The last year saw two great actors -- Kamal Hassan [Images] and Amitabh Bachchan [Images] -- being roped into Kannada cinema. For Hassan, it isn't unknown territory; he acted in Kannada films 18 years ago. But, it was a first for Bachchan.

Now comes the news that maestro A R Rahman has agreed to compose the score for a Kannada film to be directed by  Nanjunde Gowda. The film will be produced by London-based Dr Manohar and his wife Sunanda Manohar. Currently being shot in the UK, it stars Dhyan in the lead alongside new Bangalore-based heroine Sharmeelee. Composition of the music has already begun at Rehman Studios in Chennai.

Thiruttu Payale goes Hindi

Susi Ganesan, initially known as Mani Ratnam's assistant director, carved a niche for himself with the highly successful suspense thriller Thiruttu Payale. The film, more than half of which was shot in Australia, had Jeevan and Sonia Agarwal in the lead.

Now, Ganesan tells rediff.com that a few producers have come forward to remake the slick film in Hindi, which he himself will direct. "We are yet to finalise the cast. Thiruttu Payale had five people from five parts of Tamil Nadu joining hands but, in Hindi, we want to make them from five different states."

Meanwhile, Susi is writing the script for his next Tamil film starring Jeyam Ravi. He says he will finalise the heroine soon.

Classmates succeeds

Among Onam releases, it wasn't a superstar film that succeeded at the box office, but a film with the next generation of stars like Prithviraj, Narain, Jayasurya and Indrajit. While Mammootty's Bhargavacharitham, Dileep's Don and Suresh Gopi's Pathaka bombed, Mohanlal's Mahasamudram did average business. The real winner was Classmates.

The credit for the film's success goes largely to director Lal Jose, who has shown extreme care and sensitivity making a film based on college life. Jose's major success at the box office has been Meesa Madhavan [Images], an unadulterated fun film. His last two films showed his great range: Chandu pottu had Dileep as a crossdresser and Achanurangatha Veedu was an offbeat film about a father and his daughters after their mother's death. It was a sensitively made film but didn't do well.