claim they were spotted at the Kundrakudi Murugan Temple. On Thursday, Ravi also launched the logo of his newly-founded studio, Ravi Mohan Studios. “On this auspicious day, I’m thrilled to reveal the logo of #RaviMohanStudios!!! Exciting updates coming your way soon… Stay tuned @ravimohanstudios,” he wrote, sharing the logo featuring a golden lion on a blue backdrop. Fans left congratulatory messages under the post, hoping the studio will launch fresh talent. On this auspicious day, I’m thrilled to reveal the logo of #RaviMohanStudios !!!Exciting updates coming your way soon… Stay Tuned @Ravimohanstudio ✌🏻 pic.twitter.com/ACuBYeX9TR — Ravi Mohan (@iam_RaviMohan) June 5, 2025 About Ravi Mohan and Aarti's divorce Amid ongoing tensions, the couple appeared before the Chennai Family Court on May 21 and filed individual petitions for divorce. At the hearing, Ravi Mohan reiterated his intention to proceed with the divorce, while Aarti demanded Rs 40 lakh as monthly alimony. Ravi also urged the court to reject Aarti's plea for cohabitation. The court adjourned the matter to June 12 and asked both parties to reconsider their pleas. Earlier, when Ravi initially filed for divorce, the court directed the couple to attend counselling sessions, which they have been complying with as per court orders. In September 2024, Ravi Mohan announced his separation from Aarti. Recently, he made headlines again due to his closeness with Keneshaa Francis. As the internet buzzed with speculation about their relationship, the actor released a four-page statement addressing the public narrative. He criticized his estranged wife for making false accusations and clarified his friendship with Keneshaa, stating that he supported her during a difficult time.
06 June,2025 10:09 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIt took 38 years for Mani Ratnam and Kamal Haasan to reunite after creating the cinematic landmark Nayakan. Expectations were sky-high for Thug Life, a film that promised to bring together two stalwarts with decades of artistic evolution. With Kamal not only leading the cast but also penning the script, the stakes couldn’t have been higher. Plot Haasan plays Rangaraya Sakthivel, a Delhi-based gangster who has been chased by death since birth; living the curse of mortality by outliving his loved ones. The narrative begins with promise, tracing Sakthivel’s journey as he adopts an orphaned boy, Amar (Silambarasan TR), during a gang shootout in 1994. He mentors Amar, hands over his criminal empire before heading to prison, and continues to rule from behind bars. However, betrayal shatters his reign, setting the stage for vengeance. The curse of the second half The film's first half has several engaging elements. Ratnam, known for his mastery in world-building, draws us into Sakthivel’s layered life, punctuated by high-energy sequences and the catchy wedding number 'Jinguchaa'. After setting stage in the first half, one expects things to unravel and the film to have its peak moments. However, the film gradually descends into an overindulgent spree of stylized violence, sacrificing emotional depth and narrative clarity. The central premise—a man haunted by the curse of outliving his loved ones—had immense potential. Yet, the screenplay only brushes the surface of its characters’ emotional lives. Key arcs, like Sakthivel’s vow to find Amar’s missing sister Chandra, are relegated to the background and reappear abruptly near the climax. This disjointed storytelling makes it difficult for viewers to emotionally invest in any of the characters. Performances and technical Kamal Haasan, at 70, is quite agile. Despite facing a massive betrayal at the hands of his own, one fails to feel empathetic towards his character, Sakthivel. The makers try to portray him as a good man who bats for women education, independence to choose one's own partner and emerges righteous even in a deadly shootout. His chemistry with Silambarasan works exceptionally well in the first half. However, that love and admiration do not translate to anything as things go south between the two. Talents like Joju George, Ali Fazal, Mahesh Manjrekar, Nassar, Ashok Selvan, Bagavathi Perumal seem wasted in the film without a good story arc for their characters. The female characters including Trisha, Abhirami, and Aishwarya Lekshmi fail to get the beautiful Mani Ratnam heroine treatment here and turn out to be mere catalyst to portray Sakhtivel as the good man. On the technical front, Thug Life impresses. The de-aging of Kamal Haasan in the 1994 flashbacks is seamlessly executed. A.R. Rahman’s music adds to the film’s atmospheric depth, and Ravi K. Chandran’s cinematography is visually striking. But these merits can’t fully compensate for the film’s lack of emotional resonance. Final verdict Thug Life is a technically sound film with grand ambitions but fails to tap into the very soul that made Nayakan iconic. While it’s worth a watch for fans of Kamal and Mani Ratnam, the film ultimately feels like a missed opportunity—more spectacle than substance.
06 June,2025 08:34 AM IST | Mumbai | Athulya NambiarThug LifeU/A: Action, crime dramaDir: Mani RatnamActor: Kamal HaasanRating: 2/5 As a supposed underworld drama, Thug Life is essentially a Kamal Haasan movie, merely directed by Mani Ratnam. Which means a few things; at least one of them may not be so bad, after all. Don’t know about you, but I haven’t quite enjoyed a Mani Ratnam film for the longest; barring, to a fair extent, O Kadhal Kanmani (2015), that was a decade ago, with a couple of more eggs (Kadal, Raavanan) laid even before that. It’s also the first time in 38 years that Tamil cinema’s superstar and star-director have combined creative forces since their only outing together, with the much loved, Nayakan (1987). Why it took this long is beyond me, of course. But the excitement over such a move can be explained better by looking at the movie itself, rather than audiences in my cinema. Haasan plays the don, of course — placed on the left, right, centre, back and front of this pic, altogether. Consider the bearded, bulky bloke playing his random henchman, then — that’s Joju George, who may well be India’s least known, best actor, from Malayalam cinema, especially given his cop trilogy (Iratta, Nayattu, Joseph). Or for that matter, India’s homegrown Hollywood talent, Ali Fazal (Mirzapur’s Guddu Bhaiya, down to Death on the Nile), who’s totally okay with even less than a two-bit role. Let alone Sanya Malhotra (Dangal, Mrs, Kathal) shaking to a song, for 30 seconds. In fact, most of the cast (STR, Ashok Selvan, Nassar, etc), on their own, comprise bona fide lead actors, surrendering themselves, at worst, to junior-artiste role/category — simply to somehow participate in a Haasan-Ratnam production! Legacy is what legacy does. One by one, it’s actually great to observe this line-up in the film’s absolutely fine first half. Wherein the characters get introduced, while quirks of the hero, i.e. Sakthi (Haasan), gets established. With a determined walk, revealing a muscular swag, Haasan plays a super veer/brave, virile sorta figure, equally devoted to his wife, and a young, besotted mistress/girlfriend (Trisha Krishnan) he’s simultaneously in love with. He’s very much a family man in the mould of an underworld don, based in Delhi, taking along his brood, since blood matters the most still. The script follows the time-tested tradition of revealing to audiences, first off, the ‘what’; as in, what it’s about. That is, this old man’s fight with Yamraj (God of death), who he manages to beat each time. Haasan’s character says it, in so many words, as the film opens. Formally, starting off then with a superb shoot-out sequence, set in Delhi, 1994, shot in black & white, where he could’ve died first. You’re aware, there will be many such sequences. Then the script, equally early on, spells out the ‘how’ of the film; as in, how will it carry on? The lovely line goes, “It’s the curse of this city [Delhi]: son has killed father, brothers have killed each other [since history].” So far so good. And Ratnam usually makes mainstream audiences feel good about their movie-tastes. That’s been his main achievement over four decades! Basically, what’s being followed is an old rule of communication: ‘tell them, what you’re gonna tell them; tell them; tell them, what you’ve told them!’ Except, the latter being the picture’s post-interval parts that, as per another sacred rule of spoiler-alerts, I can’t reveal to you at all! Suffice it to share, you may not care. Which is when The Godfather descends to John Wick — just any other juvenile, high-octane actioner, dressed up as a magnificent, Madras mob-opera. Why’s that such a terrible thing? To which, I might wanna wonder aloud the difference between a fierce gangster, and an underworld don. It’s in the same vein as a villain, and an anti-hero. In the sense that the don, while defying state/society, becomes larger than life still, for what he offers the public around him. They root for him. You can see crowds outside this mafiosi Rangaraya Sakthivel Nayakar (Sakthi’s) home. You just don’t know why. He’s pretty much saving his own life, anyway; and no bullet can go past him, that’s all. Watch (if you haven’t) and compare this to Ratnam’s Nayakan, with Velu Naicker (Haasan), based on the Bombay underworld figure, Varadarajan Mudaliar (1926-1988). That’s when you figure, how devoid of social context this film feels — bumbling along, simplistically, as an episodic mini-series, with far too many frickin’ characters, stepping in, stepping out, looking/feeling lost in an overboiled plot. What good is a don in Delhi anyway, where the biggest of ’em from each part of India have held positions of power/parliament, over generations! What you’re left with then is basically a bunch of set-pieces or money-shots — helipads/helicopters, snow-capped mountains, deserts, car tackles/chases — placed across the world. To a point that, you realise, if this movie didn’t look so snazzily stylised, hence superficial/synthetic, you would’ve probably been able to connect with it, in parts. But yeah, this is the kinda big-budget picture, stunt stuff, that audiences want, you know? I understand. The 1980s were no different, if not worse, actually.Which is why Nayakan, super-hit in the same genre, stood out — for so successfully calling out the conventional commercial bluff! For going deeper into the promised genre, instead, and taking audiences on a fairly internalised journey. And that lilting, Ilaiyaraaja background tune, Thenpandi cheemayile, that continues to haunt. There was that ‘thehrav’, a self-assured calmness to it all that, I’m told, translates to ‘amaidhi’ in Tamil. Of course, none of that even attempted here. But this has the ageless, agile Kamal Haasan, 70. He might be the only good thing in the film. He’s also the only thing in it! Felt like a ‘Thugs of Hindostan’ moment from Tamil Nadu to me.
06 June,2025 07:23 AM IST | Mumbai | Mayank ShekharMani Ratnam’s Thug Life starring Kamal Hassan hit the silver screens today across the country, except in one state. In case you missed it, the film has been banned in Karnataka and hence was not released in the cinema halls in the state. The ban was a result of Haasan’s comment, which stirred up a huge controversy. The actor reportedly said, "Kannada is born from Tamil", which did not sit well with the Kannada-speaking people. Furthermore, his unwillingness to apologise for it, stating it was ‘made out of love’, only added to the woes. Although the film skipped the Karnataka screens, the actor’s fans made sure they watched their beloved star on the big screen, even if that meant travelling miles and crossing state borders. Kamal Hassan fans travel 42 km Kamal Haasan's fans were unstoppable as they took to social media to share their willingness to travel 42 km to watch his latest release. As the film was released on Thursday, social media was flooded with pictures and videos of fans from other states celebrating outside theatres and sharing their reviews of the film. One such user on X (formerly Twitter) posted videos of fans bursting firecrackers outside a single-screen theatre in Hosur. Thuglife is banned in Karnataka, but no one can stop our love for Kamal Haasan. All the fans in Bangalore are gathered here in Hosur !"#KamalHaasan #KamalHaasan𓃵 #Thuglife #ThugLifeFromToday #ThugLifeBlockbuster #Silambarasan #chinnaswamystadium pic.twitter.com/hCSSoQQT0t — South Mix Media (@SouthMixMedia) June 5, 2025 The user shared that Kamal Haasan fans travelled from Bengaluru to the theatre in Tamil Nadu's Hosur to watch the film. "Thuglife is banned in Karnataka, but no one can stop our love for Kamal Haasan. All the fans in Bangalore are gathered here in Hosur!”, they wrote. Thug Life to incur losses due to ban A report by The Hindu predicts that Thug Life will likely face a ₹35-40 crore loss for not releasing in Karnataka. Producer and distributor G Dhananjayan stated that the production of Thug Life will likely lose out on ₹35-40 crore gross earnings at the box office and ₹12-15 crore share to producers due to the missed release in Karnataka. The calculation was reportedly based on the fact that Pushpa 2, Baahubali 2, RRR, and Kalki 2898 AD made around ₹74-104 crore of their over ₹1000 crore worldwide revenue in Karnataka alone. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) He noted, “With the four Telugu films grossing a total of ₹5832 crore, the Karnataka box office revenue alone amounts to ₹391.20 crore, while the north Indian market accounts for ₹2361.60 crore. The Karnataka market accounts for around 7% of the total revenue.” Even top-grossing Tamil films like Jailer, Leo, Ponniyin Selvan, The GOAT, and Vikram had a major chunk of the market in Karnataka, said the producer, adding, “For Tamil films too, the Karnataka market accounts for 7% of the total revenue.”
05 June,2025 05:23 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentActor Suriya, along with director Venky Atluri and his team, on Thursday offered prayers at the world renowned Palani Murugan temple, ahead of the film's shooting which is to begin on June 9. Sources close to the unit of the film, which is being tentatively referred to as #Suriya46, said the team visited the Palani Murugan Temple to seek divine strength before taking their first major step. It may be recalled that director Venky Atluri's upcoming film with actor Suriya, officially got launched with a pooja ceremony on May 19 this year. The film officially went on floors with ace director Trivikram delivering the first clap. Malayalam actress Mamitha Baiju, who impressed with her performance in the Malayalam romantic drama 'Premalu', plays the female lead in the film which will have music by National Award winner G V Prakash. The unit initially had said that shooting for the film would begin by the end of May. However, the producers have now confirmed that shooting for the film, which is to hit screens during the summer of 2026, will begin on June 9. Sithara Entertainments, the production house producing the film, took to its timeline on X to share the news. It wrote, "Team #Suriya46 visited Palani Murugan Temple to seek divine strength. Before taking their FIRST MAJOR STEP. Shoot kickstarts June 9th. Exciting updates rolling out soon…" Team #Suriya46 visited Palani Murugan Temple to seek divine strength 🙏🏻Before taking their FIRST MAJOR STEP ❤️🔥Shoot kickstarts June 9th 🔥Exciting updates rolling out soon… ⏳@Suriya_offl #VenkyAtluri @_mamithabaiju @realradikaa @TandonRaveena @gvprakash @vamsi84… pic.twitter.com/jlURVdPf4N — Sithara Entertainments (@SitharaEnts) June 5, 2025 Apart from Suriya and Mamitha Baiju, the film will also feature Bollywood actress Raveena Tandon and Tamil actress Radhika Sarathkumar in pivotal roles. Cinematography for the film will be by Nimish Ravi and editing will be by National Award winner Navin Nooli. Music director and actor G V Prakash, who will be joining hands with Suriya as a music director after 'Soorarai Pottru', took to X to say that this film would be as special as 'Soorarai Pottru'. It may be recalled that G V Prakash, while penning his thoughts on working with Suriya in this film had said, "After #Sooraraipottru joining hands with Suriya sir. This album will be as special as SP. This one is for you sir @Suriya_offl....We have got a fantastic film and album on hands.... The songs have come out superb. With the hit production house and my best combo @SitharaEnts @vamsi84 sir . And my most successful director combo #Venkyatluri. @_mamithabaiju here is #Suriya46." This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
05 June,2025 05:13 PM IST | Mumbai | IANSThe makers of director Nelson Venkatesan’s upcoming film, ‘DNA’, featuring actors Atharvaa Murali and Nimisha Sajayan in the lead, on Thursday announced that the film would hit screens worldwide on June 20 this year. Red Giant Movies, which is presenting the film, took to its X handle to make the announcement. It said, "Truth runs in the blood.#DNAMovie Worldwide Release on June 20th. Written & directed by @nelsonvenkat. Produced by @Olympiamovis @Ambethkumarmla." Truth runs in the blood.🩸#DNAMovie Worldwide Release on June 20th 🧬Written & directed by @nelsonvenkat Produced by @Olympiamovis @Ambethkumarmla#NimishaSajayan @Filmmaker2015 @editorsabu @GhibranVaibodha @RedGiantMovies_ @sahisivaaa @sreekanth1810 @dsathyaprakash pic.twitter.com/1nB2XbljmK — Red Giant Movies (@RedGiantMovies_) June 5, 2025 The film has been garnering attention ever since the makers released a gripping teaser of it. The teaser shows that both the protagonists of the film, Anand (Atharvaa Murali) and Divya (Nimisha Sajayan) are rebellious by nature. Their rebellious nature against the system makes those close to them consider them as crazy. However, at one point these characters come together and the faith that Anand has in Divya is put to the test because of what appears to be a crime. The teaser also features the line “Two strands wound to make a twisted ladder,” adding more intrigue to the plot. The teaser has given the impression that DNA will be an investigative crime drama that will be distinctly different. Apart from Atharvaa Murali and Nimisha Sajayan in the lead, the film will also feature a number of stars including Balaji Sakthivel, Ramesh Thilak, Viji Chandrasekar, Chetan, Riythvika KP, Subramanian Siva, Karunakaran and Pasanga Sivakumar. Nelson Venkatesan, who is best known for having made movies like ‘Oru Naal Koothu’, ‘Monster’ and ‘Farhana’ has directed this crime drama that has been produced by Jayanthi Ambedkar. Background score for this film is by Ghibran Vaibodha while Sreekanth Hariharan, Sathya Prakash, Anal Akash, Praveen Saivi and Sahi Siva have scored the music for the film. Cinematography is by Parthiban and editing is by Sabu Joseph VJ. Art Direction is by Siva Shankar and stunts are by Don Ashok. The story of the film has been co-written by Athisha Vino. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
05 June,2025 04:13 PM IST | Mumbai | IANSKamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam have come together for a professional collaboration after 38 years. Their last outing together, Nayakan, was a classic. Now, all eyes are on Thug Life, a mass actioner written by Haasan himself with music by A.R. Rahman. The film features an ensemble cast including Silambarasan TR, Trisha Krishnan, Ashok Selvan, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Joju George, Ali Fazal, Sanya Malhotra, and Rohit Saraf, among others. With the film now playing in theatres, here’s a look at the first reactions and reviews from audiences. Netizens Unimpressed by Thug Life The initial reactions toward Mani Ratnam's directorial Thug Life are not positive, with fans saying the film lacks the filmmaker’s trademark magic. Many also felt the second half was flat and the plot quite generic. It was uninteresting, routine, emotionless aimless and unimpressive in every way, yet undeniably musical and stylish.#Thuglife pic.twitter.com/9F9wz4KxCx — చాండ్లర్😳 (@chandler999999) June 5, 2025 #Thuglife The second half goes downhill. Surprisingly too much talking in a maniratnam film. #STR and drama goes missing until pre climax in the second half. Only good moment in second half is the climax. It's hard to watch ur favorite director making a mediocre movie ☹️ pic.twitter.com/Y4jWWkbam2 — Frank (@saatvan) June 5, 2025 #ThugLife ~ Turd Life 💩 Predictable gangster saga by Mani Ratnam with an Outdated story by Kamal Haasan & an Ineffective score by ARR. What works is the good De-aging work in the beginning, and the rest is big blunder.🥱👎 (1☆/5) pic.twitter.com/gpU7hin9k1 — Prince Prithvi (@PrincePrithvi) June 5, 2025 Been an hour since I watched the UK premiere of #ThugLife. Poorly written, lack of character depth aplenty, no emotional connect with any of the titular roles, music in movie was mehh. Should've just stayed at home and slept pic.twitter.com/QCuqf1YtHw — Rakesh Koothrapalli (@summairrakesh) June 5, 2025 Kamal Haasan on Thug Life During a press interaction on Wednesday, Haasan spoke fondly of his experience working on 'Thug Life' and what the film means to him. "It is true that working with him (Mani Ratnam) was a pleasure for me. I would like to thank Tamil Nadu and its people for their unwavering support," Haasan said, reflecting on the warmth he has received throughout his career. Haasan went on to elaborate about his contribution to the film, describing the collaborative process with Ratnam. "Every film is a challenge, especially when you add another director like Mani Ratnam and a story that is so interesting. Fortunately, he included me in the story's preparation. I gave him an idea, and most of the time, I was getting vegetables and helping him make it more tasty. That's what I did. And that I call a true collaboration... We both are children of cinema, and that is how we see each other," he said.
05 June,2025 12:29 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
