Wasim Akram’s wife dies in Chennai

CHENNAI - Huma Akram, wife of former Pakistani cricketer Wasim Akram, died at the Apollo Hospital here Sunday morning after battling for life for the past five days.

Southern actress Sonia’s fee hike shocks producer

CHENNAI - Southern actress Sonia Aggarwal shocked a producer by asking for Rs.600,0000 to work in the remake of Tamil hit film “Manmathaleelai”.

I want to be a director’s actor: Ajmal

CHENNAI - Tamil film actor Ajmal, who did a full-length comedy role in “Thiru Thiru Thuru Thuru” (T4), says he does not want to be typecast as an action or romantic hero.

Sudeep to work with Ram Gopal Varma again in ‘Phoonk II’

CHENNAI - Actor Sudeep, who worked with director-producer Ram Gopal Varma in two of his films, will start shooting for the sequel of successful horror flick “Phoonk” in Mumbai later this month.

Former Indian mariner to direct Hollywood-Mollywood movie

CHENNAI - A Dubai-based Indian businessman and former marine architect, Sohan Roy, is all set to entertain the world with a Hollywood-Mollywood blockbuster based on a 100-year-old British dam in India and the lives of nine characters associated with it.

Rap to sufi music - Rahman charms Chennai

CHENNAI - From rap to fusion, carnatic to sufi double Oscar winner A.R. Rahman used every genre to keep his audience mesmerized at a live concert here.

Tamil media persons, actors at war

CHENNAI - The arrest of a news editor of a leading Tamil daily has sparked off a full-fledged war between the journalists in the state and movie actors.

Pyramid Saimira plans to raise funds through stake sale

CHENNAI - City-based entertainment group Pyramid Saimira has said it will raise funds by divesting equity up to 40 percent in its group firms.

Kolkata firm to buy stake in Pyramid Saimira Productions

CHENNAI - Kolkata-based Regent Finance Corp, part of the diversified RDB group, will acquire 40 percent stake in the cash-starved film and television serial production arm of Pyramid Saimira Productions International (PSPI) for Rs.40 crore.

50 composers to perform together at AIFEC event

CHENNAI - More than 50 composers, including Oscar winning music director A.R. Rahman, will come together for a musical night organised by the All India Film Employees Confederation (AIFEC) as part of the three-day national conference starting Oct 9.

Southern superstars laud Kamal Haasan’s 50 years in filmdom

CHENNAI - Southern cinema’s biggest names, Rajinikant, Venkatesh, Mohanlal and Mammootty, came together under one-roof to celebrate Kamal Hassan’s five decades in showbiz.

Rajnikant, Kamal Haasan win best actor state awards

CHENNAI - Southern superstars Rajnikant and Kamal Haasan have bagged the

best actor awards for “Sivaji - The Boss” and “Dasavatharam” respectively announced by the Tamil Nadu government. Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi also won an award - for the dialogues of “Uliyin Osai”.

Good script impresses audiences: southern actor

CHENNAI - Jayam Ravi, known for doing Telugu remakes, says only good scripts can satisfy audiences.

“Today, the audience could be satisfied only with a good storyline and script. In such a scenario, one can bring out good stories in different languages,” said Ravi, who is currently busy shooting “Thillalangadi”, a remake of Telugu hit “Kick”.

Tamil actor Vijay not to join political party for now

CHENNAI - The Congress party’s effort to attract star value to its Tamil Nadu unit received a setback with leading Tamil film hero Vijay declaring Sunday he did not intend to join politics in the near future.

Pyramid Saimira didn’t have money to complete ‘Marmayogi’: Kamal Haasan

CHENNAI - Tamil thespian Kamal Haasan Thursday rubbished reports that he had breached his contract with Pyramid Saimira by leaving “Marmayogi” in the lurch and clarified that the “production house didn’t have enough funds to finish the project”.

Mammootty’s ‘Pazhassi Raja’ to be released on Gandhi’s birth anniversary

CHENNAI - Mammootty and Sarath Kumar starrer “Pazhassi Raja”, a tale of a valorous freedom fighter, is all set for release in five languages — Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi — on Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary Oct 2.

Pyramid Saimira slaps lawsuit on Kamal Haasan (Lead, superseding earlier story)

CHENNAI - Production house Pyramid Saimira Wednesday slapped a lawsuit on Tamil thespian Kamal Haasan for taking his fees but not completing the film “Marmayogi”.

Pyramid Saimira slaps lawsuit on Kamal Haasan

CHENNAI - Production house Pyramid Saimira Wednesday slapped a lawsuit on Tamil thespian Kamal Haasan for taking his fees but not completing the film “Marmayogi”.

I want to do more films like ‘Kanchivaram’: Prakash Raj

CHENNAI - “Kanchivaram”, set in the pre-independence era, has bagged top honours - best film as well as best actor award for Prakash Raj at the 55th National Awards, announced Monday. The actor says he is inspired to do more such films, while director Priyadarshan feels it will change his image.

Tamil star Vikram’s ‘Kasi’ now in Sinhalese

CHENNAI - Sri Lanka-born Indian Niranjan, who is doctor by profession, is making hit Tamil movie “Kasi”, which starred Vikram, in Sinhalese and says the film’s success in four south Indian languages inspired him to take it to Sri Lankan audiences as well.

I want to settle down in Mumbai: Shruti Haasan

CHENNAI - Her debut movie “Luck” bombed at the box office, but the film’s failure hasn’t detterred Shruti Haasan from making Mumbai her home and trying hard to get a foothold in the Hindi film industry.

Road to be named after Kamal Hassan?

CHENNAI - A Tamil television channel is organising a month-long event to commemorate veteran actor Kamal Hassan completing 50 years in the industry - and it also wants a road here to be named after the star.