Other day, trailer launch event of former heroine Jyothika’s second film post re-entry has become a stage for some sensational talk. As the trailer of “Maagalir Mattum” (means Ladies Only) is released, Jyothika made certain demands to be met by new-age directors.

Stating that heroines should be given more dignified roles in films, Jyothika requested all the happening directors to write sensible roles for them. “Don’t limit heroines just to glamour, write them some important roles. Don’t make them tell double-meaning dialogues along with comedians. Also, there is no need for 3-4 heroines for a hero, if you do that, then his fans will go on thinking that romancing a couple of girls in real life is a good thing”, she stressed.

Well, what sort of roles are heroines like Samantha and Shruti Haasan are given in Surya’s recent films other than flaunting their skin in songs and romancing the lead actor? And in recent Singham 3, we’ve Anushka, Shruti Haasan romancing Surya and Neetu Chandra doing an item number.  Should Jyothika first give such advice to her husband rather throwing it on directors?

The idea of changing a commercial film format and lessening the way heroines are flaunted as glamour objects is a good thing overall, but that should come from all directions. Not just directors!!

With just two days to go for the release of the ‘biggest Indian film ever’, Baahubali 2, the euphoria surrounding the movie and the two main persons responsible for the happening of this epic – Prabhas and Rajamouli is ever increasing.

The duo can’t stop praising and thanking each other for helping each other make an epic like Baahubali. Rajamouli, who on numerous occasions said that he might not have made Baahubali had Prabhas not agreed to be part of it, has now given a befitting gift to his lead hero.

Rajamouli gifted the iconic armor wore by King Amarendra Baahubali to Prabhas as a thanking gesture, needless to say that Prabhas was emotional receiving it. It was a 5-year-long journey and as Rajamouli repeatedly stressed, no actor would have dedicated so much time and gone though such strenuous physical transformation for one project.

In this latest digital world of booking tickets online and not even needing a physical ticket, everyone is feeling happy for saving the time of standing in ticket queues. But at the same time, the risk of getting cheated got increased.

Other day people flocked a website named www.newtickets.in that has been busy selling tickets of Baahubali: The Conclusion which is due for release this Friday, April 28th. To cash on the craze going on, this website created a huge database of theatres, occupancy screens and sold thousands of tickets. Those who brought the tickets are happy that they are going to watch the film on the first day itself.

But those theatres that are being seen houseful on other ticket booking sites are seen fully empty inside this website. Sensing some foul play few people approached Cyber Crime sleuths and much to their doubts, their fear has come true. This is the biggest ticket scam as the website looted Baahubali lovers.

Without really getting associated with any theatre, single screen or multiple, this website has been selling fake tickets all the time, and all those who brought the tickets have got conned. Literally, some lakhs of rupees is what they have made from the scam. Police are currently trying to find out the culprits while the website is down already.

It is known that ‘Baahubali 2’ will also be releasing in the IMAX format in feasible theatres across the world. Well, that was the original plan but it looks like makers only half succeeded in materializing it.

As per latest reports, Baahubali 2 IMAX version will be released in only the Telugu and Hindi versions. Tamil and Malayalam versions of Baahubali 2 will not release in the IMAX format. Some technical issues are said to be the reasons for this mishap. Fans need not disappoint as the film is being planned for a massive release in as many as 8000 screens, the biggest ever release for any Indian film.

Baahubali 2 is also the first Telugu film to re;ease in IMAX format. With the AP and TS govts. permitting the exhibitors to screen 6 and 5 shows respectively per day, the revenues of Baahubali 2 are expected to be earth shattering.

Macho actor Rana Daggubati, who mightily impressed viewers with his ferocious performance as Bhallaladeva in ‘Baahubali’, is reportedly gearing up to play a Muslim warlord in a Russian film.

During his recent media interaction, Rana reportedly revealed that he was offered a Russian historical drama. Given his physique and popularity all over India, Rana was offered the role of a ruthless Muslim warlord. Rana didn’t reveal many detains about the project but he surely hinted that it will be another big ticket international film in his resume.

Rana’s career can be bisected into two parts – Before Baahubali and after Baahubali. The popularity brought in by the SS Rajamouli directorial helped the actor make his mark in Indian cinema. After the success of Ghazi, he is set to act in a couple of more interesting projects besides having been in discussions for a few potential international films.

In a couple of days, we’ll be witnessing the legendary film’s concluding part on silver screen. “Baahubali: The Conclusion” is coming with huge hype and the visuals shown in the recently released 30-second teaser surely promised something bigger and better. However, if this hype gets boomeranged, then there will be adverse results too.

The Good:

If all goes well, Baahubali 2 will get a terrific opening along with long run taking the advantage of Summer holidays. As the film got sold for nearly 350 crores across the world and 120+ crores in Telugu states alone, all that hype and positive talk will surely transform into a storm of collections making producer laugh all the way to banks.

The Bad:
Currently whole of Baahubali 2 fate is hanging on one big secret, Why Kattappa Killed Baahubali?. And when the secret gets out on Friday morning of April 28th, will audiences have same enthusiasm and curiosity to watch the film flocking to theatres is what we have to see. If the answer is out and people lose interest, then there will be some denting in the collections for sure. Not everyone will go to theatres then as some will wait for TV screening.

The Ugly:
In fact, whatever is shown in Baahubali 1 is just little, that’s what Rajamouli and Co have said. This lead to building up of huge expectations and any slight mismatch could lead to drastic results. The likes of Kabali are recent examples of result that come out through mismatch. With Rajamouli at the helm, definitely the scope for ‘ugly’ is ruled out, isn’t it?

April 28th, come fast!!

Other day Indian government has conferred Dadasaheb Phalke Award to Telugu director K Viswanath whose films have won National Awards five times and the content of those movies always reeled around social issues.

Sharing his thoughts about winning this prestigious award, K Viswanath says, “I’m lucky”. Of course, every award winner feels the same but there is more hard work behind such achievement. He adds, “I felt like that Lord Kasi Viswanath has come to offer another of his golden ox (Nandi) to me”.

Viswanath has no regrets about getting the award little late and he points out in return, “75 will not come directly after 73, there is 74 in between. So you will get what you have to when the time is right”. However, he revealed that he isn’t satisfied as a director yet. “I can’t sit at home thinking that I’ve made Sankarabaranam, the journey must go on. But I don’t consider this journey as doing some great contribution to arts and culture. I’ve done my job in a responsible way without unfollowing ethics”. How modest he is!!

Talking about present generation filmmakers, Viswanath avers, “They are undergoing through huge pressure. A huge set of husbands needs to be satisfied by these directors. While Draupadi has 5 husbands, these youngsters have 50 of them on their shoulders, giving ideas, throwing challenges and creating hurdles”.

Signing off, Viswanath stated that he will continue his journey as an actor rather director. “I don’t want to spoil the name K Viswanath”, he puts in a better way.

Superstar Rajinikanth, who was last seen as an ageing gangster in PA Ranjith’s ‘Kabali’, will reportedly essay the character of dreaded underworld don Dawood Ibrahim’s mentor in the same director’s next gangster flick.

After completing his portions for Shankar’s ‘2.0’, Rajini is likely to commence shooting for Ranjith’s new gangster film. Rajinikanth will reportedly reprise the role of Mumbai-based underworld don Sultan Mirza alias Haji Mastan.

Mirza, a Tamilian by birth, shifted to Mumbai during his childhood. He slowly emerged as the most notorious underworld don whose main businesses were smuggling and extortion. He is also known as the mentor of Dawood Ibrahim. Vidya Balan is likely to pair with Rajinikanth in this PA Ranjith directorial, which will be bankrolled by Dhanush.

A Bollywood film titled ‘Once Upon A Time in Mumbai’ was recently made which was allegedly based on the lives of Sultan and Dawood. Ajay Devgn and Emraan Hashmi played the roles respectively.

While the sad story of killing a Telugu Engineer Srinivas Kuchibotla in United States has shocked one and all, it is now being taken up as the prime storyline for an upcoming Hollywood film which is to be helmed by director Dave Pinn.

There are several instances, in the past, where Hollywood filmmakers got inspired from real incidents and developed a plot around it. Now, this pressing piece will be used to generate a new ray of hope among immigrants from all over the world. So, they titled it ‘Ray of Hope’ – and this comes at the time when the number of hate-crime attacks are beefed up and Trump’s new immigration policy is receiving a lot of flak.

In the end, it remains to be seen how the filmmaker is going to project this ‘hate-crime’ story which left several Indians in a disgusted state.

On 22nd February, Srinivas Kuchibotla was shot by a 51-year Adam Purinton at a bar in Kansas City. The gunman, who was taken into police custody next day, yelled ‘get out of my country’ after shooting Srinivas and his friend Ajay. The 32-year old Indian Engineer, who’s survived with a wife, was working with an American MNC from 2014.