JUNIOR NTR WANTS TO DO A ROMANTIC FILM, AND IS LOOKING FOR SCRIPTS

Junior NTR is beaming with joy writ all over his persona. And there is a reason for his newfound spring in his step. His Yamadonga has become a big hit, which he has been looking for a long time. What more, he has lost all those tonnes of weight he had put on and appears handsome enough to qualify for love stories. Stuck in a mass hero mould for some time now, he wants to diversify into softer roles, but his weight has come in the way. So, he is looking forward to filmmakers who can narrate to him a beautiful love theme that will send the pretty young things into a tizzy. So, filmmakers if you have any such scripts, you know where to go. What are you waiting for?

YAMADONGA IS A GOOD ENTERTAINER FOR THE FRONT-BENCHERS, BUT WHAT IS SO NEW ABOUT IT?

It takes guts to make a movie based on Yamalokam, especially when everyone of us is familiar with such themes. First it was the Senior NTR, who essayed a phenomenal performance as the odd man out in Yamalokam, in Yamagola, so much so, that it has gone on to become a milestone in Telugu cinema. Later S V KRishna Reddy managed to recreate the magic with Ali in Yamaleela. Of course, it turned out to be a xeroxed version of the original with the mother sentiment thrown in. In between, Chiranjeevi too did his own version of the theme which became a runaway success. And now director S S Rajamouli treads the beaten track with Junior NTR as the man who has Yama Dharmaraju in a fix. And, we must say, it was a good effort on the part of Rajamouli to dish out an out-and-out entertainer.

Like all themes go, there is not much to talk about the theme. Death plays the villain in the life of Raja, who is unable to cash in on his big theft, as the guy who gets the job done is dead before he can pay NTR his reward. So, he starts cursing Yama Dharmaraja, who decides to right the wrongs.

And so goes the movie. An entertainer, it has some phenomenal dialogues between Mohan Babu and Junior NTR. The film has some wonderful graphic wonders which bring about the two NTRs -- the junior and senior -- in one sequence. It is an amazing effort, and the film will be talked about more for this than for anything else.

Then there are the ladies -- the more the merrier seems to be Rajamouli's policy -- to add that glam quotient to the film.

But we must say that it is a pure entertainer, and Rajamouli doesn't seem to have enough time to devote to the story and the screenplay. He only seems to concentrate on the Yamalokam scenes to the neglect of the theme. Anyway, if you can leave your mind back at home, which you should always do when you go to watch a Telugu film, it will entertain. If not, perish the thought of watching the film.

HE IS AN UNUSUAL THIEF, HE ROBS YAMALOK: CHECK OUT NTR'S ANTICS IN YAMADONGA

Why is Chandrababu Naidu hell-bent on roping in Balakrishna into the Telugu Desam Party?

Everyone knows that Chandrababu Naidu is a master in the art of realpolitik. His detractors have even compared him with Chanakya, the Machievalli of Indian politics. And naturally. For he is known to use the right people at the right time and dump them like hot potatoes once he achieves his objective. Mohan Babu, Jayaprada, Renuka Choudary, Rammoorthy Naidu, Harikrishna, Daggubati Venkateswara Rao -- he had the knack of using all of them to rebel against NTR and usurp the chief ministership of the State in 1996. And what did he do after becoming the CM? One by one, he got rid of them.

And for more than eight years, he didn't even give them a second glance. Not even at private parties and functions. But, now, with the elections drawing near, and with the party's image plummeting in the eyes of the people, he's realised that he needs star power to pull the masses back to the party. Because the alienation of the people has been so severe that even the so-called misdeeds of the Congress party under Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, are unable to bring the TDP any closer to the people.

Sensing the seriousness of the situation, Chandrababu Naidu realised that it is time to play the NTR card to the hilt. So the CEO of Indian politics thought of a brilliant plan to make it a realistic ideal -- rope in Nandamuri Balakrishna, who is presently blazing a trail in the Telugu film industry, to rev up the image of the party. But, with the NTR family being wary of his moves after the death of NTR, and later with the exit of Harikrishna from the party, earlier, he has come up with a marriage proposal. Of giving his son Lokesh in marriage with Balakrishna's daughter Brahmani.

This way, he not only has Balakrishna, who has kept away from politics all along, canvassing for his party, but can also hope to cash in on the glory of NTR. And everything seems to work according to his plans. For, initially, the NTR family, it is reliably learnt, was antithetical to the very proposal of giving Brahmani is marriag to Lokesh. But, Buvaneshwari stepped in to cut the ice.

Everything has worked well so far. How? Harikrishna was give his rightful due during the recently anniversary celebrations of the party in Tirupati. And two, he has dangled the carrot of Rajya Sabha seat to Balakrishna. What more, with Balakrishna busy shooting for his film Okka Mogadu near Rajahmundry, Chandrababu has reportedly told the partymen that the latter's birthday celebrations on June 10 in Rajahmundry, which Balakrishna is planning to celebrate with his fans, should be a party affair. And that no stone should be left unturned to make it a grand spectacle. Gorantla Buchaiah Choudary, a senior TDP leader from the place, has been personally supervising all the arrangements at Subrahmanya Grounds in Rajahmundry.

And there have been messages flying thick and fast from the top rung leaders in Hyderabad, a euphemism for Chandrababu's house, that no Telugu Desam flags or banners should be seen at the venue. Not even the colour yellow! Everything should look as if it is being done by Balakrishna's fans alone.

It is reliably learnt that Balakrishna is likely to make an important announcement concerning his entry into politics and his role in the Telugu Desam Party. While this has gladdened the heart of Chandrababu, it is also making him jittery, that Balakrishna might say something unusual that the party may not be unable to digest. But, is there anything that the diplomatic Chandrababu can't counter in his life?

NTR's Karna a hit in US

Even in his death, N T Rama Rao continues to live in the hearts of the Telug people. And such is his popularity that his films are still seen with fascination by the Telugus both in India and abroad. Right now, one of his films -- Dana Veera Sura Karna -- which was produced and directed by him, besides playing three roles, that of Krishna, Karna and Duryodhana, is slated for release in Freemont, USA. Earlier, it has run to packed houses in Detroit and Richmond. Surely, the distributor who has bought the rights of the film knows where to put his money. For, it is the perfect timing with the Telugu Desam celebrating its silver jubilee and NTR's birthday falling at the same time.

NTR sports a pony tail for Yamadonga!!

Junior NTR did not disappoint his fans on his birthday which passed off recently. First, he claimed that he had the best birthday in the last three years. For more than one reason. Especially because he was shooting with his annaiah Rajamouli, who had earlier given him stupendous hits like Simhadri. Also because, he claims, his last two birthdays were spent in a sort of restlessness. What he means to say in simple terms is that he was not happy on both the days. Has it anything got to do with love, Mr NTR? We have heard rumours of your link-up with the gorgeous babe Sameera Reddy especially during the said period. And that you were willing to do anything to have her. The other reason NTR's birthday was memorable for his fans was the fact that he is going to don a pony tail in Yamadonga, some of the stills of which have already been out. Must say, he has slimmed down quite a bit after throwing around all those kilos. What more, he is not only acting in the remake of the song -- Olammi thikka reginda -- from Yamagola, for his new film, but he is actually singing it. What could be sweeter news than this for his fans.

Is Lokesh marrying Balakrishna's daughter?

It is a rumour that has been doing the rounds for more than six months now. That Chandrababu Naidu, who has been alienated from the NTR family, has been desperately making efforts to mend fences with NTR's family members. As a first step in that direction, it is said, he has opened the doors of TDP to Harikrishna. And now, we have been hearing that Naidu is harping on his son Lokesh marry Balakrishna's daughter. But, it is believed, that Balakrishna is not very enthu about the idea. And so, we hear, the proposal has been hanging in the balance. Now, a fresh rumour is doing the rounds that Balakrishna has indeed yielded to Naidu's requests and that the engagement has also taken place. But we are not sure whether it is true or not. Only time will tell.

Will Srikanth manage to hang on?

Srikanth is desperately trying to keep his on-the-verge-of-drowning career afloat in the wake of the onslaught of younger heroes who have been sweeping the Telugu film industry like a tsunami sending tremors in the hearts of the ageing-and-refuse-to-leave-the-industry superstars. From NTR to Prabhas, from Mahesh Babu to Allu Arvind and even Ram and Siddharth have been flying high creating a niche for themselves. The reasons are many. But the most important is their freshness. And, of course, their ability to strike a chord with the younger directors. Coming to Srikanth, he has been clutching on to the straws, literally, and has been desperately trying to make himself noticed with his trademark comedy films with his trademark directors. But the land under his feet is fast slipping away. So he thought he would do something different before he fades away from the industry. Of course, it is just a euphimism for his unemployment. And for that, he has even shaven his head and is now sporting a barely-grown-hair-on-his-head look for his new film 'Operation Duryodhana'. Incidently, the film is directed by Posani Krishna Murali, and looking from the likes of it, it appears as if the theme is written keeping Srihari in mind. We will come to that later. The film has some really hard-hitting political dialogues questioning the system and its deviation from the Constitution, in typical Posani style. But will Srikanth be able to deliver? That is the million dollar question.