Last week, National Award winner Vikram took time off from the shooting of Shankar's Anniyan, and paid a visit to Vidya Sudha, a learning centre for children with special needs.

Vidya Sudha is an initiative of the Sri Ramachandra Medical College in Chennai, and is located within the medical college premises.

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The school is for children aged below five. With one teacher for every three students, it functions on a philanthropic model relying mainly on sponsors.

At the press conference, after inaugurating the school, Vikram said, "Every individual should sponsor such children." He has volunteered to adopt one such child.

Appreciating Vikram's involvement with such children, the school made him their Goodwill Ambassador.

Chellamay completes 100 days

Nobody expected Chellamay, starring Reema Sen, Bharath from Shankar's Boys and newcomer Vishal, to do well at the box-office.

Besides, when was the last time that a film with a female protagonist did well at the box-office? And Reema Sen is no Simran or Jyothika, two of the current top ranking heroines.

But Chellamay, directed by the little-known A R Gandhi Krishna, surprised all. The film has shades of the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Darr in it. But here, the obsessive lover is a teenager (played by Bharath).

Music by Harris Jayaraj, though not as exciting as his earlier Kaakka Kaakka, grew on people. Lovely picturisations have also made the songs popular.

Bharath as hero in Kaathal

While his Chellamay is completing 100 days, Bharath's new film Kaathal has just been released to much appreciation.

Kaathal is the first production under Shankar's S Pictures banner, and is directed by Balaji Sakthivel, his former assistant. Balaji's last film was Samurai, an action film with Vikram. Acting opposite Bharath is newcomer Sandhya.

There may be nothing 'new' in this tragic love story between a motor mechanic and a 12^th standard student, but the film seems to really touch the heart.

Parthipan in Raudy and Ade

Producer-director-actor Parthipan loves to experiment. Unfortunately, the experiments crash at the box-office. The latest on the list is Kudakkul Mazhai.

After this debacle, he has decided to act in two commercial films so that he would have enough finance to make the films he believes in.

Those who went for the launch of Raudy and Ade were initially shocked to see kids dressed up as drunkards and thieves and ushering in the guests at the launch function with knives pointed at them. It was a novel gimmick purely for shock value.

Industry angry with Satyaraj's latest film

Satyaraj's latest film Mahanadigan has irked those in the film industry with political ambitions, as the film pokes fun at them. The artistes association, the Nadigar Sangham, has come out openly against Satyaraj. Its president Vijayakanth and general secretary Sarath Kumar, a DMK MP, have also expressed their anger.

Directed by Sakthi Chidambaram, the film is about a man who enters politics through films.

Though the film claims that the characters are fictional, it bears resemblance to many, both dead and living. It is a light-hearted satire on the film industry and its nexus with politics, and the caricatures are quite hilarious.

Meanwhile, Satyaraj has expressed shock over the reaction of some of his colleagues. He said the film was not intended to hurt anyone, and that it was a satire. Those in the film industry might not have enjoyed the film, the public sure seemed to enjoy every minute of it!