Will 'Ayan' and 'Aegan' get new names?

Tamil films have started triggering debates over the language of Tamil. The fresh debate over the root of the words ‘Ayan’ and ‘Aegan’ has raised many questions over naming Tamil films.

‘Ayan’ (starring Suriya) means Brahma, the God, who creates and ‘Aegan’ (starring Ajith) means Siva, the God, who destructs. Though both words find a place in Tamil dictionary, it is said that the titles would be changed, as these words do not have their roots in Tamil. They, according to some scholars, were borrowed from Sanskrit and hence they cannot be considered as Tamil titles.

Last year DMK government announced entertainment tax exemption to the films that have Tamil titles. The move was taken by the Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi to discourage the then trend to have English titles for Tamil films. The filmmakers and producers started naming their films after Tamil titles. Now, following the objection to give tax exemption to “meaningless Tamil titles”, Tamil Nadu government has announced that the concession would not be extended to the films that do not have relevant titles.

This has triggered a deep concern over the ‘relevance’ of the titles and many producers are preparing proper explanations to justify their titles. Though the titles ‘Aegan’ and ‘Ayan’ cannot be termed as irrelevant ones, some argue that they are not original Tamil words and hence they advise the producers to find some alternate to get the tax exemption. Though Vairamuthu, veteran lyricist and a Tamil scholar, has categorically told that ‘Ayan’ is a Tamil word, the controversy ceases to die.

One wonders how could the words taken from or inspired by other languages long back could be termed as non Tamil words.

ONE TWO THREE - Movie Review

Banner: Eros Entertainment, Big Screen Entertainer

Cast: Sunil Shetty,Tusshar Kapoor, Paresh Rawal, Upen Patel, Esha Deol, Neetu Chandra Sameera Reddy, Tanisha Mukherjee

Direction: Ashwani Dheer

Production: Kumar Mangat, Sunil Lulla

Music: Raghav Sachar

123 comes your way as one of the so called multi-starrers of this year (at least that’s how it was promoted). The film attempts to bring in immense comedy on the basis of mistaken identities.

The film brings in the ace at television comedy –Ashwin Dhir who has been the maverick behind the success of the tele-serial ‘Office Office’. But we wonder whether television and cinema have the same pattern when it comes to humour?

To begin with, the diamonds belonging to a Don [Manoj Pahwa] accidentally fall in the hands of Chandu [Upen Patel] and Chandni [Tanishaa], who hide them in a car. Papa [Mukesh Tiwari] and his henchmen [Vrajesh Hirjee and Sanjay Mishra] are desperately hunting for the diamonds, while police officer Mayavati Chautala [Neetu Chandra] is on the lookout for any offenders.

Enter the first Laxmi Narayan [Tusshar Kapoor] who is from a mafia family and his mother prays and awaits his first successful murder. He comes to Hotel Blue Diamond to knock off Papa which is his last chance to prove himself as Bhai.

Enter the second Laxmi Narayan [Suniel Shetty] who is also sent to Hotel Blue Diamond to collect a new car for his boss from Laila [Sameera Reddy]. The third Laxmi Narayan [Paresh Rawal] is a hawker who has made so much money selling under-garments on the footpath that he has set up a lingerie factory now. His son sends him to Hotel Blue Diamond to collect lingerie samples from upcoming designer Jiya [Esha Deol].

The three Laxmi Narayans are at the same place, at the same time. They get letters and photographs meant for the other. The first Laxmi Narayan gets lingerie designer Jiya's photo,the second Laxmi Narayan gets Papa's photo and the third Laxmi Narayan gets Laila's photo . A series of events follow which get different personalities intertwined as mistaken identities take over.

Director Ashwani Dhir fails miserably at holding the viewers attention and making one laugh. Some jokes are good but majority of it is just plain boring and more annoying. The script is loose and some characters are just so irrelevant to the script. Take for example Tanishaa and Upen Patel.

Also the manner in which Esha falls in love with Tusshar on realizing that he is a don is just so stupid. Just observe the expressions on Esha’s face when she explains her concept of an exciting love story with a bhai.

Most dialogues in the film are plain one liners, most of them not worth remembering. Some scenes evoke a gross feeling rather than being funny. The scene where Paresh Rawal argues with two women over their bra size and the remark that her husband always asks him her size before buying one is gross.

On the acting front, Suniel shetty initially impresses but eventually annoys with the ‘aapka left ya mera left sir?’ dialogue. He tries his Bhola act once again and this time it fails majorly because of a weak script.

Paresh Rawal offers nothing new; he just seems to be repeating his character over and over again. He barely makes you laugh and the so called funny erotic number between Paresh and Sameera could have been avoided.

Tusshar Kapoor fails to impress either with his jokes or few elements of bhaigiri . Upen Patel is absolutely wasted. Manoj Pahwa and Mukesh Tiwari followed by Sanjay Mishra are the best lot in the film. They bring life to their character and also in case of Mukesh , he comes as a revelation in comedy.

The ladies in the film are purely added for the glamour quotient. None of them impress with their acting except for Neetu Chandra who comes in as a surprise package as a cop with not much scope in the film.

Even the pretty Sameera, Esha and Tanishaa can’t complement the music of the film by Raghav Sachar. Some tracks are good but the placement of the tracks kills it all. The title track and the ‘Lakshmi Narayan’ dialogue filled track adds flavor.

On the whole, 123 fails to impress. The jokes get monotonous and the script is loose. Ashwani Dhir maybe be an ace at television but forgets that the comedy in cinema has to be much tighter and crisp, after all you just have 2 ½ hours to make the audience laugh. At the box office it surely means much higher revenues for Abbas Mastan’s RACE.

Verdict: Monotonous jokes and weak script

Rating: 1 star on 5

Duty Towards Parents

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ

"Reciting Salawath on our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is an activity that will be accepted by Allah, even if we don't have Ikhlas (piety)".

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The Quran delcares: And do good to your parents. If either or both of them reach old age with you, say not to them (even) uff, nor them and speak to them generous words. And make yourselves submissively gentle to them with compassion and say: O my Lord! Have mercy on them as they brought me up when I was an infant – 17:23, 24 Q. Thus it is seen that a great stress has been laid by the Quran regarding obedience to Parents. In Islam, next to the duty of god comes duty towards parents. Parents are the immediate cause of our birth and without them; we could not have seen the light of the world. Where were we in our infancy and where would we have been now had the parents not take sincere care of us? We would have been in their absence left to the mercy of the wind, sun and rain. How patiently parents bear all sorts of hardships, and how joyfully to they sacrifice their comfort in improving children. They spare no pains in procuring food for them, and they acquire the vices of hoarding wealth only for their subsequent use and comforts? For all these reasons, the duty to parents has been placed by the Quran and Hadis next to the supreme duty towards Allah.

Among parents, mother’s place of respect of obedience has been placed much above father, as mother shares the major portion of privation for the infant child. The Quran says: And we have enjoined on man the doing of good to his parents. With trouble did his mother bear him and with trouble did she bring him up, and the bearing of him and weaning of him was 30 months. – 46:15 Q. And we have enjoined man in respect of his parents. His mother bears him with fainting upon fainting and his weaning takes two years – saying: Be grateful to Me and both your parents – 31:14 Q. The Prophet said the Paradise lies near the feet of a mother and the most unfortunate man is he who does not enter Paradise though he has got old parents at home. No Muslim is allowed to join the battlefield without mother’s permission. It has been spoken of as better then Jihad. Paradise becomes even unlawful for disobedience to parents. Disobedience is a great sin. Long life can be gained only by obedience to parents.

How to be obedient to Parents? It consists in maintaining them, giving them gifts and presents, speaking gentle and loving words to them at every time and taking their permission when going to abroad. If they want us to divorce our wives, we should do it. Obedience to parents does not finish as soon as they are dead. We should pray to Allah for them and ask forgiveness. A Muslim should always pray: O Allah, forgive me and my parents. Children should fulfill the promises made by their parents, honour their friends and relations and give charity in their names.

Maintenance of Parents. Children is solvent circumstances are bound to maintain their poor parents, although they are able to earn something for themselves; and the children in indigent circumstances also are bound to maintain their poor parents and not those who are solvent. Difference of religion does not absolve children from the obligation of maintaining parents. Maintenance of the parents of an absentee may be divided out of his effects. Here parents include paternal and ancestral grandfather and grandmother (Hedayah)

Fruits of obedience in their direction. Obedience to parents is seed which spring forth the great obligation of obedience to all constituted authority. Parents sincerely wish for the welfare of their children. The refractory children can never make progress as they do not observe the rules of home which is the nursery of all possible virtues. It also implies obedience to Allah and His Apostle. The first impression received in early age cannot be overthrown in after life very easily. It is therefore said that a child is born in natural faith (Islam) till his parents make him a Christian, a Jew or a Magician.

Parents when to be disobeyed. Duty towards the Almighty is greater than that towards parents. So when there arises a conflict between the two duties, the latter be scarified in preference to the farmer as Abraham did in case of his father. The Quran says: And if they (parents) contend with you that should set up a partner with one of whom you have no knowledge, disobey them, keep kind company with them in this world – 29:8 Q, 31:15 Q. Even in this case, parents are to be shown kindness, honour and respect. When a father or relation is an open enemy of Islam, he must not be obeyed.

Duty towards Family-Members and Relatives

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ

"Reciting Salawath on our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is an activity that will be accepted by Allah, even if we don't have Ikhlas (piety)".

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Family consists of parents, children, wives, husbands, servants and slaves and therefore the duty towards each of them and vice versa has been mentioned in the proceeding sections in order of importance. Next comes the duty towards next kindred of family like brothers, sisters etc and other near relatives out side of family. This section has been devoted to them.

Fortune depends upon domestic peace and peace with relatives. National prosperity also mainly depends upon this family peace because families form a nation and unless individual families are prosperous, the nation cannot be prosperous. Family peace can therefore be said at the root of good fortune. It opens the gate of fortune and discards that of poverty. The Holy Prophet (pbuh), there fore laid special stress regarding duties towards family members and other near relatives. There is no greater charity than a man’s spending his money for the members of his family. Gift and Charity to poor kinsmen bring double rewards than to strangers, as in the farmer case there are tow motives – charity and keeping amity with relations. If the poor man of each family are maintained their poor relatives by charity and compulsory zakat, there will be an end of poverty and begging-nuisance; and beggars shall not be bound to beg from door to door meeting with reprisals and bad grace. The world in that case will be free from poor men. More over family-members and agnates will live in peace and happiness thereby ensuring prosperity and good fortune. It also causes prolongation of life.

Misfortune and sin lie in dispute with family-members and relations. The prayer of a Muslim is not accepted who breaks off the tie of relationship. The severer of connection with kindred and agnates shall not enter Paradise and will get his punishment in the World, as well as in the next. The most perfect form of connection and amity is to treat the kindreds well, even though they at asunder the tie of blood.

Maintenance of near relations. Persons who are not themselves poor are bound to maintain their poor relations within the prohibited degrees in proportion to the share which they would inherit from them to their death. But the obligation does not extend beyond those relations, as this world be rather impracticable. A poor man is not to bind to support any of his relatives except his wife and infant children and parents, and difference of religion forbids the obligation to the maintenance of any relations except wife, parents and children (Hedaya)

Best man. The Holy Prophet (pbuh) said that the best man is he who is best to his family and that he is the best among the Muslims to his family. The best dinar which a man spends is a dinar which he spends for his family and this will be considered as an act of charity. The duty towards relatives has been placed next to the duty towards parents. The inmates of Paradise are three a just, true and merciful king, a kind man soft of heart for every kinsman, and a contended beggar having a big family and abstaining from begging. The best man is he who removes harms from his relatives so long as he does not commit sin.

Quran about relatives. Surely Allah enjoins doing of justice and doing of good and giving in Charity to the kindred (16:90) O you who believe! Save yourself and your families from fire whose fuel is men and stones (66:6) And give the near of kin his due and to the needy and the way-farer (17:26) And warn your near relatives (26:214) It is therefore seen that duty towards relatives in order to do spiritual and religious benefit to them is greater. The Holy Prophet (pbuh) himself tried his utmost to reclaim his relatives from utter degradation.

SRK, Yash Raj films & Rajinikanth clash!

As interesting as the headline is the story itself. If reports smoking out of Bollywood are to be believed then we can witness the clash of Titans, we mean with regards to the film industry.

Red Chillies VFX, Yash Raj FIlms and Rajinikanth's daughter Soundarya's Ocher Studios will be vying with each other in the National Association of Broadcasters show to be held in Las Vegas on April 15.

The three production houses will also be making their presentations. Reports suggest that the production houses will also extend their service to not just desi but foreign films as well. The highest billing among these three production houses has been given to given to SRK's Red Chillies VFX. Not to mention that SRK's production has ventured into making animation films as well.

Rajinikanth's Ocher Studios has ventured in to the production and making of the animated film 'Sultan - The warrior', with a whooping budget of 70 crore rupees. Reports indicate that there is tough competition existing between Red Chillies VFX and Ocher Studios. And with Yash Raj films too coming out with an animation film titled 'Roadside Romeo' the competition is getting stiffer.

Now the best we can do is just wait till the calender turns April 15th and watch who gets picked as the best!

Box office analysis

First weekend performance of latest release

Months after the release of OM SHANTI OM and WELCOME, a film has managed to take a stupendous opening at the box office. RACE, the film which Bollywood was looking forward to after a relative lean 2008 (that only had JODHAA AKBAR making a mark), has got audience back into the theaters.

The film has worked all over, whether A, B or C centers, and is drawing all segments of audience with family crowds as well as student community thronging the theaters. In addition, RACE has turned out to be one of those few films which has broken single screens v/s multiplex audience and taken an exceptional opening all over.

The way things stand today, this Abbas Mustan directed film is all set to break the 35 crore barrier when it comes to first week's collections. If it does so (which looks quite positive as of now), RACE would only be the fourth film to do so after OM SHANTI OM (40 crores), WELCOME (35 crores) and DHOOM 2 (35 crores)! Abbas Mustan are certainly back in the 'race'!

Last week's movies

There was no new notable film release last weekend.

From the past

BLACK & WHITE has proved many a trade analysts wrong with the way it performed in it's second week. As indicated in last week's column, the film's collections were not up to the mark but certainly not horrendous. However, though it seemed that in second week BLACK & WHITE won't be able to recover from a disappointing opening, it wasn't the case to be as the film fell by only 45%. Now that's quite reasonable considering the fact that it earlier seemed all dead for this Subhash Ghai venture. Yes, an open week and tax exemption did help but at the end of the day what matters is the inflow of moolah.

The film managed to get close to 2 crores in it's second week hence bringing the overall collections to a respectable 5.25 crore. For a moderately priced film like BLACK & WHITE, this is good money which brings the film to coverage status. Whatever comes from here is a bonus and Ghai would be happy that his film hasn't quite been rejected as some wanted him to believe on the day of the film's release.

JODHAA AKBAR - Now the movie is turning out to be a VIVAH when it comes to trending and that too on a higher side since the collections are turning out to be quite consistent week after week. When compared with weeks before this, it's 5th week should be considered to be the best when compared with the rest since the film fell by less than 15%. Yes, you read it right - 15%!

With as much as 4.5 crores coming in, the film has now crossed 58 crores mark and looks all set to make it 60 crores as the week draws to a close. Now that's commendable because while doing so, it would have achieved the 60 crore milestone in 6 weeks, something which TAARE ZAMEEN PAR did in 12 weeks! JODHAA AKBAR continued to be amazing all over with Mumbai bringing more than 60 lakhs and Delhi being quite good at 50 lakhs!

Coming to TAARE ZAMEEN PAR, it too had just 15% fall, hence adding another 30 lakhs to it's total. As it approaches a 100 days run at the theaters, the film's collections stand at 60.5 crores. Now can we have the film's DVDs being out please? It has been quite some wait and film lovers are dying to own a copy for their home video library!

In the future

ONE TWO THREE is the sole notable release of the week and though RACE is doing super strong business at the box office, superb promotional campaign by the makers of ONE TWO THREE would ensure that the film doesn't go unnoticed. Promising to be a laugh riot, the film looks like a run ride in the offering.

With exams season coming to an end and students looking at having a quota of their films, ONE TWO THREE should take a reasonable (50%-60%) opening at the box office. Now even if it does that, it has a real chance of making an impression since the overall product appears to be a mass entertainer which should manage to find an audience for itself courtesy word of mouth.

RACE - Movie Review

Banner: Tips Films Limited

Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Anil Kapoor, Akshaye Khanna, Bipasha Basu, Katrina Kaif ,Sameera Reddy.

Direction: Abbas Mustan

Production: Kumar S. Taurani & Ramesh S. Taurani

Music: Pritam

After a dry spell at the box office primarily due to school and college exams, comes the release of one of the most awaited films of the year. Tips Industries, the producers of the film have put in so much dedication and moolah to assure the masses that they see a flick that looks international.

The director duo, Abbas-Mastan returns with yet another thriller, but this time around a flick that is sleek and high on style. After over 6 years of waiting, the duo finally does a film with Saif and is it worth all that much?

Well to take off, the film revolves around two brothers; Ranvir [Saif Ali Khan] and Rajeev [Akshaye Khanna] who own a huge stud farm in Durban, South Africa. They breed horses on their huge ranch house and are also the biggest bookies in the horse racing circuit. Ranvir, the elder of the two, is known to be a very shrewd man. He is very aggressive and is always on the move. Rajiv, on the other hand, is very laidback and is also a chronic alcoholic.

Sophia [Katrina Kaif] is Ranvir’s personal secretary. She adores her boss and loves him. Ranvir is totally unaware of her feeling and regards her adoration as her efficiency. Sonia [Bipasha Basu] is an upcoming Indian ramp model in Durban.

Sonia loves Ranvir, but through a twist of fate gets married to Rajiv. When she discovers that Rajiv is a chronic alcoholic, things begin to get worse.

Eventually, Ranvir and Sonia come very close to each other and an affair starts between the younger brother’s wife and the elder brother. When the younger brother starts suspecting his wife, all hell breaks loose.

A murder is committed, a contract killing is issued, and double crossings become the order of the day… A sharp-tongued investigative officer R.D. [Anil Kapoor] starts an investigation with his brainless assistant Mini [Sameera Reddy].

Abbas- Mastan has proved it over the years that no one can beat them when it comes to the thriller genre. With films like Khiladi, Baazigar, Humraaz; Race might just add to their list of hits. The film has several twists and turns that keep you saying ‘oh’ and reanalyzing everything so that bits and pieces of the story fill in to form the collage called Race.

But one little factor that has to be noted is that as the duo directors attempt to make things complicated and shock the audience , they just kind of lose out on the whole plot and this con man film at the end makes the viewer wonder when did certain characters team up to plot against the others.

The screenplay of the film by Shiraz Ahmed is good but at times is loose. The 1st half of the film is quite a drag and the songs look really forced upon. Next time around, Abbas-Mastan should consider chopping some tracks. Maybe this time they couldn’t do so considering their producers are Music giants.

On the acting front, the film truly belongs to Saif. Saif looks stylish, smart and carries the adrenaline in the character perfectly. His dialogue delivery is just amazing and the action sequences considering he did them all by himself is just commendable. Watch out for Saif’s jump from a great height. It’s terrifically done courtesy Allan Amin.

With due credit to all the actors in the film, Race wouldn’t be all that racy if it wasn’t for Saif. Watch out the dialogue where he addresses his younger brother on the funda of winning-losing and on the outcome of betrayal where he blows up his jockey’s car.

Akshaye Khanna does really well too. Abbas –Mastan always emerge in bringing out the negative traits in Akshaye with ease. The wickedness in Akshaye is expressed well with his smile. But the only problem here is that Akshaye has done such roles before for Abbas-Mastan thus there lacks a certain amount of shock value.

Bipasha Basu isn’t all that great. Her acting skills haven’t really been explored. It’s more of her sex appeal that has been tapped in film. Bipasha’s styling somehow fails to leave an impact; her outfits do nothing more than provide the viewer some eye candy. But credit goes to Bipasha for doing some great action sequences in the film.

On the other hand, Katrina Kaif emerges victorious. Her acting isn’t the finest around but much better than her previous flicks. She carries the secretarial role with complete elegance and ease. In fact, her styling has been sleek and apt. She carries that executive look as well as the sexy attire with ease.

Anil Kapoor and Sameera Reddy make an entry at the interval stage. Anil is ok as the cop, but trust me his jokes are really poor. Even the characterization with different fruits at various points in the film fails to create any impact. Sameera Reddy has nothing much to do in the film besides try and ask some stupid questions. Sameera too has just been used to create the so called ‘Sexy Look’ of the film.

Johny Lever comes in for one scene and really impresses and is spontaneous with his jokes. He surely deserves more comic roles.

The true winner of the film is none other than action director-Allan Amin. He is just terrific and it’s his action and stunts that really justify the title of the film. Amin impresses with the well choreographed explosions, Saif’s fall, edgy car stunts etc. Amin is the true star of race.

Cinematography by Ravi Yadav is top class as the film captures well the horse races, car stunts, beautiful locales of Durban and Dubai etc. Editing by Hussain Burmawala’s is ok. Maybe a few songs could have been chopped.

Dialogues [Anuraag Prapanna, Jitendra Parmar] are good. Styling [Anaita Shroff Adajania] works for Saif, Katirina, Anil and Akshaye.

Music by Pritam is Ok, but often comes in as a hindrance to the plot. Most of the numbers fail to leave that impact on screen especially Kim Hyung Sup’s-Sarang Haeyo track rendered in Hindi by Atif Aslam. The picturisation is so kiddish ; with just a single interaction you see Akshaye Khanna whose voice firstly doesn’t suit Atif already kind of romancing Bips. ‘Zara Zara touch me’ and the title track impress. Background score [Salim-Sulaiman] is really intense and adds to the action. Choreography [Bosco-Caesar and Ganesh Acharya] is good.

On the whole, Race isn’t the best thriller around but the action is sure to keep you hooked on. Saif fan’s will surely not miss this one. The chances of race not faring well at the box office is unlikely as it’s been a while since the cinegoers had any releases and this flick is sure to appeal to the masses. If not for the action and music, the pretty ladies in the film will assure a hit.

Verdict: High on action and style!

Rating: 3 stars on 5

Ajith: "I am back"

Rich legacies need worthy inheritors, they don’t come easy or fast, they can be the most unexpected and most under appreciated candidates for the privilege and yet they inherit the legacy with pride and distinction. There is a portion out of the English animation film Ratatouille that seems appropriate here. The voice over in this portion said ‘In many ways, the work of a critic is easy’. We risk so very little and yet enjoy a position over those who offer their work and self up to our judgment. We revel in negative criticism which is both fun to write and read but the truth that we must admit is that in the grand scheme of things the most average piece of junk is probably more meaningful than our criticism designating it so.’

But there are times when the critic in us gets a chance to defend something new, something that deserves its place at the top. Talent is nothing without opportunity and the world often tends to be unkind and dismissive to talent that does not get the right opportunity. Not every opportunity is the right one but the right one can come any time and when the time comes the talent blooms. For years now this man has been the Aegan in Kollywood, battling on, fighting and faltering but never giving up. For a leading hero his success-failure ratio is not very bright, something even he will agree being an honest and straightforward man. Yet for the thousands of Thala fans who throng theaters every time his film releases he has been and remains the Ultimate Star Ajith Kumar. His career has been much like a rose plant, there have been the roses of success but there are also thorns of failure that have hurt. Looking at it objectively, he has had more ups and downs in his career than the average Kollywood flick in which he appears and in spite of all that he is here in 2008, more than 15 years after his debut, vindicating the unflinching support of his adoring fans, his well wishers. Billa completed 100 days in theaters by this week.

What does this unique 100 mean to Ajith? First, it is a rasping answer to all those who have doubted his abilities. When Billa was announced there were a lot of aspersions cast. Can Ajith carry off a role that was immortalized by the Superstar, can he bring the same magic on screen or will this one be a lame and pale reflection on one of Rajini’s landmark movies? These were tough questions to answer and to carry on with one’s work in the face of such imposing expectations was tougher. But driven by conviction, determination and faith in the director Ajith soldiered on. The confidence that stemmed out of his widely appreciated performance in Kreedom must also have helped. The product was not a simple recreation of what we saw and loved in 1981, Billa 2007 was a stylish, slick and sleek adaptation of Tamil cinema’s Don. Style was redefined and a new genre of Tamil cinema emerged, one driven by style and presentation, we are sure to see more movies bordering on this genre soon. The hard work put in and the faith sown in the director shine through in every frame of Billa.

To not give adequate credit to the entire team that realized the Billa dream would be gross injustice and so here is the roll of honor. First, to Vishnuvardhan for his great vision and gumption to attempt something as risky as Billa, no film in the recent past has margins of error with potentially disastrous consequences as Bill had. Also, a very special mention on behalf of all Thala fans for bringing to us the resurgent Ultimate Star, free from the shackles of troublesome failures. The technical team was of paramount importance in actualizing the stylish vision that Vishnuvardhan had for Billa. Be it the fights, the chases or the lighting, everything had class and finesse, elements that separate the hits from the blockbusters.

2007 has been a great year for fans of the Ultimate Star. Their faith in their beloved Thala has come good. Of course, the year started off in the same familiarly disturbing pattern of failure with Aalwar. But Kreedom turned the tide. Not a money raker, but a movie that reminded us of the talents that Ajith possesses as an actor. Then, along came Billa and the rest as they say, is history. Today, on the 100th day of Billa’s theatrical run (reign) when we look back down the line we can see how close Thala was, to being a spring that may never have blossomed. There were times when weaker men would have lost hope but he stood firm. Ajith is back and he is on track.

Maybe, becoming a father brings with it the charms of success. May this charm continue to work. We need the Aegan of Kollywood to give us more Billas.

Jackie Chan’s arrival costs five and half crore?

The confusion over the much awaited ‘Dasavadharam’ audio release ceases to end. The date of release might get postponed further due to the change in the date of the international star Jackie Chan’s arrival. It is said that the release date will be fixed according to his availability.

Besides the postponement drama, the high profile guest’s presence in the function proves to be a costly affair for the producers. It is said that his honorarium for attending the function, transportation expenses, security arrangement, and other expenses would come up to Rs. five and half crores.

But producer Oscar Ravichandran is unperturbed. He is gearing up to conduct the function in a grand manner without bothering about the expenses. The sources close to the producer say that the release date is yet to be decided, as the IPL cricket matches to be held in April. The IPL matches are scheduled to be played between April 18 and June 1. So we can assume that Dasavadharam audio release to be held before April 18.

Can we expect the audio to be released on Tamil New Year’s Day?