In MemoriamSiddique and his partner Lal were really good with situational humour and made their funniest scenes without stereotyping, at no one's expense.SiddiqueEven though Malayalam filmmaker Siddique, who passed away on August 8, is remembered along with his partner Lal for the films they wrote and directed, the two of them had begun by writing stories that others directed. They contributed to one of the most celebrated films in Malayalam, Manichitrathazhu. They were really good with situational humour and made their funniest scenes without the usual stereotyping, at anyone's expense. Later when they split ways, Siddique continued directing comedies and slipped a few into other languages too. A listicle of his films wouldn't be complete without the early films he and Lal wrote for, and without his later stints in Tamil and Hindi. Pappan Priyappetta Pappan This is the first film Siddique and Lal scripted but it was directed by Sathyan Anthikad.
- 8/10/2023
- by LakshmiP
- The News Minute
ReviewIn Shiva Rajkumar’s 125th film as a leading man, filmmaker A Harsha makes a valiant but flawed attempt at asserting that violence, if need be, is the best tool of defence.ShuklajiYT: Zee StudiosShiva Rajkumar and filmmaker A Harsha have collaborated thrice before Vedha, trying out something new each time around. The veteran actor, despite being one of the most adored and sought-after superstars in the business, has almost never shied away from shedding his image for the sake of an important story – and, interestingly, his last two outings have addressed the issue of sexual violence against women and children. Vedha deals with a case of child sexual assault. In Vedha, Shiva Rajkumar’s 125th film as a leading man, the filmmaker makes a valiant but flawed attempt at asserting that violence, if need be, is the best tool of defence. As much as the film has its heart in the right place,...
- 12/23/2022
- by Vidya
- The News Minute
SandalwoodThe film relies heavily on family sentiment and Kannadiga pride, leaving little room for anything else.Rakesh MeharIf there’s one thing that star vehicles in Kannada cinema can always rely on, it is family sentiment. The selfless son, ready to sacrifice everything for family members who little recognise his unceasing love for them, remains one of the most popular characters in Sandalwood. And truckloads of Kannadiga pride seem to complete the rest of the formula. So you have the Duniya Vijay-starrer Kanaka, which tells the story of a young man who lives in complete devotion to the late veteran actor Dr Rajkumar. His films, Kanaka tells us, have more to teach us than all of the best degrees in the world. Much of what Kanaka has learnt seems to be a violent assertion that Kannada reigns supreme in Karnataka, a vehement advocacy for Bengaluru’s auto-drivers as some of the city’s best people, and a lament that young people have strayed from their traditional culture and humanity. That this extended lesson on the virtues of Kanaka abruptly ends at the interval with the bizarrely patriarchal death of one of the women characters in the film is an irony that goes entirely unnoticed. Quickly, the film and its protagonist move onto Bankapura, the village from which Kanaka ran away as a young child, unable to bear his father’s constant physical and emotional abuse. The reason for the father’s unending anger towards his own child? An astrologer tells him before Kanaka’s birth that this son will lead to the ruin and destruction of the family. When Kanaka returns to prove his love for the family, his mother and brother are eager to accept him, but his father’s anger is unchanged. Yet, Kanaka is the kind of man who will accept even the harshest, most unreasonable treatment because that’s how deep his love for family runs. Luckily, of course, there are villains threatening the family, and Kanaka’s ability to fight off gangs of henchmen proves a surefire way to finally win his father’s love. Director R Chandru follows a completely predictable potboiler formula, though the film is clearly overextended in trying to accommodate all of the action and family elements. What is particularly difficult to stomach is the excessive appeal to Kannada chauvinism in the first half of the film. In typical star vehicle style, Kanaka revolves entirely around Duniya Vijay, who features in almost every frame of the film. But what’s crucially missing is a proper antagonist to pit the hero against, with Ravi Shankar featuring in a highly truncated role that leaves little room for his menace to flourish. Manvitha Harish and Hariprriya have little to do in their respective roles, as the two romances in the film occupy an excessive amount of time without adding anything to the story. Kanaka is best reserved for Duniya Vijay’s fans, and anyone else is unlikely to lose much by giving this film a miss. Disclaimer: This review was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the film. Neither Tnm nor any of its reviewers have any sort of business relationship with the film's producers or any other members of its cast and crew.
- 1/27/2018
- by Editor
- The News Minute
SandalwoodR Chandru, the director of the film, is planning a mega event with the Dr Rajkumar cut-out that is to be erected in Bengaluru.Digital NativeThere have been several cut-outs placed for the Kannada thespian Dr Rajkumar, but director R Chandru is planning to erect the tallest of them all. The director is gearing up for the release of his upcoming film Kanaka in which its lead star Duniya Vijay plays an ardent fan of Dr Rajkumar. Kanaka is a romantic comedy film that is touted to hit the silver screens on January 26. Apparently, Duniya Vijay plays the role of an auto driver in the movie. Sources close to the Kanaka team say that the director is planning to hire a tanker lorry full of milk to perform abhishekam on the cut-out. The cut-out event is planned to be held on Jan 23 at Kempe Gowda Road in Bengaluru. Written, directed and bankrolled by R Chandru, the film has been produced under his banner Rc Movies. The film has Duniya Vijay as Kanaka, Manvitha Harish as Kanasu and Hariprriya as Sampige. The rest of the star cast includes P Ravishankar, Sadhu Kokila, Rangayana Raghu, Achyuth Kumar and Srinivasa Murthy. Naveen Sajju has composed music for this flick with Sathya Hegde cranking the camera. Incidentally, Naveen Sajju is a playback singer and has made his debut as a music composer with Kanaka. With the film’s release just a few days away, the makers are leaving no stone unturned to ensure that it releases in a maximum number of screens. According to reports, Kanaka is set to release at about 400 screens, which will be the biggest ever in the history of Sandalwood. With director Chandru planning a mega event with the Dr Rajkumar cut-out, he is sure to garner the attention of film buffs in a big way. The promos are happening full swing and fans can’t wait for the film to hit the silver screens.
- 1/19/2018
- by Editor
- The News Minute
EntertainmentWhat makes this Bo clash very interesting is the fact that both the films are connected to the Rajkumar family.Digital NativeDigital NativeTwo Kannada movies, Kanaka and Rajaratha will clash at the box office (Bo) on Republic Day on January 26 this year. Being a long weekend, the makers of the films are trying to cash in on it. What makes this Bo clash very interesting is the fact that both the films are connected to the Rajkumar family. While Duniya Vijay will be seen as the hardcore Rajkumar fan in Kanaka, Puneeth Rajkumar is the narrator for Rajaratha. Both these factors are sure to help in the box office success of Kanaka and Rajaratha. Written, produced and directed by R Chandru, Kanaka stars Duniya Vijay in the title role with Manvitha Harish and Hariprriya as the female leads. The star cast also includes P Ravishankar, Sadhu Kokila and Rangayana Raghu. Naveen Sajju has composed music for this flick with Sathya Hegde as the cinematographer and Harish as the editor. The film was touted to hit the marquee last month but was postponed due to delay in the censor certification process. Duniya Vijay’s last release was Masti Gudi, which was released in May last year. Rajaratha, written and directed by Anup Bhandari, stars Nirup Bhandari, Avantika Shetty, P Ravishankar and Arya. In fact, it is Arya’s debut in the Kannada film industry and he will be appearing in an all-new get-up. Besides writing and directing the film, Anup Bhandari has also composed music for it. B Ajaneesh Loknath has done the background score and William David had cranked the camera for this romantic comedy. Nirup Bhandari’s debut flick RangiTaranga, released in 2015, was a major hit and Rajaratha is his second outing. Incidentally, he is working with the same team again after the massive success of RangiTaranga. Now, that would be an interesting Bo clash to watch out for!
- 1/4/2018
- by Editor
- The News Minute
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.