Looks "promising"

http://www.hindu.com/fr/2005/03/11/stor ... 810100.htm

Sorry guys for posting so many Tamil film news - This April happens to be the busiest time I have ever know in Tamil filmdom

It was. Not sure if this story is true

http://www.tamilcinema.com/CINENEWS/Hotnews/2005/march/090305a.asp

The only difference was the intro, climax. The core of these two movies are the same. Raam happenning in Kodaikanal and Anniyan happening in Kumbakonam (yes, not anywhere else, except the songs).

BTW didnt shankar know that there are no mountain in Tanjore district!

What are the special effects and technical highlights in "Anniyan"?

For the first time in Indian films we have used the time-slicing technique used earlier in "The Matrix." Time-slicing is about numerous stills on a camera system consisting of 120 cameras, a special ring and precise control in post-production to achieve a frozen-time effect. We have used this for an action scene superbly choreographed by Peter Haynes.




What the hell's he talking about? He used this effect ad nauseum in Boys during Ale Ale. Big f'ing deal, 120 cameras. How about you write a decent script, Shankar? The guy is the Michael Bay of soulless Tamil sfx extravaganzas, and yet I've seen his films because of the music of ARR. I will not be burned again.

I tend to agree with you. For the record the 'Ale Ale' song was not a full blown matrix setup - I think because of budget constraint there were fewer cameras used (60 or 45 ?) , but I still think it is merely to showcase and not show-the-case , something that never impresses me.

That said - I see film as Art or Entertainment and Shankar fits the bill of an entertainer. Last year I had the opportunity to showcase some movies to my friends ( 2 were from Japan, 1 from Germany and one a US national ) , I choose the following movies

- Seven Samurai ( wanted to see this film with a Japanese crowd and boy was is worth it ! )
- Kannathil Muthamittal
- Indian
- Good Bye Lenin ( wanted to see this with a German person)

Everyone liked all the films, personally I thought Shankar’s “Indian” was the weakest of the lot , but others disagreed they felt that the "masala" of the film kept the "Aroma" of the film alive. They actually got past the "color" and connected with the corruption problem in India - To me that is good cinema , if not great cinema. I saw his recent interview on Sun TV and realized that he knows his "limitations" , he basically said "for my own good I can only make these films", hopefully with age he will mature and give us more meaningful films - I wish him luck. I for one will be sitting in the front seat cheering him all the way through Anniyan and Harris Jeyraj is not bad either - he is capable of giving quick-to-fade popular songs.

I think Shankar's films generally start out really good but turn bad later. Mudhavan/Nayak had a great premise. An ordinary idealistic man becomes CM for a day. I was with the film until that needless plot line with Manisha Koirala. Perhaps I'm asking too much for the film to have been a completely different animal, but I would have liked the film better if there was a romantic plot line but it didn't take up so much time in the film.

Boys started out fairly unique (though with a few stupid scenes like with the prostitute and crossing Mount Road in the nude) but became another melodramatic film.

Anniyan songs are now out, and so far they are rather disappointing. I had hoped Shankar would push Harris Jayaraj to give some unique songs but they're largely unimpressive except for O Sukumari and Iyengar Veetu Azhage. I hope Shankar goes back to ARR for his next film.

I am listening to the songs right now and its average - not great but not bad either. Like they say perhaps his song picturization that will make them tick.

While in India I chanced upon an interview with Vikram ( in Vijay TV) where he "leaked" the synopsis of anniyan. I am paraphrasing it here , basically he said

" Its supposed to be when Lord Rama get reincarnated into the current setup and sees the problems ...."

I don’t know how verbatim we can take it , still it sounds like its one of Shankar’s socially conscious films – which are usually more tolerable than his romantic interlude.

dvdisoil

the story was out by one of the guy who worked in the movie. It is another robinhood movie (naan mahan alla type). Vikram is a lawyer in the day time who turns to robinhood to kill (violence) evil people in night. what happens is that the evil forces kidnap vikram's love life and vikram goes to madras to fight against bigger evil forces (more violence) and bring his love wife back - same like Ramayan where Rama goes to Srilanka. Instead of lanka due to short budget (25 crore) vikram goes to chennai!

Regardign songs, I dont expect much in the movie too, because Shankar movie songs are more like pop songs, it doesnt go with movie, but the picturization will be good, so you really need a good/great songs to begin with. I have a bad feeling about this movie, but like you said, it is probably more tolerable than Shankar's romantic ventures.

If this prooves to be another disaster for Shankar, then he will go and take some "villiage" based stories where hero goes and fight for his cow with a low 50 crore budget! "Kazhutha theinju katterumbanathu pola Shankar thenju Ramarajan agaporar!"

or chickens lol??

Shankar's "social" films usually include masala elements that seem incongruous with the serious aspects of the film. This film sounds like a superhero film or something. Not sure why, but I kind of want to see this on the big screen. I know I'll hate it and regret ever spending $10 on it

I'd watch it just for Vikram & Sada dancing around the screen & because based on the stills, it seems to me like a typical Shankar film!! unlike Jeans & Boys, both of which remained to be unseen by me

I haven't seen a Sada flm yet, but she looks cute in the stills

she "WAS" cute in Jayam, but now she put up little tummy and probably 30 lbs more than her Jayam days.

I didnt like the songs that much in the beginning, but now I like them very much. Kumaari is super!

When the first set of stills came out, the film looked really different and interesting....the latest stills seem like just another typical romance action....anyways im not complaining as long as i can see vikram in action.....after this more action like Saamy please..

Btw, if you haven't seen Sadha in Jeyam...its a good one to see.
She was allrite in ethiri with maddy too.

Guess this is getting released this week. Ran across the trailor - this one looks bad ( fights a direct rip-off from Matrix, Shoalin Soccer etc ) , as much as i hate it i will probably end up seeing this .

http://nowrunning.com/Trailers/trailer. ... lang=TAMIL

http://www.anniyan.com/


About $$ (Budget over 25 crores )

http://www.hindu.com/mp/2005/06/15/stor ... 430100.htm


The last of the summer blockbusters, "Anniyan," touted as the most expensive South Indian film ever, costing Rs 26.38 crores, releases worldwide this Friday (so does the dubbed Telugu version "Aparichitudu") with 400 prints. Directed by Shankar, the film features Vikram, Sada, Prakash Raj and Vivek. It has foot-tapping music by Harris Jayaraj, top line technicians such as cameraman Manikandan and Ravi Varman, editor V.T Vijayan, art director Sabu Cyril and action choreographer Peter Haynes. Oscar Films is one of the leading production houses in Tamil and is headed by Ravichandran Viswanathan who has produced "Anniyan".

`Oscar' Ravi, as he is popularly known in the industry, is a daring risk taker and has produced about 15 films most of them being hits. Ravi started as a small time distributor in the NSC area based in Vellore in the early 1980s and used to buy all action Hollywood films and distribute them there. He was the pioneer in popularising Jackie Chan movies in Tamil Nadu and later started buying these films directly from producers in Hong Kong.

In the mid-1990s, he took over the distribution of Vijay's "Kathalukku Mariyathai" for entire Tamil Nadu. It turned out to be the biggest blockbuster that year. Ravichandran never looked back after that and got into Tamil film production and distribution in a big way. As a producer, `Oscar' Ravichandran knows the cinema business in Tamil Nadu at the grass root level and exhibitors all over the State have immense faith in his ability to deliver. The trade says he knows the pulse of the audience and can spot a hit.

Biggest challenge

Now, Ravi is facing the biggest challenge of his life, to make the Rs. 26.38-crore "Anniyan" a profitable venture. The trade says that he is crazy to make a film on such a huge budget (see box), as Tamil films are a poor second to Hindi films in India. A big budget Shah Rukh Khan film like "Veer Zaara", made at Rs. 25 crores, is said to have done Rs.70 crores business with almost 50 per cent of its box-office takings from overseas. A superstar Tamil film (other than Rajnikanth's "Chandramukhi") has the potential to garner only Rs. 20 to Rs. 25 crores from domestic and overseas theatrical, satellite, audio and other rights and that too if the film is a super hit. Unlike other producers, `Oscar' Ravichandran does not like media attention and is the only producer in India who never attends even his own `muhurats' or filmi functions. He is extremely low profile and refuses to be photographed.

Sitting in his modest office in Ashok Nagar, Ravichandran says: "My passion is movie making and marketing. I want to see that `Oscar Films' continues to be a leading production house in the country and with films like "Anniyan" we are going to be a brand". "Anniyan" is the first film in South India to get institutional finance of Rs. 9.5 crores from the IDBI, the first Tamil film to be insured for Rs. 29.5 crores and above all, the accounting during the film making was done the corporate way.

Says Ravichandran: "All payments to artistes, technicians and production were made through cheques and there was no black money involved as you can see from my accounts which augurs well for the future and corporatisation of the industry." When questioned about the viability of such a big budget film in Tamil, his reply is: "My faith and confidence in Shankar, Vikram and the script of `Anniyan' made me produce it". Once the film started, funds started flowing in from IDBI and he could mop up Rs. 12 crores from theatres in Tamil Nadu as Minimum Guarantee (MG) and advance.

But what has created a shock wave in the conservative Tamil film trade is that Ravichandran has not sold a single area of the film and is directly releasing it. In Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and even abroad, he has got MGs from third parties. Says Ravi: "It shows the confidence that I have in my project. Like S.S.Vasan did for "Chandralekha" or James Cameron did for "Titanic", I have put everything into `Anniyan'."

The shrewd businessman that he is, Ravi knows that by selling out, he will not get his price and recover his cost of production. Business trends in Tamil Nadu indicate an upswing in box-office collections over the past year, ever since the State Government slashed entertainment tax and carried out a crackdown on video piracy. Today, "Chandramukhi", the blockbuster is reported to have collected over Rs. 20 crores in 50 days from Tamil Nadu theatrical rights alone, while an average film like "Sachein" collected over Rs.1 crore from Chennai city in 35 days. So the trade feels if "Anniyan" opens big, investors (theatres) can be assured of a quick recovery and `Oscar' Ravi will be on the road to success within 10 days of the release! Adds Ravi: "I have to thank the State Government for its cinema policy which has made film making viable." The trade pundits are predicting that "Anniyan" will take a bumper opening at the box-office as tickets are priced at Rs. 80 and Rs. 90 in the city. (On Tuesday, when advance booking started, tickets were sold out for a week in most theatres.)

Ravi signs off: "If you are hardworking and have a passion for your job nothing is impossible."