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Rivals Mammootty, Suresh Gopi to come together?
Malayalam actors Mammootty and Suresh Gopi have not been on talking terms for a while now, and the bone of contention has been a mystery. The grapevine had it that the rivalry between the two prompted Suresh Gopi to opt out of the magnum opus, Pazhassi Raja, which had Mammootty playing the title character. The role was eventually played by Tamil hero Sarath Kumar, making him an overnight sensation in Kerala.
Director Shaji Kailas and scenarist Renji Panicker have been trying to bring the actors together for a while in a project called The King and the Commissioner. Mammootty had played the role of a firebrand district collector named Thevallipparambil Joseph Alex in the blockbuster film The King years back.
Suresh Gopi's role as a bold cop in The Commissioner had become something of a brand, which was instrumental in Renji Panicker making his debut as a director in its sequel titled Bharat Chandran IPS.
The industry has been abuzz with talks of a truce between the two actors now, which could mean that The King and the Commissioner could start rolling soon. But an industry insider has told rediff.com that contrary to reports, Mammootty will do the project alone and it will be called The King 2. As it often happens, the behind-the-scenes stories in the industry are more intriguing than a thriller. Watch this space for the latest on this.
Santosh Sivan to test his acting skills
Well, he is one of the finest cinematographers in the business and has directed quite a few films, including the recent Urumi, which has become the flavour of the season.
Now, he will be seen in a different role, as an actor. Yes, we are talking about the genius, Santosh Sivan.
Santosh will be seen playing the role of the legendary painter Raja Ravi Varma in director Lenin Rajendran's Makaramanju. The period saga got tremendous appreciation at the previews and is set to hit the theatres, soon. Those who have seen the film are raving about Santosh's histrionic talents.
The film also stars yesteryear heroine Radha's daughter Karthika and Nithya Menon, among others.
Kavya's voting woes
Political dramas are a favourite genre in Malayalam filmdom. But things took an unusual turn during the recent Assembly elections; just as it happen in the movies.
Actor K B Ganesh Kumar has been a minister in the state in the past and is part of the fray once again from the Pathanapuram constituency, where he is the sitting MLA.
Some of the actors like Jayaram, Dileep, Suresh Gopi, Kalabhavan Mani, Jagadeesh and Kunchacko Boban did come out in support of some of the candidates. Some of the directors like Sathyan Anthikkad, for instance, have campaigned for producer P V Gangadharan, who is contesting from Kozhikode North.
Talking about dramatic incidents, what takes the cake were the issues that actor Kavya Madhavan faced when she tried to get into the polling booth without caring to wait for her turn in the queue. A voter questioned the special treatment given for the star. When she was told to be part of the queue, Kavya, who was escorted by her parents walked out of the booth without casting her vote. As per reports, she went back and voted some time later.