Chiyaan Vikram has finally entered into the track with the film Irumugan. The success of Irumugan really helped the actor to grow big at the box office. His latest film is now titled as Dhruva Nakshatram which is going to be made in the direction of Gautham Vasudev Menon. The makers have released two teasers of the film and have raised the curiosity on the project. Already the expectations on the project are very high regarding the movie. In both the teasers, the makers have not revealed who is going to play the antagonist.

Apparently, it is said that the Malayalam actor Prithvi Raj Sukumaran is going to play the villain role in the film. Though this was not announced officially, the audience came to a conclusion by just hearing his voice in the teaser. Already Prithvi Raj impressed as a villain in a couple of films, and now it is expected that this project is also going to do well.

Prithviraj is an actor known these days for being very selective in picking the projects he works on, and sure enough he has gained quite a fan following after a variety of movies that show his gravitas and range as an artist. Director Ranjith too is a name trusted by the mass audiences and the critical ones for his pick of subject matter and entertaining albeit visionary takes on them. What happens if we put these two together? Well, movie magic of course!

There are actual precedents of these two artists bringing us something special – Nandanam, and more recently – Indian Rupee. Both movies were commercial and critical successes, and so it is exciting for the fans to hear that they are teaming up once more – this time tackling a historic project!

Yes, it was during the centennial birthday celebrations of K Madhavan, the freedom fighter, that Ranjith revealed the news that his next project will be a bio pic based on Madhavan. K Madhavan is the only man alive who is known to have participated in the Salt Sathyagraha led by Mahathma Gandhi and also the Guruvayoor Sathyagraha, which led to all Hindu castes being allowed into the temples in Kerala.

Ranjith, whilst making his speech in tribute to this legendary man, said he was deeply affected by Madhavan’s autobiography Oru Gandhiyan Communistinte Ormmakal. He then informed everyone present that he had proceeded to give the book to Prithviraj, who upon finishing it, expressed his interest in playing the role.

The veteran filmmaker also said that the movie will be a joint production venture between himself, Prof. Kunjiraman and Madhavan’s own son Ajay Kumar. Further details will be revealed by the end of the week, informed Ranjith to an already intrigued media and fan presence.

So there you have it folks – history meets tinsel town once again in Mollywood.

Keep following Chitramala for more!

No, we’re not talking about a sequel to the hit movie here, though that would surely make the fans happy. We’re talking about the men behind the movie – Prithviraj, Rosshan Andrrews and the writer brothers – Bobby and Sanjay, teaming up once again for an upcoming project!

Yes, the yet untitled project will go on the floors this September, if things go according to plan. This movie has been in the works, ever since Mumbai Police wrapped up, but things got delayed as Prithviraj was tied up with his other commitments.

Now, it looks like the time has come again..

Nyla Usha will tackle the female lead in this movie and it has also been reported that Kunchacko Boban might play a pivotal role.

Rosshan and the Bobby- Sanjay team themselves have worked together in numerous projects now including Notebook, Cassanova, Mumbai Police and the recent super hit comeback movie of Manju Warrier, How Old Are You.

So given their track record, and the success of both Mumbai Police and How Old Are You, this movie is sure to build up a huge amount of anticipation. Especially now that the fans have come to expect a lot from Prithviraj as a hero since he became very picky with his projects.

The actor always looks to test his versatlity while entertaining the fans and Rosshan is a director who also takes a lot of creative risks. Though he has paid the price for it in the past with failures like the Mohanlal starrer Cassanova, he has had a lot of successes too, and this project and talent pool in particular seem up to the task.

So now we wait eagerly to see how this all turns out.

Keep following Chitramala for more updates!

Yes folks, it’s really happening! Mohanlal and Prithviraj are sharing screen space in Major Ravi’s new film, Picket 43!

As all fans know, Major Ravi hasn’t made too many movies yet and almost all of them starred Mohanlal – in one way or the other. It was a big surprise to many to learn that his latest venture wouldn’t have the presence of Lt. Col. Mohanlal and now, those fires have been put out with this breaking news!

Mohanlal is to do a cameo appearance in the Prithviraj starrer, which would last about 20 minutes, though we do not know in what capacity (not a villainous one we hope).

The movie, of course, as with all of the ex soldier turned film maker’s flicks, is a war movie which focuses on the real lives and struggles of our men in the armed forces. But this one has a twist – instead of a rivalry or patriotism fuelled hatred, the plot revolves around an unlikely friendship!

That too between Indian soldier and a Pakistani soldier! Now there’s a ‘twist’ for you…

Prithviraj’s character, a soldier with the Indian army, is abandoned due to certain circumstances with just a dog as his companion when he chances upon a Pakistani soldier in the same situation. Then events unfurl which develop into a strong narrative and fosters a camaraderie between the two.

Most of the film was shot in areas of Rajasthan which was modelled to look like Pakistan for the scenes due to logistical reasons, earning it the nickname ‘mini Pakistan’.

Let’s hope sparks of talent fly and the fans get their much awaited moments of celebration when the two leading men – the young superstar and the universal star – the rising young man and the industry legend – come together onscreen for those few minutes.

Young superstar Prithviraj has had several memorable police roles in his career, in fact, he has donned the Khaki uniform 16 times in a career of just over a dozen years! Now, it looks like the versatile actor wants a change because though he is set to play a cop in Tamar Padar, he has made it a point to mix it up this time by playing a thief – in two movies no less!

Yes of course, one would be Anil Randhakrishnan Menon’s Sapthamashri Thaskaraha which features quite the ensemble cast; the other flick where Prithvi will be portray a thief is going to be Aashiq Abu’s Valathu Vashathe Kallan (the thief on the right side).

The title is a reference to the biblical tale of the thief who was crucified along with Christ, on his right hand side and was the compassionate and good hearted one. But Aashiq has made it clear that the movie itself has nothing to do with mythology or religion but will be a satire of sorts.

He also said that he is on the lookout for fresh faces for the supporting cast.

The film will launch sometime around August hopefully, according to plans now and if the actor’s schedule cooperates.

Prithviraj is arguably one of the busiest actors in the business with multiple projects going on at the same time. His upcoming flicks right now include Sapthamashri Thaskaraha, Picket 43, Ennu Ninte Moideen, Tamaar Padaar, Kaaviya Thalaiva and Double Barrel (possibly).

Actor/comedian Nadhirshah is known for his mimicry skills and his knack for parodying popular songs, both of which have made him a pioneer in those fields of comedy, but now he is all set to make his entry in to the movie biz as a film maker for the first time – and his first movie stars Prithviraj, Indrajith and Jayasurya!

Yes, the rookie director has decided to make his entry with a bang apparently and his choice of cast is pretty suggestive. Rumored to be quite the big budget production, the film is titled ‘Amar Akbar Antony’ and has been promised to be a total entertainer. Nadhirshah himself has scripted the film, so we can safely put our bets on the humor element in the plot being notable.

The title does raise a few questions though… Is the film going to be an adaptation or based in some way on the old Hindi classic with the same name? Or is Nadhirshah planning to use the title for some other playful gimmick?

Maybe these questions being asked are what the veteran entertainer had counted on to build some intrigue in our minds. Well, in that case, guess the mission’s accomplished then…

All three actors are currently busy with multiple projects and a few ‘about to release’ ones as well. Young superstar Prithvi is the busiest of them all with flicks like Tamaar Padaar, Sapthamashri Thaskarah, Picket 43 and others making their way to the big screens as we speak.

Fate or careful design by the clever film makers we do not know, but the World Cup approaches and here’s news that Prithviraj, the young superstar, will be playing a football player on screen! Yes, the movie is titled The Beautiful Game and it has a few other attractions too.

The flick will be directed by Jamesh Kottakkal, who is a fashion photographer and ad film maker making his debut in to the feature film world with his maiden directorial attempt. And so far, the new comer is doing all the right things to get the fans talking.

Curious as to what that means? Well, apart from the huge buzz surrounding Prithvi as a football player the motion picture is to have actual, real life soccer players in the cast as well – players of national and international level!!

This in addition to a yet unrevealed ensemble cast. Ajaykumar is the script writer for this one and the rest of the crew are yet unnamed.

The movie will tell the story of the game of soccer and its colorful history in Malabar with the lead character as the tool for the narrative.

Talk about good strategy! With Prithviraj already building an image of being a very physical actor with his dashing looks and recently buffed up physique, this role will sure turn some heads. Not to mention the actor’s dedicated performance in any role given to him, would be an added advantage here.

Prithviraj is really taking the concept of choosing versatility and uniqueness over a static brand to the extreme these days, and the fans appreciate his effort.

The movie 1983, starring Nivin Pauly, is still running after its 100 day mark to thrilled audiences and maybe now with that and the soccer craze upon us soon, this movie has both timing and talent going for it.

The allegations of Shibu G Suseelan, the producer of 7th Day starring Prithviraj, had become public yesterday – apparently he blames a ‘Superstar’ of trying to ruin the prospects of his movie even before it came out, by blocking it from getting satellite rights and attempting to prevent the flick from releasing. Now there are unconfirmed rumors that the ‘Superstar’ he blames is none other than megastar Mammootty!!

Now, these allegations have not been confirmed officially or declared in the mainstream media yet, as supposedly the producer gave these statements to an online media entity.

But if these are true, the news would rock Malayalam cinema at its core! Mammootty is a legend and one of the most loved actors at the regional and national level, for his amazing talent and his straightforward persona.

Is the megastar really capable of what the outraged producer is accusing him of or is this whole allegation just something spewed out by the rumor mill?
The reasons, the producer claims, which made Mammootty try to ruin the Prithviraj starrer are as follows:

The Mammootty – Aashiq Abu mega flick Gangster was the only major competition in the theatres when 7th Day was coming out and this perhaps forced Mammootty to try other ways to get rid of the added pressure at the box office. Questionable? Maybe…

Mammootty has always fostered some anger towards Prithviraj because the young star’s father, Sukumaran, was one of the few who used to ‘disrespect’ Mammootty by not getting up from his seat when he entered an event and such. Too much of a stretch? We really do not know at this point.

The 7th Day producer Shibu, however, says he was drowning in debt when the megastar successfully blocked his movie from getting satellite rights, through underhanded means and using his vast influence. It seems the television channels that came forward initially backed out later and when contacted by Prithviraj, they demanded video rights to the movie too, thus forcing the film makers to back off.

So 7th Day, which though went on to become a hit, released without satellite rights of it sold to any channel.

Now, we reiterate, neither the allegations nor the truth behind them have been confirmed. But as these rumors are out there, the fans wait eagerly and stunned for either party to respond to the media and give the public some answers.

Does Mollywood, which is going through so much drama these days and has become a battlefield of sorts, need another controversy right now? Especially one of such magnitude?

Anil Radhakrishna Menon struck gold with his debut film North 24 Kaatham which got several laurels and was well received by the audience with its unique premise and interesting subject matter. Now he’s following it up with another strong contender in the ‘unique’ category, which is his upcoming flick Sapthamashri Thaskarah. The title obviously means ‘the seven thieves’ and is reported to be a humor oriented film with satirical undertones.

The movie stars Prithviraj and has now another addition to the cast which is the talented and yet unknown Mongolian circus artiste Flower Battsetseg, who Anil chanced upon during a performance she gave in Thalasser!

Apparently, Anil was captivated by her skills and decided to cast her in the project.

Now, seven thieves, an acrobatic circus artiste who doesn’t speak the language and humorous undertone? One is reminded of the hit Hollywood flick Ocean’s Eleven which has a similar setting and there are rumors flying around that the Malayalam one is inspired by the latter. Guess we’ll have to wait and see what Anil’s vision truly is…

And how does the Mongolian beauty intend to function in the plot if she can’t speak the language and surely no one in the cast or the intended storyline can speak Mongolian?

Well, no worries there – the confident director assures us that it will be taken care of and her on screen presence will be complimented by the other stars in the cast which includes incidentally Nedumudi Venu, Nyla Usha, Sreenath Bhasi and others.

Again, if one is harping on comparisons, the Chinese acrobat in the Hollywood movie spoke no English in the plot either. Coincidence? Maybe, maybe not.
Whatever the movie turns out like in the end, we can surely trust the capable and visionary director and the star studded cast not to disappoint.

A case has been filed against Prithviraj – not by any one person, but by the excise department! Yes, it seems in his latest movie 7th Day, which is a mystery/thriller. There are scenes which show the actor handling and consuming alcohol and for one such scene, the mandatory message required by law that ‘alcohol consumption is injurious to health’ was not shown on screen and this prompted the case to be filed against the actor!

Prithviraj, of course, was not just the actor in the film but involved in its making at many levels by his own admission and the movie was distributed by August Cinema, a production company led by Prithviraj and Santhosh Sivan with others.

The current law states that, whether it is a skit, advertisement, television series or motion picture, any and all scenes involving harmful substances including alcohol and tobacco must carry the warning message for the impressionable members of the audience.

This is a black mark albeit an unexpected one on the track record of the flick which has been running successfully in theatres for over a month now and has gotten rave reviews for its fresh approach and unique premise. Prithviraj plays a 42 year old policeman named David Abraham in the movie which involves solving a rather grim mystery in a span of seven days starting from a Christmas night to New Years day.

The young superstar busy with his multiple upcoming projects has not responded to this charge against him yet – to the media or by legal means.

Let us see how the events unfold in the days to come.

Rosshan Andrrews’ movie How Old Are You which serves as the comeback vehicle for Manju Warrier is just about to hit the theaters this weekend, and reports are coming in that the talented director is already in the planning stages of his next big venture – a movie set on an international scale which stars Prithviraj and Nyla Usha in the lead roles!

Apparently, this is not just another flick from the director but a long time dream of his. Andrrews has said that this has been seven years in the making, in a fashion, as he and writers Bobby – Sanjay have been conceiving and materializing this for that long.

In fact, a jubilant Rosshan informs us that initially the project had almost taken off with Kollywood star Chiyaan Vikram and Bollywood’s own sensation, Vidya Balan, in the lead but scheduling and date problems came up forcing them to shelve the idea.

Now, the filmmaker is all set to start the execution of his pet project and turn it in to reality with Prithvi and Nyla. He has of course, worked with Prithviraj in the flick Mumbai Police.

The yet untitled and ambitious movie in question will show the many facets of one man’s life and is sure to turn out to be a entertaining and captivating spectacle if the team behind it is any hint of the talent pool.

Meanwhile, How Old Are You starring Manju Warrier, Kunchacko Boban and Kaniha Subrahmaniam will go up against B Unnikrishnan’s Mohanlal starrer Mr Fraud in a much anticipated box office face off with the fans being the judges.

Veteran director/actor Lal, known for his versatility in acting, ranging from character oriented to villainous and even comedic roles, is set to play young superstar Prithviraj’s father in the upcoming movie Ennu Ninte Moideen, to be directed by R S Vimal. Vimal also wrote the script for the flick which is based on a true story.

The plot revolves around a legendary love story that carved its mark onto the pages of history of Wayanad in the 1960s. V P Unni Moideen Sahib, christened as Mukkath Sulthan by the people, was kind of the uncrowned ruler of the lands there and quite a powerful figure in the social hierarchy. However, the events that changed everything started when his son fell in love with the daughter of Kottangal Achuthan, a Hindu landlord in Mukkam.

Lal is to play the Sahib while Prithviraj and Parvathy Menon will don the roles of the star crossed lovers.

Ramesh Narayan composes the tunes that bring to life the lyrics penned down by Rafeeq Ahamad. Jomon T John, is the cinematographer for the project.

From the sound of it, the epic saga of real and raw passion and romance, could shape in to an even more enthralling motion picture. The setting and the mood of the storyline could also very well enhance the feel of the crux of the plot.

Let’s wait and see how it turns out when it hits the big screens…

Don’t get too excited now! We’re not talking about the actual guy but about Dileesh Nair’s upcoming film Tamaar Padaar starring Prithviraj and Biju Menon.

Every Malayali know the infamous legend of Sukumara Kurup – the murderous fraudster who killed a man named Chacko in the 80s to fake his own death and vanished with the insurance money on himself! The murderer, who remains free till date, has since become part of Malayalam pop culture vocabulary itself.

Tamaar Padaar, according to Prithvi, is a satire filled with dark humor. It is the first full length comedy attempted by the actor in his career, promised to be a rollercoaster of hilarity and is therefore gathering quite some buzz around it.

The plot revolves around three, rather uniquely named, cops – SP Pauran (Prithviraj), Jumper Thampi (Biju Menon) and Crossbelt Mani (actor undecided), who set out in pursuit of the infamous cold case suspect, in order to reclaim the honor of the police department after decades of embarrassment on the issue.

Both Prithvi and Biju are known for their effective police personas having played men in uniform many times in their respective careers. In fact, including 7th Day which is his latest flick and a box office success, Prithviraj has donned the Khaki and the badge 17 times!

Tamaar Padaar will be shot partly near Sabarimala, according to reports. The movie is being produced by Rejaputhra Ranjith under the banner of his own company, Rejaputhra Films. The music is being composed by Bijibal and Alby, the cinematographer who worked his magic in the Mammootty starrer Gangster, will wield the camera in this one.

Prithviraj is rolling on high times right now with his movie 7th Day doing well at the box office and getting positive reviews from the critics. The failure or rather the disappointing performance of Mammootty’s Gangster and Fahad Fazil’s 1 by Two may have helped along the success of the movie with lack of quality competition. Now, Prithviraj has received an award – not for his work in Malayalam – but from Bollywood!

Yes, that’s right – Prithvi had worked with Rani Mukherjee in his Hindi debut Aiyyaa which unfortunately did not fare well; however, he had also worked in the movie Aurangzeb, in which he played a cop from Haryana with some shady qualities and a grey moral mindset. This performance was acclaimed and it is for this that he has won the INB Live Movie Award for the Best Supporting Actor.

A proud day indeed for Malayalis, to have one of our own gain national recognition for playing a role in a Bollywood project, and that too as a Hindi speaker. Big stars like Mohanlal have done major roles in Bollywood but usually they tend to play south Indian characters. There are of course exceptions but certainly not award winning ones.
Prithviraj is currently busy with multiple projects – notable among them of course being Tamaar Padaar, his first full length comedy flick.

So all things considered, we wish Prithviraj Sukumaran congrats and say “Attaboy Prithvi!”

Director Shyamaprasad is definitely having a good year with his movie Artist winning multiple State Awards, including the Best Director for him, and being onscreen in movies like Arun Kumar Aravind’s 1by Two. And it seems the director wants to keep them coming as reports indicate that he has roped in the two big names in the industry, and apparently personal favourites of his- Prithviraj and Fahad Fazil – for his upcoming movie Ivide!

Sources say the deal’s been signed and the actors are on board. The critically acclaimed and popular director has worked with both young stars in movies which added a lot to their careers and earned them some real credibility as serious actors. He directed Prithviraj in Akale and Fahad, quite recently, in Artist.
Both stars are known for choosing diverse scripts and tough roles and have made a name for themselves among the fans for versatility. So it would be no surprise if the fans, by and large, would come to have great expectation for this movie.

It has also been reported that Nyla Usha will be tackling the female lead in the flick and that the shoot itself will start around October 2014. The location’s been set to New Jersey, USA and the plan is to make the film, supposedly a crime drama, in Malayalam and English simultaneously.

Both Fahad and Prithvi are currently busy with multiple projects and if executed well, this one is sure to be a memorable one in both their careers…

The success of Prtihviraj’s 7th Day which came out on the 12th of this month is testament to the actor’s versatility. And now the actor plans to keep the success going by switching to comedy in Dileesh Nair’s Tamaar Padaar which began shooting in Sabarimala.

Prithviraj, of course, after his controversial run in with the media over some careless remarks a few years back, has been on a career path that has received positive response from the fans as well as the critics by choosing very different roles that test his calibre as an actor. He proved this by playing a mature cop in his forties in 7th Day.

However, Prithvi has never done a full on comedy movie and it seems now is the time! Dileesh Nair, who started out as a scriptwriter and came out with some golden ones like Salt n Pepper and Da Thadiya, has now picked up the proverbial megaphone for Tamaar Padaar.

The movie is being produced by Renjith Rejaputhra, under the banner of Rejaputhra Films. It has received some buzz from the media and is promised to be a laugh riot. Dileesh’s track record being what it is and Prithviraj’s choice of roles these days, it does look like the promises will be kept.

Prithvi’s shift from drama to comedy also comes in the wake of the news that popular comedic actor Suraj Venjaaramoodu has just been nominated for a national award in the Best Actor category for his brilliant portrayal of a sweeper in the movie Perariyathavar.

Mollywood is definitely lucky to have artists who take it upon themselves to never get in to a rut and always entertain the fans by challenging their talent.