Good Ol' Rajni has everyone guessing...

The buzz surrounding Rajnikanth is getting to be as convoluted as the plot of one of his potboilers.

On the one hand, the talk that the superstar will combine with hotshot director Shankar continues to have the industry in a tizzy. And on the other, there is his recent trip to an Ayurvedic spa in Kerala.

One explanation doing the rounds is that the Tamil icon has arthritis and had gone for treatment. But the more persistent rumour is that he went for one of those Kalari-based Uzhichil (massage) treatments, by way of getting himself all spruced up before getting stuck into his next project.

Ironically, the only one not talking is Rajnikanth himself. It has been nearly three years since his last release, and there is still no word from him about his next move.

Narayan Narayan!

Hits and flops apparently are mere pit stops in the career of Kamal Hassan, who continues to churn them out with a regularity his younger contemporaries in the industry would envy.

Even as his Aalavandhaan (Abhay, in Hindi) hit the marquee on Diwali day, Kamal is reportedly into the final stretch of his next project, Pammal K Sambandham. The film sees the star in the title character of a small businessman whose hobby is doing stunts on camera, as 'dupe' for the stars.

This comedy is going to be quickly followed by another one. Naren brings the KS Ravikumar-AR Rehman-Kamal Hassan team back together, after their last hit Tenali.

The film kicked off with a low-key muhurat, with a more formal function scheduled for the near future.

For now, the filmmakers are tight-lipped about the project. All that is known is that Naren is short for Narayanan, the name of the central character. And obviously, Kamal plays the lead.

The virus hits and how

G Venkiteswaran is generally identified as 'GV, Mani Rathnam's elder brother', which seems a tad unfair for a producer who, before he took a sabbatical from films and focussed on teleserials, had quite a few hits to his credit.

The sabbatical seems well and truly over, and GV is back. Shortly after announcing the launch of Tamizhan (starring Vijay and former Miss World Priyanka Chopra), the producer has announced another one, to be directed by Vasanth.

The director's last outing, Rhythm, didn't do him any good as the film did not match up to his previous film, the SP Balasubramaniam-Raadhika starrer Keladi Kanmani. Shyam, the latest kid on the Kodambakkam block, is the hero.

While on Shyam, the newcomer appeared to have missed the bus in cinematographer-turned-director Jeeva's 12-B, a take on Sliding Doors.

But Jeeva had predicted that irrespective of the fate of the film at the turnstiles, its debutant Shyam would go places -- and so it seems.

Besides starring in Vasanth's next film, produced by GV, Shyam is also starring in Priyadarshan's next film.

But the real biggie is K Balachander's next outing. 'KB', as the doyen of Tamil directors is known throughout the industry, had been off the film floors for quite a while, preferring to do teleserials. But he has returned to the big screen with Diwali release Paarthaale Paravasam, marking his 100th film.

That comeback appears to have whetted his appetite, as word has it that KB will launch his 101st film soon, with Shyam in the lead.

KB meanwhile will play himself in Kaadhal Virus, director Kadhir's next offering after Kaadhalar Dinam, starring debutant Kunal and Hindi film actress Sonali Bendre.

Kaadhal Virus will be the launch vehicle for Richard, brother of Shalini, who co-stars with Abbas and Sridevi (daughter of Manjula and Vijaykumar). Music is by AR Rehman.

Rajitha